Political selfies don't make me a narcissist!

STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Justin Trudeau

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FIRST PEEK

Maggie Benston Centre 2900 Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6

The Peak office is located on the second floor of the Maggie Benston Centre, underneath Higher Grounds coffee shop.

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Yemi Ajayi, Nikki Aulakh, Destiny Hsu, Darien Lechner, Leslie Lu, Zainah Merani, Courtney Miller, Reuben Newton, Oscar Lira Sanchez, Zach Siddiqui, Ryan Stella, Rachel Wong THIS WEEK’S COVER Phoebe Lim COLUMNISTS Josh Cabrita, Gemma Lee, Justin Stevens, Jessica Whitesel PEAK ASSOCIATES Simran Ahmed, Anthony Bianco, Shantal Charalambous, Austin Cozicar, Samaah Jaffar, Brad McLeod, Bernice Puzon, Kevin Rey, Nathan Ross, Bartosz Wysocki EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Max Hill – eic@the-peak.ca COPY EDITOR Joel MacKenzie – copy@the-peak.ca NEWS EDITOR Melissa Roach – news@the-peak.ca ARTS EDITOR Tessa Perkins – arts@the-peak.ca OPINIONS EDITOR Adam Van der Zwan – opinions@the-peak.ca

ARTS

SPORTS EDITOR Nick Bondi – sports@the-peak.ca HUMOUR EDITOR Jacey Gibb – humour@the-peak.ca ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Jamal Dumas – anews@the-peak.ca PROOFREADER Miranda Macfarlane PRODUCTION AND DESIGN EDITOR Phoebe Lim – production@the-peak.ca LAYOUT ASSISTANTS Gabriel Yeung, Christy Lum PHOTO EDITOR Lisa Dimyadi – photos@the-peak.ca MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Paige Smith – multimedia@the-peak.ca BUSINESS MANAGER Maia Odegaard – maia@the-peak.ca 778.782.3598 PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR Cecile Favron – promotions@the-peak.ca WEB PRODUCER MuhammadQasim Dewji – web@the-peak.ca BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tamara Connor, MuhammadQasim Dewji, Max Hill, Maia Odegaard, Melissa Roach, Thadoe Wai

WWW.THE-PEAK.CA

HOW THE PEAK WORKS The Peak is the official student newspaper of Simon Fraser and is published every Monday.

The Peak is a registered non-profit society under the Society Act of British Columbia.

We’re funded by a student levy and governed by a board of directors. Each semester, an editorial team is hired to hold positions for the following semester, and any SFU student is eligible to become an editor.

The hiring board is composed of the editorin-chief as well as a former editor and a member of the board of directors. Notice of hiring details will be posted on the Diversions page of The Peak in advance.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED The Peak reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, as well as stylistic, grammatical, and legal considerations.

The Peak also reserves the right to reprint submissions at any time, in both written and electronic formats.

All articles published in The Peak will be published online at the-peak.ca. The Peak will not publish content that is sexist, racist, or otherwise prejudiced. Any SFU student can contribute to The Peak.

If you’re interested in contributing, please contact our promotions coordinator or any other member of the editorial team. We also hold weekly meetings every Wednesday at 12 p.m. in our offices, open to all students.

WHERE TO FIND THE PEAK The paper is distributed weekly at SFU’s campuses in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver, as well as the Lougheed Town Centre and Production Way/University SkyTrain stations.

Every SFU student is entitled to one free copy per person per issue. Off-campus subscriptions are also available at $56 per year. Send requests to The Peak’s business manager.

November 2, 2015 · Volume 151, Issue 9

FIRST PEEK

November 2, 2015

PEAK SPEAK

“Raise awareness for it [. . .] The more people understand that mental health is not something that you can take up by yourself; you’re born with it. The first thing is to raise awareness, get the word out. That way the stigma will go down.”

Sean Chen Third year engineering

“Definitely, we need to talk about it more. Exposure would be just sort of the basics [. . .] I don’t think anyone really knows all the answers, but definitely discussion like this, right now, is a good place to start.”

Joseph Paguio Third year international studies

Lisa Dimyadi Photo Editor With the election results out and the Liberals winning in a landslide, I can’t help but feel sorry for our new prime minister, Justin Trudeau. The reason for this is because his father is former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, and when you have a parent and child in the same profession, they tend to be compared with each other. I feel sorry for Justin Trudeau because I know what it feels like to be compared to one’s father.

My father is a semi-famous photographer in Southeast Asia. He specializes in food, travel, and portrait photography; his photos have appeared everywhere, from advertisements in airports to travel catalogues and brochures. If you Google his name, his photos are all around the Internet. There’s absolutely no denying that he is a talented photographer, but as his daughter, that puts some serious pressure on me.

The first time I mentioned wanting to pursue photography was when I asked my mother to buy me a mirrorless camera.

She shook her head and told me she didn’t think it was worth it, and that I wasn’t talented or

creative like my father. From then on, she constantly tried to discourage me from being a photographer. She told me that no matter how much hard work and effort I put into photography, I’d never be able to compete with the likes of my father, who was born with an innate talent for taking photos.

Ironically enough, the person who compared me to my father the most was he himself. His oft used catchphrase became, “You’ll never be as good as me if you don’t do as I say.” I would enthusiastically show him a photo I thought I had taken exceptionally well, and he would proceed to tear it down and expose every single one of its flaws. Out of the tens of thousands of photos I’ve taken, my father has only given his seal of approval to three.

absolutely frustrated. Being in the same profession as my dad completely erased my own identity. It erased my hard work, my efforts, and my originality, reducing me to the title of “my father’s daughter.”

Was I resentful of my dad?

Yup. Did I want to kick his ass?

Hell yeah. Do I still want to kick his ass? A little bit, yeah.

Despite spending the beginning of my photography career standing in his giant shadow, I’m grateful now. I’m grateful because he pushed me to work harder to be original, to differentiate myself from him. Being told I’d never be like him just pushed me to work harder. I don’t want to be my dad, I want to be me.

My dad is a wonderful person, and a world-class photographer. Being his daughter means I enter the industry with the high expectations and the same standards that everybody holds him to.

Sometimes I do think it’s unfair, but life happens — I chose to walk this road and I’m going to see it through.

Honestly, I’m grateful to everyone who told me that I’d never be as good as my dad because it just motivates me to show them I can.

With Justin’s recent Liberal victory, he will see his chance to define his own identity, too.

Being in the same profession as my father erased my own identity, my hard work, and originality.

It wasn’t just my family, either; I went to work for my father’s company for an internship during the summer. Every time I showed the supervisors my photos, they’d say the same thing: “You’re decent, but you’ve still got a long way to go if you want to catch up to your father.” I was tired and

“I think it would be nice to have a gift with like maybe an energy drink, or a little slip with encouraging words that you could tell people. That’s always a good way to support everyone.”

Rachel Li Fourth year business

“Improve awareness that you can go to a therapist, and there shouldn’t be any stigma around that. [. . .] it’s not just 10 per cent of people that need help and 90 per cent of the people are normal.

Everyone faces problems. [. . .] Everyone could use some help.”

Blair MacDonald Fifth year philosophy

“Talk to each other and also help each other out. Don’t study a lot. Go to the party.”

Derek Qiao Fourth year economics

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NEWS

Have a seat and make a friend! SFU’s Hi-F.I.V.E. Movement for Mental Health has unveiled a new Friendship Bench on Burnaby Campus.

Operating with the support of SFU Health and Counselling and the Simon Fraser Student Society, Hi-F.I.V.E. is a student-led group that started at SFU to advocate for mental health awareness.

The group hopes that the gift of the bench will become a symbol of the importance of mental

Anne Giardini, SFU’s chancellor, will be recognized with a lifetime achievement award at the Western Canada General Counsel Awards next month.

Giardini received her undergraduate degree from SFU in 1980. Having pursued a major in economics and a minor in political science, she went on to study law. Giardini says that there was an underlying theme in her academic studies.

“I was interested in power, how it got exercised, and who had control. Having learned about economic power at Simon Fraser, legal power was

November 2, 2015

health for all visitors to campus and will encourage people to feel comfortable to talk openly about mental health issues.

“Resources do exist and help is nearby if you need it,” said HiF.I.V.E. coordinator Tanya Miller, emphasizing that no one should have to “suffer in silence.”

Located in a courtyard on the south side of the AQ, across from the SFU Gallery, the bright yellow bench invites passersby to sit a spell, connect with others, and foster a safe space for individuals that are in distress.

The bench is the only installment in Western Canada and just one of five that the project has begun to roll-out. Hi-F.I.V.E. hopes to have the courtyard renamed to reflect the significance of the space.

The Friendship Bench initiative was founded by a group of three men who have all grappled with or experienced a loved one deal with mental health issues and suicide.

Suicide survivor and co-founder Sam Fiorella got involved with the project after his son, who was a student at Carleton University, took his own life in 2014.

another kind of power I wanted to learn about.”

Giardini continued, “It’s not that I was power hungry, I simply wanted to understand power from different areas.”

After receiving a degree in law, the now-chancellor began working at one of the world’s

news editor email

Melissa Roach news@the-peak.ca

associate news editor

Jamal Dumas

“The bench itself was chosen to represent the coming together of students and students helping each other out, talking to each other,” explained Fiorella. “We wanted something that was more than a one-day campaign, that was a permanent thing.”

The project raises funds to install benches on secondary and post-secondary campuses across the country, as well as donate $1000 to a local campus group to provide mental health awareness

education, marketing assistance, and financial support to services for those in crisis.

Each bench is accompanied by a plaque and a URL leading people to all the mental health resources that their school makes available to students. People are encouraged to use the hashtag #yellowisforhello as a public forum for open and honest communication about mental health.

The Friendship Bench’s partnership with Hi-F.I.V.E. will extend outside of SFU. “If

campuses don’t already have a mental health initiative, they’ll suggest Hi-F.I.V.E. It is applicable to anywhere, really,” said Miller, adding that the University of Tokyo, among others, is currently in the process of adopting a Hi-F.I.V.E. group of its own.

The initiative’s webpage encourages people to connect with others: “Getting the help you need or making the difference in the life of someone struggling starts with a simple ‘hello.’”

leading forest products companies, Weyerhaeuser Company Limited. Giardini has received awards for her legal and corporate work as a part of Weyerhaeuser’s legal counsel and then as president of the company.

She has also been a strong proponent of encouraging greater

female engagement in non-traditional sectors and roles.

Since 2010, Giardini has been appointed to the commonwealth group of senior lawyers, the Queen’s Counsel, has received the Robert V.A. Jones Award for her contributions to corporate law, and has been noted as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network.

Aside from her career at Weyerhaeuser, Giardini has also published two novels, The Sad Truth about Happiness, and Advice for Italian Boys. Currently, she is working on a third novel.

“My latest novel that I am working [on] is about death. There is still some work to be done on it, but it will eventually be released.”

Giardini’s mother, Carol Shields, was a novelist. Giardini is currently editing a collection of her mother’s writing advice which will be published in the Spring of 2016.

In addition to her legal work and writing, Giardini volunteers her

time for and serves on the boards of several Vancouver organizations.

Giardini commented on how her time at SFU shaped who she is today: “My time at SFU made me curious. The professors and the students I met were all different and had different interests.

And mostly, they were all passionate about what they were doing.

She continued, “I think my time at SFU gave me a lifelong curiosity about what people do, what drives them, and what moves them.”

The chancellor noted that she believes curiosity to be vital to an undergraduate education.

“Curiosity is a very important aspect of what you get out of an undergraduate degree. An undergraduate degree opens your mind to some of the possibilities out there.

“I really hope that students are not closed minded about their undergraduate degree. It really should open up possibilities.”

NEWS

The Institute for the Humanities at SFU hosted one of the most highly anticipated lectures of their fall series on the topic of “Settler-Colonialism and Genocide Policies in North America.”

The Facebook event for the lecture, which took place on Tuesday October 27, had 1,737 positive RSVPs, however the ICBC Concourse at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue was only able to accommodate around 200 people.

“This has got to set

November 2, 2015

something of a record for us,” commented Samir Gandesha, Director of the Institute for the Humanities.

The lecture was delivered

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, retired professor and author from Oklahoma, who spoke to examples of American policies and rhetoric, as the US is her area of expertise. However, she acknowledged that many of her points are transferable to the Canadian context as both countries share similarities in their colonial pasts.

The title of the lecture series, “State of Emergency,” was drawn from a TED-x talk given by one of their speakers from earlier in the semester, Pam Palmater.

Gandesha explained, in light of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, “Professor Palmater drew attention to the fact that, particularly from an Indigenous perspective, Canada was and is in the midst of a ‘State of Emergency.’”

“The most obvious example of this was the previous government’s stubborn refusal to mount an inquiry into Canada’s national disgrace: the hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women over the past several decades,” said Gandesha.

Dunbar-Ortiz’s lecture addressed the way settler-colonial policies have and can be portrayed. “United States government policies and actions related to indigenous peoples, though often termed racist or discriminatory, are rarely depicted as what they are: classic, classic, cases of imperialism and a particular form of colonialism — settler-colonialism.”

She strongly believes the term “genocide” should be used in describing the atrocities inflicted upon North America’s indigenous peoples, discussing the origin, history, and application of the word.

Dunbar-Ortiz explained that all five acts of genocide,

[LONDON] — The University of Western Ontario appointed alumni Jack Cowin, founder of Competitive Foods Australia Ltd., as it’s 22nd chancellor.

[VICTORIA] — University of Victoria (UVic) students are looking to reinvent stargazing and upgrade the astronomy department at their university. The Committee for Upgrading the Learning Telescopes is a small and relatively new group at UViC. They currently lack the funds they need to fully realize their goal — to enhance the public experience of watching constellations on their open stargazing nights.

He graduated from Western in 1964 with a degree in Psychology and was involved in the university’s wrestling and football teams.

Cowin told The Gazette, “I’ve got some views on education, what’s required and where Western should be going in the future. I’m glad to play that role.”

as identified in Article II of the United Nations’ Genocide Convention, were committed against the indigenous people.

The acts include “killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

Explaining the perspective of Australian anthropologist Patrick Wolfe, Dunbar-Ortiz remarked, “The question of genocide is never far from discussions of settler-colonialism.

Land is life, or at least land is necessary for life.”

She argued that the expansionist goals of the settler-colonial forces required violence and the threat of violence to achieve their goal of

exterminating the indigenous populations as a people, not just as individuals.

She rebutted a popular argument against the use of the term genocide: “Genocide certainly doesn’t have to be complete to be considered genocide. That’s ridiculous; saying there were ‘too many Indians left,’ 10 per cent of the original population, is ludacris.”

Gandesha explained that “People are [. . .] often confused at why an Institute for the Humanities organizes the kinds of critical events, such as the one this evening, insofar as an Institute that is geared to a Western tradition seems to be deeply complicit in [. . .] the very history of Settler-Colonialism.”

He explained that the Institute aligns itself with a “counter-tradition” within the Western tradition, “that has elaborated a powerful critique of colonization, domination, and exploitation.”

[HALIFAX] — About 60 per cent of international students applying for internships in medicine at Dalhousie University are being denied. 293 out of 486 applicants were rejected last year because the dates and departments they chose were already full.

Not only does this cost them the $500 Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada fee, but also the non refundable $775 Dalhousie application fee. Canadian and local students receive preference over the international students.

With files from The Gazette The committee has made adjustments to the 20 inch telescope model on campus and they also plan to work on the 32 inch model, Canada’s largest on-campus telescope.

With flies from The Martlet

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With files from The Dalhousie Gazette

6 NEWS

November 2, 2015

Dispossessed but Defiant , a travelling photographic exhibition arrived at SFU last week.

Created by the Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East Foundation (CJPME), the exhibit showcases historical and contemporary photography of indigenous experiences of dispossession from South Africa, Palestine, and Canada.

Located in the Saywell Atrium, the display was brought to SFU through a collaboration of the world literature program, the Office for Aboriginal Peoples, and SFU’s Institute for the Humanities. The photographs will be on display until November 6.

Dispossessed but Defiant presents over 80 photos drawn from various archives, libraries, and individual collections, by both amateur and professional photographers.

The exhibit was curated and contextualized by CJPME through consultation with an expert in each of the areas of interest. It deals with the restriction of free movement

and peaceful protest, as well as forms of dispossession like land loss and cultural pressures, amongst many others.

This exhibit hits close to home as SFU itself is situated on unceded Coast Salish territory.

Melek Ortabasi, the director of the SFU’s world literature program, frames the exhibit as part of the university’s mission — to create opportunities for dialogue around social issues.

“SFU, to its credit and peril, has thrown itself behind the motto of ‘The Engaged University,’” she said, adding that it falls within this mandate to examine difficult questions.

The exhibit aims to personify the experiences and stories of the dispossession of indigenous peoples through the use of photography, drawing from multiple traditions from the invention of photography to the present day.

It counts on institutional records, anthropological photographs, studio portraits, and press and activist photography to illustrate a narrative of indigenous “‘migration,’ ‘exile’ ‘homeland,’ and ‘dispossession,’ as some of most viscerally wrenching human concepts,” expressed Ortabasi.

Through projects such as this, the world literature program aims to unpack the concept of travel, movement, and tradition — by tackling “these

SFU’s Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) will be ceasing job action and allowing its members to release grades effective immediately after voting to enter into binding arbitration with SFU administration.

The union voted by majority on Oct. 28 and with the recommendation of the TSSU

Contract Committee to accept Final Offer Selection through binding arbitration.

As a result of this vote, job action ceases immediately and the two parties will return to the bargaining table over a period of 21 days.

If, after the bargaining period, there are outstanding items, arbitrator Vince Ready will have the final say on matters and his decisions will be binding.

One TSSU concern that was ironed out in a Memorandum of Agreement, pertained to the arbitrator’s authority to make a binding decision. “Initially, what we had received from SFU’s administration was

difficult questions, and how they are mediated from one culture to another,” explained Ortabasi.

In three photographic case studies located in different places, the exhibit attempts to provide an opportunity to examine the

something that did allow the employer to undo the binding arbitration,” said TSSU Chief Steward Reagan Belan.

That option has since been removed from the Final Offer Selection process. Belan explained that this removal was key to allowing the Contract

Canadian indigenous experience in relation to that of other countries, through the organization of five clusters of photographs that suggest a thematic arrangement.

The photographs chronicle well-known historical moments like residential schools in Canada and Nelson Mandela’s election under universal suffrage in South Africa. However, the exhibit

also presents some less familiar pieces of history.

The exhibit provides a broader view of traditional lands, ways of life, dispossession and resistance in its various forms by showcasing photographs of agriculture in pre-partition Palestine and referencing the failed creation of Bantu homelands under apartheid.

Through the combination of text and compelling documentary photography, Dispossessed but Defiant aims to cast a wide lens on the experience of indigenous dispossession and to encourage productive discussion of surrounding issues.

Committee to feel comfortable recommending that members vote to accept the proposal.

“In an ideal situation, we won’t have anything to refer to Final Offer Selection — we’ll just deal with it all in bargaining and the arbitrator will not enter into it,” expressed Belan.

She added that she is “optimistic” that will be the case.

SFU stated in an online labour update that it is “strongly committed to this process and anticipates

a respectful and productive conclusion to bargaining.”

In the meantime, TAs and sessional instructors are allowed to release their students’ grades as soon as possible.

SFU warned students that this process might take a while: “The University is prioritizing the return of grades to students as soon as possible, but this may take a few weeks.”

All withheld grades are currently locked in archives and members will need to physically go and retrieve them.

Belan concluded, “We would just ask those students to be patient, because it will take a little bit of time.”

NEWS

The Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre will play host to a panel discussion titled, “Social Inequality in the City” on Monday, Nov. 2.

Starting at 7 p.m., the event will explore the growing inequality gap between the wealthy and the poor and how it relates to “decreasing health outcomes, poorer education levels, higher rates of mental illness, higher levels of incarceration and less social mobility.”

As a part of SFU’s 2015 Community Summit, SFU Surrey presents “Leading and Learning,” an evening of conversation around using innovation to improve sustainability in cities like Surrey. The event will feature presentations from community leaders on Nov. 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

What is the ecological role of forest fires in BC and how do they affect human health issues? Experts will address these questions in the free lecture, “BC’s Balancing Act: Forest Fires, Ecology, Smoke and Health.”

The talk will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the Segal Building downtown.

November 2, 2015

“Less may be more, but endless is most,” said green architect and entrepreneur William McDonough.

He was speaking on Thursday, Oct. 29 at the 2015 Zero Waste Conference in Vancouver, encouraging the audience to rethink our relationship with the garbage that we create.

The event brought together business leaders, politicians, and engineers from around the world to discuss exactly how to transition Canada to a circular economy.

In a circular economy, no material is wasted at any step of an assembly line and no waste goes into the landfill at the end. Electronics are stripped to their component parts and used to make new ones, while organic waste is composted and shipped back to farms to help grow the next year’s crops.

The Richmond Energy Garden, operated by Harvest Power, is based on this economic philosophy. The facility takes in compost, digests it using bacteria, and burns the resulting gases to generate enough electricity to power 900 homes. The byproducts of this process: nutrient rich soil and huge amounts of waste diverted from landfills.

In the opening keynote, McDonough asserted the necessity of this kind of efficiency, saying, “If we are to be the dominant species [on Earth], then that also implies that we must be stewards.”

He went on to describe the Cradle to Cradle certification, a standard that is awarded to products that are assembled with recycling and environmental safety in mind.

However, this certification has a caveat: processes must improve in efficiency over time, or they lose their certification. He explained that the goal is to encourage manufacturers to refine their processes over time in order to reach the ideal of zero waste.

Vancouver is already seen as a global leader in sustainability.

The city was rated the fourth greenest city in the world in 2014 by the Global Green

Economy Index. Also, Vancouverites themselves are especially aware of waste management, according to Iain Gulland of Zero Waste Scotland. “I’ve been impressed,” he said, “A lot of people in Vancouver already understand [what a circular economy is].”

Throughout the event, corporations stepped up to talk about the steps that they were taking to reduce their ecological impact. Representatives from Loblaws and Walmart discussed ways that they were reducing food waste at every step of the supply chain.

The afternoon keynote speaker, Stefan Sjostrand, is president of IKEA Canada and he described his company’s pursuit of a simple goal. “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for people,” he said, adding that IKEA has been deliberate about only using energy efficient LED bulbs and serving sustainably-harvested seafood in its restaurants. He then addressed his peers, “I’d like to challenge other businesses to do the same.”

Although the development of more advanced technologies will help Canada reach a circular economy, many experts at ZWC were calling for a shift in how we think about waste and social responsibility to begin with. McDonough urged the audience to not try to get the most out of giving the least, but instead ask “how much can we give for all that we get?”

The conference comes at a critical time in global sustainability: the United Nations recently set a target for cutting food waste in half by 2030 in their Sustainable Development Goals.

If Canada reaches that goal, it might be because there are a few

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people in Vancouver that have already gotten their hands dirty.

8 NEWS

SFU recently held a community consultation on the university’s 2016–2017 budget on October 29.

The session outlined SFU’s financial outlook and made budget recommendations for 16–17 with the help of Associate VP Finance Alison Blair.

This community consultation was the last of four events, after which the university will continue to put the budget together until it is ready to be confirmed in its final form by the Board of Governors on March 24, 2016.

Blair noted that “market uncertainty” in 2015 and 2016 “has caused us to revise some investment income projections.”

Income from investments was revised down to $7.5 million from the initial projection of $10 million in 2015–2016.

Last year’s tuition fee increase of 2 per cent for all students led to a $4 million increase in revenue and the additional 8 per cent increase for international undergraduates only led to a $6.5 million increase in tuition revenue for 2015–2016.

November 2, 2015

Among the recommendations for the next fiscal year’s budget made were an “across the board tuition fee increase of 2 per cent,” and a 25 per cent higher fee for international fees for the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program, MSc in Finance, and the Management of Technology MBA, over the domestic fees.

While the audience in the Diamond Family Auditorium was sparse, those in attendance raised questions about various aspects of the budget recommendations, especially the raise in international student fees for the MBA program.

Said one student in a question to the presenters, “If this is a consultation, which I’m not sure if anything we say here today will change anything, I would like to speak against [differential fees].”

She continued, “It is an exploitation to charge one group [more] for the same product depending on where they’re from.”

VP Academic and Provost Jon Driver characterized the rationale for differential fees as “pretty straightforward arithmetic.” He explained that the university currently dilutes the grant it receives from the provincial government by taking in more students than the province pays for.

He noted that the university considers the cost of accommodating more graduate students as “the price of being involved in research.”

Said Driver, “In the case of the MBA program, I think we would see this as a less research intensive program. It’s basically a program that confers a very significant financial advantage on the people who go through the program.”

One question from the audience brought up the issue of divestment from fossil fuels and whether or not the issue was on the table for next year. Blair responded, “No, not at this time.”

The financial outlook for 2015–2016 shows a revised investment projection with marginal changes elsewehere She did, however, mention that the board recently created a Responsible Investment Committee and is “looking into” investing more into sustainable industries.

The Ubyssey reported on Oct. 26 that UBC is currently lobbying the provincial government for removal of the cap for domestic tuition fee increases of 2 per cent.

Driver explained SFU’s position on the cap, referring to a document produced by the Research Universities Council of BC (of which UBC and SFU are both members), which states the group “[does] not want to appear either in favour of taking the cap off or in favour of the cap being universally applied

Gabriel Yeung / The Peak

because [members] do have certain programs where there is a genuine need to increase tuition.”

Kathleen Yang spoke to recent lobbying by the SFSS: “We asked for four key things,” she explained: funding for open textbooks, increase to capital funding, and the ability to selffinance capital projects were the Alison Blair, among Associate VP Finance concerns the SFSS brought The Simon Fraser Student Soci- to the provincial government. ety (SFSS) was also on hand to de“Those are our key asks,” said tail the society’s role in the univer- Yang, “Whether or not they take sity’s finances. VP External Relations those key asks is another story.”

“Market uncertainty” in 2015 and 2016 “has caused us to revise some investment income projections.

OPINIONS

November 2, 2015

opinions editor email

As I type this, Internet-Zach finds himself swimming in two types of digital expression: political spiels spurred by the critical October 19 election, and the omnipresent stream of selfies. As different as they appear on the surface, they have much in common.

Social media makes self-expression simple; we can make ourselves an open book to the rest of the world. Inevitably, our aims in placing ourselves on display in such a way are called into question.

People commonly accuse avid Instagrammers of using selfies to brag; to show off themselves and their lives like trophies, putting the rest of us to shame. As being politicallyminded and civically-engaged grows steadily trendier, many who showcase their political views through social media are painted with a similar brush.

Jen Gerson, the writer who first made this point, summarize her argument best in The National Post on October 13 by saying, “It’s not even about being part of a political party as

much as it is about demonstrating that you’re part of a political party. The sort of person who belongs to such things.” That is, people post photos taken with ‘X’ political leader not out of real concern for politics, but to ensure others know how fashionably educated they are.

While there are undeniably such people out there, portraying everyone pushing the #StopHarper hashtag as cut from the same cloth seems rash. That the point is made through a comparison to the selfie is an awfully condescending double-whammy. There really shouldn’t be anything

wrong with sharing aspects of your life on a platform that’s specifically designed for doing so, nor should it result in being labelled a ‘fake.’

I’m a classics kind of gal. I adore all things old. Shakespeare takes over my bookshelf, Elvis takes over my iTunes library, and Degrassi takes over my DVD collection. All things old are gold.

And this is how I feel about my archaic Hotmail account — every early 1990s child’s dream. Fancy emails accounts like randomkid4ever@hotmail.com and glorifiedkidneybean@hotmail.com made us very excited to lurk inside our inboxes full of atrocities.

Anything and everything from “If you don’t send this to

seven people within the next five minutes, your dad will die tomorrow,” and “These naked Asian women are ready for you” ads seem to have found your email address, whether or not you actually signed up for them.

The phishing scams that Hotmail has to offer are plentiful, but quite frankly, we’re old enough now to know better than to believe the Nigerian Prince who’s willing to give us $6 million USD if only we help him get into the country for two grand.

Hot males have a way of capturing our attention, old or not.

From George Clooney to Zac Efron, there’s always a choice for someone. Hot males exist in our SFU halls: from Julian Somers in Health Sciences, to Robert Prey from the Communication faculty, each department has got something sexy to offer.

Hot males make me happy.

I’m thankful to stand close to them, to talk to them, to creep down the hall after them, to watch from the windows of their

Gerson describes the selfie as a symbol of how self-obsessed we’ve become in the modern age, but it’s more than

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca

a vain indulgence; it’s a mark of healthy confidence and selflove. Why should we make fun of it any more than we do other forms of photography?

If we ourselves, humans, full of emotion and intrigue, don’t qualify as art, then what can?

She proceeds to link selfies and politics, and bases her doubts of people’s passion towards the political issues on the kind of posts people make. As an example, she notes that selfies taken

homes as they cook dinner. . . hypothetically, I mean.

But all of this changes as soon as I see a hot male using Hotmail. Like, come on, dude.

It’s the 21st century. Get with the program. And by program, I mean Gmail, duh. Unless, of course, you’re Clooney, in which case you may use Hotmail.

However, I draw the line at Internet Explorer. Just, no.

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with Justin Trudeau “rarely, if ever” include actual discussion of his platform in the caption.

But really, this is a little petty. It very much comes off like asking someone: “You like this band? Prove it. Name five of their songs.”

Gerson is a prime example of a significant subset of people — those who eschew forms of social media and look down on those who embrace it. ‘Of course selfie-sinners couldn’t actually have intelligent thoughts,’ is what it amounts to, and this is both closeminded and elitist.

I do apologize for the fact that, in the event that I meet the leader of my preferred party and take a photo with them, it will probably not be accompanied by an APAstyle essay even after it hits the Internet. I’d like to think I’m allowed to support a party without being obligated to speak on their behalf at every opportunity.

Perhaps I was more concerned with being in the moment and sharing my excitement than going into details.

Perhaps I figured that anybody who cares either already knows about my party’s platform, or has the ability to check for themselves within seconds.

Perhaps I’m respecting that not everyone appreciates being flooded with political info on their news feeds.

And maybe, just maybe, I’m secure enough in my political beliefs that I don’t feel like I have something to prove.

10 OPINIONS

November 2, 2015

Since the beginning of my university career, the most exciting part of a new semester has been buying new books at the bookstore. I know that this isn’t the most affordable or efficient way to get my course material, but I do enjoy new books; the ability to crack the spine and inhale that new book scent. I’m even okay with having to purchase custom-bound course packs.

And while I may sound as if I’m advertising for the SFU Bookstore, I actually defend all print books for class in general.

Sadly, the PDF has become the bane of my university experience; I haven’t had a class in recent memory that hasn’t included multiple PDF readings, if not entirely comprising the course reading list. While this may seem like an excellent idea to save money, for me it simply isn’t worth it. One reason being that I don’t appreciate having to fight with Canvas to download my readings. While it’s nice to

have access to an online learning hub, Canvas doesn’t constitute the most user-friendly experience, and depending on how well my professor understands the system, I may spend an excess 30 minutes trying to find one reading.

Also, what platform should I read it on? My highly distracting electronic device that’s one quick swipe away from a black

hole of procrastination? Do I buy a printer, ink, paper, and an industrial stapler to print my own copy? Or do I waste time buying a printing card and having to return to library to keep printing unbound pages? None of these options seem like a great idea, yet this is the predicament I face.

We have to be prepared to waste our valuable time and money to print off reams of paper that we

will probably never give a second glance to, and that we can’t even sell to the next wave of students taking that particular class.

Professors often justify this PDF conundrum as being more cost-effective for students, or because they don’t like the way that that the supplementary readings are printed by document services. My time is money and I would rather have

a neatly organized, pre-printed and bound set of readings than have to print, organize, and try to not lose what is sometimes 40-plus loose-leaf pages of readings per week.

Finally, PDFs allow professors to sneak extra readings into the course curriculum.

When registering for class, I always look at the course outline so I can prepare myself for what I will have to read, and so I can roughly estimate how much time the class will take.

The books listed seem manageable for my selected course load; inevitably, though, when the syllabus arrives, there are three to five supplementary PDF-based readings every week to accompany the books that are also assigned. While it is my own fault for forgetting that there are always PDFbased readings, I naively hope that what the outline lists as assigned books are truly the only readings for the class.

I know that the PDF isn’t going anywhere because of the importance placed on technology in academia, but I really do miss the printed book, the fact that it is nicely bound, and unplugged. And when all else fails, it decorates your shelf to make you look more educated than you feel.

will increase. Reading some comments under the hashtag, I realized that there are humans whose scope of the world will forever remain tiny and distorted. They will never experience Earth’s beauty at full capacity because they don’t allow themselves access to all the possibilities.

Here we go again. The same tired tale is being repeated. A fresh batch of Internet trolls have infected our Twitter timelines in an attempt to bring hate and negativity to one of the greatest fandoms in cinema history. Last week, #BoycottStarWarsVII was trending on Twitter.

This hashtag was created to launch a tirade of ridiculous claims that the movie was “anti-white” and promoted “white genocide.”

Apparently, the apocalypse has arrived because one of the lead roles in the new Star Wars movie, of a storm trooper, is being played by a black actor, John Boyega. While it’s tempting for me to be spiteful and return the negativity, I had a

peculiar realization. Proponents of the boycott are simply subjects to be pitied. #BoycottStarWarsVII ended with an interesting twist and proved that a quote by Martin Luther King rings true: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The Star Wars fandom is one based on love and dedication. The boycott movement failed before it begun.

This ridiculous hashtag was trending because an overwhelming number of people criticized it. Genuine Star Wars fans were never going to let a group of bigots taint their beloved franchise.

As indicated by the ticket sale records the movie has already shattered, love obviously wins.

Apart from the usual trolls, the most prominent category of people behind the boycott were the racists. As people grow and the lens through which they view the world expands, it is expected that their understanding of how life works

Here are some solid facts that relay the irony in this trend’s claims: George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, is married to a black woman. Darth Vader, arguably the most iconic character in the franchise, was voiced by James Earl Jones, a black man. Billy Dee Williams and Samuel L. Jackson are black men that played characters in previous Star Wars films.

If anyone is to boycott this film, they should boycott the whole franchise — and anyone willing to do this for these reasons are not real fans, and they lack basic logic.

There are so many changes going on in the world around us. In fact, the only constant thing on this earth is change. It is only a matter of time before movies and television shows accurately reflect the diverse races and complicated people

that exist in the world. People of colour are no longer satisfied with being ignored, underestimated, and stereotyped. We are as ambitious as ever to become whatever we dream, no matter the struggle ahead of us.

People with natural feelings of inferiority need to put people down to feel important.

Individuals like this feel fear when they are no longer able to put certain people down. If diversity in movies inspire that type of fear in someone, I encourage it, because their nightmares will soon be realized.

More young people of colour are accepting no less than what they deserve and work hard for.

Those desperately spouting prejudice in an attempt to stifle positive change are fighting a losing battle.

If droids, Wookies and Ewoks can exist in the Star Wars universe, people of colour absolutely can, and should. So get over it.

I feel great sympathy for them, because they do not realize how misguided they are when they make claims of “white genocide.”

Claiming prejudice and racism requires a basic understanding of what those terms mean. The English dictionary and Google are resources that should not be taken for granted.

OPINIONS

There has never been so much love for one Pope. And this isn’t just because he has nine different Twitter accounts that tweet in English and eight other languages. No, there is something about Pope Francis that sets him apart from the previous Popes. Is it his sense of humour? Or maybe his grandfatherly figure? Or maybe even the surprising fact that he used to be a bouncer, or had a girlfriend before becoming a priest?

Maybe it’s all of these things, and so much more.

Elected as the 266th Pope, Francis is an anomaly. Born as Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis, the first Pope from the Americas, brought with him a new sense of forgiveness and compassion for the world through his soft smile and teachings. The

November 2, 2015

“Francis Effect” took the world by storm as he addressed tough issues that have long plagued the Catholic Church, moving Catholics to feel more strongly about their faith, inspiring lukewarm Christians and even touching the lives of those who aren’t religious.

So why do so many people have this deep love for the pontiff, even though he refuses to compromise church doctrine for 21st century progression? People think that the Pope is just some guy with a hat and no real leadership role, especially in the secular world.

But even though the church has slowly lost its influence over the state, Pope Francis has managed to remain relevant, even becoming incredibly crushworthy for celebrities like Oprah.

I would argue that this “Popecrush,” as Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente calls it, is a result of his humility and sense of realness.

Described as a “humble man,” Francis defied many of the norms set by hundreds of years of tradition and by his predecessors. In the early days of his papacy, he opted to take public transit, and now drives himself in a donated car. He also declined living in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace, opting instead for a suite in the Vatican guest house.

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Pope Francis’s decision to live humbly says a lot about his character, and in many ways, greatly corresponds with his choice of the name “Francis,” after St. Francis of Assisi, who was a “lover of the poor.” Francis has become a role model for everyone — faithful or not — to be the best person they can be. And through his leadership by example, he has challenged the world to go out and make a difference.

To me, it’s apparent how the #Popecrush Twitter trend has become so popular. Our collective love for the Pope has taken on a different feel from that of a celebrity crush. The pontiff’s simplicity became his trademark, turning him into a bit of a celebrity in his own right.

He has broken the barrier between himself and the rest of the world, making himself more accessible instead of putting

himself on a pedestal. And yet, even though the world in turn placed him on a pedestal, he certainly doesn’t let it go to his head. Pope Francis loves what he does and he rolls with it.

So there you have it: Pope Francis is an ordinary guy. He loves soccer and tango, he’s worked real jobs, and he drives used cars.

He is as real as it gets, and would probably make the world’s greatest grandfather to boot.

strategic voters while others voted for Liberals as their party of choice. Although we cannot be certain of the upcoming reforms, it is evident that the process to achieve change under Trudeau’s leadership will be inclusive.

Unlike Harper, Trudeau has invited opposition party leaders to the climate change summit in Paris. Premiers are also invited to the summit. Their attendance is important, since invoking any sort of national environmental policy without consulting the premiers can lead to strife in our federation.

Trudeau plans to remedy this by consulting provincial and territorial leaders while giving them the flexibility to invoke their own policies. Thus, no national

targets on climate change have been set. This presents another challenge in implementing real change on environmental policy.

November 4 is the date of the unveiling of Trudeau’s cabinet, which he promised to be inclusive of females. Notably, the cabinet is supposed to reflect gender equality, another area in which Trudeau is taking steps to be inclusive.

One of the most complex changes Trudeau promised to make in his campaign, and one which will determine his party’s commitment to real change, is electoral reform. Under the current first-past-the-post system, the candidate to receive the most votes wins a seat in Parliament.

However, under other methods such as proportional representation, seats are distributed to each party according to popular vote across Canada.

Switching to proportional representation, the most

popular alternative, however, would mean that the Liberals would have formed a minority government instead of the majority they now hold. Thus, electoral reform legislation, which was promised to be implemented within 18 months of government, will be the ultimate test of the Liberals’ commitment to change.

Not all voters will agree with the changes implemented by Trudeau. But if Trudeau sticks to his platform promises, voters can at least respect that he is a man of his word and void of empty promises. A revisit of the Tories’ platform promise to open government before taking office is a reminder of how power can shift priorities.

In order to govern under the pressure he is now under, managing expectations will play the most important role in satisfying a diverse electorate.

ELECTION REFLECTION

One of Canada’s longest elections is now over, and Canadians eagerly await the change for which they voted. Whether Justin Trudeau was elected by votes for the Liberal party or votes against the incumbent Tories, the prime minister-designate is now the face of change for many Canadians.

Just as our neighbours expected Barack Obama to be their white knight, our debonair prime minister is expected to deliver on his promises swiftly. When Conservatives form government,

however, they are expected to maintain the status quo and hold onto traditional values. Due to the diverse electorate which elected the Liberals, meeting voter expectations will be much more difficult than it may have been under the more passive Conservative governance. Managing expectations, however, is imperative to the possibility of Trudeau’s re-election.

Many of those who voted for Trudeau want different degrees and types of change. Some are

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ARTS

American Candy is Tempe, Arizonabased group The Maine’s fifth album.

Their third and fourth albums, Pioneer and Forever Halloween, respectively, were darker and more introspectively critical musical endeavours. In contrast, American Candy is a lighter, more pop-infused take on their usual alternative rock style.

Released on the band’s own label, called 8123, American Candy was engineered to be a feel-good album you can just have fun to. Lead singer John O’Callaghan said at The Maine’s latest show in Vancouver that this label freedom really allowed the band to shape the American Candy sound as they saw fit.

Featuring catchy choruses and guitar riffs perfect for breaking out your

November 2, 2015

air guitar, the band knows how to deliver a rock-solid record. The Maine features on lead guitar, Jared Monaco; on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Kennedy Brock; on drums, Pat Kirch; and on bass, Garrett Nickelsen.

They start you off with “Miles Away,” an upbeat, pop-rock tune about driving up the West Coast and partying with your friends. It’s a brilliant choice to introduce you to an entire album full of karaoke-worthy numbers. “Same Suit, Different Tie” follows, saying that you don’t need a lot of money to get dressed up and have a great night.

“My Hair” is all about living your life how you want to live it, using how you wear your hair as a metaphor: “Nobody’s gonna tell me how to wear my hair, not my momma or a big-wig millionaire. . . it’s not your hair!” And the same theme of having fun and doing your life your way flows into “English Girls” which was the first (and so far, only) single off the album.

As O’Callaghan said during the show, “Diet Soda Society” is a song that almost didn’t make it onto the record.

I’m glad it made the cut, because it’s a fun, catchy commentary on the American, and universal, human experience.

Featuring such candid lyrics as “to be honest, I am full of shit / But that’s alright because everyone else that I know is,” it’s an entertaining and amusing song to crank up in the car.

The Maine just concluded a free tour in the States, playing American Candy all the way through for fans without charging admission. It was their way of giving back and saying ‘thank you.’

choice amongst Canadians looking for well-produced and thoughtful melodies.

This October, they returned with its sixth

Jon and Roy have been a standout fixture in the realm of Canadian folk music for over a decade. Since their debut in 2004, this three-piece band has been a favoured

studio album, continuing to mark their presence as one of the genre’s best.

This bite-sized LP of seven songs is an enjoyable and greatly accessible album to experience. At a duration of just over 30 minutes, it’s certainly succinct, but no less of an enthralling collection of songs for any casual music listener.

The album begins with its gratifying title track “Riverside,” which has a calming melody capable of soothing even the most restless of souls. Jon and Roy’s strongest song off the LP is “Quatro,” with alluring guitar and drums that hypnotize over an intensifying beat. The album concludes

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A mix of electronic, synth, and indie pop sounds, Badlands is the debut album of Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, a New Jersey native who records and performs under her stage name Halsey. After a quick rise to the music scene in 2014 following the release of her EP Room 93, Badlands has garnered unexpected runaway success.

Room 93 is the original home of Halsey’s singles “Hurricane” and “Ghost,” both of which have been re-released on Badlands. Since then, a third

with “Come Again,” a warming serenade which gives ample reason to return to the album multiple times.

Part of the album’s strength lies in its highly articulated instrumentals, which speak volumes with tactful intricacy. In many cases, the lyrics often take a backseat to the finely crafted instrumentals, which speak more soulfully to listeners.

This is not to say that the lyrics in Jon and Roy’s Riverside are at all lacking; they are just not on the same level as the crafted acoustics and drum beats.

If the album has one drawback, it is that the vocals simply don’t stand out. Lead singer Jon Middleton’s voice is unmemorable and does nothing to really differentiate itself from other folk singers in the genre.

Fortunately, this never truly impedes the album in any regard.

Overall, Riverside is a delightful album with its share of good toe-tapping beats and epistemological themes capable of captivating casual and serious folk music fans alike.

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca

single, “New Americana” has also been released, and a portion of it was covered

by Panic! at the Disco’s Brendan Urie.

Badlands metaphorically represents a desolate and lonely mind, as well as the duality that comes with hereditary bipolar disorder. Despite all this, the album has a very optimistic, yet angry, rebellious feel.

“Strange Love” and “New Americana” are the anthem-like sing-along songs, the former with a devil-may-care attitude: “They think I’m insane / They think my lover is strange / But I don’t have to fucking tell them anything.” The latter is optimistic and hopeful: “Turned dreams into an empire / Self-made success.” The catchiness of these two songs is a feeling that spreads through most of the album. There’s an enthralling, magnetic pull to Badlands that lures the listener in and holds them there.

“Colors” takes the listener through the stages of a relationship with an addict. It begins with the separate colours of the two individuals before showing how those colours and those people shape each other. And then it sees it through to the romance’s demise: “Everything is grey / His hair, his smoke, his dreams.”

As you can probably tell, Halsey is a feminist and that shines through on a lot of her songs, “Hurricane” in particular. This song talks about sexual agency and a woman’s decision about what that means for her. A little slower than some of her other songs, the melodic combination of the lyrics and the guitar is a beautiful backdrop to a story of a woman doing the right thing for herself.

arts@the-peak.ca

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ARTS

November 2, 2015

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COMIC CONNOISSEUR

Meags Fitzgerald sits cross legged in front of her archaic television set beguiled by the classic motion picture Who Framed Roger Rabbit ? Coming across a particularly provocative scene in the film, Fitzgerald began to rewind and play her cassette tape to fanatical tedium. Captivated by the screen presence of the timelessly titillating Jessica Rabbit, it was then and there she realized that she was not like the other little girls on her block. It was then and there she discovered her attraction to women.

Long Red Hair is a graphic memoir in which author Meags Fitzgerald recounts her early childhood and progression to becoming a confident and fully-realized adult. She places particular attention and focus on defining moments in her life, highlighting comical discussions with her mother and endearing moments of frustration and sadness. Coming to terms with a sexuality she

cannot aptly define, we follow Fitzgerald as she goes through sleepovers, her first kiss, and the discovery that menstruation is not pleasant.

The story is also chalked with tons of nostalgic references and throwbacks to the 1990s for those of the millennial distinction.

Where some references might negatively date a story, Fitzgerald succeeds in crafting a memoir which really places the reader in the shoes of its protagonist and her world growing up.

In a lot of ways, Long Red Hair is like an alternative version of Richard Linklater’s film Boyhood (with a more forgiving runtime). However, that never takes away from the experience of reading this graphic memoir, because it ultimately provides a story which is much more intriguing and captivating.

This is in part due to the author’s unique upbringing.

Fitzgerald’s life is devoid of a cookie cutter template, which makes for a highly engaging read. Getting to see the world from the perspective of

a pansexual character is not only invigoratingly refreshing to experience, it’s also quite enlightening.

The memoir is a fantastic snapshot of the life of a character struggling to find their way in the world. It’s also a great reminder of a time when different sexualities were not widely spoken of with the accessibility and understanding they are today.

Fitzgerald’s artwork is warm and inviting to readers. The art style is reminiscent of the penciled sketches that might fill one’s personal journals. Every page is enriched with in-depth rendering that provides layer upon layer of rich exposition of the characters and environment.

The colour red also plays a significant part in the story. The subtle symbolism of crimson which laces the story grabs the eye. While a literary element such as this can sometimes be a nauseating expense, Fitzgerald’s use of the colour red is a well-developed cherry on top for the story that leads to a stellar payoff.

In the end, Long Red Hair is nothing less than a gratifying memoir filled with many memorable and heartfelt moments. And it will leave you misty-eyed as you see Fitzgerald find herself in the final pages.

If you’re looking for a night filled with awesome music, impromptu dance parties, and uncontrollable laughter, make sure you take in a Throwback Theatresports show.

Vancouver Theatresports League (VTSL)’s latest improvised production paid tribute to the 1980s — the decade of colourful neon, big hair, and drug use. The tribute to the decade is also in celebration of their 35th anniversary, as VTSL began putting on shows in 1980.

Theatresports members were divided into two teams and participated in several ’80s-themed improv challenges in order to rack up points from three designated audience judges. Nearly all of the challenges required audience input or suggestions for setup, as everything from ’80s movies to music to trends came from the enthusiastic audience, in a style reminiscent of Whose Line is it Anyway?

The audience also got to join the fun by participating in dance parties as the night went on, which were signaled by the lights going down and music playing at any point during the show.

One highlight of the evening included a scene with team member Bill Pozzobon and VTSL alumnus Christine Lippa, in which Lippa applied for a job at Expo ’86’s McDonald’s tent. If that wasn’t interesting enough, they had to incorporate lyrics

from Madonna’s songs into the scene’s dialogue by picking up and reading from papers that had her lyrics written on them.

The result was a hilarious and non-sensical job interview that showcased Madonna’s lyrics in a whole new light.

Pozzobon also hilariously parodied the ’80s classic MacGyver as he whipped together a concoction of bathroom items to save a deranged husband (Tom Hill) from murdering his wife (Angela Galanopoulos) with a toothbrush.

The talent of the teams was especially evident during a scene called “The Endowment Challenge,” in which team member Michael Robinson was assigned three characteristics by the audience whose identity he had to figure out as he performed the scene, using subtle clues from his fellow team members. He brilliantly and precisely guessed that he was supposed to be a man who enjoyed sewing a squash while in a jail cell — three unrelated events that he was able to derive from those who were acting around him.

The commitment to their characters never wavered with this cast, even as they switched from scene to scene. Their dedication to honouring the ’80s was evident, from the Rubik’s cube boxes that brightened the stage to their big hair and colourful leggings. Robinson even donned the original jumpsuit he wore when he performed for VTSL in the ’80s.

Throwback Theatresports made for an evening of hearty laughs and entertainment, as it highlighted one of the most awesome decades of all time. While it made me wish I had been alive during the ’80s, I was at least able to glimpse at this amazing era, thanks to this phenomenal cast.

14 ARTS

Michelle Nelson, author of The Urban Homesteading Cookbook, graduated from SFU with a PhD in conservation biology.

While at SFU, she also wrote articles for this very section of The Peak.

Her new book provides guidelines to create a better, more sustainable lifestyle that promotes saving BC’s environment, one ecosystem at a time. The recipes focus on using abundant ingredients (both native and nonnative to BC), including invasive species. Her idea: to literally eat away the problem.

Invasive species, which have been introduced to Canada from other countries, outcompete native species and cause entire ecosystems to collapse.

According to Nelson, “purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed, and American bullfrog [are] three that are really easy to identify, really easy to find, and super invasive.” Humans are doing nature a favour by collecting as many of these species as possible.

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November 2, 2015

Besides caring for our ecosystems, there are also moral and health-related reasons for becoming an urban homesteader, as the book explains.

Commercially-produced fruits and vegetables often contain harmful chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, which are dangerous for human consumption. It’s far safer for someone to grow and eat their own food than to buy it from the grocery store.

From a moral standpoint, many farms have become industrialized and grossly mistreat animals. They raise livestock with the primary purpose of making profit. Their goal is simply to get food onto people’s dinner plates; animals become products, rather than living beings with rights. People can instead raise their own animals,

such as quail and rabbits, and ensure that they are provided a decent quality of life.

Beginning in a downtown Vancouver apartment, Nelson explored the best way to adapt homesteading to an urban way

of life. She experimented with keeping quail in a rabbit hutch, growing vegetables, and foraging for invasive plants and animals. From all of this she was able to craft original and delicious recipes using sustainable ingredients. Such ingredients taste fresher and have far more complex flavours than any store-bought products.

From brewing beer to preserving jam, her recipes cover a wide range. Even someone who has little or no experience with farming or foraging can find ways to become a more sustainable consumer. It’s as simple as

using a single pot to grow, for instance, Portobello mushrooms indoors.

Another great entry point is foraging. As Nelson says, “You could start with collecting things for tea, like rosehips or clover or mint; those are really easy to find.”

For bakers, chocoholics, or anyone with a sweet tooth, there’s a recipe for Dark and Stormy Chocolate Cupcakes with Cricket Flour. Tempura lovers should try the Sesame PankoCrusted Frog Legs appetizer.

Beyond featuring just recipes, Nelson’s writing provides detailed instructions on how to identify different species and in which habitats they can be found. All four sections on foraging, keeping animals,

growing, and preserving are further complimented by beautiful photographs.

Nelson describes her urban homesteading lifestyle as “rewarding” and believes individuals can help to improve BC’s ecosystems. She hopes to “inspire people to try something that’s in the book and make that connection between conservation and food production.”

Whether you have a sprawling backyard or live in a confined apartment, it is possible to make a difference.

Nelson intends to continue writing her way to a better world, and future books she is considering would focus on foraging for greens, including herbs and flowers, or eating invasive species.

FOOD FIGHT

The ambiance of Café Deux Soleils explodes out the doors onto their large, scenically painted entrance wall. It is easy to see that their goal is to make a healthy and trendy home-away-fromhome aimed to be a hub for casual meetings, such as coffee catch-ups, study dates during the day, and relaxing nights out.

The presentation of the menu has to be my favorite part of this cafe. On a huge blackboard on the wall, colorful chalk

professionally scripts the surface with vegetarian and veganfriendly comfort food. Other things that I felt fit perfectly with the rustic and homely ambiance were the semi-open kitchen, the worn-down furniture, high warehouse style ceiling, and a children’s play area.

Almost every night, you’re in for a performance, whether it be local live music, a comedy show, open mic night, or a poetry slam. Whether you are interested in playing at Café Deux Soleils or showcasing your art, they are open to contact. These events and booking forms show that the cafe is as committed to building a sense of community and togetherness as it was when it opened 20 years ago.

I kicked around all day at this cafe to read a book and also meet a friend for a late lunch.

The first thing I ordered was a soy mocha. It was average — I tasted more of the rich chocolatey flavor which overpowered the coffee taste. I had a feeling that their drip coffee would have been a better option.

For lunch, I ordered a basic veggie burger with half hash browns and half salad. The veggie burger was true to nature healthy, tasting more of chickpeas and veggies than some kind of suspicious fake meat. That being said, I found the veggie patty to be quite bland, needing a bit of a kick from either some hot sauce or jalapenos. Their hash browns were well-seasoned chunks, but what really

impressed me was their salad — it was straight-up delicious.

The greens were fresh and not at all bitter, and the dressing had a zing without being wince-inducing. This is coming from someone who is very picky about their salads. I know what you’re thinking: how can a vegan be picky about salad?

My friend wasn’t very hungry, so she opted for some miso soup, but instantly regretted it.

She claimed that it didn’t taste very traditional at all and had a weird gingery aftertaste.

We both opted for fruit smoothies for dessert, and I swear I’ve never tasted a better smoothie in my entire life. This surprised me, because I live off of smoothies — how could a basic strawberry banana

almond milk smoothie top every smoothie I’ve ever made or bought? I’m still mystified by it. If anything, I’ve vowed to go back and try more of their salads and order about a litre of that damn fine smoothie.

The service was nothing special, but nothing to complain about, either. It was almost fitting to have friendly but curt service, also quite understandable as a lineup formed every hour or so. I especially loved that everything was served on regular plates and everything was compostable — very sustainable.

Visit this charming cafe, and don’t forget to bring a book. Their breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are extensive and creative; enjoyable for any Vancouverite.

ARTS

November 2, 2015

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ON AIR

With the upcoming release of Everything Will Be Fine, Wim Wenders’ latest film starring Rachel McAdams and James Franco, The Cinematheque is presenting a retrospective of this important filmmaker’s nearly 50-year career, showcasing 14 of his features and a collection of his experimental short films.

Along with contemporaries Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Werner Herzog, Wenders was at the forefront of the New German Cinema — arguably the most influential filmic movement of the ’70s. Fassbinder’s The Marriage Of Maria Braun, for example, tackled the effects of America’s cultural influence in West Germany.

Wenders has previously focused on the effects of American influence on his home country in The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty, and the alienation outsiders feel within the US in Alice and the Cities; here, though, he shifts his gaze towards the isolation that Americans may experience within their own country in Paris, Texas. Wenders’ masterpiece of cinematic storytelling and character-driven empathy is a mythical introspection into American identity from the perspective of an indigenous outsider who clings onto the past.

Dressed in a suit, tie, and

ball cap while covered head to toe with dust, an everyman stands amidst the expanse of a Texas desert. For a brief moment he stops to take his final sip of water before continuing his trek towards the infinite horizon.

When the man is picked up by his brother, he can’t speak. An empty vessel, a nameless cypher with no memories, a Biblical figure wandering the desert looking for the Promised Land. We instantly speculate: “Who is this man, and where is he going?”

Paris, Texas is about this man becoming someone and going somewhere. The man’s name, Travis, contains many connotations — an allusion to the defender of the Alamo and also the protagonist of Taxi Driver.

Inspired by John Ford’s The Searchers, there is a mythical feel of Western movies that permeates most frames of Paris, Texas.

The film is about Travis’ attempt to grab onto old myths in a milieu of evolving Americana.

Travis’ brother Walt is welladjusted in this new city landscape where cowboy boots have been replaced with dress shoes and the vast expanse of the desert has become crowded by skyscrapers. Attempting to cling to the old ways, there is a telling moment where Travis asks to trade his shoes for a pair of older cowboy boots that Walt never wears.

What is as striking as it was 30 years ago is Wenders’ ability to meticulously express emotions, themes, and symbols through compositions and editing — the way he frames the space and organizes it through cuts (a famous scene where Travis talks to his ex-wife divided by a pane of

glass is unforgettable). Written by the talented actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard, Paris, Texas won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984 and remains one of the greatest films ever made.

The title, a juxtaposition that borders on oxymoron, is not just a clever indication of Wenders’ European perspective on American identity, and thus a progression of his work in the New German Cinema — it also plays an important role in the film’s thematic development.

Travis tells us that the small, nowhere town of Paris, Texas is where his parents conceived him. Tellingly, we never see the begotten, old, western town. It remains an archaic ideal that Travis holds onto — like an old Germany untainted by American imperialism.

CBC has decided to delve further into the world of podcasting, and has chosen post-secondary students to be the captivating subjects into their latest foray.

Campus, an online-exclusive from the CBC, has launched onto airwaves during this fall semester and is starting to make waves for its intimate and immersive stories of extraordinary students.

Albert Leung, host and creator of Campus, said that the network wanted to get in on the podcasting craze and the coming-of-age atmosphere of university was an appealing place to start.

“University is really that ultimate crash course in life,” said Leung. “At an early age, there’s so much that young adults have to deal with. The threat of failure, the pressure to succeed, and I always say this to people, that university is this trial by fire.

“We felt campuses were a breeding ground for memories to be made, moments to be had, but ultimately great, great stories to be told.”

The series is currently three episodes deep, with each episode ranging between 15 and 20 minutes. To start things off, Leung and his crew have featured a young woman who went blind weeks before attending university, a student who became homeless while completing his masters degree, and a student who came out as trans during their time at school.

Before Leung was the voice of

Campus, he covered the Olympics, the Ottawa shooting, and other national news events in Canada for the past eight years.

The switch from doing all that to diving into these immensely personal stories requires a bit more of a delicate touch.

The payoff for this diligence, though, is the ability to shed new light on the same, often political stories that CBC is more used to reporting on.

“Sometimes, you lose the humanity [doing hard news]. I think breaking news tends to be obsessed with getting the facts out there, and sometimes not how people feel about everything,” Leung said.

“For people who consume news normally, for them to be able to hear just how much of a struggle it is, for example, for a transgender student to go about their daily life or to be more specific to make the decision to take hormone replacement therapy and change their everyday voice, I think hearing those types of stories gives a lot of context to major issues that students and Canadians in general are facing.”

Campus is currently slated for 15 episodes, but as with any pioneer project, there isn’t really any true sense to predict what the show — or CBC’s relationship with podcasting — could become.

Leung went on to say that while response to the show has been limited so afar, it has been garnering a steady positive reception.

If you believe that you know of, or personally have, a story that goes above and beyond that of a typical student, you could be part of this podcast by submitting your tale to campus@cbc.ca.

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SPORTS

sports editor email

November 2, 2015

Nick Bondi sports@the-peak.ca

CLAN COMMUNICATION

Queen of the Clan: A conversation with Theresa Hanson Hanson speaks to the challenges of her new job, coming full circle, and the future of the Shrum Bowl

Nick Bondi Sports Editor After the resignation of Dr. Milton Richards in June, the SFU athletics department had a huge hole to fill.

They needed someone who could lead this program into the future, and deal with the issues at hand.

They seem to have found the ideal replacement, as it was announced Monday that Theresa Hanson was named the senior director of athletics and recreation at SFU. She becomes the first female athletic director in the school’s history, as well as the sixth overall. Her career has taken her to where it all started, as Hanson started as an assistant coach under the legendary Allison McNeil in 1988. The Peak sat down with the new leader of the Clan to talk about her new position at the school.

The Peak: What attracted you to the job here at SFU? Theresa Hanson: It was a great opportunity first and foremost, and a career move for me. I’ve been the associate athletics director at UBC for 10 years, and this opportunity came up and I thought it would be a great fit for me. I’ve got ties to Simon Fraser that go back years, long before you were born. And then I also thought that in my career, it was the right time and the

right place for a career move for me.

I was very humbled and thrilled to actually get the job.

P: How does it feel to be back here, running it all, after starting your career here as an assistant coach on the women’s basketball team?

Hanson: It feels great. It’s a little bit surreal right now because I don’t start until December 14.

But I am generally excited about it because I think that SFU has a lot of potential. It think that it’s a bit of a sleeping giant, and I think I have a lot to offer. I really hope I can make a difference.

P: What are some of the first things you will start implementing when you start the job?

Hanson: Well, the first thing is that I need to meet the people. I need to listen and I need to learn, and I need to evaluate everything. I look at the facilities and I look at the structure of the department and I look and the budget, and the funding and everything, and get all that information first before determining and evaluate what comes next.

Obviously the goal is to improve on things, the goal is always to provide those excellent opportunities for student athletes, and for the student body as a whole through the campus recreation program. So I need to listen and learn to start with before I can determine a plan going forward.

P: You said that one of your goals is to start engaging with the alumni more. How will you go about doing that?

Hanson: You know, I really think one of the best measures of success for an athletics program is engaging the alumni. Again, that’s about meeting the people. Meet

Theresa Hanson comes to SFU after ten years at UBC. them, [and] listen to them. There’s such a great tradition at Simon Fraser, and the alumni are the biggest part of that, and they’re very invested in the program. So you want to listen to those people, you want to nurture relationships, because when you have you’re alumni on board, anything’s possible.

P: Will you be continuing the policy that Dr. Richards put in, which was free admission to students for home games?

Hanson: I don’t even think I can answer that question right now. Again, it’s one of those things that I need to really dive into the athletic program and see how programs have been running, and what’s worked, what hasn’t worked, what we can do better. So I think that it’s too early to answer that question, but certainly we want to engage the students to come to the games.

P: What do you think is your biggest challenge heading into this position?

Hanson: Good question. [. . .]

The department both athletics and recreation, need some stability and leadership. Maybe one of the biggest challenges is really to get everyone on [the same] side, get everyone on board, and figure out a way to work together that we’re all getting the same goals. Trying to be excellent in everything they do.

P: How do you go about engaging the student body here to attend games, and to have them be a part of the athletics experience?

Hanson: That is the ultimate question on every university campus. Simon Fraser is a big university — 35,000 students over three campuses — and it’s a high academic university. Students are here first and foremost for their academics. And it’s a commuter campus, so not all the students are staying up here. So how do you get them to stay and how do you to support and have that school spirit for the SFU teams? That’s the biggest question, and it’s faced everywhere.

Lisa Dimyadi / The Peak

I think working really close with campus recreation, [because] we’re part of the same department, [is key]. So, how can we work that athletes support the recreation programs, and recreation helps get students to come and support the men’s and women’s clan teams.

P: With your connections inside UBC Athletics & Recreation, does this mean we can look forward to the Shrum Bowl sometime in the future?

Hanson: I certainly hope so.

I was talking earlier today about the Shrum Bowl, and to coaches.

It’s a game [where the] win-loss is a big part of it, and the bragging rights is a big part of it. But I think in the bigger picture, it’s really about engaging the greater community with university sport.

We’ve got Simon Fraser and UBC, two of the province’s’ largest universities in the same community.

So what a great opportunity for community engagement with the Shrum Bowl.

MEN’S HOCKEY

SFU Hockey win 7–6 in a barn burner The Clan won it in a shootout in a highscoring affair Nick Bondi Sports Editor SFU played host to the University of Victoria last Saturday in an absolute thriller of a game.

It had it all: goals, great saves, and even a big hit. Both teams combined for an incredible 12 goals by the end as SFU eventually won it in a shootout 7–6.

“I think the guys showed a lot of character,” said Head Coach Mark Coletta after the game. “We challenged them going into the third and they proved us wrong.”

The Clan got off to a good start, with new recruit Jared Babych scoring to put SFU up 1–0. However, just a few second later, UVic leading scorer Carsen Willians answered right back to tie it all up. Captain Jono Ceci would restore the lead, but Vikes forward Cameron Rowat scored with 36 seconds left in the period to level the score at two heading into the intermission.

It was another poor second period for SFU, much like the team’s last home opener in many respects.

UVic was able to put four shots past Lyndon Stanwood, two of which came a minute apart. Stanwood made 27 saves on the night in place of last game’s starter, Jordan Liem.

Tyler Basham and Babych scored for the Clan, and the team headed into the third down two goals, their prospect of winning the game slim.

“Well, I don’t know if I can say it [while being recorded],” said Coletta when asked about what was said between the second and third

period. “I think the message was, let’s bear down, show some heart, eliminate the mistakes, and the freebies. Because if you look at the goals we gave up tonight, at least four were handed to them.

“The other thing was just [to] move our feet,” he continued.

“We’re a fast team, and in the third period, I think we showed that.”

The Clan came out into the third and took care of business.

Smerek and St. Pierre scored to tie the game up, and Stanwood made some great saves to hold off the Vikes’ attack. In the shootout, Ceci

and Basham scored to give SFU their second win of the season.

The goal capped off a big night for captain Jono Ceci. With one goal and three assists for a total of four points, he led the team in scoring on the night and is poised to become the leading scorer in BCIHL history. “He’s a class act,” said Coletta. “He’s going to get that record soon enough, and we hope we can get him a BCIHL championship to go with it.”

The team’s next home game is against Eastern Washington University. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

SPORTS

On Saturday, October 24, the SFU Clan football team played their penultimate home game of the season against the Western Oregon Wolves.

The Clan for the most part were fully present for the game. However, it was the big plays from the Wolves that really hurt SFU, and ultimately cost them the win.

“In the end, we didn’t make enough plays, and they made too many plays,” said Head Coach Kelly Bates after the game. “We can’t overcome ourselves. Too many dumb penalties, [and] too many times where we shot ourselves in the foot. We’re not a team that can overcome that right now, and the result speaks for itself.

“I thought we fought hard, our heart and our effort is never questioned, but we’re not a

Last Season: 4th GNAC Coach’s Poll: 5th Last year was a successful one for coach Bruce Langford’s team. With the team finishing in fourth place and advancing to the semifinals of the GNAC tournament, the year was full of highlights for the Clan.

However, this season might be a bit more challenging. With only nine players on the roster at the moment, and Erin Chambers turning professional, it will be interesting to see where the team finishes by the end of the season.

“I think that we’re going to surprise people,” said Head Coach Langford. “A lot of people think that we lost a fair bit of offensive talent.

We’ve got an opportunity for some

November 2, 2015

Quarterback Ryan Stanford threw for 370 yards on the day.

Austin Cozicar / The Peak

smart football team right now.

We need to become that.”

The Clan got off to a fantastic start, when Earl Anderson scored on a 67 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Stanford for a 7–0 lead less than two minutes in. But Western Oregon answered right back when Paul Revis got his first of two touchdowns on the night to tie the game up at seven. The Wolves then scored on one of their multiple big plays on

the day, a 75 yard run by running back/wide receiver Malik Braxton to take the lead 14–7. SFU was able to cut the lead down to four after a 48-yard kick by Tiernan Docherty.

After a fumble recovery by Tyrel Ratich, SFU struck back with another huge passing play. Justin Buren scored a 75-yard touchdown and sent SFU back into the lead.

From then on, both teams had one field goal, and redshirt freshman

kids to step up, and we’re going to see them do that.”

Much like the men’s basketball team, the women are also losing their star player. This past summer, Erin Chambers turned professional, and is now playing in Portugal. “We recognize what she brought to the team, and we recognize that we have to change our style a little bit because of that,” explained Langford.

“We have an opportunity for some other players to one: step into her job, and two: to take on a slightly different shape. I think we’ll be a better rebounding team, and I think we’ll be more of a team-oriented team. Last year, people could just let Erin do some things, that she then did a very good job of. This year that won’t happen for us.”

As of writing, the Clan only has nine players on their team, a considerably small size for a basketball team. And it was almost eight.

“This year we are only nine, but nine isn’t a crisis stage. It looked like it was [going to be] eight two weeks ago, because it looked like Meg Wilson might not play this year. And if that were true, that would be a huge impact to us.

“The doctors are saying that maybe she can play this year, and if she does, nine is a way easier place to be than eight was.”

Langford said that Wilson’s medical issues involve her leg. Two different doctors have given two different diagnoses, one with compartment syndrome and one with popliteal entrapment. The first will allow her to continue to play through some pain, while the other will require surgery that would put her out of action for a year.

Despite the stress over current team size, coach Langford is excited by the upcoming class of recruits that have committed to the program. “We’re very excited by them. They’ve got great athleticism, very good skill, shoot the ball really well. They have huge upside potential, all five of them.

They’ll be the best recruiting class I’ve ever had.”

The women’s basketball team’s season starts with some preseason games, the next one being Saturday against Lewis & Clark College.

The home opener will be Thursday, December 3, when the Clan take on perennial powerhouse Alaska Anchorage.

Ben Minaker got an interception as the Clan headed into the break with a 17–14 lead.

It was the big plays in the second half that cost SFU this game. After a cagey start where both defences looked very dominant, the first big play happened. The Clan failed to convert on fourth down on a play where Earl Anderson had the ball slip through his fingers, and Western Oregon pounched.

A 56-yard pass from second half starting Quarterback Trey Shimabukuro to Paul Revis gave the visitors a 24–20 lead.

They weren’t done there.

Bates and the coaching staff decided to go for it again on fourth down, and again they didn’t get it. On literally the next play, Shimabukuro found Kamakana Apelu for a 50-yard touchdown pass. SFU was able to get within one score, as Andrew Pauls scored on a two yard pass to make it 31–26 after the two-point conversion failed.

At this point, you would think SFU would be in it right down to the wire like their last

17

home game. But that wasn’t the case this time around. After punter Nikolai Karpun pinned the Wolves down on their one yard line, Malix Braxton took it 99 yards for the score, stunning the crowd at Swangard. It was a kick in the gut for a team that had battled all night to get their first win of the season. The game ended in a 37–26 loss for the Clan.

Coach Bates bemoaned the penalties taken by the Clan, as too many times drives were stalled because of them. “This week was our worst week in three weeks,” he said. “We were on a trend that was showing us to get less penalties, and this week we went back. It’s an ongoing process that will take time to overcome, and as a coaching staff, we’ve put things in place to overcome that.”

The Clan’s final home game is against Central Washington University on November 7.

There is a free shuttle that will pick up and drop off students to the game. Email tickets@sfu.ca to reserve your spot.

18 SPORTS

November 2, 2015

TO A TEE

Chris Crisologo aiming for the hole in one Crisologo is one of many talented golfers on the men’s golf team Nick Bondi Sports Editor Unlike the vast majority of other sports, golf is extremely individualistic: you either sink or swim entirely on your own abilities. This is what makes Chris Crisologo and the SFU golf team such an interesting case. Chris found individual success early on in his career at SFU, winning the GNAC Freshman of the Year award. He has also tasted success through his team, as men’s golf won the GNAC title last year, playing both for themselves and for the greater good of the team.

“I’ve been playing golf since I was eight,” says Chris. “I got introduced to it from my dad.

There’s a lot of time involved with this sport.

“It’s huge for me coming in from [. . .] and being able to compete at a young age.”

Although Chris started golf early, it’s not the only sport he has tried his hand at. “I’ve liked a whole bunch of other sports. I actually started off

Crisologo won Freshman of the Year and the GNAC title last season. playing baseball and tennis. [At first], golf was secondary to all the other team sports. But then when I got into it individually I decided that being part of a team wasn’t as great as the accomplishments of being an individual. You get more recognition that way.”

So how does it feel to be a part of a team now at SFU, where not only are you playing for yourself, but for the team as a whole? “We usually don’t care about who wins a tournament,” explains Chris.

“It’s just about getting our team to the best spot possible. I’m rooting for all my teammates every round.

Obviously we’re trying to compete against the other teams, so you

Lisa Dimyadi / The Peak

hope our team plays well as opposed to the other teams.”

The men’s golf team features many players from around the Lower Mainland, which is what attracted Chris to the team in the first place. “The guys I’m playing with now, I’ve been competing against since I was eight. So I’m pretty good friends with [Kevin] Vigna, Alan Tolusso, Marcus Brown, all of the guys who are local guys. [. . .] It wasn’t too hard to make a decision to come here, knowing that I had friends who I could go to on this team.”

This made it easy for Chris to integrate himself into the team last year. “[My friendships] helped me progress my way through the

season. As things went on, going into conferences, learning from [my teammates] and what they drew on from past experiences.

So it was easy for me to connect with them, because I knew the team well,” he says.

All of this reached a head for Chris last year when he won Freshman of the Year in the GNAC, as well as his team winning the GNAC title. “It was something special, I can’t deny that. [. . .] It’s just a huge accomplishment, that’s all I can really say. “[The GNAC title] was definitely better as a team,” he adds. “I think for us last year, making it to nationals was our goal and [also] making it to the matchplay portion. So all the individual accomplishments doesn’t really matter unless you get to the team goal.

“That’s what makes this sport different from all the other ones.

Where individually you’re competing on your own, but you still have a team goal. And for us, the team goal is more important than all the individual accolades we get.”

Despite this, Chris still has some individual goals for himself this season as well as some lofty ones for the team. “Last year I got on the second team All-America for the NCAA, which was a huge accomplishment for the golf program here at SFU. So hopefully I

can push that to a first team place.

[And] also just helping my team out as many ways a possible. Whether that’s winning a tournament or making par on the 18th hole to win the tournament for the team.

“I truly believe that our team goal is to win the national tournament,” Chris continues. “We have a great team, a whole bunch of guys who can play well. We haven’t shown it through this last semester, but hopefully we can pick it up starting in March, and then peak for the national championship.”

The long break in the middle of the season is unique to the golf team. Unlike SFU football, who have game every week for two months, the golf team will not be playing next until the beginning of March, when they take part in the Notre Dame De Namur Invitational.

“We have team workouts,” says Chris, explaining what the team does on such a long break. “It’s always fun to have some team bonding in that sense. Practices aren’t too severe, just working on our game, learning from our mistakes from past events, [and] working on certain parts of the game that we see that we need to improve on to make us better for the spring.”

Starting in March, Crisologo and the men’s golf team will look to defend their GNAC title, and hope to take the program to new heights.

MEN’S SOCCER

SFU marches to victory over Marauders The Clan vanquish University of Mary for their seventh win of the year Bartosz Wysocki Peak Associate Though the night might have been cold, the SFU Clan men’s soccer squad continued their hot form with a 3–0 win over a defensive minded University of Mary Marauders side on October 24. This successful result gives SFU their third win in a row (all shutouts), their longest winning streak of the season.

The match was excellently officiated by FIFA and Women’s World Cup referee Michelle Pye, who said that the game “ebbed and flowed. It started off with everyone being a bit cautious, and as the score line changes emotion gets into it [. . .] it’s

a game of emotion and in this match we saw it, it went up and down.” Her statements were a very accurate description of the 90 minute battle.

The last time these two teams tangoed, it ended with the Marauders winning 1–0, though it was SFU who held the majority of the shots. In the first half, it appeared that this match would follow the same script. The Clan held the lion’s share of possession, with U of M sitting back and comfortably absorbing the pressure. SFU piled on the shots but was rarely able to hit the target, while the Marauders were content to try and attack the Clan solely from counters and set pieces. It had all the makings of a classic smash and grab for the American side.

However, in the 51st minute, the Clan were finally able to break through. Adam Jones headed down a cross towards Brendan Shaw, who comfortably slotted away his first of

SFU were able to avenge their 1–0 defeat from earlier this year. the season. After 141 minutes of keeping the Clan off the scoresheet this season, the Marauders finally succumbed to overwhelming pressure from the Clan.

Instead of stepping back to defend their lead, SFU went for the jugular. Centre midfielders

Brad McLeod / The Peak

Mamadi Camara and Kyle Jones took control of the middle of the park, and their distribution kept the University of Mary back line constantly on the back foot.

This constant barrage led to the floodgates opening late in the game. In the 80th minute, SFU left midfielder Calvin Opperman

expertly deked out a U of M defender and crossed in the ball for Anthony Van De Vendel to volley into the net. The trouncing was complete eight minutes later, when Calvin Opperman received a throw in, calmly turned and blasted a beautiful strike into the top right corner.

When asked what the SFU Clan did differently this time around against University of Mary, Head Coach Clint Schneider said, “We finished our chances [. . .] We’ve been creating chances all year round and it’s nice to score a couple. Three different players scored today, which is good.”

Commenting on their successful run of late, coach Schneider said, “It’s a collective effort. Every player understands what’s at stake, the fact that we need to win our games here on out [. . .] Collectively the guys have come together.”

The next home game for the Clan is this Saturday against Western Washington. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

SPORTS

19

November 2, 2015

Elsewhere in SFU sports . . .

The SFU men’s basketball team lost the first Buchanan Cup held in five years by a score of 101–71 last Tuesday in front of 823 fans in UBC’s War Memorial Gym. The Buchanan Cup was once an annual game between the SFU and UBC men’s basketball teams; prior to SFU joining the NCAA, it was only missed several times during a period between 1972 and 1978, and twice between 1998 and 2000.

UBC leads the series with 18 wins to SFU’s 15, while the two teams split the 1981 edition as it was played as a two-game affair. UBC won the last two games, held in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons.

SFU jumped out with an early lead as second year guard JJ Pankratz put the first three points of the game on the scoreboard. This, however, would end up SFU’s

The SFU women’s volleyball split their two weekday home games — on Tuesday evening they saw their fourth straight loss, while Thursday provided a welcome win.

Tuesday’s game — a scheduling rarity — was a four set defeat to the top Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) squad, the Western Washington University Vikings (WWU). Though the Clan fought well in the first set and came on top 31–29, the Vikings showed why they’re the top team in the Pacific Northwest. They stormed back to win the next three sets 25–20, 25–11, and 25–21.

The last time that these two teams played, SFU played an excellent first set before losing 1–3. The same was to follow this time, too.

The first set was quite even until the end, when the Vikings gained three points in a row to get a 24–22 lead

only lead in the game, as UBC quickly responded with a threepointer of their own.

“We need to work on playing at tempo; we don’t play at pace yet. UBC plays at a pace that we can’t emulate in practice, so playing a game is feedback for us to go, ‘Now we know we need to play at a faster pace,’ because we’re going to see opponents like that, if not better — that’s the takeaway,” said first year Head Coach Virgil Hill, whose first game was a 74–56 exhibition loss to Thompson Rivers University on October 24.

Despite this, SFU played a competitive first quarter. The game was played under CIS, rather than NCAA rules, therefore split into 10 minute quarters instead of 20 minute halves. SFU trailed by only five points at the end of the quarter, with a score of 29–24.

The second quarter initially appeared to be more of the same, with SFU nearly tying the Thunderbirds.

However, in the last five minutes, UBC took over the game going on an 18–1 run, giving them a dominant 54–35 lead.

“UBC’s a good team. We played with them for about 15 minutes, and then that last five minutes of the first half, they

and two match points. However, SFU defended well and tied it back at 24 all. The Clan were able to keep up the momentum and came out on top 31–29.

Western Washington took the second set 25–20, and handily took the third quarter 25–11. It became clear why WWU is ranked as high as they are, as it seemed like every SFU spike was either blocked at the net or went straight to a Viking player.

SFU came out swinging in the fourth. Madison Power and Devon May began spiking like they did in the first set, and blocking by Tessa May stonewalled the WWU front court. All this, combined with more spectacular digs from Alison

ended the half on an 18–1 run and we just couldn’t respond,” said Hill. “We’re in there, kind of like a fighter, back and forth, back and forth, and then at that point the knockout punch happened.”

From then on, UBC proved too much for the young Clan team. A Jordan put on a show for the Thunderbirds — guard Jordan JensenWhyte led scoring for both teams with 22 points. In the end, UBC won the third quarter 28–16.

SFU won the fourth quarter by score of 20–19, but the one-point victory was clearly not enough to overcome a 30 point deficit. Pankratz led SFU

in scoring with 21 points. Max Barkeley, a junior guard transfer from Victor Valley College playing his first season for the Clan, put up an impressive showing with 14 points and an in-yourface attitude across the court.

However, he was also called for five personal fouls which led to his ejection from the game.

Patrick Simon, who played last year for the Clan but transferred to UBC in the offseason, managed 10 points for the Thunderbirds.

SFU plays next Saturday, November 14 against Central Washington University at home in the West Gym at 1 p.m.

McKay, gave SFU a commanding 15–8 lead.

However, it was not to be, as the Vikings clawed back to tie it up at 18 all. A series of long rallies ensued, and it was Western Washington who came out on top in those, building a 24–19 lead.

SFU was able to save two match points, but the third time was the charm as WWU took the fourth 25–21 and won the match.

“I thought we fought hard, you saw a lot of good long rallies. We did a lot of good things, but they just did a few more good things,” said Head Coach Gina Schmidt.

Thursday night, however, it was the Clan’s turn. SFU swept the

Montana State University-Billings Yellowjackets (MSUB), winning all three sets handily, and snapping a four game losing streak. The victory also marked the first home win since October 8.

Despite SFU notching the first point of the game, the first set started on an even keel, with the teams tied for much of the set, with the Yellowjackets even leading for periods of time. However, after the Billings-based team got an 11–10 lead, SFU put up a seven point run, establishing a dominant lead that neither team had been able to reach previously.

Two three-point runs and a twopoint run later, SFU won the first set 25–14. After SFU’s initial sevenpoint run, the Yellowjackets could only muster three further points.

SFU would go on to win the second and third sets 25–17 and 25–19, respectively. First year middle blocker Tessa May led the team in kills with 13, followed closely by redshirt sophomore middle blocker Madison Power, who had 12 kills.

With the split games, SFU now sits at 10–12 overall and 6–8 in the conference, which places them sixth in the GNAC.

After a 4–1 victory against Saint Martin’s University on the road, the women’s soccer team is still in the playoff race. With two goals from junior midfielder Devon Kollmyer Thursday night, SFU is now tied in points with MSU-Billings and Central Washington (CWU) for fourth place and the final playoff spot, with one regular season game left. SFU would win the tiebreaker against MSU-Billings, but CWU has the advantage over SFU. The SFU Burnaby Campus will host the GNAC women’s soccer championship from November 5 and 7.

The Clan put up a dominant 3–1 victory against Concordia University Thursday night in Portland, OR. Freshman forward James Fraser notched his second goal of the season to open the scoring 9:24 into the game. Mateo Espinosa and Mamadi Camara also added tallies for SFU. With the victory, the Clan slot into second place in the GNAC.

Former SFU men’s basketball sensation Sango Niang has left the Argentinian team, the Estudiantes Concordia, for the German team, the SSV Lokomotive Bernau. With the Estudiantes, he only averaged a little under seven minutes per game, in eight games played. Last season, with the Clan, Niang led the GNAC in scoring with 22.6 points per game.

By Austin Cozicar

FOLLOW US @PeakSFUSports

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HUMOUR

November 2, 2015

humour editor email

Jacey Gibb humour@the-peak.ca

HUMOUR

November 2, 2015

Two longtime best friends attending SFU appear to be on the outs, thanks what one of them called “the most intense forms of cyberbullying” she’s ever seen: an accidental message received from the other student that was meant to be submitted to SFU Confessions.

Melissa Baker, a third-year Business student, was sent a vague passive-aggressive paragraph about an incident that occurred between her and ex-BFF Amy Eaton last week, in which Eaton alluded to behaviour that Baker displayed that “really grinds [her] gears.”

Eaton, a Communications major, has been claiming the whole thing was a giant misunderstanding, as she meant to submit the post to SFU Confessions but wasn’t paying attention and accidentally messaged the friend she made in grade two.

“It was an honest mistake,” said Eaton. “Mel knows that I would never be the kind of person to just tell someone if they’re bothering me. It’s so rude, and

honestly, you don’t know what triggers you might set off.

“I understand that I can’t take the risk that she might get upset if I tell her she’s being rude. She knows I’d never actually bring my problems straight to her face. We’re clearly not in high school anymore.”

Eaton said she usually healthily vents her frustration out of SFU Confessions like most students, where they can use the veil of anonymity to say almost anything they want to about people, with the implication that if they happen to read it, they can pretend it is about someone else and go about their daily business.

She went on to talk about the benefits of stepping up for a friend who has read a post about them.

“When you see someone grieving, it can be a great opportunity to remind your friend how valuable you are to them by consoling them and denying said post could ever be true,” Eaton said.

“All the while, you are secretly hoping they magically grow as a human being without ever being shown a real reason to, but would never show it in real life.”

However, Baker is not having any of it, and claims that if Eaton was a “true friend,” she would have thought twice about

confronting her directly through a Facebook message.

“I honestly just think that it’s so disrespectful for another person to be upfront when they have an issue.

You can’t just be expect someone to be okay with having their flaws pointed out in such a personal, intimate manner,” said Baker.

“I know that she meant to post it anonymously and that I would have never had to deal with it, but now that I know that people would be posting about me personally instead of the other faceless randos SFU has to suffer through every day, I don’t know how our friendship will go back to normal.”

Baker was originally thought to have been looking into a more serious cyberbullying charge, but has since backed down as she stated in a follow-up comment that she wanted to appear only “low-key upset” and is now “just trying to get over it and move on.”

There was an attempt to reach SFU Confessions for a statement during publication, but the only way to contact them was by submitting a confession. At press time, it is believed the media request was stuck in a queue, as the most recent confession was one relating to Thanksgiving: “Turkey for Thanksgiving AGAIN? Real original, mom.”

Please be advised that parts of what you’re about to read might be difficult for some individuals. The following contains many hard-hitting truths that not everyone will be comfortable hearing, but keep in mind that unfortunate realities are rarely easy to hear.

If a bald eagle cries out in the middle of the forest, and none of us are around to hear it, did the eagle ever make a sound? Just because you can’t see someone’s pain doesn’t mean their pain isn’t real. That’s why we implore you, dear readers, to reach out and give to the North American Foundation For Improved Bald Eagle Literacy.

Did you know that 100 per cent of all bald eagles surveyed last year were found to have “little or no literacy skills”? Not 50 per cent, not even 99 per cent; a full 100 per cent of bald eagles have never known the joy of curling up to a good book, or the pain that comes with watching a promising Stephen King plot descend into an incoherent mess by the ending. A bald eagle has never read a book, then heard some director was adapting it into a movie, and then as he walked out of the theatre at the end of the movie mumble, “It was okay, but the book was better.”

With your help, we can improve eagle literacy rates and give them the chance to experience these precious moments we so often take for granted.

Your money today can bring change for an eagle’s tomorrow.

Donations received will go towards properly training language mentors, speciality reading glasses for bald eagles with poor eyesight, and

building facilities that can foster a healthy learning environment tailored to eagle standards. The more donations we receive, the more of each of these services we will be able to provide to eagles in need.

But if the satisfaction and joy that comes with doing a good deed isn’t enough to convince you — even though it should be — we also have a list of wonderful incentives to encourage readers like you. For any donation under $10, we’ll send you a card thanking you for your generosity. For $25, we’ll personalize that card and include a photo of a bald eagle whose life you’ve helped make a difference in, as well as a short biography about that eagle. For $50, we’ll send you a T-shirt with our logo on it. At the next tier of a $100 donation, we’ll send you a 500-word book report written by a formerly illiterate bald eagle. For a $1,000 donation, we’ll send you a tiny vial of actual eagle tears; for $2,000, you’ll receive the

Hey, readers! This is your Copy Editor with more copy editing advice!

While this probably goes without saying, it’s November 1, and I’m really tired today.

This daylight savings really takes it out of me every March and November. I can’t say I’m too grateful to our Editor-inChief for being the first to tell me about it two and a half years ago! Haha. I completely forgot about this nightmare of a holiday until he reminded me again this Halloween.

Frankly, I don’t understand how we can keep setting our clocks back an hour every six months. I don’t ever seem to get my clocks right on the first try, and I’ll tell you why: I’m losing sleep! I don’t know what Edison was thinking.

Of course, the killer is the daylight savings week. The hours between one and four a.m. were once my most productive, especially for writing (I’m a writer, what can I say?), but with these hours completely erased from the day, it screws up my whole endocardium rhythm.

same vial but the liquid will be from tears of joy.

You already know you’re an above-average, decent human being. Well, now’s the time to earn swag that proves it to the rest of the population.

A troubling report conducted by the United Nations in 2015 showed that Canada is tied for last place in the world when it comes to countries donating money for improving eagle literacy. I mean,

21

But I know you’re counting on your Copy Editor’s Corner writing advice hot and fresh in this week’s paper! I’m so tired.

But let’s not forget we’re in this together!

This week’s editing tip: check your facts. Always check all the facts in all your sources, because this can be the difference between. . . things being right or wrong.

I’m just so exhausted.

Why do we do this to ourselves? I don’t even understand what “daylight” I’m “saving.”

I just want to sleep! Am I right?

Come on, Trudeau, we need real change in Canada! Daylight savings change.

Anyway, this week’s editing tip: etymology. Check your etymology, like the etymology of “daylight savings,” for instance.

Always look up the etymology of every word in your paper, because it might reveal historical details that will help your writing.

Do you know what I mean?

I hope this is clear. I’m just really tired.

Okay, never put down your pen keep writing!

Best, Joel MacKenzie

they’re all tied for last place — no country currently donates any form of currency to this noble cause — but just because none of the other countries are doing it doesn’t mean Canada should be barbaric in our practices, too.

So I ask you to listen again to those same eagle cries mentioned before. Their cries are a cry for help.

Please donate today and help create a better world for readers and nonreaders alike.

November 2, 2015

22

COMMUNITY PHOTOS June 29, 2015

photo editor email

Lisa Dimyadi photos@the-peak.ca

DIVERSIONS / ETC

October 26, 2015

MATH GOT YOU SCARED? NEED TO PASS THAT NEXT MIDTERM? Contact Scott Cowan for your Math/MACM tutoring needs. Competitive rates, extensive experience and great past reviews! scottc@alumni.sfu.ca Jumpstart your sustainability initiative! Apply for Embark’s Sustainable Community Grants

by Nov. 2 to receive up to $500 in funding. Visit embarksustainability.org/application for more information and to apply.

Are you Gay, Bi-sexual or just not sure? Need a safe place to talk? HOMINUM Fraser Valley is an informal discussion and support group to help gay, bi-sexual and questioning men

onlinecrosswords.net Across 1. Gush forth 5. Casts off 10. Close tightly 14. Texas town 15. Radio and newspapers, e.g.

16. Whittle down 17. Unintelligible 19. Korea’s continent 20. ____ whiz!

21. Merits 22. Curl 23. Approach 25. Established in advance 26. Church feature 28. Prohibition 31. ____ Knox 32. Ease 37. Zodiac ram 39. Amtrak depot (abbr.)

40. Bestow 41. Makes again 43. Show concern 44. Film critic Roger ____ 45. Document 46. Inhabit 50. Sudden wind 51. Containing nothing 52. Scrub 55. Fitting LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

with the challenges of being married, separated or single.

Our next meeting is 7:30 pm on Friday, September 25th. For information and meeting location, call Art - 604-462-9813 or Don - 604-329-9760.

THE PEAK is looking for submissions for another edition of the Tartan Magazine. The second editon of the Tartan will be focusing on long-form journalism, fiction, and poetry and will hit newsstands in January.

They also pay contributors just like the Peak, so if you’ve written for either publication a minimum of three times, you’re eligible to be PAID for what you write. We also need illustrators and photographers and they can get paid for their contributions too! If you or someone you know is interested, contact TARTAN@THE-PEAK.CA

23

CLASSIFIEDS@ THE-PEAK.CA

sudoku 58. Land unit 59. Broken 61. Judge 62. Grows weary 63. Snow vehicle 64. Uses the eyes 65. Used money 66. Large bodies of water Down 1. Guzzle 2. Window part 3. Oddball 4. Romance 5. Blur 6. Mister (Ger.) 7. Paradise 8. Uproars 9. Rested 10. Bowling term 11. Relieves

SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN THE CITY | PANEL DISCUSSION Inequality is associated with poor education, higher rates of mental illness, increased incarceration, and less social mobility. Minimum wage, social assistance rates, and income levels have not kept pace with the cost of living in cities. This panel will discuss the impacts of social inequality and offer policy ideas for civic governments to consider.

7:00 p.m., SFU Woodward’s

12. Get up 13. Slightest 18. Perceive sound 22. Treasure ____ 24. Diner 25. “The Raven” poet 26. Remote 27. Folk knowledge 28. Test for flavor 29. Modify 30. Explosion 33. Ancient Peruvians 34. Flexible 35. Ripped 36. Wide-mouthed pitcher 38. Shabby 42. Pres. Lincoln 45. Feline sound 46. Peruses 47. Host

BLANKET FORT VIII Move over Portland! Here in Vancouver strangers become friends in a Blanket Fort built together. The host, Emma, brings blankets, non-denominational holiday lights, and pillows. You bring pyjamas and rig up a 30+ person fort in which to drink beer and listen to jokes and stories from seasoned Vancouver comedians.

8:00 p.m., The Astoria, 769 Hastings St., Vancouver

MYTHOLOGY, GENDER, AND CYBER- CELEBRATION OF LATIN AMERICAN VIRTUAL IDENTITY STUDIES AT SFU Come to SFU Woodwards for a lecture performance by Lief Hall combining storytelling, video collage, and original music to explore how science fiction and virtual embodiment work to construct gender identity in pop culture. RSVP in advance!

8:00 p.m., Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, SFU Woodward’s

Latin American Studies program is holding an SFU 50th Anniversary party. The event includes a history, future, and in memoriam of the LAS, and Latin American Music!

5:30 p.m. — 9:00 p.m., Harbour Centre 1400

48. Shopping binge 49. Things 50. Visitor 52. Cut off 53. Apple’s center 54. Candid 56. Earnest request 57. Turner and Williams 59. That thing’s 60. Braying beast

THE ARCADE FIRE: THE REFLEKTOR TAPES Directed by 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Short Films winner Kahlil Joseph, THE REFLEKTOR TAPES is a fascinating insight into the making of Arcade Fire’s number one album Reflektor.

7:00 p.m. — 10:00 p.m., The Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver

REMEMBRANCE DAY In honour of all our veterans, why not partake in the annual ceremony down at Victory Square? And since classes are cancelled, you should follow up your morning by heading to a legion hall to continue you honoring with some inexpensive beer and chatting with the elderly. It’s fun, educational, and there are often rounds bought for the entire bar.

MOVEMBER PUB NIGHT

HAROLD AND MAUDE

Grow your ‘stache ‘cause it’s time to raise money for prostate cancer research. There will be contest for those who can and cannot grow mustaches!

Plus drink specials inspired by Burt Reynolds and the first 50 entries will receive a FREE shot of tequila. $5 in advance. 19+ As usal, bring your ID. 8:30 p.m. — 1:00 a.m., The Highland Pub, SFU Burnaby

Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude has got to be one of the most unconventional love stories ever, which is one of the main reasons that it has remained a crowd-pleaser ever since. The other reason? The phenomenal chemistry between Bud Court (Harold) and the always enchanting Ruth Gordon (Maude).

11:30 p.m., The Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver

BOOK LAUNCH + SCREENING: HANAN AL-CINEMA: AFFECTIONS FOR THE MOVING IMAGE

MOLECULES & MOUSTACHES

Explore the most impressive and affecting works of independent and experimental cinema in the Arab-speaking world with Laura Marks’ new book. Plus it’s free!

7:00 p.m., Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, SFU Woodward’s

The Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) will be hosting its annual fall social. There will be music, games, and of course, FREE food (and paid drinks).

The event is 19+ and SFU ID is required to enter. Lab coats are encouraged!

7:00 p.m., Convocation Mall, SFU Burnaby

Wednesdays @ 12:00 p.m., The Peak offices, MBC 2900

EVENT LISTINGS ARE FREE FOR SFU STUDENTS AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. SEND THE DATE, TIME, LOCATION, NAME, AND A 15-WORD DESCRIPTION TO CLASSIFIEDS@THE-PEAK.CA

24 LAST WORD

Editor-in-Chief email

Max Hill eic@the-peak.ca

November 2, 2015

If variety is indeed the spice of life, then Paul Anthony’s Talent Time is a bowl of Carolina Reaper peppers soaking in Tabasco sauce. A live variety/comedy show currently in its eighth season, Talent Time combines musical acts, live comedy, and unique/bizarre performances into one of Vancouver’s most deliriously enjoyable monthly events. (Each installment also gets filmed, edited down, and later aired as a half-hour cable access show.) At the centre of it all is Paul Anthony, creator, talent booker, host, and titular glue that keeps everything together.

Read on to learn more about how Talent Time has changed since its debut eight years ago, what an act needs to make it a good fit for the show, and how committed Anthony is to keeping Talent Time going.

Where did the idea for Talent Time come from?

There are so many different answers to that, one being that I’ve done a variety show my whole life. When I was a kid, we would put on little shows at Thanksgiving for our family, and I used my cousins and aunts and uncles.

So I’ve always been interested in variety performers and I always get really bored with any scene. A lot of comedian friends will just do comedy shows and hang out with other comedians, and a lot of musician friends just go see their friends’ bands play, and that’s about it. But I’d be going on the SkyTrain out to a mall in Surrey to see a talent show, and I’d watch two hours of garbage and then you’d see something that’s so fantastic and magical and I’d want the whole world to see it. And I could never get friends to make that journey, so I thought I’d bring the acts into the city and put on a variety show.

How has the show changed over its eight seasons?

It’s grown at such an interesting, organic rate, which means really slowly in this case. I was trying to figure out what the show was this whole time. I wanted the format to be somewhat of a variety too. I was using different co-hosts all of the time, I was really playing with what you could get away with, what the audience was drawn to. The first couple of years, it was more punk-rock and raw, with some positive moments and then a lot of really dark shit, and as it kept going it slowly became about championing the human spirit. I didn’t mean to do that on purpose; it’s just what the audience responded to the most, and what I liked more. Over the years it’s become a real community show. I’ve stayed in contact with a lot of people who’ve been on the show, some have become friends.

Historically, are there any types of acts that have been fan favourites for the audience?

If it has all of the elements, of being something that people don’t generally see or haven’t even thought of it existing, and then you add genuine talent with a really interesting personality, then that’s a homerun. But that’s hard to find.

We have lots kids and seniors on the show, people who aren’t hyper-conscious of being cool or what they look like.

They’re just going from the heart.

It’s challenging to stay present the entire time, when I’m producing the show. I can’t help but think about, “Okay are they setting the next thing up? Has that sound effect been loaded yet?” If you’re not present as a host, it’s kind of painful to watch, and I’ve done that way too many times. One thing that takes the pressure off is having my co-host Ryan Biel, which is one of the reasons why I brought him on. He’s just so funny and likable and present, that if I’m off in my head for a moment doing something, the show doesn’t fall apart.

What are some of the challenges that come with being the host to such a range of eclectic acts?

What were you drawn to first: comedy or acting?

I always liked the sound of humour. I would go to bed curled up to my ghettoblaster speaker and listen to old comedy shows, whatever was on the radio. Even as a kid I remember not really getting it; I just loved the idea of laughter. I remember watching my dad make his friends and family laugh and it just seemed so magical. I started acting as a sort-of skipping school strategy. I wanted to stay home from school, but I had just seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and I thought that if I walked out into the world like me, the principal would find me. So I’d put on my dad’s clothes and started walking differently and putting on accents, so then I could go out and rent a movie and get a personal pan pizza from Pizzahut, come home and enjoy the day.

Then I started just doing all sorts of experiments, like dressing up like a homeless kid when I was 11 and just riding the bus and going through garbage cans and seeing how people reacted. The psychology of it all was what interested me, just figuring out why people do certain things. Even now I still find it fascinating.

You’re going to see the great acts that you’ve come to expect from the show, including a 12-year-old pop singer who wrote and recorded her own pop song; we have the Runaway Four, who do videogame medleys, so they’ll be playing to actual gameplay from retro video games; comedian Sophie Buddle; a couple of surprises. And then the second half will be the Family Feud part. We’ve actually built a set for it. It’s going to be very analogue and hand-made, but made by really talented people; a lot of them professionals in movie and theatre, so it’s got a cool mixture. The games are real questions too. I did research to find surveys of 100 people, so I wasn’t just making it up.

What can people look forward to at the upcoming Games Night edition of Talent Time?

What do the next eight years hold for Talent Time?

There’s something really hilarious to me about doing this show my whole life. I think I’m in it for the long-haul, because it seems really funny to be 80-years-old and still hosting this show. Like, a cable-access variety show that you’ve hosted for your whole life? That’s just funny to me.

And that just shows the stupid lengths I’ll go to for something that makes me laugh, because I’m willing to just mess with the trajectory of my whole life so that when I’m on my death bed, to just be chuckling to myself that I did a cable-access show for zero money my whole life. I have a daughter who’ll be two in December and she was first on the show in her ultrasound video, so maybe one day I can pass the family business off.

Experience the magic of Paul Anthony’s Talent Time for yourself: the Games Night edition is on November 5, with a new Talent Time happening on the first Thursday of every month at the Rio Theatre.