"It's just such a horrible atmosphere."

FIRST PEEK

April 4, 2016

“As long as it’s in the designated smoking areas, it’s not that big of a deal to me. My personal feelings towards smoking and its health risks don’t really weigh on what other people are going to do with their own lives.”

Paige Wilson First-year English

“I would say, no smoking on campus at all. Not many people smoke nowadays, because we know [that] it’s so bad for you, and to influence other people and have them experience the second-hand smoke [. . .] isn’t fair for people who are avoiding it.”

This January, I was in Toronto with a friend, walking down Yonge street at 1 a.m. We wanted to explore the city and get some fresh air, but instead our calm stroll became an uncomfortable run-in with a wannabe prank YouTuber. He was a tall, stocky man, early-to midtwenties, with a slight, possibly drunken swagger to his step, crossing the street towards us.

“Hey,” he said, smiling, “where are you girls headed?”

As soon as the walk signal on the street-light began flashing, I was ready to bolt, but my friend was too polite for her own good.

She replied, “We’re just exploring the city.” I attempted to drag her arm towards the crosswalk but the mysterious man continued talking to us.

I don’t remember what his exact words were, but it ran something along the lines of “I just broke up with my girlfriend, I’m so sad, blah blah blah.” I tugged on her jacket a bit harder, but the light had already betrayed me and the cars now blocked my escape route. The guy could sense my apprehension and will to leave, but attempted to keep the pity party going.

“I have a sexual disease. My life is so hard, I just need a hug.”

No. Why would I ever want to hug a strange man, probably drunk, detailing the intimacies of his life? My sweet, naive friend, hesitantly hugged him.

Unlike her, I tried to be as cold as possible, replying to his inquiries with, “No, sorry, I have a boyfriend, I’m not interested, we should go now.” But he persisted, and I gave him a handshake as a compromise, which he tried to turn into a hug. I caved since it was easier to cooperate than make him angry.

In that moment, I actually felt like we were in danger. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t.

“Wait, could you please just, have a moment for me? Pray for me, please.”

My friend was too kind to reject him, and I couldn’t leave her, so there we stood, the three of us holding hands in a circle on the corner of Yonge and Dundas, shivering in the brisk winter air as he made us repeat a prayer for him.

“Dear God, please help [blank], he is conflicted with sexual disease, and a broken heart, and just wants a hug from two beautiful young ladies.” I wanted to vomit from saying those words, but I hoped

once this odd prayer circle was finished he would let us go.

“Okay, bye.” I said, rushing to leave, when he says, “Wait, I’m a YouTuber, I want to know if I can use you guys in my video! See, across the street, those are my friends they were filming the whole time!”

What did he just say? I wanted to punch him. I had legitimately thought our lives were in jeopardy, and it turns out it was all one big prank.

“Uhm, I don’t know about that. . .” I replied, tugging on my friend, who I noticed was also uncomfortable with the idea of using us in his video. In the end, we obliged, and promptly left.

The point is, regardless of that YouTuber’s popularity or status, I don’t want to be a part of another prank video, I don’t want to be approached randomly by strangers on the street, and I definitely don’t want to feel like my life’s in danger in an unfamiliar city.

We keep feeding the egos of these prank YouTubers, and in turn we create more of a thirst for fame. The more prank channels keep popping up, the more unregulated harassment becomes the norm under the guise of a fun YouTube video. Please stop supporting these pranksters who coerce their victims into letting them use their footage.

Pranks cease to be pranks when no one is laughing.

Natasha Pullham Third-year psychology

“People should have the freedom to smoke, but keep to the building’s [designated areas]. [. . .] People just walk right out the library and then start smoking right there. It’s kind of annoying.”

Jessie Chung Third-year psychology

“There are areas in which [smoking] should be allowed, [. . .] but I don’t like it when the smoking gets too close to doorways and buildings — then it really disturbs other people — and I feel that these restrictions should be enforced.”

Jeffrey Leung Second-year computer science

“I personally don’t enjoy the idea of it, but I think it would great if we had [more] designated areas on campus for people who do smoke.”

Cristina Agatep Third-year chemistry

3

4

NEWS

April 4, 2016

news editor email

Jamal Dumas news@the-peak.ca

associate news editor Nathan Ross

“It’s just such a horrible atmosphere,” claims former player Max Barkeley Nick Bondi and Jamal Dumas Sports Editor & News Editor A number of former players who are departing SFU’s Men’s Basketball team have come forward with allegations against former Head Coach Virgil Hill. Hill has since resigned from his position.

SFU Athletics announced Hill’s resignation in a press release written by Steve Frost, Sports Information Director, and released last Friday. This comes less than a year after Hill was officially announced as SFU’s men’s basketball coach. He took over on April 15, 2015 after the resignation of former Head Coach James Blake.

Athletics Director Theresa Hanson said in a press release, “Virgil and I met to review and evaluate the basketball season, and at that time he informed me that he has decided to resign his position as men’s basketball coach to spend more time with his young family.”

Hill’s decision comes on the heels of several allegations against him, originating from several players who left the team this semester.

Lisa Dimyadi / The Peak

SFU Men’s Basketball had a disappointing 2015–2016 season, winning just two games out of 26 overall.

not provide the team with meals while on an away game. According to him, “Before Sonoma State, we passed around a XL bag of peanut M&M’S before we played, and that was the only thing we had eaten before a 2 p.m. game.”

Another player who wished to reMax Barkeley main anonymous Former SFU basketball player corroborated Barkeley’s account. “It’s true,” the player Max Barkeley, who departed said. “We [were] told we would stop from the team with four games somewhere and then we just went remaining in the season, spoke to straight to Sonoma. They told us to The Peak about why he left. “It’s just go to the locker room and just put a such a horrible atmosphere. Losing bag of M&M’S on the desk.” never helps, but the coaching staff Denver Sparks-Guest, one of just does not look out for us.” the seven players who departed this Barkeley is likely referring to season, said his reason for leaving SFU’s results on the court. The team was “100 percent coaching,” adding went 2–24 on the season, and 1–19 that “there was no other reason.” in the Great Northwest Athletic Barkeley put particular emConference. The team went through phasis on Hill’s behaviour towards an 18-game losing streak, and got Pape Seck, a player from Senits first and only conference win egal, recounting comments made on February 11 against Concordia about Seck’s language ability and University. religious beliefs.

Barkeley alleged that in one According to Barkeley, those instance, the coaching staff did comments include, “‘Virgil

“Losing never helps, but the coaching staff just does not look out for us.”

countless times said things such as ‘this isn’t a language barrier, it’s a stupidity barrier,’ ‘my 10-year-old son is smarter than you,’ ‘you didn’t play in junior college, you haven’t played here, you’ll never play anywhere.’ He called him an idiot and retarded plenty of times.”

The anonymous player also corroborated Barkeley’s allegations of “[Pape] being called out in that manner” by Hill.

Barkeley added: “Ultimately the worst incident was when Virgil said to me in his office when it was just him and I [. . .] ‘Pape can pray eight times a day but he can’t make it to practice. . . His Muslim faith doesn’t fit in here in this culture.’”

The Peak reached out to coach Hill for his comments on the amount of players leaving the team. He provided the following statement: “Players and programs part ways for various reasons and we are no different.

I wish the departed players the best of luck with the remainder of their collegiate careers.”

When asked to comment on specific allegations, Hill declined.

Seck said that he was “not comfortable” in practice and stopped practicing with coach Hill as a

result. “It was more of the way he acted, [he was] not respectful,” he said. “You can’t take a high school coach [and bring him] to the NCAA. He’s not a good coach, he has to learn to talk to men.”

Barkeley also stated that people within SFU Athletics were aware of allegations against Hill. “Kelly Weber, Laura Reid, [and] the athletic director Theresa Hanson all know.”

Sparks-Guest stated that he talked to an unspecified Athletics Director before his departure, and Seck said that he “talked to Laura [Reid]” within SFU Athletics.

It is unfortunate that student athletes from our men’s basketball program have had a negative experience.”

The announcement of Hill’s departure came after The Peak contacted SFU Athletics to provide comments on the allegations made against him the day before.

It is unclear whether these allegations factored into his resignation.

Frost in the press release added that, “The search for a new head coach of the SFU men’s basketball program will begin immediately.”

“I would like to thank Simon Fraser University for the opportunity to come back and coach at my alma mater,” said Hill in the same press release.

“At this time I Virgil Hill Former Head Coach, SFU basketball am tendering my resignation. This decision was a difAthletics Director Theresa ficult one as I wanted to bring Hanson told The Peak that “I am this program back to a level of aware of some challenges within competitiveness that we know our men’s basketball program. is possible. My decision is based I was not aware of all of the al- on the needs of my young family legations that you have brought and my need to support my wife forward. I am disturbed by them. in raising our children.”

“My decision is based on the needs of my young family.”

NEWS

April 4, 2016

5

Singers wanted! Woodward’s Community Singers meet again on April 7 at 6 p.m. A free drop-in community choir, the music ranges from gospel to pop, and the informal group of approximately 30 wants you to join them.

No experience is required, and the event, held in the Sky Room of the PHS Community Services Residences at the Woodward’s Complex, is entirely free. The group meets every Thursday at the same time until the end of July, and everyone is welcome.

Changes to student loans, grants, infrastructure, and more

Katherine Gillard Peak Associate The Liberal Government announced their 2016 Federal Budget on March 22. For students, this means wading through a 271 page document to figure out how education might change. The Peak did that wading to find the most important information.

The first change will be to students grants, loans, and research funding. The 2016 budget proposes Canada Student Grants should be increased by 50 percent and students loans should not be repayable until an individual is making over $25,000 per year. The budget also plants to eliminate the Education and Textbook Tax Credits, effective January 1, 2017.

Funding will be given towards research in science including support for agricultural research, stem-cell research, and theoretical physics.

Said Terry Beech, a member of parliament for Burnaby NorthSeymour in an email to The Peak, “This is one of the best science

and innovation budgets to come out in the last 10 years, and the effects of research and development are going to allow our faculty and students to continue Canada’s legacy as a leader in the world.”

Flat-rate student contribution will be introduced as the government’s attempt to make students less concerned about the amount of money they make when they apply for student loans. Effective for the 2017–18 academic year student income will not be considered on loan applications.

Students will instead be required to contribute a flat amount each year towards their education.

On top of these plans to help in student afford schooling, a new Youth Employment Strategy was proposed, involving an additional $165.4 million to the $330 million already involved in the program.

This money will create new green jobs, help youth access the Skills Link program (which helps them transition into the workforce), and increase jobs for young people in the heritage sector.

Along with this, the prime minister will create a Youth Advisory Council comprised of Canadians age 16–24 years old to provide non-partisan advice to the government.

Kennedy Stewart, MP for Burnaby South, noted that this program may need some changes. “While I think it is very important for youth to be heard, I

don’t have much confidence that the new council will be empowered to an extensive degree.”

He added, “The real test would be to give the council the power to issue independent reports that are not vetted by the prime minister’s staff. That would be a good way for the prime minister to truly empower this new council.”

Said Beech, “This is a fantastic opportunity to engage young people with their government, and we are looking forward to bringing young people’s voices to the table.”

The 2016 Budget proposes providing up to $2 billion to infrastructure projects at postsecondary institutions. This could help a college upgrade, fix-up some of Canada’s older university buildings, and modernizing and enhancing research facilities. This program will involve the government taking on 50 percent of the cost of all eligible projects.

Stewart expects that the infrastructure project will be phased in with more time, but expects the student loans and grants program to begin very shortly.

He continued, “Students and the knowledge economy are Canada’s future. We are shooting ourselves in the foot by making it so expensive for students to get high-quality education. We are cutting our nose off to spite our face by saddling students with so much student debt. We need more student grants, lower tuition, and more job opportunities for students.”

Stewart added, “After a decade of cuts by the Harper Conservative government, this budget is different as it partially reverses this trend. [. . .] These [changes] are a good start, but more needs to be done.”

Beech echoed these comments: “When it comes to investing in young people and investing in our educational institutions, there is always more that we can do. I think this budget sets the right tone that we value research, we value science, and we see our universities as investment centres that are crucial not just for improving our economy today, but for building the economy of the future.”

Professor Kelley Lee is presenting on the topic of global health in her lecture From AIDS to Zika: Institutional Innovation and Global Health on April 6 in Room 2600 of the Surrey Campus.

Criticizing international responses to disease outbreaks, Professor Lee will argue that there are fundamental flaws in the way we approach the topic, and there needs to be a change in the debate in order for there to be any progress. The event is free for everyone, but those interested are asked to register.

Put your bilingual skills to good use! On April 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., join Sandy Hsieh at Harbour Centre for a free information session on how to join a Chinese/English interpretation and translation diploma program.

Mrs. Hsieh will discuss the program content, length, and admission requirements.

6 NEWS

The Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) is considering renovations to study space at the Harbour Centre campus in response to a recent student survey.

The survey run by the Vancouver Campus Administration, included student requests for more microwaves, space to sit, natural lighting, artwork on the walls, and power outlets. SFSS Board member and FCAT representative Salathiel Wells said the SFSS will try their best to meet student needs.

The current proposal is to renovate one of the second floor study areas near the escalators at Harbour Centre. Wells said they

April 4, 2016

will improve lighting and add seating to create a lounge and study space. Based on student feedback on the changes, another area on the second floor will also be renovated.

The proposed renovations could cost up to $70,000 and will be cofunded by the SFSS and the university. Wells said the current proposal asks the SFSS to allocate $35,000 to the project.

Kylene Bugden, a fourth-year communication student, said the renovations are much needed.

Bugden is taking all her classes at Harbour Centre this semester, and often studies at the downstairs food court or nearby coffee shops due to the lack of student space.

Most of the recent renovations at Harbour Centre, according to Bugden, have been to high-traffic study spaces near the entrance or outside busy lecture halls. She hopes the current proposal will meet student needs. She would like to see the SFSS get more involved in student life at the satellite campuses. Wells said this is a problem he and other board members are working to address.

within BC Healthy Minds | Healthy Campuses (HMHC) Community of Practice (CoP).

CSSU was launched in September 2012 by the Centre for Addictions Research of BC and the Canadian Mental Health Association BC division. The program operates across 11 campuses, including SFU, UVic, and TRU. Campuses can be hotbeds of substance abuse; the National College Health Assessment from 2013 shows that 70.8 percent of university students surveyed consumed alcohol within the previous 30 days with 19.4 percent of students reporting driving after drinking any amount. Young students, for the first time, are independent from their parents and are free to explore and experiment.

Last month, the BC Government contributed $400,000 to grow the program, Changing the Culture of Substance Use (CSSU)

The goal of the project is to encourage post-secondary students in BC to “experience and exhibit healthy relationships with alcohol and other substances.”

“It has been taking a while for the SFSS to become accustomed to expanding its resources to the other campuses,” Wells said. He added that he and previous FCAT representatives have worked hard to get the SFSS to consider all campuses, not just Burnaby.

Wells said that the SFSS is often viewed as Burnaby-centric because

of where its facilities and staff are based. He acknowledged however that this can change.

The SFSS is currently undergoing a governance restructuring which includes creating committees for each satellite campus. Wells thinks that a more structured way of engaging students at other campuses will help representatives, like

himself, who advocate for students at all three campuses.

There are also plans to renovate three study spaces at the Surrey campus. If the motions are passed, all renovations will take place during the summer semester and the spaces will likely be fully functional by the fall.

Dr. Tim Dyck, from the (HMHC) project at UVic, said that it is important to distinguish substance “use” and “abuse,” as the two differ greatly. “‘Substance abuse’ is [. . .] prejudicial language which readily reinforces a widespread assumption that much if not all use is problematic, detrimental — whereas [we believe] that in general people use substances for reasons they regard as beneficial to their personal and social well-being.”

The project aims to promote healthier relationships with substances on c a m p u s.

Through working with campus networks, the project will discover the role substances play on campus and then develop a more positive campus culture

by working with both students and staff.

Martin Mroz, Director of Health and Counselling Services at SFU, elaborated further on the distinction between “use” and “abuse.” Said Mroz, it is important to create a “more sustainable, realistic, and healthy culture around any substance use.”

People can either “have a healthy relationship with wine, or a medication,” or it can be abused. “Focusing on the abuse is so limiting, and not appreciating that substances play a cultural role is unrealistic.”

At SFU, Health and Counselling Services have been running the Healthy Campus Community initiative since 2010. With this initiative, student volunteers in the Health Peers program do much more than just focus on substance use. They help students build skills related to balance, resilience, stress management, sexual health, sleep, social

connection, active living, and nutrition.

Over the past two terms, 16 Health Peers have devoted over 1,800 hours of their time trying to make SFU students healthier.

This past January, the Health Peers focussed on food as a substance that needs to be used responsibly. With funding from CCSU, workshops were hosted at all three campuses. “Food is a wonderful tool for transcending cultural barriers,” said Crystal Hutchinson, SFU Health and Counselling health promotion specialist.

The Health Peers also operate Party Safe, an initiative to educate students about the risks associated with alcohol consumption. Hutchinson said that while they encourage students to avoid alcohol consumption, if they do imbibe, they should follow this motto: “Not too much, not too often and only in safe contexts.”

NEWS

In a collection of essays titled Broken Windows: Why Culture Matters in Corruption Reform , SFU Political Science professor Andy Hara sets out to research the root causes of corruption and critically analyze why common attempts at reform remain ineffective.

The research is split into two volumes — one published in March 2016, and the second to be published this summer — that are essentially compilations of various case studies written by a number of experts and threaded together with Hara’s narrative and analysis. Each case study focuses on corruption in one country.

In an interview with The Peak , Hara spoke about his purpose for conducting the research. “The question we’re trying to answer is, if everyone knows corruption is such a major issue for development, how come we haven’t made any progress?” he asked.

April 4, 2016

What sets Hara’s study apart from previous academic literature covering corruption is that, instead of simply detailing the extent to which corruption exists in various developing countries, his research seeks to use historical information to critically analyze past attempts at corruption reform, and then suggest more effective strategies.

In his introduction, Hara writes about the World Bank’s cost-benefit type approach to corruption: “that an individual will engage in corruption if they see a benefit of taking a bribe that is less than the consequence of enforcement.” He continues by arguing that it has proven to be ineffective numerous times in the past. He counters this economics-focused approach to corruption reform by suggesting a more culturecentered reform program.

Hara’s research includes three developing countries

U of A students finish building zero-emissions vehicle Engineering students at the University of Alberta have recently put a stamp of approval on their over a year long project dedicated to building a zero-emissions vehicle.

The 300-pound car emits only water, has three thousand horsepower, and goes 70 km per hour.

The team will be travelling to the United States where an annual clean car competition is held. The qualification for the top vehicle is not only speed, but its overall design, which is precisely what these U of A students have been focused on.

With files from CBC

where corruption is at a minimum — Singapore, Hong Kong, and Chile — and he detailed three commonalities between the successful case studies.

“There were decade-long efforts to not only change formal rules, but also change the values of the government and the private sector at large to be more honest [in these countries],” he said.

Students build drones from scratch at University of New Brunswick April means two things for students at the University of New Brunswick: finals and drones. A group of students have been building quadcopters and drones with parts made from scratch and some found online. The team is preparing for a weekend contest at the university.

What’s more, despite the fact that this drone club only been around since September, they are already sponsored by Resson Aerospace, a company focused on integrating agriculture and drones.

With files from CBC

Additionally, all laws passed were equally enforced at higher levels of government, such as the show trials in Singapore where Lee Kuan Yew’s cabinet and union leaders were tried, reinforcing the idea that no one is above the law.

Finally, all three cases showed an ongoing effort to reinforce honest social values.

In the case of Chile, the most common university degrees are liberal arts or law degrees, the entire culture is essentially based on the law and the legal process.

7

When asked about how his study can be applied to corruption seen in Canadian politics, such as the senate expense scandals that made headlines last summer, Hara replied that the major news coverage of the incidents serve to reinforce what his research concludes — that the nationwide concern over the “minor infractions” speak to Canada’s strong societal values against corruption.

“I would say that Canadians should take pride in the fact that their system works,” concluded Hara.

8

OPINIONS

There is a growing trend among university and college campuses in North America to ban cigarette smoking completely, and as far as I’m concerned, SFU should follow suit.

About a dozen Canadian campuses, such as Memorial University in St. John’s, Dalhousie in Halifax, and the University of Alberta in Edmonton, have already implemented bans on smoking, and according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, at least 1,475 campuses in the United States are now smoke-free. So why hasn’t SFU joined them?

From 2013–2014, a campaign was underway on campus, Tobacco-Free SFU, supported by the Faculty of Health Sciences. Over the course of about six months, the group started a petition, held some events, and lobbied the administration to make SFU smokefree. Their goal was to change the current university policy to ensure that there would be no cigarette smoke or cigarettes on campus,

Tyler Knoll’s article entitled, “Trigger warnings are not an excuse to censor free speech” could not have gotten it more wrong. Trigger warnings don’t censor or stifle free speech. They’re simply warnings — like online pieces of courtesy to the faceless people on the Internet.

A person who writes something for the web has no way to judge or adjust their tone in accordance with the audience’s response.

In person, if you’re conversing with someone and they begin

April 4, 2016

opinions editor email

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca

Annita Bhuiyan / The Peak

and to add clauses relating to the divestment of tobacco company assets and the refusal of funding from the tobacco industry.

That initiative seems to have fallen by the wayside, but it’s time to take up this cause again and clear the air once and for all on our campus.

While some may say that banning an activity will only make people want to rebel against the regulation, with the right enforcement and education, this could easily be overcome. Smoking is also on the decline in Canada, which might beg the question of whether a ban is necessary, but there are many places on campus where you can be met with clouds of unwelcome secondhand

smoke simply when trying to get from point A to point B. The walkway above Convocation Mall is notorious, as are the areas outside many of the main entrances to campus buildings. A 10metre smoke-free zone simply isn’t enough, and it isn’t currently wellenforced, either.

There is plenty of research showing that second-hand smoke can be hazardous to our health, and for this reason smoking has been banned in a multitude of public places such as restaurants, patios, beaches, parks, and bus stops. I don’t see why our public university campus should be any different.

It’s true that smoking remains a legal pastime, and it is a personal choice. If people choose to smoke,

that’s their business. However, that business happens to also create airborne toxins that are dangerous when inhaled by others, so it would be best if smokers kept their bad habit away from the public.

In addition, the litter created by hundreds of cigarette butts, aside from being an eyesore, is toxic and detrimental to the environment.

Butts are not biodegradable and

they contain heavy metals and other harmful materials that can leach into the soil and water.

SFU Health Sciences Professor Kelley Lee has suggested that tobacco companies should be responsible for the toxic butts, and the mayor of North Vancouver would like to see a deposit placed on them.

We don’t need these pollutants on campus, and we would all be better off if SFU and all other universities were smoke-free, so that nobody would have to walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke to get to class.

to get uncomfortable, most people wouldn’t just shrug and keep going because it’s their right to say what they want (well, a few might).

But most people would pause and adjust the discussion, ask if their counterpart is alright, and maybe even say “If you’re okay, I’m going to talk about _____ and then I’ll move on, all right?”

the pause; it’s the “this potentially sensitive material is going to crop up, so prepare yourself accordingly.” It’s like a movie rating.

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Why can’t we have trigger warnings for content that could trigger damaging, traumatic experiences? Who does it hurt? Not the lecturer, and certainly not the students. To assume that the people who need trigger warnings would skip past an online post or an entire lecture simply because a small warning has been shown is inherently flawed.

Instead, people can now read through an article or blog, or attend a lecture in an informed way instead of being slapped across the face with it midway, caught completely off-guard.

When that happens, people

freak out and stop reading, or get up and leave.

In regards to the article’s example about the English class discussing terrible things First Nations peoples had to face, I’d like to say that just because a trigger warning was shown doesn’t mean that students are ignorant about what happened to First Nations peoples at the hand of the Canadian government. The trigger warning clues students to the intense and horrific natures of the things our government has done, and most of the people who need the warning can then sit through the class.

If people leave after having been exposed to a trigger warning, I find it presumptuous to assume that they left because of it. This is especially if a large contingent leaves.

Those are probably just people who skipped class for the heck of it.

My other problem is the claim that “any psychiatrist will tell you the only way to face your fears is to confront them directly.” No, they won’t. Many of them will, as desensitization is a prolific form of therapy when dealing with fear and anxiety. However, the opposite effect — sensitization — can also occur. The added pressure to ‘face your fear’ can further add to fear and anxiety instead of alleviating it.

This isn’t about students being fragile. This is about realizing that you can never know the stories of all people. If one sentence at the beginning of a lecture or an article can prevent extraneous emotional turmoil — why not? It takes all of three seconds to write or say, and it could be the difference between a captive, engaged audience and an audience that leaves before you can finish your free speech.

A trigger warning doesn’t have anything to do with the presenter or the person writing. The writer can say what they want — nothing stops them. The right to free speech is not the right to be heard. The trigger warning is just

OPINIONS

April 4, 2016

Nowadays, even your grandpa can get picked up as an Internet sensation overnight, and then turned into an online meme. Yes, Sad Papaw, I’m talking about you and your disgraceful grandchildren.

But all hilarity and memes aside, the minute that a picture was posted to Twitter of a defeated grandpa eating with only one grandchild at dinner-table after making burgers for all his six grandchildren, the Internet was awash with feelings of sympathy for him. Even though it was later revealed that there was a miscommunication between “Papaw” and his grandkids, it still sparked something deep within the hearts and minds of people that encountered this photo, including myself.

I wanted to address that throughout the course of this column, the “grandpa” I interacted with wasn’t my grandpa at all; in fact, I talked to many different people from my grandpa’s generation. With each week, I was able to address various topics and I got to see the differences between the generations — how we were the same and different, and ultimately, how things have changed over time.

My grandparents from both my mom and dad’s side have since passed on, all leaving legacies on my family and who we are.

My mom’s father passed away when my mom was 16, so I never had the opportunity to meet him.

My dad’s mother passed away when I was 7, followed by his dad when I was 16, and then my mom’s mother when I was 17.

One night, my maternal grandmother, before she passed away, looked at me with the endearing eyes she always had for me, and told me that she loved me. We were one month away from my 18th birthday when she said this. Then, heaving a laboured sigh, she repeated one

Fun, flirty and flouncy — the ponytail is a hairdo classic.

Yank that mop up into a high ponytail and you’ll look like an adorable helicopter, ready to take off into a clear sky of sassy fashion. Try a low ponytail to resemble a sweet and secret seductive baker’s daughter from the Renaissance — you’ll woo knights and stable boys everywhere, and your father will make a ton of cash selling you for marriage.

The side pony-tail alternatively offers the look of an ’80s babe; try that baby out and you’ll be in for a night of Dirty Dancing and extravagantly dirty spandex. Why stop at one pony tail? Cover yourself in them! Become a contemporary piece of art by tying up your hair into multiple tiny ponytails, imitating the stark and bold fashion of a chia pet. There’s no way to go wrong with this baby. Go on, girl!

Tie that hair up and look as charming as the ass of a pony.

thing that she always told me every time she saw me: “Always be thankful for your family.” She passed away a few weeks before my birthday.

Unlike many of my peers, my grandparents never lived to see the day I graduated from high school. They never saw my excitement when I received my first university acceptance letter or my first scholarship. They never got to ride shotgun in a car after I got my license. They will never see me graduate from university, get my first real job, get married, and start a family. And I will never get to hear my paternal grandmother’s singing voice, talk to my paternal

grandfather about golf, or hold my maternal grandmother in a loving embrace ever again.

These simple words that I have always taken for granted, “Always be thankful for your family,” tore a hole through my heart when I saw the picture of the lonely Papaw.

Even though it may have been a miscommunication and his grandchildren didn’t mean to not show up, the sentiment remains the same. You should always be thankful for everything that you have and everything that you are.

This column took me down memory lane time and time again, reminiscing of past conversations with those who have

Please visit the website for more information: www.talk.go.kr Contact information: Consulate General of the Republic of Korea 604-681-9581 vanedu@mofa.go.kr

had a profound impact on my life. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and think about what life would be like if they still were here with me. And though I can’t turn back time, I am thankful for what they have given me: support, love, and a solid family to rely on.

Our grandparents, ever patient with us as we found our way through the world, taught us so much and showered us with unconditional love, and probably more gifts than we could ever imagine. The one thing we can do for them is to show them our gratitude and return their patience, especially in their times of need.

teach and learn in korea

What the hell is that? Is that a poorly made IKEA cinnamon bun plastered mistakenly to the top of your head? Did you actually put a sock on your fucking head? Do you have any respect for yourself?

Probably not, since it looks like a dog turd curled up on top of your head to dry up and die and you still seem to think you look cute and ‘librarian-esque.’

The bun is the Greek tragedy of hairstyles. It’s a real ‘let’s kill

pops and accidently get it on with mama’ sort of deal. Even the nursery rhyme “Hot Cross Buns” is weak, paling in comparison to the all-time classic “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

Please do yourself a favour and abandon any form of spherical hair, and graduate to other more impressive geometric shapes — try a hexagon.

My anaconda don’t want none if you’re wearing a bun, hun.

9

10 OPINIONS

According to Statistics Canada’s crime victimization survey from 2004, approximately 460,000 Canadian women were sexually assaulted in 2004. Out of all of those incidences, only about 3.3 percent were reported to the police and only 0.3 percent led to a conviction.

With a stat like this in mind, it’s not surprising that Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted on Thursday of all counts of sexual assault. Since 2014, many people have been anxiously awaiting the results of Ghomeshi’s trial, with the hope that finally, a public demonstration supporting survivors would prevail.

As we have witnessed over the course of the trial, this did not come to fruition. Instead, Ghomeshi’s trial has been wrought with victim-blaming and the three complainants have been raked over the coals by Ghomeshi’s lawyer, Marie Henein.

One particularly awful aspect of the Ghomeshi trial was the implication that continuing contact with an abuser means giving consent in every situation.

Ghomeshi’s defense counsel produced a pair of emails sent by the first complainant a year after she was allegedly assaulted by Ghomeshi. Though the email correspondences do, indeed, contradict her previous statements claiming she cut off contact with Ghomeshi, they do not invalidate her claims.

There are a multitude of reasons why a survivor may stay in contact with an abuser, that do not imply wanting to continue a relationship, including to confront them about their abuse. Manipulative

April 4, 2016

abusers can make a person feel insecure and as though this kind of violence, being attached to sex, is somehow intimacy. In the eyes of the court, however, this inconsistency in the story added to invalidating her testimony entirely.

The legal system in Canada is illequipped to deal with sexual assault cases. The verdict is skewed in favour of the defendant, who is not required to testify, and what can be considered ‘evidence’ is incredibly limited. Often there is little to no proof to support a survivor’s story beyond their testimony, as it can take years to come forward. Even if done quickly, however, there is often no tangible evidence to demonstrate a person was sexually assaulted.

This needs to change. With a miniscule number of sexual assaults annually reported, something is clearly wrong. We need to properly educate people on the topic of consent, as approximately 67 percent of Canadians cannot identify the legal definition of ‘consent,’ according to a study by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. We must also continue working towards fostering a culture that believes survivors; this doesn’t mean never questioning complainants, but rather listening to their stories instead of dismissing them or claiming they were somehow ‘asking for it.’

I want to remind people that sexual assault is not a just a ‘women’s issue,’ and virtually nobody makes false claims to get attention. All people can be subject to sexual violence, and all deserve to be treated with dignity. All people deserve to be believed.

Every person has the right, according to our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.” If we unequivocally believe survivors, we risk violating the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence.

In response to the Ghomeshi ruling, numerous groups have rose up in protest. One such Facebook event, “Believe Survivors: Rally & March in Protest of the Ghomeshi Verdict,” hosted by Looking Out Ottawa, states: “we cannot allow the courts to determine the validity of our experiences.”

This statement is deeply troubling. In his ruling, Judge Horkins asserted that we must avoid the “dangerous false assumption that sexual assault complainants are always truthful.” The keyword here is always. I agree that, most of the time, complainants are truthful. However, this simply cannot be the case for all. Some people will lie, or bend the truth to suit their needs. This is human nature in all court cases, sexual assault included.

It is a wonderful idea to immediately believe survivors. It would make it much easier for survivors to press charges.

However, a testimony does not imply truth, and it should not be considered hard evidence. We must trust our judicial system to arrive at the truth following a fair trial, after which justice shall be served.

This is not a defense of Ghomeshi.

This is not a defense of the survivors in

this case. This is a defense of our justice system.

It is apparent that Ghomeshi’s alleged acts were misogynistic and wrong. Judge Horkins’ ruling did not state that Ghomeshi’s acts clearly never happened. The simple fact was that Ghomeshi’s criminal guilt could not be proved “beyond a reasonable doubt” because of a lack of evidence, and issues of credibility from the complainants, whose testimonies were the sole basis of the case.

Sexual assault is an issue that is difficult to deal with, due to the personal nature of the acts involved. Occasionally, there is more to the story than simply the offense itself. This holds true for both sides; the accused and the accusers.

Do not listen to the politicians, pandering for votes with their tweets of #IBelieveSurvivors. Recently, Tom Mulcair tweeted just this. As a trained lawyer, he should know better than to propagate an idea that violates our legal principles.

Perhaps the way our society handles sexual assault cases should be reviewed. It is a topic of sensitive nature, that puts much stress on the survivors.

But the solution is not to sidestep our legal system in favour of one based on testimony as hard evidence.

We must stand with our survivors while they overcome the trauma of their experiences. However, we must not immediately accept their testimonies as unquestionable truth. This would fundamentally violate the core of our legal system, and the presumption of innocence.

ACTUAL VIEW FROM FLOOR 17

DOORS OPEN AT 12PM SHARP SAVE UP TO $15,000

intergulf

RELEASE OF PENTHOUSE COLLECTION

I RS

VE

I D UN

GH

T

TRE

AND C

S CEN

HIGHL

ST

SA L E

HI

UNIV

ERSIT

Y CR

ES C E

NT

Burnaby Mountain

11

Presentation Centre Open daily 12-5pm except Fridays at 8955 University High Street, Burnaby

604 559 5795 · PEAKATSFU.COM

April 4, 2016

PRICE & AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. THIS IS NOT AN OFFERING FOR SALE. ANY SUCH OFFERING CAN ONLY BE MADE WITH DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. E.&O.E.

ARTS R

TY

• The tallest tower at SFU • The highest point in Metro Vancouver • Canada’s #1 Comprehensive University • Best views in the province • Over 10,000 sq. ft. of amenities • Built by the pioneers of SFU-Intergulf

BEST CONCRETE VALUE

GRAND OPENING APRIL 9TH

OPINIONS

Twenty-two year old Kitty Cooke is a communication and archaeology student, DIY enthusiast, and the cohost of CJSF’s feminist radio show, IntraVenus . Sassy and smart, Kitty sees her communication and archaeology education as her pathway to educating others on culture and anthropology.

In her final semester at SFU, The Peak sat down with Kitty to talk about her experience in broadcasting with CJSF, and how she hopes to engage with world with media.

The Peak: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Kitty: I’m in my [. . .] first semester of my fifth year. I am a communication major and archaeology minor, and they go together better than you would imagine.

P: How did you first get into broadcast and involved with CJSF, and what attracted you to radio?

K: I first got into broadcast when I was in high school. I did TV production.

You’re only supposed to do the class once but I took it for almost two years, just because I was good at doing the on-camera broadcast, and I’m like ‘hey, this could be a really cool career for me.’ So I also go to BCIT and I study broadcast journalism there part time, because for some reason I didn’t want to do the full-time program.

[. . . if I did] I would have been there and never at SFU.

P: And how did you get involved with CJSF? K: Well my first semester, my dad, in a weirdly insightful moment, was interested in my life and said, ‘You should do your school radio station,’ and this was back in 2012 and I’m like, ‘Okay Dad, I’ll go check it out.’ Then last year, January of 2015, my friend who had already graduated said, ‘Somebody I know needs help with the radio station show,’ and so I went and I sat in on the show and did some presenting. [. . .] I did it most weeks after that and then [Laura Scheck and I] took it over. So I’ve been doing that same show for like a year and two months.

P: Tell us about the show, IntraVenus.

K: Well, we do a lot of live stuff; my favourite segment is the feminist news update [. . .] because it forces me to be engaged with what’s happening in the world in feminism and women’s rights [. . .] It’s just such a fun show to do. I really like talking about feminism. [. . .] Because of the show, I’ve become pretty politically-engaged, like learning more about politics and reading about it, and being like ”This is actually super interesting; I wish I had been more involved my entire life so far.’

P: Do you have a story about what inspired you to get involved in feminism?

K: I probably do. I grew up living with my dad and my brother, so I was around a lot of dudes, but I was also around my grandparents a lot, and my grandma’s not really a feminist. She says she is, but she’s not. But she’s a very strong and independent woman, and I just found that pretty inspiring. [. . .] What got me into feminism is when I realized I was queer when I was in my super early teens. I was like, ‘I’m going to be treated differently about this for the rest of my life because I am a woman and because I’m also queer,’ so that’s [makes me think that] that I can’t just pretend [this] isn’t happening, because I can’t change the way I am, so I might as well become engaged.

P: Why are these topics so important for you to broadcast at SFU? K: I want to say I chose SFU, but really this is the only school I applied to, because applications cost money [laughs] I really liked the idea of SFU because [it seemed like] a super politically-engaged and socially active school (which is not that true, but I’m not going to throw shade at a school that has housed me).

SFU has got a lot of flaws, but it also has a lot of really wonderful things and a really

good community, especially for women and women’s centres and queer people at Out On Campus. And at the time that I was starting university, I was going to Out On Campus a lot because I was like ‘whoa, there are people who are like me and super femme but also super queer and they’re also seen as not legitimate as members of the queer community and it’s so weird!’

P: That’s exactly it; SFU has this really interesting culture that you don’t expect to find.

K: And it’s so cool because we have so many clubs [. . .] there are so many religious groups and cultural groups, and queer people and women and it’s just such an assortment of [different groups who] all seem to get along.

P: What have you learned from hosting a radio show?

K: Radio is not my desired path in media. But I knew that before I started.

I really want to get into TV, which kind of ties into all my post-graduation plans [. . .] and my life plans. I really want to have a TV show for kids — more anthropology-focused. I want to be the lady Bill Nye — but [for] anthropology and humanities — because I think that’s equally as important as science. The arts and stuff are so key to being a [well]

rounded human. You can’t just focus on hard academia; you also need to learn about cultures and how they change and grow. And that’s how archaeology ties into communications, because a lot of it is about culture and societies and how they’ve changed and what made them the way they are.

K: I do a lot of making stuff, like my jacket. I really like DIY culture, which is a really big part of feminism, coincidentally [. . .] but I do a lot of knitting, crocheting, embroidery [. . .] So yeah, I like making stuff, I love it [. . .] It’s like with the radio, creating stuff where there was nothing [. . .] it’s so magical.

P: What would you say to students who are also interested in broadcast?

K: Oh definitely do it, that’s really the main thing. [. . .] When I got involved I [was] like ‘Wow, everyone is super nice, like weirdly nice,’ and they want you to get involved, and they want to make good radio, and they want you to learn and be doing stuff that makes you happy, and be making content that makes you happy [. . .] And the other thing, you don’t actually have to be on the radio to be involved. There are people who [. . .] just want to be involved, and there’s lot of stuff you can do at the station.

P: How do you feel your education and broadcast work come together?

K: Just the whole idea of putting information out there and media stuff is so related to communications, especially with feminism, I get to integrate a lot of what I learn in school into what I actually talk about, which is all the stuff I’m interested in, which is why I do it. One course in particular that really helped me with being intersectional in my feminism and learning more about intersectionality was Race and the Media [CMNS 452].

It was a really good course, and all the readings from that class I have used on the radio.

P: What else could students do?

K: You could do PR; we have a lot of graphic stuff; we have production stuff which is really interesting [. . . like] sourcing and researching content.

P: So you’re a hard-core student and you host a weekly radio show; what do you do in your spare time?

P: Has your time at SFU changed you?

K: I’m definitely more politically and socially engaged than I was, which was one of my goals by choosing this school, because that’s what [SFU] is known for.

But it wasn’t necessarily through my studies, just kind of the environment and

who I made friends with which kind of helped encourage that.

P : Is there anything else you want to add?

K: [IntraVenus] has had many iterations, transformations throughout time. Even in the past year we’ve changed focus so much just because it’s different hosts than when we first started [. . .]. So it’s really interesting how the content of the show and what we focus on really changes depending on who hosts it.

So who even knows what the next generation of IntraVenus people will be focusing on? So I am a feminist, with very strong beliefs, but I was not interested in being any form of educator or wanting people to see my point of view. I just really wanted to do entertainment news because that’s almost never depressing, so that’s one thing that’s really changed in my journeys as a university student.

I wanted to do entertainment news hosting, but now I want to have a show that makes an impact on kids that they can think back on the [same] way I think back on Bill Nye the Science Guy [. . .] It’s super important to me that kids are getting quality education, but it doesn’t have to be boring.

14

ARTS

arts editor email

April 4, 2016

Jess Whitesel arts@the-peak.ca

MUSIC MAN

A dream come true: Jason Hayward’s road to professional musicianship SFU student’s experiences bring new meaning to his music Rachel Wong Peak Associate The allure of music had always given Jason Hayward something to dream about. Little did he know that his life journey would take him across the country and even to the other side of the world in the pursuit of something once described by him as a “fantasy.”

Initially, Hayward’s cards pointed in a completely different direction. Growing up in Newfoundland, he was raised in a household that was by no means musical, though he took private saxophone lessons in his youth. Despite his dreams of becoming a musician, lack of insight into the world of the music industry influenced Hayward to not pursue his passion. Instead, he studied business, something that he decided to study through a process of elimination.

“It seemed like a viable choice, since I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor,” Hayward said with a laugh.

But music called to him throughout pursuing this degree in business. Hayward recounted how he would always pass by the music wing of his school during first year; it was then he realized that music

could be studied professionally, and he yearned to be there with the other musicians and artists.

Despite how long it took for him to get to that point, Hayward appreciated the time he had to explore who he was. It was also then that he learned “business was not for [him]” and that it was time to dive head-first into something about which he had always dreamed.

After his undergraduate degree, Hayward went to Toronto for two years to study jazz music before returning back to St. John’s to focus on performing, teaching privately, and composing music for different jazz combos in the city.

It was during this time that he also tried out graduate music studies at Memorial University.

But Hayward said that the more he added to his plate, the more “disillusioned he felt with the music scene.”

“It was a time of crisis, on two levels,” Hayward said, describing his return to St. John’s. “I felt like I was trying to do too much and then burnt out, but I also felt like I didn’t fit in. I was too classical for the jazz world and too jazzy for the classical world. I wanted to do my own music and experiment with my own creativity.”

Instead of staying in St. John’s, Hayward packed up everything and went to Korea with the intention of staying for a year to teach English.

SUSTAINABILITY PEER EDUCATORS PROGRAM

BECOME A SUSTAINABILITY PEER EDUCATOR

HELP MAKE SFU A MORE SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS • Learn about sustainability at SFU • Share your knowledge with fellow students • Develop advocacy, outreach and education initiatives • Gain valuable experience

Tesicca Truong Sustainability Peer Educator

Apply at sfu.ca/sustainability by April 11

Photo courtsey of Jason Hayward

SFU student Jason Hayward looks to channel his passion for music into further studies to become a music professor.

Hayward took that time to channel his creativity and experiment with electronic music, which led him to remain in Korea for three years before returning back to Canada.

With a newfound sense of enthusiasm for music, Hayward brought his experiences and electronic music back to Canada. Upon his arrival, however, he experienced what he described as a “reverse culture shock” and felt like he once again “did not belong.” Hayward then packed up his bags and went to Calgary, where he met up with a ska reggae band and toured with them across Canada as a keyboard player.

This, according to Hayward, was one of his fondest memories performing.

Hayward returned back to St. John’s one more time, this time meeting his current partner in a writer’s group. With her by his side, they went to stay in Belgium for six months before moving to Vancouver, where they currently reside. Hayward is finishing up his post-baccalaureate diploma in contemporary arts, set to graduate after this semester.

Throughout his travels and experiences, Hayward has come to

call himself a jazz and contemporary classical musician, experimenting with different genres and being influenced by artists such as Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker.

and visual art. But beyond these muses, Hayward is a strong advocate for “doing the regular work.”

“I am a firm believer that doing the work is the most important part of anything,” Hayward said. “The inspiration will come when you do the work and see what comes out of it.”

Most importantly, Hayward is a big believer Jason Hayward in passion and creativity.

Hayward also enjoys the singer“My main muse is my creative songwriter genre, citing musi- drive,” Hayward replied. “Creativcians like Paul Simon and Sting as ity is most important to me, and influences that have pushed him definitely what gets me going every to try something new and to write day.” It is this love that Hayward his own music and lyrics. With his feels for his music that he hopes post-baccalaureate diploma, how- other people feel every day for their ever, one of his group projects re- own passions, regardless of quires him to compose music for what they are. a short film. For this type of music, Looking ahead, Hayward would Hayward looks to the likes of John like to continue his studies in hopes Adams for influence, while taking of one day becoming a professor of some of his own elements of cre- music while composing and perativity to add to the sound. forming his own works professionWhen it comes to finding in- ally. With his passion, experience, spiration, Hayward says that he and creative drive, Hayward most draws on many different sources, certainly is someone to watch out such as literature, poets like Syl- for in the Vancouver music scene via Plath and Charles Bukowski, and beyond.

“The inspiration will come when you do the work and see what comes out of it.”

ARTS

April 4, 2016

the Trojans and the Spartans kill innocent bystanders along with the young black men initiating the violence. Chi-Raq (Nick Cannon), the nom de plume of the Spartans leader, is in a war with Cyclops (Wesley Snipes), the one-eyed commandant of the Trojans.

In the opening minutes of ChiRaq, a title card informs us that since 2001, more Americans have died on Chicago streets than in the Iraq War, the results of gang violence perpetuated by poverty and a government that has neglected a ghettoized part of the city.

Spike Lee has never been known for subtlety. If his films are overly didactic, they make up for it in passion, energy, and earnestness. They’re angry only because tears are too passive to motivate change.

Spike Lee’s latest joint is a sermon, a comedy, a tragedy, a musical, a poem, and a modern adaptation of Aristophanes’ play Lysistrata. Nearly the entire film is written in verse with the majority of the dialogue delivered as couplets — “This situation is out of control / ‘cause I’m in front of an empty stripper pole.” The film is structured as a series of vignettes — some funny, some sad, some both at the same time — that revolve around all the parties involved in a gang war.

On the southside of Chicago, firefights and stray bullets from

Following the death of an innocent teenager on a botched drive-by shooting, Chi-Raq’s girlfriend Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) unites the women on both sides in a sex-strike. “No peace, no pussy!”

This may make Chi-Raq seem like a bore, a passive exposure to Lee’s ramblings on gun culture and racial inequality in Chicago and America at large. Chi-Raq is motivated by beauty and sympathy; its luscious widescreen frames transform the underbelly of Chicago into a stage decorated with life and colour. Human worth is implicit in nearly every film, yet so few feel quite as alive as this one.

Most of Lee’s films are theatrical, and in Chi-Raq the screen

often feels like a proscenium. The compositions and blocking often place the viewer at the other end of the dialogue, as if we’re sitting at the front row of a play. The audience is always the most important character. During a sermon at a local church, the camera sits in the pew. A peace accord in the denouement faces the spectator, as though we too are signing the contract. And as is customary with ancient Greek plays, the film has an omniscient narrator who addresses the audience directly — played by, of course, a very funny Samuel L. Jackson.

Chi-Raq functions under a similar, albeit more erratic, mode as Lee’s 1988 masterpiece Do The Right Thing. It glides between disjointed scenes, characters, and scenarios with no narrative momentum but an internal logic, which in the case of Chi-Raq is a no-rules kind of consistency.

Lee’s preaching has rarely felt as organic, because by wrapping his lessons in a sheen of elaborate artifice, he has made a film as stunning to look as it is politically engaged. It’s a dance of conflicting forms where somehow all the movements feel just right.

With the trailer for the highly anticipated sixth season of Game of Thrones garnering over 27 million views and showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss proclaiming “this is the best [season they’ve] done,” the hype-o-meter for the premier date on April 24 has reached critical levels. The new season promises answers to last season’s cliffhangers, sexual encounters, deaths, and a slew of new faces.

On CJSF’s The Arts Show with Jacob Gradowski this past October, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of those new faces, Eva Butterly, on her upcoming role in season six of Game of Thrones. Having moved from Ireland to Vancouver to pursue acting, Butterly’s life was turned upside down when she heard the announcement that she’d been cast as a “mummer” (member of a performance troupe) in the newest season of the massively popular HBO series.

“When I first found out about [the casting], it definitely overwhelmed me — I had trouble sleeping at night and I was kind of out of balance. It just took me a little adjustment to get myself back to normal.” Butterly remarked. Despite the initial shock, she managed to

15

bounce back, performing in The Virtual Theatre’s annual Halloween performances of Alien Contagion: Rise of the Zombie Syndrome.

Despite its extreme popularity, auditioning for Game of Thrones was, according to Butterly, “a pretty standard audition process. My agent got me the audition and it was just a video, so that was about it.”

Though the audition was standard, the filming of Game of Thrones sounded far from it; Butterly filmed her part of the show in Spain. Even though her days there were undoubtedly grueling, she had the chance to catch up with fellow Ireland-natives while on set: “We got some free time. We got a day off and me and some of the Irish boys who were also in Game of Thrones had some drinks. We had a pretty fun night — went to an Irish bar — it was fun.”

When questioned about how it felt to be an actor acting out being an actor, Butterly’s reply was: “I can’t really answer that, sorry.” It seemed we had reached the 700-foot wall in our conversation. This, however, was hardly surprising — the cast and crew of the show have been notoriously tight-lipped regarding potential spoilers.

Be that as it may, book readers can likely gander a guess at how her character’s role as a mummer fits into the storyline, especially given the fact that Girona, Spain is the filming location for a certain canalfilled city in Essos — (cough) Braavos.

Prior to auditioning, Butterly had always been an avid fan of the series: “I do have a huge picture of Khaleesi up on my bedroom wall,” she admitted, laughing. She and the rest of the Game of Thrones fandom will be eagerly awaiting its premiere on April 24.

NOW IN THE 'HOOD!

Join Us For Our SFU

GRAND OPENING April 15 9:30 a.m. th

The Cornerstone Building, 8992 University High St.

IN-STORE WINE & CHEESE TASTINGS in partnership with

April 15th & 16th 2-5 p.m.

SPECIAL PURCHASE

GIFT WITH PURCHASE

Everyday Low Price

glasses, t-shirts, beer steins

limited quantity 2 per person

3499

$

CROWN ROYAL NORTHERN HARVEST RYE Canada 429704 750 ml

CHILLED PRODUCTS IN THE

Everyday Low Price

1149

3399

899

$

$

$

CONO SUR ORGANIC CABERNET SAUVIGNON CARMENERE Chile Reg. $13.49 211185 750 ml

MOLSON CANADIAN Canada 905844 24-pack cans

PUENTE NEGRO SAUVIGNON BLANC Chile 381517 750 ml OR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 836957 750 ml

FREE

Stanley Cup® Commemorative Ring

SAVE $

Inside Specially Marked Cases of 24 Cans

2

1229

$

829

$

SEE YA LATER RANCH GEWÜRZTRAMINER BC VQA Reg. $14.29 868067 750 ml

SAVE $

Everyday Low Price

2

On Sale until Apr 30th

PALM BAY RUBY GRAPEFRUIT SUNRISE Canada Reg. $9.29 843052 6-pack cans

SAVE

1

$

1909

$

PARALLEL 49 THE UNPARALLELED PACK Canada Reg. $20.99 698498 12-pack bottles

SAVE

1

$ 90

Store Hours: Mon-Thurs, Sat 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Friday 9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

While supplies last (inventory by store will vary – for product availability by store please check www.bcliquorstores.com). Prices do not include taxes.

SPORTS

sports editor email

April 4, 2016

Nick Bondi sports@the-peak.ca

17

Elsewhere in SFU athletics. . .

Mallory Velte won the 63 kg national title at the USA Women’s University Nationals. In February, she won the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association’s national championship. The top two finish means that she has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Think back to your freshman year. Were you intimidated? Did it take you any time to adjust to your new surroundings?

It didn’t trouble Mackenzie Hamill at all. The first year business student from Oakville, Ontario won the 1,650 yard freestyle at the NCAA Division II Championships, becoming the first SFU athlete to win an NCAA championship in men’s swimming.

“It was certainly like a rush of joy, excitement — a bunch of different emotions,” said Hamill on winning the national championship. “But I think my favourite part of the whole thing was seeing all of my teammates and the smile on their faces and them cheering and how happy they were for me.

One of the other best parts was whoever wins the event, that coach gets to hand out the [awards]. So I think seeing the smile on my coach’s face and knowing that I just won and that this is my first year and hopefully I can continue to do that for the next three years, it was a huge accomplishment. It really hit home when I was standing there on the podium.”

Hamill started swimming around the fifth grade, continuing throughout high school before deciding to come here to SFU and start his collegiate career.

“I really wanted to venture outside of Ontario. [. . .] So I emailed Liam Donnelly, started talking to him, and then realized that the main distance coach here was Cory Beatt, and he’s a really successful coach.

He’s coached Brittany Reimer, who’s one of the fastest females ever in Canadian swimming. I came here for a recruiting trip last year in October and really liked it, [and I] really liked the coaching staff.”

Hamill credits his teammates for helping him adjust quickly to the team and help motivate him.

“It’s a really open atmosphere,” he explained. “Coming in this year, knowing that we had one guy qualifying for [National Championships] last year, now we have

Addy Townsend has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s indoor track and field Female Freshman of the Year. The daughter of Head Coach Brit Townsend, she was the GNAC champion in the 800 meter, and finished 14th in the NCAA championships.

six, it’s been a huge motivation for everyone. Everyone really wanted to make this year, and everyone saw it was possible.

“Every teammate really pushed each other to be the best we could possibly be this year,” said Hamill.

After a few strong performances, including the Clan Cup hosted here at SFU, Hamill qualified for the National Championships. There he raced in the 500-yard freestyle against fellow teammate Adrian Vanderhelm.

“It’s definitely a little more competition, a little stiffer. But we’re both teammates. So if he wins or I win, it doesn’t really matter. Well — it matters to us, but we’re happy for the other one. There’s no rivalry really between us.”

The final event was the 1,650yard freestyle.

“The one guy who won it last year didn’t have an insanely fast swim in the morning,” said Hamill.

“So when I was looking over sort of the heat before the actual race, I saw that if I had a really good race, it would be possible to win. So I really

set my focus and realized that it might be possible to win right before the race.”

From there, the strategy aspect took over.

“I knew the guy beside me was going to be with me the whole time. And then on the other side of the pool, I saw one guy way ahead. So throughout the race I was aiming for first, but when the other guy started to take off, I thought I’d just start racing the guy beside me and sort of stay in my race and not let that interfere.

And when I saw things sort of die out right before the end I started making my push and thought that — depending on what the time is — I actually might be able to win it.”

The win and his success throughout the year means that Hamill has qualified for the Olympic trials in Toronto, where he will be competing against swimmers such as Olympian Ryan Cochrane. There, if he does well enough, he could be off to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“There’s going to be a ton of fast people there that I’ll be racing against,” said Hamill on

Olympic trials. “The 1,500 [what it’s called in meters] has been Canada’s best event ever since Cochrane made it back in 2008.

It’s not really realistic to make now, but it’s definitely something that I would like to set my sight on for the future.”

So what are his future goals for here at SFU? “I’d like to be able to continue to keep the national championship for four years.

That would be pretty cool,” said Hamill. “To go undefeated at that meet and at that event [would be great]. But really, my main goal is to set the record, which is far off for next year, but I feel like by my senior year I can definitely get it.”

SFU lost both games against Saint Martin’s on March 28.

The first game was 7–3, with both teams getting 10 hits.

The second game was 1–0 to Saint Martin’s, despite only getting three hits on the night to SFU’s seven.

This leaves SFU at 9–9 in the conference, but still in fourth place, which is good enough for a playoff spot.

SFU finished fifth at the Battle at Primm tournament at the Primm Valley golf course. Emily Leung and Belinda Lin both finished tied for 10th. The team’s next event is the Sonoma State University Invitational, on April 5th.

18 SPORTS

Anaheim Ducks

Washington Capitals

VS.

Anaheim Ducks

Washington Capitals

VS.

Nashville Predators

Washington Capitals

VS.

Chicago Blackhawks

Florida Panthers

VS.

Chicago Blackhawks

Washington Capitals

VS. Florida Panthers

Dallas Stars

VS.

April 4, 2016

Nick Bondi Sports Editor After a tough start, Anaheim has certainly turned it around. They lead the league in both power play percentage and penalty kill percentage, and look like they will be the first team since the 1984–1985 New York Islanders to end the season with both distinctions. However, Washington has been

MuhammadQasim Dewji Digital Strategist My Stanley Cup pick goes to the Anaheim Ducks. Over the last three seasons, the Ducks have been getting closer to the Finals every year, losing out on a shot at the Cup in the third round last season. With the additions of Kevin Bieksa on the back end and

Nathan Ross Associate News Editor Nashville is my dark horse for the Western representative for the Stanley Cup final, as they’re going to sneak by as the wild-card team in the Pacific division while the Central tears itself apart.

With Pekka Rinne rounding into aboveaverage form (not elite) and Ryan

Austin Cozicar Peak Associate Normally, I’d go with the homer option, and say inexplicably, against all odds, that the Canucks will win it. Fortunately for my chances of being right, the Canucks are out of the playoffs. Barring any massive rule changes, this just isn’t their year. Instead, this year I predict the cup

Erik Pinto SFU Student The reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks are looking like promising contenders once again.

Patrick Kane has taken his game to another level and the addition of Andrew Ladd gives me every reason to suspect

Bartosz Wysocki Peak Associate When it comes to historic NHL powerhouses, the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers are not teams that immediately spring to one’s mind. They only have one Stanley Cup between which Dallas won way back in 1999.

a dominant team all throughout the season. At the time of writing, they’ve already clinched the President’s Trophy before any team in the Eastern Conference has clinched a playoff spot. Anaheim will have a tough time coming out of the West, having to face the likes of LA, Chicago, Dallas, and the Sharks to get to the final. They

might be a bit tired by then. However, Washington’s path is a bit easier, with no real true Cup contenders other than themselves in the conference.

Plus, they finally have a true number two centre in Evgeny Kuznetsov.

I firmly believe that Washington will be taking home their first Stanley Cup come June.

John Gibson coming into form, the Ducks are a well-rounded, competitive team this year. Their early season struggles brought them together, making them a strong cohesive unit and a formidable opponent. They are first in both power play and penalty kill percentage, and have the depth needed

to make a real push in the playoffs.

The biggest problem Anaheim will face against the Capitals is containing Ovechkin, and they have the right man for the job, Ryan Kesler, a true shutdown centre who can get under people’s skin and even put points up on the board.

Johansen finally settled into Peter Laviolette’s system, their incredible blue line will be enough to push their middling offence into the final. However, once they’re there, they’re going to get steamrolled by the Capitals. This isn’t the Washington Capitals of old, who relied on Ovechkin, Backstrom, and

the now-departed Mike Green to carry the load. This team is incredibly deep, and that’s not even mentioning Braden Holtby quietly going about setting the record for most wins in a single season by a goalie. As long as the team doesn’t run into any key injuries, this is their Stanley Cup to lose.

winner will be one of two teams — you guessed it: Chicago or LA. The pattern is on LA’s side this year, but Chicago just seems so good. Anaheim is looking like a good choice too, but I think they will find a way to mess it up second round or sooner. Ditto with St. Louis. The obvious choice in the East is Washington,

but it’s not too often that the best teams from both conferences make the finals.

The rest of the East is wide open, so why not Florida? They’re as good as anyone in the East, except for maybe Washington — but they’re certainly not as good as anyone in the West, so I believe Chicago will win it all for the second year in a row.

they are going to make it back to the Stanley Cup finals once again. However, the Washington Capitals look to be unstoppable this year. Alexander Ovechkin leads the league in goals, Holtby in wins amongst goaltenders, and the fire power of Kuznetsov and Backstrom have combined for a total

of more than 80 assists. They have absolutely dominated this season and I don’t see why their success won’t transfer over into the playoffs and into an eventual Stanley Cup.

However, 2016 has definitely been a defining year for both of these teams.

In the west, the Jamie Benn-led Stars have been ruthless, and I’ll make the bold prediction that they won’t lose more than three games in the first three rounds. In the east, Florida has

had a resurgent year, led by two absolute legends of the game, Jaromir Jagr up front and Roberto Luongo in net. In the Finals, the Stars will choke under pressure and the veterans in Florida will take the wheel, winning the series 4–2.

SPORTS

April 4, 2016

19

SFU’s track and field team came out victorious in the Achilles Cup on March 25. The yearly event is held between SFU and UBC, and was the first outdoor meet for the Clan this season.

SFU came out victorious on both the male and female side,

increasing their lead in the overall series to 8–5–1.

“I’m really happy with the meet,” said Head Coach Brit Townsend. “We were uncertain going in.

“We don’t have a lot in the field events right now, so it ended up that we were way ahead [with] the women, and the men came down to the last couple of events. So it was pretty exciting.”

This marked the first outdoor meet for the team this year, a big adjustment from the previous indoor meets.

“We’re just coming off of a competitive season indoors,

and we didn’t have much of a break,” said Townsend. “The kids who went to nationals didn’t have much of a break had less than two weeks, while other ones that just ran at the conference had five weeks.

“Outdoors is tough. There’s even more schools vying for those top spots [. . .] Outdoors, we end of having to travel quite a bit and it’s right through exams so that’s stressful. We start a couple of weeks later than most schools in the NCAA Division II, partly because of travel costs and partly because of school. They need some time to get through their exams.”

Standout performers in the meet include Cameron Proceviat, who finished second in both the 800 and 1,500 metre run, and Dylan Freinhofer and Marc-Antoine Rouleau, who finished first in the 800 and 1,500, respectively. On the women’s side, Valda Kabia won the 200 meter, and Addy Townsend finished second in the 1,500 meter.

Looking forward, Townsend expects to see a number of familiar names competing from indoors to repeat the same success outdoors, as well as some of the more competitive events.

“We’re looking at the same people who went to indoor nationals to repeat,” said Townsend. “We have Marc Antoine [and] Cam Proceviat. [. . .]

On the women’s side we’ll have the same people repeat, and hopefully add one or two more.

“It is more difficult to make the national championships.

We don’t have the distance medley relay, so those people now have to try and make it as an individual which is a lot harder. We may not have the same numbers, but we hopefully will have the same amount of individual events.”

It’s been a rough season so far for the Vancouver Canucks. Being one of the bottom three teams in the standings is not a place where any team wants to finish the season, but that’s exactly where the Canucks are headed. Injuries, inexperience,

and inconsistent goaltending have all played a role in the downfall this season. Several steps need to be taken within this franchise to get back to being winners and, eventually, Stanley Cup contenders.

First of all, the Canucks need to get younger. Trades need to be made for draft picks and young prospects, ultimately leading to the departure of veterans. That includes the Sedins.

Realistically, it is unlikely that the twins will be moved prior to next season. But in order to speed the process, it must be done.

Some argue they are Canucks for

life and should stay for the rest of their careers, but in the end, it’s a business. In order to be successful, they must get out with the old and in with the new, bringing the opportunity for the future of this team to grow and develop.

Part of the process of rebuilding a franchise includes the concept of ‘tanking.’ The Canucks have to lose games, and a lot of them. The more games they lose, the better the chance they have at acquiring the number one pick in the draft. Riding a nine-game losing streak with less than 10 games left, they seem to already be on the right track.

This is important especially in this year’s draft class because this year’s projected first overall pick, Auston Matthews, is a highly touted, talented goalscorer, who can seemingly turn a franchise in the positive direction singlehandedly.

Finally, a change in management is necessary. General Manager Jim Benning has made more than his share of mistakes in his tenure as GM, most notably in his inability to deal two of the top free agents at this year’s trade deadline. Dan Hamhuis and Radim Vrbata are two veterans who will be on the free

agent market by the end of the season, and because of Benning, the Canucks will be getting nothing out of them.

However, the one move Benning made had Canucks fans scrutinizing his actions. He dealt away a former first-round pick in Hunter Shinkaruk. This came as a shock and angered many because Canuck fans feel that it’s time to rebuild. Ultimately, trading away the top prospect isn’t going to help the cause.

This team needs to become younger, and Benning doesn’t seem to recognize that. He needs to go, too.

20 DIVERSIONS / ETC

April 4, 2016

CLASSIFIEDS@ THE-PEAK.CA

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

43. Across

15: FRIDAY

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

HUMOUR

humour editor email

April 4, 2016

Justin Stevens humour@the-peak.ca

21

Make time in your busy schedule to tackle your tumultuous take-home exam ahead of time so you can plan ahead for other classroom finals.

Fake your own death and begin your aspiring new career as a bartender at Fijian resort. Trust me, it’s better this way.

Put aside all distractions and unlock the resonant frequency of concentration and understanding that will allow you to conquer the odds and find victory in your qualitative prerequisite.

Throw in the towel after 32 seconds of agonizing textbook reading and binge-watch season two of Daredevil instead.

Gather an array of vast knowledge on two influential philosophers for your compare and contrast essay.

Compare and contrast the skill sets of Batman and Superman as you get ready to bet next semester’s tuition on a hunch.

Assemble a group of the finest students in the class for the most epic turn-the-tides study session of your academic career.

Collectively fall off the study wagon before the 60 minute mark and head to the bar for some pre-exam confidence boosting.

Friends, Do you remember life before this semester? Think hard.

Do you remember when science classes didn’t involve digging? When philosophy classes weren’t literally digging into Burnaby Mountain?

Friends, we have our school, and our lives, back. We can leave the mountain. We can eat more than beets, dried blueberries, and gruel.

We can visit our families.

As we all know, this semester, we collectively imagined the SFU overlords. The Sphinx, the ghouls, the League of the Undead, the ghost of Louis Riel — everyone. They no longer exist, but they did. Our imaginations allowed them to.

We imagined these oppressors existed because we needed an enemy. We allowed them to exist because we trusted our fear.

Also someone probably has been putting something in the air ducts.

But friends, beyond figuring out what happened, the real problem we’re facing here is uncertainty. We

imagined these beings’ existence.

SFU students are asking: how can we be sure anyone exists?

We can’t. The overlords’ power existed because we allowed it to.

What do we allow to exist now?

You have to answer that for yourself.

For me though, I don’t have to let any fear exist. I don’t have to let any story exist. I’m free in my mind, even if I’m being lied to, even if I’m eating gruel, and even if I’m reporting every rock I find to the levitating bear.

And it’s okay to be scared of losing those we have now. But they exist now. You exist now. And the perception that you paint on the ever-mutable reality isn’t necessarily correct.

But you paint because you have to.

We all do. We’re all together.

Talk to each other if you need to, SFU. Talk because you’re important, you’re here right now, and the beauty and mysteriousness in that very fact is breathtaking. It’s a miracle, and it’s perfect.

Sincerely, An SFU student P.S., Professors Broc Rossell, Zoe Druick, and Ellexis Boyle indeed never existed; they were holograms.

Enjoy Summer Take courses online this summer.

• Soak up the sun while you study; take your education with you wherever you go.

• Keep your summer job by studying at a time and place that works for you.

• Earn credits now and lighten your workload next year.

• Choose from over 500 courses.

• Register anytime and get started right away. There are no fixed registration dates.

truopen.ca/summeronline 1-877-543-3576

22 HUMOUR

April 4, 2016

HUMOUR

April 4, 2016

I have a pretty great workout regime: 15 reps at the water fountain, and then I do hardcore dips. My favourite is the honey mustard.

Working three jobs is great because now I have plenty of things to cry about in my car.

It’s hard to see myself living in a big house one day without a mirror.

It’s the small joys in life that make it interesting, like finding a five dollar bill in your pocket, or that look of disgust the cashier at Forever 21 gives you when you ask her if she needs to see your ID.

After the conclusion of Furious 7, it would have been safe to assume that the Fast and the Furious franchise had driven itself from our lives for good. Alas, living in a world bereft of imagination and innovation in the medium of film, it should come as no surprise to anyone with a pulse that three more sequels to this vehicular crime saga have been announced for release as early as April 2017.

While audiences may think they know what to expect from the long-standing and expedient car series, recent reports suggest the series’ new direction will be nothing short of groundbreaking with its addition of a famous Biblical icon to its prolific cast of characters.

That’s right, folks: grab your cross and hit the NOS, because the son of God has joined the race.

A year from today, Jesus Christ will be cruising his way to the silver screen with Dominic Toretto and his gang of adrenaline junkies for yet another crazy

action-adventure, filled with objectified half-naked women, forgettable hip-hop singles, and enough car porn to make any gearhead spurt motor oil.

The recent details on the film’s newest cast member was made known to the public last Friday, during a press conference led by long standing Fast and Furious star and musclebound potato-human hybrid, Vin Diesel.

“This time it ain’t about being fast or furious,” claimed Diesel with a wry grin, “It’s about taking the series to a whole new level. Fans can expect high-flying action sequences and more spiritual exploration than they ever wanted to experience before.”

With the effects of the announcement still rippling through the fanbase, rumours have already begun to swirl about the film’s plot and the loony direction it seeks to take the once grounded street racing franchise.

One such rumour is that the Toretto and his daring team will find themselves in Israel tracking down an old arch nemesis hell bent on exposing the United States’ nuclear codes to a covert terrorist organization, known only as the JUDAS Corp. It’s speculated that Jesus will join the team after facing Toretto in a highstakes street race in his sick “Holy Roller,” rumoured to be a pimped out white and gold Zenvo ST1.

Diesel also teased fans that the casting for Jesus Christ was already in its final stages of completion. A rep for Universal Studios confirmed the role of the Biblical OG was shortlisted to Academy Award-winning beardos Jared Leto and Joaquin Phoenix. Yet similar sources have also alleged that the film’s role could also go to walking consolidation of lube and pubic hair, Russell Brand.

With the Fast and the Furious franchise set to continue until 2021, it has left many to wonder whether Jesus’s addition to the cast is a blessing in disguise for the series or a sign of the times. With the fate of the billion dollar series in the balance, all fans and executives can do is pray the series doesn’t stall out.

ADVERTISEMENT

23

My body posture can be described as ‘C3P0 Riding a Horse.’

24 LAST WORD

Features Editor email

Tamara Connor features@the-peak.ca

April 4, 2016