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FIRST PEEK

Some people spend their free time writing music and jamming with their friends. Others volunteer overseas, building homes and saving orphans while travelling the world. Me, I like to watch reality TV. And that’s okay. When people find out that I have a guilty pleasure — especially one that does not appear to have any discernible value — they always ask why. Why do you, a full-time student with many extracurricular commitments, waste your precious free time engaged in such a dull pastime? Editorials online explain how people watch reality TV because it gives people a certain schadenfreude, or pleasure from seeing the struggles of others. Alternatively, these shows lead viewers to juxtapose the experiences of the characters with their own lives, frequently casting themselves in a comparatively flattering light. More often than not, these explanations imagine human nature as critical, judgemental, and ultimately ugly.

February 16, 2015

Judgements like this implore viewers to peel themselves off of the couch to engage in more highculture activities. Spending a day reading Dostoyevsky or Whitman cannot be considered a waste of time, because readers are going to take away valuable life lessons. These sentiments imply that wasting my life away in front of these television programs is something I should be ashamed of. And if you buy into the myriad of explanations for why people watch reality TV, then yes, I probably should be ashamed of it.

And I completely agree; thinking critically about a Beckett play or a Dickens novel — if you’re actually engaging with the material — is a better way to spend your day than streaming the full fourth season of Dance Moms. However, that shouldn’t devalue pleasure derived from more low-brow sources. After a long day of collaborating in seminars, writing pieces in the office, or coaching on the soccer field, watching awful TV gives my mind a break

from fairly constant stress. Instead of having to engage with a program that requires my undivided attention, I can flip on Property Brothers or Project Runway and toodle around the house or type away on my laptop. Beyond a way to turn my mind off at the end of a long day, reality TV gives me, my friends, and my family something to enjoy together. We find ourselves scheming along with the characters, cheering their victories and booing their betrayals. For us, the latest episode of Survivor doesn’t have to leave us with some deeper insight. That’s not why we watch it. We can balance our intellectual nights spent with Tolstoy, Eliot, and Didion with our indulgent evenings spent with Jeff Probst. When it comes down to it, I don’t have any profound explanation for why I spend an obscene amount of time watching FaceOff, or Big Brother, or MasterChef, other than it allows me to wind down and spend time with those I’m close to. While there rarely comes a moment during an episode of Naked and Afraid that causes me to think more deeply about the human condition (unless the human condition involves shitting yourself to death on the side of a mountain in the Himalayas), reality TV is just this guilty pleasure that I love. And that’s okay.

NEWS

February 16, 2015

news editor email

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

Melissa Roach

A team of six SFU engineering students has developed a highly automated greenhouse that could be used in research as well as disaster relief. The revolutionary aspect of the greenhouse — called Plantosphere — is that it can automate humidity, temperature and light level. Plantosphere can also water the plants by using a rainwater collection system. Beyond use by hobbyists or universities, Plantosphere could be used for more extreme settings where the condition and climate is too hostile for plants to grow. The greenhouse is designed with a soil and air heating system that is meant to stabilize the surrounding

environment. These functionalities will keep the surrounding environment above freezing temperature, so that the plants can still grow even if it’s very cold outside. Using RGB LEDs, Plantosphere can also efficiently produce the particular wavelength that plants need to grow. Although the greenhouse was a capstone project in a fourth-year undergraduate class, the initial idea of making Plantosphere was very unusual. It all began when Terry Hannon, one of the engineering students who worked on the project, was asked to take care of his friend’s garden while his friend has gone to do co-op in Japan. Immediately, Hannon found that things were a bit out of place. The plot wasn’t level, so the water was not distributed evenly, resulting in soil clays. When Hannon and his friends brought in topsoil to fix the problem, animals started to eat plants and damage the garden. At this point, Hannon and his engineering friends thought that

automating the process would make everything better. Hannon started to think, “What would it take to automate a greenhouse?” The team collaborated to make the automated greenhouse the final project for their engineering class. “We only had four months to build it [so] it was very exciting because we got to see it take shape right away,” explained Hannon. Beyond the time crunch, the team faced challenges in building something that they had never encountered previously. He said, “There [still] were a lot of pieces that were very difficult for us to figure out since we’ve never done anything like this before.” According to Hannon, Plantosphere could be used to serve different purposes: for hobbyists, academic institutions, and disaster relief areas. The greenhouse’s 17,000 lines of code provide a strong support system for amateur gardeners looking to flex their green thumbs. “It’s so simple that you don’t need any technical education

or experience to operate it,” team member Jane Horton told SFU News. For universities, Plantosphere would provide a controlled setting for scientists to study the effect of minute changes on individual components. Ultimately, this could allow them to distinguish the ideal environments for certain plants. Hannon hypothesized that by using this greenhouse design

in disaster relief areas, volunteers could grow their plants and vegetables quickly, instead of having to rely on trucked-in vegetables, which take longer to arrive. Currently, Hannon is planning to take Plantosphere further by getting the device patented. As well, Hannon is considering adding more functionalities, and streamlining those functionalities over the next year.

Two SFU biology professors have been chosen for the prestigious Leopold Leadership

Program (LLP) at Stanford University. Twenty applicants were selected from across North America, in fields ranging from ecology to economics, to take part in a rigorous training and networking program. This year’s fellows include SFU’s own Isabelle Côté and Wendy Palen. The LLP’s mission is to change the way people think about and

use science in key decision making. This means translating researchers’ knowledge into policy and business action. Côté, who specializes in invasive species and marine conservation, said she feels she was selected in recognition of her efforts to make science more accessible. Since her last sabbatical, Côté said, “I’ve been experimenting more and more with

various forms of science communication.” These include Twitter, podcasts, and short videos summarizing her work. Associate professor of biology, Wendy Palen, was also selected as a 2015 Fellow. Palen specializes in the ecology of aquatic communities. She is currently on sabbatical and did not reply to The Peak before press time.

Côté admitted she and Palen have never worked together before, but said, “You’d be surprised how many science collaborations start from social interactions!” The LLP includes two intensive training sessions, offered one year apart, on environmental problem solving and leadership. Between sessions, fellows receive ongoing webinars and peer and mentor support while they put what they have learned into practice at their home institutions. Accessibility and action are the major goals of the LLP, according to its website. The program aims to help researchers engage with policy makers and business people who make decisions affecting the environment. At the moment, Côté said, this dialogue is very limited — a problem that both sides must work to fix. Côté noted the promise of the LLP’s vision of increased collaboration between scientists and government. She said, “I think that both sides need to learn and change for society to benefit more from science.” Overall, Côté is excited to become involved with this international program. “It’s a great honour and a great opportunity,” she concluded.

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“Scientists are notoriously bad at explaining what they do, what they’ve discovered, and why it’s important,” said Côté. “On the other hand, government is making [it] very difficult for scientists to contribute and seems hell-bent on making decisions that fly in the face of evidence.” She hopes that the LLP will allow her to more strategically communicate and promote her discoveries. The program also provides an opportunity to network with past and present fellows and strike up collaborations.

NEWS

February 16, 2015

events, the program is designed to support these participants in their entrepreneurial efforts. Both Sidhu and Watkins aim to develop successful business start-ups upon their completion of the program.

After reviews of 630 applications, two SFU students have been chosen as part of the 2015 cohort of The Next 36 initiative, a national entrepreneurial leadership program. Gursher Sidhu and Lauren Watkins are two of the 38 students who were chosen for The Next 36 program at the National Selection Weekend held in Toronto in early January. Over the next six months, they will be mentored by some of Canada’s top business leaders to expand their own entrepreneurial endeavors. The Next 36 program is the leading undergraduate entrepreneurship development program in Canada. It provides not only mentorship for participants from notable business leaders and entrepreneurs, but also the chance to access funding from venture capitalists. Through a series of venturebuilding workshops, hands-on classes, investment and networking

Sidhu is a fourth year Mechatronic Engineering major who initially became interested in pursuing entrepreneurship through his work with the Tech Entrepreneurship@SFU program, in which business and engineering students collaborate to create innovative technological products. Sidhu gained an entrepreneurial mindset through participating in workshops, panel discussions, and networking events. Sidhu said of his experiences, “I have learned that leadership starts with self-awareness. A successful leader is an individual that communicates effectively, believes in realist optimism, respects diversity, and is a ‘doer rather than delegator.’” Watkins was the project manager of an initiative called Banner Bags, a sustainable

program that took banners from companies that were no longer using them to high school sewing classes where they would be made into reusable bags. During her time as project manager, she launched the first Beyond the Bag showcase at SFU, where high school students showcased their clothing and accessories that they had created. Winners of the design contest won scholarship money for the post-secondary institution of their choice.

“I [don’t want to do] the same thing every day,” said Watkins. “I want to solve real problems and make a difference in people’s lives. The thought of creating a sustainable business makes me excited to wake up and work every day to make it happen.” When asked what advice they had for aspiring entrepreneurs, Sidhu replied, “I believe that in order to create your own luck and be a successful leader and entrepreneur, you have to

be curious about the opportunities available, show persistence on your journey, and take calculated risks to reach your goals successfully. [Making] the most out of low-resource situations should drive you as an entrepreneur.” Watkins also offered some wisdom: “My advice would be to [not] get discouraged by failure. Learn quickly from your mistakes and be prepared to pivot until you get it right. Take risks, work hard, and enjoy it.”

stigma” is often the result of traditional family dynamics that both celebrate and isolate male children. Lal said men in all societies face pressure to act as the main breadwinner and maintain their family’s reputation. While Lal recognized that this stigma is universal, he noted that it affects certain communities differently than others. Due to a variety of factors, Asian men are often left out of the dialogue around mental health. The two workshops being tested, Contact-based Empowerment Education (CEE) and Acceptance Commitment Training (ACT), take different approaches to mental health. CEE focuses on connecting people with their fellow participants and the community at large in order to become

mental health leaders. ACT is more geared towards introspection, giving participants the tools to tackle self-stigma. Lal said community outreach will also involve training religious leaders. He hopes that working within existing cultural systems will encourage men to seek help.

Researchers from SFU and Strength In Unity BC are “looking for a few good men” — more specifically, self-identified South, East, and Southeast Asian men, ages 17 and up — to join a conversation about mental health. Strength In Unity’s nation-wide study, funded by the Movember Foundation, will evaluate the effectiveness of two different workshops

in reducing the stigma around mental health in Asian men. This intervention study is the first of its kind in Canada. Cindy Jiang and Peter Hoong, workshop facilitators and SFU masters of public health students, said this demographic has a strong need for dialogue around mental health. People from immigrant backgrounds seek out mental health services at a much lower rate than others, and these services often lack cultural understanding. “There’s this odd, perhaps curious interpretation of suffering or enduring silently, and repurposing that as strength,” said Hoong, “so that in itself can also be stigmatizing.” Rodrick Lal, professor of education at SFU and the study’s co-investigator, said this “double

sites are currently seeking participants for the workshops which, Jiang said, are highly interactive. However, the workshops are not therapy or treatment for mental illness. After information sessions at SFU’s Burnaby and Surrey campuses, Jiang said students’ reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. “SFU students have been very much engaged and interested in mental health [. . .] so I think [they] should be proud of themselves for that,” said Jiang. Jiang, Hoong and Lal hope this study will promote greater dialogue, break down cultural boundaries, and, as Lal put it, “mobilize boys and men to become champions or community mental health ambassadors to address stigma in their cultural communities.”

The study is occurring simultaneously in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. All three

6 NEWS

Woodwards Community Singers invited “all voices” to their latest workshop on Thursday, Feb. 5. An annual program since 2009, SFU student singers can drop in and lend their voices to a range of musical genres. Commitment- and audition-free, the program’s aim is to bring together students with a similar passion for music and create a community atmosphere.

Simon Fraser Brewing and Distilling Corp began a competition on Feb. 6 for SFU students to design the brand for their newest craft beer product. The new company, set to launch this spring, is a partnership between Simon Fraser University and Central City Brewers and Distillers. The competition, which finishes on March 20, provides SFU students with the opportunity to pitch their business designs and see them realized.

SFU professor of Hellenic Studies and Criminology Andre Gerolymatos hosted “Flashpoint—Terrorism and Fear: Our New Normal?” at Harbour Centre on Feb. 10. A terrorism expert, he broke down the recent events across North America and Europe and analyzed the risk of such an attack happening in Vancouver.

By Cécile Favron

February 16, 2015

Several board members engaged in a heated discussion at the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 4, where concerns were raised over the use of in camera sessions. At the meeting, VP student services Zied Masmoudi raised his concerns that personal comments had been made against him during the in camera session on Wednesday, Jan. 28. In camera sessions occur when the board needs to discuss private information without members of the press or the public present. Although these sessions are confidential, Masmoudi referred to its proceedings at the end of the meeting on Feb. 4. Masmoudi explained that he had been asked to discuss his plans regarding how to move on from the Special General Meeting (SGM) held last month. “To my biggest surprise, the president responded [to my comments] in a very hostile way, and I was very offended,” he said during the meeting. He continued, “If doing our due diligence is a reason for us to be accused of dishonesty and to be called shady, [. . .] then I am very concerned. “I would like the president to apologize in front of all the board members.” SFSS president Chardaye Bueckert asked Masmoudi to cite the specific instance to which he was referring. He replied, “In the in camera session last week, you called me dishonest and shady for presenting the plan in the in camera session.” Bueckert responded, “I’m sorry if you interpreted that, but

I have no recollection of using those exact words.” She continued, “My concern, raised in the in camera session — which I guess we’re going to talk about publicly — was that matters that were not meant to be discussed in camera [. . .] were being discussed while concerned members stood outside.” According to the SFSS bylaws, in camera sessions are to be used for discussion of staff relations, legal matters, or “matters of a sensitive or confidential nature.”

Bueckert told The Peak after the meeting: “While the first two [categories] are pretty clear, I think the third is fairly subjective, so it’s to the board as a whole to decide when and whether or not it is appropriate.”

Bueckert was concerned that these rules were not being observed when Masmoudi began to discuss matters related to the SGM. After Bueckert explained this during the board meeting, VP student life Kayode Fatoba questioned whether Masmoudi’s request for a public apology was an appropriate use of board time. “Asking a person to offer an apology for something that was done in secrecy itself is cause for question,” he asserted. Masmoudi defended his raising of the issue: “The attack was very personal, so I don’t care if it was in camera or ex camera.” Bueckert returned, “So, if we’re done with public admonishments and requests for apologies, if there’s nothing further, can we move on from this?” The board then resumed discussing agenda items. After the meeting, Bueckert declined to say whether she felt Masmoudi’s comments at the meeting were appropriate, but responded that “in camera sessions are confidential, the contents of which are not to be discussed publicly.” VP external Darwin Binesh explained how confusion might

occur between board members regarding in camera. “While some members of the Board may feel that a conversation is of a sensitive nature and should be in camera, others may not feel the same way,” he said. “This is where disagreements occur, which is natural when decisions are made through votes.”

When asked how the public can be sure that board members are discussing appropriate issues in camera, Binesh replied that all motions and decisions are public and have to be made ex camera. Binesh also encouraged students who are not satisfied with the decisions of the board to contact them via email or during their office hours.

NEWS

On a rainy Friday night just before reading break, a few hundred people packed the SFU theatre to watch SFU’s Got Talent, a talent competition organized by the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS). The event had been two months in the works, and the 10 contestants who performed were cherry picked from over 60 performers who auditioned. Thea Loo and Kellen Jackson, a duo who had never performed together before the event, stole the show, first with a jazzy acoustic cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” then with a rousing rendition of Sia’s “Chandelier.” They eventually took home the first place title, a cash prize of $1,000, and the chance to record their very own single with professional production with Compound Recordings. “We were just excited to perform everything we prepared,” said the winning duo.

The GSS held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, Feb. 4. They discussed issues concerning executive elections, council speaker appointments, and limiting executive committee members’ terms. When the meeting began at 1:30 p.m., only 83 members were present, failing to reach quorum of 100. As such, the GSS was only able to consider regular business, such as the reports from executives and the auditor. In the auditor’s report, he singled out the Guard.me Health and Dental Plan as the greatest expense for the society. Students have repeatedly raised concerns

February 16, 2015

Loo explained that the nerves before the final performance were intense. “To be honest, I was on the ground stretching my back because it hurts from the adrenaline.” The scale of the event was much larger than in years before. Shery Alam, the sponsorship officer, said that there was a 300 to 400 per cent increase in ticket sales from the last SFU’s Got Talent.

The second-place winner was Kevin Liu, a first year business student, who impressed the judges with his dance moves. Said Kevin about his talent, “When I dance, I just get really happy. When I get into my own feel and do my own thing I can just do it for hours.” Chanel Viner, one of the three local artists who served as judges for the event, said of the night, “I thought it was a great way for students at SFU to get together and share what they believe in, and what they’ve

over the plan for over a year now. The society also had a budget surplus of $58,426, which was allocated to the organization’s Contingency Fund. Approximately 45 minutes into the meeting, the AGM met its quorum of 100 members and began discussing its special resolutions. The first motion up for discussion concerned changing the council speaker appointment from semesterly to annually. According to the presentation, this would allow “for more stability for the speaker and [reduce] administrative burden on council and the society.” Members voted in favour of the change, despite some concerns that should a poor speaker be appointed, they could not be removed from the position for a year. Those present then discussed the possibility of synchronizing the GSS executive elections in

been working so hard for.” The show was filled with spectacle and spontaneous moments, such as when host Ally Van Poa decided to dance and lip synch to disco classic “I Will Survive.” Other highlights of the show included Jessie Tran, who wowed the crowd with a dance performance done in a cheetah

a single spring election, instead of two separate elections as it currently operates. Arguments against the motion noted the difficulty of training an entirely new team all at once.

PhD candidate Jeffrey Zurek countered the argument that a single synchronized election would reduce costs, stating that there were more important reasons for holding multiple elections periods. “More elections, within reason obviously, is a

onesie to songs like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Anaconda,” interspersed with audio clips from a nature documentary. Tran won the fourth-place prize, and was invited along with the other top four contestants to perform at SFU’s Relay for Life. After the show ended, many attendees moved to the Highland

Pub for a lively afterparty, during which the winners were presented with their prizes. Karan Thukral, the logistics officer, was pleased with how the show went. “I see this as the beginning of appreciation of talent at SFU,” he said. “This will be a strong foundation for building community at SFU.”

good thing for a democratic society,” he advocated. The motion ultimately failed, with 39 in favour, 44 opposed, and 12 abstaining. Graduate students in attendance also discussed limiting executive committee members’ terms to two years. Mike Soron, the AGM chair and executive director of Sustainable SFU, jokingly asked if members wanted to end the “reign of terror.” Some in attendance raised concerns that this might result in vacancies on the board should the only candidate running be a returning executive. However, others countered that limiting terms would open the space for new candidates. Members ultimately voted to limit executives to two terms in the same position, and four terms total. The GSS AGM concluded at 3:15 p.m., with members invited to the Highland Pub for burgers and drinks at an afterparty.

8 NEWS

February 16, 2015

that this “is important because of the potential role of sustainably logged forests for orangutan conservation.”

A new discovery by SFU doctoral student Brent Loken demonstrates that orangutans may be even more adaptable than originally thought. His research reveals the orangutan population of Borneo may be in the process of adapting to the rapid and unprecedented loss of their tropical and subtropical habitat. Their forests have been increasingly eroded by timber plantations, agro-forestry, and mines. Loken has been conducting research in Borneo since 2011, and began studying orangutans shortly thereafter. Originally Loken was doing research on clouded leopards when he noticed that a surprising number of camera trap photos were of orangutans. Upon further investigation, he discovered a lack of

previous studies on orangutan terrestriality — that is, their behaviour on the ground. Loken published his first paper on orangutan terrestriality in 2013, which, to his knowledge, was the very first paper published on this topic. This study is unique in that it indicates that orangutans are not only arboreal, but that they are terrestrial under many circumstances. They seem to walk on the ground in logged forests

and take advantage of newlybuilt logging roads. They also walk on the ground in primary forests, where one would think to only find them in trees. Great apes are very intelligent animals, and share approximately 97 per cent of the same DNA with humans. “Orangutans are incredible animals to study,” Loken stated. “Their name literally means ‘man of the forest,’ and when you see them

in the forest, you feel that you are looking at a long-lost cousin.” He continued, “getting to study this amazing animal is truly a gift, and I’m happy to be able to share some interesting findings about orangutans with people around the world.” Ultimately, Loken’s findings indicate that orangutans are very opportunistic and possibly even resilient to some level of human disturbance. He noted

For now, orangutans may be making use of the newly-created roads, but the threshold is still unknown for the level of disturbance they can survive. Despite their adaptability, Loken maintains that these forests should take into account orangutan conservation strategies. “We must be careful not to reinforce the notion that orangutans can survive in any human-altered landscape,” he concluded. “Orangutans still need trees, and lots of them, and protection of Borneo’s remaining forests should continue to be of highest priority for both Indonesia and the global community.”

Cristiano Ronaldo studies offered at UBCO

UBC sex assault reports differ from police statistics In a response to a CBC News survey, UBC stated that 16 students had reported a sexual assault between 2009 and 2013, a number which heavily contrasts with data from the RCMP detachment, which showed over 70 sexual assault reports. UBC vice president of students says the school needs to be focused on making sure students get the help they need. “I think what’s most important, not about the report itself or about the number that’s published, but that UBC as a campus culture [. . .] holds a space where the intention of care and inclusion are very much present,” she said.

The University of British Columbia Okanagan is currently offering a fourth-year sociology course studying Portugese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact on social and cultural trends. “What makes Ronaldo so special is his football skill and his football prowess,” sociology professor Luis Aguiar said. “But what also makes him special is that he has visibility beyond football world. He has cultural appeal.” The course will not focus on Ronaldo’s celebrity status, but rather on the player’s reputation to examine how social phenomenon is used to construct identity and nationality.

With files from UBC News and CBS Sports

McGill students and faculty call for divestment Both faculty members and students at McGill University are calling on the board of directors to divest its endowment fund from fossil fuel companies, with an urgent focus on companies concerning the Canadian oil sands. “McGill’s students are asking the university to take a leadership position in the transition to more sustainable energy practices,” said Darin Barney, Canada Research Chair in Technology and Citizenship at McGill. Beginning in the fall of 2012, the petition for divestment has over 1,500 signatures from students, staff, alumni, and faculty, along with endorsements from three major student associations.

With files from Global News With files from CBC News

NEWS

February 16, 2015

Mapping the temperature differences across Vancouver could be key to preventing heat-related mortalities in the future, and SFU research is at the forefront of this endeavor. This project was undertaken following the heatwave in 2009 that was linked to the deaths of over 100 individuals in Metro Vancouver, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. Anders Knudby, SFU assistant professor of geography and project leader, explained, “I started looking into what [local scientists already] knew about the actual heat and how it’s distributed,

and we didn’t actually know a lot about that.” To map these hot spots, Knudby utilized sources including satellite data as well as web stations run by both Environment Canada and Weather Underground. The satellite data revealed detailed thermal images showing temperature variations throughout Vancouver of up to 4–5°C. By bringing together this data, Knudby was able to make predictions about which areas of Vancouver would experience the most extreme variability in heat. The warmest regions were those containing large areas of asphalt and concrete, such as parking lots, because of their ability to absorb high quantities of heat. Cooler regions were associated with green spaces such as parks, or areas close to large bodies of water. Stanley Park, for example, is an exceptionally cool location. “There is an unanswered question, which is whether you are more

susceptible to getting sick or dying from hot weather if you live in one of these hot zones,” said Knudby. Based on his findings, he predicts that these mapped hot spots can be linked to mortalities associated with the 2009 heatwave. While this prediction may seem intuitive, it has not yet been studied in Vancouver. However, research in cities such as Montreal and Paris have already shown that local

temperatures do seem to matter in regards to health in the context of a heatwave. With the information from his project, Knudby hopes to be able to provide guidance for city planners in order to make improved decisions about urban design with temperature in mind. “[Particularly] with a changing climate, what seems to be happening is that the area becomes hotter overall, and we see

a greater frequency of extreme heat events,” Knudby explained. The next step would be to look into ways to cool down a neighborhood in order to decrease future heat-related mortalities. This could be accomplished by increasing green spaces by planting more street trees or building green roofs. Other options include increasing the reflectivity of roofs by painting them white, and increasing open areas of water.

NOTICE OF 2015 GENERAL ELECTION Nominations: Nominations open Monday the 23rd of February at 9:00 AM and close on Monday the 9th of March at 12:00 Noon. Nominations Papers can be picked up in MBC 2234 or found on the elections website at elections.sfss.ca. They must be physically handed in to MBC 2234 to a member of the Independent Electoral Commission. All petitions and referenda must be submitted to the IEC by March 4th. Campaign Period: The Campaign period opens at 12:00 noon on March 9th and closes at 11:59PM on the 23rd of March. Campaign expenses are limited to $50 per Candidate.

Positions Available: There are 16 vacancies for the Board of Directors, these being: Executives: President, VP Finance, VP External Relations, VP University Relations, VP Student Services, VP Student Life, Non-Executives: Two At-Large Representatives, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Representative, Faculty of Science Representative, Faculty of Applied Sciences Representative, Faculty of Business Representative, Faculty of Environment Representative, Faculty of Education Representative, Faculty of Communication, Art & Technology Representative, and Faculty of Health Sciences Representative. Rules and Regulations: Elections are governed by the SFSS Constitution and Bylaws, SFSS Policy Manual, and IEC Guidelines, which can be found on the Elections Website: http://elections.sfss.ca

Voting will occur between March 24 and 26 Inquiries can be made to Oscar A L Sanchez, Chief Electoral Officer at ceo@sfss.ca

Twitter: @SFSSElections Facebook: facebook.com/SFSSElections

OPINIONS

February 16, 2015

opinions editor email

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca

While my fingers fumbled over the keyboard one lonely evening in The Peak office last week, an unexpected visitor stumbled through the door. I’d never seen him in my life — a small, frail, elderly man with his head down, eyes to the floor. He had a key to our office; this fragile stranger, whom I barely noticed until I heard him grunt as he finally managed to wiggle his key free from the door. The Filipino man teetered slightly as he turned to survey the office as if for the first time. He squinted at me for a mere second before reaching back through the doorway to drag in his reluctant companion: a mop. And then he began to work, sloshing his mop into a small bucket before plastering it to the floor. That was that. There was no greeting from either of us; no “hello.” In fact, this elderly man, adorned in his rusty-blue uniform and cap, barely seemed to notice me. I racked my brains for the last time I’d actually acknowledged a

custodian, and quite honestly these memories were hazy. “Hello there!” I stated rather loudly. The man did not reply; his thin arms continued to swing back and forth. I tried again, “Hi there, sir!” Still nothing. I stood from my chair, walked the few steps, and planted myself in front of him. “Excuse me, sir!” The man continued to mop, his moustache twitching, his eyes rooted to the floor. Maybe his state of hearing isn’t the best, I considered. I leaned forward slightly and waved my hands (not unkindly) in the man’s vision. He jumped

back, completely startled, the mop slipped a little. “Oh, hello! Yes?” he stuttered through a slight Filipino accent, a combination of shock and confusion on his face. After declining my attempts to help him clean a few things around the office, a conversation then ensued, though it seemed at first as if this custodian had seen a ghost. That evening I learned about the life of a janitor. Our conversation wasn’t at length, though by the end the man seemed delighted to have been able to relay these aspects of his life. He then whistled for the 40 minutes it took to clean the rest of

the office, pausing intermittently to hobble through the door and cheerfully ask me questions about my life.

After my first memorable encounter with a custodian, I must say that a custodial job does

not seem like an easy one. Janitors must engage in rigourous shift-work at odd hours, subject themselves to some incredibly unsanitary environments, and have little to no contact with anybody, all for a much smaller salary than one might assume. This is all done with the intent to keep ‘the rest of us’ healthy and happy in our squeaky clean surroundings. Unfortunately, while custodians work diligently, much of their work goes unacknowledged, especially at SFU. While brandishing their bright-yellow gloves, they sweep and mop away, unseen amongst countless students and staff, all of whom go about their daily lives without saying so much as a “thank you.” Our subconscious disrespect for janitorial work has these employees isolated in a mental bubble of Rubbermaids and sanitation chemicals — silent, eyes averted, phantoms to their social surroundings. After all, very few members of the public will actively acknowledge the important work that they do, so they might as well get used to it. Right? What an unfortunate situation we’ve landed ourselves in. My new custodial acquaintance announced that he’d given our office sink-space an extra scrub. I thanked him before he shuffled away with his mop, grinning as he locked the door behind him.

during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people did terrible deeds in the name of Christ,” Obama stated. “In [the US], slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.”

Unfortunate as it may be, Barack Obama’s presidency will be remembered as much for its failures as its successes. His revolutionary healthcare reform will be marked by the bitter political fight that followed; his troop withdrawal from the Middle East countenanced by the vacuum it left, the closing of Gitmo and acknowledgement of American torture balanced by the absence of prosecutions. Even Obama’s chest puffing about America being on top of the global speed dial list when uncertainty strikes was offset by his neutered response to Bashar AlAssad’s atrocities and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Where Obama has shone brightest has been in the spheres

of social theory, particularly in his skewering of American exceptionalism and discussion of race relations. His speech “A More Perfect Union” was one of the most stirring treatises on the topic since the civil rights era, and his remarks during George Zimmerman’s trial cut to the heart of the Black American experience. Arguably Obama’s greatest failing is that he has not used his unique platform to further such discussions, even as the globe has been wracked by religious and racially motivated violence. It is within this context that his remarks during the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5 were so powerful. Many Americans continue to mistakenly conflate religious identity with righteousness or evil — a schism that damages national unity. “Lest we get on our high horse and think this [religious violence] is unique to some other place, remember that

Journal Review’s description of Obama’s comparisons as “tenuous at best” sounded like praise. While Obama’s examples were questionable — events 900 years old do not resonate today — his unprompted decision to broach this topic was laudable. The common defense offered by Conservatives has been that Christians were involved in the abolition of segregation. This is, of course, true; without the support of many white Christians, it’s arguable whether the results achieved would have been achieved when they were. But what Obama’s detractors miss is that there was a strong religious justification offered by the system over centuries. By shooting the messenger, Conservatives ignore the very real discord that still thrums within America — racial, religious, and sexual. Obama’s goal was to address a deeply fractured society poisoned by xenophobic alarmism,

one that forgets the overwhelming majority of Muslims have denounced radical terrorists. Half of Americans, according to a Pew Research Survey last fall, believe that Muslims are more likely to encourage violence. Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News host, chastised Obama to “stop defending Islam. Start protecting Americans,” while Bill Donohue cut to the heart of right-wing alarmism: “We have a problem with Islam. Not just Islamists. We have a problem with Islamic people.” Such hard-headedness plays into the game that terrorist groups such as ISIS want: to pit the Islamic world against the Western one. Political and religious knee-jerk defense mechanisms simply further societal schisms and isolate tribes, a phenomenon that Obama has tried his best to avoid. It was one of the most admirable leaps of his presidency; let’s hope he continues to drive the conversation.

Predictably, he was hammered by Conservatives. Former Virginian Governor Jim Gilmore (R) exclaimed that the President does not “believe in America and the values we all share,” while MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough railed against what he termed “stupid leftwing moral equivalency.” Given this virulence, the Independent

OPINIONS

The Conservative majority government, led by Stephen Harper, has just introduced Bill C-51, an act that stands as one of the most authoritarian pieces of anti-terror legislation in the world. Speaking to a nation that has seen two domestic attacks in past few months, Harper is well aware that fighting fire with fear will garner wide support amongst the Canadian public. However, rather than seek to address the root causes of terrorism by trying to curb radicalization, C-51 erodes civil liberties and circumvents democratic oversight. The bill gives new powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to disrupt and interfere with suspected terror attacks, as well as giving CSIS more access to the private lives of Canadians. The bill also criminalizes the promotion of terrorism and allows for secrecy in court proceedings. Moreover, police can now detain terror suspects without being charged for twice as long as before, and can also detain suspects on the suspicion that they may commit a terrorist act, rather than on certainty. Unlike in the UK, the US, and France, this bill does not offer any mechanism for legislative oversight to monitor the usage of these overreaching powers.

Civil liberties exist for a purpose. They entrench a fundamental distrust of any authoritarian law, however benevolent it may seem. Whether or not

February 16, 2015

the Conservative government deserves the trust of the Canadian people with their most private and personal information (spoiler alert: they don’t!) is irrelevant. Too often abuses of power and corruption go unchecked in a too-powerful state. Moreover, privacy and other freedoms allow us to maintain dignity in our lives. Once we surrender these rights, they will be gone forever; there will be no point in the future where the government will not be able to muster up some threat that warrants the continued suppression of civil liberties. Similarly, the right to due process and a fair legal system cannot be contravened for any reason. These principles exist so that those who are convicted of crimes can still expect humane treatment and to be dealt with in courts that are open, fair, and diligent. They give courts a sense of legitimacy by holding them up to a higher standard. Without them, our legal system cannot rightly claim to be fair and just. Harper has a proven track record of hiding things from Parliament. Several years ago, the then-minority Conservative government refused to hand over documents to Parliament that would likely implicate the government in having a hand in the torture of detainees in Afghanistan. Harper muzzled diplomats who would have spoken out, directly violated our charter, and even prorogued Parliament to stop further inquiry. And now we are expected to trust Harper with even more power? Harper himself has admitted he isn’t sure whether these new measures would have stopped the attack on Ottawa. So why introduce them at all? The motivations behind this law are purely political, designed to prey on a fearful electorate. Harper has turned terrorism into an issue that necessitates harsh laws and a ‘clash-of-ideologies’ rhetoric. Harper’s sudden interest in protecting Canadians is disingenuous and illusory. Canadians must be diligent and demand that their civil liberties not be the collateral loss to fight an imaginary threat.

I’ve never been able to watch shows like America’s Next Top Model because I cringe at how unnaturally thin most of these models are. I simply can’t celebrate the accomplishments of these women; many of them live, and promote, unhealthy lifestyles to achieve the figure that they want. Recently, I’ve considered the opposite side of the modelling spectrum, and I’ve found that the situation in this case isn’t any different. Models who are grossly overweight, like those who are dangerously underweight, shouldn’t be encouraged, as both promote unhealthy lifestyles. Tess Munster, also know as Tess Holliday, is the first model of her size to sign a contract with MiLK, a major modeling agency. Tess is 5’5”, weighs approximately 260 pounds, and gained popularity through social media as a makeup artist and model. Tess is also behind an online movement entitled #EffYourBeautyStandards, which encourages body positivity and diversity.

Now, let me be clear: I believe that shaming people who are overweight is wrong. However, there is a problem with praising Tess’s figure as a model; someone who is at a weight considered by medical professionals to be associated with a variety of diseases. Her recent ascent to fame now makes her a role model for millions, and sends the message

that having a weight labelled as obese is okay, or even cool. Is there no healthy way to model one’s body? I’ll make it clear that, in a world dominated by models who display bodies that are realistically too thin, I understand that many models deemed “plus-sized” actually show off realistic portrayals of what a healthy body should be. Many of these models aren’t overweight in the slightest, and I praise them for stepping out and providing the world with a sense of realism. This is the way modelling should be. However, very overweight models fall into line with the underweight ones. Their bodies are related to serious risks such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, infertility, stroke, dementia, inflammatory arthritis, depression — the list is extensive. In North America, these health issues are already a devastating problem, and one that the media should encourage us to avoid.

A study conducted in 2013 by Roland Sturm and Aiko Hattori indicates that morbid obesity is still on the rise in the US. In Canada, we’re not much better. Obesity rates have nearly doubled in males and females of all age groups between 1981–2009. With this fact in mind, why are we adding gasoline to the fire? It’s further disappointing that a company such as MiLK now exerts its ideological influence by glorifying someone for their unhealthy lifestyle, and successfully disperses a message to others that they should encourage this as well. I agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but when you glorify obesity and promote serious health issues, it becomes a problem. Whether you think fat is beautiful or ugly is irrelevant, the fact is that that being extremely overweight is correlated with a shortened life — one that we should strive to lengthen as much as possible.

12 OPINIONS

In pursuit of that perfect sideways bathroom selfie, society today is told that simply exercising won’t cut it. We must also look the part as we strive towards a healthier lifestyle through exercise. Companies like Trimark and Lucas Hugh work to prove that a simple pair of sneakers, pants and a T-shirt are not enough if you are in the race for optimal health. As the saying goes: “If you look good, you feel good.” Since ‘looking good’ often translates to what you wear, it makes sense to find ourselves through the acquisition of material things. As several cultural theorists explain, our identity and experiences today are inherently linked to a price tag. Validating our experiences via consumption is second nature in this wonderful world of capitalism. It is for this reason that the marriage between high fashion and fitness thrives — a marriage that I am firmly against. With the fitness industry forming a large part of popular culture, it comes as no surprise

that corporations are integrating high fashion with fitness clothing. According to these companies, it is not enough to simply get off the couch and exercise; showing real dedication means dishing out the dollars for the trendiest workout gear. You can now fully achieve your New Year’s resolutions in a pair of $410 Lucas Hugh Leadlight printed stretch leggings and a $235 Rio printed stretch and mesh sports bra. Why? Because swag, that’s why!

I feel that to approach personal goals, like exercising from a consumerist perspective, is both problematic and unsustainable. Integrating high-end fashion with working out pressures us to focus on looking good while we excercise, which strikes me as a tad shallow. Sometimes we do need that external push to work out, which may come in the form of new workout gear. However, we cannot rely on our killer outfits to keep us focused on our goals. Material

February 16, 2015

possessions are fleeting, and this is one of the hardest things for anyone to truly understand in a world plagued with hyper-consumerism. More often than not, modern-day goals are defined by someone selling us a profitable pipe dream. What makes this worse is that we are always looking to buy. In this never-ending game, we are often the losers. Consumers are usually left with an unfulfilled emptiness that the latest sportswear product cannot fill — that is, until the next line comes out. The need for a more holistic approach towards our life goals then arises, as we set out to better ourselves. I probably should mention that I, too, am a victim of the pleasant feeling that new stuff gives me. However, this feelings is momentary, and doesn’t feed my motivation to work out. Goals should be centered on real values that sustain longterm growth. If those values can be bought, then I would reconsider calling them ‘values.’ Hopefully we can work towards not being so easily duped into ‘needing’ what we already have in ourselves to achieve greatness. You definitely have the right to look good while you use the gym, but try not to be too concerned about your looks while you sweat it out. Nobody really pays that much attention, anyway.

DEAR PROFESSOR PEAK: My friends from residence and I have taken up weekly karaoke nights and I need your advice: a lot of the songs I gravitate towards feature the N-word, sometimes prominently. This word makes me feel uncomfortable; while I enjoy the songs, I find the lyrics distasteful. I’m upset that the karaoke bar doesn’t include the radio-edited versions of songs in their lists. What should I do when these parts come up? Should I self-censor myself? Should I try to remember that it’s just a song and I’m not the one who wrote it? ––– ANGRY STUDENT

DEAR ANGRY: First off, props for having a weekly karaoke night with your friends! This fact alone already makes you way cooler than most people. In regards to your concerns, I think the suitable option for you would be to replace the words you feel uncomfortable saying with similar-sounding alternatives. For example, I have in the past used the word “nickel” in place of the n-word when singing songs. You could also use words like “nipple,” “nymph,” and “needle.” In fact, these alternate words could make for a highly entertaining and humourous karaoke night. If your friends are upset because you’ve chosen to use these alternatives, just calmly explain to them your concerns, and keep up the great tunes! ——PROFESSOR PEAK

Are you travelling somewhere with your friends? Why take your own car when you carpool? Apart from the many jovial songs you and your buddies can sing together along the way, carpooling provides for some other heartwarming benefits. Firstly, you’ll make friends with your wallet: carpooling is cheap. Because you’ve crammed yourself into a tiny car with all your pals, you and your beloved money can be together for longer. Secondly,

you’ll make friends with the environment. In using only one vehicle, you’ll be reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A carpool will probably allow you to make more new human friends, as well. Let’s face it: carpooling is a way for you to make friends with practically everything; a mode of transportation that lets everyone be warm and fuzzy, rich, and environmentally friendly. Carpooling is the key to saving the planet!

A few years ago an acquaintance of mine, after a glorious night of heavy intoxication, drove his poor ‘98 Toyota Corolla into his swimming pool. Needless to say, the aftermath wasn’t a pleasant experience. After escaping from the vehicle unharmed, he was then charged with driving under the influence, and his vehicle, after having flooded, didn’t ever

work properly again. Unfortunately, it was an incident many of us will never forget. Lesson learned: when driving, watch out for swimming pools, folks! They’re a good way for you to divorce your wallet, lose friends, damage a perfectly good vehicle and destroy a nice swimming pool. It would be wise to not risk your life, or anyone’s else, by car-pooling.

February 16, 2015

COMMUNITY PHOTOS February 16, 2015

photo editor email

Brandon Hillier photos@the-peak.ca

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Â ice Â rink Â was Â defeated Â about Â 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1;Íž Â this Â was Â the Â climax, Â the Â cataclysm Â of Â the Â whole Â event. Â As Â students Â raised Â their Â hands Â to Â vote Â â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Â there Â was Â a Â short Â silence, Â heads Â bobbing Â each Â way, Â and Â then Â a Â sponta-Â neous Â burst Â of Â applause,â&#x20AC;? Â Peak Â writer Â Don Â Scholl Â wrote Â 31 Â years Â ago Â this Â week. About Â 900 Â students Â had Â gath-Â ered Â at Â the Â SFSS Â Annual Â General Â Meeting Â in Â the Â gym Â on Â February Â 19, Â 1974 Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â the Â majority Â of Â them Â to Â vote Â down Â a Â proposed Â ice Â rink Â up Â here Â on Â the Â mountain. Wait Â a Â second. Â We Â almost Â had Â an Â ice Â rink? Â And Â we Â voted Â it Â down? If Â it Â were Â up Â to Â the Â SFU Â ad-Â ministration Â at Â the Â time, Â SFU Â Hockey Â wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â play Â at Â the Â Bill Â Copeland Â Arena Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â they Â would Â instead Â play Â in Â a Â rink Â within Â walking Â distance Â from Â the Â AQ. On Â February Â 1, Â 1973, Â the Â then-Âvice Â president Â of Â adminis-Â tration, Â George Â Suart, Â requested Â a Â feasibility Â study Â to Â see Â if Â an Â ice Â

It Â was Â reasoned Â that Â the Â venture Â could Â break Â even Â if Â 65 Â percent Â of Â the Â allocated Â time Â could Â be Â rented Â out Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â which, Â according Â to Â Sid Â Segal, Â the Â assistant Â director Â of Â ancillary Â services, Â was Â a Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;very Â highâ&#x20AC;? Â probability. Â Heck, Â if Â all Â the Â WLPH ZDV UHQWHG RXW D WLG\ SURÂżW could Â be Â made. The Â notions Â of Â possible Â profit Â and Â not Â having Â to Â lease Â out Â at Â least Â $5,500 Â a Â year Â for Â ice Â activities Â in Â rinks Â that Â were Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;not Â meeting Â the Â demand Â that Â exists Â for Â winter Â activitiesâ&#x20AC;? Â made Â it Â quite Â appealing Â to Â those Â on Â the Â athletics Â side. Â A Â personal Â ice Â rink Â would Â also Â have Â given Â way Â for Â a Â possibility Â of Â a Â var-Â sity Â hockey Â team. All Â systems Â go, Â right? Not Â quite. Â A lthough Â the Â plan Â was Â moving Â forward, Â it Â was Â speculated Â that Â many Â in Â both Â faculty Â and Â the Â BoG Â werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â too Â keen Â on Â the Â idea. Â One Â report Â on Â the Â feasibility Â mentioned Â that, Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;although Â the Â demand Â for Â an Â ice Â facility Â is Â very Â high Â and Â most Â desirable, Â there Â is Â some Â question Â as Â to Â the Â priority Â of Â this Â facility Â as Â compared Â with Â

ULQN FRXOG EH GRQH SURÂżWDEO\ This Â set Â in Â motion Â a Â year-Âlong Â saga Â that Â would Â end Â with Â as Â many Â ice Â rinks Â as Â they Â started Â with. The Â plan Â was Â tentatively Â ap-Â proved Â at Â a Â Board Â of Â Governors Â (BoG) Â meeting Â on Â April Â 17. Â However, Â the Â rink Â approved Â was Â VLJQLÂżFDQWO\ VPDOOHU The Â proposed Â location Â was Â the Â southeast Â corner Â of Â lot Â B. Â In Â a Â memorandum Â to Â Suart, Â Wil-Â liam Â De Â Vries, Â of Â the Â Physical Â Plant Â and Â Planning Â department, Â noted Â that Â the Â building Â would Â be Â a Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;pre-Âengineered Â steel Â structure Â [as Â it] Â is Â the Â cheapest Â method Â of Â constructing Â a Â facil-Â ity Â of Â this Â nature.â&#x20AC;? In Â all, Â the Â project Â was Â esti-Â mated Â to Â cost Â about Â $925,000 Â (over Â $4 Â million Â in Â todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â dol-Â lars), Â with Â about Â $625,000 Â com-Â ing Â from Â the Â Board Â of Â Governors. Â

the Â artificial Â field Â turf,â&#x20AC;? Â another Â necessary Â athletic Â thing Â that Â needed Â a Â lot Â of Â money. But Â the Â most Â important Â people Â turned Â off Â by Â the Â plan Â were Â the Â private Â business Â own-Â ers. Â The Â BoG Â had Â pledged Â over Â $600,000, Â but Â needed Â still Â about Â $300,000 Â more. Â It Â was Â proposed Â that Â they Â raise Â funds Â through Â public Â appeal. In Â a Â survey Â of Â prominent Â BC Â businessmen, Â SFU Â found Â that Â most Â were Â overwhelmingly Â op-Â posed Â to Â the Â idea, Â and Â thought Â LW XQOLNHO\ WKH\ ZRXOG ÂżQG ZLOO-Â ing Â donors. Â Jim Â Pattison, Â one Â of Â those Â surveyed, Â Â was Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;not Â in Â the Â least Â interested,â&#x20AC;? Â and Â thought Â that Â there Â was Â no Â need Â at Â SFU Â with Â the Â surrounding Â ice Â rinks Â in Â the Â area. Â As Â well, Â he Â refused Â to Â tie Â his Â Vancouver Â Blazers Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â a Â short-Âlived Â member Â of Â the Â one-Â

time Â competitor Â of Â the Â NHL, Â the Â WHA Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â with Â SFU. Former Â Canucks Â owner Â Cyrus Â McLean Â also Â was Â found Â to Â be Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;generally Â very Â negative Â about Â the Â whole Â operation,â&#x20AC;? Â calling Â the Â project Â cheap Â and Â something Â few Â would Â want Â to Â invest Â in. The Â project Â was Â cheap, Â had Â too Â few Â seats, Â and Â was Â planned Â to Â run Â all Â months Â long Â when Â most Â rinks Â shut Â down Â for Â the Â summer. Â McLean Â also Â noted Â that Â in Â previous Â attempts Â to Â build Â athletic Â facilities, Â they Â had Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;encountered Â resistance Â from Â the Â business Â community Â about Â funding Â a Â sports Â facility Â rather Â than Â concentrating Â on Â funding Â exclusively Â for Â aca-Â demic Â facilities.â&#x20AC;? So Â public Â funding Â no Â longer Â seemed Â like Â such Â a Â great Â idea. Â How Â else Â could Â they Â raise Â funds? Â The Â report Â had Â a Â simple Â idea: Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have Â students Â contribute Â a Â por-Â tion Â of Â the Â money Â to Â show Â their Â interest.â&#x20AC;? Â And Â thus Â began Â student Â involvement Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â and Â the Â end Â of Â the Â ice Â rink. Initially Â Suart Â pushed Â for Â a Â referendum Â to Â be Â mailed Â out Â in Â October Â asking, Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do Â you Â or do Â you Â not Â want Â an Â ice Â rink?â&#x20AC;? Â However, Â the Â council Â balked Â at Â the Â question, Â and Â instead Â tabled Â the Â referendum Â for Â February.

SFU Â Athletics Â came Â out Â in Â full Â force Â pushing Â the Â ice Â rink, Â promoting Â the Â yes Â vote Â with Â the Â slogan, Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nice Â is Â Ice.â&#x20AC;? Â In Â The Â Peak Â of Â the Â day, Â an Â anonymous Â writer Â wrote, Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hockey-Âplaying Â mannequins Â are Â to Â be Â placed Â in Â the Â hallways Â with Â signs Â pleading Â for Â ice. Â Athletes Â have Â apparently Â been Â the Â recipients Â of Â propa-Â ganda Â spiels Â designed Â to Â insure Â a Â packed Â general Â meeting.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â not Â to Â say Â that Â the Â an-Â ti-Âice Â side Â wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â vocal, Â either. Â The Â Peak Â during Â this Â era Â had Â a Â habit Â of Â printing Â blatantly Â anti-Â ice Â articles Â like Â the Â one Â mention-Â ing Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;propaganda Â spiels,â&#x20AC;? Â usually Â by Â anonymous Â writers. Notably, Â a Â rally Â was Â held Â before Â the Â referendum, Â which Â brought Â to-Â gether Â all Â the Â â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Â voters. After Â the Â campaign, Â some Â even Â accused Â biased Â members Â of Â the Â SFSS Â of Â making Â the Â con-Â ditions Â favourable Â for Â a Â win Â for Â the Â â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Â side. Â According Â to Â a Â letter Â to Â the Â editor Â by Â Ian Â Mc-Â Gregor, Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;political Â maneuveringâ&#x20AC;? Â by Â chairman Â JP Â Daem Â avoided Â a Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;promised Â 40 Â minutes Â of Â de-Â bate,â&#x20AC;? Â before Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;some Â idiot Â called Â the Â questionâ&#x20AC;? Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â resulting Â in Â the Â end Â of Â the Â debate. In Â the Â end, Â the Â rink Â proposal Â probably Â didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â fall Â apart Â because Â of Â overbearing Â campaign Â slogans Â or Â biased Â editorials Â ran Â in Â The Â

Peak. Â The Â project Â was Â considered Â hackneyed Â from Â the Â start Â by Â many Â potential Â investors. Students Â were Â paying Â a Â $5 Â tu-Â ition Â increase Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â a Â larger Â sum Â of Â money Â in Â the Â day Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â for Â the Â newly-Â built Â University Â Centre Â Building Â (now Â part Â of Â the Â Maggie Â Benston Â Centre). Â Many Â were Â under Â the Â be-Â lief Â that Â if Â they Â voted Â down Â the Â rink, Â their Â tuitions Â would Â decreased Â with Â the Â fee Â increase Â no Â longer Â needed Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â something Â that, Â according Â to Â The Â Peak, Â didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â happen. At Â the Â time, Â library Â budgets Â were Â being Â slashed, Â and Â dental Â insurance Â was Â a Â prevalent Â issue. Â Many Â students Â thought Â there Â were Â more Â important Â things Â to Â spend Â their Â money Â on. Â Â This Â wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â the Â last Â time Â SFU Â nearly Â had Â an Â ice Â rink, Â though. Â When Â the Â 2010 Â Olym-Â pics Â were Â announced, Â SFU Â was Â initially Â awarded Â the Â Olympic Â Oval Â before Â it Â was Â instead Â put Â in Â Richmond. However, Â the Â consequences Â still Â linger Â to Â this Â day: Â hockey Â was Â at Â the Â time Â considered Â for Â var-Â sity Â status. Â Instead, Â SFU Â Hockey Â folded Â in Â the Â 1970s, Â until Â it Â was Â brought Â back Â as Â a Â club Â in Â 2004. When Â McGregor Â concluded Â his Â letter Â to Â the Â editor: Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;It Â may Â be Â a Â long Â time, Â if Â ever, Â before Â SFU Â can Â have Â their Â own Â ice Â rink,â&#x20AC;? Â who Â knew Â how Â right Â heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Â be?

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he idea of sororities and fraternities, and Greek Life as a whole, has always been a debate on university campuses. Whether universities — and their students — choose to accept these student-led groups, greatly varies from campus to campus. At SFU, the history of these types of organizations has been a confusing one. Tim Rahilly, as Associate VP, Students, explained that “the story of fraternities and sororities on campus, as brief as it is, is tied to its evolution as a younger university.” When the university first opened, the question of Greek Life Organization (GLO)s on campus came up almost immediately. The issue went to the university Senate, and, according to Rahilly, they believed that “fraternities and sororities were inconsistent with the values of SFU.” SFU was then a new, radical campus. As a result of this Senate decision, the university determined that they would have no formal relationship with fraternities or sororities. While this decision came about 50 years ago, it still “presents a challenge for the university,” according to Rahilly.

According to Rahilly, on the one hand, they want to take into account that the acceptance of and attitudes surrounding the presence of GLOs at universities have clearly

changed since the 1960s, but on the other hand he said “there’s still a fair amount of dialogue that needs to occur.” For their part, fraternities and sororities are quick to add that they are not looking for much. They plan to work with the SFSS, and eventually SFU, in the hopes of gaining recognition from the university. From there, they are looking for table bookings, room bookings, and the ability to advertise on campus things granted to every other SFU club. However, unlike many other clubs, they are not looking for funds.

Fraternities and sororities are “Greek Letter Organizations” based on tradition and the facilitation of long lasting connections, friendships, and family. Typically, fraternities accept anyone who selfidentifies as male, and sororities accept anyone who self-identifies as female. Christine Jamieson, of Kappa Beta Gamma, explained, “when you come to SFU, there are so many organizations and clubs, but a lot of them focus on one activity or interest. Within Greek Life, there is a place for everyone to fit in. Your place might not be within KBG, it might be within another organization, but it’s not exclusive to someone who just likes fencing, or someone who just likes tea.” All the organizations stress that it’s really about finding your right fit within an organization. There are many to choose from; if one doesn’t fit with you, or you them, there are other options. “Having a third sorority on campus gives girls the opportunity to find their own fit, so they don’t have to join a sorority just for the sake of being in a sorority,” explained Panteya Niazi, of Alpha Pi Phi.

The main point the Greeks at SFU stressed when asked about their own experiences, and why they choose to pledge (join their organization), was a sense of home. Bhav Bansi, of Alpha Pi Phi, spoke of her newfound home in SFU’s third sorority. “All I knew of sororities was what I saw in the media. I saw how amazing and how accepting everyone was. It didn’t matter if you were part of another sorority or another fraternity, everyone has each others’ backs. It’s such an amazing feeling of community.”

SFU is often described as a lonely commuter campus, especially to new or transfer students. This was something many of those The Peak interviewed had in common, though every individual has a unique story of why they ‘went Greek.’ Nader Kassem, the founder of Delta Kappa Epsilon, said he was inspired to start a fraternity at SFU after seeing how it made his friend at another university into a better man. Delta Alpha Theta’s Zaryn Lohrasbe shared the benefits of being in a sorority: “you never have to feel alone. It has made it easier to be at SFU. It gives me a reason to go to classes; I know I’ll see someone during the day.” Brandon Wong, a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, said that he was skeptical before joining his fraternity. However, he now sees it as his brotherhood, and he knows that he can rely on any and all of the other 29 members.

“I had a bad image of fraternities,” Wong explained. Now, he says, he has “close friends to rely on [. . .] I can rely on any of those 30 guys and they can rely on me. It changed my view of what fraternities meant. To me, it is a brotherhood.”

As many people are aware, there are many common stereotypes associated with being a sorority girl or a guy in a fraternity. One GLO member said, “I would like to remind everyone of what it feels like to be stereotyped. I’m sure we’re not the only ones experiencing it.” “The Greeks that used to exist don’t exist anymore, at least in SFU’s case,” explained SFSS At-Large representative Rebecca Langmead. “Greeks have a bad reputation — many schools in the last couple years have banned Greek Life on their campuses. It’s tough, with a bad reputation, to go forward from that.” According to many GLO organizers and members, there’s a common misconception that people who are in fraternities and sororities are not smart, or are uninterested in academics. Christine Jamieson of Kappa Beta Gamma explained, “I’ve run into those stereotypes every single time I’ve said, ‘I’m in a sorority,’ and people are like ‘I didn’t know you were dumb.’ It’s rude, and it hurts. I wish they would take the time to get to know us — we’re smart young women looking for a support system.” Lohrasbe agreed, explaining that, being in a sorority, the girls she is surrounded with “make me want to do better in school just because I see how good some of them are.” Giving back to the community is also a key part of the Greek Life, according to many of SFU’s GLO members. Different organisations approach philanthropy differently, but

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people don’t quite unwhat has been going on the Greek Letter Organizathe Simon Fraser Student his year. The SFSS has a date that applies to all SFU ich states that clubs cannot ate against any person. By n, GLOs do not adhere to y. nities and sororities state cannot accept members of gender, a main part of what em what they are, and this nst the SFSS’s mandate. club to be recognised by the ey have to accept anyone ts to be part of them. A temrganization, entitled GRID epresentation and Interest ment) was established over year, and is in effect until er 2015. It encapsulates the and an elected representach social fraternity and socept the newest). roup is working on addressFSS’ concerns, and potenroaching the university torecognition. nuary 21, the SFSS held l General Meeting (SGM) discussion of Greek Letter

Kappa Beta Gamma Kappa Beta Gamma was the first sorority at SFU. They were established November 24, 2012, and serve as the Alpha Gamma chapter. Their international organization was established in 1917, and is made up of 19 chapters in Canada and the US. The SFU chapter currently has 59 active sisters, and 11 alumni. Mission statement: Character, Culture, Courage.

Delta Alpha Theta Delta Alpha Theta was the second social sorority at SFU. Established in Windsor, Ontario is 2005, the Beta (second) chapter at SFU is the only extension of the organization. SFU’s chapter was founded January 1, 2014 by 12 SFU students. Mission statement: Passionate about creating outstanding female leaders by providing a modern environment conducive to academic excellence, philanthropy, team work and life-long sisterhood.

Alpha Pi Phi Alpha Pi Phi is SFU’s newest sorority. It is still in the colonisation process, meaning it is yet to become a recognised chapter. Currently, it is made up of seven girls who hope for it to become a chapter later this year, and hope to hold their first recruitment period next fall. Mission statement: To provide sisterhood through love, loyalty and friendship.

Organizations on the agenda. In the non-binding opinion poll, students voted 77 per cent in favour of Greek Life at SFU. Delta Kappa Epsilon’s founder and president Nader Kassem said that the positive outcome of the Special General Meeting made him “very hopeful for the future — it made me feel like that whole year I’ve put in wasn’t wasted.” Tyler Bryant of Phi Kappa Pi said it was “nice to see that there’s a dialogue. There doesn’t seem to really be any outright opposition, just a lot of questions. This is a period of questions.” All of the GLOs stressed that they are completely open and happy to answer any questions people may have. This year, they have tried to facilitate more open dialogue with the students, both through the Greek Town Hall last November and the SGM.

“I think if the fraternities and sororities want to [discuss recognition from the university], they’ve got to get going,” Rahilly told The Peak. “And there’s no guarantee it’s a positive outcome. “We have to sit down and do our due diligence. We need to make a determination of what is right for the university.” Going forward, it’s now up to the fraternities and sororities to continue to reach out to students, to break down the stereotypes and assumptions that have existed since the founding of SFU, and ultimately to decide if they want to move forward to seek recognition from the university and club status from the SFSS.

Phi Kappa Pi Phi Kappa Pi was the first social fraternity at SFU. They have been at SFU since February 2012 and are a national fraternity, meaning their four chapters are all in Canada. They currently have 50 active members, and are the Omega Epsilon chapter of their organization. Mission statement: To create a cohesive body of honourable men at Canadian Universities, having at heart the welfare of Canada, and to promote among them enduring loyalty to their respective Alma Maters.

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon at SFU is the Tau Beta colony of the 171-year-old international fraternity. They began in September 2013, and hope to become a chapter by next September. In the last year, they have grown from five to 14 members. Mission statement: Gentleman, Scholar, Jolly Good Fellow.

Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon is a colony of the international Greek Letter Organization, with chapters in countries outside of North America as well. Their organization began in 1899, and they were founded at SFU in September 2014. They currently have 30 members. Mission statement: Better Men for a Better World.

Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Kappa Psi is a co-ed, professional fraternity at SFU. Founded in Fall 2013, they currently have 20 members, and are still a club, not a chapter. Their international organization has over 100,000 members. Though they are a business fraternity, they are open to members of any department who are business-oriented. Mission Statement: Providing resources for enhancing the educational experience of future business leaders

Phi Delta Epsilon Phi Delta Epsilon is a co-ed, professional fraternity at SFU. An international medical fraternity, they have over 35000 members worldwide. They have 40 members at SFU, and are open to new members who have plans to attend med school in the future. Mission Statement: Facta Non Verba: Deeds Not Words

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February 16, 2015

What does it mean to achieve glory? Shay Kuebler wrestles with this question in Glory, his new dance work premiering at this year’s Chutzpah! Festival. The work is a follow up to his debut, Karoshi, and serves as a bold study of violence and its glorification. The idea for the show came out of Kuebler’s experience growing up watching action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. “I was in martial arts and theatre, and I grew up with a love for action films,” said Kuebler. “I used to make up imaginary fight sequences. I realized how much violent material we were referencing and just [accepting] to be around.” Kuebler has noticed a trend of violence becoming more acceptable, as viewers become

Inspired by Omphile Molusi’s uncle, who spent time in jail, Cadre is loosely based around two events of his uncle’s life as a soldier. It is also a story about becoming an activist from a very young age. “It is a story about black power. It is the story of Africa, not just South Africa,” said Molusi. The writer and director took a break from what he enjoys most, writing and spending time with his family, to speak with me about his new show. Molusi began writing Cadre in 2008, and it took him two years to complete a draft. Patience paid off when Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca

increasingly desensitized. “It keeps being glorified and amplified, and there is a loss of the essence or truth [of what is actually happening],” he explained. “In some ways it’s just part of human culture; war is something we never escape.” Abandoning the usual association between victory and glory, Kuebler explores the grey areas of those fighting who don’t want to and the implications of associating something positive with war. Cycles of revenge that lead to endless wars can also be fueled by cultural or religious influences. “The passion they feel for their cause pushes forward this idea of glory,” he said.

Films also support this glorification of war, Kuebler explained. “The more we’re exposed to violence, the more we normalize it. Then it has no bearing on the

and Market Theatre of Johannesburg joined forces to produce the show’s world premiere in Chicago in February 2013. The play shows how the same people who fought for democracy have come to betray that freedom, and how, when you can take a look at the past and the present, you are pushed to create a better future. In 2007, Molusi was the first recipient of the Brett Goldin Royal Shakespeare Company Bursary and had the golden opportunity that “every theatre major dreams about”: he had a chance to spend a month at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He recalls his time there as a “wonderful experience that changed my life and helped me grow so much.” Molusi mainly writes personal stories, but his background as an activist inspires his writing as well. He started writing family shows, then transitioned

truth of the matter.” The idea of what is honourable is also an idea that is dealt with in Kuebler’s choreography, and he believes that the idea of honour has also been sensationalized by the media. Along with an ensemble of five other dancers, Kuebler will perform his athletic, martial arts-inspired choreography, drawing on hip-hop and contemporary dance styles. The show also involves many technical video, sound, stunt, and costume elements that will add to the excitement.

In particular, Kuebler will be using a special stunt harness, commonly seen in action and kung fu movies. Worn like a vest, ropes can be attached to the harness in many different places, and it is used to secure a stunt person when they are blown back in an explosion or similar scene. “For some people, a glorious life is having a huge house and a couple cars, but for some it’s sharing it with their family,” he said. In the end, Kuebler, an advanced martial artist of Shaolin kung fu,

tai chi, and chi gong, describes his idea of glory as serving a purpose greater than oneself. “To live with glory is to live with some form of selflessness,” he said.

into personal stories that double as character studies — much like the style of his idol, William Shakespeare, with whom he shares a birthday.

He explained that he connects his love of writing with his memory of growing up in South Africa. “When an adult [tells] you something, you are not supposed to talk back,” he recalled. “I chose to respond to the adult through writing, and this created my love for writing. “It is amazing what writing can do for as you as person individually. It is like something spiritual that no one can see except you.” Molusi hopes that Cadre’s audiences “will receive the show with [an] open heart and empathize with the characters.” He explains that, in his native South Africa, “the show has been met with two kinds of responses: a white response and a black response.” He hopes the show has a similar effect during its Canadian premiere at The Cultch. However, Molusi also emphasizes that he hopes audiences will chat in the lobby after the show.

My favourite piece of wisdom that Molusi shared is something that his grandmother told him, and something I personally aspire to. “‘You tell stories of people because as performers, we perform people. And when you perform people, you understand people,’” his grandmother told him. “‘When you understand people, you can respect people. And when you respect people, you learn to live in harmony. And hopefully, we live in harmony.’” Molusi feels the same way. “Generally, that is the philosophy of my theatre.”

Molusi started his career in theatre back in 2001 after graduating from Market Theatre in South Africa, where he studied drama. He had recently dropped out of studying electrical engineering; what pulled him into studying drama was the joy of telling stories and touching an audience through language.

20 ARTS

Afterlife with Archie is the most grounded storyline featuring America’s favorite redhead to be published in the past few decades. We have seen Archie team up with Marvel’s Punisher at prom night, jam with the rock band KISS, and hang out with the characters from Glee. In a couple months from now, he will even be sharing an uncomfortable vacation with the Predator. Archie Comics have never shied away from odd mashups over the years, and it’s a wonder the publishers didn’t set their sights on the zombie genre ages ago. When the book was first announced, I could not help but roll my eyes at the prospect of another zombie-centric storyline. It seemed like another decaying corpse thrown upon a pile of so many other similar storylines.

February 16, 2015

Yet, somehow, Afterlife with Archie manages to stand out. It remains fresh while so many among it have gone stagnant. One might argue the storyline borrows from Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, and simply replaces magic for science. It is functional and somewhat paint-by-numbers, but this never takes away from the overall experience. That is in part

because of Roberto AguirreSacasa’s strong script. In as little as a few pages, Sacasa establishes the characters long-time fans have come to know, but in a way that is accessible to new readers as well. Archie and his friends remain true to their original incarnations, but with added depth. For example, the indecisively lovesick Archie Andrews is replaced with a

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version who seems more nauseated with Betty and Veronica. In this story, more emphasis is given to the strong friendship between Jughead and Archie, an element sometimes not placed in the spotlight due to his uproarious love life. It’s a breath of fresh air, and part of what makes this story so compelling. Sacasa moves the story along at a steady pace, but never

sacrifices character development. Every character gets a moment to shine in this horrific tale. As the story progresses, we are given more intimate looks into their psyches, and a chance to establish strong connections with the often-flawed characters. Francesco Francavilla’s artwork stands as nothing less than a perfect pairing to go along with Sacasa’s frightening script. On the surface, the pencils are simple enough and get the job done. However, the shading and limited use of colours is what really makes this comic unique. Using only oranges, blues, and pinks, Francavilla succeeds in striking a horrific tone throughout the whole comic. Whether it be a horrific scene of Riverdale’s undead or an emotionally poignant character’s flashback, Francavilla never misses a beat. His artwork alone is worth the cover price. Afterlife with Archie is an emotional tour de force, one that will leave old fans as well as new ones on the edge of their seats. Its richly characterized cast will leave you wishing that everyone might live to see a happier ending.

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Painters today are faced with over 100 years’ worth of modernist experiments in painting on a flat canvas. For that reason, a select few have come to reinvent this millennial artistic practice through a change in process. In other words, by rethinking the act of painting itself, artists are producing new works that infringe on media usually considered as separate art forms, such as sculpture, video, and installation. Even the canvas as a support can be made to disappear entirely. And this is where the central comparison of the Richmond Arts Gallery’s Close Listening exhibition comes from: the difference between hearing and listening. From an auditory standpoint, it is the same as the distinction between applying a coat of paint to a surface for decorative purposes and creating a work of art. In my opinion, if an artist isn’t challenging how the painting is being done by changing things up, they’re not paying close enough attention.

February 16, 2015

The trouble with painting in the present day, when compared to the difficulties of the past, is often a question of medium. I mean, why continue painting when photography, video, and the rise of hand-held digital devices now offer a multitude of easy ways to capture and share the world around you? Of course, this is simplifying things a bit, but it is essentially the dilemma that was faced by painters after the appearance of the camera at the end of the 19th century. Artists of the day were scrambling to reinvent painting as a means of economical survival; one could argue that such movements as impressionism, cubism, and expressionism were born from a simple need to represent the human form in new and innovative ways. Likewise, abstraction appeared in Western painting around the same time, which is no mere coincidence; it’s because the presentation of shape, form, colour and line offered a visual language that was unique from the reproduction of images by novel technologies. Luckily, a number of painters are pushing the art form beyond the picture plane, and Close Listening, curated by Ola Wlusek of the Ottawa Art Gallery, brings together four of the best-known Canadian artists pushing these boundaries to the Richmond Art Gallery. The first to be presented in the space is Eli Bornowsky. Having been widely exhibited in Vancouver, his large-format diptychs can appear somewhat

familiar, though several smaller wooden pieces from 2013 breach the third dimension with the addition of coloured spheres. Punctuating this same space are works by New York-based Monique Mouton, oil paintings rendered on biomorphicly shaped wooden panels. Just a bit further off, the work of Vancouver resident Jeremy Hof can be seen. In this case, layered coats of acrylic paint are excavated to lay bare the technicoloured strata of the medium. As such, both painstaking addition and judicious subtraction play a key role in the final work. Lastly, the circular gallery space houses several pieces by Korean-born Jinny Yu, who now calls Ottawa home. Appropriating lengths of mirror, sheets of aluminum, or large industrial counter tops into the vocabulary of painting is no easy task, yet Yu’s works presented offer a formal consistency that speaks for itself. Suffice it to say that the exhibition deals with painting from a conceptual point of view. At the risk of creating a show that is overly intimidating to casual art fans, the curator has selected an accessible number of abstract works that clearly survey the creative concerns of attentive painters in the present day.

Two years ago, Cloud Atlas was released. Andy and Lana Wachowski made one of the best films of the decade. Now they have made one of the worst. You may have seen the trailer for Jupiter Ascending, advertised as “by the creators of The Matrix.” This is technically true. The pair of directors exploded into popular culture with that trilogy of inventive entertainment. The siblings have gone on to make critically divisive movies like Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas, separating most viewers into two camps: the haters who think the directors are pretentious hacks who make dumb, loud blockbusters, and the lovers who argue they are misunderstood genre artists that make baffling avantgarde cinema. I am a lover — or at least I used to be. Jupiter Ascending seems to fit with the Wachowskis oeuvre thematically, but qualitatively it resembles sappy YA adaptations and trite Marvel movies. The Matrix changed the generic style of action setpieces and Speed Racer ’s disorienting racing sequences achieved a unique candy-coloured poetry. With the exception of a breathtaking first action scene that is rhythmically edited and meticulously shot, Jupiter Ascending’s CGI design is on par with other space operas like Guardians of the Galaxy. For once, the siblings seem to be behind their competition. Like The Matrix and Speed Racer, this film’s protagonist is yet another Chosen One with special abilities. This hero must overturn an evil capitalist system that turns human beings into commodities to

be exploited. The villains are a quarrelling alien family fighting over Earth’s property rights. When the mother of the family is killed, her genetic material is reincarnated into a working-class orphan named Jupiter (Mila Kunis) — a young woman who cleans toilets for a living. This proletariat Cinderella is soon swept off her feet by a hunky alien police officer sent to protect her (Channing Tatum). He’s dreamy, ripped, and half wolf; the latter is for you, Twilight fans. Jupiter’s insignificant life as a working-class maid on Earth becomes an epic adventure when the greedy alien landlords try to capture Jupiter so that she can sign over her planetary possession. People are constantly double-crossing each other, and key characters randomly disappear. Exposition spews from the characters, but it hardly helps the viewer understand what has transpired. The world-building, plotting, and characterization are not developed visually with nuance, but instead progress with forced, unbelievable dialogue. Jupiter Ascending was scheduled to be in theatres last summer, but Warner Bros. delayed the release to perfect the visual effects and clarify the plotting by reshooting multiple scenes. Had the plot made sense, I wouldn’t have cared anyway, mostly because none of the actors can sell the hokum. Mila Kunis appears disinterested while Eddie Redmayne, the Oscar-nominated actor who showed talent in The Theory of Everything , has no range here. He’s either whispering so lightly that we can’t hear him or screaming so loud we can’t make out what he’s saying. Ascending descends because of bad performances from good actors and bad storytelling from good writers. This is the worst kind of horrible film: not a fun-bad movie but a bad-bad, really bad movie. Jupiter Ascending is the most unbearable experience I have had at the cinema in 2015. Don’t let it be yours.

22 ARTS

Are you finding yourself daydreaming about ditching the books and getting outside? Look no further for escape and inspiration than the 18th annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF). Whether you are already an avid mountain adventurer or someone who gazes longingly out at the snowy peaks extending into the horizons from Burnaby Mountain, you will be sure to enjoy this year’s lineup of films. Starting in North Vancouver in 1998, VIMFF events have grown to attract over 15,000 attendees from North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver, and other cities across the country. The festival provides a venue for the integration of filmmaking, photography, athletics, exploration, and storytelling, the result being an accessible opportunity

February 16, 2015

to learn and walk away feeling inspired by the natural world and those who choose to navigate and document it. Each event will be focusing on a theme by bringing together films showcasing mountain sports, adventures, culture, and the environment. These films will engage the viewer in mountain sports and culture from across the globe. There will be films from the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand,

Afghanistan, and of course, Canada. The activities featured in these films include ice and rock climbing, mountaineering, mountain-biking, skiing, snowboarding, trail running, paragliding, and more. The diversity and quality of these films will allow viewers to appreciate the beauty and thrill of exploring some of the highest peaks and strongest rivers in the world, along with the sky above it all. “I always find that after a week at VIMFF I am more psyched to

follow my own dreams,” Tom Wright, the festival’s programming manager, told The Peak. But this feeling is not only reserved for the outdoorsy. For those who may not have spent a lot of time exploring the outdoors, the festival offers a unique introduction or gateway to some new adventures from the comfort of your cinema seat. In addition to films, Wright explained that many of the events will also be hosting guest speakers who will share their stories: “We also

their handmadeness and use of found objects. In this interview, Evans and curator Curtis Grahauer discuss the inspiration for this exhibition and the unique medium. Curtis Grahauer: In your artist statement, you describe these works as “inspired by a summer spent road tripping and camping in BC.” What is your process of interpreting these experiences? Adrienne Evans: I start by recalling what I consider to be the “tone” of the experience — the scent, the temperature and the scale of the place — and find colours, textures, and emblematic images that help to conjure them up. It’s kind of synesthetic, kind of symbolic, and also kind of revisionist in that I inevitably reinvent the memories while I’m in this process. CG: How did you arrive at using plaster this way, to paint in fresco? AE: I wanted to paint spontaneously, so I chose a more dynamic surface, liquid plaster, which, for a little while, is almost indistinguishable from the paint itself.

CG: Where does the exhibition’s title, Pulling Through, come from? AE: It is an allusion to the window-like quality of landscape paintings by artists such as J.M.W. Turner and contemporary painters like Peter Doig. Standing front of some of them, I feel like I’m being pulled through into these amazingly vast spaces, not only in terms of the scene depicted but also the emotional tone. I wanted to make work that pulled me back to my own grand experiences of wild places. CG: The cast paint tubes are funny. Up close, you can see the seams from where they were cast, but from a distance, they look as though they were taken off of a shelf from a painter’s studio. AE: Because of their generally lumpy, fluid-filled shapes with little cap heads, I painted them in fleshy, mottled hues like human bodies — inspired by the dramatically lit bodies often shown in classical paintings — and thought of them as little compositions of people on the shelves and slings I placed them in.

CG: What is the relation between the tubes and the kayakshaped paintings? AE: Both are an attempt to use a brittle, opaque studio material to evoke something deep and atmospheric. The earliest painting, Squint, was a reference to the eye and how I often squint while out in the sun on the water. While the “eyes” and “kayaks” delineate the scene from an inside perspective, the paint tubes reference the

have a lot of live presentations that are a mixture of some local adventurers, local filmmakers, and worldrenowned adventurers.” The list of these speakers includes Will Gadd, a celebrated Canadian climber and paragliding pilot who recently became the first person to climb the iced-over rock wall at Niagara Falls; he will be speaking on February 21 at the Canadian Mountain Adventures show. There will also be a presentation by Adam Ondra, one of the best rock climbers in the world. He will be making the trip all the way from the Czech Republic to speak on February 16 at the Climbing Show. As Wright accurately put it, VIMFF is “great for sharing stories and getting inspiration.” This year’s festival will provide nothing less, so if you are looking for a reminder that there is more to the world than school and midterms, get your tickets for VIMFF now.

oodward’s atch

Pulling Through, the current exhibition at the School for Contemporary Arts office at the Woodward’s campus, is a series of paintings on plaster by Adrienne Evans who recently completed her BFA with the school. While plaster is generally used as a sculptural material by artists both as a medium for creating casts as well as a medium unto itself, Evans uses the material to create distinctly shaped surfaces that are painted on while still wet. Either kayak-shaped, or cast from paint tubes, these paintings refer to the history between the artist and landscape, as well as to the tradition of fresco painting, but show a sense of humour in

vulnerable body of the seer from the outside. If the kayak-shaped paintings are the vessels, then the little paint tubes are the travellers. Like a tiny human figure depicted in a landscape painting, they give scale to the other paintings in the show.

ARTS

The Addams Family musical offers a fun evening of singing, dancing, laughing, and live music. The titular family are known for their morbid tastes, and the musical portrays them as one would expect, except for the central love story that is at odds with their reputation. The story revolves around the family’s reaction to daughter Wednesday’s love interest, a “normal” boy from Ohio. From their initial distrust to their acceptance, this storyline doesn’t seem to fit with their image, particularly the happy ending which seems to unfold too smoothly for the Addams family. The boy, Lucas Beineke, has caused Wednesday to feel things she has never felt before. In one funny moment, Wednesday shows an unfamiliar fondness for “cute” things; she even welcomes a bird into her hands before she unceremoniously snaps its neck. The musical certainly brings to light questions of what it means to be a family. Each family is different and they all have their own quirks, and

February 16, 2015

sometimes it is important to accept the qualities that make them unique. Although the premise may be Wednesday and Lucas’ relationship, the story follows the multiple relationships of the other characters, including Gomez and Morticia Addams, Mal and Alicia Beineke, and Fester and his desire for the moon. The Addams are eccentric but function like any wellmeaning family. They are caring, in their own unique manner, and harbour no fewer traditions or quirks than any other family out there. For example, Pugsley becomes concerned that his sister’s love will affect their own relationship and that she would never torture him again. In this version, Pugsley is depicted as the younger sibling rather than the older brother. The family often does not see themselves as different, but in one scene, Wednesday acknowledges their eccentricities and differences when she asks the other Addams to “act normal.” On the other side, Lucas also displays the same behaviour, when he asks his more conventional parents to behave “normally.” The production involves a number of large musical numbers, often using the Addams ancestors as the ensemble and including well-known gestures from the television show, such as the trademark two snaps. The presence of the Addams ancestors successfully complements

the soloists rather than overshadowing them; their grey monochrome costumes were both individually unique yet stylistically uniform. It is evident that a lot of work, time, and money went into making this production. In many ways it was successful: the presence of the large musical numbers, the detailed costumes, the flashy lighting design, and the ever-changing set pieces fit the Broadway aesthetic. There were, however, times when the use of spotlights on the individual soloist would dilute some of the lighting design in the background. The result further emphasized the theatricality of the piece rather than one with more realistic components. This atmosphere of a created environment may take away from some of the authenticity the production is aiming for. The result is a rather common love story with a few quirks, and a family that is familiar to the audience in fundamental sense, if not in nature. For fans of the Addams family cartoon, television series, or films, or those wanting a small taste of the quirky Addams family and a simple, wellmeaning family drama, this production is for you.

Looking like a cross between Bryan Ferry and Gene Simmons, and sounding like Bono without the uncomfortable preaching, Andy Kim’s latest, It’s Decided, rings with a beautifully pained nostalgia. The opening track, “Sister OK,” is honest in its melancholy, informing that “love will not raise you up” — a far cry from Kim’s billboard topping saccharine lyrics in “Sugar, Sugar” (from his former days working with The Archies). Kim sticks with honest and melancholic themes for many of the tracks, and constantly asks rhetorical questions that wonder at the inexplicability of life. “Why Can’t I” sees Kim looking back at the many wrong paths he’s followed in life, while “It’s Emotional” is, well, emotional. Kim worked alongside fellow Canadian Kevin Drew, of Broken Social Scene, whose influence can be felt throughout the album. This can be heard particularly on tracks

such as “Heaven Without a Gun” and at the end of “Who Came First,” the album’s closing track. Here, Broken Social Scene’s influence can be heard as the song fades away slowly, with a repeated vocal that sounds like it was recorded in a not-too-distant location (reminiscent of Kevin Drew’s vocals on the BSS track “Almost Crimes”). Opting for a Canadiana vibe, Kim employed the help of other noteworthy Canadian musicians Dave Hamelin of The Stills, Kevin Hearne of Barenaked Ladies, and Ron Sexsmith. Kim’s lyrics pose some heavy questions, but when the album isn’t lamenting the past, it has some upbeat moments that just might get you moving — providing you temporarily ignore the words. The clap-happy “Sail On” and the previously mentioned “Who Came First” are the album’s most upbeat peaks. The music seems to transcend genres, a mix between jazz, electronic, and pop. Kim may not stick to one genre of music, but thematically he hardly ever strays from his honest, deep-thinking, reflective tone. Listening to It’s Decided is unlikely to be a reassuring experience, but if you’re looking to question the meaning of life, you could do a lot worse than lines like “who came first: night or the day?”

SPORTS

February 16, 2015

sports editor email

Austin Cozicar sports@the-peak.ca

With hockey being Canada’s national obsession, many kids grow up dreaming of donning the maple leaf, to one day play for Team Canada. Jared Eng is one of the lucky ones. He has represented his country on the highest stage — not in ice hockey, but in roller hockey at the world championships in Germany. “It’s pretty special,” said Jared. “To wear the Team Canada jersey, it’s something you always dream of as a kid. I mean, it’s not the same as playing in the Olympics, but it’s still a good experience, and you get to play with some top-end players.” Despite what he has achieved in inline hockey, his ice hockey career has a very familiar beginning. “Well, growing up in Victoria they had the minor hockey team, the Panthers. And they had some good players, such as Jamie Benn and others who are in the NHL, and I remember them all playing roller hockey. I think it’s something where you can just rollerblade outside and it was similar to street hockey, except you just play on your rollerblades.” He also said that it is good

practice for ice hockey during the summer months. However, this is a matter of some debate. “I know that’s there a controversy, that some people say it’s bad for your skating stride,” he says. “Personally, I think it’s only helped me in terms of my hands and patience. If you do play competitive, like I had with the option to go overseas and play with Team Canada, there’s some pretty talented hockey players there.”

Jared’s hockey career has not only taken him to Germany, but to the United States as well, where he played two years for the Sacred Heart Pioneers, an NCAA Division I school located in Fairfield, Connecticut. He played there for two seasons before deciding to come home and play for the SFU Clan in the BCIHL. “[During] my two years at Sacred Heart, our team didn’t do so well, and things didn’t work out the way I wanted to and

as the team wanted to. I just wanted to come back and play closer to home.” It was also an adjustment to play in the BCIHL from the NCAA, and not just in terms of play style. “It’s a bit different. One, you’re wearing cages in the NCAA. And two, it’s a bit more scrambly, but at the same time you get some high end, young players who want to take more time to develop. I’d say there’s a difference of speed, but both leagues are very good.” The Clan is fortunate that Jared decided to come home, as he has become one of SFU’s better defencemen the past two seasons. Last year, he led all defencemen on the team with 20 points in 23 games, he is following that up with another strong season, clocking 12 points in 21 games. He’s known for his ability to effortlessly move the puck up the ice, something that he identifies as one of his strengths. “I think just being able to move the puck up to the forwards as quickly as I can, as well as being able to break out of the zone. I’d classify myself as a puck-moving, offensive defensemen, but I can take care

of things in my own end, too,” Jared explains.

Playing at such a high level for as long as he has, you’re bound to work with some very excellent players. Most notably, he played with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in Major Midget League. Ryan has gone on to a successful pro career with the Edmonton Oilers, after being drafted first overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

“When I was playing with him, I assumed he would be a pretty arrogant kid, being first overall in

the WHL draft. But he’s one of the most approachable, nicest guys I’ve ever met. He’s a team-first guy, and he’s doing some special things in the NHL.” You also don’t get as good as Jared is at a sport like hockey by being complacent. This is the reason he still has some big goals set for himself after his playing days at SFU. “After playing for SFU, I would enjoy trying to go to Europe to play professional hockey. But it sort of depends how well we do this year, and the connections I make and who I know,” he notes. He also would like to end the season in the BCIHL, by winning a championship: “It’s something that hasn’t happened in a little while here, but with the team we have, we can do it.”

SPORTS

If you search the schedule of events for SFU’s 50th Anniversary, you will notice that the Shrum Bowl is listed on September 3 of this year, over the Labour Day weekend. The Shrum Bowl was an annual meetup between the SFU Clan and the UBC Thunderbirds’ football teams. Named for Dr. Gordon Shrum, SFU’s inaugural chancellor, the annual game has always brought out UBC’s and SFU’s rivalry — sometimes even in the form of riots. Of the first game, held October 16, 1967, The Peak reported, “Dr. Gordon Shrum called it exuberant spirit — the Vancouver police no doubt had another name for it.” During the game, UBC engineers kidnapped SFU’s student president, and a riot broke out. The game ended eight seconds early when fans rushed to the field and pulled down the field goal posts. Needless to say, the Clan — or the Clansmen as they were called — won 32–13. However, due to SFU’s dominance and the usage of American rules, the games were

SFU Athletics announced last Tuesday that they have promoted associate head coach Clint Schneider to be head coach of the men’s soccer team, a position made vacant by Alan Koch’s departure for the Whitecaps FC 2. Athletics director Milt Richards explained that with the success of the men’s soccer team under Alan Koch, that it made sense to keep the program

February 16, 2015

alternatingly discontinued and revived throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, between 1987 and 2010, the event was held every year except 1994 — with home advantage alternating, and rules depending on the home turf. This year’s game, if it occurs, would mark the first time that SFU and UBC have faced each other in five years. The once-annual event ran into scheduling problems when SFU joined the NCAA in 2010. With an official announcement on SFU’s website, it would appear that SFU fans can once again watch the Clan beat the Thunderbirds in a game of pigskin.

However, it now looks like the game won’t be held — at least, not on September 3. In September, athletics director Milt Richards told The Peak that there was an unwritten agreement that if the Labour Day weekend was free, there would be a Shrum Bowl. And the weekend was open. Both universities agreed on the date; however, this time it was the NCAA who was not on board.

going in the same direction: “I just felt that when the program is going really well, why not promote from within, and Clint has worked his whole life to do this, so I’m really excited.” Schneider served as an assistant under Koch during the five years that SFU has been in the NCAA, starting in 2010. Unlike most of the Clan teams that suffered — and often are still suffering — growing pains in their transition to the NCAA, under Koch and Schneider the team bolted to success, going 85-12-6 and making two final four appearances over the first five years. This wasn’t the first time the two coaches had worked

“We approached the NCAA for a waiver to play the game prior to the start of the Division II schedule during the September Labour Day weekend,” said sports information director Steve Frost. “This weekend is traditionally reserved for the opening of the Division I season. The NCAA denied our request.” Richards elaborated, “The only time [UBC] have available is to play that early week, and Division II starts a week later.” He noted that “the thought is that, if the NCAA would allow us to start a week early, that would be a big advantage over other schools.” Although SFU is appealing the NCAA’s decision, UBC has recently

scheduled a game against Laval University on August 29, meaning that the Labour Day weekend is no longer available. But Frost remains adamant that there could be a Shrum Bowl this year. An alternate plan would be to instead play during the Canada West bye week, which usually falls on the Thanksgiving weekend. Last year, UBC vetoed the idea in order to give their players rest. This year, the problem is not that UBC doesn’t want to play that weekend, but the opposite — they already have a game scheduled that weekend. Now the plan is to try and move that game to another week,

allowing the Shrum Bowl to be played that weekend. According to Frost, this is the “only chance” for the game to happen. “I’m not ready to give up on it,” said Frost. “If Blake Nill, their head coach, says ‘yep’ [to moving the game], we’re going to try and move heaven and earth to get that game open that weekend.” Through negotiations, both Frost and Richards insist that both sides want to have a Shrum Bowl. “UBC and Simon Fraser both want to play the game,” said Richards. Should the game be played this year, it will be SFU’s turn to host, as UBC hosted the last one — a 27–20 victory for the Clan.

together, either — the former goalkeeper from San Angelo, TX worked as an assistant under Koch at Brown University, an NAIA program.

methodology. He’s going to know exactly what we’ve been doing and what it takes to maintain the success that we’ve had,” said Koch. “He’s an accomplished coach and thoroughly deserving of this opportunity.” For his part, Coach Schneider is excited with the potential of the team, and hopes to continue what Koch had started. “The program’s set up for success,” he said. “Now it’s just putting my own personal spin on it, having players buy in, and establish a culture where we can get the most out of every player.” Schneider’s main strength, according to Koch, is his ability to communicate and motivate.

“It’s my upbringing, my core values that I believe in: hard work and selflessness,” Schneider said, explaining what he hopes to impart to the team. “That the team is bigger than themselves and you sacrifice for each other on the field. And not just because the coach asks you; you do it for your teammates.” Although he has previous experience being the head coach in the Pacific Coast Soccer League, a men’s league, this will be Schneider’s first crack at being a head coach in the university circuit. It is an enviable position for a first-time head coach to take over — with the team built to compete, and win — and it will be up to him to continue that success.

players buy in.”

“[Schneider] will bring stability, he’ll bring a proven

26 SPORTS

February 16, 2015

“He’ll probably be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, kid we bring in this year. Comes from a great program in Terry Fox. Moves well, but that will be something he will be able to work on at the next level as well.” Although he mainly played tackle at Terry Fox Secondary, Wyllie projects that he will most likely suit up as a guard for the Clan. Wyllie is already pleased with Kinnaird’s progress in becoming ready to play the university game: “He’s already in the gym, in our workout program, I’m excited to see where that takes him, where he parlays that into. “I think he’s a guy who’ll take a huge step this year, because he’s already got the frame to do it, so it’s just a matter of putting it all together.”

On February 4, athletic departments all across the NCAA were busy, as it was the first day that high school student athletes could sign a National Letter of Intent to play football in the NCAA. Although it wasn’t quite as big deal here in the Lower Mainland as it is currently in the States — perhaps comparable to how we pay attention to the NHL Draft here — SFU still made some notable signings. We caught up with recruiting coordinator Bryan Willie to get a bit of intel on the four signings SFU’s made so far:

“He’s a quick kid, he’s fast,” explained Wyllie. “He’s really good

at the zone run game, so he finds the holes really well. He’s got good vision, he’s got a nice burst, he’s a really nice athlete.” One necessary aspect of development would be bulking up: “He’s prone to develop a little bit just in the fact that he’s a little smaller kid in terms of body, just because he’s 180 lbs. So as he develops here, he’ll be able to put on a little bit more weight, get thicker.” Objegba is an athlete that Wyllie could see potentially playing in the first year, partially because of his athletic ability, but also because of a lack of depth in the running back position, with key players Chris Tolbert, Cole Tudor, and Stephen Spagnuolo all having played their last game for the Clan. “It’s a thinner position for us. He might get pressed into action earlier than we would want to,” explained Wyllie. “I think odds are that he will probably not have to play; we’ll figure out ways that he can take

his time and progress into the role. “But he’s the type of player that could force our hand just because of the kind of athletic ability he’s got.”

“He’s got a little bit of a mean streak to him. He finishes his blocks, he runs his feet really well — which is not something all offensive linemen do at the high school level,” commented Wyllie. “He’ll actually get his hands on people and run his feet to get guys out of the way. He opens some big holes.” Naicker can play on both the offensive and defensive line, and achieved 36 tackles, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries in nine games for Pitt Meadows this season.

“Great big kid from Terry Fox [Secondary],” explained Wyllie.

“A guy I really liked as a linebacker, but at the same time he’s a bit heavier than that, as he’s up to 250 lbs, so we see him moving down to the defensive end for us,” said Wyllie. Moore led high school Triple A football this season in tackles with 92, as well notching seven sacks. “The athletic ability and the brains for the game that he uses as a linebacker and natural abilities will really help him on the defensive end. It will be just a matter of teaching him the techniques [. . .] as a defensive end.” As well, Wyllie sees him as being the most college-ready of the four. “Spencer Moore’s probably the one closest to being able to play [at SFU]. His natural ability, his physical, just the size he’s got and everything, he’s probably the closest in terms of body maturity to being ready to play,” he said. “I’m really excited about him, so hopefully he’s one of the guys that really turns out.”

On Thursday night, the women’s basketball team suffered their lowest scoring game this season in a 68–45 loss to the Western Oregon Wolves on the road. Despite dominance on the three-point line at home, the Clan went an abysmal six for 29 shooting three-pointers. However, Erin Chambers still made progress towards the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) scoring record, notching 19 points — the only player to hit double digits on the scoresheet for SFU. She now is only 30 points behind the GNAC record with 1801 points and four games to go.

Softball cruises to a 4–2 record with a sweep of Brigham Young University-Hawaii last Tuesday, winning the two matches 9–1 and 10–6. The sweep provided SFU its fourth straight win, after dropping the opening two matches — remarkable for a team that only had four wins over their entire last season.

The women’s swim team defeated the University of Victoria (UVic) 143–113 on February 8. Senior sprinter Nicole Cossey led the Clan to victory with three individual wins of her own. In all, SFU won nine out of the 15 races. The men’s team, however, fell to UVic 139–100.

SFU Hockey split the first weekend of February, winning in a shootout against Castlegar Friday night but falling to the Eastern Washington Eagles 5–2 the next night. Scoring was an issue for the Clan, as they only managed three goals in two games.

SFU Lacrosse won a tight match against the Dominican Penguins, ending 17–16. Attacker Lyndon Knutilla scored the game-winning goal in double overtime. Knutilla led the team in scoring with six goals.

SPORTS

Lacrosse season is upon us again. The Clan squad opened their season on Sunday, February 8 against cross-border opponents, the Western Washington (WWU) Vikings. The Clan enter the season ranked 12th in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) Division I after reclaiming the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCNLL) title in 2014, while WWU starts off at 11th in Div. II — a tier under SFU — after claiming the Div. II conference title in 2014. The Clan wasted no time getting things moving. Senior midfielder and three-time MCLA All-American Sam Clare, who finished last season with a college-career high 44 goals, picked the ball off the face-off and sniped it home with his off-hand nine seconds into the game for his first of three. After this, however, SFU struggled. The team was unable to find the back of the net until midway

February 16, 2015

through the second quarter, which started a five-goal run to finish the half at 6–1. The struggles continued in the second half for SFU, and the team gave up six goals while only putting up four. Luckily for the Clan, the first half lead insulated them for a 10-7 victory. SFU were led by Clare and senior midfielder Casey Foster, both of whom had three goals to their name — though Clare had the edge with four points. Midfielder Matthew Bailey, as well as attackers Lyndon Knutilla, Greg Lunde, and Iain Vickars, each had one tally each. Sophmore goaltender and newly minted starter Jeremy Lashar played an amazing game, managing 16 saves on 23 shots for a .696 save percentage. Freshman Matt Sobey went .667 on the face-off dot, winning eight of 12 draws.

According to Sportsnet’s James Dunk, SFU wide receivers Lemar Durant and Bobby Pospischil will be attending the NFL Regional Combine in Denver, CO on Saturday, February 21. The combine will give them a chance to be invited to the NFL Super Regionals held on March 21 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility, where they will be evaluated by NFL scouts.

The football head coach race is down to three candidates: Jeff Reinebold, special teams coordinator at the Hamilton Tiger Cats (CFL); Joel Penner, offensive coordinator at Malone University (NCAA Division II); and Glen Fowles, head coach at Williamette College (NCAA Division III).

It all came down to the wire for the Clan Thursday night. In perhaps the most exciting game of the year, the men’s basketball team downed the Northwest Nazarene (NNU) Crusaders for a second consecutive win. The Clan got off to a slow start, not scoring until a little over three minutes in. By that point, the Crusaders were already up by seven. For much of the first half, Northwest Nazarene held the lead — at one point up 16 points. SFU was marred by poor shooting, which only provided the Crusaders with more breakaways.

“It wasn’t a great first half for us just because of the rebounding margin,” head coach James Blake commented. The Clan had only five rebounds to NNU’s 27 in the first half. “I’ve never seen [that] before.” However, as the half went on, the Clan tightened up their defence — and shooting. Ignited by Roderick EvansTaylor’s two threes, the whole

team followed suit, closing the gap to 50–44 in the Crusaders’ favour at the end of the half. Evans-Taylor even gave NNU payback for their theatrics with a dunk of his own. With the momentum firmly in SFU’s favour, riding an 11-point streak to open the second half, the Clan took the lead. The half quickly became a back-and-forth effort between the two teams. With 1:16 left, it appeared that the Crusaders had the upper hand — up by 87–86. A questionable foul was called on Clan forward Patrick Simon, giving NNU the opportunity to create a bit of a gap with two free throws. But they only made one, and on the other side of the court, Sango Niang net two to tie up the game. Simon then drew a technical foul, providing the Clan with another two points — and the lead. One point would have been good enough to win, as the Crusaders failed to score again, but instead SFU earned two more on free throws, finishing with a 92–88 win. If anything was more amazing than the game played, it was the crowd. Despite the reading break, the gym was pretty full. And it wasn’t just how many people were in attendance, but how engaged they were — with a minute left, everyone in the building was making noise, the kind of spirit not usually present at Clan games. “I’ve just been surprised with the crowds we’ve got this year,” said Blake. “[Before the game] I said, ‘no one’s here, no one’s coming to this game,’ and then I get here, we’ve got a great crowd, they’re into it — it’s a blast.”

Roderick Evans-Taylor led the scoresheet in total points with 23, but that would be really simplifying his dominance in this game. His three-pointers woke the team up, he was willing to get in and fight for the ball, and he even had a dunk. What more could you ask for?

28 DIVERSIONS / ETC

Across 1- Deserving of reproof 11- Thrust with a knife 15- Assertion made without proof 16- Central part 17- Brass wind instrument 18- Twice tetra19- Children’s game 20- She raised Cain 21- Made of baked clay 23- Big birds 25- Wrap up 27- Alamogordo’s county 28- Stormed 30- Pertaining to hearing 33- Santa’s aides 35- Actress Rowlands 36- Hanker 38- In base 8 41- Raised platform 43- Biblical king 45- Truly 49- Lifeboat lowerer LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

February 16, 2015

CJSF Radio is seeking a AUDIO PRODUCTION COORDINATOR. The Gain career related experience in recording, editing and leadership. This is a volunteer position that includes a monthly honorarium. More Info: http://www.cjsf.ca/volunteer/work.php. Deadline: February 23, 2015 f7 Academic transcription services. Research interviews, focus groups, field notes. Personal and direct service with reasonable rates and turnaround times. Contact Duly Documented Transcription Services at 778-970-1264. Web: www. dulydocumented.com f8 SFPIRG Fee Refunds. Jan 2629, 12-4pm in the SFPIRG Office,

51- Rumsfeld’s predecessor 52- China’s Sun ___sen 54- ___ majeste 55- As a group 58- Cry ___ River 60- Mineral spring 61- Perjurer 62- Titan in Greek myth 65- “Splendor in the Grass” screenwriter 66- Soften 67- Elderly, matured 68- Verse of four feet Down 1- Roof timber 2- “Cow Cow Boogie”

singer Morse 3- Ruffian 4- Rule, for short 5- Arch type 6- Flow controlling device 7- Goddess of wisdom 8- Life story 9- Traditional passeddown knowledge 10- Sicilian resort 11- Soprano Renata 12- Dowry 13- Blood vessel 14- Game of chance 22- Turned 24- Golfer Ballesteros 26- Made a hole 29- Benumbs 31- ___ gratias 32- Move slowly

34- Ladies of Sp. 37- It may be picked 39- Asian sea 40- Chair for two persons 42- Foxy 44- Quarrel 45- Sharpening 46- Electric resistance 47- Approached 48- Complain 50- One making fun 51- Salsa singer Cruz 53- “Lovergirl” singer ___ Marie 56- Rotisserie part 57- Sea eagle 59- Up and ___! 63- Baseball’s Mel 64- Charlemagne’s realm: Abbr.

TC326 in the Rotunda. Bring your student card, proof of payment & registration for the semester. More info at www.sfpirg.ca. MATH GOT YOU SCARED? WORRIED ABOUT THAT UPCOMING FINAL? Contact Scott Cowan for all your Math/MACM tutoring needs. Competitive rates, extensive experience and great past reviews! scottc@alumni.sfu.ca f13 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 with the challenges of being married, separated or single. Our next meeting is 7:30 pm on Friday, February 27th. For information and meeting location, call Art 604-462-9813 or Don 604329-9760.

CLASSIFIEDS@ THE-PEAK.CA

HUMOUR

Have we become too complacent when it comes to reality television? Does the slightest inkling of ingenuity and originality in these shows cause us to turn our backs and instead crave something more familiar? They’re all indications of a stagnant mind, petrified of change, but big change is coming to Dragons’ Den, whether we’re accepting of it or not: on February 6, David Chilton, one of the five “Dragons” on the CBC show Dragons’ Den, revealed that after three years he will be leaving the show to focus on other projects.

The studio will undoubtedly have big shoes to fill after the 53-year-old author’s departure, but I’ve already found the perfect solution for CBC. That’s right. I propose that Chilton’s successor for the show should be an actual, fire-breathing dragon. I know, I know. Adding a legendary flying creature to the cut-throat business environment of Dragons’ Den might seem a little incongruous at first, but it makes sense the more you think about it. Where else are you going to find someone with skin as leathery as original Dragon Jim Treliving or someone with a personal style even wilder than Michael Wekerle’s? A mystical beast would fit in perfectly. The new Dragon should be ruthless. They should take

head coordinator for the pilot program and long-time basic bitch herself. “It’s just like Marilyn Monroe always said, ‘We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.’”

Due to high levels of enrollment in SFU’s pilot Basic Bitches courses, the university has revealed plans to add a tier of second-year Advanced Bitches courses to further build upon skills learned in the introductory classes. “I am just, like, totally in love with everyone who’s taken part in and been supportive of the courses,” said Tiffany Brandy-Lynn,

humour editor email

February 16, 2015

Launched in September 2013, the Basic Bitches program was developed in response to criticism from student groups about the lack of courses orientated around things like what outfits

go cutest with Uggs, which Starbucks syrups are best added to which beverages, and tutorials on whether Bradley Cooper looks better with long or short hair. “Before the pilot program was introduced in 2013, there were no courses at SFU that dealt with the rudimentary things so many young people are left to think about every day,” continued Brandy-Lynn. “Without these programs, basic bitches everywhere were being left uninformed of the Forever 21 nearest to where they live or what the best song on Taylor Swift’s album Red is. “It’s “22,” be tee dubs,” she added. Prerequisites for the secondyear Advanced Bitches courses,

Jacey Gibb humour@the-peak.ca

these aspiring entrepreneurs who file in week after week, pick apart their hopes and ideas, chew them up, and spit them out. Does this sort of behaviour sound familiar? The only way to have this happen literally is if there’s a real dragon sitting alongside the other four business tycoons. After nine seasons, any show can start to show fatigue. While the seemingly revolving door of Dragons on the show has managed to keep things fresh to some extent, they’re not mythica creature-fresh. Would adding a dragon to the mix bring with it a slew of complications? Perhaps. Is it possible that a dragon might kidnap young female contestants and whisk them away to his lair until a brave knight comes to her rescue? It seems fairly likely. Maybe

it could launch a story arc that spans several episodes, with each subsequent business and product being pitched revolving around ways on how to rescue the captured contestant? I’m just spit-balling here, obviously, but you can see the potential this type of casting holds.

PSL 233 and PSL 247, include having completed both first-year Basic Bitches courses and at least a three-to-one ratio of following to followers on Twitter. Before being accepted, students must also submit a 500-word essay on which Kardashian is totally their spirit animal and why. “PSL 233 and 247 will build upon terms and lifestyles learned in Basic Bitches while exploring exciting new topics that have yet to be finalized,” stated an SFU press release emailed out to students last week. “Some of the already confirmed modules include wine night essentials, how to not feel bad about cultural appropriation while attending a music festival, and sub-text messaging,

which focuses on the countless ways you can interpret any emoji that has a face.” And while the Basic Bitches courses were originally only offered in the fall semester, as to coincide with the seasonal craze of pumpkin spice products, Brandy-Lynn says that student demand could mean that the courses will soon be offered year-round. As for what the future holds, depending on how registration numbers are for the new courses, Brandy-Lynn would like to see more attention drawn to the topics and issues facing today’s young basic bitches, as well as maybe one day an entire faculty dedicated to the field, over which she would “literally die for.”

It’s time the show lived up to its name and added a dragon to the mix to help spice things up. Even just having the dragon guest star occasionally, without any significant screen time or contributing anything important to the plot, would be enough to attract viewers. Hey, it worked with Game of Thrones.

Non-humans of SFU ´,·P DFWXDOO\ RQ P\ ZD\ WR SURSRVH WR P\ ER\IULHQG ULJKW QRZ 0D\EH KROG RII RQ SRVWLQJ D SLFWXUH XQWLO QH[W ZHHN"µ 8SGDWH 6KH FRQWDFWHG PH DIWHUZDUGV +H VDLG \HV

30 HUMOUR

There are few places as prone to displays of bullshit male entitlement as public transit. Whether it’s an overcrowded bus, a SkyTrain car, or even the SeaBus, they’re all incubators for patriarchy — and that’s never been more evident than it is today. First, there was manspreading: the act in which a male boasts

an exuberant amount of empty space between his legs, effectively spreading patriarchy and taking up more room than he needs to in a public area. Someone is manspreading if he ignorantly occupies more than one seat with his spreadeagle legs, perhaps wanting to leave extra room for his ego to breathe. It’s an act that Jezebel once called “somehow both annoying and hilarious.” But now, there’s an even bigger threat to equality between the sexes: we need to talk about the societal epidemic of manlaying.

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What is manlaying? Picture this: you step onto a bus, tired from spending your day fighting to eliminate sexism in the office and demanding the same respect as your co-workers who just happened to be born with a scrotum. You glide towards the back of the bus, hoping to score a seat for the long commute home when you see it: three men, all laying face up across three different rows of seats. The patriarchy has spoken, and you have to stand for the next 45 minutes. You’ve never noticed manlaying in public spaces? That doesn’t surprise me. We’ve become so desensitized to these sorts of masculine antics that we don’t even register them as a problem anymore. We accept them as just another facet of our society and continue about our day, ignorant that injustice is laying—or manlaying—right before our eyes. But manlaying isn’t just about a man taking up five seats at once while riding the bus; it’s not about having to stand while someone who earns more money for the same work, lies completely horizontal in front of you. It’s an indication of a larger, systemic issue that tells us we shouldn’t take up a quarrel with this. I’m labelled as abrasive when I kindly ask a man to not lie across a row of chairs. I’m considered unladylike to speak my mind and want to enjoy the same worn-out TransLink cushioning that my male counterparts feel entitled to. Where is the fairness in that? Remember these plights the next time someone asks you if the world still needs feminism. Remember that it’s not abrasive to want to lie across an entire row of seats yourself. Don’t let patriarchy manlay over your rights as a woman and as a human being.

I am the mother of two beautiful young boys. One is seven years old, in grade two, and wants to be an astronaut when he’s older. The other is four-and-a-half years old, not quite as outgoing as his older brother, and unmercilessly good at Jenga. Both of my sons are happy, both are healthy, and both are unvaccinated. I know what you’re thinking. I get it all the time whenever someone new in my life learns about my decision to forgo vaccinating my children. There’s the look of disbelief, the underlying tone of accusation that comes with someone asking me if I know what I’m doing. They tell me things like, “Did you know that by not vaccinating your kids, you’re not just putting them in danger but other kids too?” Well, I have something to say to everyone who thinks mandatory cootie vaccinations for children is a good idea: you’re being lied to. Did you know that, despite being widely available to kids everywhere, no real scientific testing has been done on the long- or short-term effects of cootie shots? It’s a gaping hole of unsubstantiated evidence that pharmaceutical companies have been filling with propaganda about public safety and scare tactics. Cooties, or cootieum ickius as it’s known in the scientific community, is still a relatively new virus when compared to diseases like measles. There’s no clear information on when the first case of cooties was reported, but the very first cootie vaccination was administered in 1949 by five-yearold Ashton Thompson on a playground in St. Augustine, Florida. After that, the cootie vaccination became a regular part of standard health practices amongst school children. It seems like most of

the population haven’t looked back since. It’s important to remember that our society wasn’t always so heavily medicated and vaccinated. Before Thompson developed the cootie shot, no deaths had been directly linked to the cootie virus. Mankind had survived for millennia without this “cure,” so why the recent push from governments and other pro-vaccination groups for mandatory immunization? Did you know that the cootie shot contains actual traces of the cootie virus? That’s how vaccines work: the shots contain weakened cootie cells meant to trigger your body into developing a resistance to the disease. Sometimes children can experience a negative reaction to the shot and develop side effects, including feelings of “ickiness” or even developing fullblown cooties. Pharmaceutical companies want you to believe that somehow, you have to make someone sick before they can get better. There are people out there who want you to think that cooties is a harmful disease — and it can be — but there are natural, holistic ways to combat cooties other than vaccinating your children. For example, did you know a simple mixture of lavender, paprika, and dried shrimp flakes applied to a child’s skin twice a day can render him or her almost entirely immune to cooties? People have been using this traditional recipe for years, but corporations don’t want you to know about it because it’s not profitable for them. This is the kind of information the population needs to hear about. So consider this my personal plea, from a mother who only wants the best for her kids: before blindly vaccinating your children against diseases like cooties, do some research, consider the facts, and explore the alternatives. I may not be a doctor, a scientist, or even the most educated person around, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s best for other people.

HUMOUR

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32 LAST WORD

This past summer, I embarked on one of the most memorable adventures of my life. It has become clear to me now — six months and one drained bank account later — that studying abroad has provided me with an education I never could have received back home. By this I mean no disrespect to SFU. I am proud to be a part of this university’s community. But there are things about this world that I could not have learned in a lecture in Saywell Hall. As a political science student who one day hopes to work in the federal government, Canadian politics and culture is at the forefront of my interests. When I set off to study for a year in France, the last thing I expected was to be given lessons in anything regarding Canada. To my surprise, I have learned something new about the country I call my home almost every day, all while living over 8000 kilometers away. The regional paper I read and the locals I talk to have no connection to Canada — no fondness, no political affiliation or patriotism to cling to. I have been given an opportunity from them to hear a

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multitude of opinions free from all bias, curriculum and political motivation. For me, this has played a massive role in the development of my own opinions. While my professors have done a great job at giving me an understanding of large themes, it would all be for nothing if I could not compare it with own personal, informal experiences. This has forced me to reflect on the importance of pursuing my education on an informal level. By an ‘informal education’, I mean the kinds of learning you can’t experience in class. I can attest to the fact that it’s easy for students to get wrapped up in their undergraduate studies. All too often I find myself worrying about having a high enough GPA, about WQB requirements, and all the little parts of my degree that will hopefully guide me towards a nine-to-five job. But four years of intro-to-this and advanced-that is not enough in terms of achieving a well-rounded education. Living abroad has given me the opportunity to engage in conversations with students from around the world, and to hear opinions on Canadian politics

and culture that I haven’t encountered back home. Getting to have these discussions in a social setting with a small group of students from around the world serves a very different purpose than attending a lecture consisting of 100 people. Formal schooling teaches you the ABCs of your field, but there is often very little room for a more

personal discourse that allows for everyone to elaborate on their experiences, values and personal opinions. In short, attending class is simply not enough. Living abroad has given me the opportunity to have real debates and learn about how my country’s policies are perceived on an international level. One of the most memorable instances of this was in the days

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following the shooting on Parliament Hill this past fall. Many of my friends approached me, knowing that I am Canadian and that I would be following the story’s development, to talk about the media coverage and gun crime in their own countries. While there are still another few months left in my exchange, I have reached the conclusion that pursuing learning opportunities, in unofficial and relaxed environments, is absolutely necessary in terms of establishing a complete education. It’s important to note that studying abroad isn’t the only way to go about this kind of education, either. Whether you’re volunteering locally, joining clubs or organizations, or teaching yourself a new skill such as cooking, you will in some way be growing your own abilities and mindset. It’s important to constantly be filling your life with opportunities to learn more about yourself and the world we live in. With this exchange also came the opportunity for me to live alone, away from everyone I’ve ever met. And while I miss my friends and family every day,

I have been forced to learn how to care for myself in ways that I never had to before. These kinds of experiences help us develop ourselves, our opinions and our personal skills. It can be hard to find the motivation to engage in these kinds of experiences. Students are often drained mentally, physically, and financially from focusing so hard on their formal studies, but the reward is worth the additional time and energy. Our degrees will ultimately mean nothing if we have no developed sense of self to prove for it. Informal education is a way of complementing our formal schooling. We need both to build a comprehensive understanding of ourselves and the world around us. For anyone who truly wants to prepare themselves for life’s responsibilities, to gain an edge in the competitive job market, or to make themselves a well-rounded individual, it is absolutely necessary to get out of the classroom and look for the opportunities that will balance their schooling with their learning.