The Election Issue

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FIRST PEEK

October 13, 2015 路 Volume 151, Issue 6

FIRST PEEK

October 19 is Canada’s upcoming federal election. If you are a Canadian citizen, I implore you to make sure you have registered to vote by October 13. Regardless of whether or not you feel adequately informed on the situation, the results of this election will affect you, so please don’t be apathetic.

Information on all the parties’ platforms is available online — there are a myriad of sources available on almost any issue. It doesn’t take much time out of your day to check out some things you consider important and figure out which party best represents your beliefs.

While I won’t endorse any particular faction, I do discourage you from voting for our current Prime Minister and party: Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. Here is a compilation of reasons why I hold the opinion that it is for the greater benefit of our country to vote Harper out: 1. The Harper government has pandered to large corporations since its election. Currently, Canada has the second lowest corporate tax rate in the G7 (compared

with combined rates). This kind of business-brownnosing enables a disproportion of wealth among economic classes.

2. Though Harper purports that Canada is an economic leader, he continuously cut funding for impoverished nations since his election.

Foreign aid spending is now near the lowest it has ever been.

3. The New Canadian Citizenship Law in Bill C-24 changes the nature of citizenship, splitting us into first-class and second-class citizens. Essentially, anyone with an additional citizenship or the potential for one is considered a second-class Canadian. Secondclass Canadians can have their citizenship revoked under certain circumstances. This impacts immigrants, people born of immigrants, Canadian-born people marrying immigrants, even people who may be completely unaware of their alternative potential citizenships.

4. Harper withdrew Canada from the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, effectively vacating Canada’s2005 promise to cut down on emissions.

Since then, Canada has cut down about a quarter of the amount it had previously promised to have achieved by 2020.

5. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement between 12 nations whose contents have mostly been established behind closed doors. Mega media corporation lobbyists have been participants in these discussions. From what has

October 13, 2015

been released of the agreement, we know that Canadian copyright laws will be expanded significantly, service providers will be able to collect users’ information without proper privacy safeguards, conglomerates will gain more power to censor content they deem unfavourable, and companies will gain the right to sue countries whose laws infringe on their expected profits.

6. Bill C-51 grants greater power to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Canada’s version of the NSA). Under this bill, the spy agency no longer requires a warrant unless breaching the law or Canadian charter when acting to reduce ‘threats’ to national security.

7. During the Conservative administration federal scientists were forbidden from talking with the media without going through bureaucratic loopholes. This includes Natural Resource Canada scientists having to seek permission from the Natural Resource Minister’s communications director. The media and many federal scientists find the rules frustrating, as they stifle the ability of the Canadian public to know what our scientists are doing.

These are only a few prominent reasons out of a vast archive.

If any of these aforementioned issues sound questionable to you, I urge you to seek further information. Check out who the candidates are in your riding and see what they’re like. Come election day, please vote!

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NEWS

news editor email

October 13, 2015

Melissa Roach news@the-peak.ca

associate news editor

SCIENCE RULES

Bill Nye challenges SFU grads to “change the world!”

Jamal Dumas

Satellite Signals Woodward’s Reel Causes is offering a screening of the provocative film The Price We Pay on October 14 at the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

The film looks at how corporations avoid paying taxes by exploiting loopholes and using tax havens.

Surrey SFU Venture Connections and VentureLabs are partnering up deliver a five-part lecture series focusing on providing skills for budding entrepreneurs.

The first lecture, “Assessing the Opportunity,” will look at ideas like market research and market segmentation; the free workshop takes place on October 13th at the Surrey campus.

Bill Nye accepts honorary degree as crowd chants, “Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!”

Honorary degree recipient and renowned “Science Guy” shares wisdom at convocation

Melissa Roach News Editor Bill Nye, more fondly known by many as the “Science Guy,” graced the stage at SFU’s fall convocation as he received an honorary degree in his signature bow tie and SFU regalia. “I don’t normally wear this,” he quipped.

SFU graduates of today would have been Nye’s target audience for his well-loved educational children’s show Bill Nye the Science Guy, which ran on PBS for five seasons from 1993–98.

In Nye’s convocation address, graduands and guests were invited to “consider the following” once again as he spoke to the dangers of climate change, the importance of investing in renewable energy sources, and the power of young people to effect change — all prefaced with a reassuring, “You can trust me, I’m a doctor.”

Since his days of teaching scientific concepts to youngsters with a healthy dose of humour, Nye has continued to be a public figure and become a climate change activist.

“Climate change is going to be absolutely the biggest challenge that you face,” he told graduates.

Nye marvelled at how the global population has more than doubled in his own lifetime.

That, combined with how thin our atmosphere is, has made it possible for us to affect the earth’s climate.

Talha Qadir / The Peak

Despite the magnitude of the issue of climate change, Nye remains optimistic. “You’re living in an extraordinary time [. . .] when there are this many brains applied to the world’s problems.”

Nye also spoke to the importance of educating women around the globe and adding even more brainpower to finding solutions to world issues.

According to Nye, the solution is renewable energy sources. He added that there is enough wind power in Manitoba and Saskatchewan combined to provide electricity for the whole of North America several times over.

“The key will be to embrace these technologies, or something better, soon enough.”

Bill Nye, Nye’s recent Science Guy visit to the Alberta tar sands has only solidified his position. “When I see the tar sands in Alberta, to me, it doesn’t look like Canada. It looks like an apocalyptic moonscape.

“It is keeping Canada from participating on the world stage in the same way that other countries are

“Climate change is going to be absolutely the biggest challenge that you face.”

Space is a lot closer that you would think. “If you could drive straight up at regular highway speeds [. . .] you’d be in outer space in an hour. You’d be above the breathable part of the world’s atmosphere in five minutes,” explained Nye.

stepping up to reduce their global [. . .] greenhouse gas emissions.”

He then brought the audience’s attention to the upcoming federal election, encouraging people to exercise their democratic rights to affect Canada’s impact on the environment. “For those of you who don’t want to vote, would you just shut up and let the rest of us run things?”

On a lighter note, Nye also expressed some of the unabashed love for science for which he is known.

He commented on the wonders of space and the origins of his fascination with the universe. As a young child, he learned that there are more stars in space than there are grains of sand on earth.

He shared an anecdote: “I remember standing on the beach in the US state of Delaware and thinking, ‘I’m pretty insignificant. [. . .] I’m a grain of sand.’ “‘I am nothing! I don’t matter at all!’”

He then reflected on how amazing it is that he, with his human brain, could imagine the expanse of the universe.

“With your brain, you can know the cosmos and your place in space. And with your brains, graduates, you can, dare I say it, change the world!”

Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue The Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy will, on October 13 at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, be awarded to poet and environmental activist Stephen Collis as well as SFU professor and local political candidate Lynne Quarmby. The award, which was created in 1993, honours individuals who contribute to the understanding of controversy.

By Jamal Dumas

NEWS

In light of SFU’s 50th anniversary, Embark (formerly Sustainable SFU), SFU 350, and Divest SFU believe it is the perfect time for the university to become a leader in the climate justice movement, starting with a divestment from the fossil fuel industry.

October 13, 2015

The groups are collaborating to launch a divestment campaign this fall that will see various actions and events in the months to come.

The extraction and consumption of fossil fuels account for the greatest level of carbon emissions by humans, and are thus the greatest threat to the climate.

A report from the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change last year indicates that if carbon emissions are not drastically reduced by 2017, and global temperatures rise by just two degrees celsius, the

The School of Business at Queen’s University is to be renamed the Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business. Smith, a Queen’s alumnus, and CEO and co-founder of the First National Financial Corporation, gave an unprecedented $50 million donation to the business school.

Said Principal Woolf, “The school is very much in a position of strength. This just actually rocketed it from the stratosphere into space.”

With files from The Queen’s Journal

effects of climate change would be irreversible.

As fourth-year environmental science student and Divest SFU campaigner Tessica Truong pointed out, the impacts of climate change are already being felt in the global south.

Sea levels and temperatures are rising, land is disappearing, drought is causing food insecurity, and the occurrence and severity of natural disasters is increasing, all of which are causing displacement and creating climate refugees.

Truong stated, “It is unethical to be profiting from fossil

fuels as an educational institution, when the effects of fossil fuels on the climate are being paid for by others around the world.”

Started in 2013, the Divest SFU campaign was created to petition the SFU Board of Governors to take their endowment fund investments out of the fossil fuel industry in an effort to limit the growth of the industry.

They approached the board in the spring of 2014 with the backing of student groups on campus as well as many faculty members, some showing their support by signing off on an open letter to administration.

The university consequently adopted the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment and also created the Responsible Investment Committee in 2014, the latter of which aims to “review and make recommendations related to responsible investment proposals,” among other responsibilities.

Following the presentation, SFU released this statement from former VP Finance and Administration Pat Hibbitts: “The Divest SFU students made a compelling case about the role of investment in economic policy and we considered their request seriously.” She continued. “This new policy provides

Approximately 34,000 supporters of the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE) marched in the streets of Montreal on Sept.

30 to show solidarity with public school teachers protesting new austerity measures on public education in the province. The FAE is made up of eight teachers’ unions from public schools in and around Montreal.

The McGill Tribune reported that The last provincial budget for Quebec decreased spending on education by $76 million.

With files from The McGill Tribune

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for governance of our investment strategy consistent with the UN PRI and our investment objectives.”

However, as Divest SFU sees it, no definitive action has been taken toward divestment, and the campaign continues.

Divestment from fossil fuel campaigns have been taking off in universities across Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Stanford University, for instance, has been successful in convincing their board of governors to divest from the coal industry, and is now working toward divestment from all fossil fuels.

At McGill University, students set up a tent city on campus to protest the university’s fossil fuel investment. UBC350 held a referendum in which 77 per cent of students and 62 per cent of faculty voted in favour of divestment. Other institutions, such as Vancity credit union, proudly state that they are not invested in the fossil fuel industry.

One of the main arguments against divestment is that with the world’s already heavy reliance on fossil fuels, it won’t change anything.

Truong acknowledged that “SFU alone will not stop fossil fuel industries, but we do have the power to change the direction, and show leadership.”

Thirteen University of Calgary (U of C) staff had their pay deposited into different bank accounts after hackers accessed their employee accounts and changed their banking information.

A total of 29 accounts were compromised. U of C administration has launched an investigation into the hack, which was meant to “phish” for user information such as usernames and passwords and use this to change the banking information in their private accounts. The Calgary Police Service has since begun a criminal investigation into the incident.

With files from The Gauntlet

6 NEWS

October 13, 2015

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CONSERVATIVE INDEPENDENT

The event also featured local musicians, and poet Meharoona Ghani, speaking to issues of discrimination and inequality in Canada.

Ghani, a community engagement specialist, recited spoken word poetry about her experiences with racism. She summarized the attitude she sometimes felt towards herself as: “Welcome to Canada. Where are you really from?”

Although the event ended with the highly unusual genre of political involvement freestyle rap and dancing, the overall sentiment was that change was not only possible, but necessary.

Mahoney explained that voting in the current system might not be enough, that “even the most ideal outcome won’t be sufficient for the problems we’re facing.”

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FORCES ET DÉMOCRATIE

a powerful influence on the government. The Tricities BC Field Organizer for Leadnow, Jolan Bailey, commented that “after the election is when we need to flex those muscles.”

Irina Cedric, a criminology instructor from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, also talked about engaging young people, but that she felt that media focus was pulling attention away from the real issues. “Every time I talk [to students] about real policy change, [. . .] it all comes back to the issues that have been spun,” Cedric said, referring to the niqab debate that some have accused as a conservative strategy to polarize voters.

Comedian Demers offered his take on the matter, asking the audience, “Remember when people would be privately racist in this country?”

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GREEN PARTY

Harper’ and that is not a partisan statement. It’s gotten that bad.”

Audrey Siegl opened the event with a First Nations perspective, calling the audience to action. Siegl has been an advocate and activist for years, recently confronting Shell’s Arctic drilling platform.

She explained that First Nations peoples aren’t accurately represented in the parliamentary process, and that voters should pressure the government to make decisions based on the welfare of people, not profit. “Use your vote,” Siegl challenged. “Do what you know is right.”

Leadnow, an organisation determined to push the Conservatives out of power, spoke about how they were working to get out the youth vote in this election.

They also talked about how after the election, voters can still have

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BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS

In what comedian Charlie Demers referred to as “the most positive use of an old porno theatre,” the Not-aParty Election Party lit up the Fox Cabaret on Saturday night.

Put on by Gen Why Media and SFU’s Institute for the Humanities, the event featured musicians, speakers, and comedians, all offering their take on the upcoming federal election.

The party was the last in a series of events put on by Gen Why Media

in order to engage students in discussion about the election. Tara Mahoney, creative director and cofounder, said that current party methods of engagement “are not capturing the attention of youth.”

Gen Why Media was founded in order to meet that need by using interactive events to engage with voters. On September 17, some SFU Burnaby students may remember there being a ‘vote’ sign that they could write on with chalk and an airstream trailer at Cornerstone where they were invited to discuss the election.

Unsurprisingly, the theme of the Not-a-Party event was voter participation, and although it was reportedly non-partisan, contempt for the current government was voiced throughout the night.

Emma Cooper, acting as emcee for the evening, joked, “You can say the statement ‘I hate

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INDEPENDENT

There appears to be a competition between different conventions, norms, and practices.

“Second, public opinion plays a role in the behavior of political parties and decisions made by the governor general.”

His remarks made clear that while a minority government is a likely result of the upcoming election, how it unfolds is a question that remains up in the air.

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LIBERAL

(99 seats) to the Conservatives (116 seats), while other parties took 30 seats in a 245 seat House of Commons. Said Messamore, “Most assumed the Conservatives would form a government, but King was supported and successfully carried on governing.”

Plant then invited Bakvis to take the floor. Said Bakvis, “First, in the Canadian context, there is a lack of settled constitutional doctrine on minority government formation.

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NDP

a number of federal minority governments in our history,” she remarked. “In fact, we had a long run [of minority governments] in 1958 between the Conservative party and the Liberal party.”

Messamore went on to cite an example of when the party that had the most votes didn’t form government. In 1925, the Liberals, under incumbent PM Mackenzie King, took second place

CONSERVATIVE

SFU’s Centre for Dialogue and The Vancouver Sun co-hosted a panel to delve into what it is, exactly, that minority governments do in Canada.

The event, titled “It’s a Minority!

Who Gets to Govern?” was held at Harbour Centre on Oct. 7. Prominent speakers discussed the issue of what will happen if the upcoming election results in a minority government.

Geoff Plant, a partner in a Vancouver law firm, acted as mediator between three panelists: Andrew Heard, a professor in political science at Simon Fraser University; Barbara Messamore, an associate professor in history at the University of the Fraser Valley; and Herman Bakvis, a professor at the School for Public Administration at the University of Victoria.

Plant opened the discussion by asking SFU’s Heard to speak on what a minority government is.

Heard began by describing how most voters don’t quite understand how parliament works: “The idea that the largest party has won the election and therefore has a right to rule, is one that I think has been quite widely accepted by those who [study] the issues, but this is a misrepresentation.”

Heard continued, “We don’t elect a Prime Minister. We don’t even elect governments. We elect members of parliament. [. . .] And it’s those people — those 338 who go to Ottawa, it’s on their shoulders to decide who will govern.”

The rules that determine which party gets to govern are not exactly clear, and Heard explained that the issue is often solved by convention.

Said Heard, “It is often suggested that the blanket rule is the leader of the largest party has the right to form the government. This has the benefit of simplicity and the benefit of past practice.”

After Heard spoke, Messamore explained a bit about the history of minority governments in Canada. “We’ve had

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NEWS

“Yes in Canada.” That was one of the stronger statements expressed by the panelists at the SFU event, The Canadian Election and the Politics of Fear.

The event, which was put on by the Institute for the Humanities on Oct. 6, took place at SFU’s Harbour Centre campus.

The sentiment of “Yes in Canada” explores that the uglier side of fear has resulted in the federal election revolving around issues like the niqab ban, the Anti-Terrorism Act (formerly Bill C-51), and the Barbaric Cultural Practices Act has firmly taken hold here at home. The statement was meant to drive home the fact we do in fact deal with these sorts of issues in Canada.

These acts passed by the current Conservative government are part of what prompted an SFU program aimed towards election issues.

that one of the reasons the talk was taking place was the misdirection via fear that has taken place over the course of the election.

“Those kinds of things can then be a rich and fertile hunting ground for fear,” explained Gandesha. “[These kinds of figures] can transform those anxieties that you have, which are amorphous, they’re vague, they don’t really come from anywhere in particular, and really target them onto a Samir Gandesha, particular group Director, SFU Institute for the Humanities of people Samir Gandesha is the di- that becomes a form of fear. rector of the Institute for the “And then one can mobilize Humanities, and was one of against that, and it becomes the panelists speaking. He said quite powerful politically.”

“People need to focus on the misgovernment that we’ve experienced over the last nine years.”

October 13, 2015

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SFU President Andrew Petter reported to Senate that as we enter “rankings season,” SFU has been given a new standing on both national and global stages for post-secondary institutions.

He remarked a general trend in international rankings that universities in Asia have been moving up, while Canadian schools move down.

On the other hand, SFU is climbing the ranks of Canadian universities.

QS reported that the university has moved from 12th to 11th overall in Canada. As Petter put it, we are “knocking on the door of the top ten,” and he finds that encouraging. Also, SFU research is the second most cited in Canada and 66th in the world, according to QS.

The panel itself ranged from a variety of topics. SFU Professor of Communications Fiona Jeffries — who was participating via Skype — and SFU Assistant Professor of Communications Adel Iskandar were the other two panelists.

They kept their discussions centered around what was happening here in Canada, while Gandesha explained the social psychological standpoint, and focused on similar issues that have taken place in history Gandesha and the other panelists painted a great picture of the fears and anxieties of some Canadians — which, for some, are currently manifesting themselves as Islamophobia — and tried to point out that what voters should focus on is what the Conservative government has done since 2006.

“The main message is [that] the niqab issue is a complete distraction,” said Gandesha.

“People need to focus on the misgovernment that we’ve experienced over the last nine years of Harper in power; corruption scandal upon corruption scandal, economic mismanagement, a subversion of the democratic process through bills like the Fair Elections Act, Bill C-51.”

He continued, “People really need to really focus on the key issues, and not be distracted and not demonize people.”

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AGENDA: 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of annual general meeting minutes from October 15, 2014 5. Auditor’s Report by Andrea Knorr, Certified General Accountant 6. Approval of Auditor’s Report and Financial Statements 7. Appointment of Auditor 8. Election of At-Large Representatives 9. Adjournment

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Despite the cold and foggy day weather, over 1,000 student participants and volunteers gathered at Convocation Mall on Friday, October 2 to run and walk in memory of Terry Fox, at the 2015 Terry’s CAUSE on Campus event, one of the largest yet at SFU. The pre-event ceremony began with SFU President Andrew Petter speaking to the crowd and garnering enthusiasm from attendees.

Special guests included Darrell Fox, Terry Fox’s younger brother, and Zoya Jiwa, recipient of 2015 Terry Fox Gold Medal award.

Following a short warm-up routine led by SFU fitness instructors and cheerleaders, the walk/run began. The finish line on this route was at the Terry Fox field and the post-event gathering took place at the South Terrace (Lorne Davies Complex).

SFU administration has decided to revoke the MSP (Medical Services Plan), dental, and extended health benefits of all Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) members effective on October 31.

This is in response to the ongoing deadlock over both parties accepting a form of binding arbitration called Final Offer Selection (FOS).

Said TSSU Chair Derek Sahota, “People were upset given

October 13, 2015

In 1980, Terrance Stanley “Terry” Fox embarked on a crossCanada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. Terry was a kinesiology student at SFU when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1977, making his cause close to the hearts of the SFU community.

The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over $600 million has been raised in his name.

In 2012, SFU and the Terry Fox Foundation created Terry’s CAUSE (College and University Student Engagement) on Campus which

challenges Terry’s peers — university students — to carry on his legacy at campuses across Canada.

SFU also presents the Terry Fox Gold Medal Award each year to a student who demonstrates courage in the face of adversity. The 2015 Gold Medal

Award recipient is sociology student and social entrepreneur Zoya Jiwa.

Walks and runs took place on all three SFU campuses — with some very special guests.

Terry’s niece Jessie Alder launched the Vancouver event, and Terry’s sister Judith Fox was the special guest in Surrey.

Asked how the Terry Fox Run is significant to SFU, first year student and participant Sana Santosh said, “[Terry] was

a student and patron of SFU. His courage, determination, and dedication to make a difference in the world was inspiring to so many people and that counts for a lot.”

President Petter, in a blog post, encouraged students to honour Terry’s memory: “I urge everyone at SFU to participate in Terry’s CAUSE on Campus.

Whether you walk, run, volunteer or fundraise, it’s for a great cause and it’s lots of fun.”

that they’re still willing to basically do 99 per cent of their job [. . .] that the administration would revoke what are really critical benefits for people.”

He continued to say that while graduate students already get MSP exemption, international students, families, and sessional instructors would be impacted.

While the administration gave the TSSU the ability to assume the costs of providing these services to members, Sahota noted that the cost would be “more than the annual budget of the TSSU.” Kurt Heinrich, director of SFU’s University Communications, told The Peak that this decision was made because “the University has decided that it can no longer refrain

from pressuring the Union with the legitimate tools that are available to all employers during labour disputes.” He cited students grades being withheld and the “challenges” faced by SFU staff supporting students through the ongoing strike.

Heinrich went on to note that, “In such labour disputes, unions typically pay for their members’ benefits from their strike fund. Ultimately, the decision on how and if TSSU member benefits are paid now rests with the TSSU.” Another issue of contention between the two parties is that of binding arbitration, which could be acheived through the FOS process proposed by mediator Vince Ready.

The process requires that, after 21 days of unsuccessful

negotiation, both parties must submit proposals for a new Collective Agreement, after which the mediator would determine which proposals should be integrated into the final Collective Agreement.

While the TSSU hopes to proceed with FOS process, they disagree with multiple amendments SFU has made to the FOS proposal, including one which would allow either party to refer Ready’s FOS decision to the Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC), who would then have the authority to void the award if they wish.

The TSSU raised the concern that, in their view, “PSEC is not an independent third party. They are a body that is deeply involved with SFU administration.”

Heinrich responded to this concern: “[The] requirement to conclude an agreement within the PSEC mandate applies to every public sector union in BC.” Another concern is that the university would like the FOS process to be one where the mediator would have to decide the award on an “all or nothing” basis, rather than by looking at each proposal on its own.

The TSSU plans to continue their job action, including marking for education, and to take additional actions in coming weeks.

Said Sahota, “Our members want to be in the classroom teaching and getting back to the normal process as soon possible, and we’re ready to bargain whenever the employer is ready.”

OPINIONS

Public broadcasting is meant to be the voice of the people; it should be strong, just, and equal. The CBC was established with the intent of informing, enlightening, entertaining, and fostering discussion on a wide range of topics — it was meant to host the many diverse perspectives and encourage thoughtful debate.

The current state of Canadian public broadcasting encompasses everything but these ideals.

Over the past 10 years, the Canadian government has been starving the CBC. Simply put, the Harper Conservatives have carried out cut after cut to this beloved Canadian institution. Since 2008, the CBC has cut over 2,800 jobs, and 1,600 more could be lost by 2020, according to The Huffington Post. The recent announcement that the CBC is considering selling off its properties across the country is just one of the most recent examples of how these cuts have led to a shrinking Canadian voice.

Losing these production spaces in our communities is a truly horrifying and irreversible

October 13, 2015

decision. Once they are gone, it is very unlikely the CBC would have the funds to ever re-purchase the same ones. These spaces are a lot more than just production locations; they are the roots the CBC has in our communities. Ripping them out will completely detach Canadians from their public broadcaster.

The CBC helps define Canada. It has helped build our arts and culture sector, produced countless film and TV series that explore Canadian identity and heritage, provided national news to language minorities, and helped bridge the gap between rural and urban areas in the country. We should be furious that the CBC is being forced to sell properties in order to stay afloat. It’s time to stop the cuts and restore the CBC’s funding so it can be the strong public broadcaster our country needs.

The Canadian Media Guild (CMG), the union representing the CBC employees, has come out strongly against this decision by suggesting that it “seriously jeopardizes the CBC’s ability to do meaningful production in the future.” The CMG is sounding the

alarm, and quite reasonably. The CBC being absent from our communities will infringe on the production of our hard-hitting documentaries and news broadcasts, as well as our quality TV programming, and will have devastating influences on the public broadcaster’s future prospects.

In 2012, the Harper Conservatives announced that the CBC would lose $115 million from their $1.1 billion budget over the course of three years. In doing so, they have systematically tried to dismantle this beloved institution; again, as citizens, we should not stand for these cuts that tell us the Canadian voice isn’t worth sustaining.

The fact of the matter is that this sale makes no sense this close to an election, a point the NDP candidate and incumbent Andrew Cash made in a letter addressed to the CBC’s CEO, Hubert Lacroix. In just a few short weeks, Canada may have a federal government that will replenish and sustain everything that broadcaster has lost.

Both the Liberal Party and NDP have made campaign promises to help revive the CBC, so I urge all of you to consider voting for a party that respects Canadian identity, and sees value in investing in it. After all, if we don’t have a public broadcaster that is committed to telling our stories in an independent, just, and fair way, then who will?

opinions editor email

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca

When I returned home for a couple weeks at the end of summer, I distinctly remember a conversation my parents and I shared over the dinner table. We mulled over our lives, cracked sarcastic jokes at each other’s expense, and it was incredibly pleasant until my mother exclaimed, “I think the craziest thing Adam will do in his life is become a card-carrier!”

A ‘card-carrier’ is a slang term used for someone who has paid to be an official member of a political party; figuratively, they ‘carry a card’ emblazoned with their party loyalties.

I have a few card-carrying friends who proudly assert that they can now influence groundlevel policy making, influence amendments to the party’s constitution, and feel heightened pride and purpose in taking action through their strong beliefs.

Sounds fun. But that dinner conversation left me with furrowed eyebrows and this weird little lip-sneer thing I do when I’m confused and upset. Why would an official party affiliation be the craziest thing I do?

I think it’s because politics is still very much a taboo in my parent’s’ household; the two rarely discuss political matters with each other, let alone their kids. Nevertheless, the discussion spurred on a thought process.

Would I ever pay for the benefits of an ‘enhanced democracy?’ My thoughts lingered before I firmly concluded that I would not.

Soon after graduating high school I became a robust NDP supporter. My bedroom desk is embellished with orange. Socialist blogs unabashedly hoard my ‘frequently viewed sites’ list.

And yes, I promptly voted ‘orange’ in the advance election on campus last week.

Needless to say, I’m not quiet about who I support. So, why wouldn’t I wave my wallet and pledge my allegiance to the beard?

Put simply, I will not risk segregating myself in a cage

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of ideological obligations and bloated party rhetoric. While my beliefs align most with the NDP, there are a definite number of orange views I simply don’t share.

To emphasize, I found myself drawn to, no — enthralled

by Elizabeth May’s performance during the MacLean’s National Leaders debate. The issues she discussed, the quick, knowledgeable retorts she established with concrete facts, her overall genuine presence behind her podium; she killed it while leaving Harper to flail in his defensive bullshit, and Trudeau to speak in ambiguities on how he could feel Canada in his bones or something.

There have been numerous instances like this where I’ve felt as though I’ve abandoned my firm party allegiance, which has led me to question whether my allegiance is actually all that firm. Honestly, I’m a pretty emotional guy; the kind who is very cognizant of what he finds important. I envisioned myself as an active card-carrier, and while I know that one doesn’t have to agree with every party stance they belong to, I would have felt significant personal guilt in realizing I agreed with May for much of the debate.

Sure, Adam, you just haven’t made up your mind, you’re wishy-washy, you’re a political push-over! Well, I’d actually define myself as a strong NDP supporter, but not to the point that I become ignorant and unrealistic. If I marry myself to a single party, identify solely with that party, and argue to the ends of the earth its stances, I’m doing what many prominent advocates do: lie to themselves and spew bloated, useless crap all over the public sphere.

I don’t want to feel obligated to defend and argue all of one party’s positions because I’ve paid to theoretically be pitted against all the other parties. I don’t want to risk brainwashing myself into thinking that an orange label means I inherently believe everything that spills out of Mulcair’s mouth. This leads to all the petty unconscientious arguments, political pandering, and thoughtless generalized bullshit you often see on TV and everywhere else.

Yes, I explicitly lean left, but I will never establish exactly where I lean even if all my beliefs do align with the NDP. Let’s be real, you never know which parties will impact you.

10 OPINIONS

Any federal party leader who becomes Prime Minister of Canada has undoubtedly inspired millions of Canadians, but a truly great leader should inspire through hope instead of fear. They should represent the group they lead by listening to their concerns, and they should be honest, accountable, and principled. Canada deserves a leader like this. Canada deserves Elizabeth May. May has been a Member of Parliament since 2011, and during her time there she has made quite an impression. She has twice been voted hardest-working MP by her colleagues, and she also won Best Orator in the Maclean’s 2014 Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. She is diligent, knowledgeable, and skilled at conveying that knowledge in an engaging way. Compare one of her speeches to one of our current Prime Minister, and you’ll see what I mean.

In 2014, May gave a TED Talk at TEDxYYC in Calgary titled “Canadian Innovation.” She mentioned that, while preparing for that event, she had been hard pressed to find TED talks delivered by other politicians. I think this is mostly due to the fact that most politicians have neither the innovative ideas worth sharing nor the ability to share them in

an inspiring way. But Elizabeth May does.

Another quality every great leader needs is a good sense of humour. While being one of the hardest working MPs in the country, May also knows it’s important not to take herself too seriously. She recently joined Mark Critch on This Hour has 22 Minutes for a satirical interview that poked fun at the other party leaders talking over her in what he described as “pipeline measuring contest.” Appearances like these show that she has a sense of humour to go along with her conscientious nature.

May is also the author of numerous books, including Losing Confidence and Who We Are. Unlike self-serving political biographies, these books deal with important topics such as the state of our democracy and Canadian identity. May understands our governmental system better than any other politician I’ve heard speak on the subject, and she is therefore in a good position to lead a government and respectfully uphold the institution.

Finally, and probably most importantly, great leaders also know the value of collaboration. May is a strong advocate for putting aside our differences and working together across party lines in the House of Commons, and she has made many friends from all parties in the process. As she has said many times during this campaign, Canadians can achieve anything when we work together.

October 13, 2015

Canada has come to a crossroads.

The past 10 years under the Harper Conservatives has led to the dismantling of Canadian democracy, social and environmental policy, and our most beloved institutions.

We need a leader who has a plan to get Canada back on track, not one who panders to voters, which is what May has done with her consistent claims that Greens are of a higher moral nature than other, equally partisan candidates.

I will say that at first I was quite taken by May; she is quirky, smart, and passionate. But these qualities simply don’t make you a qualified leader. My distaste for May partly stems from a single comment she made in October 2013: “I hope that we will be able to set aside partisanship for the good of the country.”

May has implied that the Green Party is immune to playing politics, and that they’re somehow ‘above’ partisanship. These statements are both untrue and misleading. The very act of campaigning against another candidate is playing politics. Crafting messaging to persuade voters is playing politics. Making campaign promises is playing politics.

Not to mention, no government could effectively govern if they weren’t able to play politics; it’s part of the job. So either May is completely ignorant of the necessity for every party to be partisan,

or she is purposefully trying to mislead voters into support by falsely advertising herself as something that she is not.

The Green Party is running topnotch candidates in battleground ridings — as any partisan party should. If they were truly above playing politics they would not campaign as hard as they are. The fact of the matter is, in this election the Greens won’t form government, and likely won’t win more than a seat or two. They’re a grassroots party that is still establishing itself in our political landscape.

The best thing that could happen for the Green Party is an NDP government, as they are the only party that has had a clear and consistent stance on proportional representation. Proportional representation would help them grow as a party and give them more power.

But unlike what May has said, her party has not set aside its partisanship to help elect a government that will usher in a system that will benefit them and forever end the need for strategic voting. They say one thing, and do another.

May has been clear that in this election, we need to get rid of Harper. But campaigning so aggressively is jeopardizing the vote in several ridings where the NDP and the Liberals are neck and neck with Conservatives. So what happened to “overcoming partisanship” to oust a common enemy?

Her head is in the political clouds. Whether she is ignorant, a hypocrite or intentionally misleading voters, she isn’t ready to do the job.

In an already-cluttered sea of stupid and untrustworthy Canadian political parties, for the love of God, do not place your trust with the dimwitted hosers in the Rhinoceros Party. Tick the ballot box on literally anything else this fall, and rid the Great White North of the most worthless group of individuals since Nickelback.

These buffoons wanted to repeal the law of gravity, and ban guns, horrible winters, and butter. You can expect to place your faith in a group of politicians whom were willing to declare war on Belgium when the fictitious icon Tintin killed some insignificant rhino. Or in a party that once proposed to make the TransCanada Highway a one-way road, and to abolish all crime in Canada by simply getting rid of all laws. Hell, voting Pirate Party of Canada makes more bloody sense.

Still feeling jilted by your rejection into a SFU fraternity or sorority? Well, put down your Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, and toss your car keys in the bowl, sailor: take a walk on the wild side and come join in on the fun of a swinger’s party.

Jam packed with discreet hideouts, coded speech and super secret lingo, why kick it like a vanilla* when you could be getting your rocks off with the progressively avantgarde. Practice your horizontal mambo with an array of different lovers, and keep your sex life positively energized and diverse.

It’s been said that being a swinger increases the quality, quantity and frequency of sexual activity (and who doesn’t want that?). So keep your eyes peeled for the ceramic hedgehog* in your community, because chances are behind closed doors the ‘70s live on.

*term for non-swinger.

OPINIONS

BC bud is legendary and illegal. It has been raved about, criticized, and grown in numerous basements, barns, and living rooms across the province. Clearly, it’s not going anywhere.

Growing marijuana is not limited to only BC, but this province seems to be the area of Canada where cannabis culture is strongest. With limited legalization of marijuana in certain US states, Canadian pot policy seems to be lagging behind.

This election, pot regulation hasn’t been as much of a hot button topic as in the past, due to more pressing matters such as foreign policy and the economy taking precedence. Drugs legalisation usually isn’t considered

The 2015 federal election is just around the corner, and its proximity has sparked some serious discussion about our current electoral system.

NDP leader Tom Mulcair claims that if elected, our current first-past-thepost system (FPTP) will be replaced by mixed-member proportional representation (MMP). This will allow citizens to vote twice: once for a local MP, and once directly for the party of their choice.

While skeptics argue that the switch to MMP will evoke havoc and mark the end of a decisive government, the pros of proportional representation outweigh the cons.

MMP will give voters more power in their decisions as well as create the kind of democratic government Canada is in dire need of.

In our current system, voters are given one vote to elect the MP of their choosing. This vote is not only used to elect an MP, but is also considered a reflection of the voter’s support for a specific party. This is a

October 13, 2015

part of a solution to a problem, but in this case pot can contribute to solving one of Canada’s problems — and I’m not talking about heads of state getting baked and solving global warming while debating which flavour of Dorito is superior.

I’m talking about the economy.

Since the ‘recession economy’ has become a buzzword, you can’t visit any major news website without seeing some article related to it. Usually it focuses on oil or other resources and their falling prices on the global markets. However, there is the marijuana industry, with some estimates, as reported in The Globe and Mail, suggesting its value to be billions of dollars; billions of untaxed, unregulated, unused dollars.

This thriving industry, instead of being embraced and regulated by the Canadian government, is being suppressed through the Criminal Code of Canada. Apparently our lawmakers failed to learn from a little thing called prohibition, but

what else can you say other than history repeats itself?

These billions of dollars are only the tax revenue that could be generated. There would also be a significant reduction in the amount of money spent within all levels of the legal system. The current system of minimal sentences for pot-related offences not only ignores a potential source of government revenue, but also takes resources away from

problem because a voter’s favourite local MP does not necessarily belong to their favourite party. Often, voters are faced with the difficult choice of supporting their favourite MP or voting for a less ideal candidate who belongs to their preferred party.

In a mixed-member system, voters are not forced to compromise. In addition to their first vote that elects a local MP, they are also given the chance to elect a party that they would like to see in the House of Commons. This creates a mix of MPs that were voted in through local constituencies and MPs that represent a voter’s party preferences.

represent the people that voted them into parliament.

MMP also eliminates false majorities. In our last election, Conservatives won a majority government with merely 39 per cent of the vote, since FPTP merely sums up the individual constituency results without truly reflecting the majority’s choices. This leads to a government that runs the show with an inflated ego and an undeserving amount of power.

While Conservatives govern as a majority government that is supposed to represent all Canadians, 61 per cent of voters wanted someone else for the job.

MMP is a true reflection of Canadians’ governing choices.

Critics of proportional representation argue that radicals will slip into parliament and create conflict, but this problem can be tackled by setting a minimum threshold that excludes any parties that do not meet the minimum amount of supporters.

Should a party meet the minimum requirements, why shouldn’t they have a say in Parliament?

Conflicting opinions in the House of Commons are not a bad thing if

The ability to separate MP and party preferences is not only beneficial to the voter, but also to MPs, who can be recognized for their individual platform instead of merely the party to which they belong. This gives MPs a level of autonomy and support that they can bring into the House of Commons, which allows them to stand up for what they believe in and better

more important legal matters.

Those who disagree may argue that to keep laws the way they are would stop people from downward spiralling from using progressively stronger drugs. While the ‘pot is a gateway drug’ argument works

11

as a fairly decent scare tactic for 10-year-olds, I’d argue that it ignores the larger socioeconomic and health-based reasons for addiction.

While some addicts are perfectly happy with their lifestyle, they are the minority. Most people would rather be healthy and addiction-free. The additional tax revenue being brought in would help contribute towards a more effective plan for treating addiction. These new funds could also contribute to a better affordable housing strategy.

While not a single party advocates for pot to help in fixing the Canadian economy, the four main political parties have all taken a specific stance on the legalization of marijuana. The Conservative party is not budging on their hardline antilegalization, anti-decriminalization Nixonian view towards the drug.

The NDP is pro-decriminalization,

but not full legalization of the drug; not until a committee could decide on a more suitable path towards full legalization.

The Liberals are for immediate full legalization, regulating every part of the industry from production to the point of sale.

The Green Party forms some form of hybrid between the NDP and the Liberals, but with more of a focus on addiction aspects, with the hope that pot will be like tobacco, and Canada can still become “smoke free.”

The thought that a currently illegal drug could help solve some of Canada’s economic woes may seem strange to some Canadians, but for me it fits with the unique history of our great nation. We are a country that has been built on the foundations laid by trailblazers, memorable characters, strong personalities, and progressives. Changing how the nation perceives pot will take time and effort, but Canadians are nothing if not willing to work open-mindedly toward positive changes.

they are representing the views of a relatively large group of people.

I understand that people don’t like change; FPTP has been used as Canada’s electoral system for an incredibly long time, and is comfortable and familiar to us.

MMP offers Canada an opportunity to empower voters and provide Canadians with a truly democratic government.

What’s the point of a conflictfree House of Commons if it’s not properly representing Canadian values?

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October 13, 2015

12

COMMUNITY PHOTOS June 29, 2015

photo editor email

Lisa Dimyadi photos@the-peak.ca

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES! SFU’s best and brightest celebrated their graduation in style this week, and were celebrated by a host of speakers, including the Science Guy himself: Bill Nye! Here are some of our best photos from the week of celebration.

Congratulations to the graduates of Fall 2015!

#TBT to SFU’s radical ‘60s era.

Yer a wizard, Enoch!

Jahanzeb Sethy / The Peak

Lisa Dimyadi / The Peak

BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

Lisa Dimyadi / The Peak

A standing ovation for the graduate students.

Talha Qadir / The Peak

Jahanzeb Sethy / The Peak

OPINIONS

We all know that one guy who seems to know nothing about politics; he’s also that guy who didn’t know that the Bloc Quebecois was a thing. Let’s face it, folks: uninformed voters infiltrate SFU’s halls. I am one of those people.

When asked who I’m voting for, I typically respond with: “Not Harper, that’s for sure!” Why not, though?

If you’re able to answer this question, then mega props to you. However, if you’re anything like me, you rebut with a quick “[insert non-Conservative party leader name] would be better.”

Of course, here you’re able to get away with not answering the actual question, and then chime in a few facts you read off Vancity Buzz while waiting for your buddy’s Dubsmash video to load.

October 13, 2015

I couldn’t tell you why not to vote Conservative, except for all the money being put towards the military, too much unnecessary international involvement, Bill C-51, their position on climate change, Harper’s weird face, et cetera. If you’re still not convinced, I just discovered WhyNotHarper.ca, so do be sure to check that out.

Since I wouldn’t be voting for either Conservative (because, well, duh) or Green (because I want my vote to matter), I looked up the NDP and Liberal parties. My political leanings were initially 50/50, since political stance websites told me I was between both parties.

I applied to volunteer for both the NDP and Liberals.

What I got from the NDP was a series of daily emails which stated things like, “the next 20 days will decide if we send Tom Mulcair to Ottawa as our next prime minister or if we’re stuck with another four years of Stephen Harper,” “we’ve got 19 days to go to defeat Stephen Harper,” and “our priority is to defeat Stephen Harper.”

The countless emails I receive each day are not fun to read. Bro, like, here I am looking to volunteer my time, and here you are bashing my head in with these harsh vibes. Rather than

about. . . ?’ becomes the call of the political wild. Yet, not since 1984 has a poll in Canada meant more than diddly.

Ah, election season. For us political junkies, it’s the true season to be jolly. We listen to pundits, we start bad-mouthing, we see political ads taking up valuable flier space in our mailbox, and most importantly, we keep up with the polls.

Polls, while they have a place in politics, do diddly (yes, that’s the official term) when it comes to Canadian election outcomes.

Polling has long been a form of gauging how a party, leader, or topic is trending among Canadians. ‘What do you think

In countries like the U.S., which has a similar first-pastthe-post (FPTP) system and only two parties, polls let these parties follow public opinion as a campaign proceeds. In places like Germany, where they have a system of proportional representation and a multi-party system, polls let parties do what they can to win over the

13

focusing on what’s wrong with other parties, remind voters why they should be voting for you.

This reminds me of Mulcair’s nickname he earned as an MP: the Pitbull. I don’t want a Pitbull serving as my PM, thank you very much. Rapper Pitbull, on the other hand, with those stunner shades and bald head of his, would make an amazing leader. He is referred to as Mr. International, so we know he’ll implement excellent worldwide policies. Free booze for all — holla!

While my inbox floods itself with angry NDP mail, it smiles

contentedly at the sole email received from Trudeau’s party.

They simply thanked me for volunteering my time through an automated message. Then, I got a call the following day asking when I was able to meet my riding’s leader and what positions I could take.

This kind, relaxed approach was refreshing to see. Trudeau’s largest influence for me, though, is definitely his flowing flowing hair — [cough] I mean, his stances. He’s vowed to create more student jobs, to teach the youth of Canada about

politics and voting, to amend Bill C-51, and to fund transit systems all across Canada.

So now, when I’m asked who I’ll vote for, I stand proud and respond bravely with: Justin Trudeau.

He’s a good man with kind eyes, I might add. He truly believes in Canada and its ability to develop where it needs to, and to sustain what’s already golden. I believe him when he says that he knows how to improve Canada by enacting real change. He seems realistic. He seems goal-oriented. He’s just, you know, ready.

most votes possible, and possibly change or adapt policies to work with coalitions in order to win governance.

Here in Canada, we do both.

Because, well, it’s Canada. In our multi-party FPTP system, the ‘popular vote’ does not often match who rules and by how much.

As I write this, the current polls show that the Conservatives and the Liberals are tied with 31 per cent in the polls, while the NDP has 27 per cent.

Pretty even, all things considered right? Well, not really.

This would equate to 127 seats for the Conservatives, 110 for the Libs, and 99 for the NDP. What the fudge, right? The seats

awarded are not nearly as even as the polling numbers would reveal. Wait, it gets better.

My favourite election (I’m a poli-nerd) is the one from 1993, where the NDP received seven per cent of the popular vote yet attained nine seats, and the old Progressive Conservatives gained 16 per cent of the vote yet with only two seats. That election, by the way, was the start of the fiveparty system that exists today.

With our current set-up, there is no way that polls will tell us anything about the upcoming election, other than 60 per cent of the voting population at best will be pissed off with the outcome of an election — leaving aside the fact that a minority of the population has elected the ruling party since 1984, when Mulroney won with a majority

of votes and seats. That turned out well, hey? ‘Yay’ for NAFTA and GST. To all who vote in Canada, polls are alright for observing an overall nation with a wide attitude. They help us see that we might think the same way as people in other parts of the country, they let campaign managers track how a new tactic is responding, if we had a proportional representation system they would show us our potential government.

However, we do not, and therefore polling means diddly in the actual election.

There are lies, damn lies, and polls. All they do in Canadian elections is confuse the undecided into thinking that they are voting for something they really aren’t.

Canadians will elect their 2015 federal candidates on Monday, Oct. 19. Get acquainted with your candidates and inform your vote.

On-campus voting on election day will take place between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in SFU residence’s Shadbolt Building, room B1050. Make sure to bring identification with you, including something that qualifies as proof of address. *All candidates’ responses have been printed as received.

Responses exceeding the given word count have been cut off at the mark, indicated by an ellipsis.

During my 19 years as a Provincial Court Judge, I saw the gradual erosion of the quality of life of everyday people.

Education, housing, child care, health care, transit, good jobs becoming less accessible and more expensive. When I left the bench I became deeply concerned about the direction that Canada was headed under Stephen Harper. I saw contempt for democracy, rights and freedoms, justice, the environment, science, the arts, immigrants and refugees. I couldn’t remain on the sidelines anymore. I chose to run for Tom Mulcair and the NDP because we will restore Canadian values and quality of life.

I am trying to help the Libertarian P cessful. In just one year we have a n board, an all-new public image and branding, and we’ve tripled the n fielding since the last election. We hope to h years. We want to remind people there is a p and fiscally-responsible than the Conservati and liberal on personal freedoms and individ and NDP, namely the Libertarians. Many of u

The skyrocketing cost of education and housing. The accessibility of quality education and quality jobs. The debt burden and student loan interest rates. The cost of entry level housing, child care, and the availability of long term jobs with benefits and pensions. Just the accessibility of a decent life for our next generation - the first that will be worse off than their parents! I have 5 children aged 23 to 31, and they had way less chance of putting themselves through school, finding jobs, houses, child care, benefits, than we did when we started out. This is just plain wrong.

In Metro Vancouver, we face an ou that has sent a generation that grew with decent yards into being force boxes in the sky or live in half-a-ho renting the upstairs or downstairs and think o ity is the number one issue with people start not ‘lucky’ like the Baby Boomers and able to years’ salary. Things can kind of suck for mos

The NDP will provide funding for post-secondary education to make it more affordable, tackle students’ skyrocketing costs and unmanageable debt loads, lower interest rates and ATM fees, put funding into affordable housing and transit, and kick start the economy to create stable, good quality jobs. In partnership with small business, industry, NGOs and government, we will help 40,000 young Canadians get jobs, paid internships, coop placements, and infrastructure apprenticeship spaces. We will protect the safety of young workers and crack down on the use of unpaid internships. We will provide $15/day child care.

I promise I will never vote for an reduction in your freedom. Never in their dealings with the federal migration, Citizenship, Revenue Program. If me and 169 fellow Libertarians nate the GST (5% down to 0%) and nearly d credit for students from $11,500 to $21,30 noticeable increase in your income. And m

PLATFORM POINTS: • Kick start the economy and create stable, full-time jobs • Create 1M daycare spaces at less than $15/day • Protect the environment, cut greenhouse gases and tackle climate

This candidate did not submit responses by The Peak’s deadline.

change

• Flat tax of 15% (first $21,300 exemption fo • End the war on drugs, end all Prohibition • Pro-Immigrants: increase the number of • End all our wars, bring troops home & Arc • Allow polluters to be brought to court for

• Provide better health care, retirement benefits and support for veterans

• Grow better cities with stable funding for infrastructure and transit

I’m running in this election to voice the many problems common people in Canada face every day. Unfortunately, none of the three main leaders provide any real solutions to the multitude of problems in Canada. I believe a massive issue facing our youth today is student debt and un-employment after university. Since one of the largest universities in BC is in this riding, I plan to show students that our party is the only party talking about eliminating unemployment, tuition and student debt. We want to show the youth of today that a socialist alternative is possible.

I believe that the most important issues facing young people in Canada today are debt, unemployment, and climate change. Our party proposes a strategy to help eliminate debt by raising the minimum wage and guaranteeing strong benefits. We will enact a plan to increase value-added jobs in the manufacturing and secondary industry, which will be greatly beneficial for youth, particularly those graduating from University. Our goal is to create good jobs until we reach a 0% unemployment rate. Additionally, we will be dedicated to phasing out the tar sands while working to create an environmentally sustainable Canada.

PLATFORM PO

Our party has always maintained that we would be dedicated to work on student issues. As mentioned before, we are currently proposing to eliminate tuition and student debt. We want to create a system in which students do not have to fear unemployment upon graduation. We also want to stop the drive to ‘corporatize’ education, which will essentially protect freedom of speech on campuses. Furthermore, increased funding to universities would allow specialty classes, which have been previously cut, to re-open.

Therefore, we intend on providing students with both an affordable and higher quality of education.

PLATFORM POINTS: • Job Creation • Raising Wages • Expanding Social Services and Government Funding • Environmental Sustainability • Taxing the greedy and not the needy

I stepped up to run in this election because neither the Liberals nor the NDP and certainly not the Conservatives are proposing genuine and urgent action on climate change or social inequality – the intertwined and defining issues of our time. I am a research scientist, a Professor, a University administrator, and a climate justice activist. I understand that it is possible for us to transition to a postcarbon economy within twenty years and that there is no excuse for poverty in Canada.

Young people today are faced with crushing debt, precarious employment and insecurity about how the consequences of climate change will affect their lives.

I will tackle these issues with energy and compassion and my decisions will be based on the best evidence available. Canada is a rich country and we must ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Burnaby North – Seymour deserves a Member of Parliament who will listen to and work for them.

I will work toward abolishing tuition fees for students without adequate financial means, including removing the inadequate 2% annual cap on increased funding for post-secondary education for all First Nations students. I will work toward investing in the success of current students and give our graduates a hand-up by implementing a debt forgiveness program. Our plan will eliminate any existing or future student federal debt above $10,000. I will also work to create a national Community and Environment Service Corps, which will provide $1 billion/year to municipalities to hire Canadian youth to do work that needs to be done.

PLATFORM POINTS:

Party grow and be more sucnew leader, a new executive d social media presence, new number of candidates we’re have a full-slate in four more party more business-friendly ives, while more progressive idual rights than the Liberals us watched Ron Paul [. . .]

ut-of-control housing bubble w up in single-family homes ed to live in expensive shoeouse with some other family of that as normal. Affordabilting off their careers. We are o buy giant houses on threest people—I know!

increase in your taxes or a r. I will aid all constituents l government, whether ImCanada, or the Firearms s are elected, we will elimidouble the basic income tax 00 leading to a modest but more to come later.

OINTS:

or students)

• Guaranteed Livable Income to ensure no Canadian lives in poverty; • National Housing Strategy based on Housing First principles; • Defend our coastal waters from risky pipelines and oil tankers; • Demonstrate climate leadership at the UN Climate Summit in Paris • Roll out a National Sustainable Jobs Plan

The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada is running 70 candidates across the country including 14 in BC to ensure that the missing voice, the independent voice of the working class is heard and to raise some concerns for discussion such as the marginalization of the vast majority of people. Citizens have no say in decision making except to vote in elections. We propose a new electoral process whereby the citizens would directly select the candidates rather than the parties. There would be no public funding of political parties. Elections Canada would be mandated to ensure a level playing field for every candidate.

Conservative and Liberal governments have both pushed a neo-liberal, anti-social offensive in the interests of the rich.

Youth face a bleak future of unemployment, impoverishment, environmental degradation. and the danger of war.

We call on the youth to end their isolation, to get in involved in politics by voting to defeat the Conservatives and keeping the Liberals out of government, to work for democratic renewal, a new pro-social direction for the economy, humanizing the natural and social environment and creating a society fit for humans where the rights of all are guaranteed.

In 1968 SFU students occupied the administration building to protest the refusal of the university to accept transfer credits from the colleges. Students must seize their future in their own hands by consciously organizing to put an end to tuition fees, for adequate housing and transportation, interest free loans and a say in decision making and course content. Students must demand that universities and colleges be fully publicly funded and corporate control ended.

PLATFORM POINTS: • Renewal of the political process.

• No election without selection!

• A new direction for the economy with environmental safeguards.

• Stop paying the rich! Increase investments in social programs!

• An anti-war government and respect for national sovereignty.

• New nation to nation relations with indigenous peoples

n (the Portugal model) visas issued, cut red-tape

ctic sovereignty

r causing property damage

I want to live in a country where everyone is given the opportunity to succeed: A country where new ideas and innovations not only are welcome, but are the engine of the new economy; A country where environment protection is part and parcel of public policy; A country that is inclusive, where citizens and their institutions are respected; A country that we can be proud of once again on the international stage.

Canada needs all of its passion and talents. That is the Liberal principle. I have lived its legacy and I want others to live it as well.

Young Canadians want to live active, purposeful lives in a clean, open, and inclusive country. This means: - Financial aid to access a good education, - Meaningful and decently paid work at the beginning of their career - Affordable housing especially for those who live in the Lower Mainland.

- The quality of the environment is high on young Canadians’ list of priorities, and they expect their government to formulate policies based on solid scientific information.

Last but not least, they want a reform of our outdated electoral system and make it easier for young people to vote.

I will make sure that SFU students take full advantage of the new Liberal financial assistance policies: - Canada Student Grants of up to $ 3000 for full time students, and $ 1800 for part time students.

- A more flexible Student Loans system: graduates will not have to start repaying until they earn at least $ 25000 a year.

I will make sure that SFU students get their fair share of the new co-op placements created for students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and business.

A Liberal government will re-invest in science, and fund scientific agencies adequately.

PLATFORM POINTS • Policy decisions must be made using the best data available.

• Environmental sustainability and economic prosperity are inextricable, not opposites

• We must support innovation and clean technology industries • Education is the key to the elevation of all Canadians • Investing in affordable housing is crucial to help young Canadians

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ARTS

We don’t do art and politics. Here in Canada, there’s an unspoken understanding that our politics aren’t interesting, entertaining, or worth our attention. Look south of the 49th parallel, or across the pond to Great Britain, and there exists a long-standing tradition of combining the two. From satire in Yes Minister and Veep to political thrillers like Scandal and the countless action movies involving the President of the United States either saving the world or being kidnapped — there are many to choose from.

Here at home, not so much.

While we will probably never have the same level of political or cultural clout as our neighbours, Canadian history and politics are nevertheless rife with disbelief, absurdity, and questionable ethics. After all, the great white north is the land of Louis Riel, residential schools, the Alberta eugenics board, the FLQ,

The classic Shakespearean play Romeo & Juliet is widely known for the tragic plight of its titular star-crossed lovers. The decade of the 1960s, nearly 400 years after the original play was written, was a time of partying and big hair, embracing peace, and social change. Nobody would think that these two subjects could be combined into an innovative theatre production, but the students from Langara College’s Studio 58 have done just that. Somehow, it works.

The story is set in 1965, and opens during one of artist Andy

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October 13, 2015

the Oka Crisis, fastcat fiasco, sponsorship scandal, Mike Duffy, and countless others that don’t jive with the innocent hockey playing, reduniformed, constantly apologizing Mountie image.

Fortunately, this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival included a rare product of the marriage of art and Canadian politics, in Philippe Falardeau’s My Internship in Canada. The Quebecois director’s film follows Sovereign Pascal, an idealistic Haitian who travels to rural Quebec to work for the local independent Member of Parliament, Steve Guibord. It is an endearingly witty satire of both our parliamentary politics and what it means to be Canadian.

As the two travel around the riding in preparation for a parliamentary war vote, Falardeau deftly combines the conflicting interests of our diverse country, while referencing our Canadian past and present. They meet a large ensemble of characters all focused on their personal and immediate needs rather than the national issues at hand.

This ensemble covers a wide breadth of Canadian diversity from local politicians, to the Algonquin First Nations, middle class

Warhol’s famous Factory parties, where members of the feuding families of Capulet and Montague are in attendance. It is there that Juliet Capulet first catches Romeo Montague’s eye, and they begin a passionate love affair despite the hatred between their two families, with Warhol filming every step of their relationship along the way.

This adaptation of Romeo & Juliet creatively reinterprets

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca

pacifists, and a politically disinterested teenager who doesn’t care for politics. Falardeau also utilizes the vastness of the Canadian landscape as both an agent in the story and as a poetic piece in true Canadian form. Supported by strong performances, the film excels by representing a great variety of Canadians while satirically skewering just about everyone on the political spectrum in equal measure.

The film also benefits from Pascal’s outside perspective as he reconciles his extreme interest and naivete about Canada with his first-hand experience on the ground. As the film progresses, he relays his experiences to his family back in Haiti to ever larger and more curious crowds; we viewers form part of the same audience, looking at Canada from a detached perspective where we can laugh at ourselves.

This structure helps highlight the absurdity of the events that transpire in the film, and reminds us to have some perspective when considering our own status on the international stage. For all the chaos that transpires in this slice of rural Quebec, the outside perspective remains upbeat. For as much as the volume turns up

on the conversation around our shifting and declining reputation, it’s easy to forget that Canada is still the amongst the most respected nations in the world by just about anyone who isn’t a diplomat or academic.

With so much of it revolving around uniquely Canadian circumstances, My Internship in Canada will probably have limited success abroad. Here at home, though, it fits into a tradition of art that focuses on our shared identity and what it means to be Canadian, even when it can sometimes look and sound like a farcical stereotype to outsiders.

In doing so, the film joins the likes of Canadassimo at this year’s Venice Biennale, Douglas Coupland’s book Souvenir of Canada, and the Secret Handshake portion of last year’s Coupland retrospective at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Examining what it means to be Canadian is a fluid concept, but important to consider in order to come to terms with our past and our present. On October 19, Canadians will go to the polls. Behind stability, change, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the niqab controversy lies an open question about our identity and direction as a nation.

several aspects of the original story. Aside from Warhol’s initial Factory party, several ’60s songs are played or performed by members of the cast to accentuate the mood of the transpiring scene.

Some scenes are even devoid of dialogue completely, only narrating the events that are unfolding with an artful soundtrack and purposeful blocking of cast members’ movements. Every move

and set decision was executed with intention and precision. In fact, they had to be, as the set and choreography were essentially what made re-enacting the story of Romeo & Juliet in the ’60s seem natural and effortless.

Interesting decisions were also made on the part of portraying the play’s original cast members. For instance, the originally pious Friar Laurence (here simply Laurence, played by Brandon Bragg) that marries the couple is hilariously portrayed as a weed gathering hippie, and Juliet’s nurse is instead her sassy, outspoken, and flirtatious cousin Nance (Samantha Pawliuk).

Lastly, the main role of Romeo is portrayed as a woman (Camille Legg), as other characters refer to her using feminine pronouns consistently throughout the play.

Bragg and Pawliuk both brought humour and wit to their roles that brought out a few laughs from the audience. Legg brought an emotional depth to

Romeo as well as a strong willfulness. Her lady love Juliet (Adelleh Furseth) was also fierce and passionate, delivering Shakespearean verse with a quick and quirky tongue. Another standout performance came from Conor Stinson-O’Gorman, who played Romeo’s outspoken friend Mercutio, as he delivered each line with a profound commitment to his character’s loud (and sometimes crass) personality.

Studio 58’s adaptation of Romeo & Juliet uses the pop art of Andy Warhol to paint the Shakespearean classic with fresh colours. Whether depicting a rocking Factory party or an intense feud between families, this eclectic production about the famous starcrossed lovers is worth seeing.

Romeo & Juliet will be playing at Studio 58 from October 1 to 18. For more information, visit langara.ca/studio-58.

ARTS

Anyone who has passed by the atrium at Woodward’s is familiar with Stan Douglas, as his work Abbott & Cordova, 7 August 1971 forms an imposing part of the space. In the past couple of weeks, however, there was a lot more of Stan Douglas around Vancouver.

Currently occupying the Woodward’s atrium is a nondescript, grey cube. A collaborative piece with the National Film Board (NFB), Circa 1948 is an interactive, immersive experience that transports a single viewer at a time to either the previous Hotel Vancouver or Hogan’s Alley in postwar Vancouver and allows them to walk around their chosen environment.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Art Gallery’s recently closed exhibit, the Persistence of the Real, included his work Luanda-Khinsasa, a six

October 13, 2015

hour-long film of a period recording studio jazz jam. This was followed up by a very well-attended artist’s talk and Q&A period at SFU Woodward’s on September 24.

At Woodward’s, Douglas fielded questions from students on his artistic process, subject matter, collaboration with the NFB, and the socio-political relationships that surrounded his work. Facing question after question from a highly interested and informed crowd, the Q&A resembled more of a collective group interview than anything else.

An important part of the talk was a conversation about artistic accessibility. An organization like

the NFB has a mandate that is focused on creating work that is accessible to Canadians. According to Douglas, this conversation around accessibility changed how the work developed into its final form. An initial direction was for the viewer to physically occupy the spaces explored by Circa 1948, and listen to the past in an open-ended manner.

However, concerns over accessibility drew it into the realm of an app and an immersive experience which bears much similarity to a video game.

However, the collaboration went both ways: for instance, Douglas described his input and focus on

the creation of the environments as distinctly photographic, more on “the effects of light as you move through space” than on the trees, or the smoke of the chimneys in the environments they rendered.

Douglas utilizes art to project and explore how historical events relate to the present. The locations chosen for Circa 1948 are troubled by recession, conflict over space, and socioeconomic inequalities — circumstances familiar to us today. Meanwhile, through the mixture of music and smooth, seemingly endless visual imagery, Luanda-Kinshasa presents a utopian, idealistic

On October 19,

Vote Your Conscience Lynne Quarmby will wor k to: abolish tuition fees for college, university and skills training programs

give our current graduates a hand up by implementing a debt forgiveness program create a national Community and Environment Service Corps

VOTE for YOUR FUTURE

Vote

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representation of how the world could be; one that is more in line with early science fiction than current views. Its utopian idealism contrasts with contemporary social pressures and popular narratives of dystopic and dysfunctional futures.

This focus on space which Douglas framed was in asking “how did it get to be this way?” This question is a focus in many of his works, Abbott & Cordova included. Douglas’ focus on class, spaces of contention, and inequality that we might rather ignore and forget places his practice at odds with typical historical narratives.

I found myself more curious about the circumstances and history of the space I was exploring than I necessarily would have been through a traditional film. This kind of work, which looks at our contested spaces, might have an important role in filling in the gaps in our historical narratives. Circa 1948 will soon wrap up in Vancouver to go on a cross-Canada tour, beyond that who knows where its home will be. Perhaps we should take a moment to look at the future of these narratives, and ask ourselves: how did we get here?

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October 13, 2015

FOOD FIGHT

Bobacabana, located right in the heart of New Westminster Skytrain Station, is your new favorite local bubble tea and waffle cafe.

You’re welcome.

This new innovative business boasts a warm and sophisticated interior design with a mixture of white stone and polished wood furnishings, service that is not short on the utmost sincerity, and dedicated owners who are passionate about bringing you authentic, quality products that they are proud to serve.

The quality and creativity of their menu is astonishing and admirable. The owners of Bobacabana, siblings Chaerean and Shinyu Kim, pride themselves on supporting local and naturally sourced ingredients. “There is a misconception that bubble tea always has to be artificial,” the Kims said. “We want to prioritize quality by keeping our products fresh, artificial-free, and local real fruits and veggies, no sugar added, and vegan options available whenever possible.”

They told me that they make their sweetener and syrups in store, along with their red bean and Speculoos cookie butter (vegan! Coconut milk base. . .

What? Am I in heaven?). Some of the local businesses they support include Sider Strength (protein powder and vegan protein balls), Island Farms in Chilliwack (creamer and milk), and Connected Minds Coffee (micro-roasted coffee beans).

Additionally, they get their fruit from a local import company from the Philippines, and mochi (Japanese rice cake) from a local Korean supplier that makes it fresh daily.

What caught my attention initially was that this bubble tea cafe offers what most do not — vegan and dairy-free drink options, along with a beautiful selection of unique waffle creations, both sweet and savoury. My favorite products would have to be their fresh taro milk tea, cold brew coffee, or jasmine milk tea with half vegan creamer and half almond milk; sometimes I opt to keep it simple and traditional with a hot cup of half sweet yuzu citrus honey tea. They also offer delicious and healthy smoothies with tons of real fruits and veggies, no sugar added, and vegan options available.

Although their waffles are not vegan, I took a bite for the team and I hereby announce that they are the perfect texture: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and not invasively sweet. The Speculoos cookie butter is something I recommend through and through, whether in your shake or on your waffle — it’s to die for.

“We just saw a business opportunity and took it — it’s great because you get to be your own boss and create your own recipes,” explained the Kims. “It’s easy to stay motivated because we’re passionate about our business, but the difficult part is timing everything and doing everything we’re not so passionate about to get to our dream.”

If you’re looking for a new community-based hub to hang out in (with very decent prices), Bobacabana is this season’s new local foodie favorite.

The content of Morrison’s work in these exhibitions is informed by the specific sites in which his work is exhibited, namely the brutalist architecture of the SFU campus designed by Arthur Erickson, and the Ceperley House location of the Burnaby Art Gallery in Deer Lake Park.

These exhibitions are intended to address how the use of these spaces changes over time and to acknowledge artistic movements such as modernism.

In his 1968 essay, “A Sedimentation of the Mind: Earth Projects,” Robert Smithson writes about a “climate” of sight. He talks about the “mental weather” of an individual, and how a psyche makes one view art; a “wet” mind, for instance, appreciates the fluidity of organic, or painterly, images and forms, and looks upon surfaces that can seem gaseous or foggy. This “dank brain” is considered by some to be the ideal mental climate to navigate the fluidity of an artist’s thesis.

This climate of visual perception is also the ideal one with which to approach the sister exhibitions of Phantoms of a Utopian Will / Like Most Follies, More Than a Joke and More Than a Whim . Running concurrently at the SFU Gallery and the Burnaby Art Gallery, these exhibitions feature recent and older works by Canadian artist Alex Morrison, as well as works chosen by Morrison from the respective collections of the two institutions.

This approach of using the space to inform the art is ripe with potential, especially in the context of SFU’s modern concrete architecture that is slowly decaying in the damp climate of Burnaby Mountain. This campus, in its short 50 years of existence, has been host to protests, celebrations, studentorganized raves, and convocations.

Unfortunately, the result of Morrison’s attempt to address Vancouver’s changing spaces is muddied at best. Certain works stand out, such as paintings by Morrison, framed prints from the archives, as well as an array of ceramic works arranged on purposebuilt MDF structures. But this variety clutters the exhibition, which in turn makes it feel empty.

To include work by other artists into one’s exhibition, as Morrison has done, is similar to citing references: they should support the thesis of the exhibition — that one’s state of mind can affect how we perceive art. It is great to see Curnoe’s work in this exhibition, but it distracts from its intention. It’s a great quote that doesn’t fit the context. More supportive of the artist’s intention is the visible connection between the hard-edged forms of the structures and the architecture of SFU, and “Palomar” by Michael Morris, a lithograph of curving, modernist forms.

Of all the work on display at SFU Gallery, the strongest ones are Morrison’s 2011 paintings on linen and the flags that hang at the gallery’s entrance, works that would have fit nicely into the Geometry of Knowing series that was part of the SFU Galleries’ programming earlier this year. As pure abstraction, these works do not contain the overall ambition of the current exhibition’s focus on state of mind, but the crystalline and triangular patterns call to mind both the clean, hard edges of modernist forms while also resembling patterns that could be used on more comforting works, such as stained glass or quilts.

These quiet and modest works build a discourse between these two opposing aesthetics that could be appreciated by Smithson’s “dank brain.”

ARTS

October 13, 2015

This year, Canadian short filmmakers threw caution to the wind. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing all the short films selected by the Vancouver International Film Festival in the Canadian Images program; some of my favourites included the social realist gaze of Star (dir. Emilie Mannering), the hilarious seventh-grade feminists in My Favourite Season (dir. Liz Cairns), and the playful portraits of Calendar Girls (dir.

Lisa Birke).

Before the final shorts program premiere last week, I sat down in the lounge of the Vancity Theatre with Curtis Woloschuk, VIFF Canadian Images Shorts programmer, to ask him about what trends he noticed in 2015 shorts. “I think that, on average, things seem a little bit longer. And there’s a bit more of a freedom to the films, maybe not as much concern for traditional structure,” Woloschuk noted. “There’s a sense of ideas being pursued or tested, and it doesn’t always resolve itself in the manner that one might expect. Because of that, I think they tend to linger a little longer.”

Just shy of the 20-minute mark, one stand-out was the chilled embrace of Never Steady, Never Still. This short and soonto-be feature sees a young man returning from the rigs to his mother’s rural home, and offers a complex and considerate portrait of fragility. Directed by Kathleen Hepburn, Never Steady, Never Still was awarded Most Promising

Director of a Canadian Short Film and is also one of the many shorts at VIFF made by SFU alumni.

Woloschuk named a film directed by current SFU students Jessica Johnson and Ryan Ermacora as one of his favourites: “I think that Ocean Falls is a really special film.

The feel of that film, both in terms of the aesthetic and the more formal qualities. It just takes you to a place, in a lot of ways. It’s such an immersive film.” Woloschuk is clearly a fan of the work coming out of SFU, as he regularly attends the fourth-year film screenings at the School for the Contemporary Arts.

“I think seeing the grad screenings at SFU, there’s obviously a freedom that is encouraged there,” Woloschuk continues. “I think that lends itself to some of those qualities that I was talking about, even in the submissions from elsewhere in the program, a sense of curiosity and exploration — there’s a restlessness to a lot of the films. There’s

Shameless Hussy Productions and the Firehall Arts Centre present Love Bomb, a musical written by the ever-so-talented rising star Meghan Gardiner.

This was the most incredible two-women show I’ve ever seen.

I was surprised to walk into a truly minimalistic performance space consisting of only a few props. What a delightful change to have only the vitally important things on the stage: the two actresses, a small concert stage with sound equipment and guitars, and four chairs. The simplicity of the set made the audience compelled to be focused on the actresses and their expressions where the real depth of the story was found.

The artistic qualities of the musical were indescribable.

This is a show about something so crushingly real in our world: the power of love, which can be devastating and beautiful — and sometimes both at once.

“ Love Bomb is not your typical musical in that the characters feel compelled to sing and it’s quite unnatural,” Gardiner told The Peak . “The story takes place during a rock concert, so it would be natural to sing.” The musical was touching and riveting partly because the audience could relate to the feelings of the two characters: regret, anguish, passion, desperation, and anger all in the name of love.

“The story is a mystery and the songs are the clues,” Gardiner explained. “The songs greatly advance the story.” The show’s plot is constructed from an emotional exchange between the mother of a missing daughter and the rising rock star who has the lyrics of songs that belonged to the missing girl.

Every song and their strategically written lyrics are a huge part of the storyline — the audience was hanging off each and every word sung and exchanged between the characters. The story truly toys with the idea of love and expresses a mother’s pain and desperation so well. The connection between the two characters is obvious from the moment they meet, and eventually it becomes an exchange of compassion and humanity — an example of how unfortunate but relatable situations can crash two very different people together.

Meghan Gardiner spoke about her creative process and her inspiration found in Vancouver, and she expressed that this production was one of the best creative experiences she’s ever had and what an honour it was to have worked with Steve Charles. “I don’t like to write, but I like to have written,” Gardiner joked. “It’s tough literally trying to invent for a deadline — but when it finally comes together it is so gratifying.”

Raised in Vancouver, Gardiner feels greatly inspired by the city — especially with the support of her family. “I feel a real sense of calm in nature and in the beauty of Vancouver [. . .] it clears my head and helps me to be creative.”

I strongly applaud this beautiful musical that is unafraid to boldly call attention to an issue in our society that is often ignored or misunderstood. I can’t say much more than that, as the effectiveness of the show depends on you not knowing what to expect.

But I recommend that you all go see it, because it is captivating, heartbreaking, and, above all, important. The talent explodes off the stage and brings to life Gardiner’s essential message: “Whether it’s as an explosion of fierce adoration or as a manipulative tool, love is powerful.”

a certain compelling anxiety to them. A need to seek something out. And I think that’s what I see in the SFU films.”

It seems that SFU’s alumni have tapped into the everchanging landscape of successful short filmmaking. “I would like to see more films that embrace a freedom,” says Woloschuk. “When looking at other festival programs, some of those

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films are very solid, very defined things. But I think there are also those films that allow themselves that room to breathe, and you have the potential to revisit them and they’d appear quite different — almost amorphous in some way.

“They’re open, and because of that they encourage an openness in the viewer as well, and so you can meet them on different terms.”

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SPORTS

October 13, 2015

sports editor email

Nick Bondi sports@the-peak.ca

ELECTION EXERCISE

The election and Canadian sport

On Monday October 19, sports will take a back seat in Canada due to the federal election. The election will still be the number-one news story, even if the Blue Jays get in the American League Championship Series.

This election has had next to no connection to sports. The only party that raised the issue of athletics funding is the NDP, who have pledged $28 million for Sport Canada to help poor and disadvantaged youth play sports. The one prominent athlete who offered their support to a party or candidate was Wayne Gretzky, who publicly endorsed Prime Minister Harper at an event in Toronto recently. Where are you, Steve Nash, Eugenie Bouchard, Milos Raonic, Hayley Wickenheiser, and Sidney Crosby? What would be the effect if Seattle Seahawk Luke Willson made

a day trip to Vancouver to endorse a candidate?

Other countries have a huge connection between celebrity endorsements and the involvement of athletes in elections. In the United States, many famous athletes have served in elected office. The most famous athlete to enter the American political arena is the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The greatest athlete to ever enter the Oval Office, however, is undoubtedly President Gerald Ford. Ford had his number retired after a stellar career at the University of Michigan, where he started at center and middle linebacker as a key cog in the Wolverines’ 1932 and 1933 National Championship teams.

One of the most famous international athletes to enter politics was the hero of the 1992 Cricket World Cup, Imran Khan. Khan is one of the most popular politicians in Pakistan and is head of a major political party. However, the Canadian track record does contain one truly remarkable story.

Normie Kwong was the first Chinese-Canadian to star in the CFL, playing for the Calgary Stampeders (1948–50) and Edmonton Eskimos (1951–1960). Star is an

understatement, as Kwong was a true superstar. He won the Schenley Award for most outstanding Canadian in 1955 and 1956, and was named Canadian Athlete of the Year in ’55.

Kwong was also a three-time all-star and rushed for 9,022 yards and 93 touchdowns in his 13-year career. He is a member of the CFL Hall of Fame, Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and he received the Order of Canada in 1988. Kwong was also a part owner of the Calgary Flames in 1989 when they won the Stanley Cup. As such he is one of only a handful of people to have their names engraved on both of Canada’s most venerated trophies. From 1988–91 Kwong also served as the General Manager of the Calgary Stampeders.

Politically, Kwong was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta in 2005 and served until 2010. He was the second Chinese Canadian to be a viceregal and earned the title “The Honourable” for life.

So remember: Don’t forget to vote on October 19. Even if no athletes are running and only Gretzky endorsed a candidate, it still vitally important to our future as a country.

WOLF HUNTING

Women’s volleyball sweeps Western Oregon

The SFU Women’s Volleyball team extended their winning streak to two games Thursday night, and put themselves over .500 with a win against the ninth-placed Western Oregon Wolves in their first game home after a four-game road trip.

“We did a good job of weathering the ups and downs,” said head

coach Gina Schmidt. “Western Oregon made us earn all of our points.”

Clan setter Danielle Curtis opened the game’s scoring, giving SFU the head start. For much of the first set, SFU had the momentum on their side, with a six point lead at various occasions and one four point streak, before closing the set 25–20.

However, the second set was a much closer affair. For the first time in the game, the Wolves took the lead, and though the Clan at various points built up a sizable lead, the Wolves just kept coming back.

“I thought we could have cleaned up a few things o f f e nsively, there was a couple of times they strung a few points in our rotation, where we gave up some easy points on unforced errors,” explained Schmidt.

For a moment, the Wolves looked ready to take the second set, leading the Clan 23–20 and only two points away from splitting the series. A series of bad serves and errors in their own end, including surrendering the final point on an

unforced error, gave the Clan the second set at a score of 26–24 — a commanding two-set lead.

The third set was the first in which SFU surrendered the first point. Unfortunately for the Wolves, and fortunately for the

105 Clan fans in attendance, they were plagued by the same problems — namely, a tendency to over-serve the ball and inaccuraty in their attack attempts.

The Clan then promptly took advantage to sweep the Wolves, claiming the final set with a score of 25–17.

It was a game where it seemed SFU might very well lose control, but every time the Wolves started gaining ground, the Clan were able to answer right back.

“We focus on one play at a time, the next pass, the next set, so I think that’s where you can’t get ahead of yourself,” said Schmidt.

Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Madison Power led the team in kills with 14, while the defensive effort was split amongst the team with libero Alison McKay, Jessica Young, and Curtis combining for a total of 48 digs.

SPORTS

On Sunday October 4, a great fall day, the SFU softball team played host to the UBC softball team. It was a great chance to see the team in action before their GNAC season starts next February. The final score was 6–4 for the Thunderbirds, thanks in part to a great fifth inning.

“Well, it’s fall for us, and for us these are scrimmages,” said SFU head coach Mike Renney.

“So we play open substitutions and stuff like that. So it’s a chance for us to get our freshman in the games. Our freshman kind of got their feet wet, and it’s good chance to play some ball in great fall weather.”

UBC got off to a quick 1–0 lead in the first, after the SFU shortstop committed an error.

SFU was able to get back into a 2–1 lead in the bottom of the

If you are a sports fan such as myself, you have probably seen on TV or online the lovein that is surrounding this year’s Toronto Blue Jays. The team recently ended its 22 year playoff drought by winning the American League East, and frankly I am getting sick of all the coverage. It doesn’t help that Rogers owns the Blue Jays and Sportsnet, the latter of which has devoted night and day coverage to the team. If you only watched their coverage, you would think they were the greatest team in the history of baseball.

The main source of my anger stems from the fact that

October 13, 2015

first, tying it with a sacrifåice fly ball and taking the lead off an error from the second basemen.

The game was looking good for SFU until the fifth inning.

UBC exploded for four runs, with the rally starting off with a successful bunt. In the sixth, UBC was able to add one more run after a double sent the runner from third home.

In the bottom of the seventh, SFU made things interesting. They were able to get runners on the corners with no outs, and the runner from third was able to slide home after a single. SFU added another run, but it was too little left too late.

The game was just a scrimmage, but these games are used to determine what needs to be improved for the upcoming season. “If anything, we look for things to identify that we have to invest in in the offseason,” said Renney after the game.

“For us, we’re not looking to see what we did right, we’re looking to see what we aren’t doing right. We then build upon those things, make our list, and tackle them when we head indoors.”

Renney elaborated on what the team needed to improve on heading into the season. “We’re

this team is being labelled “Canada’s team.” They aren’t Canada’s team, they’re Toronto’s team. It is just that simple.

No self-respecting person outside of Toronto should cheer for the Blue Jays. I highly doubt anyone from Toronto cheered on the Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, so why should people out west support the Blue Jays? It just doesn’t make sense.

An even more egregious claim that I saw online from some people is that Blue Jays this year could be as big as team Canada winning olympic gold in 2010. Where do these people get off? Olympic gold in 2010 was a once in a lifetime event; the Blue Jays finally winning something is just like your underachieving kid finally getting a few good test results in a row.

That feeds into another equally annoying point about the Blue Jays. Supporting the Blue Jays also supports the

pretty much where we expected to be this time of year. One of the things we need to get more of is experience for our freshman. So they got that today,

belief that Toronto is the centre of the country. Every time a team from Toronto miraculously doesn’t suck, everyone from Canada is suppose to band together, hand in hand, and support their team. Now, I don’t claim to be a particular supporter of any baseball team, but if I had to choose one, I would much rather support the Seattle Mariners. Not only are they a three whour drive away, they’re not Toronto. And that’s probably the most important part.

The Toronto Blue Jays are not Canada’s team. They’re the city of Toronto’s team. If you bought some Blue Jays merchandise over the past couple of months, shame on you. Toronto is not the center of the universe, and you are a part of this toxic attitude. I can’t imagine how much worse it will get if they make it to the World Series, or God forbid, win it. We may never hear the end of how great the Blue Jays are.

and we continue to invest with them.

“We got a solid defensive lineup, some good pitching depth and certainly some

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offensive potential but they all have to be clicking on all cylinders. If we can get B+ and A games from each of those categories, we’ll be fine.”

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After beating rivals Seattle Pacific in a tight 1–0 affair, the Clan continued on their recent winning run with a 2–0 win over Northwest Nazarene.

They came into the game unbeaten in GNAC play, sporting a 4–0–1 record. SFU was able to score two goals on them in a tense, physical affair. After a slow start, the team seems to be getting to full gear at the right time.

“Were riding a bit of momentum right now, which is good,” said SFU head coach Clint Schneider after the match. “Fair play to the boys: they deserved it and they played well. Again, not the best footballing performance of what our standards are, but [we’re] finding ways to grind out results. Unlucky we didn’t get a couple other goals, their goalkeeper played very, very well.

On Thursday night, Saint Martin’s University rolled into town, and it looked like it could be the perfect medicine for an ailing Clan side.

Saint Martin’s was the worst defensive team in the GNAC, conceding 19 goals in eight games while SFU has scored only seven goals in the same time period coming into tonight. Needless to say, the Clan got their fix of goals, as they won 5–0.

But the story by the end of the night was Christina Dickson. With the score 2–0 in the 80th minute,

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the group here, and the boys can feel it. They know they’re on a bit of a run, and it’s exciting.”

SFU got the eventual winning goal courtesy of an Adam Jones penalty kick. After Kyle Jones was taken down in the box and left with

she proceeded to score three goals in the span of nine minutes, stunning the crowd in attendance.

“It was a really good team effort,” said Dickson on her performance after the match. “Coming from 2–0 at halftime, we just talked about how we really just had to go out and seal it here, especially at home. It took us a little while but we got there.”

While there are no records to indicate if these are among the fastest three goals in women’s soccer history, it is still one incredible achievement. “It feels really good,” said Christina Dickson on her unofficial SFU record. “Especially to come on and just do my job here.”

SFU got off to a fantastic start. Six minutes in, Olivia Aguiar made a p owe r f u l run off the left side, cut in, and scored on a hard, high shot to get SFU off to an early lead. They added a second in the 19th minute, when Katelyn Richardson cut

October 13, 2015

a bloody nose, Adam calmly buried the penalty into the bottom left corner for the lead. Forward James Fraser almost scored a spectacular bicycle kick, but it went just wide.

The half was marked by numerous challenges, and a yellow card was administered to both teams.

through two players and buried the ball into the bottom left corner. The Clan could have had a few more, with Sierra Leung and Devon Kollymer having great chances to find the back of the net.

The Clan struck early in the second half, when Michael North got a header off a fantastic cross. The opposing keeper had no chance. From there, it was just about holding off Northwest Nazarene until the final whistle.

Goalkeeper Brandon Watson

had another clean sheet, and Callum Whittaker was able to play just in front of the defence and clear the ball out of danger on numerous occasions.

It was another physical affair for SFU, with a lot of fouls being committed throughout the night.

It isn’t likely to stop, according to coach Schneider. “That’s how it goes with our guys. Our players can play either way. We can play good football and we can be a team that mucks it up a bit.

“It’s a group of guys that know what it takes to win games. They’re experiencing it now and they’re finding it out themselves, as opposed to myself or [Kevin Harmse] telling them, ‘Hey, you’re a good side.’

They know it now.”

Schneider also praised goalkeeper Brandon Watson. “He’s a first class guy. He’s the team captain, a mentor for the student athletes [. . .] he deserves all the good that he gets.”

SFU soccer fans will be hoping that this win against the top-ranked team can catapult them back to their former successful ways.

In the second half, SFU was content to retain possession, forcing Saint Martin’s to attack on the counter. But then Christina Dickson produced her magic. Her first came in the 80th minute, a great shot near the goal line that sailed

over the opposing keepers head.

Her second came six minutes later, with a hard shot outside the penalty box that the goalie could not clear off the line in time. Then, three minutes later, she completed the hat trick off a rebound.

“I thought we had a slow first half,” said head coach Annie Hamel after the match. “Honestly, the message at halftime was pick up the tempo, pick up the level. I felt like we played down to their level a little bit.

As a staff, we were unhappy about that. But I thought the team responded well.

“Finally, we scored more than one goal. It’s a nice confidence builder.”

Coach Hamel was, needless to say, extremely happy with Dickson’s play on the night.

“What a performance,” said Hamel on Dickson. “It feels good to finish. I’m glad she had the confidence to do what she did, but I still like to see my strikers a bit more polished. Because in different games, you may not get the second or third chance.”

SPORTS

Austin Cozicar Peak Associate It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon, not a chance of rain. A great day to watch some football — some Canadian football, I should note.

What a great day, sitting in the sun, in one of the few summer-ish days left. Maybe pop open a cold bottle of Coke or knock back some overpriced domestic beer. What a day.

But wait, I’m watching the BC Lions at BC Place. Despite boasting on its website that BC Place has “a spectacular, one-of-a-kind retractable roof — the largest in the world,” on this bright, sunny Saturday the roof was, for some reason, closed.

The other things were still there — a cold pop, a pretty decent game of football — but one of the very reasons I looked forward to the game was for seeing it in the sun. Instead I sat inside

Through the weekend of October 3, the SFU men’s hockey team went on the road to play against two well-established NCAA Division I hockey programs from Providence College and Northeastern University. While the score lines were not flattering, the team gained valuable experience against some tough competition.

“It’s competitive and fast,” head coach Mark Coletta told The Peak.

“Going up against six or seven drafted [NHL] players is a lot different than what we’re used to, so it was an experience.”

Their first game was against the Providence College Friars, the defending NCAA national champions.

Despite being the underdogs in the playoff, the Friars ended up winning it all, eliminating eventual second overall pick Jack Eichel in the process. They also featured a number

October 13, 2015

for three hours on one of the last days of semi-summer.

It ain’t the first time I had to watch a game indoors at BC Place for no real reason. Back in the day, when the Heritage Classic came to town — a supposedly outdoor game — despite great weather outside, the roof was closed.

What’s the point of having “a spectacular, one-of-a-kind retractable roof” if you’re never going to retract it?

Down in Seattle, at Safeco Field, home of the Mariners, they’ve got an awesome system for baseball games, where if it starts to rain, their retractable roof can quickly cover the stadium. Why can’t BC Place do that? I don’t know if Safeco is “one of a kind” like BC Place, but that certainly is “spectacular.”

Apparently, the decision to close the roof comes 90 minutes before the game, so I guess it means it has little or nothing to do with the weather. But why close it? Part of the fun of any sporting event — aside from hockey — is to take in the fresh air.

Now, apparently the Lions want it closed for the competitive advantage, I suppose to keep the amplified noise trapped in. I’m not

of players drafted by NHL teams, including Mark Jankowski, who selected in the first round by the Calgary Flames in 2012.

SFU got off to a great start when forward Mak Barden scored an early powerplay goal to put the team up 1–0. However, Jankowski scored to tie it all up,w and the Friars didn’t

23

Chris Crisologo had another strong outing, as he finished fifth at the Butte Creek Country Club tournament. In the threeround tournament, Crisologo was leading after the first two rounds. But after a third round of 77, he dropped down to fifth. The team as a whole finished third.

The Women’s Wrestling team is now ranked fifth in the preseason rankings, with numerous wrestlers in the top 10 of their respective weight classes.

Abby Lloyd is ranked second in the 109 weight class, Jennifer Anderson in the 123 weight class, and Payton Smith in the 191 weight class.

going to be delusional and say that the Lions can get anywhere near the atmosphere of the Seahawks, but come on, Centurylink Field can manage just fine without a closed roof. The Lions have also had trouble drawing fans in all

year, so I’m not sure how much of a competitive advantage there could be with a very meagre crowd there making little noise.

Oh well. I suppose it’s just another reason I’d rather watch the Seahawks.

look back from there. They scored eight straight more to take the game to 9–1. Despite the score, Jordan Liem had a fantastic game, making a number of great saves against a talented opposition.

The next day the team played the Northeastern University Huskies. While not the reigning champs,

the team featured six NHL draftees, including Adam Gaudette, a fifth round draft choice of the Canucks.

Unfortunately SFU couldn’t get the opening goal in this game, as Anaheim Ducks prospect Kevin Roy scored to make it 1–0. Northeastern ended up scoring five straight, only to be interrupted by Mak Barden to make it 5–1. Forward Stephen Ryan made it 8–2 late in the game, but the Huskies added two quick ones to make the final score 10–2.

While the score lines were not flattering, coach Mark Coletta was looking at the process more than the end result. “[I looked] at mostly our compete level,” said Coletta. “We’re at a different level than these NCAA division I programs, and they play a different style. They play a more in-your-face, pressing system with a lot of quick transition, especially between the defence and the forwards. So hopefully we can take some of these things and use them this upcoming season.

“It’s a great experience,” added Coletta, discussing the trip as a whole. “The facilities and prestige of the programs are something else. It’s all first class — it’s like a mini NHL.”

The Clan swept the weekly GNAC player of the week awards for the week of October 5–11. Midfielder Mamadi Camara won offensive player of the week after scoring three goals in two matches, one of them being the game winner against rivals Seattle Pacific.

Goalkeeper Brandon Watson won the defensive player of the week. He had two clean sheets: one against lowly Saint Martin’s, and one in the crucial win against Seattle Pacific.

24 DIVERSIONS / ETC

October 13, 2015

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HUMOUR

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October 13, 2015

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Inspired by massive sales of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump memorabilia south of the border, Canadian politicians have climbed aboard the merchandise bandwagon and added a plethora of new items to their online stores. Support both the party of your choice and decadent capitalism by buying one of these hot new items.

Justin Trudeau wig: After learning from Portlandia that putting a bird on ugly things makes them look good, the Liberals followed suit with their Put a Wig on It campaign. By putting Justin Trudeau and his luscious flow in the spotlight, the Liberals have been able to mask their history of scandals and flip-flopping. For the low price of $29.99, you too can own a wig to hide your deep flaws and lack of experience! In support of the Liberals’

stance on marijuana, all wigs are made from Justin Trudeau’s personal hemp collection.

Price: $29.99 (Shipping will be delayed two weeks, as our machines are just not ready.)

Tom Mulcair beard: The bearded population has always been the core of the NDP voter base, and Tom Mulcair has gone out of his way to appeal to that segment of Canada. However, there are many people who have

no concept of economics and would like to vote NDP, but unfortunately can’t grow a beard. Well, now on the NDP’s online store you can buy a Mulcair beard and look just like the leader of the federal opposition, and that creepy guy downtown who asks you for money to buy bellinis. This is the perfect gift for any wannabe communists, such as owners of a Che Guevara shirt, people who enjoy reggae, and your history prof.

Price: $19.99 (Sixty per cent off if you actually buy that guy downtown a bellini; he’s the NDP’s finance critic.)

Stephen Harper sweater vest: Because nothing says “strong and stable economy” like the inability to buy a full sweater. Marketed to campus conservatives who suffer from sleeve-ophobia, these vests were worn by big Steve himself while he was on a hectic campaign tour of Canada’s seniors’

residences. Made from real Canadian oil sands yarn — so absorbent, it can wipe away excess urine if you decide to piss in a client’s cup — these vests come with the Bill C-51 Inc. microphone and GPS, which always track your movements and what you say.

When rolled up, this sweater also makes an excellent gag; perfect for climate scientists, or just anyone who looks at you funny.

Price: $900.00 (Though subject to change if the Canadian dollar continues to fall.)

Elizabeth May prescription glasses: Whether you’re protesting an oil pipeline or the lack of Vegan Double IPAs at your local gastropub, do it in style with these Elizabeth May prescription glasses! The Greens are currently less significant than that Alaskan goth doing slam poetry at a Chilliwack dive bar, so all proceeds will go to helping buy 30 seconds of airtime for Elizabeth May, which she will use to state her party’s policies. And then she’ll tap dance while playing the accordion and singing Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” because at this point that’s the only thing capable of bringing the Greens above five per cent of the national vote.

and got offended. Next thing I know he’s getting curb stomped, Ryan Gosling-style.”

For the average SFU student, transiting is a reality that comes with living the glorious university lifestyle.

Like an excessively high-priced textbook for a garbage elective, so too is public transit a necessary evil most must endure. While taking the bus or SkyTrain can mirror the atmosphere of an unsupervised asylum mixed with a McDonald’s PlayPlace, it is still commonly regarded as a rather safe means of passage — or so it used to be.

Last Thursday morning, an SFU student was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after an altercation on a transit vehicle.

At approximately 9 a.m., police arrived on scene at the Production Way–University SkyTrain station to tend to the male SFU student who was viciously assaulted. Paramedics arrived shortly after to take the victim to hospital. When officers questioned passengers on what transpired, they were told that the student was accosted by a middle-aged woman after he offered her his seat.

“It was hilarious. Well, not really. . . but still,” cited one SFU student, who observed the whole catastrophe. “He offered his seat to some lady and she freaked the fuck out. She thought he was making a crack about her age or something

system is overrun by psychopaths, degenerates, and women who needlessly feel self-conscious about their age.

This isn’t the last you’ve heard of me or Mothers Against Unsafe Transit. It’s happening. Just you wait.”

Within a couple hours of the attack, local police issued a statement on the incident and shocked the public with a surprising bit of news.

“The suspect is known to police. Law enforcement is currently taking steps to make sure an event such as this never happens again. Until we have apprehended the suspect, we advise that all students think

twice about offering their seats to someone who may need it until a time when we can deem it safe.”

Police then issued a description of the suspect for the general public. She is described as an older woman in her mid-40s with past-her-prime features.

She is dressed in clothes that are two sizes too small and not at all appropriate for her age group. Suspect is also described as wearing heavy makeup applied with the tactful swagger of a three-year-old toddler.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the authorities immediately. If approached on transit, students are advised to compliment the woman on her appearance profusely and stay seated until law enforcement officials have arrived.

The interpretive dance major is currently in stable condition recovering from his injuries. The student has declined interviews at this time. However, The Peak spoke with the victim’s mother for comment.

“I’m never letting him go on transit again. I told my husband this would happen. Our transit

26 HUMOUR

Last week SFU’s Introvert Club held their inaugural meeting of the semester, marking the largest ever gathering of people who didn’t want to be around other people in the history of the university.

“I’ve always wanted to be socially antisocial around people who are as antisocial as me,” said club member Ann Siety. “I can finally get people to ignore me as I ignore them. I feel like I have finally found my people!”

Between 20 and 25 students were in attendance at the icebreaker, with several prospective members also participating from afar. In planning the

event, the Introvert Club had booked a meeting room with plenty of large open windows so that members who desire more personal space could view the event through binoculars.

The icebreaker itself had the usual promises of free food and an exciting round of human bingo, except there were modifications to these icebreaker mainstays: the food came in to-go bags for each attendee, and participants were allowed to think of fictional characters to complete their human bingo.

Attendees then participated in a 4x100 relay, where individuals had to run while keeping their eyes focused downward on the ground; coughing loudly was also the chosen form of communication for the baton passing sequences. When asked what they thought of the relay’s design, many participants at first tried to avoid speaking to us entirely, but

October 13, 2015

eventually offered up praise for the post-modern alterations.

“Looking at other people that I am interacting with is a big no-no,” reported one student, who managed to go a whole interview without giving her name or revealing any personal information about herself. “Talking to other people in general is also completely unacceptable, so I feel extremely grateful that the club executives have factored in my kind of needs for these activities.”

Club president Cerissely Shy on why she decided to form this club: “I saw a real need that wasn’t being addressed on campus. Shy people were studying by themselves or eating by themselves when they could be awkwardly studying/eating together in silence.

“This club will rectify this tragedy and bring together

people who don’t want to be brought together. Our motto is: We are alone, together!”

When asked if she’d made any prospective new friendships, Shy admitted that she purposely avoided asking for anyone’s names so she could avoid the dreaded friendly-acquaintance small talk that comes with

running into people on campus.

The next SFU Introvert Club meeting has unfortunately been cancelled due to crippling anxiety of its president, but members are being encouraged to participate remotely by constructing blanket forts in their own home and hiding away for the rest of the semester.

HUMOUR

October 13, 2015

27

28 LAST WORD

Editor-in-Chief email

Max Hill eic@the-peak.ca

October 13, 2015