NEWS
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First Peek
“They teach something [besides what we expect], which is confusing sometimes.”
Suraj Konwr Second-year economics
“On the first day, I realized that it was going to be a tough semester when this dude was [...] not really listening or responsive to the class. [...] He didn’t really promote the kind of engagement that people were looking for.”
Matt Campbell Fourth-year geography
We’re all friends here, so we can all agree that a Teaching Assistant (TA) can make or break a course. I’m not suggesting that the university should function without TAs; they provide a crucial service to the school, and a shit-show would ensue if they stopped their work. Classes would become exponentially smaller, particularly the lower division undergraduate courses with hundreds of students. There’s no way the professor could take on the workload alone. Thus, instead of the six years it might take to complete a degree (thanks to SFU’s shitty enrolment system), it could take several more years due to class unavailability. It’s more economically efficient to use TAs as ‘mini-profs,’ as they receive less pay and there are many grad students willing to take on the job. But the problem is that SFU seems to let any and every interested student take the reigns on tutorials, and mark the assignments and exams that influence our success in class. Unfortunately, not giving TAs any formal education on teaching hinders everyone’s learning opportunities. TAs run tutorials, clarify and expound upon material covered by the professor, and then they’re put in charge of our
grades. Those grades impact our futures through our access to scholarships, graduate school, and employment. Having a TA who lacks proper teaching qualities, who doesn’t know how to clarify in multiple ways, or who delivers any explanation with condescension and a holierthan-thou attitude has ruined many of the first-year classes I’ve taken.
One of my psychology TAs would never give me a straight answer, or would just repeat back every question I’d ask, without actually helping me or furthering the discussion. An English TA I once had would expect our work to look completely different from what the professor had asked for — that class was almost the death of me. Most faculties publish their TA applications online, and after having browsed through many of them I’m not able to find
anything on these applications that asks about teaching ability. Not a single one placed specific importance on the applicants’ interpersonal abilities. Now, as with any job, many prospective TAs are in it for the money, experience, and networking opportunities. But some of them also harbour plans to become post-secondary educators. The school does both TAs and students a disservice by not requiring any prior teaching ability or graded professional development courses for the TA position. Of course, SFU’s TA Learning Guide states that TAs can attend free orientation and workshops every semester, but they’re optional. Maybe they need to be mandatory. Moreover, we have a whole faculty devoted to education. Maybe SFU should find a mutually beneficial professional training program that gives education students experience in teaching people — specifically TAs — how to teach. Just because a student has a high GPA and the time to take on the position, doesn’t mean they’re qualified. I know grad students have a lot on their plate, but if SFU invested more time and money in helping these students become better educators, it could pay off for everyone in the long run.
“The TA didn’t add anything to the material. He just spoke [monotonously], just going over the material that was on a list. He didn’t talk to anybody, he didn’t answer their questions. . . I felt like I didn’t need to attend.”
Kurtis Awram Third-year business
“I had a TA with a really heavy accent, so it was hard to understand what he was saying. [. . .] It was more difficult communicating.”
Dolly Loi Fourth-year communciation
“I’ve had more than one TA who will hand out papers, and [they’ll] have a grade on them, but [...] there’s zero ink in the paper. When you ask them, they [give you] this arbitrary feedback.”
Matthew Furtado Third-year communication
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News
Jamal Dumas / Print News Editor
news@the-peak.ca
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
SATELLITE SIGNALS Woodward’s
Alexa Tarrayo / The Peak
Surrey
Average house prices in Vancouver can reach over $1 million (data from Maclean’s).
Vancouver’s housing crisis caused by foreign money, report says Report from SFU looks to inform public debate Tatum Miller Peak Associate Vancouver’s housing affordability crisis is caused by an influx of foreign money and poor political oversight, according to a report out of SFU. Assistant professor from the School of Public Policy, Josh Gordon, said the BC and federal governments have done little to stop money, primarily from mainland China, that pushes domestic buyers out of the market and raises prices for properties. Gordon addressed the issue of racism, and assured readers that “the problem is that the money is foreign,” not that the money is from China. Other contributing components were also included in the report. Historically low interest rates in Canada, coupled with Vancouver’s natural and artificial geographical boundaries are two key factors playing into the equation. Gordon dismissed other common justifications for government inaction as “distractions,” like the supposed lack of social housing, bad zoning, and high “desirability” of living in Vancouver. “Too often people [simply assert] this or that claim” and don’t back it up, especially “influential people connected to real estate and government,” Gordon said in an email to The Peak. He further stressed his intention to “confront the evidence in a careful
way,” engage the interested public, and challenge conventional approaches. Canada’s Business Immigration Program, specifically the investor stream, is a primary cause of the housing crisis, according to Gordon. This “cash for citizenship” program has allowed wealthy individuals (net worth $1.6 million or higher) to come to Canada. Gordon cited a 2014 report by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and one by UBC professor David Ley. He summarized the reports, saying that the program was an “unmitigated failure,” and the migration to Vancouver was “substantial, and consisted almost entirely of investors from Greater China.” Roughly 48 percent of these immigrants’ business operations were “real estate and rental,” and only 10 percent of them had any self-employment income. Gordon also reported that the average annual income tax paid was only $1,400, compared to $7,500 for Canadians. Between 1980 and 2012, an estimated 200,000 investor stream migrants came to Vancouver, representing 8 to 9 percent of the regional population. The program ended in 2014, but
On May 18, from 7 to 9 p.m., a conversation surrounding Commercial Drive’s development will be held as part of the ongoing series Shaping Vancouver 2016: Our Neighbourhoods. The pressure to develop this area is rising, as Vancouver continues to grow with new towers, increased density, and transit. Heritage Vancouver Society aims to find a means to allow the area to develop while maintaining its character and history. An open discussion with the audience will follow the talk.
thanks to a “loophole,” an estimated 1,800 investor migrants have come to BC through Quebec since then. Gordon pointed to a study by urban planner Andy Yan. Yan looked at 172 homes sold in West Vancouver from 2014 to 2015. His research showed that 66 percent of buyers had non-anglicized Chinese names, suggesting “recent arrival.” For homes over $5 million, it rose to 88 percent. There is a significant “‘de-coupling’ of the Vancouver real estate market from local incomes” Gordon reported, thanks to the purchasing power distorting the market. Prices are inflated “across the board” as upscale buyers move to less highend neighbourhoods and the effects continue, claimed Gordon. Incomes in Vancouver have not significantly increased, nor are they at a level that would suggest a correlation with the skyrocketing housing prices, which the CBC reports has increased 30 percent in the last year. In 2015, over USD $1 trillion left China for foreign markets. Gordon included a survey showing 14 percent of elite Chinese investors said Vancouver was their preferred location for real estate investment. Gordon concluded that “a massive amount of money from China entered the Vancouver real estate market in the past year or so.” Gordon explained that there are severe consequences for Vancouverites. Intergenerational inequality perpetuates and millennial buyers are unable to enter the housing market in Vancouver, even into apartments
and condos.BC has a highly leveraged real estate economy with “unstable debt foundations.” Construction and real estate services account for over 25 percent of BC’s economy, compared to roughly 20 percent for both Ontario and Alberta. Increased housing prices cause individuals to assume more debt than they can afford. If interest rates rise more, this problem might worsen. Gordon explained that mortgage holders could owe more than their home is worth, putting them “underwater.” Gordon said that communities suffer too. First-time buyers are pushed into the suburbs, farther away from their families, friends, and workplaces. Young professionals leave Vancouver, and there is an exodus of young talent because of the unaffordability of starting a life there. Gordon presented two potential solutions to the problem: a progressive property tax scheme, and better tracking of foreign investment and laundering. The tax scheme would target foreign owners of high-end ($1 million and over) homes and would reduce demand in Vancouver. The Canada Revenue Agency and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation also need to keep better records to allow for real tracking of foreign money pouring into Vancouver. Gordon’s report is not peerreviewed, and was “aimed squarely at the public debate.” He wishes to see “sensible policy action” from the government through public pressure.
Join Pushcart Poetry nominee Kevin Spenst for Blasting Through Stigmas with Pop Up Poetry and Kevin Spenst on May 16 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. This free event supporting poetry and mental health will be held at the SFU Surrey campus. Spenst has authored Jabbering with Bing Bong, Ignite, and more than a dozen books such as Pray Goodbye and Surrey Sonnets. His work has been featured in several publications including Poetry is Dead and Best Canadian Poetry 2014, and has won the Lush Triumphant Award for Poetry.
Harbour Centre The 25th John K. Friesen Conference titled Late Life Issues and Innovations will be held on May 16 and 17. The conference will highlight inventions and strategies that allow both seniors and care providers to ensure the elderly can maintain quality of life, receive good care, and die painlessly and with dignity. Keynote speakers and panelists include prominent professors, researchers, medical and legal professionals, and leaders in the area of gerontology.
Maggie Li Peak Associate
News
The University of Waterloo will deliver a course on the Harry Potter novel series. Associate professor Neil Randall, who will be teaching the class beginning this summer, told CBC his reasons for suggesting the class include their popularity, their “[being] cleverly written” and “tightly plotted,” and a desire to spark discourse regarding the series’ validity as “a classic piece of literature.” Among the focuses of the course will be analyses of the characters, genres, and use of language. Acknowledging how precious the Potter saga is to its readers, Randall hopes to prove its literary value despite the skepticism of potential detractors.
Researchers from the University of Manitoba have collaborated with a Winnipeg software firm to produce technology that maximizes efficiency in honey harvesting. By placing sensors within hives that monitor factors such as changes in weight and internal motion, beekeepers can remotely determine the optimal time to retrieve honey. Heavier hives with greater bee activity have a greater yield; by waiting for moments where these two variables are at their peak, honey farms can ensure the highest yield possible for the lowest costs and least labour. The Canadian honey industry currently faces stiff competitors in the form of cheaper alternatives from foreign countries.
Studies performed by the University of British Columbia (UBC) demonstrate that dogs do not find hugs nearly as therapeutic as humans do. Following applications of “puppy therapy” to de-stress students in the midst of exam season at several universities, UBC professor emeritus of psychology Stanley Coren assessed online images of dogs being hugged. He found that 81.6 percent of the subjects showed indicators of stress. A canine expert himself, Coren suggests that hugs make dogs feel trapped should the need to flee arise — a feeling that does not mesh well with how their brains have evolved.
May 16, 2016
While much quantitative data exists, there are not enough observations from those who experience climate change, say SFU scientists Sarah Finley Peak Associate Researchers at Simon Fraser University’s Hakai Institute recently published a study entitled “Observations of Climate Change Among Subsistence-Oriented Communities Around the World.” The researchers attempted to quantify observations about climate change from 92,000 indigenous and non-indigenous peoples from over 2,200 places scattered across 137 countries. The researchers endeavoured to fill in “knowledge gaps” about climate change in areas where weather stations are either sparsely located or non-existent. Lead author of the study, Dr. Valentina Savo, explained that this type of study is important for two reasons: observations can reinforce the data, or they can “give a different perspective in case there is not enough data. And if the data and the observations of people don’t match, it’s where you should probably look more into what’s happening.” Observations were focused on the weather, plants and animals, and the physical environment itself. For the most part, the study’s qualitative data seems to match up well with Western quantitative data on climate change: around 70 percent of participating communities around the world confirmed changes in weather patterns that were already assumed or recorded by weather stations. However, there has been pushback from other scientists in the field. Many climate scientists described the local observations as irrelevant, disregarding them as biased by media coverage. These scientists clash with scientists like those from
SFU who prioritize the contributions of native peoples. Dr. Dana Lepofsky of SFU’s archaeology department, and a co-author on the study, noted that “this sort of information not only validates weather station data, it taps into long-term specific knowledge of subtle changes to ecosystems that you can’t get from a climate station.” Dr. Savo stressed the importance of such qualitative data, saying in her interview with The Vancouver
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Sun, “It’s not theoretical [. . .] it’s very disruptive.” Changes to the climate affect these communities’ ability to fish, hunt, gather food, and plant and harvest crops. Dr. Savo noted in an interview with The Peak that studying the social consequences for those who immediately depend on the Earth is essential. She said, “Living in cities, we don’t have a clear conception of what would be the social consequences. For us, it’s just ‘Oh, it’s nicer. It’s sunny, or it’s warmer, and so it’s more pleasant.’ “We can always go to the grocery store for food [. . .] But for other people, changes mean less food, travelling farther to find fresh water, and risks related to that. [. . .] Usually it’s women and children who are going to find water, so you can imagine the risks they face having to walk longer distances to find fresh water everyday.” Sometimes, when the distances are especially unfeasible, the only option is to migrate. Dr. Savo described not only the devastation of leaving one’s home behind, but also how this can lead to more conflict when entire groups of people have to cross into other communities’ thresholds. Despite the pushback, the researchers hope that the study will be noticed by not only other scientists, but also policy-makers. While she stressed that all elements of climate change research are important, Dr. Savo believes that “the more people who include social science in climate change, the better.”
PEAK MEMBERSHIP As an SFU student, you subscribe to the Peak Publications Society. With your subscription, you get access to a weekly copy of The Peak filled with news and views of interest to you. Additional privileges of being an SFU student include the opportunity to run and vote for the Peak Publications Society Board of Directors, to place free classified ads, to publish your work and opinions in The Peak, to become eligible to be paid for your contributions, and to apply for a position as an editor or staff member. Your contribution also helps provide jobs and experience for other SFU students, maintain an archive of SFU history through the eyes of students, maintain a computer lab and web site, and support student journalism across Canada. Students who have paid their tuition fees and do not wish to support their student newspaper may request a membership fee refund from the Business Manger, but MUST provide a copy of their REGISTRATION SUMMARY, RECEIPT, and STUDENT ID between Monday, May 9 and Friday, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. No refunds will be issued outside of this time frame. Students claiming refunds will lose all privileges of membership for the semester, but membership will resume upon payment of student fees next semester. Questions? Call 778-782-3598.
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Opinions
Adam Van der Zwan / Opinions Editor
opinions@the-peak.ca
RE: “Student-faculty romance. Sorry, where’s the problem?”
“To even pretend that a faculty-student relationship isn’t by nature asymmetrical at least, and rife with power-differentials that easily can lead to all sorts of abuse and favoritism is ludicrous. To say that this is the same as restricting marriages and children is a strawman argument as it is common for workplaces to have restrictions on relationships between bosses and workers. The University has a vested interest in preventing issues in the workplace and I would say this is a delicate enough issue to be not black or white but solidly in the gray, unlike how you describe it as ‘Orwellian policies [pulled] out of their rears’.” — EnvironmentGrad
In the wise words of rapper YG, “fuck Donald Trump.” As an extremely left-wing liberal American, I am constantly baffled by the actions of the Republican party each election season. This year, however, took everyone by surprise. Not one, but three prominent Republican candidates this time around had zero political experience: Trump, a reality television personality; Ben Carson, a brain surgeon; and Carly Fiorina, a businesswoman who faced rampant sexism from her own political side before dropping out. Senator Marco Rubio was the son of a Cuban immigrant with seemingly inconsistent views on immigration. Governor Jeb Bush ran, as if the United States hadn’t been fucked over enough by the Bush family. Senator Ted Cruz, apart from becoming synonymous with the Zodiac Killer, ultimately fell to Trump as a niche and misleading candidate. And finally, Governor John Kasich, at first so unpopular that he was ignored in GOP debates, became the last man standing against Trump. It’s safe to say that this year’s campaigning period is an utter shit-show. Cruz, Bush, Kasich, and Rubio all have what Trump doesn’t: experience. Furthermore, they’re also much more aligned with the Republican party’s values. So why is Trump poised to win the nomination?
It’s no secret that the American political system is deeply flawed. While the two-term cap on presidents prevents dictatorships, it also means that if the president in question wants to rerun two years into the first term, they must begin campaigning instead of focusing their attention on actually being president. Furthermore, eight years is hardly enough time to do anything at all, especially when the Congress majority is stacked against you.
The inability to pass legislation or make any real substantive changes leads to an impatient population of citizens who crave someone new. It makes sense that, after eight years of a somewhat liberal president, Republicans are more thirsty than ever for an aggressively conservative candidate. Hence, Trump. Additionally, Donald Trump has a talent for catering to people’s fears. For example, say you’re a parent struggling to find work. You hear on Fox News that Mexican ‘illegals’ are coming into the US looking for jobs. You blame them for your bad luck. Then, this orange man with bad hair claims he’ll build a fucking wall on the
southern border to keep them out. Problem solved. Even better? He’ll get Mexico to pay for it. It doesn’t matter that his proposals are both economically devastating and a probable cause for war. If you don’t do the research, you don’t know that. What you do know is that he’s the harshest GOP candidate. You’re wary of other candidates who all promise to do the same thing, but never do. So you put your trust in Trump. Using his blatant lack of understanding for diplomatic relations and economic policy, Trump transforms himself from a celebrity with a net worth of $4 billion into a regular ol’ family man, appealing to the masses of struggling white families raised on conservative values. Families who are tired and distrustful of ‘career politicians.’ Trump’s presumptive nomination is dangerous. If he were to be elected president, his ignorant foreign policy to “bomb the shit out of [ISIS]” would result in outbreaks of war around the world. Trump has stated he’d prioritize businesses over the environment, and plans to make the US military “so strong, and so powerful, and so great.” His cuts to the Department of Education would result in closed schools and overcrowded classrooms. Trump as president would be entirely devastating. Anyone with actual political experience would scoff at these proposals — and, for the most part, they do. Trump has very little respect from established politicians in even his own political party, let alone Democrats and moderates. So, yeah. Fuck Donald Trump.
RE: “Drop the pot charges already”
“I suspect they are continuing the status quo because they know the opposition will pounce on any missteps that might occur through decriminalization prior to having the legalization regulatory framework in place. For instance, let’s say CBC conducted a sting operation where teens were able to buy hash at dispensaries let alone someone’s backyard trailer. Harperites would pounce on that news like flies on shit. Perversely, keeping the status quo insulates Trudeau from any bad news about marijuana while the legalization framework is worked out.” — Ken Simpson
RE: “Why I take my own side to the men’s rights debate”
“This article really highlights why feminism is SO necessary—today, more than ever. [. . .] What’s the most offensive is the suggestion that women need to realize “that men have been riding these winds ahead of them for a while now; we’re just waiting for them to catch up...” Again, the exact reason feminism is more necessary in today than ever—as men think we’re still ‘behind’ and need to catch up to them.” — Samaah Jaffer
“It doesn’t take much of a Google nor SFU Library fast search to find evidence for the perpetually unequal society we STILL live in today. Visible minorities are quite invisible onscreen and in books, prestigious careers are still dominated by men, and somebody here already mentioned the gender wage gap. Universities offer courses about this topic, but nobody has a course about how all of these things are false. Feminists aren’t “only draw[ing] from the past” because society is still unequal. The struggles’ aren’t over yet.” — Saunam Chan
“This article is full of thinly veiled sexism and sorely unresearched generalizations about feminism. I sure wish there was an opinion section with challenging, thoughtful expressions of lived experiences and critical analyses rather than a lot of shallow rambling white boys telling *other people* how to live their lives.” — Alysha Seriani
“I’m glad you took the time to explain your own view on this. This isn’t a simple topic that can be discussed without invoking a great deal of passion in many people. I’m also very grateful that you brought up the plight of the 2 PoC women and 1 PoC man that attempted to form a men’s issue group at Ryerson, because I found the reaction of the Ryerson University feminists to be unbelievably absurd, coming from a group that has a colloquial mandate of empowering women.” — PoePoePoeMyBoat
“I liked this article very much. Feminists like to describe masculinity as being macho, it isn’t. Macho is an act and men have learned it by necessity. Masculinity is an inner drive, a prime directive, and I promise of service. Masculinity pushes some boundaries while defending others to the death. It explores, competes, inovates and moves civilization forward. All men have it, --All men have it!” — Crydiego
Opinions
Refusing readily available, lifesaving medicine for your child is inexcusable. But in the outrage that is rightfully directed towards idolatry of natural remedies, we need to be careful to not throw out the baby with the ginseng, gluten-free bath water. It’s true that ‘natural remedies’ have lost a lot of credibility in the developed world, especially in Canada, from lack of regulation. Last year, CBC’s Marketplace said that they managed to get their own sham product approved by Health Canada in six months without having to provide any information on its safety or effectiveness. People are rightfully skeptical of anything with the word ‘natural’ on the box, because we really don’t know if it works.
But it’s only in the past 100 years or so that modern medicine has become the tightly regulated machine that it is now. If we look back to around the turn of the century, we can find ludicrous products like “cocaine toothache drops” marketed to teething babies, and cruel procedures like surgeons removing teeth to treat mental illness. Obviously things have become a lot better since then, but it’s worthwhile to remember that in an institution as young as modern medicine is, there are still some wrinkles to iron out. Take, for example, the fact that there wasn’t a good understanding of how the active ingredient in Tylenol worked until 2013. That didn’t make it any less of an effective painkiller, but it’s an
May 16, 2016
interesting parallel to some natural remedies; we’re just looking for something effective and safe. Modern medicine has, in some ways, been racing to catch up with traditional medicine. Even the idea of a vaccine (modern versions of which are extremely effective and safely protect us from diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella) was first put into practice in ancient India. The simple idea was that by introducing someone to a low dose of cowpox, they would become much less likely to contract smallpox; the famous smallpox vaccine developed by Dr. Edward Jenner in 1796 relied on this same principle. Modern medicine still has a lot to learn from ‘natural’ medicine, and there are projects between scientists and traditional healers that are shedding light on just how powerful natural remedies can be. Ian Tietjen in the faculty of health sciences at SFU is collaborating with the University of Botswana to discover the active ingredients in the extracts that traditional healers use. By providing the healers with basic training and materials to test their own medicines, the study is discovering that these medicines really are effective antiviral agents, and that some of them might be capable of helping treat HIV. So what medical knowledge in the world boils down to is this: there are medicines that seem to work for whatever reason, regardless of where they come from. But by testing all of them rigorously, we can see which remedies are safe and effective; whether they are made in a lab, or naturally occur in a leaf, it is up to us to use them to keep ourselves and our children healthy.
We live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, so why is our minimum wage the lowest? British Columbia has been through this before. Unlike in many jurisdictions, our minimum wage has not been linked to inflation or the cost of living. It’s been on a roller-coaster ride from the highest in the country at $8 in 2001 to becoming the lowest in 2011, which prompted the raise to $10.25 in 2012. We have once again been pushed to the back of the pack, as we currently sit at $10.45 per hour. The provincial government is attempting to catch up by increasing the wage to $10.85 this September, with another 40 cents promised in September 2017, to bring it to $11.25. By that time, of course, other provinces may increase their own wages further and BC may once again find itself in the same position. The problem with our current wage and its measly increases is that those working full-time at this wage still fall well below the poverty line. An employee working 35 hours per week in this situation would only bring in $1,463 per month (before any taxes and deductions). Global News reported that the average rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment in Vancouver was $1,345 in 2015 — how is someone on minimum wage supposed to survive in this city?
Now imagine that person has a child or elderly parent as a dependent. It’s impossible to see how they would make ends meet. A study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in 2015 found that the wage needed to live in Vancouver was $20.68 an hour — about double the current minimum wage. So what should the minimum wage be to ensure that nobody working full-time is living below the poverty line?
The BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) has led many wage increase campaigns over the years, and now they are leading Fight for 15, a campaign to raise the wage to $15. According to the BCFED, a $15 minimum wage would bring the average worker above the poverty line using all the regular poverty measures, including the Low
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Income Cut-Off, Low Income Measure, and Market Basket. Nobody working full-time should be living in poverty, and it’s time our provincial government recognized that. September’s wage increase is a step in the right direction to ensure that the wage is not left in the hands of politicians, and the vulnerable are not left to decade-long freezes; the problem remains, though, that the current wage is not high enough to cover the current cost of living in our province. In Seattle, where the City has the authority to pass a municipal minimum wage law, they brought in a $15 wage in April 2015, to be phased in completely by 2021. California and New York are now following suit. Back in BC, we have an incredibly high cost of living and our minimum wage is not keeping pace. Instead of working to remedy this, our government is making paltry increases just so they can state that they are not economically last in the country. What would help Vancouver, and other BC cities with high living costs, is if municipal wage laws were passed to tailor income rates to these specific areas. These 20- and 40-cent gestures are too little too late, and everyone suffers when our lowest paid workers are living in impoverished conditions.
SFYou
the best-hidden
organizations with food distribution,
customer base with many
secret” at SFU, says
as India has much greater food
“regulars,” including students, staff,
share it with others,” she says,
needs than Canada.
and faculty.
especially at SFU where students
owner Kalarupini Koraljka Roy, as she serves up a plate of mac ‘n’
“It’s literally a full-time job,”
“I always have people on my
“That’s my life and I want to
are young, enthusiastic about life,
cheese, curry, rice, and salad with
says Kala, who rises early on
mind while I’m cooking,” says Kala.
and wanting to make a positive
calming, meditative music playing in
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
She switches up the menus to cater
difference in the world.
the background.
to prepare food for Veggie Lunch.
to allergies and preferences of people
Kala, for short, is referring to
She also holds a paying job to
she knows attend on certain days.
Veggie Lunch: a vegan lunch service
support her family, including a
that has been feeding hungry
17-year-old boy and a 13-year-old
for you,” touts Kala. She says eating
students at SFU Burnaby since 1992.
girl. When she isn’t tending to those
vegan is good because it’s the “kindest
Three times a week, Kala sets up in
responsibilities, she’s trying to start
possible food.” She is also concerned
far from it — although I abstain from
the Forum Chambers and dishes out
up a vegan catering service.
for the environment, given the meat
meat a few meals a week. When I
“It’s fresh, warm, cheap, and good
When looking to make personal change, especially with diet, “it’s good to make steps that are consistent and not rash,” says Kala. Personally, I am not a vegan —
heaping plates of delicious vegan
industry’s considerable
eat Kala’s food, she describes me as
food for only $6 a plate.
CO2 and greenhouse gas
a “flexitarian.”
Kala lives her life in service of
emissions.
others. For her, charity is a way of life.
The food is “karma-free.”
All the funds raised from Veggie
There is a certain stigma associated with vegan cuisine, so
It’s nutritious, clean, and
many would be blown away at how
Lunch help the less fortunate and
Kala puts the food through a
tasty Kala can make mac ‘n’ cheese
fund services in the Downtown
mantra meditation to purify
without using cheese at all.
Eastside, such as their Women’s
while cooking.
Aside from Veggie Lunch, Kala runs
Shelter, the First United Church, and
Kala took over the independent
a soup kitchen and support centre
program at SFU in 2011 and her
of troubles” to keep one happy
Park in the Downtown Eastside. The
called the Dugout. Proceeds also
friend, Patrick, joined three years
and calm, explains Kala, who has
community there suffers from a lack of
go to an orphanage in Udhampur,
ago. Together, the program has
been practicing yoga and mantra
resources and low income, and is in
India. Kala also aims to assist Indian
gained a small but dedicated
meditation since she was a teenager.
need of “uplifting.” There, she serves
Mantra means to “free the mind
a community festival at Oppenheimer
food, leads meditation sessions, and
in Germany, Switzerland, and
gives haircuts and massages for the
India. Many other places are
less fortunate.
so individualistic, and people
This year, the festival will be
get so wrapped up in their own
held Saturday, July 9 from 11
personal achievements that they
a.m. until 4 p.m. SFU students are
will step on others for a leg-up,
encouraged to volunteer
Kala tells me.
if interested. “It brings different vibrations to
Kala estimates Veggie Lunch serves between 180–200 meals
that area,” Kala says, adding that
and raises around $500 weekly.
compassion is what the community
Any food left unsold is brought
needs to be uplifted. There is even
to shelters in the DTES.
a beauty night where Kala and her
“I’m hoping to grow,” says
volunteers give makeovers for the
Kala, who looks to a similar
women in the area. Manicures,
program at the University of
haircuts, and makeup can really
Florida in Gainesville that serves
change somebody’s self-esteem,
thousands.
she says. Kala is also a member of
Most advertising is through word of mouth. Though the
Kirtan Vancouver, a non-profit
program is independent of
organization promoting healthy
SFU and the SFSS, Kala said
living through meditation.
she “would appreciate more
“Canada is a country of possibilities” for Kala, who was born in Croatia and has lived
support” from both. “Where else can you get this quality and quantity for $6?”
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Arts
Jess Whitesel / Arts Editor
arts@the-peak.ca
Following Days of Future Past , X-Men: Apocalypse lacks the plot depth and character development that its predecessor delivered on. This is perhaps the biggest factor that may leave audiences wanting more. The plot is too simple and formulaic in comparison to recent Marvel blockbusters such as Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War . The conflict is a typical good versus bad, with the obvious divisions: Magneto sides with Apocalypse’s new world order and Professor Xavier leads the X-Men to protect mankind. X-Men: Apocalypse goes against the current trend of abandoning CGI scenes of destruction for stronger plots and writing,
X-Men: Apocalypse is the third film in the prequel series based on the popular comic book series, following First Class and Days of Future Past. Directed by Bryan Singer, the movie follows the mutants into the 1980s, as a rewritten history following the changes that resulted from 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.
It is 9 a.m., and I am passing out in the corner of a Starbucks located around Burrard and Broadway. The result of a sleepless night of dumb adolescence: I made a pact to see a documentary film called Dark Horse for The Peak, so I wanted to ensure I didn’t miss it. I arrive at the theatre. A man in his 30s, wearing glasses, smiles at me as I ask him if he is here for the screening. He replies to me “yes,” as he adjusts his cap embroidered with a stallion in the middle of it. A conversation surrounding his past of working at the Vancouver horse racing track for 25 years ensues, before I look at my watch and make an excuse to sit alone in the left corner of the theatre.
The story picks up on the 10th anniversary of the attempted attack on the US president by Magneto, with Magneto, Xavier, and Mystique all in different places in their lives. A lot has happened, but one fact remains: mutants are unwanted in society. Cue, when En Sabah Nur a.k.a.
Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), an allpowerful immortal mutant bent on righting the world order with humans at the bottom and mutants on top. In true form, X-Men: Apocalypse delivers on its promise of mutant action, some lighthearted humour, and a superpowered cast. However, Singer’s latest interpretation lacks the novelty, complexity, and dynamic relationships between the characters that made X-Men stand out against other Marvel ensemble franchises for such a long time.
Aside from my admiration of horse symbolism in Tarkovsky films, I’ve never found a particular interest in horse racing. I wonder why I even bothered for this in the first place. I begin to tell myself how bad of an idea this was and prep myself for a disappointing 88 minutes as the theatre darkens. Eighty-eight minutes later, I leave the theatre emotionally crushed, with an admiration for the art of horse racing and a wakefulness that exceeds every expectation. Dark Horse is a documentary film that explores the success story of Dream Alliance: a horse that gets bought and trained by a group of working class individuals and later goes on to win the Welsh National Race of 2009, reach the Grand National Race
twice, and earn over UK $134,000 in winnings. However, viewers should not be misled by the simple ‘rags-to-riches’ framework outlined here. The film does indeed follow the same narrative structure, yet within the overarch the film discusses many themes that I was shocked to witness. There’s the prominently classist hierarchy that moderates the professional sport of horse racing; the attempt to create a legacy amongst impossible circumstances; the indescribable bond that holds a tight-knit community together; and even a self-awareness in animals that blurs theories of conscious differences between humans and other species. Every time the film catches Dream prancing in the shanty town grass fields or walking up to the start line, the horse peeks towards the camera with this sense of self-awareness of how its actions are changing the lives of others. It becomes downright frightening to look into Dream’s
which leaves the story and characters’ motivations more lacklustre than they should be. Granted, the new cast members — especially Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey, Alexandra Shipp’s Storm, Tye Sheridan’s Cyclops, and Kodi Smit-Mcphee’s Nightcrawler — show great potential. Unfortunately, the writing made them replicas of the previous X-Men trilogy characters without developing any of their origin stories. The novelty of Bryan Singer’s tortured and brooding
eyes and say, “You are leaving a legacy that is changing the lives of millions,” only to have Dream look back and say, “Yeah, I know. I’m honestly just as astounded as you are.” Aside from the horse, the film focuses on the old breeder couple Jan
and Brian Vokes, both of whom are working-class folk that run a bar in the depressed Welsh village of Cefn Fforest. Through various interviews with the warm and light-hearted Jan, viewers explore her path establishing a syndicate of village friends to fulfil her dream of breeding a racehorse. Each member of the syndicate
interpretation of the characters has worn off. Even though James McAvoy (Professor Xavier) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto) both offered strong performances, it seemed like their plots were simply regurgitated from previous movies. This applied to all of the characters — even the scene-stealing performance of Evan Peters as Quicksilver. For someone who has read the comics, the film has a bad case of character generalization: it misses out on the characters’ complexities and backstories. There were some attempts at creating dynamic relationships between the characters — Quicksilver’s conversations with Mystique and Jean Grey’s emotional connections to Scott Summers, for instance — but lacked any follow-through. Overall, you can say I enjoyed the movie. However, as a fan, I am heavily biased to like these mutants despite anything. If you actually try to delve deeper into the movie, there is nowhere to go. The movie blankets over its shallowness with light humour, awesome action scenes, and large CGI effects. Ultimately, fans can look forward to a strong upcoming young cast for some of their favourite mutants. It may be about time for a change in direction, though — Singer’s trademark ‘tortured soul’ guidelines have begun to tire.
— all warm and working-class themselves — are interviewed throughout the film. This outlines the many sacrifices that went into Dream’s upbringing from birth, which includes many of them investing more money into the horse than they could even afford. Then, through some incredibly emotional moments that instigate near heart attacks, the story becomes that of a horse tying a community together and creating moments of purpose and meaning within a grey world of anonymity. This is a phenomenally good film that illuminates universal truths through the framework of a passion that sways between art and sport. I recommend this film to anyone passing out in the corner of a Starbucks — it’ll wake you up.
Arts
For those who prefer a more chill form of club music, Harrison, a DJ from Toronto, came to Vancouver to fulfil your most laid-back dreams. On his Secret Songs Canadian Tour with Ryan Hemsworth and Ryan Playground, Harrison graced Fortune Sound Club on May 6 with his electronic vibes. Describing his sound as “electronic uplifting melancholy music,” this Canadian sensation has over 30,000 followers on SoundCloud. He has a unique sound, proving that even in today’s crazy world you don’t have to scream to be heard. “It took a while to figure out how I wanted my own music to sound. . . I’m just really happy with the way it sounds now,” Harrison told The Peak. This happiness is evident in his music, which reverberates with good vibes. Growing up on the Eastside of Toronto was a pleasure, according to Harrison. “It’s very nice and quiet. . . I’m not very good with dealing with downtown, hectic situations,” he said. “I don’t even like playing music live because it’s just too much sometimes. . . but I’ve gotten over that over time.” Before starting the tour, Harrison revealed that having “never been to Calgary or
May 16, 2016
Vancouver. . . [it] makes me nervous for these two small shows.” He said that his nerves stem from an “ultimate fear of being booed. . . I don’t know how Ryan Hemsworth’s fan base will react to me.” Despite performance anxieties, “I eventually would like to have an awesome live set,” Harrison said. “I don’t wanna be a DJ forever. . . I really want to have my own set list of songs, and go up there and play the keyboard for people.” Harrison’s musical talents go beyond his producing: “I play the piano and the guitar, I’m trying to learn the trumpet, and I’m also trying to learn the drums.” He said the drums are a problem, because “I have a really big issue with making noise. . . drums are just so loud, and I don’t want to annoy anyone.” Yet with music like his, it’s hard to be an annoyance. Harrison’s sound is understated, with hints of funk and soul influences. His music is not your typical big DJ beats, a fact of which Harrison is proud. Like really cool elevator music, his songs are incredibly chill and soothing. Live, Harrison’s sound is much more upbeat, with a heavy reliance on rhythm. The audience loved it, the crowded club filled with an eager audience. The receptive room took to dancing and drinking as he took to the stage and started his set. Overall, Harrison’s travels to Vancouver could be looked at as nothing but a success, with a huge line out the door of the club, and pleased patrons taking to the dance floor.
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This season felt like an absolute shit-show. I mean, it’s always a gongshow, but this season felt more driven by formula than creativity. OK, Rebecca’s dead and it’s obviously not someone we’d expect. . . so Asher or Bonnie did it. Bam, it’s Bonnie. Then, surprise, Asher kills someone too, so now they’re all in this together. The only people not in on everything are Eve and Oliver. I plead to whatever
TV gods there are, do not touch poor, innocent Oliver. The copious flashbacks and crisscrossed plotlines were quirky in the first season, and though they still inspire adrenaline rushes with every cliffhanger ending, it’s also getting a little tedious. All that being said, this was another roller-coaster of a season that followed in the first season’s footsteps.
Lucifer is flawlessly portrayed by Tom Ellis, taking nothing too seriously. Amenadiel and Lucifer’s sibling rivalry — though sadly not culminating in a devastating heaven versus hell showdown — did result in a brawl before they started working together. This season revealed that Lucifer was mortal, but only around Chloe. Sadly, this was expected. The two didn’t get
together, though, which is fantastic. Many jokes were cracked, a pair of angel wings set ablaze, and an overall great time was had by all. The finale ended on a cliffhanger, with the mother of the angels being set free from hell. No idea who it is, but I for one am burning to find out.
Thank God the Mortal Instruments series’ screen adaptation found new life in this show by Freeform. Spot-on casting and an overall respect for the books’ plot launch this show into the small group of book-to-screen adaptations that are actually really good. There’s magic, duels, demons, and even a little bit of gay to round
the show out. Magnus and Alec getting together at Alec’s wedding to Lydia Branwell is a highlight. The writers haven’t shied away from the Jace-Clary incest subplot from the books, and Dominic Sherwood skilfully portrays Jace’s inner struggle with his feelings for Clary.
Was it cheesy? Extremely. Is it unfortunate that Kara seems to mimic Clark in both secret identity and outfit? Of course. But I’ve got to say, in a TV landscape that’s filled with dark thrillers, crime shows, and series that try to showcase the good side to the bad guys, Supergirl’s cute and slightly over-the-top messaging about hope is a nice contrast. The season-long battle with Non finally drew to a close after
Kara battled her sister Alex, who was under evil Non’s mind control. Also, it was extraordinarily convenient that human Alex could pilot Kara’s Kryptonian space pod, but I forgive them that stroke of fortune — especially because Kara finally got a promotion at CatCo and, most surprisingly of all, Cat finally got her name right. Also, there’s a surprise new pod with something exciting in it, but we didn’t get to find out.
Another satisfyingly comedic season with a twist of heartbreak. Josh, a dorky but super-rich tech entrepreneur, and his personal chef, Gabi, finally started dating. This happened after Gabi drove off with Jake, Josh’s brother, in their jointly owned food truck. Alas, the Josh-Gabi couple we’ve seen coming since the pilot (where they slept together) hits a
major snag when Josh realizes he’s afraid of commitment. He goes to therapy to try and get over it, which provides the base of the comedy for the last few episodes. Though the season ended on a sad note, there were more than enough innuendos and one-liners to keep things rolling.
12 Arts
Jess Whitesel / Arts Editor
arts@the-peak.ca
Immediately from the album’s opening track, “Disarmed,” listeners are dropped back into the soundscape that duo Brittney Rand and Francesca Belcourt first constructed on their 2014 self-titled release. While the exploration of relationships — both the welcoming and parasitic ones — remains a prominent theme throughout II, the sense
of changing youth also rings true, from penultimate track “16 Years” to anthemic single “Debauchery.” As Rand and Belcourt serenade on the latter, “Debauchery ain’t what it used to be.” Thankfully, Mu prove they’ve not only maintained their charm, but they’re as potent and mysterious as ever.
Full disclosure: I saw Jeff Cancade a.k.a. Devours open for another band back in February, and his set didn’t really stand out to me. There’s just something about Late Bloomer that commands attention, though. Maybe it’s Cancade’s
haunting-yet-omnipresent vocals, or maybe it’s the undeniable catchiness of hilariously named tracks like “Freddy Krueger Honeymoon Suite,” but the synth-laden album makes for a hell of a first full-length for Devours.
A staple in Vancouver’s music scene since even before their debut album, Comet Lovejoy, four-piece Supermoon are back and more melodic than ever on their sophomore release Playland. Distributed through longstanding Vancouver label Mint Records, Playland continues the band’s trend: pairing upbeat pop numbers with lyrics that take a
second for you to register their intensity. More sullen tracks like “Witching Hour” and “Fast Fashion” provide a nice juxtaposition to songs like premiere single “Bottleships,” constructing an album that’s a cosmic treat for the ears. Also, mark your celestial calendars, because Playland’s release party is happening on May 19 at the Astoria.
Fantastic name aside, there are plenty of reasons to embrace the hype around the boys in Dumb. For one, they’re already three releases deep in a career that only started last year. Two, their cassette from earlier this year, Beach Church, while being a chaotic assortment of genres (notes of punk, shoegaze, grunge, and surf-rock, paired with
unabashed vocals), somehow makes this medley work in a surprisingly listenable fashion. Add to the mix the accolade of having opened for grunge-rock golden boys Parquet Courts back in February, and you can see how Dumb has the potential to ride this wave of success all the way to shore.
An import to Vancouver by way of Calgary, Alberta — where he’s already one of the sexier names in Canada’s dance-pop scene — Mills’ third full-length is his most ambitious yet, with 12 new tracks ready to quench your earbuds. Through a lens of “electro dance beats,” Mills explores themes you’d rarely find on a pop album, from pending personal mortality
on “Dancing with Death” to Canada’s often glossed-over history of cultural genocide on “Colonial.” But moody lyrical overtones aside, 1.6.16 delivers a non-stop string of affectionately dubbed bangers, from the funky pop-onslaught “MRS.” to crown jewel “Bank Account.” There’s no dance party quite like a Mark Mills dance party.
Timber, a relatively new gastropub on Vancouver’s Robson Street, is a thumbs-down from me. Their brand is endearing, being a “Canadian comfort” gastropub, and they covered all the requirements: the waitstaff are dressed in plaid shirts and denim, the furnishings are polished wood and concrete with high ceilings, the TVs broadcast sports, and their menu is bursting at the seams with beer and Canadian comfort food. The ambience is as you can imagine: the interior is very trendy, and reeks of the high-end hipster culture notorious in Vancouver. So what went wrong? After trying three out of the four vegetarian mains they offer, I reluctantly gave up trying to love this place. What you get for what you pay doesn’t make the restaurant a worthwhile favourite. Let’s start with the bannock, spicy maple, and haskap berry chutney: the bannock itself was well-done, neither too greasy nor too dense — really, how can you fuck up fried bread? The spicy maple was nonexistent, though. The flavour impact just wasn’t there even with the chutney, making the dish rather bland and uninspired. About Timber’s mushroom poutine: it was one of the most horrifying food experiences of my entire life. But first, let me defend the concept of mushroom poutine for a minute: poutine is great, mushrooms are great, you can do spectacular things when you put them together with maybe some sautéed mushrooms and spicy mushroom gravy. I had these high expectations, and they were crushed and marinated in a dense,
cream-based, gritty mushroom soup just like my fries were. Like the bannock, it had a good base: they didn’t screw up the fries, God bless them, and their cheese curds seemed to be high-quality. But they traded off gravy for this horrifying, cream-based, gritty soup and it was straight-up gross. I was actually quite confused when the dish arrived, for the menu clearly stated “mushroom gravy.” I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried it. Moral of the story: don’t give it the benefit of the doubt, and try something else. The mac ‘n’ cheese was super below-average. The taste was there, but the sauce should have been creamier and given some flavour. The idea of spicy mac ‘n’ cheese is fascinating, yet they just put a fetus-sized portion of sriracha-ketchup on top and that was it. The smoked potato crackling on top was flavourful but much too hard to chew, and contradicted the soft mac ‘n’ cheese too much to be enjoyed together. Their happy hour snacks were satisfactory: the ketchup chips were their peak point, and their happy hour drinks consisted of but one beer. That’s offensive, though at least the beer was Canadian. Some of their cocktails were interesting and innovative, although the prices made me weep. The vegetarian dishes were just the worst. My friend, who tried the duck burger on special, really enjoyed the potato salad, but found the duck to be so fatty she couldn’t bite into it and had to aggressively use a fork and knife. Timber was, in a word, anticlimactic.
Humour
The closure of the Highland Pub at SFU’s Burnaby campus has truly been a bummer for many students. Those hoping to grab a beer right after a long and drawn-out lecture will unfortunately have to look off-campus instead. In response, a group of bold rebels decided to take matters into their own, inebriated hands. In an action worthy of either Occupy Wall Street or Animal House (depending on who you ask), these students hijacked the West Mall Centre Starbucks and made it their makeshift pub.
“They busted through the doors clearly already pretty loaded and just pushed us away from our machines,” recounts barista Eric Davis. Staff engaged in a brief brawl with the rowdy students before fleeing to alert campus security. Reports suggest the students began attempting to funnel
liquor into the various coffee machines, all the while loudly singing along to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” When campus security arrived on the scene, one of the drunken student leaders tried to start a hostage situation. Using Die Hard ’s Hans Gruber as a model, he drunkenly attempted a German accent stating, “Ze hostages. . . [hic]. . . stay with us. . . yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.” Campus security were having none of it, and stormed into the building with all the finesse of the ATF at Waco. T h e re w e re bruises, burns, and a few spilt drinks, but the situation was resolved. Ringleader Frank Beergardener said he was only trying to stand up for alcoholically dependant students’ rights. Folklore about these students’ struggle has sprung up in the aftermath. It is clear that SFU has made a martyr of these men — or at least a grievance that students will get mad about but never actually act on.
Justin Stevens / Humour Editor
humour@the-peak.ca
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Humour
COMICS Peers by Leslie Lu
A Slave to Chaos by Janis McMath
Don’t just sit there, Write for Humour. humour@the-peak.ca
Justin Stevens / Humour Editor
humour@the-peak.ca
Diversions
May 16, 2016
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LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
EVENT LISTINGS ARE FREE FOR SFU STUDENTS AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. SEND THE DATE, TIME, LOCATION, NAME, AND A 15-WORD DESCRIPTION TO CLASSIFIEDS@THE-PEAK.CA
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Linguistics was fun, but becoming a speech language pathologist didn’t sound like my cup of tea. Then there was economics. The calculations were easy, the principles made sense, and it had real-world applicability in spades. Alas, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see myself crunching numbers and running hypothetical economic simulations for the rest of my life. It just wasn’t exciting enough. So in the end, I decided on psychology and English. There is so much to learn and so much to experience. It’s a shame we have to decide so quickly what we’re going to do for the rest of our lives. It’s a daunting undertaking and it’s unrealistic at best. Many people change their jobs more than once in their lifetimes, and a lot of people pursue an area that isn’t even related to their degrees. So to any students out there who aren’t sure of the path they’re on, just remember you never have