Wait, there's a byelection?

Janis McMath Humour Editor

4 News

Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor

news@the-peak.ca

Former SFSS president, Deepak Sharma makes his first public comment since June story

Perhaps the biggest shock that the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) board of directors faced this year was when then-president Deepak Sharma resigned just over a month into his tenure as the president of the SFSS and chair of the board of directors. It may now come as a bigger shock that Sharma claims the decision was forced.

“If SFSS policy and bylaws had been concurrently practiced in the same manner they had been followed since at least 2008 onwards, I would [have] never been forced to resign as I still was an eligible member of the SFSS,” said Sharma in his first public mention of the matter, more than four months after resigning.

His statement came just under a week before the byelection to fill the role of president on the SFSS officially begins. Campaigning begins on October 31, which comes five days after Sharma’s statement.

The Peak is currently investigating, but it appears that Sharma was not registered in a single class at the start of the summer

semester, which he explains in his statement as “[his] own choice of long delay in enrolment for the 2016 summer semester,” which then was flagged as an issue.

At the time of this check, Sharma was not registered as a student, as he was under the impression that he would have until week six of the semester. This is just after the add/drop deadline for SFU classes, and the time this check had generally been coming since 2008, which is what Sharma was referring to.

However, according to sources, it would appear that Pierre Cassidy, campaigns, research, and policy coordinator for the SFSS, decided to push that time up, which caught Sharma unprepared. For the record, it appears that Sharma was a registered student by the time the check he was expecting came.

From there, according to our source, Sharma was supposed to be (and was) suspended from the board, with a full check to happen later on, and with Sharma given enough time to add classes to become eligible as per the SFSS requirements.

However, our source noted that Sharma instead took a “temporary resignation,” which was taken as a complete resignation from the board, and not a semester off as he had intended.

They added that while he was pressured to be an enrolled student earlier than he was expecting,

he made the mistake of resigning from the board during his suspension period.

Contrary to this report, Sharma insists that his decision to resign from his post was forced, and that it would not have occurred “if policy was concurrently followed with the bylaws.” Nonetheless, he took personal responsibility for his membership troubles.

“Due to my own choice of long delay in enrolment for the 2016 summer semester all of this took place, which is why/ The I can only Photographer Peak hold myself accountable for all that has transpired,” he said. “As this is all my fault, I sincerely apologize to everyone that was compiled to deal with the outcome of my forced resignation.”

The Peak reached out to Cassidy for comment, but was told by VP university relations Arr Farah that he “does not have the authority to speak on behalf of the SFSS.” The timing of the announcement has led to speculation that Sharma will use this in preparation of running again for the presidency in the byelection. Possible candidates seem to include Darien Lechner — whom he ran against for the general election — and interim president Larissa Chen.

The official list of candidates was not released at time of publication, so be sure to check out the-peak.ca to find out if Sharma is attempting to retake the throne, and who his potential competition is.

News

October 31, 2016

5

Women marching against violence

On October 20, SFU’s master of public health (MPH) students gathered to share their experiences from summer practicum placements around the world.

The master of public health program is in the faculty of health sciences at SFU. After two semesters in the classroom, MPH students spend 11 weeks working for an organization in the healthcare field. Kate Carty, coordinator of the public health program in the faculty of health sciences, said this experience is important for “bridging the academic world and seeing how it works in the real world.”

Carty plays an active role in the practicum program, and tries to find a good fit between students’ interests and organizations’ needs. This year’s practicum students worked across Canada and the world, including placements in Ottawa, South Africa, Vietnam, and the Dominican Republic. MPH students were involved in everything from

literature reviews, compiling data, and evaluating programs to hands-on implementation.

Tatiana Popovitskaia worked with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS to research the effects of policing practices on sex workers in Metro Vancouver.

She said her experience, which included analyzing research and conducting interviews with sex workers in Downtown Vancouver, helped her apply what she had learned in the classroom in a meaningful way.

“This is not only research for research,” Popovitskaia said.

“It’s research for advocacy.”

She added that the work she and her colleagues do in their practicums may be used as evidence for future policy decisions and, as she said, “That’s pretty cool.”

Hadia Samim completed her practicum with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“I always wanted to work with vulnerable populations,” said

Samim, who researched refugees’ access to health services.

Samim assisted with the planning, coordination, and evaluation of health services for the over 92,000 refugees in Malaysia.

“It’s emotionally draining,” she admitted of her work, but said it was highly rewarding to see tangible interventions and resettlement taking place.

Richard Han worked with the First Nations Health Authority evaluating student engagement in First Nations youth. Han was inspired to work with First Nations youth after volunteering on a reserve in Bella Bella. Data is lacking on reserves across BC, Han said. He plans to study the relationship between culture and student engagement for his capstone project.

The event allowed returning MPH students to share their experiences and offer advice to first-year students in the program who will be applying for their own practicums soon. Second-year MPH students will go on to complete their capstone project, in which they must apply a theoretical lens to a topic they are interested in, often something the students learned while on their practicums.

Tens of thousands of women held a demonstration on October 19, marching in the streets of Buenos Aires to protest violence against women.

The event was organized under the #NiUnaMenos movement (“Not one less,” meaning no more women lost to domestic violence), after the rape and death of 16-year-old Lucía Pérez. The country passed a law specifically punishing

“femicides” and other crimes targeting women four years ago. However, according to a national government organization that supports survivors of violence against women, every 30 hours a woman is killed in these crimes in Argentina.

The French government has started to dismantle the “jungle” of Calais, in northern France, where a reported 6,400 migrants currently live.

The authorities were given one week to send migrants to centres all over the country by bus, where they might claim asylum. Many have opposed the operation, arguing that the authorities will not be able to ensure migrants’

security and that children could be harmed by police’s tear gas. Moreover, they contend that demolishing the “jungle” will not prevent migrants who want to reach the UK from getting there, or building other camps.

The Venezuelan National Assembly seemed to be heading towards a recall referendum on President Maduro, successor of the late Hugo Chavez. However, this effort was stopped by the National Electoral Council.

Henrique Capriles, leader of the opposition, immediately called this move “a coup d’état.” Maduro met with Pope Francis, who called for a dialogue with the opposition

to improve the well-being of the population. Venezuela has faced a dramatic economic collapse due to the sharp fall in oil prices and residents have suffered food and medicine shortages. The International Monetary Fund has projected an inflation rate of 1,660 percent in Venezuela in 2017.

With files from The Guardian

With files from Le Monde & The Guardian

With files from CNN

6 News

Clara Chow SFU Student

Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor

news@the-peak.ca

Opinions

Zach Siddiqui / Opinions Editor

opinions@the-peak.ca

7

STOP STEREOTYPES

Let’s stop the "angry black woman" narrative Speaking my mind doesn’t make me irrational or vicious Edna Batengas Peak Associate Ever since I first got published at The Peak, I’ve received constant encouragement and feedback for what I write. Yet I always seem to hear the same things from people who read my pieces: “Gosh, you're full of anger,” “You’ve got an attitude,” or “Wow, so sassy, girl!”

I’m neither angry nor sassy, nor do I have an attitude. I’m just speaking out. Is that so hard to believe? I’m not your angry black woman.

The moment I speak out, criticize, or otherwise share my opinion, I’m slapped in the face with the “angry black woman” stereotype. Don’t get me wrong: I have more than enough reason to justify being angry. Society throws derogative terms like “ghetto,” “ratchet,” and “baby mama” at me. I am feared. I am constantly being told that I’m too loud. I’m judged before I even speak.

Which is exactly why it’s time to end this damaging narrative. To make myself clear, having strong opinions and being passionate about them does not make me angry. Anytime a black woman stands up for

what she believes, she is classified as “the angry black woman,” but when other people do it, they are called passionate.

When news headlines start with “Angry black woman says,” we stop listening and ignore what is being communicated. The stereotype is a social control mechanism that comes from the assumption that I am being irrational and unreasonable, and consequently, that listening to me is not worth anyone’s time.

In movies and TV shows, the angry black woman is often used as comic relief. The trope has grown so extensive that when a black female on screen is actually angry, the audience just finds it amusing. We no longer pay attention to what opinions the character is voicing.

Take Tyler Perry movies, for example. On one hand, his films have successfully created a wide audience and culture for African American comedies in Hollywood; on the other, movies like these only positively represent black men by shoving black women under the bus,

It's upsetting how narrowly you view what I have to say. perpetuating the stereotypes surrounding them.

Remember Angela from Why Did I Get Married? Or Lauren from Think Like a Man? Both were angry black women who were used as little more than comic relief.

Are you trying to tell me that I’d rather speak of social injustices such as recent shootings of unarmed black men than the Brangelina breakup because I’m just an angry woman? That I’d rather talk about institutional gender

inequalities than about how pumpkin spice is taking over fall because I’m “unreasonable”?

No, it’s because I choose to speak about what most people fear addressing. I’ll point out the white elephant in the room, so to speak.

I’m not afraid to say that too many people are so afraid to talk about race that they won’t even mention the Black Lives Matter movement.

I’m not ashamed to call someone out for making discriminatory and unjust statements.

Alexa Tarrayo / The Peak To anyone who’s ever reprimanded or criticized another person for voicing their opinion or speaking up: when I speak passionately about a cause that you may not feel as passionate about, don’t try to shut me up by calling me “angry” and disregarding what I’m saying.

Try to dehumanize me and devalue me, but you'll never take away my voice. I'll continue to speak for those who can’t, and stand up even when I’m standing alone. You may say I’m angry; well, I think I’m brave.

FLIP THE SCRIPT

Mulan can save China on her own

We deserve to be accurately showcased in our own stories.

Alexa Tarrayo / The Peak

Hollywood needs to stop pushing white male heroes on us Rachel Wong Peak Associate At 20 years old, I finally watched Mulan for the first time. I was instantly enamoured with this strong heroine who aimed to bring honour to her family by doing the unthinkable: posing as a boy to go fight in a

war against the Huns, so that her sick father could stay home and rest.

Beyond the fact that Mulan is a powerful heroine, she is also Chinese.

As a Chinese Canadian, I love that.

To see someone who looks like me as

a kick-ass protagonist exuding confidence and strength is incredibly empowering. However, I’m worried that upcoming generations of Chinese Canadians won’t be able to witness leading characters who share their identity.

The new live-action Mulan, slated to hit theatres in 2018, initially considered pushing Mulan aside in favour of a white male fighting to save China. The first script, written

by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, saw a “30-something European trader [. . .] help the Chinese Imperial Army [. . .] because he sets eyes on Mulan,” according to the blog Angry Asian Man. Here’s my confusion: two women wrote the first iteration of this liveaction movie. As a woman, I jumped with enthusiasm as I watched the animated Mulan save Li Shang, the emperor, and basically all of China from the yellow-eyed Huns.

Shouldn’t these women be celebrating these heroic actions by at least retaining the female hero in their retelling? Why was “heroism” automatically given back to men, while women were again stuck

waiting for rescue? And beyond gender, what happened to having heroes of different ethnicities?

Hollywood evidently doesn’t consider these questions, or see the issue the same way that many of its consumers do. Since 2007, “characters from underrepresented racial/ ethnic groups were 26.3 percent of all characters” in the top 100 Hollywood films, according to USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Further, Fusion Media reports that only 6.6 percent of main cast members across over 100 American network TV shows are of Asian descent.

There’s a massive gap in our media discourse as far as featuring heroes of colour is concerned — which is incredibly problematic, because not all heroes are white.

Time after time, Chinese characters find themselves stuck in the stereotypes of foreigners (usually with a difficult to understand accent), martial arts gurus, oversexualized females, asexual males, or subordinate nerds — not to mention restaurant owners, housekeepers, and suspicious shopkeepers, as musician and

writer Zak Keith argues. Even when a heroic role is supposed to be Chinese, Hollywood finds a way to cast the whitest person possible and pass them off as Chinese. (I’m talking to you, Emma Stone.)

This live-action Mulan has the potential to break down these stereotypes and begin the first step towards properly including minorities as heroes. As of late, the script is being updated by Jurassic World writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, with a promise of a global casting call to find a Chinese female lead as well as Chinese actors for the other roles.

As a Chinese girl who has come to love how strong the character of Mulan is, the last thing I want to see on opening day is the likes of Matt Damon or (God forbid) Brad Pitt seducing a young and helpless Chinese girl. To quote an articulate tweet from Asian American actor and writer Anna Akana: “We don’t need a white man to save China in Mulan.

That’s what Mulan is for.”

Save your pretty white boy arsenal for another day, Hollywood.

Bring honour to us all and make Mulan Chinese, and right.

8

Opinions

Zach Siddiqui / Opinions Editor

opinions@the-peak.ca

Taryn Grubb SFU Student

Ayden Thow SFU Student

Arts

Jessica Whitesel / Arts Editor

October 31, 2016 arts@the-peak.ca

9

Yes Lawd!, the debut album by the brand new hip-hop duo NxWorries, made me go “Yes lawd!” The album delivers the best of modern hip-hop as far as smooth vocals and chill beats.

Anderon .Paak and Knxwledge make up NxWorries, and Yes Lawd! marries the best of Knxwledge’s brilliant producing with .Paak’s sultry lyrics and smooth singing. Unpredictable beats and gospel vibes mesh expertly with raspy vocals that walk the line between rap and smooth melodies.

My personal favourite tunes from the album include “Scared Money” and “Suede,” which feature edgy lyrics and syncopated indie beats that will get any head bobbing.

The songs are short and sweet yet plentiful, and full of emotion from .Paak, as themes vary from adolescent struggles to love and affairs. This album is a true accomplishment within the hip-hop and R&B realms due to its cohesion and collaborative spirit. – RO

To Keep the Light is at once simple and beautiful, a film that reflects the history that comes with the rocky and turbulent landscape it depicts. Both a geographical and period piece, the story pushes forward on a contemplative tone and tempo.

The film centres on Abbie Moore (Erica Fae), a woman living by a lighthouse off the coastline of Maine in 1876. She cares for her bedridden husband while fulfilling his position as the lighthouse keeper — a prestigious post not traditionally given to a woman. After a rough storm, Abbie finds herself in the company of Johan (Antti Reini), a Swede washed up on the rocks. “[Abbie] is a very recognizable character in New England,” explained Erica Fae. “A sultry, hard-working, I-will-do-it-all, kind of women, and also doesn't make a big show of herself.”

For a piece where much of the story moves through visual and nonverbal elements, the concise nature of the script draws attention to subtle details

— from the slow replay of bodies moving, to wind brushing the grass, to string instruments weaving between the sound of waves against rocks.

Directed, written, co-produced, and performed by Fae, To Keep the Light marks her first feature film. The success of which can be seen in her strong portrayal of Abbie and the two festival award nominations the film has received thus far.

Fae expressed her fascination with the intersection between the public and personal for women who became lighthouse keepers due to their circumstances. Often times, these women found themselves fulfilling the non-traditional post when their father, brother, or husband became indisposed — by sickness, injury, or death.

The main character, Abbie, is herself a composite of several historical women.

Interwoven in the plot is the story connected to Johan and the once-mentioned town of New Sweden, where the fear of others

was visible even in the 1870s, and immigration was rare.

When asked about the process, Fae pointed out the huge learning curve in making her first feature, and the realization that the process was, in a way, backwards from theatre. In theatre, rehearsal and editing go handin-hand and the product is fully realized during a performance.

With film, however, “The performing was just the beginning.

“That was an interesting process for me, just artistically, to get into the editing room and [think], ‘Oh my God, we're just in rehearsal now.’”

From the visuals to the score, the writing to the editing, all of the film’s elements weave seamlessly with one another to create a surprisingly layered yet beautifully composed work. To Keep the Light captures and highlights these finer details beautifully.

While the film may not be suitable for every wandering mind, it is well-worth it to follow Abbie's journey through all the moments until the end.

Joanne is the best Lady Gaga we've had in years. It seems odd to type that, since Gaga has been a fan favourite and commercial success since her 2008 release Fame. But ever since Fame Monster, her outrageous personality began to overshadow her music, and most of the world forgot how talented she actually is.

The country-infused pop that's featured prominently on this album is a departure from the meat dress-wearing Gaga of the early 2010s, but after eight years in the spotlight that's not surprising. If anything is surprising, it's the choice to include the two lead singles (“Perfect Illusion” and “A-YO”) on the album at all. Musically they don't fit in, and lyrically they aren't on par with the rest of the album. The Gaga-Florence Welch collaboration “Hey Girl” should have been the lead single, since it’s the perfect song to usher in the new Gaga.

Joanne succeeds where other recent Gaga albums have failed; it showcases her vocal and lyrical talent while also keeping alive her sense of innovation. – JW

Seventeen years after the band’s first LP, American Football is back with its highly anticipated second self-titled LP. Although this time around they’re a little older, the band still hits the emotional highs of growing up, albeit in a more restrained and darker tone than in their last release.

LP2 still contains the signature unconventional polyrhythms and twinkling guitar tones which made the original a cult classic. However, the biggest change is Mike Kinsella’s vocal delivery. He traded in his youthful, highpitched voice for a deeper, subtler delivery which developed from his solo project Owen. They now embrace sounds that lean towards soft rock, and there are moments on songs like “Home is Where the Haunt is” that feel like it would be played on the radio during the morning commute.

This release doesn’t reach the same greatness as the original, but it doesn’t need to. Although the group has aged, they still keep their technical abilities, and with this comes a subtlety that was missed in their first release. – CR

12

Arts

Jessica Whitesel / Arts Editor

arts@the-peak.ca

Keeping Up with the Joneses stars Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher as the most stereotypical, boring married couple on the planet (the Gaffneys), and Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot as the Joneses. The Joneses are gorgeous, sophisticated, multi-talented, awe-inspiring people — and they’re spies.

I fully admit that I wasn’t expecting much as I hunkered down in my seat, but bless this movie for being the highlight of my week.

Given the premise, I was afraid it would consist of too much second-hand embarrassment and dumb one-liners from the Gaffneys as they try to navigate highstakes espionage. I’m so happy I was wrong. You will be too, if you choose to go see it — which I recommend, if you want to spend almost two hours laughing.

Fisher plays one of those nosey suburban moms who’s naturally suspicious of people who don’t look at a house before they buy it, and who are

too perfect for their little neighbourhood. It’s only because of her character, Karen, that the Gaffneys catch on to the fact that their new neighbours are spies.

Karen also supplies a lot of the physical comedy, moving around ridiculously trying to hide from the Joneses’ windows.

But part of what makes this movie a winner in my book is that it doesn’t rely on just one kind of comedy. In addition to the physical, there are some pretty great one-liners that have enough wit to make the entire audience cackle.

There are also comedic moments surrounding sexual confusion, with each of the Gaffneys seeming to contemplate, however unlikely, how life on the other side of the Kinsey scale would be.

Like I said, the Joneses are classically exquisite specimens.

And there is also my favourite kind of humour: the kind that surrounds flipping chauvinists on their asses with what a

woman can and cannot do. Mrs. Jones with darts is a must-see.

Of course, this wouldn’t be an action comedy without the firepower. There are explosions, car chases, and plenty of bullets flying in the latter half of

the film. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Joneses and, in turn, the Gaffneys still manage to make light and get the audience to laugh.

There’s an actual spy plot, combined with henchmen and

ransoms, betrayal and corporate theft — but when the bad guy is Patton Oswalt it’s hard to take him seriously at all.

Go with friends, take your date, or go by yourself. See if you can keep up with the Joneses.

If you ever want to experience a Hawaiian vibe in the middle of Raincouver, ditch the plane tickets and get yourself down to the Poke Guy, located in Gastown.

Poke (pronounced po-kay) is raw fish salad served in Hawaiian cuisine. Typically tuna or octopus, poke has expanded to include different proteins like salmon and shrimp. Vancouver’s poke scene is growing steadily, with places such as Poké Time in the West End and Pokerrito in the downtown core, in addition to this conveniently located poke stop (pun intended) by SFU’s Harbour Centre campus.

To add to its Hawaiian feel, the 20-seat restaurant has a very beachy feel with clean white walls, wooden furniture, and vibrant green plants. There are colourful leis everywhere, and with every bite of the poke, you can feel the

sunshine beating down on your face and the flavours coming alive.

What I love about the Poke Guy is the amount of choice you have when it comes to what you want to eat. First off, you get to choose the size: the little guy, which has two scoops of protein and up to five sides, or the big guy, which has three scoops of protein and unlimited sides. There are daily proteins that rotate, though, like tako (octopus) and shrimp, as well as mainstays such as ahi tuna and Lomi Lomi (marinated salmon).

There is also the choice between white and brown rice or a salad base, and a number of sides such as imitation crab, avocado, corn, and fresh mango. You also get a choice of dressings as well as “crunch" toppings like nori (seaweed), crispy onions, and pork rinds.

I tried the little guy with half white rice and half salad, Lomi Lomi (fresh salmon marinated with vinegar, tomato, parsley, and onions), and added imitation crab meat and mango, topped with nori. The fish was undeniably fresh since they bring it in every day. I wanted to be super bold, so I added in mango. I worried it would be a bad mix, but it turned out to be the best decision I made that day. Sweet mango pieces mixed

with the saltiness of the fish, and the warm sushi rice was like a hug of Hawaiian sunshine in my mouth. Bold, flavourful, and just downright delicious.

Aside from serving up what one worker called “seriously healthy brain food,” the restaurant’s utensils and packaging are compostable. The staff is also incredibly patient and helpful, and you can sample the different proteins to see which one you like.

With poke becoming so popular in the city, the lunch rush at the Poke Guy means that the popular proteins and sides get sold out quickly and aren't replaced for the rest of the day. However, they are looking to add more food options and potentially be open for dinner as well. Take note of this place, and be sure to stop by for lunch if you ever find yourself at Harbour Centre!

This piece was originally published on Delicious Destinations.

Diversions

Maia Odegaard / Business Manager

October 31, 2016 maia@the-peak.ca

13

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

14 Sports

Nick Bondi / Sports Editor

sports@the-peak.ca

SFU lost 2–1 in overtime to Montana State University Billings on October 27. Carli Grosso scored the lone goal for the Clan in the 42nd minute. The loss means SFU needs to win its game against Northwest Nazarene to qualify for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships, to be held at SFU.

Nick Bondi Sports Editor For most students, your first semester at university is a time of adjustment. Almost everything is different from high school, from the size of the classes to the expectations of schoolwork; it’s a serious step up.

Now add the commitment of a demanding practice schedule, and you get a sense of what Jaya Rampuri, a first-year communication major on the women’s golf team, has had to adapt to since the start of the semester.

“I went from being a very unorganized person to a super organized person,” said Rampuri on how she has had to adapt to university. “I’ve got a planner that literally tells me when I’m doing things at what time, and how much time I have. Especially with readings, I won’t go to sleep until that reading is done, because I know it needs to be done, otherwise I’ll fall behind.

“In that sense, I’m trying to make sure I’m staying on top of my schoolwork, but I also want to make sure I designate a certain amount of time to practice.”

The practice schedule is demanding. Rampuri practices “six times a week” for multiple hours at a time.

“We practice down at the range all together once a week for two hours. But we’re expected, and we do, play five days besides that one day a week.

“We buddy up [as well], we just go and chip around or we’ll hit the range or we’ll go on the course.

It’s just honestly what you feel you need to work on. Right now we’re focusing a lot on the short game, because that’s something we’ve all been struggling with. We lose a lot of strokes there.”

With her skill level, you would think Rampuri would have been playing golf as long as she could remember. But Rampuri started relatively late, as she didn’t start playing golf until the age of 13.

She started at the insistence of her mother, who asked her to try it out.

“I wanted to start competing in tournaments when I saw the LPGA [Ladies Professional Golf Association] come to Vancouver Golf Club, which is my home club,” Rampuri explained. “When I saw them come, I watched the girls and I was pretty inspired. So I asked my mom to put me in more tournaments. “[From there] I went into some junior events and I started playing, and then once I kept playing I just

wanted to get better and better at it. So I started working harder, started playing more days. I went from playing once a week to almost seven days a week.”

Despite some offers from various schools, including UBC where her sister played, she decided to come to SFU to test herself against the best.

“SFU just made [the most] sense,” she explained. “I like that they’re NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association], I like that I can compete in the United States, and travel a little bit and play against really good competition.

Plus the education is very good.”

She’s been adjusting well on the course as well. Rampuri finished 11th at both the Western Washington Invitational and the Concordia Invitational. The team finished first in their first two tournaments too.

“It was a pretty big high,” she said on the early success the team has found so far this year. “To experience a team win is so much more than an individual win from my perspective. It put us on a high

and it showed us how good we are and how much potential we have.

So I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and to continue to win tournaments.”

Despite being way in the future, Rampuri already has a clear vision of what she wants to accomplish once her time is up at SFU. “As of right now, I would love to be a coach for golf. I have a long way to go for that. I’m coaching here and there, helping out with the Vancouver Golf Club or with the LAB team I go out to see. [. . .]

I’m helping out in that sense getting some experience. But I guess the ultimate goal is to go professional. If that ever comes my way I would definitely like to take that opportunity.”

With a fantastic start to her collegiate career so far, don’t be surprised to hear Jaya Rampuri’s name frequently in the future.

Three SFU players have been picked to the Preseason AllGNAC Team. Senior Meg Wilson was chosen for the third time, a year after she took a medical redshirt. Senior Ellen Kett and redshirt junior Elisa Homer were also picked to the team. Kett led the conference with 7.1 assists per game, while Homer averaged 16.5 points per game.

Lorenzo Smith led all GNAC cross country runners for a third year with a 4.17 GPA. Joining him on the AllAcademic Team was Rowan Doherty, Marc-Antoine Rouleau, and Erina Cho. To qualify for selection, one has to be a sophomore or higher and have at least a 3.38 GPA.

SFU women’s wrestling is ranked second in the national rankings ahead of the 2016–17 season. Last year, the Clan finished third at the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championships.

The team’s next meet is the Mike Clock Open in Corvallis, Oregon on November 6.

Sports

SFU’s swim team saw massive achievements this past spring, and head coach Liam Donnelly has hopes for a bigger win for the upcoming season. The team consists of an equal spread of 13 swimmers on the men’s and women’s teams this year, with nine new recruits. “Everyone on the team get[s] along and care[s] for each other,” said Donnelly. He also commended the strong leadership skills among the freshmen and sophomores.

The men’s team finished 10th at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national tournament last season — the best placement that SFU has had in recent history — and it aspires for a better placing at this year’s NCAA National Championships set for March in Alabama. With only five months until then, the team must “focus on building and maintaining a high level of strength and fitness while also making technical improvements in the pool,” said Donnelly.

The swimmers spend up to a total of 18 hours training in the pool, along with other strength and core development routines. However, the

October 31, 2016

coach’s concerns extend to the academic success of the team as well.

“We would like to couple this with a very high academic team average over the fall and spring semester,” he said, adding that one of the most difficult obstacles is to find a balance between a rigorous academic schedule along with training and competitive demands.

This year, the swimming team consists of many competent swimmers from last season, such as Mackenzie Hamill who won the national title for the 1,650-yard freestyle in March. Another member, Adrian Vanderhelm, secured a third spot in 200- and 500-yard freestyle in the same competition. In addition, Lauren Swistak and Hamill had finished in the top 10 at the Canadian Olympic trials in April.

When sports information director Steve Frost was asked about the best achievements by the team this year, he remarked on the women’s team’s success. A season-opening dual meet saw victory for the SFU women’s team on October 23. The team won 10 of 14 short course metre races collectively, while the

men’s team wasn’t able to come out as strongly.

The freshmen of the team have already started to show competent skillsets that are essential for a holistic performance.

“I feel very confident about this year’s team in retrospection of last year,” said Frost. “We

anticipate it is very realistic to improve our National Championship team placings this year.”

Donnelly believes that the only way of achieving these goals is by staying alert. “The varsity team will have to pay close attention to keeping their health and maintaining consistent routines. Nutrition and

sleeping patterns are areas that need to be observed and implemented meticulously.”

SFU is hosting a home meet from November 18–20. The SFU Clan Cup International is taking place on the Burnaby campus, with the final sessions commencing at 5:30 p.m. on each day.

through an injury crisis, ending up with only six healthy players.

However, the team defied all expectations and changed the narrative in its favour. The Clan ended up with a 13–7 conference record and

even made it to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) semifinals. Simon Fraser took fourth place in the GNAC. “I think we had success, but we would like to have more success,” said head coach Bruce Langford.

“Last year was a little bit of a slippage in terms of where we really would like to get to.”

Not only did SFU women’s basketball find its way to the semifinals five years after switching to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II, it has arguably been one of the most prosperous teams at SFU. “We were supposed to be a two-year transition from the CIS [Canadian Interuniversity Sport],” observed Langford. “We ended up losing six kids, but we recovered from that nicely. We had a really nice run where we made the nationals the first year we were eligible and made the nationals a couple years in a row.”

The team will now be able to rely on a good calibre of players, as coach Langford explained.

“We recruited five high school

kids and we have one transfer.

I would say that our youth is the best we’ve had in the last 10 years. The kids are multi-skilled in different ways. Two of them are better defenders, which should help us defensively.”

The Clan has set the bar high once again. Coach Langford is “not only looking for the winning record,” but has also established an intense non-conference schedule and made it challenging to physically and mentally brace the girls for NCAA rhythm.

The first part of the preseason will consist of three games in three days. The girls will be facing California Baptist University, Augustana University, and Colorado School of Mines in the Disney Tip-off Classic on November 4–6.

Coach Langford will be able to rely on more than his main three-pointers this season. SFU welcomed talented recruits and added to its frontcourt transfer Tayla Jackson, who played all 31 games last season for NCAA Division I UC Irvine. Jackson will be joined on the court by 2014–15

All-GNAC Honourable Mention Meg Wilson — who “has been such a good example of leadership in games as she has come off from injury” — as well as the team's leading scorer Elisa Homer, and Ellen Kett who was top five in the NCAA in assists.

While the Clan seemed to be fairly dominant offensively on the court throughout last season, coach Langford reflected on the changes that need to be made for the upcoming season.

“We have been young every year since we have been in the NCAA. I don’t think we are consistent enough. I don’t think we rebuilt well enough. Those are two areas we really need to improve on.

“Last year we weren’t deep in certain positions. Some players were careful on the court about getting fouls and not being too physical. We have addressed those issues with our new recruits.”

The quest for the GNAC Championships starts on December 1 against Alaska Anchorage on the road.

Liza Siamer Peak Associate The 2015–16 season did not start in the most idyllic way for the Clan. One of SFU’s forwards, Meg Wilson, was forced to take a medical redshirt after only two games. The team also went

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Sports

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October 31, 2016

Nick Bondi Sports Editor

Liza Siamer Peak Associate

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