The April Fools Childrenhood

SFU student David Cowling's musical journey

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News

Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor

January 30, 2017 news@the-peak.ca

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News

Having started as a public health awareness campaign in 2003, the Meatless Mondays initiative has transformed into a global movement that addresses health, environmental, and animal welfare issues in regards to meat consumption.

This January, SFU dove headfirst into implementing the Monday Veggie Challenge in communication with the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) — the organisation that awakened many schools to the movement. The new initiative is in addition to SFU’s previous vegetarian commitments.

The simple argument that cultivating plant crops to feed livestock is inefficient, when we could consume the plant crops in the first place is an underpinning motif for VHS. “Students are thrilled to have a variety of healthy, humane, and eco-friendly food options to help them make delicious and responsible food choices,” said Emily Pickett, VHS’s program coordinator.

Surrey is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, currently housing 20% of the region’s population. With Surrey’s population expected to exceed that of Vancouver over the next 30 years, the city is looking to upgrade the current transit system to keep up with the growing demand.

As part of phase one of the 10Year Investment Plan, the mayors of Metro Vancouver announced that the plan for light rail transit (LRT) in Surrey will go ahead, with construction of the first phase of the South of Fraser Rapid Transit Project expected to start in 2018.

This first phase will connect Surrey Centre (where SFU’s Surrey campus is located), Guildford Town Centre, and Newton Town Centre. A second phase will eventually connect Surrey to Langley,

Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor

news@the-peak.ca

Aligning with this view, Ali White, programs manager at Embark (the independent, student-led not-for-profit society based out of SFU) remarked, “While it’s not one of our main programming areas [at SFU], the Challenge coordinates with our work by engaging students in being aware of their carbon footprint, and further supports the health and well-being of both people and the environment.”

Recognizing the momentum that students can create by actively participating in the Monday Veggie Challenge at SFU, White explained, “SFU Dining Services has partnered with us to promote the campaign in the Dining Hall and Mackenzie Cafe, which both provide vegetarian options every day of the week.”

“Not only do students know best how to reach and empower fellow students, but they can provide valuable feedback about menu options and strategies for running a successful campaign within their school community,”

stressed Pickett. VHS is pushing boundaries with nine Metro Vancouver schools being on board in the initiative.

This statement resonated with students’ perspective at SFU as well. “We were talking about the Meatless Mondays just a while ago,” said Kendal Singleton, a firstyear student currently studying medical physiology. Singleton is currently on the meal plan for SFU. “I really like it because I’m a vegetarian. Especially on Mondays, the quality and variety of the food is great.”

Paul Garcha, a first-year computing science major, added, “I’m not a vegetarian, but they served veggie quesadillas last Monday and I think that should appeal to meat-eaters, too.” The two students agreed that SFU’s efforts are commendable, at its initiation.

Embark has students engaging in the front- as well as the back-end of the project through their promotional strategies. “We have a volunteer who is currently working on developing social media graphics for the campaign.

In addition, SFU Health and

Counselling peers are keen to support the campaign through their tabling outreach, focusing more on the health impacts of meat consumption,” explained White.

VHS and Embark collectively express the positive response Meatless Mondays has cultivated. Piloted in November, Embark plans on bringing more to table. “We hope to encourage other vendors on campus to take part in the Monday Veggie Challenge. This could include offering a discount for vegetarian meals on Mondays, or simply featuring a meatless option on that day.”

there are alternatives to being stuck in congestion.”

Matthew Furtado, a fourthyear communication and business student who also lives in Surrey, stands behind the SkyTrain for Surrey campaign, calling the

allowing those who live in Langley easier access to the SkyTrain.

Andy Yan, the current director of SFU’s The City Program, described Surrey’s decision of LRT as “an important investment for the city.”

“Particularly since there is an SFU campus there [in Surrey], the LRT will be able to further allow students, faculty, and staff [who] live in the region more access to SFU Surrey on frequencies that they weren’t able to before,” Yan said in an interview with The Peak.

Aside from access, Yan cited positive benefits for the city, including lower cost as compared to other modes of transit, increased economic benefits, and improving the overall livability of Surrey.

Third-year geography student JT Cowan, who lives in Surrey, echoed Yan’s thoughts with

regards to the LRT, particularly with regards to the ability for the future LRT to sustain ridership with the increase in population as well as accessibility for all.

I am definitely in support of the LRT,” said Cowan. “Future development signs all over previously vacated land [. . .] tells me the corridors will be able to sustain ridership and create easy access for riders to their homes and jobs.”

He went on to say that the street level transport will greatly improve accessibility, as everyone will be able to walk on and off regardless of their challenges, as opposed to relying on elevators.

But not everyone is in favour of the LRT. The most vocal voices opposing the LRT are those behind the SkyTrain for Surrey web page. They argue that the cost to build the LRT and SkyTrain are the same, but in the long run, SkyTrain would cost less to operate. As well, they note that having a transit system that is “fully separated from vehicle traffic is imperative to making sure

around them when accidents take place on its immobile tracks.”

For Furtado and many others behind the SkyTrain for Surrey campaign, a petition has been created to call on the Mayor’s Council to consider the alternative of SkyTrain and Bus Rapid Transit so as to avoid making what the campaign describes as the “most expensive mistake in the region’s history,” coming in at a proposed cost of $2.6 billion.

One thing that both sides of the table can agree upon is that Surrey is quickly outgrowing its current transit system and is in dire need of an upgrade in order to keep up with Surrey’s growth. With the start date for construction about a year away, both sides hope to make their arguments known to the public, all with the intention of moving Surrey forward.

LRT a “small bandaid on Surrey’s clogged, congested traffic arteries.

“I think this [LRT] is setting the bar too low, the problems with LRT are much too significant to call it an ‘expansion’ or ‘improvement.’ [. . .] LRT is no faster than a bus during rush hour,” Furtado said.

“Not only would trains be delayed

by Surrey’s frequent traffic accidents on its routes, but it would also prove impossible to navigate

Opinions

Zach Siddiqui / Opinions Editor

January 30, 2017 opinions@the-peak.ca

Rachel Wong Staff Writer

Kevin Rey Staff Writer

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Priti Gill SFU Student

Opinions

Zach Siddiqui / News Editor

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Arts

Jessica Whitesel / Arts Editor

January 30, 2017 arts@the-peak.ca

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NOTICE: The Peak Publications Society Board of Directors meets once per month, on the third Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in MBC 2900. The February meeting will be moved to the 22nd due to Reading Break. The minutes from each meeting can be found at the-peak.ca/policy.

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26. ____ moment's notice (2 wds.)

27. Cafeteria item 29. Shoelace hole 34. Admission of guilt 39. Zip 40. Warning signal 41. Yet, poetically

42. Exhaust 43. ____ McEntire of country music 44. Pledge of ____ 46. U.S. ____ Service 48. Aykroyd and Rather 49. "Viva ____ Vegas" 51. Tenor ____ Pavarotti 56. Restored the honor of 61. Gleam 62. Phone number prefixes (2 wds.)

64. Singer ____ John 65. Pinball no-no 66. ____ Moore of "Indecent Proposal" 67. Slack 68. "Electric" swimmers 69. Love god 70. Defeated candidate

Down 1. Texas landmark 2. Evil spirit 3. Syrup tree 4. Tiny landmass 5. "Gone with ____ Wind" 6. Biol., e.g.

7. Proves human 8. Major artery 9. Add sugar 10. Whirled 11. Cavity 12. Retirement accounts (abbr.)

13. Cheeky 19. Neutral color 23. News bit 24. Married woman (abbr.)

25. Painter's stand 28. Produce 30. Poet ____ Pound 31. Tilt 32. Clapton or Idle 33. Musical sound 34. Food fish 35. Toast topping 36. Apprehends 37. Univ. club 38. Laker Shaquille ____ 42. ____ jockey 44. With ice cream (3 wds.)

45. Large antelope 47. A Baldwin 50. Passover feast 52. Arctic shelter 53. Choir singers 54. Loop of rope 55. Proprietor 56. Judge 57. Huron's neighbor 58. Secluded valley 59. Devours 60. Sample 63. Bro's sib 64. House wing

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