As a finalist in the Miss Canada 2017 pageant, less than two weeks away, Navneet Nanan is in the height of preparations. In the midst of reading break, while other students might be lounging with friends or taking some extra time to complete their homework, Nanan was bouncing from meeting to meeting and tracking the gowns being shipped to her address in UniverCity. The Peak got to speak with her about how she entered pageantry, what she’s looking forward to for Miss Canada, and her hopes for the future.
Reflections in the mirror and selfreflection Nanan had always had an interest in pageants: “I found the women [I saw in pageants] to be super inspirational, confident, and poised.” However, she never saw herself as someone “who could be that, be there, [and] fill those shoes.” It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that Nanan finally got the courage to participate in the Miss BC pageant. Not only did the pageant give her the confidence to compete in future events, but she found that the connections she made with girls all over BC, as well as the series of workshops offered during the pageant, were “crucial to [her] development in [the] industry.” Her interactions with the other pageant girls created a natural, comfortable, and organic atmosphere where she felt at ease. “I still keep in contact with the girls I met in that pageant,” Nanan said. In addition to her involvement in pageantry, Nanan volunteers widely in the community for organizations such as the BC Cancer Society, Terry Fox Foundation, and Heart and Stroke Foundation. Particularly, she has sustained a focus on girls’ and women’s empowerment — including returning to her old high school to give talks to the young women about selfesteem, body image, and insecurity. On a more global scale, Nanan represented Canada at the European Youth Parliament forum to speak on the extreme circumstances faced by female Syrian refugees. Her personal experiences struggling with self-esteem and body image issues, combined with her passion for girls’ empowerment in the community and the open and accepting pageant atmosphere, led Nanan to envision a platform based on women’s empowerment
as she moves forward into Miss Canada 2017. “I’m pursuing this platform because growing up, there wasn’t a really good female role model for me,” Nanan said. She spoke about how pageantry helped her work through her insecurities as a woman, and how she now hopes her time on the stage can also be used to help other girls younger than her deal with similar issues.
The depth under the surface One thing Nanan was careful to stress during the interview was that, unlike popular media depictions, pageantry for her was more than surface-deep. “[Miss Canada 2017] is not just looking for a pretty girl — they want someone well-spoken, who’s involved in the community, and is a well-rounded person,” she emphasized. She talked about how pageants are hypersexualised and often onlookers who don’t know much about pageants may not understand the depth of the competition. As Nanan herself gets ready for the Miss Canada pageant, which will run for a week in early March, she is preparing for an evening gown portion, private interviews with the judges, on-stage questions, and maintaining her overall composure through the week. With her coach, she mainly focuses on sample interview questions and reaching out to local community businesses for sponsorship. Pageantry has given Nanan more than just the confidence to overcome her adolescent
insecurities, it has given her a voice to speak about that which she cares. “There are amazing role models, a lot of amazing women to surround myself with. And I am very selfaware, so much more confident in who I am and my abilities.” More than anything, she’s looking forward to speaking on the stage about her experiences with women’s empowerment, and making connections with the other ambitious and inspiring contestants she is looking forward to meeting.
The future looks bright In the midst of her exhilarating and timeconsuming pageant passion, Nanan is a fulltime student, and is currently completing her second year at Beedie School of Business. She is keeping her options open for her future path — while she’s undecided as to what her concentration in the program may be, she knows that she doesn’t see herself doing an office job. She describes herself as a 'people person,' and looks forward to working in an environment more dominated by passion than cubicles. To explore where she might see herself and what she might be doing in the future, Nanan hopes to go on a couple of co-ops and international exchanges. Ultimately, she would love to combine her interest in community involvement and women’s empowerment with her business degree to find “work [she’s] passionate about, that [she won’t] even call work.”
4 News
Nathan Ross Web News Editor
Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor
news@the-peak.ca
News
March 6, 2017
Manon Busseron Peak Associate
5
6 Opinions
Zach Siddiqui / Opinions Editor
opinions@the-peak.ca
Preethi Bokka Staff Writer
Linda Shu Production Editor
Opinions
March 6, 2017
Winona Young SFU Student
Develop skills and techniques to confidently communicate your stories in print and online with Langara’s one-year Publishing Diploma. Gain hands-on experience and build a professional portfolio that includes LangaraPRM.com and a new issue of Pacific Rim Magazine. Learn more. www.langara.ca/publishing
INFORMATION SESSIONS March 21 and April 18
7
10 Arts
Many women who have been dumped can probably relate to the sentiments in Bittergirl — the hurt feelings, the coping strategies, the desperation. But I expect many would find it clichéd and presumptuous as it relies on stereotypes of the poor rejected girl. The three relationships in Bittergirl provide examples of how a breakup may take place at different levels of commitment: an artsy boyfriend ends things with his girlfriend to find his “magic,” a common-law partner moves out unexpectedly — he needs some space — and a husband decides he needs to follow his dreams and leaves to join the RCMP. All three men are played by Josh Epstein, and he does a good job of embodying these characters so we
Jessica Whitesel / Arts Editor
arts@the-peak.ca
are never confused which one is on stage. Singing classic ’60s tunes such as “He’s a Rebel” and “Mama Said,” the three bitter girls impress with both their solos and harmonies. The musical numbers all relate to their woeful situation and unfortunate relationships, but there must be a way to incorporate these songs while not letting these women fall into stereotypical roles of the era — even though the setting is modern. The girlfriend drinks her sorrows away, the common-law spouse turns to obsessive cleaning, and the wife buries herself in her endless tasks as a mother, career woman, and leader of the household. While these are realistic reactions to a breakup, the actions they take next are where the problem lies. After scrutinizing every
detail about their relationships — and themselves — to figure out what they could have possibly done wrong to be dumped, the bitter girls blame themselves and desperately try to win their men back. While some women may try to win back a boyfriend or husband who has treated her badly or dumped her for inexplicable reasons, is it necessary to perpetuate the stereotype of the desperate rejected woman who will do anything to win back her man? And do we need a marathon workout scene where the women try to lose weight and improve their looks to win him back? We can do better than that, and in a show that isn’t even set in a bygone era, there is no reason not to. Despite this flaw, there are some extremely funny Bridesmaids-style
scenes where we get to laugh along with the bitter girls after they get over getting their men back and move on to drunken revenge. One of the funniest scenes takes place in a jail cell where they fight and make up and sing a medley of “This is My Life,” “Keep Me Hangin’ On,” and “I Will Survive.” Finally over their exes, and wearing sequined dresses
reminiscent of the Supremes, the girls close out the show with impressive harmonies and an uplifting medley, including the crowd pleaser “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and a repeat of “I Will Survive.” The soul and R&B sounds of the ’60s give this show a vibrant energy, and despite a couple of faults, there are still plenty of laughs to be had.
Despite over one million streams on Spotify and Apple Music, and another half million on SoundCloud, King H is not driven by stats, money, or fame. He’s driven by the will to, in his words, “be the greatest rapper.” This passion started in high school at Dr. Charles Best, when King H began battle-rapping classmates at lunch and after school. King H says he was regarded as the best — “nobody [else] could compete [with me].” His friends convinced him to incorporate his funny punch lines into catchy melodies to make songs. For King H, there’s no reason to not strive to be the greatest, to one day be looked up to and debated like Kendrick, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, and the other greats. As he says, “Nobody goes to the Olympics because they want the bronze.” King H takes lots of inspiration from his favourite rapper, Eminem: “He’s raw, ruthless, very clever, and he speaks his mind.” His originality, unwillingness to restrain his lyrics, and his overcoming obstacles give King H an example to follow, as he strives to change Vancouver’s sound.
“Nobody knows the Vancouver hiphop scene. We have lots of famous people like Nickelback [and] Michael Bublé, but no rappers.” King H wants to change that as an independent artist, emphasizing, “There’s no connections, it’s just us and the music. I want the music to speak for itself.” He cites the rapper, Logic, as an example of making it independent. “If you don’t care about your craft, then who will?” he asks. For everyone, especially SFU students, King H says you have to “master your craft, no matter what it
is. If you love writing, sports, music, research, whatever it is, you strive to be the best. It’s better not to do it at all than to half-ass it.” King H released Next Up over every streaming service, as well as YouTube and SoundCloud, so there’s no excuse not to listen. However he’s more concerned with people hearing him than revenue: “If people can’t access my album in any other way, they can email me and I’ll send it for free. I just want my music to be heard.” For King H, his time at SFU has
been formative. “SFU has been dope. I’ve networked, made connections like Korrvpt and Frontrvnners Streetwear. “At SFU, people share their passions. If you were to contact a [nonSFU] designer, they’ll mostly want your money.” Even though he has sold out at Fortune Sound Club and has events scheduled for Alexander Gastown and FiveSixty, King H is still hoping he can bring his music back to campus by doing more shows at the Highland Pub.
Tatum Miller Peak Associate SFU is home to one of Canada’s youngest independent artists with over one million streams on Spotify and Apple Music. He’s already been making waves in Vancouver’s music scene, but with his first full-length album, Next Up, King H is about to make a splash. When I first heard Next Up, it surprised me. I didn’t know hip-hop like this came out of Vancouver, let alone SFU. Next Up transcends Vancouver music stereotypes. “How can you make it out of your city if you sound like everyone in your city?” asks King H. The album has been in the works since September 2016, when King H would spend all the time he could spare in the studio with the album’s producers, 40K and Zelli Risk. Despite a full course load and a parttime job, the passion for music brought them together two to three times a week. King H never shows his face in his media, and doesn’t write his lyrics down. “How you perceive me is up to you,” he says.
Arts
March 6, 2017
11
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES If you’re anything like me, when you hear "writer’s studio," you imagine a mahogany desk surrounded by all the classics and a typewriter sitting in the sunshine. Perhaps this can be a reality. However, the writer’s studio at SFU is much more than just a picturesque scene in my mind. I moved to Vancouver with the dream that I would write and the SFU writer’s studio sits at number one on the Huffington Post ’s best alternative to an MFA. I promised myself I would get my degree done first, and with graduation looming around the corner, it’s almost time. Here is what you need to know about the writer’s studio if you’ve ever dreamed of becoming the next Hemingway. In one year, with a total of 141 part-time hours, you will have worked under the wing of a published author and become published yourself. With the option to take the course either online, at Harbour Centre in Vancouver, or even in the beautiful mountain town of Whistler, there are plenty of options. While the locations are attractive what draws me most to the program is that you immediately become part of a tight-knit community of aspiring writers. This community is even important to the mentors within the program; according to Meredith Quartermaine, it is a major part of her success.
Let’s talk numbers for a moment here. While tuition is $5,000 and there is no option for provincial or national loans, there are two scholarships available. Also, because it is a part-time course provided on evenings and weekends, working during your education is easy to do. You will also be finished sooner than a regular MFA, which takes a minimum of two years to complete, with tuition at anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000, and with no guarantee of publishing your work. I can see why SFU is at the top of the alternate MFA list. The actual program consists of taking four core courses and picking two electives. These courses seek to equip you with constructive feedback for various forms such as poetry or fiction. They will also school you on the real-world legalities that come with creative writing and how to navigate the not-so-simple questions that accompany copywriting your work. With an impressive list of successful graduates, the SFU Writer’s Studio clearly produces results, giving creative minds the structure and feedback they need. If you want to get involved sooner, or enjoy a reading session in a quaint setting, I recommend going to the Reading Series hosted every first Thursday of the month.
New Summer 2017 Courses from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary! FASS150-3: The FASS Canada 150 Experience Love your courses but not ready to commit to a major? Interested in playing the FASS field? Check out our newest course where you will hear diverse speakers explore unique perspectives in a mixed, flexible course environment! Wednesdays, 11:30-12:20 Burnaby Prerequisites: 6 units
FASS 250-3: FASS Canada 150 Community Service Practicum What’s your story? Where do you fit in in your community? Develop your first-person voice as a student and citizen subject. Includes structured volunteer work with community partners contributing to Canada 150 events or projects. Tuesdays, 10:30-12:20 Burnaby Prerequisites: 12 units
FASS 350-4: Canada 150 Creative Community Practicum Take charge and create your OWN event! Students will self-organize and design, create and mobilize their own research-based expressive projects based on the 150th anniversary national themes. Thursdays, 2:30-5:20 Burnaby Prerequisites: 45 units
Add your voice to Canada’s history! http://www.sfu.ca/fass/fass-canada-150-program/fass-canada-150-courses.html
12 Sports
Saturday, February 28 marked the last basketball game that star forward Meg Wilson will ever play in the West Gym at Simon Fraser University. “There was so much emotion, with it being seniors’ night and pink night, and having so many alumni, friends, and family in the stands,” said Wilson, when asked about the game. In what was a grueling affair with the second-best team in the nation, Alaska Anchorage, Wilson led the team with 18 points, as she has done so many times throughout the season. She led the team in points, rebounds, and steals this year with averages of 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.33 steals. Watching her steal a pass at the top of the key and beat every player to the opposing hoop with ease, you would never guess the adversity that she has faced to get to the player she is today. Things weren’t always so easy. In what was meant to be
her senior season in 2015–16, Meg Wilson was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in her legs. This syndrome occurs when excessive pressure is built up in an enclosed muscle area, and can cause blood to not reach the affected tissues properly. Due to the emergency of preventing permanent damage, Wilson was forced to sit out the entire season following surgery. “I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to play, or if I was injured. It went back and forth between a couple of different diagnoses from doctors,” said Wilson. When the news hit, she was determined to contribute in her new role, saying: “When I finally knew I wasn’t going to be able to play, that I was going to have to have surgeries on both my legs, my mindset really changed to try to help the team the best I could without being on the court.” An injury like this would be difficult for anybody, let alone
Nick Bondi / Sports Editor
sports@the-peak.ca
a varsity athlete, but Meg used it to improve herself. “Being forced to take a step back I saw a different picture and different side of things [. . .] I grew a lot as a person, being more patient and realizing there was more than basketball,” said Meg. At the same time, however, her time away helped her realize how much she loves the game. She did everything she could to be ready for this season, where she and the Clan knew they had the potential to do great things. “We focused on taking advantage of the opportunity that we had,” said Meg on the mindset of the team as they prepared for the season. And take advantage they have. Simon Fraser headed to the post-season as the third seed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and came off a game in which they nearly beat the second-ranked team in the nation — Alaska Anchorage. Unfortunately, they weren’t able
to come up with the win against Central Washington but at the time of publication, they could be in the west regional tournament. “We had that date circled on our calendars for a long time,” said Wilson, after the team upset Alaska Anchorage last year in the same scenario. Throughout the game, and throughout the season, Meg Wilson’s and fellow senior Ellen Kett’s on court chemistry has been key for the Clan. “We have a connection on the court where we know where each other is going to be,” explained Wilson. “I know [. . .] if I cut, Ellen will give me the ball because she is such a great passer.” This relationship extends far beyond the court, however, as it does with all her teammates. “We get along so well and have a lot of fun off the court,” said Wilson, smiling when asked. The thing that has stood out for her most at Simon Fraser, outside of basketball,
is the family she has experienced within athletics. Her and her teammates are now “where [they’ve] been looking to be all season.” Meg is more than ready for the intensity of the post-season, saying, “[It’s] so exciting for us because we love to compete, we love that every possession is going to matter.” In perspective though, Meg Wilson’s health matters much more than basketball. Her and her teammates are blessed to have her back on the court, where she is now better than ever.
Sports
This was not supposed to happen. Heading into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) as the third seed and playing the sixthseeded Central Washington University Wildcats, the Simon Fraser University Clan was expected to advance to the semifinals, and perhaps even further. While the Clan gave a strong defensive effort, their offensive deficiencies (not aided at all by an injury to Meg Wilson) proved to be too much to overcome. The teams began the game much like it ended, neck-and-neck. Kortney Grattic and Rachel Fradgley traded layups to start the game, and the rest of the first quarter was much the same. By the end of the first frame, the score was 16–16. We were in for a highly competitive game of playoff basketball. In the second quarter, Simon Fraser was able to separate themselves a little bit from their opponents. With four minutes left in the quarter, an
Morgan Smith, the Clan’s 197lb starter, will compete at the NCAA Division II National Championships on March 11 and 12 after taking third place in the West Super Regional this past weekend. This makes Smith just the fifth Clan wrestler to book a ticket to the nationals since joining the NCAA in the 2012–13 season. Smith took third in his division at the regional tournament. To get that far, he had to battle through a grueling bracket where a single loss could risk ending his season. After just falling short of qualifying for the national tournament last year, Smith was determined to compete in Alabama this time around. “This year, I focused on making sure I felt great the day before we left. For me that means making sure I'm not overly stressed and that I don't overdo my training. I love to train, so it's been a challenge for me to hold back in order to peak at the right time,” Smith said, regarding his preparation for the regional tournament this year. That preparation finally paid off for the native of Lynnwood,
March 6, 2017
13
Elisa Homer three-pointer extended the lead to as much as eight, with a score of 26–18. Central Washington was able to cut the lead to as little as two before the break, before a pair of free throws by Sophie Swant made the score 28–24 heading into the half. Ellen Kett led Simon Fraser with nine points and four assists. For Central Washington, Jasmin Edwards led all scorers with 10 points and played all 20 minutes. Although the Clan won the quarter, they suffered a huge loss. Meg Wilson left the game with 3:27 left in the second quarter and did not return. She finished with zero points, two rebounds, and five turnovers, much different than the team-leading 14.7 points and 5.4 rebounds she averaged throughout the season. Even with this loss, Simon Fraser was able to play a strong third quarter. A Kett layup, assisted by Homer, gave the Clan an eightpoint lead, and forced a timeout by
the other side with 6:12 to go in the quarter. This lead would extend to 12 twice in the remaining minutes of the frame, but would settle back at eight as the teams went into the fourth. Even without their star forward, SFU had put themselves in a strong position to win the game. In the fourth quarter, however, the team unraveled. The Wildcats outscored the Clan 23–14 in the frame, and SFU was poor on both sides of the ball. From 6:17 to 1:38
in the quarter, Central Washington went on a 15–3 run in which Simon Fraser could not buy a basket. The score was now 54–53 for the Wildcats with a minute and a half to go: playoff crunch time.
both free throws and complete
Offensive struggles for SFU were the catalyst for the loss. They shot only 27.1% from the field, including hitting only 15% of their three-pointers. Kett was the only player in double-digits for the Clan, with 22 points and seven assists. Every other Simon Fraser player, with the exception of Tayla Jackson, shot less than 30% from the field. The absence of their leading scorer was definitely a factor.
that in my mind, I can beat anyone in the country, regardless of NCAA Division I, II, or III.” Confidence is one of the most important things that an athlete
can possess, and Smith certainly is confident. If he can build on that, there is a good chance that he will earn all-American status in Alabama next month.
Washington, who has the talent to compete at the national level. Head coach Justin Abdou said that the tournament was “a great result from [Smith], who had the top three wrestlers in the country in his weight class. He has been constantly improving and this is his best result in our regional tournament after three tries. He beat a very capable opponent in his bronze medal match and it was a good win that he can build on.” The opponent that Smith took down in his final match was Central Oklahoma’s Greg Wilson, who is ranked second in the entire NCAA Division II at 197lbs and has Division I experience. The match came down to the wire, with the Smith edging out his opponent 3–2. This result is a massive boost going into the nationals, and proves that Smith can compete with anybody in the nation. “I'm all about momentum [. . .] Winning [that match] was great, and I plan on building upon my performance at the nationals in Alabama,” Smith said about his performance in his final match.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Clan did not fare as well in the regional tournament. The Clan had no other wrestlers qualify for the nationals, despite having two returning members of the team who qualified last year in Reid Watkins (165lbs) and Sean Molle (heavyweight), and promising competitors across their lineup. “A disappointing end of the season for Velasquez [133lbs] and Molle who both had very good years,” said Abdou. “Velasquez had arguably the deepest weight class [in the tournament] with 10 nationally ranked wrestlers in the field. He did beat one of the qualifiers, but was unable to win the close ones. Molle lost to eventual third- and fourth-place finishers.” Molle was able to beat one of his opponents just 10 days ago at the time of publication, but failed to repeat that performance this weekend. Thus, Smith will make the trip to Alabama on his own, confident that he can become just the second allAmerican in the NCAA era for the Clan. When asked what his goals are going into the tournament, he replied, “My goal is to wrestle through every position, to focus on each match, to stay aggressive, and to give my full effort in every match. With
After a pair of free throws by Ellen Kett made the game 57–56 for the Clan with four seconds left, Kortney Grattic was fouled with only one second remaining on the clock. She went on to hit
the comeback, giving her team the upset win.
NOMINATION CALL FOR CONVOCATION SENATORS SFU has issued an official nomination call to all alumni, honorary degree recipients and SFU founders for four Convocation Senators for term of office from June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2020. Senate is responsible for the academic governance of the University and is therefore concerned with all important matters that bear on teaching and research at the university. If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit a nomination form by March 31, 2017. For more details and a copy of the nomination form, please visit www.sfu.ca/students/elections/convo.html or call 778-782-3168.
14 Humour
Janis McMath / Humour Editor
humour@the-peak.ca
Humour
March 6, 2017
macbook marie
15
16 Diversions
Maia Odegaard / Business Manager
maia@the-peak.ca