The Halloween issue

FIRST PEEK

October 26, 2015

PEAK SPEAK

Among my co-editors at The Peak and among my close friends, I’m known as a very opinionated guy.

And that’s putting it lightly. Ask me what my opinion is about almost anything, and I’ll be sure to give you some sort of response.

What I’ve found is that I’ve formed strong opinions on things that, in the scheme of it all, don’t matter a whole hell of a lot. And if I do have an opinion on something that has some weight to it, it’s probably something pretty stupid. For example, I don’t care a lot about provincial politics other than “Christy Clark sucks,” but I will defend with vigour that NHL 06 has the best soundtrack of any video game ever.

Some may call this ‘trolling,’ but I really don’t see it that way. I call it simply ‘trying to stand out a bit.’

Maybe that’s a bit childish, but it’s a part of who I am.

Looking back, it’s hard to pinpoint when I started to take a hard stance on everything. Likely, it was just a gradual realization that I was

just an incredibly average person; some would say painfully average.

I’ve never seen myself as one who has any real talent; and admittedly, I have gone through periods where I doubt myself at every turn. I’ve never seen myself as unique so I felt that to adopt stupid opinions gave me something by which to define myself.

But enough of that sappy stuff.

I’ll list you some of my opinions.

I’m telling you, if I ran things, it would be a heck of a lot different.

The Highland Pub is one of the only places on campus where you can get a drink, and yet it is always in the red. The only thing this place is consistent at is losing money. But I have a remedy to this problem, and it’s two words: strip club. Not only would it provide jobs on campus to students, it would at the very least mitigate the pub’s losses to a manageable number.

A popular topic I hear discussed is sexual education in public schools. I say forget learning that stuff in the classroom. Kids should

learn about sex on the playground, through word of mouth. What kid wants to suffer through a talk about the birds and the bees from a parent or teacher twice their age? Just Google what you want to know when your parents go to bed. It saves both parties from an embarrassing and awkward conversation.

Twirling spaghetti on a spoon before eating it is the correct way to eat spaghetti. Anyone who says otherwise or has differing views is a heathen and must be dealt with accordingly.

Official power rankings for root beer: 1) A&W Root Beer, 2) Barq’s Root Beer, and 999) Mug Root Beer. No one likes Mug — not even the people who make it.

No hockey player should wear a number over 35, because it just looks stupid. I can’t explain exactly why, but players who skate around as #91 don’t look as good as #19 or #9. Plus, choosing your number after the year you were born is incredibly unoriginal. What are players born in 1999 going to do when they make the NHL? Anyways, like I said, I’m an opinionated guy. It’s an extension of myself, and if you disagree with me that’s fine. But I’m not changing.

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NEWS

October 26, 2015

Canadians turned out to the polls last Monday in the highest numbers since 1993, and voted in a Liberal majority government. Newly elected Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau said in his acceptance speech that Canadians had sent the message, “It’s time for change, real change.”

SFU set the stage for multiple political events throughout the campaign as candidates battled it out for the newly formed riding of Burnaby North-Seymour.

With 36.2 per cent of votes, SFU adjunct professor Terry Beech of the Liberal Party came out on top; The Green Party’s candidate,

SFU professor Lynne Quarmby, placed fourth with 5.2 per cent.

The Peak sat down with SFU Political Science and Women’s Studies professor Marjorie Griffin Cohen soon afterwards to see if the political science department was as surprised as the rest of us at the results of the election.

Having spiderwebs for irises eyes may seem like an easy and cheap way to give your Halloween costume some edge, but if you’re not careful about where you buy them and how you use them, those decorative lenses could cause serious damage.

“The eye is an extremely sensitive organ and can be damaged very easily,” explained Sureen Bachra, co-owner and chief optometrist at Lifetime Eyecare in New Westminster.

Contact lenses need to be properly fitted to the shape of your eye, and many decorative lenses don’t provide a lot of options in that regard. However, that is not the only trouble with these lenses. Bachra shared that “the biggest problem is improper insertion technique and care.” For these reasons, buying over-the-counter decorative lenses risks scratches to the cornea, infection, or in extreme cases, decreased vision or blindness.

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“We had a little betting pool [in the department], and these are professionals,” Cohen said.

“Nobody got it right.”

The election was followed by a social media storm of some Canadians celebrating the departure of a Conservative government, with others

Melissa Roach news@the-peak.ca

associate news editor

bemoaning the newly elected Prime Minister’s lack of experience and his party’s history of failing to keep promises.

Cohen acknowledged that in the past the Liberal Party has campaigned from the political left, but governed from the political right. However, things may be different this time around.

“I think he knows people are onto the Liberals about that,” Cohen said, “He’s got to prove himself.”

A Liberal campaign promise particularly relevant to SFU is the pledge to revamp the National Energy Board (NEB)’s approval process for pipelines. In late 2014, Burnaby Mountain became the focus of national media attention when protesters blocked the surveying work in preparation for the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. The NEB had given Trans Mountain access to the surveying site, which is an environmentally protected area.

The Liberal party has taken a case-by-case stance on

pipelines, so even with a reformed NEB, the Trans Mountain Pipeline may still be built.

Cohen spoke to that possibility, saying “it would be very disappointing. I don’t think you’ll get a Liberal elected again in BC.” She added that due to the fact that the bitumen transported by the pipeline would not be refined in province, “there’s only disadvantages for BC.” Uncertainty about campaign promises aside, there are signs that politics in Canada and the rest of the world have changed in the past decades.

Cohen said that the world is “teeming with people with more progressive ideas both in the UK and the US [that have] some kind of following now,” while in the past, they would have been in the margins.

However, Cohen warned that bringing those changes to bear isn’t for the faint of heart. “If somebody really does want to make a change, they have to be bold and they have to have courage.”

deregulated the purchasing and selling of contact lenses.”

Therefore, anywhere that sells them in the United States or elsewhere in Canada as cosmetic devices is breaking the law; this includes street vendors, novelty stores, and boutiques. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is actively trying to stop them.

An investigation called Operation Double Vision, which is now in its third year, and has seized over 20,000 pairs of counterfeit and decorative lenses in 2014 alone.

Optometrist’s studies have shown that 11 per cent of consumers have worn decorative lenses, with most of them purchased from sources selling their wares illegally. Nearly 60 per cent of individuals using contact lenses admit to wearing them longer than recommended, according to the ICE. The FDA recommends only purchasing lenses only from sellers that ask you to provide your prescription; they should also provide you directions for cleaning, disinfection, and lens usage. If you are using decorative lenses and experience any discomfort, redness, or decrease in vision, you are encouraged to contact an eye care professional as soon as possible.

In order to purchase decorative lenses safely this holiday season, Bachra advised, “Go see your eye care professional first,” regardless of whether you think you have perfect vision. “What you actually need is a professional to check and see if your eyes are healthy and they can tolerate a contact lens, and that they are they are actually fit by a professional — that’s the difference.”

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All forms of contact lenses, including decorative and prescription lenses, are medical devices according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Health Canada will be implementing similar regulations into effect in July.

However, Bachra clarified that “federally, they are considered to be medical devices, but unfortunately, the province of British Columbia

Jamal Dumas

NEWS

October 26, 2015

Sahira Memon Peak Assoicate 20,000 students and educators from over 700 schools gathered in Rogers Arena on October 21 to celebrate We Day, one of a series of events around the world commending youth making a difference in their communities.

Tickets to this event granted access to a five-hour-long musical spectacular, with performances and presentations from notable celebrities, activists, and Canadian icons.

The stacked guest list included Chris Hadfield, Colbie Caillat, Hedley, Kardinal Offishall, and the Barenaked Ladies. The aim of the event was to not just entertain, but to educate, and many of the presenters and performers brought with them a message for the students.

Among the special guests was actor Henry Winkler, best known for his roles on Happy Days and Arrested Development, who shared his long list of triumphs, including having published 31 books despite being dyslexic and in the bottom three per cent of the nation academically. “You are not

defined by your challenges,” said Winkler. “You are defined by your power.”

Since the event functioned as both a learning experience and reward, entry was free to all students with only one caveat: they must have participated in one local and one global action aimed at making a positive change in the community.

This year marks We Day’s eighth anniversary. It was originally started by Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders of Free the Children, an international charitable organization

that aims to empower people to transform themselves, their communities, and the world through social development and outreach programs.

Said Kielburger, “The whole purpose of We Day [. . .] is to have the 20,000 students at the event and hundreds of thousands watching the live stream come out of the experience having discovered their cause.”

This year’s event also marks the first time SFU was represented at We Day. Among the invited participants was a group of SFU students who were being

Five SFU students who joined Tech Entrepreneurship@SFU are making waves with their new fish tank monitor.

Leonie Tharratt, Kyle Tharratt, Spencer Arbour, Kevin Cruz, and Ivan Shchukin joined the program that helped them get their product started.

“This program was invaluable in enabling us to develop our own idea by providing support and funding to us and allowing us to maintain ownership of the idea,” Tharratt said in an email interview with The Peak.

At this phase in development, the device will be able to monitor temperature, ammonia levels, and water temperature. The team plans to develop it to monitor pH, nitrite, and TDS (total dissolved solids).

Tharratt added, “From there we can use an algorithm on the backend to determine GH & KH trends.

All this information is sent to the user’s app and will provide alerts when they exceed the specified acceptable ranges for each parameter.”

The team of students saw a need for this type of monitoring system both from first-hand

experience with their own fish and from the experiences of others.

Tharratt mentioned a situation in which an aquarium fish appeared healthy, but there was a problem with the water in the tank.

Said Tharratt, “I went to buy a few fish from someone and it turned out that he had none for sale because when he was on vacation his heater malfunctioned and killed everything in the tank. [That] cost him about $1000 in juvenile fish that he was planning to sell.”

Although the team is still in the prototyping and development phase of their project, they are expecting the cost of making their technology a reality to be between $300 and $400. Funding is their last hurdle towards selling their device on the wider market.

rewarded for their efforts with SFU’s own Free the Children (FTC) club. Three years ago, SFU student and founder of the club Puneet Mann decided that there was a need for this kind of presence on campus.

“FTC, at its heart, is about proactive youth empowerment.

It is about creating globally and locally aware citizens who are passionate about creating change — not with financial handouts — but by using the sustainable tools that we have within ourselves along with the relationships that support us.

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She noticed that this form of engagement was missing at SFU and wanted to create a place where “like-minded and passionate students who want to create change locally and globally [can] come together to tackle problems creatively and in a holistic manner.”

The club has received a favourable response from the SFU community, doubling in size since its creation. It also participated in a number of initiatives to help children worldwide, including food drives, bake sales, and fundraising events.

We Day was particularly significant for the club this year because not only was it their first time going as a group, it was also a way to honour a member whom they lost to an unfortunate accident earlier this year.

Mann shared, “Syed Wajahat Ali, or as he was more commonly known to his FTC SFU friends, Ali, [was] always smiling and ready to offer an extending hand. [He] pushed the club to be more inclusive, fun and successful and always looked forward to attending We Day and celebrating our collective achievements.

“This year, we took to We Day all our previous successes and kept Ali in our hearts.”

The club hopes to continue to increase their presence in the SFU community by engaging with the school through various fundraising initiatives.

They also wish to reach their global cause of rebuilding a school in the central plateau region of Haiti.

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October 26, 2015

SFU is hosting a talk that will look into whether or not the cinematic experience tends to raise awareness of world suffering. This event explores the power of films to inspire people to take action on global issues.

Anil Narine will discuss this issue and related topics in eco-cinema in this free lecture, entitled “Can Movies Move Us to Take Action?,” at SFU Woodwards on Oct 29, from 7 to 9 p.m.

This Fall, SFU students returned to crowded morning buses, late nights of studying, and increasingly inflated textbook prices.

According to an estimation by the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), students, especially science students, on average drop about $500 per semester for their lower-level courseware.

This figure comes out of the campaign work the society did at the beginning of the semester, where they asked students coming out of the SFU Bookstore to share how much they spent on their course materials through a social media campaign, using the hashtag #textbookbrokeBC. The push for more open educational resources has been going strong since the post-secondary education innovation company BCcampus launched the BC Open Textbook Project in October 2012 with funding from the BC Ministry of Advanced Education. The project aims to make resources more widely available and to reduce costs for students with resources in the public domain on the Internet.

SFSS VP University Relations Brady Yano commented that the university has been very receptive to the idea of open textbooks.

“SFU, as an institution right now, is definitely in support of greater adoption of open educational resources,” he said.

SFU has also announced plans for three $5,000 grants per semester that would fund professors to adapt current print materials into open educational resources.

The Harbour Centre campus recently hosted an event as a part of International Open Access Week 2015. The panel, “Open for Collaboration: Is it Time for Canada to Implement A Unified Open Strategy for Higher Education?,” was put on by the SFU and UBC libraries in conjunction with BCcampus.

Juan Pablo Alperin, an assistant professor in SFU’s publishing program, spoke at the event about how he encourages his students to publish their academic work online after submitting it. He even explored the idea of students submitting work by publishing it directly to the web, as opposed to uploading files to platforms like Canvas.

Although open educational resources have been gaining popularity, few professors have actually decided to adopt any open textbooks for their courses. Yano shared, “While administration has

been vocal in their support, that hasn’t necessarily trickled down to the faculty, who are still relatively apprehensive about adopting the existing materials.”

He speculated a few reasons for this hesitation, suggesting that it could be hard for professors to adapt existing syllabi to make use of an open textbook and that big textbook publishing companies make it very easy and appealing for instructors to purchase and use their materials.

Yano specified that this applies largely to lower-level science and applied science courses, for which textbook costs can range in the hundreds. “A lot of first-year students are not aware that the high costs of textbooks are an issue,” he said.

Considering how many students enroll in these larger

introductory courses, it adds up to a lot of student money being put towards courseware.

Recently, a UBC professor adopted an open textbook for PHYS 100, saving students approximately $90,000 combined for just one year.

SFU advises prospective students to budget $1,000 per semester for textbooks and other educational resources. “SFU is already educating students to expect to pay, so when they do arrive at school they’re not surprised to be receiving bills that are around $600,” said Yano.

He went on to say that although it is good to be prepared for those prices, “it’s quite problematic, because it’s people are [. . .] accepting the norm of paying high costs [for] learning materials.”

SFU Vancouver opened its doors to the public at Harbour Centre last Wednesday as part of SFU’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Nearly 800 people attended the event, which featured over 37 exhibitors representing various departments, programs, and offices from

all five buildings that comprise the Vancouver campus.

The opening ceremony featured an address by President Andrew Petter, performances by the Woodward’s Community Singers, SFU Pipe Band, and William Lindsay from the Office for Aboriginal Peoples, the latter of which recently opened a First Peoples gathering space at the campus.

Event coordinator Kamilah Charters-Gabanek noted the performances were one of the highlights of the night. “The Woodward’s Community singers is a group out of Woodward’s that is open to anyone in the public, to come into the university space, [. . .] feel welcome into the institution, and make connections here to the community. “[SFU Vancouver] is a pretty unique place concentrated in

several blocks of the downtown core that has so many different groups of people,” Charters-Gabanek continued. “All of the programs that participated and everyone who came out and helped make the Open House a success did a great job of showcasing the types of community engagement that we offer here.”

Attendees were also able to join a guided tour of the Harbour Centre campus, as well as participate in over ten free workshops that were offered throughout the evening.

The tours included a visit to a brand new 24,000-square-foot incubator space for the VentureLabs business accelerator on the 12th floor.

The workshops are normally offered with a fee; however, ChartersGabanek explained that “because of our community engagement

mandate, we wanted to offer them to everyone at no cost.

“We had workshops from Career and Volunteer Services on the relationship between a degree and a career,” said Charters-Gabanek.

“We also had two of our Beedie professors from the downtown Segal Graduate School of Business, David Hannah and Ian McCarthy, host two workshops. One was on the fundamentals of effective negotiation, and the other was on learning from creative consumers.”

The rest of the workshops were hosted by SFU Continuing Studies, which was the original group of programs based in Vancouver when the campus opened 25 years ago.

Altogether, Charters-Gabanek explained, the workshops gave people a sense of the variety of

From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on October 31, explore all three SFU campuses and learn how universities encourage vibrant, livable, and sustainable cities.

Campus to City will look at the role of universities within city-building.

A tour bus will take participants from campus to campus and will have the opportunity to discuss sustainability, design for inclusivity, social finance, and First Nations perspectives.

Registration for this event is free on Eventbrite.

programs and courses offered at the Vancouver campus.

Laurie Anderson, Executive Director of SFU Vancouver, commented, “By any measure, the SFU Vancouver Open House was a successful evening: positive vibe, lots of interest at the program information tables, good attendance at the workshops and many people mingling until close.”

Said Charters-Gabanek, “I think we did a really good job of showcasing the variety of not only what we offer at our campus, but how we offer it, too — that people can come into the university in so many different capacities, whether they’re an undergraduate student, a graduate student, a lifelong learner, a midcareer professional, or honestly just anyone from the community, [they] could come in and connect.”

NEWS

An SFU scientist is turning science into fiction by publishing a novel that tells that tale of the first contact between humans and extraterrestrials.

The Rosetta Man is a novel which tells the story of the first contact between humans and aliens from outer space. It is the the first published novel for Dr. Claire McCague, who studied at SFU for her BsC in Chemistry and Archaeology and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, based at SFU’s Surrey campus.

McCague shared that she has always been a creative individual; she wrote her first novel while she was a teenager and she has written multiple plays performed in cities like Toronto and New York.

The main character in The Rosetta Man is Estlin Hume, a resident of Twin Butte, Alberta, who

October 26, 2015

has been burdened with a unique problem throughout his life: he is followed by a large group of squirrels who follow him wherever he goes. McCague explained that this “really only means he’s been evicted from everywhere he’s ever lived, expelled from multiple universities, and chronically unemployed.”

This is, until he is discovered by an alien species who come to Earth and approach him to be a translator for their first contact with humans. However, if the films Independence Day and War of the Worlds are any indication, first contact between humans and extraterrestrials is often rocky.

Said McCague, “You’ve got the various military forces converging around threatening to kill the messenger.” Furthermore, one of the threads in the story is about an electromagnetic pulse emitted from space which a physicist believes will unlock the secret to interstellar transport; this is where The Rosetta Man gets its cryptic title.

Many aspects of the novel deviate from the archetypal humanalien contact story. For example, the aliens land in Wellington, New Zealand, as opposed to a major western metropolis. Said McCague, “[This] just puts you in an interesting

playing scheme in terms of how the international politics swing into it and the question of why they landed in the South Pacific.”

In addition, the novel’s protagonist is not your typical human warrior fighting an alien invasion. His character is drawn as having an empathetic nature and communicating well with other species. McCague continued, “That was the angle — to go into the story with one of the main perspectives being the guy who’s the translator.”

The novel is the product of a three-day novel writing competition during which McCague

Texan professor affirms man’s claim to vampirism UBC muggles take Quidditch by storm [VANCOUVER] — You don’t have to be a witch or wizard to excel at quidditch — something muggle students at the University of British Columbia have proven time and time again. They may not have Firebolts or Nimbus 2000s, but the UBC team is ranked third in the Northwest division and first in their region. Because of their success over the years, UBC no longer competes in the Canadian Quidditch League, but the US Quidditch league along with the University of Victoria, some teams from Alberta, and of course, our own team here at SFU. UBC’s is “arguably the best” quidditch team in Canada, according to the club’s president. This has created a GryffindorSlytherin-like rivalry between UBC and McGill University, in which they tied during an exhibition match. Maybe JK Rowling herself will have to settle the dispute.

With files from The Ubyssey

[SAN MARCOS] — Research on modernday vampires by a Texas State University (TSU) assistant professor has found new relevance now that a 37-year-old Atlanta man has recently come out as a vampire.

Joseph Laycock, a faculty member of philosophy at TSU who focuses on religious studies, published a book on modern vampirism in 2009, titled Vampires Today: the Truth about Modern Vampirism.

Laycock says that there are real-life vampires whose health depends on consuming blood, usually a couple tablespoons every few weeks. The Atlanta man, Merticus, said that growing up he constantly felt a “hunger for energy” that was not satisfied by food or sleep. It was in his mid-20s when he first tried blood, and it proved to be a game-changer for him.

Although he has the support of the assistant professor from TSU, other academics beg to differ and claim that a craving for blood is a psychological disorder.

With files from Men’s Health and The Gothic Imagination

created what was to become a first draft of The Rosetta Man, albeit shorter in length and set in the future as opposed to the present day.

She left this draft for several years and became stuck on how to work on it further. “There was this moment where I realized that the story had to be in the present day, and then suddenly things got infinitely more interesting.” McCague said, adding the practical benefits of writing in the present day: “I didn’t need to invent a political landscape because I could work off the existing one.”

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Currently, McCague is travelling to scientific conventions around North America to promote her novel. “Now it’s a question of trying to build readership,” she remarked. Her travels have taken her to the World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, in Spokane, Washington, the largest science fiction convention in the world.

In addition to doing readings from her book, she is also speaking on science fiction panels: “I get to bring out the other side of my life, which is my day job as a research scientist.” She mentioned one of her favourite panels, which looked at the tipping point between a “real scientist” and “mad scientist.”

The novel was first published in Kindle format about a month and a half ago, and in December it will be released in ePub and PDF format. McCague spoke to the changes in the publishing industry over time. She noted that ebooks are becoming increasingly popular for smaller publishers such as The Rosetta Man ’s publisher, Edge Fiction.

McCague said that she could potentially see a sequel in the future: “Do I have notes of the next story? Yes. Is it going to be the next thing I write? I’m not sure yet. But there’s potential there.”

The ethics of a zombie apocalypse [ATLANTA] — Students at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia are combining classic academics some Halloween spirit. During the spookiest time of year, the university holds Zombethics, a symposium that discusses issues such as public health ethics, religion, film, and more, all related to zombies.

Zombethics was created to innovative discuss public health preparedness and response. This year’s Zombethics symposium, which was inspired by The Walking Dead is titled “Really Most Sincerely Dead” and will focus on questions like “What is Death?” and “When is a human being no longer a person?”

With files from Emory News Center

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OPINIONS

The act of thinking has become a dangerous game. These days, you would never know that we actually enjoy a good debate; half the time, we can’t stop accusing each other of ignorance to have a proper conversation. Hop online, where anonymity and mob mentality reign supreme, and the expression of divergent opinions, especially regarding race, gender, ethnicity, politics, sex and the like, can make one a target for annihilation.

Such was the case at Wesleyan University in Connecticut last week, in which the student government voted to slice the school newspaper’s funding for having published criticism on the Black Lives Matter movement — a prime example of hypersensitive stifling in an academic setting.

A special October night is upon us.

No other occasion is as peculiar as it is intriguing. As we embrace the horror, adults play dress-up while children are encouraged to speak to strangers. “Trick or treat!” is Halloween’s catchphrase. In costume, one is asked to choose between doling out either a trick or a treat.

Strangely, the norm is to choose the latter, even though the former is more entertaining.

It seems that the ‘trick’ element of this ritual is not even considered. In the unhealthy amount of time I’ve thought about this subject, the scarcity of tricks compared to treats is a downright tragedy. There sits a well filled with untapped possibility. The concept of ‘more trick, less treat’ could

Although it’s obvious that people love to tear each other down, I’d like to think that there’s a slightly more civil reason than this for why we’re always so sensitive to a challenge of thinking.

One conclusion that Sarah Niedoba of The Globe and Mail put forth in a recent article is that, in universities, the conflict stems from groups whose viewpoints differ, and whose viewpoints are inabile to coexist. The author’s theory makes a lot of sense, especially if you consider the role of personal values.

We live in an age where common societal values have been defined through the process of political correctness; we have a society with a desire to respect and treat everyone in a fair, understanding way.

Subsequently, we take great pains to ensure that we do not offend anyone.

potentially make Halloween even more intriguing than it already is.

During the customary tradition of collecting candy, the trick is usually an idle threat in that it assumedly involves some kind of mischief. Though if the ‘more trick, less treat’ concept was adopted, senses would be heightened. Those opening their doors to kids will be as tense and curious

October 26, 2015

The real conflict arises when we try to insert our personal beliefs into the process, which may or may not fit the politically correct mould.

Nothing changes the fact that there is no universally accepted position on any issue; we remain divided by our personal viewpoints, and this division breeds automatic sensitivity because it draws us as individuals into the issue.

Political correctness has only implemented a standard of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in thinking. Those who choose to approach issues differently than the socially accepted way are not only frowned upon, but also viewed as incorrect and closed-minded.

Take the abortion debate, for example: pro-lifers in the Lower Mainland face constant criticism from our dominant progressive society for their supposedly ‘callous’ beliefs.

On the other hand, those who agree with the norm are often criticized by ‘viewers of the alternative’ as impractical and narrowminded. Our sense of openness and encouragement has long disappeared, and we are no longer a population that desires to expand

as they are generous. What sort of pranks do they have in store?

That tension would contribute to the atmosphere that already defines Halloween; that is, excitement with a bit of fear in the mix. Tricks also shouldn’t be limited to little children.

If every person collecting candy on horror’s anniversary participated in the mischief, Halloween would become even more exciting.

opinions editor email

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca

our thinking. In our attempts to accept all peoples, we have become, ironically, intolerant.

Is there a quick fix for this issue? Unfortunately, no. What we should focus on, however, is keeping open minds.

As we decide which matters are black and white and which are in shades of gray, we cannot be afraid to question others’ opinions, and to step in and out of the bounds of political correctness for the sake of discovery.

Similarly, we must not criticise those who do the same. This does not excuse rudeness or disrespect, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t

have your own strong opinions — it simply requires allowing others to have opinions, and to seek to understand before you judge.

The motivation behind the creation of universities as institutions was, in part, meant to encourage learning and the widening of our perspectives. As fellow students, we can’t let that goal escape us. The next time you encounter someone who opposes what you think, pause before letting your academically fueled indignation loose. Having different opinions is okay.

Unconvinced? Let’s just agree to disagree.

Interactivity is vastly underestimated on October 31. To put more emphasis on creating and performing tricks increases the opportunity for socialization. Apart from buying costumes and candy, to think of ideas for tricks creates a whole new space for creativity. One has the chance to brainstorm tricks that are unique in order to impress both friends and candy-givers.

created between strangers in the attempt to trick one another.

Apart from the fun and mischief, there is a moral importance of placing a higher value on tricks over treats during Halloween. Children would not be handed candy just because they ask for it, and therefore a sense of entitlement would be removed. Halloween does not strictly become about the rewards of candy.

In the end, there would be an appreciation for the entire process of creation and execution. In a world where celebration is vast and diverse, Halloween is unique. The idea of ‘more trick, less treat’ maintains the major element that makes Halloween stand out: horror. While candy tastes great, let us all embrace our inner tricksters and produce a night of fear and fun.

As individuals don their costumes for the night, the ‘more trick, less treat’ concept means that strangers have the opportunity to break the ice with each other and show off their respective ‘tricks.’ A moment could be

OPINIONS

Have you ever heard of tarte au sucre? Or fish n’ brewis? Have you ever tried them? Unfortunately, dishes like these are forgotten by most Canadians.

I’m no ‘foodie.’ I don’t blog about everything I eat or stand on chairs at restaurants to capture a bird’s eye view of some overpriced plate of spaghetti. But I can speak to how undervalued Canadian cuisine is. I’ve been told many times that Canada has no culinary identity, but our country has developed a cuisine around its unique history and land, which deserves recognition and appreciation.

We are lucky to live in a place where the land has provided us so many unique flavors to play with — BC is home to the world’s finest salmon, Nova Scotia brought us lobster, Saskatchewan gave us Saskatoon berry pies, and Quebec gave us rich dishes such as Tourtière. It’s crazy to argue that Canada has no cuisine to call its own.

We certainly have a lot more to offer than just deep-fried beaver tails. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, we have truly unique flavors that have led to some remarkable home-cooked dishes and tasty treats. Take a step back and look at what’s around you; think about how lucky we are to have these foods at our fingertips. All too often we forget that

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Ontario grows us purple garlic, PEI provides some of the world’s best Russet potatoes, and B.C is famous for juicy blueberries — our culinary identity has grown around foods such as these, all of which grow here naturally.

This being said, Canadian cuisine undoubtedly includes a lot of ‘foreign’ food. After all, we are a country built off of a diverse collection of families who have come here from all over the globe. Personally, I can’t imagine my life without sushi or nachos.

Nevertheless, the presence of their foods hasn’t hurt the growth of Canadian cuisine.

If anything, it has helped our culinary identity establish itself as one entirely different than other nations. Have you ever had butter chicken poutine?

Or maple curry? Foods such as these create a cultural hybrid — a blending flavors from here at home and from abroad.

This should be considered the apogee of Canadian cuisine, as it plays off of traditional Canadian flavors and incorporates international zest. And this, if you ask me, is Canada in its essence. Simply put, the argument that ethnic food dominates our local foods is cop-out that fails to see the larger picture.

We need to appreciate the food our land and history gives us, and how those foods have fused with foreign flavors over the years. We are the home of the Nanaimo bar and the Montreal smoke meat sandwich. These foods are not inaccessible; they are all around us. I implore all of you to try a Canadian dish you haven’t before — you may just learn something about Canada’s history in the process.

encouraged that you dress up as something radical, flamboyant, and over-the-top. If you’re into horror films, you can dress up as Freddy Krueger or Nosferatu; if you’re a comic book nerd, there are hundreds of different superheroes to choose from. Columbia may not be willing to sign off on a black SpiderMan, but you’re likely to see at least one roaming the streets come next Saturday night.

A quick disclaimer: This is not another article about how your costume is culturally appropriative or sexist or racist or ableist — although, let’s be honest, it might be. As much as I do believe it’s important not to use Halloween as a chance to belittle cultural iconography and engage in hurtful, lazy stereotypes, I’m also acutely aware that you have already heard that argument before, probably more times than you can count.

You should already know why you shouldn’t wear a headdress or put on blackface this year, and if you don’t, it’s your own responsibility to figure that shit out.

Instead of writing that article, though, I’d like to look at the other side of the spectrum: namely, to celebrate the potential for Halloween to be empowering, and to allow us to show a side of ourselves that might not be considered “appropriate” the other 364 days of the year.

Think about it. Halloween is the only day of the year where it’s not only sanctioned but actually

Better yet, All Hallow’s Eve doesn’t just allow superfans and weirdos to fly their freak flag — it gives the more reserved and awkward folks among us the chance to express ourselves in a situation where everyone else is equally dolled up and in no position to judge us. Want to show off your sexy gams or your totally ballin’ chest hair? Halloween’s your day. Eager to boast your sewing skills with a homemade costume that tops anything you’re likely to find at Value Village? Mark your calendars.

Especially in the increasingly button-down, niqab-ophobic Great White North, the idea that dressing

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however one wants can be not only acceptable but awesome is an idea that is, as far as I see it, pretty underrated. The other days of the year have a lot to learn from October 31.

This may seem obvious to many of you, but to me it’s an important part of Halloween — one that the annual shame-fest aimed at the latest idiot with an ill-advised costume tends to distract from. It’s important to hold racists and other assholes using Halloween as an excuse to show off their horribleness accountable, but it’s a mistake to let that take away from how empowering this holiday can be for everyone else. After all, few other occasions give us a chance to spend hours working on a costume to show off to our friends and to hand out free candy to trusting (!) children.

It’s easy to look at Halloween as the time of year where our culture’s most misogynistic and racially clueless aspects are brought to the forefront, and to an extent, that’s true. But Halloween also gives us a chance to take off our real costumes — our suits and ties, our fancy socks, our combed hair — and to dress the way we truly see ourselves.

We all have a superhero, a creepy ghoulie, and a Disney princess inside us, and we only get one day to show it off. So own it.

10 OPINIONS

I’ve always had a big thing for public connection; catching a passerby’s eye in the habitual bustle, maybe offering a nod or — heaven forbid — a quick “good morning.” There’s something worthwhile in mustering the effort to reach out and acknowledge people. It’s important, savouring the subtle details that are so easy to dismiss but, at the end of the day, it gives you that extra little something. Cheesy, yes, but unmistakably true; to be connected is essentially to be human.

But then I became a SkyTrain commuter, and everything changed.

Put bluntly, people are perverts.

Okay, I can’t just say that. It’s unfair and a total generalization. But I will say this: in one week alone, I’ve become fedup with accidentally snagging eye contact with someone who, in return, behaves intrusively

Over the past couple of years, a number of articles have been published in The Peak discussing the pros and cons of students using laptops in classes, including one earlier this fall titled “Don’t ban my laptop from class.” As a PHD student, I understand why educators don’t allow laptops in lectures — that being, you learn better if you handwrite. Plain and simple.

A recent study found that students who handwrite notes in lecture retain more information, understand the material better, perform better on exams and enjoy their classes more than their keyboarding peers.

During lecture, skilled notetakers filter out the important

and downright grossly. All too quickly, the encounter becomes a sexualized episode between the 18-year-old girl and the somehow-entitled man. Pardon me, sir, but I absentmindedly glanced at your face. I didn’t invite you to imagine me naked.

Confused? Allow me to give an example: I’m gazing through a bus window, my attention grazing over the wonders of Surrey Central and all its glory (sarcasm intended). I spot a man strolling by and, in the second I notice him, he notices me. He abruptly halts and, with his eyes fastened to mine, he smirks. But it wasn’t just any ol’ smirk; this smirk was slow and unforgiving. It was the most suggestive smirk I’d ever seen, and I had never felt so violated.

Believe it or not, the next day was a similar case. Except this particular man was sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk and slowly wiggled his fingers at me.

information and reframe it in their own words.

Handwriting forces movement. Your hand moves differently to form letters than it does when you are typing. For many, movement helps memory. My guess is that what you remember best about your day, your weekend or weeks gone by was the doing, the activity, or the engagement. Taking an active role in learning has been my core belief both as a student and as an educator.

Back in my days as an undergraduate I found immense value in my active, handwritten

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And my last case (yes, there’s a third) involves a man who dedicated the ten minute skytrain ride to staring fixedly at my face.

I went as far to change seats, but he either failed to decode the hint or couldn’t have cared less.

Upon telling this tale to a friend, they settled on a simple solution: “Just don’t look at people.”

Um. I’m left grappling with these words, as they contradict the human communication spiel I’ve always held dear to my heart. Because of these few disrespectful commuters, must I sacrifice my values of public connection in order to feel safe and comfortable? I think we all know the commuters wouldn’t have acted like this if I’d been a middle-aged man. The fact that I was a young, unaccompanied girl made all the difference. So at what expense am I to make room for their absurd behaviour?

It doesn’t seem fair that, as a young woman, I ought to divert my eyes to the ground in order to avoid the smirking, staring, and wiggling fingers. I should

be allowed to look at people, incidentally or not, without feeling degraded afterwards. And that’s that.

As I grapple with this, it’s understood that these sort of situations are not about to just evaporate. To all you women who put up with the same problems, I’d say learning to handle them with dignity and grace — that is, to keep your chin up high and to remember that you’re far superior to their weird sexualization game — is the decent, if not best way

to approach this situation. To hold yourself to higher ground must count for something!

But get this. Just yesterday, someone tapped me on the shoulder at Production Way Station. A man held my Compass Card in his hand. I’d dropped it moments before. My guard automatically flew up, but I smiled nonetheless. And then he gave me a quick nod, wished me well and ambled away.

Suddenly, I remembered why I’d bothered smiling in the first place.

note taking. Not only did I quickly learn my own shorthand, but I also learned to embellish the important points with stories and examples that resonated with me. One of the biology educators I had as an undergrad was able to turn mundane facts about life cycles into shocking stories with pictures and activities that kept me captivated and interested throughout his courses.

In a survey I designed prior to writing this response, I discovered that, like most university educators, this educator has learners who spend their time online, distracted rather than immersing themselves in his lectures. This is not new. I’ve taken some pretty boring courses; I’ve seen students sleeping in class or reading a novel — rude, but only selfimpeding — not a distraction to

students around them (40 per cent of students surveyed said they get distracted by other people using laptops in lecture).

In my opinion, laptops are too passive for note-taking and the Internet is too alluring (14 per cent of students I surveyed agree, and 54 per cent said they go online or work on other projects if the lecture is slow or boring), thus laptops (and other digital devices) may prevent students from learning.

I’m not alone in this opinion.

The majority of the educators and students I surveyed agree that laptops are both distracting and poor learning tools. One educator commented that “laptops are ‘black holes’ for student attention.” Another wrote: “I actively discourage the use of laptops. I tell [students] about the studies linking note taking to retention and understanding, and impress upon them that the screen is for when I am not there. [. . .] They have to engage with me and the material, not a screen.”

However, both of these educators, like the vast majority of their peers, allow laptops in lectures.

As the world becomes more digitized, educators are learning to incorporate digital devices into their teaching. A second survey I conducted of elementary, middle, and high school teachers revealed that while most educators only allow students to use devices to listen to music up until grade six, others have started incorporating tablets into lessons at grade two.

What will this mean for our ‘modern’ quality of learning?

Will we become better learners or more stagnant? The benefits of learning by active handwriting outweigh the convenience and distractions of typing. But is it my right to determine whether or not your style or ability to learn conforms to the majority?

Clearly, more studies need to be done in order to determine how benefits of traditional learning can be incorporated into a digital style of learning.

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After 62 years, Playboy has decided that it will no longer feature fully nude images of naked women in its pages, which has become known as their trademark.

So what?

This doesn’t mean anything except that Playboy is trying to stay relevant. It isn’t about not featuring erotic women, as it’s basically going to become a glorified version of Maxim, GQ, or one of several men’s-focused magazines out there. It really isn’t that different or groundbreaking.

In a world where naked photos of men, women, and people of identities between or off the gender binary are available for free in a second, seeing Playboy no longer dedicate a centerfold to nudes doesn’t really feel like that big of a deal.

The move was done to boost the magazine’s sales and online hits, which had reportedly been dropping fast over the last while.

Sure, if Hugh Hefner and company want to give Playboy a spark, this is definitely a quick fix that will generate good press for a little bit, which will parlay into raised sales. However, if Playboy Enterprises Inc. really want to give their flagship a permanent boost, there is something else they should really consider doing.

Make Playboy an openly feminist magazine.

Recently, writers like Noah Berlatsky have been saying that they are writing for the magazine because they are trying to promote women’s issues from within. Whether or not this is actually true or just another marketing technique, women’s issues are in some way on their radar.

Even though the way they’ve been going at it has so far been questionable, I think there’s a real market for Playboy, and that is those “He for She” feminists that want to be a part of the fight but understand that they aren’t the core of the issues. A large part of feminism is built around ‘women only’ safe spaces — as they rightfully should be — but in the last few years, there is a growing acknowledgement that what feminism is fighting for would also benefit men, and Playboy could help illustrate that in mainstream media.

A magazine to help uneducated males learn about toxic masculinity, how patriarchy actually hinders them, how to co-exist with the people in their lives, and so on is a valuable resource that we don’t have right now. It could be like the Terry Crews of magazines — the muscular, ex-NFL player, and ‘alpha male’-turned-actor who has also penned Manhood: How To Be A Better Man or Just Live With One. Playboy removing its nudes is just step one, but unless it truly commits to taking this journey, it really isn’t that much of a difference at this point.

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When I think of Playboy two things instantly come to mind: the classic “I only read it for the articles” line, and wondering which model was given the opportunity to grace the hallowed domain of the centerfold. With the recent decision to remove nudity from the legendary magazine, I’ve been left with a somewhat empty, quizzical feeling.

While in recent years the Internet porn business has boomed, and leaked celebrity nude shots have set the world buzzing, can these really take the place of a well-curated gentlemen’s magazine? I really don’t think they can.

While the easy and sometimes free access to Internet porn may pose competition to the Playmates in the magazine, I’ll remind you that Playboy did not start with nude models. Playboy started in 1953 with a clothed Marilyn Monroe in the centerfold.

While the magazine has taken a turn from the celebrity centerfold in recent years, it shocks me that more female celebrities who’ve had leaked photos chose not to re-take possession of their nudity and do a centerfold spread with the magazine. While it would be fueling the fire, so to speak, if one’s body is made

‘objectified,’ taking ownership of your nudity would coincide nicely with the movement to reclaim labels — and the actions associated with them — that are derogatory towards women.

Human trafficking and sexual exploitation are real problems that women face, but these women are not the ones who are represented in the pages of Playboy . The women in Playboy chose to be portrayed in a certain way, and as such, they made a personal choice to take ownership of their bodies. The issue that I take with removing nudity from Playboy is that there will no longer be this unique and potentially empowering avenue for women to take ownership of their own bodies.

I am not saying that all Internet porn is bad and filled with women who are part of human trafficking rings, but to remove Playboy’s nudity removes a publicly available (and relatively affordable) means for women to exert some form of sexual agency within an industry based largely on the desires of a male gaze.

Every once in a while, a gloriously terrifying deep-sea creature will wash ashore somewhere, making us realize that mother nature hides some pretty terrifying things in the water’s deepest, darkest depths.

Take for instance the Kraken, a monstrous cephalopod capable of eating ships and striking fear into the hearts of even the saltiest of sea dogs.

What makes it so terrifying? Is it that we know there are monster squid lurking beneath the surface, or the fact that we can see first hand an octopus’s advanced intelligence? It isn’t much of a stretch to imagine the ‘small’ giant squid that wash on shore as baby versions of this shipeating monster.

Until we know for sure what lurks beneath the surface of the ocean, to scream “Release the Kraken!” will continue to strike wonderful fear into the tiny, delicious hearts of men.

The Loch Ness Monster is only one good publicity campaign away from becoming the new leader of a Scottish independence movement, and even has a cute nickname to accompany its lessthan-fearful reputation.

‘Nessie’ is considered the Holy Grail for cryptozoologists.

What makes it intriguing is not so much the fact that it eats entire ships for breakfast but the fact that it pops up for blurry, foggy, and sporadic photo ops, which keep people vaguely interested in finding it.

Nessie is the monster you would bring home to your parents; the one who would tell your mom she is amazing at cooking haggis, and your dad that he is the best bagpiper in the land, even when your mom burnt the haggis on the outside and left it raw on the inside, and your dad sounds like he is murdering a sack of cats.

The Loch Ness monster is less monster and more overgrown kitten.

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October 26, 2015

Timeless Halloween stories about creatures of the night still remain at the core of this creepy festive season; similarly, even with modern adaptations of vampires such as the Twilight series’ Cullen family and Smith’s Salvatore brothers, traditionalists will insist that the original Dracula is still the scariest and darkest of them all.

This season, Ellie King of the Royal Canadian Theatre Company brings her version of Dracula to the stage — three stages, in fact, in Surrey, Vancouver, and Maple Ridge.

Ellie King has been wanting to bring Dracula to life in her own vision for over 20 years, but something had always stopped her. It was either not the right time, or she couldn’t find the right people to cast, or there wasn’t enough funding. That is, until now.

Based on the 1927 John Balderston-Hamilton Deane stage version,

Forget horror movies and Stephen King novels — when it comes to scaring yourself silly this season, it’s all about video games. Whether you’re a fan of top-down roguelikes, point-andclick shockers, or atmospheric RPGs, there are an impressive number of creepy, disturbing, and downright terrifying titles for you to pick up and play this October. Here are five of my all-time favourite horror video games.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent Very, very few games inspire quite the same level of oh-Godwhat-is-that-kill-it-with-fire reactions as Amnesia: The Dark Descent. In fact, in terms of sheer heart-pounding, fist-clenching immediacy, you’d be hard pressed to find a better game available. Part dungeon-crawler and part Lovecraftian mystery, The Dark Descent makes survival

King still makes this production her own, namely through two main changes: the creation of a “steampunk universe” and a change in the gender of Abraham Van Helsing, who becomes Anna Van Helsing.

King felt that the world of Dracula “lent itself well to living in a steampunk universe.” That change translated to an innovative aesthetic that combines themes of technology with 19th-century industry designs in terms of stage and costume design, something she believes will be very interesting to see onstage.

Indeed, when I saw the

performance, I appreciated the aesthetic and the way the set changed, reassembling the background like turning the cogs in a machine. The fog served two purposes: besides being used to create an eerie cloak, the harbinger of Dracula,

horror, a genre many have struggled to stretch into feature-length format, look effortless. I myself played it in high school with a few friends — one of us would play, and the rest of us would watch — and it was downright terrifying.

Good luck getting through this one on your own without reaching for the lightswitch.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Named for the Biblical story in which Abraham is told by God to sacrifice his son, The Binding of

it also called to mind the steam of the industrial era.

King’s creation of a female archenemy of Dracula was in reaction to the sexual repression in those days.

She already had susceptible female characters fall prey to Dracula, as in the case of an unlucky Lucy Seward, and wanted to see a strong woman comfortable in her own sexuality take on the vampire, one who could resist his supernatural powers and stand her own ground. “There is a layer of sexual tension between Dracula and Van Helsing,” King remarked, sounding almost gleeful.

“It will be very interesting to watch it unfold.”

Speaking of Dracula, King emphasizes that her version of Dracula will not be for young children. “I’ve had some people watch us during rehearsals and go, “Oh, wow, that’s terrifying.”

Yes, Dracula won’t be some Twilight teen-angst vampire. “He’s a scary, unpleasant animal, and we’ll be exploring his very animal side.”

Parts of Dracula were genuinely chilling to the bone, delivering on King’s vision to create a terrifying,

Isaac: Rebirth manages to somehow be doubly as disturbing and terrifying as its source material.

This game is crude, juvenile, disgusting, and punishingly difficult — and I love every single minute of it. A top-down 2D roguelike which borrows more than a little of its aesthetic from the original Legend of Zelda, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth features enough secrets, collectibles, and challenges to warrant hundreds of hours of obsessive gameplay, though its active fan community

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca

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animalistic character. King definitely pushed the stage lights to their full use, creating intense suspense and anticipation when the lights would go out right at the most climactic moments. I could almost feel the audience holding its breath as the lights flashed on and off in lilting, dramatic rhythm, unwrapping the scene in vignettes.

The only thing I was disappointed by was the ending.

There was a huge buildup of tension throughout the entire production that fell flat at the

vanquishing of Count Dracula.

It was so anticlimactic that I was jerked out of the fantasy.

I actually just sat there, blinking, as the coffin rolled away, the curtains parted, and the cast members lined up to take a bow. That was it?

Dracula’s last breath was overdramatized and campy — the very thing that King did not want her production to be, and it was just so out of place. It was a very unsatisfactory end to an otherwise outstanding production.

will ensure that you won’t have to mourn the loss of your social life alone.

horror series, this game manages to distill everything great about the series into one incredible experience: namely, killing zombies and traipsing through haunted eastern European towns and abandoned castles with the president’s kidnapped daughter in tow. Difficult but never unfair, Resident Evil 4 will challenge you without leaving you frustrated or stuck — something many modern games could learn to emulate.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem If you haven’t heard of this relatively obscure gem, I wouldn’t be surprised — it was a commercial flop upon its release in 2002, and has only really attained a deserved classic status in the past few years or so. Spanning centuries and boasting a plot as convoluted as the 19th century novels it borrows from, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a rich and visually remarkable action-adventure that features the distinction of actually simulating you, the player, slowly losing your sanity along with your character.

The game will even fake “crash” or cut out the sound at crucial moments to underline your mental instability. Now that’s what I call immersion.

Resident Evil 4 This survival horror has the distinction of being the first Mrated game I ever played, and I can’t imagine a better introduction into the world of adult gaming. As the sixth (I know) main entry in the popular Japanese

The Walking Dead: Season One No, no, not the TV show. I’m talking about the actually good adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s graphic novels. (Sorry, fanboys.)

Playing as Lee, one of a team of survivors during a zombie apocalypse, you’ll be forced to make careful decisions and pick up on clues to keep yourself and those you care about alive.

Featuring some of the best writing and voicework the medium has to offer, The Walking Dead: Season One is a point-andclick adventure that amounts to the most ethically challenging Choose Your Own Adventure novel you’ve ever read. Except, you know, with zombies.

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October 26, 2015

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October 26, 2015

COMIC CONNOISSEUR

There was a time when the simple idea of a witch existing was enough to send a chill up your spine. Long before the bubbling cauldrons, the broomsticks, and the poorly exfoliated green complexions, a witch was the most terrifying supernatural entity of them all, rivalling even zombies and vampires.

Nowadays, though, these enchantresses are depicted with the same terrifying tact as a Twilight film. The only witches we see depicted today are either childfriendly or overly sexualized.

However, Scott Snyder and Jock’s Wytches seeks to change that for good. At long last it would seem that the witch is getting a longoverdue makeover — or better yet, a de-beautification.

Wytches follows the story of Charlie Rooks, a children’s book author who moves his family to the remote town of Litchfield, New Hampshire after his younger teenage daughter is accused of murdering her bully. However, when his daughter, Sailor, goes missing, Charlie embarks on a feverish hunt to find her.

Nothing can prepare the desperate father as he comes faceto-face with black magic, an eerie bald woman, and the ancient evil of the wytches.

At its core, Wytches is a story about a father, a daughter, and their special bond together. Part of what makes this story fresh in comparison to others is that the father is significantly younger than what is usually depicted.

He is a young dad, trying his best to do right while still being prone to mistakes and bad decisions. Sailor is also a well-written character who is depicted realistically with her many traumas and psychoses.

Together, the two share in many heartfelt moments that allow readers to become invested in them and all the more concerned with their well-being throughout the story.

With a fresh and nightmareinducing new look, the creators successfully revamp witches for a modern audience. What was once laughable is now enough to leave you scarred for the foreseeable future and in need of a night light. Jock’s designs are nothing less than the fuel that make up the most viscerally harrowing of night terrors.

Jock’s artwork also succeeds in building suspense throughout out the story. Chaotic and dynamic panel layouts help to depict the twisted story in an engaging way. Each scene is more captivatingly intense than the last, and each will leave readers eager to see what happens next.

Wytches is well-written horror thriller which can stand on a petrifying pedestal with the best of the genre. By peeling back the layers of beautified fluff that have long kept witches away, Snyder and Jock reinstate these old-school occultists back to their place as the supernatural champions of the horror genre.

that, even during a zombie apocalypse, a pub is still the safest place to be. Thank goodness we have the Highland Pub, am I right?

During the Halloween season, it’s all about scares and lots of candy. But amidst all the fear, Halloween has plenty room for humour. So for those of you who prefer a bit of comic relief with your fear, here are five horror comedies that provide the best of both worlds.

Shaun of the Dead The film tells the story of Shaun, an everyday salesman who now has to fight off zombies while mending his relationship with his girlfriend, Liz, and tolerating the silliness of his best friend, Ed. Shaun of the Dead has become a cult classic, but perhaps its biggest contribution is how it demonstrates

Scary Movie Scary Movie centres on Cindy Campbell, a young woman who goes through a series of weird and humorous experiences that recall plot points and elements from famous horror flicks and suspense thrillers. It’s silly, as all spoof films should be, and film buffs will enjoy trying to spot all of the various horror film references that are being made. If you ever host a movie night and can’t decide on a horror movie, throw in this film for a bit of levity.

What We Do in the Shadows This film tells the story of four vampires live together, and struggle to become accustomed to the way of life in 21st century Wellington. What We Do in the Shadows has a unique mockumentary style, and includes plenty of dry humour.

If first year SFU students think

it’s difficult to adapt to a new school, this film shows that it’s even harder to be accustomed to a whole new century.

The Cabin in the Woods This horror comedy tells the story of a group of college students who travel to an isolated cabin, only to be terrorized by monsters that have been unleashed by a technological facility that comically attempts to create the environment and conditions of a traditional horror film. Joss Whedon fans will know just what to expect from the filmmaker’s usual brand of slick humour.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is about a ghost named Betelgeuse who is assigned the task of scaring off a family who has recently purchased a house that his employers, two fellow ghosts, used to own. This hilarious classic was directed by legendary filmmaker Tim Burton, who also has horror comedies such as Dark Shadows and Corpse Bride to his credit.

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Children need their mother’s love; mothers innately care for their children. With this double-edged sword, Goodnight Mommy terrorizes our minds by imagining a scenario where either a mother is neglectful, or a boy is unreceptive to his mother’s care. Finding out which one is the case provides Goodnight Mommy, the feature-length debut from Austrian filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, an ambiguous and horrifying thrust.

Elias and his twin brother, Lukas, both of whom are

Forbidden Vancouver’s Lost Souls of Gastown tour offers a unique experience, immersing patrons in the ominous past of early Vancouver. They offer student rates and enough knowledge of the area to brag to your friends about next time you go for a pint in the neighbourhood.

The bells chimed ominously in the night as we met the group in Cathedral Square, setting the mood for an eerie evening. Mark Turpin, a Simon Fraser alumnus who graduated in theatrical arts, boisterously led the group in character as George, a gold miner from Jackson, Tennessee with an

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adorable seven-year-olds, live in a remote mansion surrounded by a picturesque landscape and a glistening lake. Their mother begins behaving erratically and viciously after a mysterious accident left her face disfigured; her visage now hides behind a white bandage that obscures her identity. The boys suspect that perhaps their mother has been abducted and replaced by an impersonator (cleverly, we’re told the mother used to be an actress), but when the mother takes off her bandage, revealing her face and identity, there is a shocking shift in perspective as the perpetrator becomes the victim and the innocent the guilty.

Contrary to almost every mainstream scare flick, Goodnight Mommy is almost entirely bolstered by its atmosphere and narrative, not loud noises or jump scares. The unsettling mansion, captured in dark contrast to the bright sun that glistens outside the house’s walls, is filled with hollow and lifeless

accent to boot. George is friends and acquaintances with some of Vancouver’s most notorious and controversial figures of the old days, including a brothel owner, Queen of the Yukon, and the first pub owner in Gastown.

The use of the oral storytelling technique was refreshing, entertaining, and a much-needed break from our love affair with digital media. Winding through cobblestone back alleyways and stepping inside some of Vancouver’s oldest buildings, we were transported back in time with gruesome tales of murderous vengeance and other bone-chilling stories that are sure to change the way you see Gastown forever.

The tour tells a story about George’s friends, who are actual historical figures, and we hear their real ghastly stories. Being in the very spot where epic history took place added to the experience, supplemented with the use of vintage photographs that offered a contrasting image of what the area looked like during various stages of history.

objects: a mantel of female mannequins and photographs that capture imposingly out-of-focus people as their subjects.

Susanne Wuest, who plays the mother, gives a performance that is both creepy and tragic, and the twins, Lukas and Elias Schwarz, are similarly adorable and off-putting. The difficulty distinguishing the boys is, in hindsight, a subtle mask for a dazzling twist.

Because of Goodnight Mommy’s sleight of hand and powerful performances, we not only experience the film viscerally, but also contemplate it poignantly. The more you undress its layers, decoding its metaphors and symbols, the more apparent it becomes that cliches and tropes which have literally been overdone to death have in this film been reinvented in a mesmerizing art-horror hybrid.

Goodnight Mommy feels like The Sixth Sense and The Omen by way of Funny Games, yet that hardly explains its unique

Although the tour itself wasn’t very scary, it was at times emotional and shocking, as it was easy to imagine what certain historical figures must have felt at the time through the dramatic storytelling. The tour doesn’t hold back or censor any of the dirty past that was once alive on these streets at a tumultuous time in Vancouver’s history.

The seasonal tours are offered until November 1. If this particular tour doesn’t pique your interest, they offer several others, including one on the prohibition era in Vancouver, as well as a crime-solving tour that you can do with a group of friends.

Although the promise of ghostly activity is not part of the tour package and there’s no one jumping out at you with a chainsaw resulting in faux heart attacks, this is a recommended activity to spice up your spooky seasonal holiday.

Unlike ghosts, there’s no denying the shady and ruthless history of Gastown.

melding of ambiguous storytelling and body horror.

You may have heard that this is one of the scarier horror films of recent years, and that would be correct, but what’s most surprising is that beneath the torture, violence, and scares is a psychological tragedy, a twisted psychodrama of grief and delusion. It’s not just a film with blood, guts, and creepy lullabies; Goodnight

Mommy challenges the audience’s identification process.

One of the more compelling parallel images is the tribal mask Elias wears and the bandage which covers his mother’s face.

Both are disguises, but where one hides sorrow, the other points to an evil you may not see lurking beneath the surface. A mother could be hiding a secret behind her bandaged pain, or maybe a cute face is the real mask.

FINAL WEEK! IT’S OUR FAVOURITE TIME OF FEAR.

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fright nights - final week, sfu the peak

18

SPORTS

October 26, 2015

sports editor email

Nick Bondi sports@the-peak.ca

Elsewhere in SFU sports . . .

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SFU senior forward Meg Wilson has been selected to the GNAC preseason all conference team. The native of London, Ontario was a unanimous selection to the team, and is one of the players that will be looked to to replace the scoring of Erin Chambers, who is now playing professional basketball in Portugal.

Both the men’s and women’s swimming team dominated the University of Whitworth on Saturday, October 17th. The Clan won a total of 20 out of 22 races, with sophomore Gabriel Lee winning the 200 yard freestyle and the 200 backstroke.

The men are 3–0 so far this season, while the women are 2–3.

After a tough season last year — the Clan only won two games — the women’s soccer program needed something, anything, to lift their spirits. They seem to have found that in freshman twins Christina and Allyson Dickson. The two have been instrumental in helping the team climb from the bottom last year to, at publication time, fourth in the GNAC standings.

I immediately started the interview by embarrassing myself and confusing Allyson for her sister Christina. They weren’t surprised — people confuse the two all the time. “You kind of get use to it,” says Allyson.

Also unsurprising was their claim that the two have played together for almost their entire lives.

“We’ve been playing soccer since we were five,” Allyson says. “We’ve always been on the same team.”

“I think it started [a] good chemistry when we were younger,” adds Christina.

“We’ve always been on the

same teams, so we’ve had similar experiences as well. And we usually play similar positions, so we’re always near each other on the pitch.”

Christina is currently ranked second in the GNAC in goals, an even more impressive feat considering she just recently started playing as a striker. “I used to play as a centre back during my youth career,” she reflects. “And then two years ago, I kind of switched, just because of the numbers at the time. We had a lot of defenders and we needed more forwards.

Our coach put us both as forwards one game and we scored, so he said we could stay there.”

Allyson switched from defence to midfield around the same time.

“I broke my collarbone when I was playing defence, so [Christina] got switched in for me. That’s why she started playing defence. And then we both got moved forward.”

It’s not always easy for freshman to integrate themselves into a new team, but both Christina and Allyson seem to have done just that, both starting nearly every game for the Clan this season. “It’s been pretty easy,” Allyson says. “All the girls on the team were super welcoming.”

“The atmosphere they create is really welcoming as well,” adds Christina.

So what’s it been like to be a freshman on a relatively inexperienced team? “We’re not lacking experience, but we don’t have as much experience, just

because of the young team,” explains Allyson.

“The experience is not going to come [during] first year,” notes Christina. “You’ve got to work towards that, so that’s what we’ll build later on.”

The duo have quickly become key members of the squad — perhaps the perfect example of this being Dickson’s recent hat trick against St. Martin’s University. She scored three goals in nine minutes, which is an unofficial school record.

“I don’t know, I think the thought process hit me afterwards,” reflects Christina. “During the game, it was kind of like, you’re in the moment [. . .] Afterwards, you kind of look back and reflect on it.”

“I thought the first one was supposed to be a cross,” Allyson remarks on her sister’s achievement. “Because I was on the bench at the time, and everyone was asking me. ‘Did she actually mean to shoot that?’” The answer to that question, it turns out, was no.

“It worked, though,” Christina laughs.

The twins had offers from other schools, but chose to come to SFU because of the school’s inclusion in the NCAA. “We had offers from UBC and Trinity Western, but what attracted us to the program was the NCAA,” explains Allyson. “That was a big selling point — as well as the great academic stuff.”

Both Allyson and Christina were very active growing up, playing multiple sports. “All through high school we played basketball,” remembers Christina.

“We also did baseball and gymnastics when we were younger.”

“Probably around 10 years old is when we started concentrating on soccer,” Allyson remarks. “We started taking it more seriously, so more training sessions every week.

We had to let go of gymnastics and baseball and just focus on soccer.”

The goal for the Dicksons, as well as for the entire women’s soccer program, is to eventually emulate the success that the men’s soccer program has had since moving over to the NCAA. “A goal for this year that me and some of the other girls had was to make the GNAC top four,” Allyson says, adding: “It’s totally reachable.”

It remains to be seen if the women’s soccer team will reach the goals it has set for itself, but one thing is for certain: both Christina and Allyson Dickson will be key components of the team for years to come.

SFU lost against Western Washington Thursday night 4–0.

The second ranked team in all of Division II scored two quick goals in the first nine minutes to put the game out of reach.

SFU is currently fourth in the GNAC, and the top four teams play in the championship tournament. The tournament will be November 5–7 here at SFU.

SPORTS

October 26, 2015

On Sunday Oct. 18, the Highland Trials took place at Terry Fox Field.

The event was an all-BC affair, with British Columbia Quidditch Club (BCQC), SFU Quidditch, University of Victoria Valkyries, and Vancouver Vipertooths all participating. It was the first tournament hosted by the SFU Quidditch team. Quite the achievement considering a few years ago, the team did not even exist.

Despite the rain and a few hiccups, it was a successful tournament for SFU, showing how much the rec club has grown since beginning in fall 2013.

Philomena Chenne is the vice-president of SFU Quidditch, and was also in charge of organizing the Highland Trials.

She said that all the experience the team has soaked in going to other tournaments signaled that the team was ready to host their own.

“Having three years [of ] cumulative experience now of going

to tournaments and seeing how other veteran players have hosted, just seeing how their tactics and scheduling” has been hugely valuable according to Chenne. “Just seeing how your veterans and team can commit to it.”

Once the team decided to host, Chenne had to put in the hours making sure that all the details were taken care of. That included booking the field, getting permission from SFU Rec, bringing in

At the halfway point of the GNAC season, the Clan traveled down to take on the Hardrockers from South Dakota School of Mine and Technology (SDSMT), who are currently in second place for the GNAC title. A tough Hardrocker defense would pitch a 19–0 shutout against a Clan offense that put up four passing touchdowns in the previousmatchup against the visiting Dixie State.

SFU opened up the game on offense, but were quickly forced to punt the ball to SDSMT who would put up three points on an 86 yard drive that featured six first downs and lasted eight minutes. Cornerback Robin Weathersby and Safety Jordan Pugh both tackled receiver Daniel Ziegler to end the drive on third

and goal, forcing the Hardrockers to settle for a field goal.

On the next Hardrocker drive, Weathersby would make another big play by recovering a fumble at 50-yard line, but a quick three and out forced the Clan to give the ball right back to start the second quarter. The Hardrockers bounced back by putting together a quick 80-yard drive that was capped off by a 35-yard touchdown run from quarterback Trent McKinney.

Shorty after, the Clan defences found themselves once again with their heels against their own end zone. Jordan Pugh stepped up to make a big play by forcing a fumble at the goal line.

Linebacker Jordan Herdman would recover the football and give the Clan offense a chance to score before half time.

Quarterback Ryan Stanford put together a couple of first downs, including a 29-yard pass to SFU’s leader receiver for the season, Justin Buren, but inconsistent play forced the Clan to one again call upon kicker

teams to play, making the schedule, and organizing all the volunteers for the tournament.

The volunteers make up a large part of it, as a Quidditch game will have four different types of volunteer referees (a head ref, an assistant ref, and goal judge, and a snitch ref), as well as scorekeepers and timekeepers.

Speaking of the snitch, that is another volunteer position which has to be filled — this

Nikolai Karpun to punt to ball away.

“We did enough defensively to put us in a position to win but unfortunately our offense was unable to make any big plays,” said coach Bates told SFU Athletics after the game.

With only a 1:09 left to play in the first half, the Hardrockers were able to assemble yet another long drive that ended

19

is muggle Quidditch, after all.

There isn’t any flying golden object, which means that the snitch is filled by someone running around the field trying to avoid a team’s seekers, whose goal is to take a socked tennis ball from the snitch’s pants.

Talor Mykle-Winkler is the president of SFU Quidditch. She said that the club probably wasn’t ready to put on a tournament before now, but believes that playing

host won’t be a one-time thing.

“Definitely we will be trying to [host again], whether it be next semester or next year,” Mykle-Winkler said. “There’s so much that goes into the behind-the-scenes, the set up and take down, making sure that teams show up and volunteers because there are a lot of those that are needed.”

“It’s a lot more fun hosting; you don’t have to drive as far.”

With all the successes of hosting a tournament, it was a bit of a hiccup to end, as SFU was set to face Vancouver Vipertooths in the finals. However, several of the Vipertooths had to leave early, and appeared not to have enough players to play the final match.

SFU decided to lend Vancouver some of its players and turn the final into a friendly, which the hybrid Vancouver-SFU team won by a final score of 100–30.

Chenne said that despite how the day ended, it was very encouraging for the club to see the players come out and compete hard in the hopefully inaugural tournament on Burnaby Mountain. From here, the team will start focusing on their next tournament — the Rocky Mountain Rumble taking place in Kelowna next month.

with a 19 yard touchdown pass from McKinney to wide receiver Kevin Mills.

After giving up 16 points in the first half, the SFU defense buckled down and held the Hardrockers to a single field goal in the second half to give the offense a chance to win the game for the team.

Running back Ante MilanovicLitre has stepped up in recent

weeks to become the feature back for the Clan, after replacing the injured Josh Hayden. Ante was held to only 31 rushing yards in the first half, however, adjustments in second half play calling pushed him to finish the game with a careerhigh 125 yards on 21 carries.

In an SFU Athletics summary, Coach Bates acknowledged Ante’s performance by stating that, “Offensively today our running game was able to establish itself [. . .]” however, he also pointed out that, “[. . .] we really struggled at the QB position and were unable to establish consistency.”

Quarterback Ryan Stanford finished the game completing 13 of 28 passes for 121 yards and an interception, while Justin Buren led the Clan in receiving with five receptions and 84 yards. Brothers Jordan and Justin Herdman led the Clan in total tackles with 19 and 11, respectively. Jake Oram and Ben Minaker also finished up with 10 tackles each.

The Clan’s next game will be against Humbolt State on the road in Arcata, California. The game starts at 1 pm.

20

SPORTS

On Saturday October 17, the SFU hockey team played their home opener against Eastern Washington University in front of a packed house at Bill Copeland Sports Centre. Unfortunately, a promising first period was the best that the Clan could muster. Four straight EWU goals put this game out of reach early in the third, and the Clan ended up losing 5–3.

“Very poor performance by the guys in red,” said Head Coach Mark Coletta after the game. “We’re going to have to take a long look in the mirror and figure out what we come

Thursday night the men’s soccer team played host to the Montana State University Billings. The visitors came in as the second-best team in the GNAC, as well as the highest-scoring team, with 31 goals in 13 games played. After a very slow and boring first half, a moment of brilliance in the second from Michael North gave the Clan a 1–0 lead. After a red card minutes later, SFU had to hold on with 10 men for nearly half an hour.

“It was a battle,” said Head Coach Clint Schneider after the match. “We got a red card, which was deserved, to be frank. [. . .] I’m glad we got the result tonight. I don’t think we gave them a whole lot to look at in front of the goal, and Michael North scored a wonder [goal].

October 26, 2015

back with on Monday. I think it was a lack of effort, and hopefully we can turn it around.”

The game started off with last year’s leading scorer Beau Walker generating an early chance with his speed. It wasn’t the last the Clan defence saw from him on the night, as he was a threat whenever he touched the puck. “He’s a great hockey player, and he’s going to find his spots,” Coletta reflected after the game. “He did that tonight.”

Eastern Washington got the first goal of the game, courtesy of Trevor Zakrajsek. After killing off a double minor for high-sticking, SFU tied the game up with Tyler Basham snapping a low shot past the goalie.

Mike Sandor almost gave SFU the lead, but after the first period the score was tied at one.

The wheels started to fall off in the second period. After SFU had a couple of great chances, EWU took the lead when Brett Matthews buried the rebound in front of Liem. SFU went down the ice after the faceoff but and scored, but the goal was disallowed — the referee ruled that the puck was kicked in. That proved

“We’re moving forward,” Schneider continued. “Another shutout at home, that’s first class from the guys. We just have to keep it going.”

The first half did not feature that much action, to put it lightly.

It was the type of first half that

to be a crucial decision, as later on in the powerplay EWU player Jesse Collins scored to make it a two-goal game.

Beau Walker added a shorthanded goal near the end of the period to make it 4–1. SFU was badly outshot in the period; they only put four on target, compared to EWU’s 13.

The third period wasn’t much better. Walker added his second of the game to put the win out of

feeds the stereotype that soccer is a boring sport. Neither team was able to string any passes together, and the vast majority of the time was spent kicking the ball down the field. Montana State did a great job of forcing

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Nick Bondi sports@the-peak.ca

reach. SFU were able to get two near the end of the period, which capped off a good stretch of play for the Clan — but it was too little too late, and the final score was 5–3 for EWU. One thing the Clan needs to work on is their discipline. At several points during the game, it was an SFU parade to the penalty box. A total of 38 penalty minutes were called against SFU, with 14 alone called against defenceman Darnel St. Pierre.

“That was a focus point all week: ‘Stay out of the box,’” said Coletta after the game. “Obviously the message didn’t get across. We’ll have to figure out a different way, perhaps internal discipline, to keep guys out of the box. You’re never going to win hockey games when you’ve got 20, 30 minutes’ worth of penalties.

“Overall, we just make sure we’re sticking to our systems,” he added.

“The guys will get better. It’s one game out of 24.”

the SFU wingers to the inside, where they were promptly met by a swarm of players.

The second half made up for the first half though. In the 57th minute, Michael North cut inside from the left wing and shot

an absolute bullet into the top right corner. That goal proved to be crucial, as a few minutes later James Fraser got a straight red card. A dangerous studs up challenge right into the opposing goalie meant he was sent off, and the Clan had to defend the next 30 odd minutes a man down. After some close moments near the end, they held on for a 1–0 win.

The story by the end of the game was North’s goal, a flash of magic that broke the game open. “Sometimes you need a little bit of magic. They all knew he was going to his left foot, didn’t matter. What a finish,” exclaimed coach Schneider.

With the team still battling down a man, can they build off this success in the rest of the season? “Our guys are realising that they can win games gritty,” said Schneider. “It was a gritty result [tonight]. It’s hard to play good football when you’re down a man, [but] we still made it difficult for them.

“In every regard, I’m very proud of them.”

SPORTS

October 26, 2015

The beauty of most sports is that it allows the hardest-working, most talented people and teams to rise to the top. The rules are designed so that everyone has a fair chance of winning, and the team that performs better usually ends up victorious. Of course luck can play a role in determining one’s outcome, but the law of averages gives us the comfort that in the end, things will even out.

There’s a sense of order to it.

But what if it doesn’t even out?

What if a team keeps getting unlucky? What if a city is unable to produce a winning franchise for half a century and counting? Are these just random acts of misfortune,

or are there otherworldly forces at play, keeping certain teams, cities, and players from ever tasting victory? As we look through the years, it becomes very clear that curses in sports truly do exist.

No talk of sports curses can begin without mentioning the Chicago Cubs. This baseball team hasn’t won a World Series since 1908, six years before the start of the First World War (so don’t worry, Maple Leafs fans, life could always be worse). From 1908 until 1945 the Cubs won the National League a total of eight times, but no World Series.

However, in 1945 things got really spooky. Chicago Cubs fan Billy Sianis brought his goat to game four of the World Series versus the Detroit Tigers. For some strange reason, the fans sitting around Sianis didn’t like the goat, which led to the Wrigley Field staff kicking Sianis and his goat out. As he was leaving, Sianis said “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more”; since then, the Cubs have yet to even appear in a

World Series, thus creating what is known as the “Billy Goat Curse”.

Sometimes it’s not just teams that are cursed, but entire cities.

The best example of this is good ol’ Cleveland. Though this town might border a Great Lake, its teams are anything but great. The three major

Two weeks ago I read an article in this very paper entitled “Screw the Blue Jays.” I just moved to Burnaby six weeks ago from Whitby, Ontario, and am extremely disappointed that I am missing what is most assuredly an incredible atmosphere back home.

My love affair with the Blue Jays goes back to the late 1980s, when my dad would take me to Exhibition Stadium. We used to get $2 seats in the right field bench area and then sneak down behind home plate, or sit in the outfield for $4. I remember the agony of the 1987 season when the Jays lost seven straight games, including a painful 1–0 defeat on the final game of the season to blow a 3.5 game lead in the division and miss the playoffs.

My fondest Jays memory as a kid was attending the final game at Exhibition Stadium.

This was a thriller that saw former MVP George Bell hit a walk off home run in the 11th inning to close the stadium.

The Skydome was an incredible novelty during its first years in operation. It was such a surreal experience when the roof would open or close during a live game. The World Series years were incredible. I watched every game during both playoff runs and ran around the room when Otis Nixon grounded out in 1992, and Carter “touched ‘em all” in 1993. In 1993, I also attended the victory parade.

As I matured, I went to fewer games, but still had a soft spot for my boyhood team.

After I moved back to the Greater Toronto Area nine years ago, I started going to games again despite the team’s relative lack of success. It was so much fun to ride the train downtown, go to the game and then party on Front Street. My last game before moving out west was ironically against Kansas City just after the Price and Tulowitzki trades.

Once again, the Dome was electric, just as it had been in my youth. My buddy Travis and I painted our chests and made several signs to welcome Kansas City Royals First Base Coach Rusty Kuntz. We are not Kansas City fans by any means, but we were paying homage to the man with the most awesome name in sports.

Around campus I had seen some Jays gear, but not too many people were talking about the team. Last week, though, I went to the Highland Pub to catch the deciding game between Texas and Toronto. The entire bar was packed with Jays fans yelling and screaming with every twist and turn of the game. The Bautista bat flip home run brought the house down!

If the Jays do go on to win the World Series, this may become one of the great moments in Canadian sports history. I felt the warmth of home that day at the pub. To see so many passionate Jays fans this far from home was a great demonstration of Canadian unity and pride. It showed that the Blue Jays truly are Canada’s team.

league teams in Cleveland are the Browns (NFL), the Cavaliers (NBA), and the Indians (MLB). The last of these teams to win a national trophy was the Browns, who won the NFL Championship in 1964. Since then, it’s been 51 years of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

21

When even LeBron James can’t win you a title, you know that the city you live in has been hexed by the sports gods.

Finally, one of the oddest sports curses is brought to us by Sports Illustrated. It’s the dream of any athlete in the world to feature on the cover of this illustrious magazine; however, many of these sporting figures end up facing frightening fates in their futures. Eddie Mathews, an Atlanta Braves third baseman, was the first ever cover athlete for Sports Illustrated in 1954. After he appeared, the Braves had a nine-game winning streak end, and not long after that Mathews broke his hand.

More recently, Serena Williams was on the cover of SI when they did a story on her potentially winning her first calendar Slam. She ended up losing to unseeded Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals of the US Open, two games away from completing this feat.

Let’s hope for our sake that no Canucks players end up on the cover this season.

22 SPORTS

SFU lost a heartbreaker Thursday night playing against the Central Washington Wildcats, losing 15–12 in the fifth set to cause their second straight loss.

“I thought we played well enough to win,” said Head Coach Gina Schmidt. “They had an outstanding blocking night, I think that was the difference.”

Central Washington played a strong defensive game — 21 blocks to SFU’s seven — making sure that the Clan had a hard time finishing rallies.

SFU started the first set well, gaining the first two points of the match, including one off a kill by sophomore outside hitter Christine Howlett, who along with Devon May led SFU in kills with 15 each. The Clan would continue to rack up the points, leading the Wildcats 8–4.

Last year’s finish: 7th GNAC coaches poll projection for this year: 11th SFU’s basketball team is undergoing some major changes.

After losing four starters from last year’s team, including star player Sango Niang, the team is heading towards a year of tempered expectations.

“Right now, it’s just about culture,” said Head Coach Virgil Hill. “It’s about developing culture and having some of the young guys being able to compete every night. If we can compete for 40 minutes, whatever the result is, it is.”

SFU was picked 11th in the GNAC coaches poll, dead last, after finishing seventh in the

However, the Wildcats eventually clawed their way back into the set — taking control of the action, and making the first set 25–20.

SFU answered right back, winning the second set 25–16, with four consecutive points to wrap up the set.

For the third set, SFU looked as if it would carry the momentum from the second set, opening the set with three consecutive points. However, Wildcat point streaks — separate four point runs and five point runs — came to haunt the Clan, despite their near comeback: they racked up four straight points and cut a six point lead to two before Central Washington claimed the set 25–22.

The fourth set saw the Wildcats with an opportunity to put the game away, and win it in four; for a while, they had the upper hand, leading SFU at various points throughout the set.

However, an unanswered five points by a hardworking Clan team forced a set five, giving SFU a 25–20 victory in set four.

Despite some hard working rallies at the beginning of the set,

conference last year. So, is that something that can motivate the team? “It is motivation, but it has to be realistic” said Hill.

“We can say ‘Screw those guys, we’re going to try and be in the top three.’ Well, that’s just not realistic at this point, just based on our personnel.”

This season marks a homecoming of sorts for Hill. He was a player on the men’s basketball from 1989–1993, and now he’s returned to take charge of his former team.

“It’s interesting in that, as a player or student, you always think that you can do things better. [. . .] So now I get the chance to almost remedy some of those things I didn’t think were the right things to do. But it’s a pretty cool feeling when I talk to my former teammates, we look back 25 years ago and go ‘Wow, you were the snot-nosed freshman, and now you’re running the team.’ It’s certainly an interesting position to be in.”

Hill’s experience as a former basketball player at SFU may help him to ease into the role more naturally, as it has already

October 26, 2015

SFU dropped the fifth set 15–12, with six of Central Washington’s points coming from SFU attack errors. And despite losing the game 3–2, SFU actually led in scoring — 75–73 in total points in SFU’s favour — as well as kills, with SFU’s 58 to the Wildcats’ 51.

proven helpful in relating to his students. “What a lot of people don’t understand is how difficult school is here [compared to the United States], and so to balance school along with your academics and athletics is a challenge,” explained Hill. “Having been through that, I understand what

Coach Schmidt listed errors — SFU had 42 to Central Washington’s 25 — as something the team needs to work on.

“We clearly are able to slow teams down defensively, now we just have to be a little more efficient on offence. We actually

scored more kills than them, but almost doubled their number of errors — that kills our hitting percentage,” she explained.

With the loss, SFU Volleyball drops below .500 with a 9–10 overall record and 5–6 record in the conference.

it’s like. So to help the guys and relate to them, I can relate in every way, shape, or form, from being a freshman all the way to [being] a senior.”

One of Hill’s biggest challenges will be to replace outgoing player Sango Niang. Niang averaged 22.6 points per game last year, as well

as 29.2 minutes per game. “You don’t replace a guy like that,” Hill said. “He was a special player. He was as quick, fit, and athletic as probably any point guard SFU has ever produced, and probably the top two or three points guards in Division II. So you don’t replace a guy like that. It now has get spread amongst everyone else.”

Despite the loss of the programs star player, coach Hill is excited about a couple of new recruits, such as Oshae Gairey and Tyrell Lewin. “[Oshae] is a kid that has another gear to him.

He’s a Canadian kid, but he grew up in the States. “[Tyrell] is a guy that I think is underrated,” Hill added. “He came out of high school without any big [reputation] to him, but I think he’s actually pretty good. When you see him play, every day he gets better and better. Once he can develop physically, adding another 25 to 30 pounds of muscle, he’s going to be a load for people to handle.”

The team will play its next game against UBC in an exhibition match on Tuesday. The Clan will start GNAC play on December 3 against Seattle Pacific.

DIVERSIONS / ETC

October 26, 2015

23

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24

HUMOUR

After roughly 300 mass shootings in 2015 alone, the United States government believe they have found a solution: arm patients in mental wards.

“Stay with me here,” began Jr. Senator Pistol Pete III, while polishing a Colt M16 assault rifle. “We all know that these killings are being perpetrated by madmen.

That’s a fact — even the president said so. Now since there’s nothing we can do to actually stop them, we thought we should at least be more efficient.

“It’s our hope, and really all any of us can do [. . .] is hope that the good mental patients with guns will be there when the bad mental patients with guns try anything.”

With a maniacal grin, Representative Sessions concluded, “We’re calling it the Fight Firearms with Firearms/Righteous Lighting/

‘Twas October 19, and I was watching what every other campus Conservative was: the Antiques Roadshow marathon. Sure, the election was happening, but I wasn’t worried about the result, as I was confident Harper would get another majority. What’s not to love about a leader with the charisma, social skills, and looks of an accountant?

I interrupted the riveting analysis of a Tennessee bookshelf, and turned to CBC’s Peter Mansbridge make the election call. I prepared myself to be serenaded by good ol’ Peter announcing another Conservative government; instead, I was ambushed with this: “Trudeau has beaten Stephen Harper.” My jaw/

October 26, 2015

Holy-Water Tsunami/Head ‘Em Off At the Pass Act.” The NRA’s executive director of lobbying, Trigger Terry, added while holding two silverplated handguns: “Lots of people who own guns in this country are crazy. Of course we oppose giving the mentally ill guns, and if it were possible to stop them from getting them we’d support laws that made that happen, but it’s not. So, we think this is a great plan.

“Think of it this way,” he said, spinning the pistols around like a wild-eyed frontier sheriff from the

old west, “if I was to kill you right here and now, which obviously I could, would you rather me shoot you in the gut and watch you bleed out slow, or would you rather I

heart/Molson Canadian dropped, and the five stages of Conservative grief began.

Denial: Oh, silly Peter, please read the teleprompter correctly.

There’s no way Canadians would pick a handsome, likeable, positive person as prime minister.

That’s just unpatriotic, borderline

humour editor email

Jacey Gibb humour@the-peak.ca

put a bullet in your head nice and quick? Obviously the head, right?

That’s why efficiency is so important. We don’t want to prolong the inevitable anymore. We want to shoot the country in the head, not in the gut.”

Republican presidential candidate Guhn Hapi was vocal in his support of the legislation while on the campaign trail, comparing it to his call to arm elementary schools and stating that the Act was, “Badass.”

Hapi added, “I’ve already said we should be introducing guns into environments where young people learn and grow, so obviously I support this legislation.”

The endorsement hasn’t surprised political analysts, who pointed out that the two ideas really aren’t that different. Both suggest putting guns within reach of those who are just learning or relearning how to operate in society; those who are emotional, irrational and prone to

outbursts of rage, sadness, and occasionally violence; and those who sometimes cannot fathom the repercussions of their actions. Hapi concluded by saying, “Seems like a good idea to me.”

When asked for comment on the legislation, democratic representative Cutty Ought from

California, who helped author the now expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb, shook her head and said: “They want to let who have guns?

“You know what? Fuck it, sure.

It’s literally no fucking different than what we’re doing now.”

communist behaviour. [Flips to CTV] What, you guys are also saying Harper lost? Well, you’re communists anyways, you probably read the results wrong. [Flips to CNN] You guys messed the results up too? That’s weird. Well, Anderson Cooper’s a commie, so that makes sense. [Flips to CPAC] Hey,

it’s Stephen Harper admitting the Conservatives lost. Well, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, the bloody communist. . . Wait, what?

Anger: Damn it Peter, I thought I could trust you! I thought we were friends. I just finished getting my tattoo of your face with the caption “Thug Lyfe,” and this is how you treat me?! And to the Canadian voters: you want someone young and good-looking lying to you for the next four years, rather than a jaded, grey-haired politico? Rookie mistake, guys. High expectations lead to nothing but sadness, despair, and Stanley Cup riots.

Bargaining: Okay, Peter, hear me out: I’ll do anything. I swear to you. Just make the result change.

Please? Pretty please, with a cherry on top? You don’t like cherries?

Fine, I’ll give you a pineapple, or a potato, whatever your heart desires. My signed Stephen Harper poster? Yours. The limited-edition Brian Mulroney autobiography on VHS and Betamax? Take it. Just please, oh noble wizard, use your magic to change people’s minds.

Depression: Dear Peter: I have been in the fetal position for the past 72 hours, with no end in sight.

The only thing keeping me going is the four-litre bucket of Costco vanilla ice cream, and three extralarge Costco pizzas. Actually, I’ve been inside a Costco for the past three days, hidden inside a bouncy castle; security suspects nothing so far. Also, I’ve listened to “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol 17 times. I worry that if I move on to The Fray, I’ll never get out of here.

Acceptance: You know what, Mr. Mansbridge? After looking into your deep, thoughtful eyes for a couple of hours, I’ve realized that it’s all going to be okay. Stephen Harper might be gone, but we’ll always have you and your oh-so-melodious voice to guide us Canadians. The Conservatives might be down now, but we’ll pick someone new, someone fresh, someone else with a weird affinity for sweater vests. And though the times may be tough for the boys in blue now, at least we have those magic herbs from Justin’s garden to get us through the next four years.

HUMOUR

October 26, 2015

25

With the recent loss of their health benefits, SFU’s Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has stepped up their game like never before against Andrew Petter: starting October 31, a partnership between the TSSU and Satan will add further pressure on the university to negotiate for a new contract.

The partnership is the result of a meeting held last week at Yeti Yogurt, where members of the TSSU met with the Lord of Darkness to ask for help with the long-standing wage dispute. Over Bigfoot on the Beach smoothies, the two parties reportedly negotiated all through the night before being kicked out by nauseated Yeti staff 19 minutes after closing time.

While no formal agreement was made on the spot, the TSSU confirmed via Facebook that a contract was, “hot and ready to move forward.” The Peak caught up with the TSSU to learn more about the controversial decision and what it could mean for students and staff at the university.

“Oh yeah, it’s true. We met with Satan over some froyo and explained our situation with the university,” said Lucy Strauss, a political science TA and TSSU member. “He was very receptive to our concerns and offered us some really good suggestions on how to move

forward. We were pleasantly surprised by the cost of his terms too.

Turns out the Devil isn’t interested in souls anymore; all he asked from us was our self-respect and dignity, and to sacrifice an A+ arts student.”

As soon as the Devil’s contract is signed, the TSSU

expects the long-standing university conflict to be resolved with absolutely no foreseeable consequences whatsoever.

Regarding the controversial pact, SFU Administration seemed unconcerned by the announcement when asked to comment:

“If they think that’s going to make any difference, they’re sniffing glue,” cited one Board member. “They might as well go back to drawing chalk on the walkways and shouting at our workspace from a megaphone.

Besides, we took precautions just in case Mr. Satan ever decided to intervene. We don’t get the big bucks for not thinking these sort of things through, y’know.

“During the summer semester, we opted to power wash all of Strand Hall with holy water just in case someone tried to catch us with our occultist pants down. Turns out it was a rather cheap expense.”

Arguably more inattentive to the devilish announcement are the students themselves, fatigued by the squabbling and caterwauling by both parties.

“At this point, I’ve practically ODed on my prescription of Fuckitol,” said English student Tanya Nyrobi. “Having my grades held is what’s really getting me down. How am I supposed to continue doing the least-acceptable amount of work if I don’t even know what kind of marks it’s getting me?

The Peak did what it could to contact Satan for a comment but was unsuccessful, as the gates of the underworld were closed for a Luau taking place in the third circle of Hell, hosted by renowned foodie Cerberus.

Recent findings by the world’s top social scientists have concluded that the best way to have a “spooktacular” and “creeperific” Halloween party is to carefully engineer a series of absurd experiences and pair them with an unsettling, traumatizing environment. You can’t argue with science.

The first scientific step towards creating a spooky

atmosphere is to defy attendees’ expectations. Instead of greeting people and informing them of the night’s activities, you want information available prior to be minimal and slightly confusing.

This will help establish a dark and mysterious setting for the mixer, where no one knows anyone else or what’s going to happen next!

You’ll know you’ve done a good job when your participants look mystified and agitated!

Mentally distress your participants by having your Halloween party completely different than your club’s theme/mandate! If you’re a Korean club, serve Eastern European food, play Japanese pop music, and watch Bollywood horror

movies! If you’re a club that focuses on making relaxing environments that help de-stress students, make your event extremely traumatic and stressful! This shift in familiar stimuli will guarantee everyone is on their toes and mentally on-guard for a fun evening.

Your next step should be to create a sense of danger at the mixer because, scientifically, humans are more likely to remember situations that involve a lot of physiological arousal.

We recommend a fun game of handshake murder — except with a real knife! (You won’t actually be stabbing people, because that’s sort of illegal; use prepared fake blood, and

diffuse panic with a yelled, “It’s just a prank!” Everyone will then thank you for the fun experience and prepare themselves for the next activity.)

Now we want to create true fear.

It’s time to exploit the psyche of the average SFU student. Instead of plastic spiders, scatter spooky Post-it notes about the room.

Some examples of what to write are: “The promise of free food is a lie!”; “Andrew Petter is actually a spy from UBC, sent to ruin SFU by giving us a non-KKK-related team name!”; “The SFSS really stands for Spooky Friday Student Squad!”; “Completion of Calculus IV will become a mandatory requirement graduation requirement for all SFU

programs!” Channel your inner Shyamalan and write!

Lastly, SFU students have been conditioned to feel pleasure when they’re being punished, thanks to the crowded busses, the fog and rain, the professors with incomprehensible accents, and the fight to enroll in their preferred classes.

Recreate these conditions in your party’s environment: crowd the room; splash water on people’s faces; turn a fog machine on; and narrate everything in the thick and incomprehensible accent of their calculus professor.

Join us next time on “. . . based on science” where we breakdown the formula for awkward family gatherings at Christmas.

26 HUMOUR

October 26, 2015

Let’s face it: we’re not celebrating your grandparents’ Halloween, when bottles of Coke cost a nickel and Sun-Maid raisins were the hot new item to find in your trick-or-treating bag. This holiday’s done a lot of growing over the years, and society in general is more aware of historical atrocities and appropriations than ever before. Here are a few pointers to help you avoid the offensive tropes our previous generations championed on All Hallows’ Eve.

Avoid gendering your costume: Even in 2015, the gender divide in many career fields is still problematic, so do your best to avoid strengthening these labels. Don’t be a sexy mailman, but rather a sexy mailperson; that sexy boogeyman costume could just as easily be a sexy boogeyhuman costume, though even the definition of human is difficult because of the “man” part. Just dress as androgynously as possible and whenever someone asks you what you’re supposed to be, defuse the situation by asking them not to assume your gender.

Don’t reinforce harmful stereotypes: Generalizing the work of terrible directors like Michael Bay or M. Night Shyamalan is great, but generalizing someone else’s culture or walk-of-life isn’t.

People often use the excuse of, “Oh, this is just a costume” to justify casual racism, but that doesn’t make it any better.

A good rule of thumb to follow is if it was okay on a ‘90s television show, then it’s not okay now.

Stay away from dressing up as copyrighted characters: Films are being leaked online before they even hit theatres; television ratings have plummeted thanks to everyone illegally downloading or streaming their favourite shows; and you still think taking someone else’s idea and tailoring it to your own needs is a victimless crime? Now you’re going to dress up as a character from a movie you didn’t even pay to see, and get a bunch of compliments and positive reinforcement for something you didn’t even create yourself? Get your head out of your ass — you’re getting shit all over someone else’s copyrighted creation.

And you can just forget about scantily-clad outfits too: Feminism’s making some grand strides in helping people stop shaming women, so this rule isn’t about policing female bodies — it’s just because slutty costumes are too formulaic and boring. Forget what I said earlier about the sexy mailperson costume; just because Channing Tatum gets to dance around with his package hanging out doesn’t mean you can, too.

Nothing speciesist either: oh, you think dressing up in a panda costume is cute? You know what isn’t cute? The grim reality most pandas are facing.

There are less than an estimated 2,000 giant pandas left in the entire world, and in the time it took for you to apply makeup to mimic panda eyes, a hundred square hectacres of panda habitat were lost due to human activity. So try to consider the global biosphere before dressing up like an endangered animal for Halloween, you monster.

Don’t even think about using colours for your costume: Three words for you, bucko: colourblind people. Someone at a party asks what you’re supposed to be, and you reply, “The colour red!” while proudly self-examining your red T-shirt, red corduroys, and matching red Converse. Unfortunately for you, the person you’re talking to is colourblind, and you’ve just offended them by having a non-inclusive costume. Only dress in black and varying shades of black, or run the risk of being an enormous jerk-face.

And there you have it: a few simple tips and tricks to having your most inclusive Halloween yet. Of course, there’s no foolproof way to avoid offending people with your costume, so my only advice would be to stay home on Halloween night and hide out under your bed covers. Sufferers of agoraphobia may argue you’re appropriating a mental disorder, but hey, you can’t please everyone, right? Right?!

I’m very excited and contented to see that last week’s article, after weeks of attempts, was finally overlooked by our EIC Max, and now has way too much momentum to be erased behind my back again!

This week, let’s talk about the writing problem on everyone’s mind: how to spell “Halloween”!

Is it one “L”? Is it two “O”s?

The name “Halloween” has evolved from “All Hallow’s Eve,” which was a Pagan holiday coming one day before the Christian apple-bobbing competition day, Hallow’s! Halloween was made for kids, by kids, as a way to spook others into dropping their prized Pagan candy. This act, called, “trick-or-treating,” is derived from root words which roughly translate to “kids only!”

Trick-or-treating isn’t for anyone past 13, I’d venture to say. So, SFU students, if you’re thinking about taking part in this child’s game, remember: don’t!

For adults, the holiday is a time for getting away from the kids, seeing neighbours, dressing up like your closest friends, and making delicious papier-mache apples. This year, stay home and do that, because I’ll be watching!

And I’ve started a community watch group for Burnaby! Haha.

Unless you want an issue of The Peak, which I’ll gladly give you! But just know that I’ll give you a Peak any time, because I’m proud of it, and because it’s free, not because I’m rewarding you for acting like a child on a child’s day! So just stay at home if you’ve got nothing better to do than destroy someone else’s irreplaceable heirloom carbonatite statues!

They had real sentimental value, as they say! Also, you wore your SFU sweaters over your costumes!

But really, Peaks can be sweet as candy, if prepared properly! Haha.

Halloween is spelled, “H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N.” See you in next week’s pleasant-to-the-tongue Peak for your regular writing tips! Never put down your pen!

Best, Joel MacKenzie

HUMOUR

October 26, 2015

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28 LAST WORD

Editor-in-Chief email

Max Hill eic@the-peak.ca

October 26, 2015

T

he Virtual Stage’s Alien Contagion: Rise of the Zombie Syndrome, directed by Andy Thompson, is not your average theatrical production. It’s an interactive show that actually takes place on the streets of Vancouver. Instead of merely watching characters being chased by a horde of zombies, you get to be the bait. This is the fourth year for the zombie-themed series, and having attended last year, I was eager to compare this new installment.

Participants are assembled into a ‘expert’ team in a highstakes mission, and the mystery location of the show is only disclosed to participants a day before their respective mission.

Zombies prowled the area, lurking in the shadows and dark corners and lurching towards us when we least expected it. This year, the production centres on aliens that crash-land on earth. Anyone that tries to find the mysterious aliens returns as a zombie. Fun fact: there are more zombies this year than last. Double the scare.

Having done these zombie productions for three years already, Thompson had to up the ante for the fourth season. This is the first time Thompson’s roped another monster into his play, and the inspiration for that actually came from his stepson Finn. They were just hanging out, watching an alien movie, when Finn suggested, “Maybe the aliens can

make the zombies?” And that was the story of how nine-year-old Finn began his career as a writer.

Thompson absolutely loved the idea. “So, it’s like Earth’s calling out for help because humans are destroying it, and the aliens are answering the call. Okay, so what if they’re doing that by killing off the humans and turning them into zombies?

That’s why we have the line in the play: ‘You eat the earth, and now it’s eating you. Poetic justice.’”

Thompson’s zombie productions aren’t solely for the Halloween scares and frights. As an artist, Thompson wants his work to have more substance. “One of the challenges I’ve given myself is to explore a zombie subculture

every year.” Last year, Thompson explored the world of drug addiction through his zombies.

“Looking at this year, I just completely abandoned any need to stick to any previous narrative.

I just want to stick with zombies, and explore the world of zombies from different angles.”

As you might suspect, it’s not easy putting on a production like this, and on such a scale. There are so many factors to consider — the budget, the safety of the actors, participants, and passers-by, the props, licenses, and so on. “So many artistic decisions are derived by finances, sadly,” Thompson remarked. “The zombies are [high school students] on work experience.”

I

disorder over this whole ordeal. And so she runs a website called aliencontagion.com, which offers support to people who have been abducted

by UFOs. There’s various things on there; for instance, there’s a tonic you can make for after you’ve been probed by an alien.

So yeah, she’s a pretty wacky character. I’m really enjoying playing her.

you were a kid, if you were being bold, you’d get a whack from the wooden spoon. So that was every Irish kid’s greatest fear — their mammy coming after them with a wooden spoon.

EB: Well if you count the personality flaws in my character scary, then, yeah. I’m not playing a zombie this year so. . . you might just be freaked out by my aura, who knows.

JG: Zombies and aliens have a been a thing in pop culture for the last couple years, and going way beyond that, going back to the 1960s.

I’m just wondering how do you think the whole zombie thing manages to stay fresh?

JG: What was the transition like from contemporary theatre, where there’s no interactivity, to an interactive-style production?

had the pleasure of co-interviewing up-and-coming actress Eva Butterfly on her play Alien Contagion: Rise of the Zombie Syndrome on air on the CJSF Arts Magazine Show. Jacob Gradowski and I discussed interactive theatre, aliens, and zombies with the Irish actress.

Miranda Macfarlane, The Peak: Can you tell us a bit about Alien Contagion: Rise of the Zombie Syndrome?

Eve Butterly: It’s basically a quite specific, highly interactive, alien/zombie-themed theatrical scavenger hunt. It’s in its fourth year running now — it’s a different kind of theme every year — so this year we’re doing zombies and aliens and the whole idea of UFO abductions.

MM: What can tell us about your character, Lucy?

EB: Yeah, Lucy Peterson. She is a very paranoid alien/UFO enthusiast.

She claims that she’s been abducted many times by aliens, and she kind of has a post-traumatic stress

MM: What prompted you to get involved with Alien Contagion?

EB: Well, I’d done the show in 2013, and I got into it through Andy Thompson, the creator of the show.

I was in a college course that Andy was teaching. We became friends, and I’m glad to be collaborating with him again this year.

Jacob Gradowski, CJSF: This play touches upon my childhood fears. Eva, I was wondering what are some of your childhood fears?

EB: I think, as you were saying, it is so prevalent in pop culture, and I think one of the reasons for that is it’s an escapism of sorts for people.

There’s so much atrocity around the world happening and we see so much of these zombies, these adverse situations, such as apocalyptic, nuclear warfare, all this mad stuff. I think that zombies for people is a way of expressing these things in a creative way.

EB: Well in Ireland, there is this thing called the wooden spoon.

There used to be this thing when

JG: Do you get any moments in this play to scare any of the attendees?

EB: It’s completely different, and it’s probably a bit harder, and more rewarding in a sense in interactive stuff because you’re battling with the elements. It’s all outdoors, you don’t have the comfort of being on a stage in a theatre. It’s the same with the audience — you’re up close and personal with them, and you have to jive off what they give you. So it does test you to the limits of improvisation, and every group is different.

We’ve got like five different groups a night, and you’re giving five different performances basically. That’s very exciting as a performer.