Parking Stalled

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FIRST PEEK

Most people can’t pinpoint the exact moment that they became an adult, but I can. I remember it like it was yesterday — the crackle of sizzling flesh, the smoke billowing calmly towards my open window, the smell of a well-cooked bird wafting throughout my studio apartment. What began as a soggy, shrink-wrapped sack of meat and bones had become a picturesque dinner for two through sheer force of will and the time-tested aid of a weathered cookbook.

I had roasted my first whole chicken, and I had become a man.

I’ll admit that, of all my New Year’s resolutions this year, I’ve only kept to one: I promised myself that I would finally learn how to cook, and though it’s hard to say if I’ve fully learned yet, I’m certainly learning. There’s something amazing about taking a mishmash of seemingly unrelated ingredients — a bay leaf here, some garlic powder there, a teaspoon of vinegar — and creating something new and wonderful that you can share with those you love.

It sounds cheesy, I know.

But if you’ve ever spent hours in the kitchen making a meal from scratch, you’ll know that it’s worth it to see the faces of those you’re serving light up with genuine pleasure.

September 29, 2014

Like playing the piano or speaking a foreign language, being able to cook (and cook well) is a skill that, once acquired, will serve you for the rest of your life.

Admittedly, part of the inspiration for my culinary goals is connected to having moved out this past spring — as those of you living on your own or with roommates will know, eating out isn’t cheap, and pre-packaged microwaveable meals leave something to be desired for those whose palates can differentiate a reheated pasta bowl from the real deal.

Living with someone who’s often too busy to cook, the onus fell on me to learn how to turn regular grocery shop fare into meals both nutritious and delicious enough to sustain the lifestyles of two busy university students living under one cramped roof.

I was lucky enough growing up to have a father who, similarly, was the head chef of the household — most of what I’ve learned

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about cooking has been borrowed from him. Whenever I visit him, he shares with me a new recipe he’s been wanting to try, or shows me a new tool he’s bought for the grill.

It’s this flair for experimentation that I’ve tried to carry over into my own cramped kitchen space: I’ll often liven up an old recipe with a new ingredient or flavour, just to keep things interesting.

But of all the benefits of learning how to cook for oneself, the one I value most is the ability to feed those I care about: my friends, my family, my partner. Maybe it goes back to our ancestors, who would hunt and gather food for those in their groups or tribes — all I know is, it’s hard to beat the feeling of fulfilment and accomplishment when you know you’ve provided someone you care about with a healthy, home cooked meal.

The best part? Once you get started, it ends up being easier, and much cheaper, than eating ramen and Kraft Dinner for every meal. My advice is to start slow — figure out how to fry an egg and cook a solid bowl of pasta, then move into intermediate fare like making soups and cooking meat. Before you know it, you’ll be wowing your friends and impressing your dates with your culinary flair. Bon appétit!

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NEWS

Student opposition to SFU’s involvement with the Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development (CIIEID) reached a new high at the end of the summer with the release of a petition calling for the institute’s closure.

A collaboration between SFU, UBC, and École Polytechnique de Montréal, the CIIEID was created as a venture to lend Canadian mining expertise to developing countries where current mining practices may be more environmentally and socially damaging than necessary.

Since the institute opened its doors at UBC’s campus in January of this year, concerns

September 29, 2014

about the CIIEID’s corporate ties to the extraction sector have continually been raised by student groups on both UBC and SFU campuses. Now,

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students are taking their objections to centre stage.

“We’re trying to unite the voices of people at our universities and stakeholders from our community to let the highest authorities at UBC, SFU, and École Polytechnique de Montréal know that we’re not excited for our universities to be involved in something like this,” said Sam Stime, UBC graduate student and one of the driving forces behind the petition.

Students from UBC and SFU, along with environmentalists and concerned community members across the Lower Mainland, have banded together under the name Stop the Institute. Their goal is to coordinate efforts that aim to shut down the CIIEID unless changes to its internal structure are implemented. Their petition outlines issues of academic freedom, lack of impartiality, lack of credibility, and lack of accountability.

“Right now there is no representation of the historically marginalized; the voices of people of communities that have been negatively affected [by Canadian mining companies],’ Stime said.

Jasheil Athalia, one of the principle organizers of Students for Transparency in Public Education, a faction of the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG), told The Peak that she is worried about how SFU’s association with mining corporations

Leah Bjornson associate news editor news@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

will affect public perception of the university overall.

“As a student, I just don’t feel right graduating with a degree from SFU knowing that I contributed to that family somewhere in Columbia that doesn’t have a home now [due to foreign mining in their community],” said Athalia.

Transparency around funding sources has also caused controversy at SFU and UBC. When the initial grant of $24.6 million from the federal government’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development (DFATD) runs out after five years, the CIIEID’s Contributions Agreement states that further funding for the institute will be sourced from “fundraising, scholarships and chairs, research and charitable grants, tuition and other revenue streams and in-kind support.”

Stime told The Peak that, since the institute will be accepting money and in-kind aid from mining corporations who have vested interests in foreign

Melissa Roach

extractive sectors, he feels that the academic freedom of the universities to conduct and publish unbiased research may be compromised.

However, influence from corporate mining executives on future projects for the institute is very minimal, according to Dan Shapiro, a member of CIIEID’s executive board and a professor in SFU’s Beedie School of Business. “We will do our research, and sometimes decide it’s not a good idea to go into an area,” he told The Peak. “We aren’t out there to make [the corporations] money. They knew that was the deal when they signed on.”

Stime said he feels that “many developing nations view Canadian mining companies as completely predatory,” based on the track records of some large corporations. He said he believes this calls into question the qualifications of the CIIEID to offer advice to developing countries.

Kristina Henriksson, director of learning and education on the CIIEID management committee and SFU adjunct professor maintains that the CIIEID is an autonomous, research-andlearning based endeavour that has no interest in forcing advice on communities in developing countries who don’t want it.

“We’d never go anywhere without an invitation,” Henrikkson explained. “Establishing best practices will require input from everyone involved.”

NEWS

September 29, 2014

Trying to find a parking space at SFU Burnaby this fall has become a daily struggle for some students, as the most popular parking lots — Lots B and C — are often filled to capacity by lunch time.

Although those with indoor permits have been largely unaffected, students with outdoor parking passes have complained about the lack of space they paid for.

The Peak spoke to director of Parking Services, David Agosti, to find out the reasons behind this issue and the steps Parking Services is taking to rectify it.

“We’ve sold more or less the same number of permits as we sold in Fall 2013,” said Agosti, explaining that the issue shouldn’t be one of capacity.

In Fall 2013, Parking Services sold 2,200 outdoor permits; this year, they sold 2,300. The

combined capacity of Lots B, C and Discovery P3 is 1,950.

When asked what other explanation might account for the over-crowded lots, Agosti responded, “We’re thinking that part of it might be because of the teachers’ strike [. . .] a lot of education students and faculty would normally be in the classroom, [but] couldn’t be in the classroom and are instead up here.”

At present, Parking Services is trying to mitigate the influx of extra cars in several ways.

Through collaboration with Facilities Services, SFU service vehicles have been redirected to park elsewhere to create more spaces. Also, turnaround areas are being reduced in size, and the extra space will be used to paint in more parking spaces.

Agosti acknowledged that these are short-term solutions, and said that in the long-term the Sustainable Mobility Advisory Committee (SMAC) is working towards better bus service to and from campus. They are also working to better understand student behaviour, bus pass-ups, and reasons people elect not to take transit.

The first ever SFU Indigenous Day was held on Thursday, September 25 in Convocation Mall at Burnaby campus.

The day of events was put on by the First Nations Student Association (FNSA), an organization dedicated to representing the interests of all self-identified Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit, and Metis, along with both status and non-status SFU students.

Laura Forsythe, FNSA treasurer, explained, “This is [the FNSA’s] first attempt to create an event around educating versus showcasing. All of the elements have a large

educational component to them.

We hope to communicate Indigenous diversity here on Turtle Island [in North America] through a combination of sound, sight, and taste.”

Students walking by Convocation Mall were drawn into the vibrant event, which featured several performers on the convocation stage, informational booths about SFU’s Indigenous programs and initiatives, as well as a myriad of Indigenous artists who showcased and sold their handcrafted wares.

Those in attendance were entertained with lively music and dance as well as Indigenous artists’ work, which ranged from fine jewelry to moccasins and dream catchers.

Sharing circles, hosted by Indigenous elders, were one of the most unique opportunities at the event, meant to foster engaging and powerful community dialogue.

Several booths were set up to inform and educate SFU students about Indigenous culture as well as to shed some light on the ongoing projects in SFU’s Indigenous

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Last Wednesday, Andrew Yan, a senior urban planner with Bing Thom Architects and researcher with BTAworks, hosted a panel discussion titled “Vancouver in the 21st Century” at SFU Woodward’s.

The topic covered various aspects of life in Vancouver, “through the lens of social statistics and community cartographies.” Proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House Food Program.

In Agosti’s opinion, transit problems may explain the greater demand for parking space: “It’s possible that some people are saying even though I have an U-Pass, I can’t get on the bus.”

For those still struggling to find a place to park, Agosti suggested a solution for the immediate future: “If you’re arriving between 10:30 and 1:00, for now, skip C lot, go straight to B lot or Discovery P3” in order to save yourself time and stress.

community. One such initiative is Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (iPinCH), an international research initiative that, according to their mandate, “explores the rights, values, and responsibilities of material culture, cultural knowledge, and the practice of heritage research.”

in its brand new location on the second floor of the AQ earlier this month, were also present to inform people about their services as a study lounge and a source of support for self-identified Indigenous students. Their workshops and tutoring services will now be offered at their brand new location on the second floor of the AQ. Mike Vegh, an FNSA board member and member of the Heiltsuk Nation, spoke to the day’s success: “The benefits for SFU students are tremendous, but overall they get to experience First Nations culture and combat colonialism in a way that is very exciting and interactive.”

He continued, “Promoting Indigenous culture is key in order to revitalize the Indigenous people in Canada, who in the past — and still today — have suffered tremendously from colonialism.

With events like this, it shows that Indigenous culture and people have the strength and determination to be a voice that still wants to be heard.”

Based out of the anthropology program at SFU, iPinCH tackles issues such as cultural appropriation, commodification, and how the flows of knowledge about history can affect communities today.

Those who work at the SFU Indigenous Centre, which opened

On Wednesday evening at Surrey campus, Susmita Maskey, a young Nepali mountain climber and social activist, spoke about her experiences as a coordinator of the historic First Nepali Women Everest Expedition, and her preparations for climbing the last of the Seven Summits, Vinson Massif in Antarctica.

Maseky has climbed Mount Everest three times and advocates empowering young women and supporting victims of violence.

Dietrich Jung of University of Southern Denmark’s Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies delivered a lecture titled “How To Be a Modern Muslim: Global Social Imaginaries and the Construction of Islamic Identities” on Wednesday, September 24 at Harbour Centre.

His lecture discussed ways in which Muslims have dealt with subjectivity and social constructs in the modern era.

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September 29, 2014

Following the recent departure of Lorenz Young, the SFSS board of directors appointed Stephanie Munez as the new chief electoral officer (CEO) until November 2014. Yeung resigned after graduating this summer as the CEO must be a current society member.

Munez will fill in for what would have been the rest of Yeung’s term, until a new appointment is made in January.

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Supreme Court of Canada justice, the Honourable Louise Arbour, visited SFU Harbour Centre last Thursday, September 25 to give a talk titled, “From Syria to Crimea, is Global Governance at a Loss?”

Presented by SFU and the School for International Studies, the talk discussed whether doctrines and institutions of global conflict management are in need of self-examination and reform.

The Peak sat down with Arbour before her talk to discuss her perceptions of the current state of international criminal justice, peacekeeping operations, and the international human rights system.

As recommended by the Constitution and Policy Review Committee, the board approved a proposed constitution and accompanying bylaws for the Business Administration Student Society (BASS) on Wednesday.

The constitution and bylaws were passed contingent upon approval by BASS membership at their AGM on October 8. If passed, BASS will have the ability to submit a question concerning its establishment as an FSU, to be voted on by BASS members in the SFSS’ November referendum.

The Peak: How would you characterize the current state of global governance?

Louise Arbour: The toolbox of conflict prevention, conflict management, conflict resolution, seems to be pretty outdated. I think it’s kind of stuck.

It’s very stale.

For instance if you compare the kind of progress that’s been made in technology, particularly communication technology in the last several decades, and you look at how the post-Second World War international institutions of global governance has basically just drifted, there’s not been much new thinking, new ideas, and no kind of institutional reform.

P: How do these problems manifest in Syria and Crimea?

Arbour: In Syria, we have been paralysed by the difficulty of understanding the real nature of the conflict. [It’s been] a very, very slow response. A response that was at the time much more rhetorical than real. We support the opposition, but basically we do nothing to really support [them].

...continued on page 7 Now Syria has morphed; I mean, the opposition has kind of exploded into all these subgroups that I think public opinion outside the region cannot even begin to understand, and I don’t think we have much trust that our leaders understand either.

lot of competition for enormous material rewards in the private sector. But also the political environment is so deteriorated that it must be that it’s not very attractive to people who would have these kinds of qualities.

P: Does this reflect a lack of institutional or political trust?

P: What do you think might attribute to global governance being, as you put it, “stuck?”

Arbour: I think it’s both. I think that we are, I hope, at the very low point of personal leadership. Frankly, again, I think that’s why, in his first election campaign, Obama came across as such a giant, both intellectually, morally, [and] politically.

He was operating in sort of a desert of remarkable leadership.

I think this fatigue in personal leadership probably also represents fatigue in the fact that political institutions are not very attractive to people with talent, maybe because there is a

Arbour: I think those who, either institutionally or politically, were or [presented] themselves to be ‘the leaders’ [. . .] have been very unsuccessful in keeping up with the times.

They held to their position of power, and to me we are in a transitional mode now where, maybe as a result of some benefits of the international development agenda efforts, developing countries are actually developing. And, they’re asserting some political claims; we see it on climate change.

They’re essentially saying, ‘You got rich by polluting the planet, and now you want to tell us that we cannot use the same means to get rich ourselves.’ Well, you know that won’t go.

So I think those who had a leadership, be it political, economic, or institutional, since the Second World War, essentially have held onto their privileges without much vision as to how they should position themselves in a world where they won’t have this monopoly anymore.

P: How does this relate back to the issue of trust?

Arbour: I think a lot of developing countries, rightly or wrongly, are very suspicious about the purity of intentions of Western, rich countries purporting to advance universal values and ideals that just coincidentally seem to serve them very well. And I think that’s a huge part of the

problem in the international human rights agenda.

The recipients of all this good advice don’t feel like they’ve benefitted all that much from it.

There’s a lot of suspicion.

P: How do we take the next step toward reviving that trust?

Arbour: The diagnosis is considerably simpler than the remedy in this case. [. . .] What you have to do is accompany people at their own pace and in their own struggles, for freedom, for a decent life, but you can’t have this paternalistic, patronizing [method] which will necessarily backfire.

Inasmuch as we believe that these values are represented by the human rights agenda, [. . .] even if you sincerely believe that this should be supported, I think that we have to do a much more modest [job], and in some cases just accept that people are entitled to make different choices.

NEWS

September 29, 2014

Facilities Services is working in conjunction with Student Services to plan the development of student residences at SFU’s satellite campuses. The report reads, “A student survey has been completed and work is now being done on a market survey.”

SFU is in conversations with the City of Surrey to discuss property transfers for the planned changes to the bus loop and road configuration.

Meanwhile, a construction agreement was signed with the developer of the Vancouver Student Residence project in August and the project has received a “favourable response” from the City of Vancouver’s Urban Design Panel. The Vancouver building is due to be completed in May, 2016.

The society passed a proposed addition to the bylaws, on which students will vote in the upcoming SFSS AGM on October 22. The bylaw reads as follows: The Society may not revoke, reduce or otherwise cancel a duly approved student society fee that has been implemented for the purpose of repaying a loan made to the Society or on the basis of which a loan has been made to the Society if the effect of such revocation, reduction or cancellation would be to cause the Society to be unable to repay the loan as it became due.

The addition concerns the Build SFU Student Union Building and Stadium projects. In order to enter into a mortgage in good faith, the society will need to ensure that it has the ability to repay the borrowed amount.

The SFSS Advocacy Committee approved an open letter of position outlining the Society’s concerns regarding Guard.me, the basic health insurance program offered to SFU international students.

The letter, which was addressed to Andrew Petter, SFU President, Pat Hibbitts, SFU vice president finance, and Tim Rahilly, SFU associate vice president, students, singled out concerns regarding the price of the program, the absence of an automatic transition to MSP coverage upon achieving eligibility, and the automatic re-enrollment of international students in the Guard.me program after they have become eligible for MSP coverage.

The letter concluded with an invitation to the university administration to discuss options for international student insurance programming.

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Students, faculty, volunteers, friends, and family congregated at SFU’s three campuses on the morning of September 24 for the annual Terry Fox Day celebrations in order to raise funds for cancer research.

Despite the uncertainty of the weather, participants demonstrated overwhelming enthusiasm as they cheered to support the cause. The day holds special significance for the university, as Fox was an SFU student at age 18.

This year there were over 40 fundraising teams and about 800 participants involved across all three SFU locations, raising a total of $29,960.

During the opening ceremony on Burnaby campus, SFU President Andrew Petter thanked all of the teams, participants, volunteers, and donors for their efforts. He also extended his gratitude to the nearly 30 universities that contributed to the Terry Fox Foundation this year.

Following the opening ceremony, runners and walkers prepared to make the five kilometre trek around Burnaby campus.

This year, Petter awarded the Terry Fox Gold Medal Award to Jeremy Pearce, SFSS at-large representative and a former student athlete. The award is given to an individual who demonstrates courage in the face of adversity.

A supportive crowd cheered as Pearce accepted the honour, which includes free tuition at SFU for three semesters, $1,000 cash, a medal, and an honourary plaque.

Pearce spoke to The Peak about what this award means to him: “It’s a humbling experience, to be recognized like this. It’s amazing to have my name on an award that so many great people have had before me.”

Although Pearce now celebrates his accomplishments, he has overcome many difficulties to reach this point. At age 16, he moved out to avoid an unpleasant homelife and got a full-time job.

However, there were more challenges to come. One day, when Pearce was in his apartment, he unknowingly opened the door to thieves who ransacked the place and left him beaten. After being diagnosed

with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the robbery, he attempted to commit suicide.

He was later found by police and rushed to the hospital.

With hard work and the help of his high school football coach, things began to improve for Pearce, leading to an SFU scholarship offer. Currently pursuing a joint major in criminology and sociology with a minor in legal studies, he is a promising athlete who maintains excellent grades and is employed by the SFU Forensic Entomology Lab. After completing his degree, he hopes to start a career in law enforcement.

Pearce is also heavily involved in his community. He volunteers with Big Brothers, is a coach for the Special Olympics, and founded SFU Team Up — a program that connects athletes and students while also giving back to the community. In just a year, Pearce has put together various fundraisers and raised over $19,000 for local charities.

When asked what advice he would give to anyone facing hardships, Pearce answered, “It will get better. Just surround yourself with positive people and don’t give up.”

The spirit associated with this award — and inspired by Terry Fox — gains strength every year, with more universities than ever before contributing to improve the lives of cancer patients. To date, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $650 million for cancer research.

The board discussed the possible implementation of the SFU U-Read program at the SFU bookstore. This initiative would work to acquire content licence from publishers in order to provide more course materials digitally.

The program would save students up to 50 per cent on what they currently pay for printed textbooks, and would ensure that materials are available to students by the beginning of each semester; the concept is currently undergoing a consultation process.

The bookstore also plans to reduce costs for students by ordering books earlier so as to receive a 20 per cent shipping discount.

8 NEWS

SFU’s Task Force on Flexible Education (TFFE) is looking for ways to create more education options for instructors and students.

Made up of various administrators, faculty, and both undergraduate and graduate student representatives, the task force was formed last April following a survey of SFU’s current online education resources.

During an initial consultation process, the TFFE attempted to define flexible education at SFU, opening up the conversation to the SFU community. The group completed an interim report in August summarizing the process.

According to the report, the task force discerned that the SFU community saw flexible education as offering more choices to

September 29, 2014

accommodate increasingly diverse educational needs and objectives.

The next step for the group was to divide into working groups — each of which is developing suggestions for a final report to be recommended to the university.

Some of the flexible education strategies being considered involve course restructuring, which could potentially mean course length adjustment, and more distance education options.

TFFE communication lead Mark Bachmann explained, “There are a lot of ways you can enable student and instructor choice, [. . .] offering an online version of a course [for] someone who can’t get to campus [for instance].”

He continued, “It can also mean perhaps offering courses that don’t last 13 weeks [. . .] so that people who are working and can’t fit into that schedule can take a course. It can be an accessibility for a student with a disability.”

Bachmann also mentioned alternative instruction styles that move away from the traditional lecture setting. One such style is the ‘flipped classroom,’ wherein students learn the material at home

— perhaps through an instructional video — and class time is geared toward more interaction between students and instructors.

Bachmann suggested that, in a time when most information is available online, “that sort of interaction is going to become more and more valuable in the future.

“What a university can offer is that sort of unique space where

instructors, and experts, and students can get together and talk about things, ask and answer questions, and work on common projects and goals,” he continued.

Another way to increase flexibility would be to reconsider the physical classroom space. “Maybe instead of having a traditional lecture hall where the instructor has no choice but to stand at the

front and the students have no choice but to sit in the seats, we could offer spaces with flexible furniture, different levels, different configurations, so that different kinds of learning can take place,” said Bachmann.

In preparing recommendations for the final report, working groups will seek feedback through various means, including a student advisory group, a student survey sent out this fall, and presentations to the community.

The group will finish its work in June of 2015, when it will submit its final report to the VP academic and the SFU senate.

“How the ideas become reality, that depends [. . .] on what those recommendations are.

Some of them will probably be the type of recommendation that can be enacted very quickly and others will be [longer]-term,” explained Bachmann.

He acknowledged that bringing some of the ideas to life will most likely require funding, but said that in some cases, “they might just need resources to be reallocated or they might just need a shift of emphasis.”

UNIVERSITY BRIEFS

The University of British Columbia has received increased funding from the provincial government toward its Masters of Science in Speech Pathology program.

The $2.475 million initial investment will allow for 13 spots to be added to the existing 23 by 2016, with another $932,000 for the program yearly. The reasoning behind the bump in funding is that it will address the need for speech therapists in northern and rural BC, where these experts have been scarce in the past.

Universities in the province of Saskatchewan have seen the highest tuition increases in Canada this academic year, according to a recent Statistics Canada report. The changes will affect students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, with four per cent and 5.2 per cent increases respectively.

The tuition fees for undergraduate students in Saskatchewan has increased from $6,402 to $6,659 this academic year, making it the second highest in Canada, with Ontario in the top spot with an average fee of $7,539.

Ernie Barber, interim provost and VP academic of U of S explained, “Despite the fact that Stats Canada reported that we had the highest increase, that doesn’t mean that we have the highest tuition.

Our tuition fees, even with the increases, are about where we intended them to be set.”

With files from The Ubyssey

With files from The Sheaf

Ryerson University is attempting to reduce feelings of discomfort in their campus recreation facilities by instituting female-only gym times for places such as the campus pool, weight rooms, and various studios.

The pilot project was launched after a survey of female students found a large portion of participants wanted women-only hours. As of September 18, the number of women using the facilities had increased by seven times. U of T and York University have implemented similar initiatives in past years.

With files from The Ryersonian

OPINIONS

September 29, 2014

Politics are a complicated topic for millennials. In Canada’s 2011 federal election, according to Elections Canada, only roughly 39 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24 voted. We live in an age where equality, acceptance, and inclusivity are part of the ideological forefront for young, upcoming voters. These are all statistics and insights that, undoubtedly, we have seen many times before.

The root problem is that politics are a tribal exercise that, generally, are hostile to the aforementioned millennial

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

While parents may intend to teach their children a lesson, sometimes a parent may use force on a child out of frustration, and lack of control over their own temper. In losing control, parents do not solve their problems, but create them by sending children the message that its okay to inflict pain on someone when upset.

Were you spanked as a child?

In hindsight, do you feel resentment or even humiliation at being treated this way? The answer is likely yes. For these reasons, I am against spanking children. Spanking one’s children should not be used as a disciplinary method, as it is ineffective and can damage familial relationships.

Having grown up in Hong Kong, I was never spanked by my parents, though I’ve witnessed my uncle use force on my cousins when they would misbehave. The act of spanking has become a Western cultural norm, and this is why many caregivers see it as an appropriate parenting style, when in fact it is the opposite.

You may be surprised to hear of a Canadian ‘spanking

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law’ which allows parents and teachers to impose reasonable force to discipline children between the ages of two and 12.

But how does one draw the line between what is reasonable and what is not? Inflicting pain on a child is simply unreasonable, no matter the severity.

Many research findings denounce spanking as an

ineffective parenting style, as there are no observable long term benefits for children. According to Psychology Today , using this unnecessary force may “erode developmental growth in children and decrease a child’s IQ.” Spanking also teaches children to fear and disrespect their parents, and even to lie so that they may avoid punishment.

values. Modern politics — with the advent of unfettered social media — require a Machiavellian ruthlessness and pettiness that is alienating to a generation of individuals who are, more often than not, declaring themselves as progressively independent. Subsequently, the question arises: how do we blend millennial progressivism and quell economic uncertainty in the 21st century? The answer: a more customizable government, which would involve an alliance between the federal Liberals and the NDP. Technically, I am a millennial, although I am creakily bordering on the elderly edge.

I am part of the older generation that still remembers (not fondly) the hyper-conservative Reagan/Thatcher era. I want to see a world where people are free to choose who they are and finite labels become a thing of the past. And so, over the course of the last two years, I sampled

what different political groups had to offer.

I joined the BC Liberals, held quorum with the BCNDP, wrote policy for the Canadian Libertarian Party, attended an Ayn Rand conference, donated money to the federal Liberals, and purchased membership in the federal Conservative Party.

After becoming involved with these groups, I came to the conclusion that they were all deficient in some manner.

This uncertainty of representative affiliation is the new reality of millennial politics: we are Consumer Citizens. In an effort

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Furthermore, its not only a parent’s duty to raise a child, but to teach that child how to be a parent in the process. Disciplinary spanking gives children the impression that this is the correct way to act with their future children, which may in turn make children more aggressive.

Finally, when children are spanked by the very people

who protect them, both the child’s self-esteem and the child-parent relationship are damaged. My cousin later told me that these childhood experiences made her feel not only ashamed of herself, but of her parents as well. These thoughts shake the foundation of a relationship, and disrupt the important emotional connection that families are supposed to have.

Believe it or not, there are more effective and appropriate ways to discipline a child. A few of these methods include giving your child a timeout session, rewarding your child when he or she displays good behaviour, and always modeling good behaviour as a parent. These methods are painless, enforce positivity, and will lead parents to positive relationships with their kids.

I understand that it’s not always easy to raise children, but while raising a family, one should never have to resort to violence as a method of discipline. In the end, your child will thank you and I’m sure you’ll thank yourself too.

for full disclosure, I would like to say that I still do not know exactly how to approach progressive politics. Ultimately my exploration of various ideologies was in an effort to find the best way to create actual freedom for every citizen, whether it was with a large active government or a small litigious one.

However, the more I explored libertarian ideas, the more I realized that it was mostly a load of baloney, where selfish pro-business advocates were heartily trumpeting deregulation and the removal of government interference. Shortly thereafter I discovered author Matt Taibbi’s excellent novel, Griftopia , which outlines how the Ayn Rand-ian influence on American business almost crashed the entire world economy in 2008. So on the political spectrum I am not far left, or far right, or much of a centrist either. I am, lo and behold, a progressive independent.

The (albeit temporary) solution for millennials, I think, is for a merger between the federal Liberals and NDP. Between the two parties (one aggressively progressive, the other cautiously pro-prosperity) and between their two leaders (Mulcair is an amazing prosecutorial presence in parliament, and Trudeau has the charisma and tactical prowess to gather popular support) a Liberal New Democrat Party would gather the votes necessary to form a viable, majority government.

The two parties are so similar in practice and appearance that — if they do not join forces — they will inevitably split the vote in favour of the federal Conservatives.

If we are going to say that millennials are Consumer Citizens, then let’s follow the standard marketing trends and make things more customizable. I want the Canadian Government, version 2.0.

10 OPINIONS

In the wee hours of what seemed to be an ordinary Friday, two Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fighters scrambled to respond to an alert from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which had detected a pair of Russian Tu-95 bombers approaching Canadian airspace.

Intercepted only 50 km away from the coast, the Russians turned away at the sight of the RCAF. Later that same day, six Russian aircraft — a pair each of bombers, tankers, and fighters — were intercepted 60 km off of the Alaskan coast, and were warned off by United States Air Force jets.

While this may seem like a scene from the long-dead Cold War, it happened less than two weeks ago, as Russia attempted to push back against the West for its support of Ukraine during the recent turmoil there.

Canada, in particular, seems to be a target; earlier this month, Russian military aircraft buzzed the

September 29, 2014

HMCS Toronto while the vessel was on manoeuvres in the Black Sea with other NATO warships. One Russian jet came within 300 metres of the Canadian vessel, causing the ship to lock weapons on the fighter. Russia’s actions make sense in light of Canada’s strong support for Ukraine and continual confrontation with the Eurasian giant over the Arctic.

There are some concerns if this becomes a pattern of behaviour in what is rapidly becoming a new Cold War, mainly the ability of the RCAF to continue to intercept Russian aircraft, as it will put increasing strain on both the pilots and the planes. Some would suggest that this is a sign that our country should back down from its position, but we must not allow the difficulty of a task to prevent us from doing what is right.

Russia is acting as little more than the schoolyard bully, threatening to take our lunch money if we don’t do what he wants. If there’s one thing I learned from being bullied in school, it’s that

you don’t make bullies go away by backing down. You make them back down by standing up to them and showing them that you refuse to be pushed around.

I am not saying that there will not be great controversy over our government’s decision to stand firm in the face of Russian pressure. Likewise, I am sure there will be increasing criticism over the deployment of Canadian Forces personnel and equipment to Eastern Europe, as well as the deployment of military advisors from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment to provide tactical guidance to Iraqi and Kurdish

Simon Fraser Student Society

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Wednesday October 22 - 1.30pm - SFU Theatre (across from the library)

Agenda highlights:

forces currently battling ISIS. This announcement was made at the recent NATO summit in Wales, as the alliance also prepared to bolster its rapid reaction forces in order to make them capable of deploying to countries under Russian threat within 48 hours.

Canada has had a long history of standing up for a nation’s right to self-determination, and to democratic principles such as the ability to choose one’s government in free, honest, and open elections, something Russian

President Vladimir Putin violated in his illegal seizure of Crimea.

It is in defence of these principles that Canada went to war 100 years ago, and did so again 25 years later. It is in defence of the rights of the people not to be subject to terror that the Canadian Armed Forces have deployed in battlefields and on peacekeeping missions around the world. We must not back down in the face of this new threat; we must, as Canadian forces so valiantly did at Ypres in the First World War, hold the line.

It may seem insignificant, but the prospects of owning a new television stand have been restlessly lingering in my mind for the last month or so. Since moving into our new apartment, my roommates and I have been scrambling to find furniture.

An afternoon at Ikea saw a van bursting with household goodies, but also saw three student-wallets bereft of dolla dolla bills. There was no room

or money for that TV stand.

Up until recently, our television sat on a modest and decrepit coffee table that my father’s inexperienced, adolescent hands whipped up back in his high school days.

The ancient table looked as if it would crumble to bits at any moment, and as much as I felt obligated to support my father’s handiwork, it was time to ditch that ol’ thang!

A few days ago, I entered my apartment complex’s basement and stumbled upon a television stand.

While a thick layer of dust indicated that it had been idle for quite some time, and various scratch marks alluded to its age, the Hitachi logo emblazoned on the front was mesmerizing. I took a step back, in disbelief. Damn, I thought.

That thing would look good in my living room!

Upon returning to my room, my roommates and I were so

stunned at this almost eerie coincidence that we jokingly considered the possibility that someone had eavesdropped on our previous conversations. In excitement, we returned to the basement an hour later to find that the TV stand had curiously been left untouched.

Like nervous pack-rats we ushered the appliance into the elevator.

Our anxious glances became satisfied smirks as we reached floor seven. I must say, we now have one sexy looking living room.

- Special resolution regarding the SUB debenture (loan) - By-law amendments - Annual report

OPINIONS

September 29, 2014

As a frat chapter out of Carleton University marched down Ottawa’s streets with saffron slogans on their shirts stating “Fuck Safe Space,” all it took was one snapshot ricocheting around the social media stratosphere for student frosh leaders to start pleading ignorance in its wake.

By the way the media circus paraded through the digital domain, you would’ve thought the local Hells Angels clubhouse had rounded up the soccer moms for a romp. The big fear was that the clothing would promote sexual harassment and homophobia. Taking in all the incensed media coverage of the perpetrators’ ‘on-campus brouhaha,’ it seems to have had the opposite effect.

Thankfully, today’s political climate can’t stand anything so blatantly bigoted, and incidents such as these only strengthen and entrench politically correct notions.

A reign of political correctness dominates the social

landscape. People are quick to censor both themselves and others, out of fear of offending any ethnic, gender, theological, or ideological group with a voice in the wider public.

These notions can be applied to Jeremy Clarkson, leading presenter of the British car show Top Gear. A leaked video of him allegedly slipping the ‘N-word’ into a recital of Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe led to the TV persona’s public persecution. Speculation then circulated around his prophesied lay-off by the BBC. “I was mortified by this [. . .] it is a word I loathe, and I did everything in my power to make sure that that version did not appear in the [transmitted] program,” said Clarkson, in an apologetic statement.

This is the sensitized climate of today. As the world circle expands, there is suddenly more open space to join new hands; minorities rush from the sidelines and the benches toward an accepting society.

On a national level, the LGBTQ community has been openly accepted by the upstanding members of society. The critical reception that Macklemore’s single “Same Love” received during Youtube’s Pride week demonstrates this encouragement.

Young adult fiction has seen an increase in novels with a gay cast of characters; the bandwagon rocks with the next artist trying

to reach out to the LGBTQ community. Gay is not just okay; it is hip too.

Rape culture is a harder pulse to put a finger on, with frat boy culture hanging like a fog of ether above university campuses. This issue is not funny, even when guffaws and chortles follow highfives after a chauvinistic remark.

Date rape drugs and boozy gangbangs are the nightmares haunting female students when dating or attending a party. None can deny the whiplash that occurs when a woman cries “rape!” Jockshaming action is undertaken, and can be very bloody indeed.

This does not rule out the existence of these doomed bigoted clowns altogether. But they are a closeted minority, largely a moronic Beavis and Butthead goon squad, or an underground network of eunuchs from the old socially correct regime, still humping their misogynist, racist shrines.

This shirt incident, heightens awareness of politically correct notions — the Breakfast Club world where everyone can be accepted. Student campaigns and media sensationalism contribute to a firmer stand against future heretics in the ranks.

Already, the witch hunt has started against the frosh leaders, the torch-bearers. The institutional bloodhounds are out and they do not fuck around when it comes to family values.

Twitter user @SamSPN13 responded to the incident with, “That’s just a punch in the face. I loved your store. Never shopping there again.”

Frankly, I’m not surprised by Urban Outfitters’ decision to sell a bloodstained, bullet hole-riddled sweater that blatantly refers to the 1970 shooting of four students at Kent State University. But, while the clothing company has released a number of offensive products, this sweater has simply gone too far.

The company sold the single sweater for $129 online; it was

then put up for a $2,500 resale on Ebay, before it was eventually taken off the website. I’m sickened by the fact that a person would not only buy this sweater, but then try to re-sell it at such a high price. At this rate, Urban Outfitters and similarly-minded companies might as well begin pumping out Columbine, Sandy Hook Elementary, and Michael Brown attire to sell.

In response to this controversial incident, a slew of overwhelmingly negative comments emerged on social media. For example, Twitter user @toritaylor pointed out the horrific truth in stating, “How[ever] many @UrbanOutfitters staff OK’ed the design before it was printed = how[ever] many people should get fired.”

The fact that the sweater was even up for sale means that it was designed, processed, and deemed appropriate by the company’s administration.

Any company that considers

graphic portrayals of a deceased person’s blood as an enticing mechanism for profit is one that should not be in business. How staggeringly immoral does a company have to be to entertain this notion?

Urban Outfitters has taken notice of the issue, and has since released an apology for the sweater, stating that “it was never [their] intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970.”

However, I’m unconvinced that they would coincidentally depict blood splatter and bullet holes on a garment branded “Kent State University.”

In a Twitter statement, Urban Outfitters claimed that the red stains were

11

“discoloration from the original shade of the sweater,” and the holes were due to “natural wear and fray.” If this is the case, then why would there be a $129 price tag? A company that hides behind these poorly thought-out excuses clearly needs to find a new lawyer.

I feel that Urban Outfitters, as a company, employs some of the most distasteful marketing strategies I’ve witnessed, and I will not be shopping there again.

Anyone who belittles death and tries to profit from it needs to rethink these actions. Urban Outfitters, earn your profits by making comfortable, stylish, unobjectionable clothing rather than by inexcusable attempts to gain publicity.

12 OPINIONS

September 29, 2014

accessory designed to be a permanent fixture in our daily lives from morning until night. Devices created to provide an augmented reality experience for the user aren’t anything new — Google’s overly ambitious and notoriously ugly Google Glass technology is the most notable example — however, the device is past beta testing and will soon be in consumer hands.

It’s easy to be disappointed by the announcement of Apple’s latest ‘game-changer.’ The Apple Watch, slated to be released in early 2015, has been described by Tim Cook as “the next chapter in Apple’s story,” but consumers are hesitant.

Apple’s previous successes — iPhone and iPad — both introduced entirely new product categories, and revolutionized communication in an (arguably) positive way. The Watch, however, which promises only marginal improvements on features already found in other mobile devices, further exacerbates the social challenges and unrestrained pervasiveness of mobile technology through its so-called convenience factor.

What should concern us is that the Apple Watch is not a piece of mobile technology, nor is it a mere gadget. It’s a clothing item; an

At a recent lunch with friends, I witnessed an all-too-familiar sight: five faces glued to their screens, casually dismissing one another. Such a scenario is a constant hazard in modern life, but imagine how much worse this would be if there was no option to unplug. There is no question that our lives are increasingly involved with mobile communication, but the Apple Watch is a step too far.

Each time you receive a text, Tweet, or Facebook notification, the watch lights up and sends your brain into overdrive as you re-focus your attention from whatever

Whenever someone pronounces my surname wrong, I smile, correct them, and jokinglyexplain how vowels hadn’t yet been invented when my ancestors came to the Western world. But despite the jokes I make in regards to my name, I fully understand how significant titles such as

names are to our own identities.

Just recently, Lucas Crawford, lecturer in the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Department, and SFU student Nathan Lyndsay, suggested a change to SFU’s ageold policy of printing legal names on students IDs. This change could spell a further step towards equality and safety for all individuals at SFU, especially transgender students.

Many transgender students often change their names, yet the process to legally change one’s name in British Columbia is extensive and often expensive. The name change alone will often warrant a criminal record check, a new birth certificate, or the like. More often than not, it’s more efficient to keep

you’re doing in order to respond.

It’s simple and rather liberating to let a vibrating phone sit in your pocket for 15 minutes before responding. However, it’s difficult to ignore a glass watch that constantly invades your personal space, and incentivizes multitasking through its cluttered design.

The Apple Watch is also marketed as an exercise aide. It includes a workout app and can flip through music simply by being in contact

with your wrist. Apparently, a stopwatch and a trusty old iPod Shuffle can’t effectively do the exact same thing, because they’re not on your wrist and don’t cost $349.

Additionally, Apple has partnered with Honeywell and Lutron so that the Watch can dim your lights or turn on your air conditioning. It’s clear to me that the Watch has been designed to complement every part of your life, a somewhat

invasive aspect that should not be taken lightly by users.

I do not intend to sound averse to technological advancement, but we need technology to live with us and to be at our disposal, not the other way around. CEO Tim Cook has proclaimed the Apple Watch to be “the most personal device Apple has ever created.” Though, it will soon be time for the average consumer to decide how personal is too personal.

a legal name on your documents, while being publicly referred to by a different chosen name.

While Simon Fraser University has always been a progressive hub for social equality, reality is a harsh mistress. Harassment and abuse can occur at any time, from subtle acts of discrimination to blatant attacks. As a student who believes in an environment of equality for all people, I strongly believe that SFU students should be able to choose what name is printed on their ID card. This way, such harassment may be avoided.

A new identification policy would also bring about practicalities for students with foreign names. As a child, many of my friends with names originating from their mother-language, had to go by their westernized first

names. It was simply easier for Westerners to pronounce, and the troubles of watching people stumble over a foreign name often outweighed any doubts in their minds. In choosing their own names, foreign students would still retain their dignity and identity as individuals.

As our society grows to be more progressive, all universities must be prepared to correct their archaic policies that may discriminate against students.

While allowing students a preferred name on their ID card may seem a small change, it’s a step in the direction of social tolerance and comfortable maintenance of one’s identity.

However, requiring a legal name on an SFU ID poses problems for transgender students, namely that they may be subject to scrutiny or violence, and are made uneasy when having to explain themselves.

ARTS

“When you wash dishes for a living, your mind wanders, not to fantasy worlds and distant universes . . . it wanders to familiar places, all the places in this world you’d rather be.”

This quote, taken from Joel Salaysay’s short film, Lifers, sums up his experience as an aspiring filmmaker working as a dishwasher to fund his projects.

Salaysay is a recent graduate from the SFU film program; over the past few months, he received both his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and the Best Fiction Film award for this film, Lifers, at the 2014 Canadian Student

Film Festival (CSFF). The festival, part of the Montreal World Film Festival, featured his film along with 26 other student films, nine of which were also created by SFU students.

The award came as a pleasant surprise for Salaysay who

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certainly didn’t expect to win anything. For him, it was a reward in and of itself to have been featured in the festival. Nevertheless, “when you do [win] it’s really nice,” Salaysay said.

Lifers is geared primarily toward those who, like Salaysay,

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

are in the process of finding a career for themselves, but it “struck a chord” with many different groups of people, according to Salaysay. Some have commented on the film’s accuracy. A number of older audiences enjoyed the film, and as Salaysay said, “a lot of people will relate because, who hasn’t worked in a kitchen at some point?”

This is Salaysay’s most personal film. He suspects that borrowing the concept directly from his own experiences led to the film’s authenticity and relatable details.

The term ‘lifers’ is a loose reference to prisoners serving a life sentence. It also alludes to being stuck in transition — doing something one doesn’t wish to do for the rest of one’s life.

Salaysay draws a connection to this using different metaphorical cues throughout the film.

The sound of a recurring train at the beginning and end of the film has no real place in a kitchen.

Yet the sound cue signifies being stuck on the line, headed somewhere one doesn’t wish to go or forced to see the same scenery again and again, never arriving at the desired destination.

Similarly, hands embody an important rite of passage for culinary experts working in a kitchen, like tattoos in prison. “The more you can tolerate without needing a glove or a towel to block the heat, the more distinguished you become,” Salaysay explains. “It’s kind of a sign that you’ve been there for a long time and this is sort of your way of life, your baptism.

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“[Lifers] is the kitchen from the perspective of someone who doesn’t see that for themselves as their career,” Salaysay continues.

For him, the processes of dish-washing and making films are similar — long hours, very little pay, and mental and physical exhaustion, but because he loves telling stories and creating films, the pain is worthwhile in filmmaking. Salaysay refers to a Jerry Seinfeld quote: “Success is finding the torture that you are comfortable with.”

Salaysay is proud of his accomplishments. This is his first time working with a larger cast and he is very thankful to have had such a great team. “Everyone really wanted to give it their all and that was really helpful,” he says.

In the immediate future, Salaysay aims to continue creating.

He is currently working on a new web series, but hopes that this award will open the door to write and produce a feature film.

So, you’ve gotten into university, you’ve chosen your major, and you’re knocking off those W, Q, B requirements one by one. Maybe you haven’t chosen your major, and have no idea what it’s going to be, but are still checking off those bachelor degree requirements. Whatever your situation, you know that you want to further pursue education after your bachelor’s degree.

Congratulations, you’ve held onto that eccentric ambition that most sane people have advised you to ignore: you’re gonna stay in school.

You’ve probably heard from peers, educators, parents, and professionals that graduate school, medical school, law school, and any professional school you want to pursue after postsecondary not only requires a bachelor’s degree, an outrageous curriculum vitae, reference letters, and a steroidinjected cumulative grade point average, but also that you perform well on an admission test.

Although there are many professional schools that require their own admission test, there are three big ones you’ve probably heard of: the MCAT, LSAT, and GRE. But what’s on these exams? What do they test, how are they scored, and are they really that important for professional school admission? We take a closer look at the big three tests — and what to expect from each.

The Medical College Admissions Test, better known as the MCAT, is designed and administered by the American Association of Medical colleges. If you’re applying to medical school in Canada or the United States, you must write this test.

While the number of tests administered from year to year varies, it is being offered 33 times between January 2014 and January 2015. In this oneyear period, a person is allowed to take the MCAT three times. Of course, taking the test three times is unnecessary, but if you’re unhappy with your score on your first attempt, you’re allowed to take the test twice more.

When you write the MCAT, it won’t be with a pencil or an exam booklet.

Instead, you’ll sit at a desk, answering questions on a computer. Each question is multiple choice: there are 52 questions in the biological sciences section, 52 in the physical sciences section, and 40 in the critical analysis and reasoning section. You’re allowed 70 minutes for the first two sections, and 60 for the third.

Until recently, these were followed by a written response section, but that has since been replaced by a trial section, which is comprised of 32 questions over a 40-minute period. The trial section doesn’t actually count towards your score — it’s used to test out questions for future MCATs. So what sorts of questions can testtakers expect? The MCAT contains questions on physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and critical analysis and reasoning. The questions on physics, chemistry, and biology are said to be of introductory level difficulty, so if you’ve taken the prerequisites for medical school, these questions should be pretty straightforward. That isn’t to say that they’ll be easy, so study up!

The critical analysis and reasoning section of the test, on the other hand, is designed to evaluate medical school applicants’ ability to comprehend complex information and arguments.

From the sample questions I’ve seen, the critical analysis and reasoning section includes a short passage — usually about a page — which is followed by questions about that passage.

For those of you looking to take the test during or after 2015, you can also expect a new section covering the psychological, sociological, and biological aspects of behaviour.

Raw scores from the different sections of the MCAT are each converted to a scale ranging from 1–15. Each score from the different sections is added for a total of 45 possible points. For example, a score of 13 on physical sciences, 14 on biological sciences, and 11 on critical analysis and reasoning will give you a sum of 38. Your raw score is then converted into a scaled score which compensates for variability between sets of questions used on the test — you’ll also be given info on what percentile of test-takers you fall into.

I recently spoke with a current SFU student who is a prospective medschool applicant; Matias Raski is finishing up a BSc in behavioral neuroscience and says he has already begun studying for the MCAT. “I’m not nervous,” Raski says. “I’ve done very well in all of my introductory science classes, and the MCAT will be just that: material that I’ve already learned and mastered.”

I asked the future doctor whether he thinks the exam reflects his readiness for medical school. “It does, to a limited extent,” he reflected. “It measures certain abilities like rote memorization of well-established scientific observations, but it doesn’t assess the full scope of skills required for success in medicine; perhaps the weight given to students’ MCAT scores in admission decisions should be adjusted accordingly.”

Another daunting admission test is the Law School Admission Test, commonly known as the LSAT. If you want to practice law in Canada or the United states, you’ll have to take this one. Unlike the MCAT, the LSAT is only offered four times a year — every February, June, September, and December.

If you happen to flunk the first time you take the test, it’s not the end of the world. You’re allowed to retake the test, but there is a restriction on how many times you can write it — according to the Law School Admission Council, a test-taker can only take the LSAT a maximum of three times within a two-year period. As always, rule changes with these tests do occur; make sure to do your research.

The LSAT is made up of five components: three multiple choice sections, a written section, and an unscored variable section used to pre-test new questions. The multiple choice sections have between 24–27 questions each; its three multiple choice sections are what count toward your LSAT score. The written component is not graded and does not count towards your admission score; as in the MCAT, it’s there to help create new questions for future LSATs. However, unlike the MCAT, the written portion of the LSAT is sent to the school you’re applying to — some schools will even use it to choose between applicants, so again, make sure to do your research.

You’re given 35 minutes per section, for a total of about three hours. There are three types of multiple choice questions that you will

encounter on the LSAT: reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

The reading comprehension section consists of a medium to large passage, varying in topic. This section requires careful observation in order to answer correctly. The analytical reasoning section, generally considered the toughest part of the test, consists of what some refer to as ‘logic games.’ You’re given a set of facts, a set of rules, and then asked which conclusions follow.

The logical reasoning section presents short to medium passages, and proceeds to ask questions about those passages. The questions might ask what can or cannot follow from what has been discussed in the passage; alternatively, they might ask which answers support or don’t support the argument presented in the passage. Finally, the writing section gives you a position and asks you to write in its defense.

The order of all these sections varies from test to test — therefore, it’s possible to begin the test with the writing sample, which is unfortunate, as this section doesn’t count towards your admission score, but costs valuable energy that could be used on sections that do count towards your score.

LSAT scoring is fairly simple.

Your test score is converted to a scale ranging from 120–180. The law school admission council admits that, although the LSAT doesn’t completely predict the readiness and success of a student in law school, it does accurately measure characteristics that a law student must have, such as critical thinking, the ability to draw inferences from arguments, and the ability to organize information.

After looking through a few practice LSATs, it’s clear that the analytical reasoning section, or logic games, constitutes the most

difficult portion of the exam. The facts and rules provided are fairly simple, but the time frame in which you must complete this section limits the ability to draw the right conclusions.

This is a general feature of the LSAT. It’s not that the questions on this test are extremely difficult; it’s that you only have about a minute and a half to spend on each question.

After reading long passages or attempting to diagram logical problems, you may have to re-read portions of text or rules. This can waste valuable time and affect your ability to answer questions later in the test. Having taken a few of the practice tests, I find myself taking an hour to an hour and a half to complete just one multiple choice section. Fair warning.

If you’re applying to graduate schools in Canada and the United States, you’ll most likely have to take the Graduate Record Examination test, or one of the many similar exams out there. Designed and administered by Education Testing Services, the GRE is usually administered on a computer, though some still do it the old fashion way: with a pencil and an exam booklet.

The computerized test is offered every 21 days, while the pencil and paper test can only be taken during certain times of the year.

You can write the computerized GRE a maximum of five times per 12-month period. Since the pencil and paper exam is offered significantly less often, it can be rewritten as often as it is administered.

There are six sections on both the written and computerized GRE; each section ranges from 20–30 multiple choice questions, or contains written questions requiring long answers. The test is made up of three components: analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning.

The time limit and number of questions per section will vary depending on whether you take the computerized version or the written. For example, on the verbal reasoning section in the computerized version, examinees are given 20 questions per section, and 30 minutes to complete them; alternately, in the pencil and paper test, you must complete 25 questions in 35 minutes.

Despite the difference between the computerized and the handwritten versions, the analytical writing section always comes first on the test. The order of the other components will vary from test to test, but at least you’ll know what to expect when you begin.

Since the test is given to a variety of students across many fields, the components of the GRE are said to measure skills that are independent of any specific discipline.

Each section presents its own challenges.

The first section aims to test examinees’ ability to articulate complex ideas coherently and concisely. In the verbal reasoning section, examinees are asked to draw inferences from passages, distinguish valuable points from irrelevant ones, and understand the meaning of words and the relationship between them. In the quantitative reasoning section, you’re required to solve problems by using mathematical models, and by applying basic algebra skills, geometry, and arithmetic to problems.

After a raw score is obtained, each of the two multiple choice sections — verbal and quantitative reasoning — get converted into a scaled score ranging between 130–170. The analytical writing section is marked on a 0–6 score scale.

Like the other admission tests, your score is scaled to account for slight dif-

ferences between tests, but this does not mean that writing a test at one particular date gives you an advantage.

Furthermore, your score will also be assigned a percentile ranking, so you know where you stand against other test-takers.

Mathew Gendron, a current SFU student who will soon apply to counseling programs at both SFU and UBC, wrote the GRE this past August. Sharing how he felt going into the exam, Gendron says, “I’d been calm, but a little nervous, throughout the whole process. The programs I applied for place less weight on the exam compared to other things like experience, and have a lower score requirement for the exam.

So, I am grateful for that.”

How long did it take to prepare? “I’d say around 75 hours, mostly in the two weeks before the test,” Gendron says.

No matter what school you’re applying to, an admission test is usually weighted pretty heavily. Your score and cumulative grade point average can determine whether the rest of your application is even reviewed. So, if you’re planning on professional school after your bachelor’s, keep your grades up, learn all you can about what determines the acceptance to the school you would like to get into, and most of all, study hard.

16 ARTS

Animated children’s films are a tricky recipe to get right. They must entertain two widely different demographics with antithetic expectations: children need simplistic stories with simple messages, while adults desire material that is more complicated and cerebral. The Boxtrolls is the rare film that manages to bring the two groups together without a dirty diaper.

Boxtrolls is a glorious stop-motion animated film by the studio that captured our imaginations with such wonderments as Coraline and ParaNorman. Laika Studios is back at it with yet another dark fable, examining how evil men can rise to the top of governments by employing fear and marginalizing minorities.

The allegory, which closely reflects Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, will likely go over the heads

This year, the Vancouver International Film Festival is coming to SFU. Celebrating its 33rd year, this annual festival brings some of the best films from around the globe to Vancouver, and is making a stop at all of SFU’s campuses.

VIFF and SFU have partnered to host free screenings of this year’s

September 29, 2014

order to fit in with the trolls with whom he feels connected.

Meanwhile, the daughter of the town’s mayor is neglected and yearning for a father figure, as her dad spends more time fretting over tasting exotic cheeses with his fat bureaucrat friends than raising her.

Although she lives in a place of privilege, she is far more lonely and unhappy than her counterpart, Eggs — a boy who also never got to know his father.

of many children, but they will still latch onto the imaginative world and sympathetic characters that directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi put forth.

In a medieval looking world, where trolls are clothed with scrap cardboard boxes, a red hat wearing Archibald Snatcher — whose headdress signifies his role as the military enforcer of the city — pursues the prestige of a white hat, which

official VIFF selections at both the Surrey and Burnaby campuses.

Anyone can view seven films that were hand-picked by artistic director Alan Franey and representatives from both SFU Burnaby and Surrey, free of charge.

At Burnaby, Class Enemy and The Womb will play on October 1, and Before the Last Curtain Falls and Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story will screen on October 2. In Surrey, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story and Flowing Stories screen on October 8 along with Horses of Fukushima and Noble on October 10.

Class Enemy, by debuting director Rok Bicek, revolves around a group of Slovenian teens who blame their new and demanding

signifies wealth and an influential role in government. Snatcher earns his white hat by scaring the citizens and government into thinking that the harmless trolls who live in the sewer are out to eat their children.

Snatcher stages the kidnapping of a boy named Eggs, which eventually leads to his identity crisis as he is raised by trolls. Years later, this boy, who identifies himself as a troll, suppresses his human characteristics in

German teacher when one of their classmates commits suicide.

The Womb, a thriller from Peru, follows the life and pregnancy of Mercedes, played by Mayella Lloclla. Things take a dark turn for Mercedes when she is hired as a housemaid by wealthy widow Silvia, played by Vanessa Saba. Before the Last Curtain Falls follows a troupe of 60- and 70-year-old gay and transgender performers on the last leg of a huge tour.

By filmmakers Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story discusses the colossal and shocking waste of food currently occurring in North America. Horses of Fukushima tells the stories of horses destined

The two meet through a spectacular coincidence and they slowly build a friendship as they share knowledge: she teaches him about human traits and he offers her insight on the underground society of trolls that have been misrepresented through Archibald Snatcher’s propaganda and fear tactics.

The movie has humorous sequences of propaganda cabarets

for the meat trade that are ironically saved by the the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Featuring Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) and Ruth Negga (12 Years a Slave), Noble tells the inspiring story of Christina Noble who finds her life’s work in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Flowing Stories is a bittersweet documentary following the lives of a family in Hong Kong over many decades, featuring real home video footage and photos.

The VIFF presence will be strongest at the SFU Woodward’s campus, as the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at Goldcorp Centre for the Arts will present 60

and satirical exaggerations of the bourgeoisie that, while a bit complex, introduce great moments to teach kids the dangers of handing one’s freedoms over to a militaristic regime. These will also make this a viewing experience that older audiences can enjoy as much, if not more, than their youngsters.

Children will be pleased by the slapstick turmoil that the trolls find themselves in; they offer something akin to the minions in Despicable Me, but the darker aspects of the material force us to empathize with them. Due to the genocide of the trolls that is depicted, parents may want to evaluate whether the film is appropriate for younger children, however, those in the eight to 10 year range will likely be able to handle the disturbing visuals while also appreciating the identity crisis and parental void of the protagonists.

The trolls don’t talk but convey their shtick through body language and facial expressions, so it’s quite remarkable how much I came to care for these cute, ugly trolls. As the on-screen critters are always up to something, the other critters sitting in the seats next to you won’t be crawling or stirring up any trouble.

films. Through SFU Woodward’s cultural programs, this festival will be made available to both the SFU community and all those living in Vancouver. This partnership allows amazing films to be seen by students, staff, faculty and the greater public, giving us all the opportunity to experience this worldrenowned festival.

ARTS

So four guys walk into a comedy club . . . and end up making a hilarious and sentimental film about their attempts at performing stand up comedy.

Mark Myers is about to become a father for the first time, but before his baby arrives, he sets out to accomplish two of his goals: make his own full-length film, and try stand up comedy.

His three friends Sean Menard, Shane Cunningham, and 71-year old Bert Van Lierop accompany him on this journey.

The film’s title is a play on words, as it hinges on the delivery of a newborn baby and the fact that in stand up comedy, the delivery of a set is what makes a comedian funny. Before starting this film project, Myers worked at MuchMusic, talking with musicians and working on reality TV shows.

He dreamed of making a movie before turning 30, and while he was unable to meet that deadline, he still invested all of his efforts into this project. The

September 29, 2014

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movie opens with Myers’ brother describing a dream he had about Myers’ film being called Delivery, and thus the seed for the film’s title is planted.

Despite the film’s premise as an exploration of the world of stand up comedy, there are many poignant moments as well. The many faces of fatherhood are explored, as Menard’s father is diagnosed with cancer just as Myers’ baby is about to enter the world. While it does deliver many laughs, the emotional moments in the film are just as important to the pacing of this unusual story.

“I have had people tell me that the film had an unexpected amount of heart,” Myers says, “It made [them] laugh, cry, or even want to be a better dad.”

The documentary was filmed primarily in the Toronto area over the span of three months, with interview footage from the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal constantly spliced into the movie. The crew was lucky enough to interview some famous comedians for this project, including greats such as

Russell Peters and Bryan Callen.

Several comedic sets are also featured in the film that are sure to elicit laughs from even the most stoic viewers.

Myers cites Steven Spielberg as an inspiration behind his production of the film, as he made it with a general audience in mind. “A lot of people can relate to the film,” Myers says.

“There is no exact demographic [that it’s targeted to]. I just want to make people feel something.”

The candid narrative of Delivery paints an uplifting portrait about comedy and life.

Cunningham is a charming yet socially awkward comedian, Van Lierop is downright hilarious, with many good stories to tell, and Menard’s final moments with his father are simply heartbreaking.

Finally, the passion that Myers has invested into this film really shines through, as he proclaims about his work and his stand up set, “I don’t want my kid to be proud of what I said, but rather to be proud of what I did.”

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Ghosts, the latest album from Toronto rock band Big Wreck, and the second since their reunion two years ago, sees them shift to a heavier sound while staying true to their established musical style.

I’ll admit I’ve never been a big follower of Big Wreck. One track from their 2012 album Albatross played on 102.7 The Peak constantly a few summers ago, and I always figured them to be an indie rock kind of band in the same vein as Wintersleep and Said the Whale.

However, when I listened to Ghosts, I got much heavier rock than I expected. The first song, “A Place to Call Home,” has a two minute guitar solo with lots of reverb before the rough-sounding vocalist starts singing. His vocals add to the sound, pushing toward the heavier side of the rock music scale. What he sings isn’t profound, which may be a problem for some, but not for me.

“A Place to Call Home” segues into a few more similarsounding songs with rougher vocals and reverberating guitar solos — Ghosts has a lot of these — showcasing the abilities of lead guitarist and vocalist Ian Thornley.

September 29, 2014

For me, one of the most enjoyable songs of the album is “Hey Mama,” which follows the string of heavy opening songs.

In the first few bars, the twanging of a banjo is heard, giving the song a bluesy, folksy vibe, even as the guitar comes in again.

The raucous nature of Thorney’s loud yet softly intoned accompanying vocals brings to mind not only blues and folk music, but also modern country.

“Diamonds” continues with the more upbeat and lighter tone from “Hey Mama” until the next song, “Friends,” recaptures the sound of the album’s first few songs. It works, showing just how Big Wreck’s interesting mix of styles totally makes sense.

After “Friends,” Ghosts becomes softer and leans toward the lighter side of rock, relying more on acoustic guitars and quieter vocals. Big Wreck doesn’t abandon their rock sound completely, however; there are plenty of moments in the second half that recall the heavier opening.

The final song of the album, and my personal favourite, “War Baby,” is a tender melody to close things out. Soft instrumentation and gentle vocals make the song almost hypnotic, until the midsection, when an electric guitar solo reminds us of the album’s first songs.

It’s clear that Big Wreck aren’t just straight up heavy rockers, and they also aren’t just another indie rock band.

They have found a balance between the two, and for Big Wreck, that mix works.

During the month of September, local artist-run culture gets into the full swing of things with an annual swarm of show openings throughout the Vancouver area. One centre, however, is creating a new tradition in the first week of October.

The Peak sat down with Vancouver Art/Book Fair founder Tracy Stefanucci as she prepares for the third annual event, which is produced by Project Space and takes place on October 4 and 5.

—————— The Peak: Could you start by giving us a bit of background information on Project Space? How did it come about and who was involved?

Tracy Stefanucci: Project Space is a non-profit organization dedicated to publication as an artistic medium. Our main projects are the Vancouver Art/Book Fair, Project Space Press, OCW Magazine and projectspace.ca.

The organization evolved out of a magazine I co-founded in 2006.

In 2011, under the leadership of Jaz Halloran and I, we opened a bookshop/gallery in Chinatown and began operating under the name Project Space. We closed the storefront in 2013, but we are still very active with our other projects.

Peak: Why the Vancouver Art/ Book Fair as an event? This is the third installation of the fair — have you noticed anything changing in the Vancouver publication community now that the fair is a mainstay?

Stefanucci: VA/BF was founded in response to an absence of art book fairs in Canada and on the West Coast (though after we founded the fair we were pleased to see Printed Matter launch an LA Art Book Fair).

Our city and country have active and vibrant artist publishing communities, and fairs are an ideal place to circulate books, generate discourse, engage new publics, and foster relationships between artists, publishers and the public. VA/BF acts as an invaluable piece of cultural infrastructure; it seemed absolutely necessary to launch one here.

In Vancouver in particular, we have a fairly sizable and active community that is producing art books — though we are still working on helping to make the various smaller communities that make up this broader community more visible and connected. I do see results and am excited for ongoing development in this regard.

For example, Nathan Jones and Michael Lachman’s Print Ready exhibitions at Dynamo Arts Association are fostering a community around artists’ zines. Or 221A’s recent collaboration with Brick Press for Dan Starling’s bookwork The Part of No Part is a good example of an artist-run centre collaborating with another art publisher. We’ve also been posting art publishing– related events to our blog at projectspace.ca, and are impressed by the number of groups hosting such events and how frequent they are.

Peak: They say the third time’s the charm. What can visitors expect, or be surprised by, at this year’s VA/BF? Stefanucci: VA/BF takes over three floors of the Vancouver Art Gallery Annex to present works by hundreds of artists and publishers — from exhibitor tables to installations and other displays — as well as hourly talks and performances, an art and coffee lounge (with free organic, fair trade coffee) and more.

This year, some highlights include Jordan Abel, award-winning Nisga’a poet and author of a new artist book we’ve published titled Un/inhabited, and Hugh Frost of Landfill Editions, a Stockholmbased publisher that produces books as well as various other art objects.

Other highlights include Rachel Gontijo Araujo of A Bolha Editora, a Sao Paulo–based publisher that is committed to disseminating under-represented Brazilian works in other countries, Lauren Mackler, founder of Los Angeles’ Museum of Public Fiction, which produces an art journal that compiles print artist projects and texts in connection with thematic group exhibitions; and Helena Keeffe, a San Francisco–based artist whose project Standard Deviation discusses valuation of artistic labour.

—————— The passion evident in the work on display at VA/BF is palpable.

There is nothing quite like talking directly to an artist or publisher about the work they’ve created — hearing the back-story and the intention from someone who is incredibly passionate about it.

The range of work on display is outstanding, meaning there is something for all kinds of book lovers and also that it is almost impossible to not discover anything new and exciting.

Of course, there are also things like free tote bags given out at the door — which doesn’t hurt. Give yourself lots of time, as there are many rooms of books and artists’ projects to explore, as well as hourly talks and performances.

ARTS

September 29, 2014

Sometimes the only thing that stops us from crying is laughing.

Perhaps this is the reason why depressing subject matter such as suicide, infidelity, and sexual abuse make Craig Johnson’s indie comedy, The Skeleton Twins, such a hoot. In the film two former Saturday Night Live comics, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, play twins whose lives and psyches were irreparably damaged when their father committed suicide during their childhood.

Hader’s character, Milo, is an unsuccessful gay actor who moves back in with his sister after an attempted suicide.

While there, Milo tries to get back with an old boyfriend — we later discover this is the teacher with whom he engaged in a sexual relationship when

he was 15. Milo sees nothing wrong with the relationship and pursues it as an adult.

His sister, Maggie (Kristen Wiig), who coincidently attempted to commit suicide at the same time, is dealing with equally troubling problems. She is married to a kind man but one she doesn’t whole-heartedly love. She sleeps around with other men while secretly taking birth control pills to prevent the pregnancy that her husband so desperately wants.

None of this sounds very funny, yet Johnson has managed to make one of the more humorous movies of the year; the genius is that he masterfully melds sitcom-like gags and the characters’ melancholic issues.

As we delve further into the material we see how these characters use their outgoing personalities to mask and forget about their hang ups. As the darkness slowly begins to drown out the light in the story, the humour disappears and the characters’ inner conflicts take center stage.

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What could have been a film where juvenile humour undermines the more serious patches of the story actually ends up being a film with especially nuanced and flushed out characters. The tonal shifts could have been jarring and unnatural, but since they are grounded in the characters and exceptionally navigated by the two central performances, they feel authentic.

For example, there is a scene where Milo and Maggie have a solemn fight and, to lighten the mood and escape the real issues at hand, Milo walks over to the stereo and blasts Starship’s glossy pop song “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now.” He busts out flamboyant dance

moves and exaggerated lip syncing. Maggie is annoyed at first but can’t help being drawn in by her brother, and she too starts to lip sync. So goes down a touching yet hilarious sequence that also fits alongside the characters’ personalities and coping mechanisms.

When the pop song is over and there are no more comedic sequences, the film fearlessly enters into the characters’

hurts; however, it only retreads the same beats that it previously explored in the humorous moments. By the third act, the film stretches its running time to feature length with purposeless flashback montages.

Skeleton Twins is at its best when we laugh with a bitter taste, than when the humour disappears. In the case of Johnson’s film, I suppose it is better to laugh than cry.

V I F F A T S F U FREE VIFF SCREENINGS AT SFU BURNABY & SFU SURREY SFU B U R NA B Y : O C T 1 & 2 , S F U S U RRE Y: OC T 8 & 10 See sfuwoodwards.ca for full screening details & trailers!

FILMS IN BURNABY ARE AT SFU THEATRE, FILMS IN SURREY ARE IN THE WESTMINSTER SAVINGS CINEMA

CO-PRESENTED BY SFU WOODWARD’S CULTURAL PROGRAMS AND THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. SUPPORTED BY SFU THEATRE, SFU SURREY, & CJSF 90.1, SFU’S COMMUNITY RADIO.

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SPORTS

September 29, 2014

sports editor email / phone

Austin Cozicar sports@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

To someone who has never stepped onto the golf course or hit a bucket of balls at the driving range, golf appears to be a rather easy game. All you have to do is walk up to a ball and hit it as hard as you can, repeating the motion until the ball is in the hole. How hard can that be?

Well, the truth is that golf is hard. In order to make that ball go anywhere, and preferably in the direction of the hole, you have to learn to swing the club, which is no small feat in itself — it takes many hours down at the driving range to come up with something workable. And that’s just scratching the surface before working on skills such as chipping, putting, or perhaps most importantly, your mental game.

So it’s rather surprising to hear senior golfer John Mlikotic say that he has only been playing seriously since grade nine, only taking up the game after having to hang up his skates.

“I was a hockey player when I was young, actually. I just lived and breathed hockey, but then things changed; I got injured multiple times and then I wasn’t able to play anymore. A bunch of my friends were golfers, and I thought ‘why not try it,’ so in grade nine I took up golfing, bought a membership and loved it. I haven’t dropped it since.”

Playing for his high school, Imaculata Regional, Mlikotic quickly became a proficient golfer, helping the school — which was single-A calibre — compete with the higher ranked triple-A schools.

During his grade 10 year, his team went to provincials and came in second, and the following year the team won. To top it off, the school repeated in his grade 12 year.

However, his high school accomplishments were not just

limited his team’s success; Mlikotic won the individual provincial championship in his senior year of high school as well — not bad for a player who only started golfing seriously in his grade nine year.

He attributes his quick proficiency to hard work: “I’d like to think I’m a pretty athletic guy, but I picked it up and just put a lot of time and effort into it. I dedicated a lot of time to improving and trying to catch up to my age group, because I was obviously pretty far behind,” said Mlikotic. “I think just hard work and the enjoyment and passion for the game definitely got me to where I am right now.”

He speculates that perhaps the late start made things easier in a way: “It probably took the pressure off me. I wasn’t really expected to do very well but, throughout time, I just kept getting better.”

His high school success carried over to his time at SFU — he was named a GNAC Second Team All-Star the last two seasons, and during the 2012-13 season placed third at the GNAC Championship, a team best.

“I played well that week and things were just clicking.

We played in the final group, I learned a lot then [. . .] how

to hold my composure while being close to the lead, not getting nervous and [to] not worry about results. I’d say that tournament was a contributor to adding confidence in my game.”

During his time here, he has focused on not only improving his golf game, but on his attitude as well: “When I was younger, I would just go out there and try to hit the ball far and see what happened from there. I think over the years I’ve

matured and tried to stay patient throughout my rounds, and not get so frustrated when things don’t go well.”

Now, he is the captain of the men’s golf team, a position for which he is well-suited because of the importance he places on the mental side of golf.

“When I first came to SFU, I was young and maybe not mature enough at the time to realize that the mental side of golf is probably more important than the actual technical side, but now I realize that, and I’ve done research on that side of the game. I understand there’s certain techniques that I use to stay focused and stay calm on the golf course.”

This season, Mlikotic will lead the team in their quest for a national championship — a Clan golf first — as he begins his last season of NCAA eligibility.

SPORTS

Entering their third year of NCAA competition, SFU’s swim teams have come a long way in a short time. The program, which started as one of SFU’s premiere teams, has been marred with ups and downs, but now looks to be a top contender in the NCAA once again.

In their first year of competition, the women’s team made it to the NCAA championship and placed in the top 10, while last season they placed in the top 20. Now, they look to push forward to a new level.

“Our team’s been improving every year and that’s been a goal for us,” explained head coach Liam Donnelly. “[With] the women’s team, our goal is to go down and get back in the top 10; ideally we would like to push into the top five. We’re going to need a full team effort to do that.”

He explains that, in order to do this, the team needs individual qualifiers. In order to place well, a team has to have enough swimmers qualified to represent it at the championship.

Recently, the NHL rejected the proposed sale of advertising on jerseys, which the league estimated could net $120 million and approximately $4 million

September 29, 2014

“The real challenge is getting the biggest team to qualify as possible. If you’re going to finish in the top five teams in the NCAA, you’re going to need 10 to 12 competitors to get enough points,” explained Donnelly.

In each of the last two seasons, SFU has sent six swimmers from the women’s team to the championship.

Donnelly hopes that SFU’s mix of veteran leadership and fresh blood will help propel them to higher glories: “We’ve got a good mix of returning leaders and freshmen on the women’s team.”

Senior Nicole Cossey, SFU’s 2013-14 female athlete of the year and All-American, returns to lead the team, having broken an NCAA record in the 100-yard freestyle at last season’s championship.

Also returning to wrap up their senior years are All-American Carmen Nam, Alexandria Schofield, and Grace Ni, supplemented by incoming freshmen including Maran Kokoszka and Megan Barrack.

The men’s team, however, has not had the same success — yet.

They enter this season never having qualified for the NCAA championship. This is not for a lack of trying, or even necessarily talent, as returning seniors Hans Heaves and Dmitar Ivanov just narrowly missed the cut,

per team. The NHL declined the proposal because they didn’t want to be the first of the North American big four leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB) to feature sponsors on their jerseys.

The league is also notorious for sticking with traditions — they do not want to trailblaze.

Public opinion doesn’t help the advertising cause either; no one wants to see ads plastered all over jerseys. Most people take comfort in the fact that sponsors on jerseys are limited

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something Donnelly speculates will fire them up this season.

“We had a couple of guys knocking on the doorstep [. . .], it’s very bitter, it’s almost easier to finish at the back of the pack, where you don’t have much hope [of winning],” explained the coach.

The extra motivation for seniors such as Heaves and Ivanov should trickle down to the new talent, which includes freshmen Gabriel Lee and Adrian Vanderhelm, two swimmers the coach believes “have a pretty good shot at qualifying.”

For both teams, though, Donnelly is firm in his belief that they have improved from last season: “[They are] better in every way.

The whole purpose of a university is to push your boundaries and your limits, whether it be in academia or athletics [. . .], about thought, thought processes, thinking and research; and we do the same athletically.

“The front-runners and the leaders on our team must continue to get better and the people who have just scraped their way onto it must do the same thing, so we are bound by this [principle],” concluded the coach.

to mainly European sports, such as soccer and cycling.

Fans cringe at the idea of seeing a hideous Rogers logo on their beloved Canucks jerseys.

The truth is, the big four all already benefit from advertising revenue, so it’s not a question of purity. Take the NFL for instance, they have so many timeouts and breaks, advertisers are able to cram over a 100 commercials into three hours.

Baseball, with its breaks in between innings, has room for tons of commercials. In most instances, when there is a timeout in a basketball game they cut straight to commercial. Heck, even the NHL has TV timeouts to cater to the advertisers, and now even has digital advertisements added to the glass for the viewing audiences at home.

The thing is, ads on jerseys would provide the NHL with so much more money. The league already sells advertising, but

due to some strange principle, they are denying themselves over $100 million, which is a hefty profit for the owners.

These revenues could be used to help some of the struggling teams in the south such as the Arizona (formerly the Phoenix) Coyotes and the Florida Panthers.

Let’s take a look at one of the biggest current beneficiaries of advertising: Manchester United. They are about to enter a new 10-year, one billion dollar deal with Nike to make their jerseys. That is in combination with the over $70 million they will get per year from Chevrolet who sponsors their shirt — over $170 million in guaranteed revenue every year. That’s more than most teams anywhere in any sport make in a year. This is an extreme example, but it goes to show you how teams can take advantage of their brand to make a little — or a lot of — extra cash.

Passing up a new revenue stream because it will upset a few people makes no sense. If someone came up to me and said they would pay me $10,000 a week to wear an ad for their company to work, I’d take the deal in a heartbeat. Can you imagine how much revenue a team like the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys could potentially receive for a jersey sponsor? They would just be stupid to pass it up.

Advertising on jerseys in North American sports is inevitable; it’s just a question of when.

With teams in the NHL like the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are losing $5.4 million per year according to Forbes, it’s a nobrainer, and the NHL might as well be first.

Fans might complain, but really, look at soccer teams — they still manage to sell tons of jerseys, even with those ugly ads plastered all over them. Right or wrong, at the end of the day, the money is all that matters.

22 SPORTS

September 29, 2014

The Clan men’s and women’s cross-country teams both placed second at the 2014 Sundodger Invitational held in Seattle on September 20. Oliver Jorgenson and Rebecca Bassett led their respective teams finishing 24:39 and 21:36, each placing third.

Both teams fell just short to the event champions, UBC.

seven-minute long drive, but SFU was able to hold them to a field goal. The Clan then followed with another fruitless four-play drive.

With 4:56 left in the half, the Clan finally got on the scoreboard with a 39-yard field goal, taking the score to 10-3. SFU also finally found some offensive rhythm, making 12 plays for 51 yards.

Although the scoreboard indicated a third straight loss for the Clan football team, the 32-24 result against the Azusa Pacific Cougars (APU) showed a team capable of fighting back, and perhaps one headed in the right direction.

SFU started the game with an abysmal first half, giving up 23 points and only managing to score a single field goal.

Right off the first drive, the Cougars converted for a touchdown after possessing the ball for nearly seven straight minutes.

Even though APU took a penalty on kickoff, the Clan were unable to convert for even just a first down during their first drive, which included a sack on quarterback Ryan Stanford. SFU was able to make a 16-yard rush, gaining back some of the yardage lost due to the sack and a false start penalty, before punting at their own 35-yard line.

The second drives for both teams were nearly identical. Azusa had another nearly

However, the Cougars would answer back immediately with two touchdowns before the half was over.

SFU allowed Cougar running back Terrell Watson 51 yards in a single drive and committed a 15-yard personal foul, both of which contributed to the first of the two touchdowns, taking the score to 16-3, as the Cougars missed the extra point kick.

After another ineffective SFU drive, APU would score the final touchdown of the half with 23 seconds left. The Clan could not even hold onto the

ball until halftime, throwing an interception in the dying seconds of the half.

However, the second half was an entirely different story for the Clan. In the third quarter, they scored the only points: two touchdowns.

The first was built off a series of small gains and was saved by a bold move to go for a first down, rather than punting, at fourth and one on APU’s 20yard line; Cole Tudor, who had 34 net rushing yards, ran for a five-yard gain.

The second scoring drive contained a few notable throws

by Stanford, with wide receivers Kyle Kawamoto and Bobby Pospischil making 16- and 14yard catches respectively.

The fourth quarter would bring a bit more trouble for the Clan — they suffered a safety followed immediately by an Azusa touchdown, putting up nine quick points, Azusa’s only points of the half.

SFU would come back with another touchdown after a poor Cougars punt left it at the APU five yard line with 1:08 left in the game.

Down by eight points, a Clan touchdown and a two-point conversion were needed to force overtime. The Clan made an onside kick and recovered the ball, making it to APU’s 21yard line.

However, the comeback fell just short, as they missed on a fourth down conversion, and

turned the ball over to the Cougars, who let the clock run with the final score 32-24.

Though the loss was a stinger, the resolve to come back in the second half showed a lot of heart, and an ability to stay in the game even when down by a seemingly insurmountable lead — something that was not there last game.

SFU soundly won the second half 21-9, achieving all but three of their points in that half.

“Unfortunately [when] you combine both halves, you’re not the winner by a number of points but a lot of good things happened in the second half,” said head coach Jacques Chapdelaine. “We eliminated a lot of the costly mistakes that have been negative for us in terms of turnovers, ball security. We reduced the number of penalties.”

Chapdelaine also commented that, during the first half, the team could not stay on the field offensively, while on the defensive side, they were unable to keep the other team at bay.

However, he noted that the most important thing is building a winning culture, so that the team perseveres through the mistakes they make and fights back — as they did against Azusa.

“We created and forged an identity for ourselves in the second half,” added the coach. “If there’s a silver lining in this defeat, it’s the fact that I thought our team got better tonight on a whole lot of different levels.”

The SFU volleyball team won against the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets (MSUB) on Thursday, September 25. Despite losing the first set, the Clan would end up winning in five sets in a back and forth affair. Kelsey Robinson and Mackenzie Dunham led the team in kills with 13 and 10 respectively. SFU now sits at .500 in the GNAC with a record of 2-2.

The SFU men’s hockey team began their regular season Friday after splitting their exhibition games, winning against two Albertan teams, but losing to their local rivals, UBC and Trinity Western University.

The team opens at home on Friday, October 10.

The Clan men’s basketball team signed division I transfer Hidde Vos. Vos, who transferred from the University of Cal-State Fullerton, hails from the Netherlands. The 6’4 sophomore will play guard for the Clan. Head coach James Blake told SFU Athletics, “Hidde [Vos] is going to be one of the better shooters in the GNAC this season.”

SPORTS

September 29, 2014

SFU’s men’s golf team competed in back-to-back tournaments, placing second in both. The first, the Saint Martin’s Invitational, was held in Olympia, WA from September 19-20.

Bret Thompson and Chris Crisologo led the team.

The second was held last Monday and Tuesday at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Chris Crisologo and Kevin Vigna led the team this time, placing the Clan ahead of the home team, the Vikings.

SFU basketball alumnus Chris Evans is heading to Scotland to play professional basketball. On Friday, the 6’0 guard from Port Moody was signed by the University of Edinburgh, where he also intends to continue his studies. This is the first professional contract for Evans, who last played for the Clan in 2013-14.

On Thursday, the SFU women’s soccer team earned their first GNAC win against the Western Oregon Wolves (WOU) by a score of one-nil. Usually a slim margin of victory indicates a close contest, but that was not the case in this game; SFU seemed to be in control almost from the outset.

The game started with SFU dominating the possession. In the 15th minute, midfielder Sierra Leung took a shot from just outside the 18-yard box and deposited it

Playing the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets (MSUB), the Clan faced enough twists and turns to make your head spin.

Excitement was certainly not an issue in this game — though blown leads were.

The game started off with a bang, as Clan midfielder Joseph Martin was taken down in the box within the first minute, leading to an SFU a penalty kick. Jovan Blagojevic did not miss the opportunity and delivered an early lead for SFU. However, the lead was short lived, as the Billings returned

into the back of the net for a quick lead, which turned out to be the only goal of the evening for SFU, but not their last chance.

At the 20th minute, forward Olivia Aguiar got a header off from about six yards out, but it was right at the goalkeeper. She had a strong game, providing width for the team and delivering some excellent crosses into the box for her teammates. Aja Choy-Halo was also a notable presence whose physical defending frustrated the forwards of Western Oregon.

Nearing the end of the second half, freshman goalkeeper Priya Sandhu made what seemed to be her only difficult save of the evening, a nice

the favour 12 minutes later, also off of a penalty kick.

SFU eventually seized a dominant lead, scoring two goals before the half was over, with Niko Schroettle and Ryan Dhillon adding to the total tally. Martin also notched an assist on the first goal. With a score of 3-1 in their favour, the game seemed to be in SFU’s hands.

The second half would prove to be less successful for the Clan.

Although it started off with a scoring opportunity for both teams, in the 60th minute, Martin was ejected for what appeared to be an obscene gesture towards the referee. This was a turning point in the match, and just like that, the Clan were down to 10 men.

To add injury to insult, starting goalie Brandon Watson was taken off the field with what

diving save from a shot that was heading into the bottom corner.

The second half was more of the same. SFU played well defensively, forcing Western Oregon to attempt a counter attack. However, the visitors from Oregon could only manage long range shots, which were no trouble for SFU.

looked like a pulled hamstring; Ivan Hutsulyak had to sub in to replace him.

In the 67th minute, MSUB’s Colin Ralston scored twice, tying SFU at three and eliminating the Clan’s hard earned lead.

Multiple scoring opportunities were exchanged before the half ended, the best chance for SFU being a saved header that tested the Montana goalie. The Yellowjackets scored just after time expired, and thought it should have counted. Luckily for the Clan, the referees did not agree, and the game headed into overtime.

23

wide. The game ended in SFU’s second straight draw.

Head coach Alan Koch acknowledged the impact that Martin’s red card had on the game, saying, “It warrant[ed] a red card and that was part of the reason we didn’t get the three points tonight.”

Despite this, he was impressed with how the team handled the adversity. “I’m incredibly proud of the players that were on the pitch after we got the red card. Even though you’re a man down, you’re playing against a good team and our guys worked their backsides off throughout the game.”

The overtime session was comprised of two 10-minute halves. Both teams waited until the last minute of the second half to make things interesting.

Yellowjacket Strom Nuernberger was shown a red card and sent off. Off the ensuing free kick, defender Joel Malouf directed a header on goal that produced a rebound, but in the end was put

Assistant coach Lee Tregonning was pleased with the team’s victory: “Overall, the girls have come a long way. Based on their training attitude, and their playing attitude the last two to three weeks, they fully deserved a victory.”

He also addressed the squad rotation in the game, as there was a total of only five substitutions made by SFU. “We’ve got a small squad compared to other universities. Being able to trust and have everyone rotate when we need them to do a job, I think it’s a fantastic thing for the squad. Everyone that actually went in today fulfilled their duty and worked their socks off.”

The Clan look to turn this result into positive momentum as they

travel to face the Western Washington Vikings in Bellingham, WA on Thursday, October 2.

24 DIVERSIONS / ETC

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HUMOUR

humour editor email / phone

September 29, 2014

Ugh, really? These things again?!

Image courtesy of sara~

Jacey Gibb humour@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

25

26 HUMOUR

Recent studies done by Statistics Canada, BuzzFeed, and teen-fiction fanatic Wilson McMichael’s Survey Monkey page have shown that four out of five young couples between the ages of 18 and 30 have engaged in the ‘Emma Watson Talk.’

‘Sexy Watson,’ best-known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, has been the centre of conversation for millions of millennials, ever since she got so crazy attractive and legal in the last few Harry Potter movies. Boyfriends and girlfriends across the globe are eager to know what their partner would do if the beloved Emma Watson were to consent to a threesome with the pair.

Along with questions such as “Do you want children,” “Are you prepared for the future financially,” and “Why do you keep texting your ex,” couples want to be certain at the early stages that their committed relationship is not hindering their chances with Watson, should the opportunity arise.

“If we’ve learned anything from the Prisoner of Azkaban, nothing is impossible,” said Paddy Schwartz, age 23 and in a serious relationship.

“My boyfriend, James, and I need to keep our options open. We don’t want to be slapping ourselves for imposing a promise that neither of us can keep. I mean, a relationship is all about trust and honesty. We would honestly let Emma have her way with us. Serious!”

According to the study, the desirability of Watson is 85 per cent higher than Orlando Bloom, 72 per cent higher than Justin Bieber, and 26 per cent higher than Peter Dinklage when it comes to being the third member of a threesome.

These numbers are causing some people to worry that Watson might be the reason some relationships end.

“I would not let my boyfriend near Emma Watson,” said Heather Gatton. “She’s smart, beautiful, and an all-round great person — my boyfriend does not deserve her, and neither do I. We are doomed for each other, and that’s final.”

Meanwhile, others believe that the ‘Emma Watson Talk’ serves as a great relationship test for many couples.

Psychologist Dr. Joan Ramón, a leader in couples’ therapy said: “If a couple disagrees on the ‘Emma Watson Talk,’ then it’s a clear sign

September 29, 2014

that the relationship will not work out in the long run. And if the man declares that he does not want to engage in a threesome with his girlfriend and Emma Watson, then another red flag is raised. Of course there are many variables in the studies and further research is needed. Perhaps the boyfriend is simply more of an Emilia Clarke kind of guy. That’s okay. But be cautious, ladies, you can’t really trust anyone who has a negative answer in regards to the ‘Emma Watson Talk.’ It’s science — not magic.”

Many experts agree that should Emma Watson apparate in front of you and your significant other with the use of Floo Powder, engaging in coitus is a must. However, those experts also encourage couples to come to that conclusion for themselves.

“There are many perks to being a wallflower,” said Dr. Ramón, “but you don’t want to stand idly by while Emma Watson disappears again. I mean, let’s be serious, you’re not a Rupert Grint, are you?”

When asked about this phenomenon, Ms. Watson claimed she was flattered, but wouldn’t offer a quote. Damn, she’s classy!

Hey fashionistas/fashionettes, I’m Jacey von Style, and I’m here to tell you everything I think you should probably know about this season’s hottest fashion trends.

First off, it’s fall, so that means average temperatures are going to be lower than they have been the last couple of months. Keep that in mind when you’re deciding whether or not you want to wear shorts or a dress instead of pants. But pants are always a good call, especially if you’re going to be out after the sun goes down. Sometimes it gets colder at night than it was during the day. So even if you’re thinking about wearing shorts, maybe wear pants instead. No one looks good in faux pas goosebumpy calves.

As September turns in October, make sure you’re wearing plenty of browns. Or is it plenty of oranges? I can’t really remember which one it is, but I’m definitely almost 100 per cent sure it’s one of the colours that leaves change into when they’re dying. Honestly, if you just pick a colour and wear a lot of it, people probably won’t even notice. Just don’t wear yellow. Everyone always looks like they have the flu when they wear yellow.

I’m pretty sure scarves are a thing people wear during the fall. Some folks look a lot better when their neck is covered, but other folks have really nice necks. Scarves are also great at hiding hickeys, or if you’re a character in a young adult fiction novel, scarves are perfect for hiding vampire bite marks.

Just make sure it’s not an infinity scarf, unless you’re a total jackass — in that case, wear two infinity scarves so people can know to avoid you.

Another must-have for the fall season: shirts. Lots of shirts.

Well, maybe not a lot of shirts.

You’ll want seven of them, or at least five, so you can make it through the work week without wearing the same shirt twice. If you don’t have a full-time job, feel free to shed a few shirts and stick to a revolving door of maybe three. The worn-out look is mega-in right now, so be sure to rock it with your dirty, continuously worn garments.

Did I mention how hot hot hot socks are right now? Some fashion gurus are (probably) calling 2014 the ‘Year of the Sock,’ so hop on that clothing bandwagon before it fizzles and becomes tacky. They’re a miracle accessory to any outfit: they look great when they’re completely hidden by the shoes you’re wearing, they protect against blisters, and also keep your shoes from getting that weird odour when you go sockless too many times close together. You know the smell I’m talking about.

Of course, a guide to fall fashion wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t talk about hats. People like wearing them, but while hats are predominantly a balding person’s look for most of the year, fall is the perfect season to start wearing them yourself.

Why should bald people get to have all the fun?

Well, those are all of the hot tips I have for the 2014 fall fashion season. I mean, there’s probably more. I’m likely forgetting some major ones, but they might not even be fashionable by the time you read this article.

Isn’t fashion hard? Just stick to everything I’ve told you and this season will be your most fashionable season yet. I hope.

HUMOUR

September 29, 2014

27

28 LAST WORD

features editor email / phone

Max Hill features@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

September 29, 2014

As you are reading this, you are currently hurtling through space on a remote chunk of rock, covered mostly in water and protected by a thin layer of atmosphere, at a speed of about 460 metres per second.

This tiny chunk of rock, which we call Earth, is only a fraction of a much larger Solar System, which is also whirling around our Milky Way galaxy at about 220 kilometres per second. And it doesn’t stop there — our galaxy is also speeding through space, along with other nearby galaxies, at about 1,000 kilometres per second.

Just in case you forgot.

Those of us who aren’t science students usually don’t spend too much time contemplating the vastness of the universe, or the strange and wonderful ways in which it works; we leave it to the

mathematicians, the astrophysicists, those who study in labs rather than libraries and with microscopes rather than Marlowe.

But in astronomy, the study of celestial bodies, there’s something valuable to be learned by everyone: a better understanding to be gained about what our real place in the universe is, and a healthy amount of perspective on just how important we really are (or aren’t).

As a latecomer to the study of astronomy, my biggest hurdles have been wrapping my head around how big everything is, how fast it all moves, and just how much of it there is. I’m sure this is a common problem for those who’re just learning about the nature of our universe — how there’s so much in existence that’s much too big or much too small for us to really comprehend.

Pop scientists like Brian Greene and Carl Sagan do their best to translate these ideas with aphorisms and analogies, but the realization that we are only an infinitesimally tiny part of the universe is hard not to take personally.

It’s the reason it took so long for our species to understand our Earth wasn’t at the centre of some grand, unified system — after all, how could we not be the centre of the universe? There will always be something comforting in the thought that we are special and unique, that there is nothing out there quite like us.

Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth. We are surrounded by galaxies and moons and faraway planets so big and so small they defy comprehension. It’s highly unlikely that we’re the only planet to sustain life, and mathematically probable that some of these life forms bear resemblance to us. We have learned more about the universe in the past two centuries than the rest of human history combined and we still don’t know much about it.

As with most sciences, the study of astronomy is full of uncertainty; the unsolved mysteries of astronomy seem to only dwarf us further, to make humans seem even less meaningful. But my growing love of astronomy doesn’t make me feel small or insignificant. In fact, it’s taught me more about what my so called purpose on this Earth really is than most other things ever could.

I’ve never been a religious person — the idea of a higher power has never appealed to me. But in astronomy, in looking up at the stars and

knowing that there are innumerable complex systems and designs that we still only partially understand, I feel the sense of humility and wonder that people describe when they think of God or other religious figures. The more I learn, the more fascinated I become.

For me, knowing more about the Earth’s place in the cosmos has helped me to understand how we, as humans, make our own meaning. We

after the photo. “That’s home.

That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.” In forcing us to take a look at ourselves from outside the context of our own world, with its own share of horror and beauty, he helped us to put ourselves in perspective.

“There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant

know what those living only a few centuries ago didn’t: that our universe is an enormous work of art, and that each of us amounts to about a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a pixel of that artwork.

But that doesn’t have to be a scary thought.

No one understood this better than Carl Sagan, whose genius for science was only matched by his generosity in sharing that knowledge with the world. In 1990, only a few years before his death, Sagan requested that the Voyager 1 space probe turn its camera back on the Earth from a distance of around six million kilometres — the now-famous image it took shows our planet as a tiny blue dot floating in the darkness of deep space.

“That’s here,” he wrote in his book Pale Blue Dot, named

image of our tiny world,” he said.

“To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

Of all that astronomy has to teach us, this might be its most important lesson. Looking up into the night sky, it’s easy to forget that each tiny speck is another world, and that for every one light there are millions too dim or too far away to see. What we do on Earth isn’t made insignificant by the scope of what’s around us; if anything, our knowledge of what’s out there, however incomplete, is a testament to how far we’ve come, and how much further we’re capable of going.