Where does SFU stand?
The Janjaweed had long used sexual violence as a weapon of war and this legacy continues in worse fashion under the RSF.
DR. KHALID MUSTAFA MEDANI
PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ISLAMIC STUDIES AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY
The most important thing with AI is it’s really changed the landscape of academic integrity and every professor can and does do something different.
TRISH EVERETT SFSS STUDENT ADVOCACY COORDINATOR
assemble “genealogies of
by investigating and documenting queer,
Knowing that sepsis is impending would also allow physicians more time to determine the appropriate treatment to use.
DR. BOB HANCOCK PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY AT UBC
In “A Genealogy of Resistance,” Black Trinidadian Canadian writer NourbeSe Philip
resistance”
Major change is needed to fix things, and we simply can’t afford to make the mistakes of the past.
SFU
SFU Women in Computing Science
ILLUSTRATION:AbbeyPerley/ThePeak
Learn more about their initiatives and the mark they are making on the computing community
Denise Siu SFU Student
Editor’s note: Denise Siu is an executive member of the WiCS.
The SFU Women in Computing Science (WiCS) is an organization that deserves more recognition. Despite the label, the organization is inclusive of nonbinary, transgender, and gender non-conforming individuals.
Over the past few years, our growth has been exponential and nothing short of inspiring to watch. SFU WiCS advocates for its members through the vibrant community it has created — running as many as 30 initiatives per semester, made possible by hardworking student volunteers. These include everything: from networking opportunities and office tours to social events, technical workshops, high school outreach, grad events, a mentorship program, lunch with professors, and more.
Since the early 2000s and continuing through 2015, UBC undergraduate enrollment data shows that men have made up about 70% of the students enrolled in computing science undergraduate programs. Individuals who do not identify as men often find themselves in the minority, which can be an isolating experience. The community that WiCS has built, the support system it provides, and the opportunities it brings highlights the importance and need for this organization. Former SFU WiCS executive member, Harpreet Dubb said, “Being a part of WiCS has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my university journey. When I first joined, I was looking for a supportive community where I could connect with others in computer science, and WiCS provided exactly that.”
Earlier this year, SFU WiCS celebrated its 20 th anniversary, a significant milestone for its generations of members. At the reunion event some of the organization’s founders, Dr. Angelica Lim and Dr. Parmit Chilana — both now faculty at SFU — gave inspiring speeches sharing the beginnings and journey of SFU WiCS over the years. With everyone reflecting on their respective experiences with SFU WiCS, decades of stories were shared by the alum who came out to celebrate. It was uplifting to meet so many of these individuals, to see where they ended up, and how SFU WiCS shaped their paths, making a positive impact in their lives.
SFU WiCS also works to engage with the next generation of technologists. Try/CATCH, the Computing and Technology
Conference for Her, is one of the significant events that WiCS organizes every year for high school outreach. This event has brought over 1,400 students to the SFU Burnaby campus since 2009 for a day of learning about computing. The students listen to a keynote speaker, choose from a variety of technical workshops to attend, and interact with a panel of current university students. The purpose of this event is to generate interest in these young students and empower them to explore and potentially pursue computing.
Gahee K., the now co-president of WiCS, recalled “I attended Try/CATCH when I was in grade 11. There I learned about the different sectors within the technology industry and was inspired by the people hosting the event. They gave me guidance on the [Software Systems] (SoSy) program at SFU and shared insights about university life. Once I started attending school at SFU, I jumped at the opportunity to help organize Try/CATCH and to inspire the next generation.” This event not only represents so much of what WiCS stands for, but also bridges a gap between high school and university students.
One of the most impactful annual events for current WiCS members is Networking Night in collaboration with SFU Women in Engineering. Planning for this event starts as early as five months before the day itself. The organizing team uses their extra time, on top of coursework and jobs, to gather sponsors, reach out to industry mentors and panelists, and organize logistics to make an unforgettable night for their community members. This year, the event had 22 panelists and mentors from various companies and a strong turnout of student attendees from both computing science and engineering majors who came out to network and gained first-hand insights into their potential future careers. Students got to enjoy a catered dinner while doing speed dating style networking sessions in small groups.
I have been an active member of the Women in Computing Science community for the past four years and it has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I have made lifelong friends, learned so much about the industry and different career paths, and developed indispensable leadership experience which has helped me through my university journey. Although WiCS is only for individuals in computing science at SFU, I hope that everyone can find their own version of WiCS because everyone deserves a community like this one.
With the continued gender disparity in computing science, events like these are crucial and it truly amazes me what this student-led group is capable of.
Cruz is a mixed-gender, mixed-race metalsmith who developed their abilities in goldsmithing while recovering from a serious spinal cord injury. They even worked at SFU in 2006 as a permanent coordinator for the LGBTQ+ Centre, supporting trans and gender non-conforming individuals! Cruz creates jewelry tailored to your wants and needs, such as uniquely personal wedding rings, all while running workshops and making music on the side. They’re an incredibly multifaceted individual, and so is their work. A piece that stood out to me was the solid gold balisong necklace, which pays homage to their Filipinx heritage!
Online storefront
Samonte Cruz Studios
The track steeps in emotion and urgency, paired with a heavy-hitting rhythm to keep the beat steady as listeners are transported through a portal of empowerment among song.
Red Leaf women fly, men fall at 2024 Canadian Tip-Off Classic
It’s the second year SFU hosted the tournament in Langley
KAJA ANTIC SPORTS WRITER
For the second consecutive year, 12 college basketball teams from across North America streamed through the doors of the Langley Events Centre. The 2024 Division II Conference Commissioners Association Canadian Tip-Off Classic took place from November 1 to 3, as the SFU Red Leafs men’s and women’s teams played host to their NCAA Division II counterparts.
The Red Leafs men’s team was joined by fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) programs from Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon, along with the fifth-ranked Dallas Baptist, 14th-ranked California State University of San Bernardino, and Hawai’i Hilo who went undefeated at the 2023 tournament.
The women’s team was met on the court by GNAC peers Seattle Pacific, along with St. Edward’s from Texas, Dominican from California, 11th-ranked Gannon, and fourthranked Tampa.
Spectators filled the rows of seats. Some from local areas came looking for entertainment in the collegiate tournament, while others had seemingly travelled to cheer on a visiting school. I noticed a passionate contingent supporting the University of Hawai’i-Hilo Vulcans, some even carrying pompoms that would be shaken whenever their team scored a point. Opposing teams not playing at the time would filter in on occasion, likely scoping out their competition for upcoming games.
The Red Leafs women’s squad had a decent showing through the tournament, going 2–1 over the weekend. The
team earned wins against St. Edward’s and Dominican, but fell to Tampa 66–51 in the final game. Tampa was one of two women’s teams to go undefeated, with Gannon also earning the 3–0 statline.
Two Red Leafs gained spots on the tournament all-star teams, with Sophia Wisotzki earning first team honours in the women’s tournament, and Irish Coquia earning second team honours in the men’s tournament.
Two Red Leafs earned “Player of the Game” honours, with senior Sophia Wisotzki gaining the title by scoring 31 points in a 78–62 win against St. Edward’s, and junior Myrlaine Shelvey being awarded the designation in a 77–67 win over Dominican.
The men’s team struggled throughout the tournament, going without a win over their three games played just as they had in the 2023 Classic. They weren’t the only team to go winless over the weekend, as GNAC rivals Western Oregon also went 0–3. Saint Martin’s, the final GNAC team in the tournament,
went undefeated. Despite good offensive performances from players like sophomore Irish Coquia and junior
SFU was outscored 228–189 in losses to
and Dallas Baptist.
Two Red Leafs gained spots on the tournament all-star teams, with Wisotzki earning first team honours in the women’s tournament, and Coquia earning second team honours in the men’s tournament.
As both teams’ collegiate seasons begin, the men’s team hopes to improve on a 2023–24 season that saw them placing ninth out of ten in GNAC standings, only above Western Oregon on the conference table. The team went 4–14 against GNAC opponents, and had a 6–23 record overall.
The women’s team also looks for improvements on last year, after their season ended in a 65–51 loss against Central Washington in the GNAC Women’s Basketball Championship. Overall, the team held a 17–14 record for the 2023–24 season, with a 10–8 record against GNAC opponents, earning fifth in conference standings. The 2024–25 campaign already looks promising, as the team’s 2–1 record is an improvement on the 0–3 result they gained in the 2023 Classic.
Both the men’s and women’s programs begin their GNAC campaign on December 5, with the men’s team playing at Central Washington while the women’s team plays host to Seattle Pacific in SFU’s West Gym.
AURÉLIE RIVARD AND HER REMARKABLE CANADIAN LEGACY
She’s a legend, and she’s got the medal count to prove it
MILLER · STAFF WRITER
Aurélie Rivard has won the most medals of any woman in Canadian Paralympic swimming with a total of 14 Paralympic medals — six gold, four silver, and four bronze. She has won another 19 world championship medals and holds a plethora of world record titles to her name. She’s an inspiration to swimmers everywhere!
As a 28-year-old Paralympian from Saint-Jean-sur Richelieu in Québec, Rivard is a powerhouse in the pool and has been swimming professionally for over a decade. Having been born with an underdeveloped left hand, she’s part of the S10, SB9, and SM10 Para-athletic classifications. She has stated that swimming throughout childhood was an escape from being bullied for her disability. Since then, she’s found a sense of belonging within the Para swimming community and made waves in the pool by scooping up more medals and records than one can count.
Over 12 years into her swimming career, Rivard has been one of the top athletes to watch on the international stage. She has competed in four summer Paralympic games — London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024. In Paris, she brought home another three medals — one of each colour. Although, I’m sure the best part was when she returned home from the games to see the newly-named Piscine Aurélie-Rivard — the pool where she trained as a child. What a milestone.
Rivard holds world records for the S10 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle, as well as Canadian records for multiple events. She first made a splash in the pool by placing on the podium at London 2012, scooping up a silver medal. Since then, she has placed on the podium at all Paralympic games she’s attended, alongside multiple world championships, Commonwealth Games, and Para Pan American Games.
Remarkably, Rivard has been awarded Female Para-Swimmer of the Year by Swimming Canada five times — from 2014 to 2016 consecutively, in 2019, and in 2021. Her training grounds are at Club de Natation Région de Québec. As a senior member of Team Canada, coached by Marc-André Pelletier, it’s no wonder she has such a legendary career.
When not taking laps and breaking records in the pool, Rivard is busy studying as a law student at Univerisité Laval. Talk about having a lot on your plate! Before she makes her next splash — whether in the pool, her future in the courtroom, or anything in between — she’ll be sure to continue to make waves when it comes to her career highlights and records overall.
To Aurélie Rivard — it’s clear to see why you’re such a legend already at such a young age, and you’re not finished with your professional swimming career quite yet.
Félicitations!
Luke Howard,
Hawai’i Hilo, CSU San Bernardino,
PHOTO: KAJA ANTIC / THE PEAK
COMIC BY CINDY WANG
November 12–18
Aries
March 21–April 19
Let’s be honest: Aries are the pursuers in any relationship because of their headstrong attitude. You know who else doesn’t stop until they get what they want? The popular girl in every high school romance movie who just so happens to be dating the 6’4 quarterback with a 2.0 GPA (bonus if they’re played by an actor 10 years too old to be a teenager). Aries would give Regina George a run for her money any day.
Cancer June 21–July 22
It may be cliché, but we love it nonetheless, so make room for a reunion with childhood friends! Cancers, with their sweet and sensitive approach to life, would instantly shed tears once reunited with the one they met in elementary school who moved abroad but came back at the most inconvenient time in Cancer’s love life.
Libra September 23–October 22
Too many options is bad for anyone, including you, Libras. Maybe if you stop flirting with every single person at the bar? Then, you might actually find yourself in a fulfilling relationship someday instead of being stuck as the second lead in a rom-com who is still alone by the end of the movie.
Capricorn
December 22–January 19
Sorry Capricorns, but when all your schedule consists of is work and your leisure time filled with even more work, the best that can happen for you is a friends-to-lovers trope because God knows your friends are the only ones who stick around to get glimpses of the rest of your personality. You’re not Anne Hathaway and this isn’t The Devil Wears Prada so stop being a workaholic that puts their job over everything else.
Taurus
April 20–May 20
Taurus as a rom-com lead would be too practical of a character, so what better way to stir up their love life than by giving them a strangers-to-lovers plot line? Perhaps being stuck on an economy flight and chatting with a flirty stranger the whole way to your destination will make you put your guard down and take a leap of faith as you explore London together.
Leo July 23–August 22
Fun, outgoing and incredibly dramatic, Leos give off all the energy of someone who would end up in a high school sweethearts situation. This is the on-and-off, fivebreakups-but-are-still-trying-to-make-it-workin-university type of relationship that has the audience hooked regardless and believing that they’re soulmates because they’re just that cute.
Scorpio
October 23–November 21
Since Scorpio has the flirting capability of a child who pulls girls’ pigtails on the playground, it would make sense for their love story to start with a bucket full of hatred. You can see them in an office chair, seething because their coworker did something to gain their disapproval again (Hating Game, we see you). Or perhaps it’s the guy at school who gets on your nerves, but you’re strangely attracted to him. We can’t wait to see the enemies turn into lovers, though!
Aquarius
January 20–February 18
Aquarius thinks they’re intellectual enough to not get their heart swayed easily which is why we have upgraded from high school romance territory to college romance. Now, put them in a literature class like Tessa and Hardin from After and watch that resolve go downhill (we know you want to be right).
Gemini May 21–June 20
Step aside, everyone; Lara Jean has entered the picture! No one would handle the pressures of fake dating better than Geminis because who else has a personality with that much duality? Maybe you will find your own Peter Kavinsky this season (it’s a reach, though, but perhaps a situationship?).
Virgo
August 23–September 22
Pining after your ex? We expect nothing better from you, Virgos. So you can claim second-chance romance as your gateway to keep duping yourself into thinking the person who left you behind years ago is ready for you now. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!
Sagittarius
November 22–December 21
Love could be chasing you, but you would still somehow manage to outrun it like the rom-com player afraid of commitment. Take a few steps back, and you might find yourself someone who is willing to love you at first sight. The second meeting might not be in your favour once they see how reckless you are in every aspect of your life.
Pisces
February 19–March 20
Easily the most romantic sign but can too much romance be a thing? Pisces is indecisive enough on a good day but put them in a love triangle situation and they’ll be making every bad decision possible in a 1 hour 45 minute film. Anyway, team Conrad or Jeremiah?
SUDOKU