After a full year of online learning, I find myself missing the prison-like architecture of campus and the ambiance of non-stop construction. If you’re unlike me (good for you) and find construction noise to be the most annoying sound ever, here are some songs you can play to mask it when we all go back to in-person school.
From parking fees to spending an inordinate amount of money at Cornerstone Starbucks, campus is a place where monetary transactions happen more frequently than educational exchanges. The lines, “Money / It’s a crime / Share it fairly / But don’t take a slice of my pie,” reflect the administration’s willingness to line their pockets by increasing tuition, forcing students to spend money they would have otherwise used to pay rent, buy groceries, and purchase a Nintendo Switch solely for Pokémon Snap.
“Can I Believe You” by Fleet Foxes
When the song opens with, “Can I believe you / Can I ever know your mind,” I immediately have mental flashbacks to an email I received a couple months ago regarding the creation of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion subcommittee. For a committee with such goals of diversity and decolonization of the education system, three out of four members on the committee are white women. So again, I must ask: “Can I believe you?” when I see LED screens advertising the school’s commitments to equity on campus.
I am not alone in thinking that SFU’s record of repeated delays in building the Student Union Building and the SFU Stadium gave me trust and commitment issues. Listen to Sigrid’s lines, “I thought you were someone to trust / you’re the best lie I’ve ever heard” as you avoid walking into a jackhammer for a building that was supposed to be finished three years ago.
“It Be’s That Way Sometime” by Nina Simone
Our online learning adventures might soon be over, but our struggle with SFU’s host of technical problems will surely continue. Find yourself getting irritated when goSFU or Canvas crashes for the nth time? Channel some of Nina Simone’s spirit and think, “Don’t let the problems of this world drive you slowly out of your mind / Just smile, look at the problem and say it be’s that way sometime.” If that doesn’t work? Take another page out of Simone’s book and evade arrest for unpaid taxes by moving to Barbados and shacking up with the Prime Minister.
“Jesus, Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood
Heading back to campus means another readjustment period riddled with anxiety and stress. In moments like this, Carrie Underwood’s encouragement to let Jesus take the wheel comes in handy. SFU’s Jesus, McFogg the Dog, will be at the receiving end of the request, “Jesus, take the wheel / Take it from my hands / ‘Cause I can’t do this on my own” come final season when we’re all back on campus and reeling from being ill-adjusted after a full year of Zoom.
