By: Kyla Wane, SFU Student
One step onto SFU’s Burnaby campus, and the word “prison” comes to mind. However, the campus’ grey walls and bleak buildings hold a rich cultural history. A Magical Time: The Early Days of the Arts at Simon Fraser University is a publication multi-authored by writers affiliated with the university. Filled with information and illustrations to show the dawn of SFU’s artistic period, it explores the decade following the university’s establishment in 1965.
As SFU celebrates its 60th anniversary in September, A Magical Time pays tribute to and captures the early years of its vibrant campus community. From the challenges of physically building the university in two years and establishing a new, multidisciplinary academic structure, this book reveals that from the start, creativity, activism, and experimentation have been at the heart of SFU’s culture. For instance, thinking about SFU today, it is hard to imagine the energy of the noon shows — lunchtime entertainment performances ranging from dramatic plays to comedy shows — that helped spark connectivity and student expression on campus.
From the start, creativity, activism, and experimentation, was the heart of SFU’s culture
What stood out to me the most in A Magical Time are the illustrations and photographs that capture the vibrancy and vividity of the stories being told to the audience. One instance from the book that stayed with me was the description of long-gone lunchtime programs and performances, a reality that is hard to imagine now — personally, the campus feels like a ghost town during the summer months. It also reminds me how much society evolves as time passes by, including The Peak. As the book mentioned, “The Peak was both the conscience and the megaphone,” an evolving outlet for students to have their voices heard. Seeing digital files of The Peak’s first newspapers, it was very interesting to see student expressions adapt through time.
A Magical Time offers more than a description of SFU’s artistic debut, it is a legacy that carries on and shares the importance of its roots — roots that still bear an imprint on students today to engage in education, community and creativity.
Whether you are a student in arts, sciences, or business, the stories in the book are powerful reflections of SFU’s culture that we are part of today. I recommend checking out the book not only to satisfy your curiosity but also to have a better understanding of the place you are graduating from and give meaning to your time at SFU after graduation. In other words, become an alumnus that carries the university’s story with pride.
The official book launch will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at SFU School for the Contemporary Arts. If you are free, drop by and experience this great opportunity to celebrate SFU’s legacy.
