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Being a “B” student vs. shaming “A” students

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Woohoo: being a “B” student

I’m probably adhering to common conception when I say that it’s best to be a “B” student.

“B” students stay in the groove of academic achievement. Being one requires enough hard work to keep oneself at or above the median, but still allows one enough time to live a life outside of school.

And this life outside of school is necessary to having a life after post-secondary. Outside of the school world is where one learns to be social in a less-stressful atmosphere, and how to operate in a workplace, most notably. Moreover, consider that the vast majority of people in the world don’t operate in the school environment.

Being a “B” student emphasizes the importance of living dedicated to simply enjoying, rather than conquering, conquering every grade and every obstacle. These students know how to relax in the shade and breathe.

Safe to say, “B” students are probably on the right track.

Boohoo: shaming “A” students

Disagreement makes the world go around, but shaming sucks. Don’t be a shamer.

So “A” students are different. Others need to respect that they take their own route to success, which, for them, happens to be on the academic level.

Try to think about it from their point of view: they might feel compelled to achieve perfection, perhaps due to a repressed memory of a childhood failure of some sort. Maybe they see every “A” as a physical manifestation of proving their overbearing fathers wrong.

Or perhaps they enjoy getting high grades and attaining knowledge; maybe they see that education doesn’t stop life, but rather is a part of life.

It takes all sorts of people to inhabit the world, “A” and “B” students included. And learning to get along is another step toward world peace.

Heck, anyways, “A” students are probably trying hard just to suffer through grad school. Don’t give them your shame! Give them your deepest sympathy.

Scarlett Johansson gets under your skin

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EIC
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CMYK-Under the Skin

 

Happily, neither the cool reception of Jonathan Glazer’s masterpiece Birth, nor its lack of well-deserved critical rehabilitation in the intervening decade, have dulled the director’s approach to the intertwining mysteries of love and power. 

Under the Skin is another role reversal of predators: it follows a lone alien invader (Scarlett Johansson) who, in the guise of a beautiful human woman, seduces men to her home, where their organs are harvested in an inky black void.

It is a film that demands attentive eyes and sharp ears. Its plot beats are not delivered through words, but through a careful succession of images rich in narrative and thematic implication. Its emotional payoffs don’t come through anguished closeups, but through an aesthetic schema that mixes calculated compositions with abstracted imagery, lush ambience with the thin, shivering strings of Mica Levi’s score.

Its first hour functions largely as a low-key horror film, and the second as a tragic, almost domestic drama. A sort of chill runs throughout, but it is the cold of loneliness and sorrow, not detachment. 

Emphasis on filmic devices at the exclusion of theatrical or literary norms often lands a film the tag of “clinical,” but this can be camouflage for a lack of engagement with cinematic grammar. Under the Skin is a prime example of how its medium’s devices can work on their own, autonomous from the traditions of older art forms.

That separation from familiar means of storytelling is at once integral to its effect (physical alienation) and wholly scrutable. In a key scene — the film’s most important story beat — countless orange, kaleidoscopic images of day-to-day human life are superimposed over Johansson’s face, and the unnerving violin that dominates the score gives way to warm electronic tones. It’s exemplary of narration through abstraction, and yet it’s not a hard moment to read, especially contextually.

So the film allows its alien to stay alien, free of histrionics or the tropes of human emotions (unless you count having emotions as a trope) and, so long as we invest in trying to understand her, makes for a surprisingly engaging and sympathetic character. So when the film’s inevitable and tragic role reversal occurs, we’re just as troubled by the danger facing her as we are by our sympathy for someone whom we’ve seen horrifically murder several people.

Therein lies the power of the film’s allegory for sexual politics: it asks how we can condemn someone who truly does not know better — who, in fact, seems to have been engineered not to know better — without playing down the tragedy of its central crimes.

There is one scene where dialogue holds substantive importance. The alien picks up a man with severe facial disfigurement, who admits that he has no friends and only goes out at night to escape ignorance and judgment.

As the two talk with each other, their words betray more than they intend, and it becomes clear that his disease and her immaculately mounted appearance are two sides of the same coin. She knows it too, and her decision at the end of the sequence is at once one of the film’s most touching, mysterious, and disquieting moments.

How to Clean Hands with Sanitizer

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EIC
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What to do with the Senate?

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EIC
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It’s amazing how much can happen when Parliament takes a break. Pierre Poilievre is backtracking on his much maligned Fair Elections Act after months of criticism from within and without; the nation has been rocked by news of the allegations of abuse surrounding the temporary foreign work program; and only a few short weeks ago, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously decided in favour of retaining the Senate in its current form, that of unelected representatives.

That’s right, despite last year’s scandal the Supreme Court has declared that Parliament cannot alter the makeup of the Senate to introduce term limits or change the appointment process in order to make the Senate a body of elected representatives.

This is a crushing blow both to the government and the Canadian people, as Senate reform has been a goal of Stephen Harper long before he was our Prime Minister. Furthermore, a poll from June 2013 shows that 49 per cent of Canadians wanted Senate reform while 41 per cent were in favour of outright abolition of the upper chamber, suggesting that 90 per cent of Canadians were disappointed by the announcement.

A recent poll suggests that 90 per cent of Canadians want the Senate changed or abolished.

Though technically not impossible, reforming the Senate would be extremely difficult. As written out in the Canadian Constitution, an amendment of this magnitude requires a passing vote in both the House of Commons and the Senate, but must also pass a vote in seven of the 10 provincial legislatures, and those seven must represent at least 50 per cent of the Canadian population. You don’t need to be very politically aware to know how unlikely this is, as the provinces of our country rarely agree on anything, and have already taken up several positions across the board in regards to the issue.

Abolition of the Senate, long a part of the NDP platform and Harper’s fallback if reform was no longer an option, is even more outside the realm of possibility. The Supreme Court declared that the abolishment of the Senate would fall under the unanimity procedure for amending the Constitution.

That name, by the way, is completely accurate: abolishing the upper house would require unanimous votes to do so from the Senate itself (unlikely to vote itself out of existence) and all the provinces.

While some have suggested that the issue could be forced by the Prime Minister refusing to appoint additional senators once currently sitting members retire, this is no solution. Canadian senators serve until the age of 75, so even if we did this, the youngest Senator is not scheduled to retire until 2045, when I’ll be 60. Even barring the extreme length of time, this would further serve to undermine our current democratic process, leaving regions of the country underrepresented in the Senate.

The only party viewing this decision as a victory are the Liberals; Justin Trudeau seems now to be reaping the benefits of his daddy’s work in making the Constitution nearly impossible to amend. With the Conservative’s having lost hope in reforming the Senate, and the NDP’s plan of abolition relegated to the realms of impossibility, Trudeau now finds himself in the rare position of being the only leader with an option for Senate reform, even if it’s a terrible one. I have said it before: having independent senators chosen by an “impartial” committee only undermines our democracy by taking power from the people.

While our current system is not perfect, at least appointees are chosen by an elected official, and I’d rather leave the Senate as is than hand power for the selection of its members to more unelected officials.

With the senate, we’re left in an undeseriable situation that no one quite knows how to resolve.

 

Past one’s prime at 24

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EIC
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WEB-research roundup 1

A cognitive science study being conducted at SFU is making waves across the country with the claim that cognitive functions begin to decline at the age of 24. In other words, many SFU students are nearing their cognitive peak, and it’ll be downhill from there!

Joe Thompson, an SFU doctoral student of psychology, has been working under professor Mark Blair to study cognitive abilities in the video game StarCraft 2. This game was able to provide compelling data from the complex tasks the players must face, such as strategic planning and quick threat analysis.

Using analysis from over 3,305 StarCraft 2 players, researchers found that cognitive functions including perception, mental processing, and physical response time trend steadily upwards from ages 16 to 24, after which they begin to slow down.

In-game actions and player reaction times were measured in terms of the different cognitive functions that might rely on speed. Thompson equates the study’s primary measurement of speed to the time between a player looking at a specific location within the game and acting on something in that environment.

Perception, mental processing, and physical response time trend steadily upwards from ages 16 to 24.

The results showed, for example, that the difference in response time for 24-year old player compared to a 39-year old player is about 150 milliseconds. The competitive computer game was selected based on the range of ages and skill levels demonstrated by its players, which supported the idea that a younger age might outweigh other advantages such as experience.

Thompson says this research proves “early adulthood is not a boring period where skills are maintained by a stable set of cognitive abilities.” Instead, he believes skills developed within the video game are created and maintained by one’s cognitive ability to adapt to the evolving and challenging game atmosphere. 

Not all hope for cognitive progression is lost for us “old folk.” As seen in the research, players of more advanced ages seemed to compensate for their differences in speed with other skills; therefore, the changes in speed do not necessarily act as a loss. If older players are able to make better and more efficient use of the game’s interface, they can adapt to their cognitive differences from younger players.

Researchers believe they can translate the data from this study to examine the effects of age on our cognitive abilities, in ways not only specific to our digital lives.

Trailing NHL teams should pull goalies earlier

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EIC
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In game one of the Colorado–Minnesota series on April 17, the Avalanche were down 3-2 with three minutes left on the clock — so Colorado head coach Patrick Roy pulled his goalie. They scored once with the extra attacker before winning 4-3 in overtime.

If you follow hockey, you might not necessarily call the move shocking, but goalie-pulling is a tactic usually left to the last minute, or maybe the last minute and a half. However, SFU’s Tim Swartz, a professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, who specializes in sports analytics, believes Roy’s strategy should be the norm.

In a paper co-authored with David Beaudoin, an assistant professor at Laval University, Swartz stated that a team down by one goal would do best by pulling their goalie with three minutes left.

While three minutes is a comfortable average, Swartz suggests that coaches should not restrict themselves to pulling their goalies at the end of the game. Instead, they should do so when the opportunity is ripe, such as when their team is awarded a power play and, thus, a man advantage. For example, as a junior coach, Roy once pulled a goalie with 17 minutes remaining in the game.

A team down by one goal would do best by pulling their goalie with three minutes left.

“It may or may not work out for you,” stated Swartz, explaining that pulling the goaltender does not guarantee success. “But what we’re interested in is the long-run properties [. . .] If you follow our strategies, we estimate you would be several points higher in the standings. That can be the difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs.”

Swartz also does research into the management side of the game, on topics such as drafting and player contracts, in addition to analysis of game strategies. He, along with graduate student Gerald Smith, is currently interested in developing a system of player evaluation. His system would be an improvement on the age old plus/minus measurement — a bane to many advocates of the use of advanced statistics in hockey.

One of the advantages of sports analytics is that it allows students to apply classroom lessons to real world problems. “You’re learning all of the statistical theory and methods but you’re applying them to sports problems,” said Swartz. He also pointed out that sports analytics have funnelled some of his students into jobs at hospitals and government organizations.

Aside from the accompanying career opportunities, Swartz admitted to The Peak that what is truly fulfilling about sports analytics comes from the love of the game. “I get lots of requests to supervise students who want to work on sports problems,” said Swartz. “This is a lot of fun working in this area.”

 

I have a pretty thick skin and am really self-conscious about it

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EIC
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I can take a joke as well as the next guy. I’ve got a sense a humour, and I’m fine with the occasional ribbing. If you want to make fun of the goofy way I dress or tease me about how much I love the Oak Ridge Boys, I’m totally cool with it.

But there’s one thing that I’m honestly really sensitive about and that’s my thick skin. It’s just not something I can control so it burns me up when people feel the need to make comments about it.

Having a thick skin makes things hard enough, let alone having to deal with all the “jokes” about it. It already makes it hard for me to experience life the way most people do. I feel temperatures more extremely, I sweat more than most people and I’ve never experienced the joy of bleeding.

So, I’m sorry, I just don’t like to get any shit about it from a bunch of thin-skinned wiseacres who don’t have a clue what it’s like to have a little extra meat around the hypodermis.  

Having a thick skin makes things hard enough, let alone having to deal with all the ribbing about it.

I’m so sick of people pointing at me, asking if they can touch my arm or punching me and then asking whether I can feel it behind my thick skin. Yes, I feel it, in fact I feel it more than most people. 

You know where else I feel? In my heart, just like the rest of you. Even with my thick skin, I still have feelings.

Again, I don’t mind if you give me a hard time sometimes about things that I choose to do but I can’t control how my skin is. This is just the way I was born.

I guess you could say that making fun of my abnormally thick skin is kind of like my achilles heel. Unfortunately unlike the story of Achilles and the heel that led him to great fame and fortune, this is holding me back.

Every time somebody yells out “hey, thick skin” or does an impression of me by bundling up the skin on their arm, it really cuts me deep, so deep that even someone like me might lose a little blood. 

I’m not asking people to always be pleasant about everything. You should definitely make fun of people if they’re acting abnormal or are different in any way in comparison to mainstream society but this issue is out of my hands. 

I know I’ve got thick skin. I always have and I always will, but it’d be nice if people could just lay off a little because I’m really, really sensitive about it.

A Comic’s Comic #4

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EIC
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Satellite Signals

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EIC
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surrey

 

Surrey

On April 26, SFU’s Pipe Band marched from Surrey campus to just north of the City Centre Library to celebrate the opening of Surrey’s new City Hall. Steve Dooley, executive director of SFU’s Surrey campus, said in anticipation of the day, “The procession will be symbolic of how SFU engages with its new neighbour, and how those in the new downtown core are all connected.”

The procession followed the band’s first competition of the season — the BC Pipe Band Association Annual Gathering — where the team claimed the top spot.

 

 

 

 

 

vancouver

 

Vancouver

Broadcasting buff Jesse Thorn told audience members at Vancouver campus last Monday how he used his college radio show to become the youngest national host in public radio history. The crowd listened as Thorn discussed how he was able to the make his career aspirations a reality in the Internet age.

The show, first pitched as “The Sound of Young America” while Thorn was a student at the University of California at Santa Cruz, was later renamed “Bullseye” to appeal to a national audience. Today, Thorn hosts and produces “Bullseye” as well as other websites, blogs, and video series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue

SFU students attended ExpoPlaza Latina last Wednesday, an international business conference that explored Latin America as a potential market for Canadian businesses and its workforce. International speakers spoke about issues and opportunities in energy, oil and gas, cleantech, and natural resources.

ExpoPlaza Latina founder Paola Murillo said in a press release, “For us, it is important for young people who are entering the job market to understand the opportunities that are out there, whether it is here in BC, Asia or Latin America.”

 

 

 

 

University Briefs

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Recruitment company sues University of Windsor for $24M

A company hired by the University of Windsor to recruit international students is suing the school for $24.1 million, claiming that the university violated a contract between the two. Higher-Edge, which runs the Canadian University Application Centre, is alleging that the university “solicited and conspired with Higher-Edge’s personnel to divert business away from Higher-Edge and to set up a competing business.”

Higher-Edge says that it has recruited an estimated 6,300 students to the university — resulting in approximately $400 million in revenue — in return for a fee paid to them by the university. The University of Windsor is currently preparing its statement of defence.

With files from CBC News

 

U of C holds celebration of life for murder victims

University of Calgary students came together last Wednesday for a community service in honour of the five students murdered on April 15. The victims, aged 21 to 27, were stabbed to death at a house party by a fellow student.

Hosted by the university, the service gave students, faculty and staff as well as those from Mount Royal University and Alberta College of Art and Design an opportunity to remember as a community. Donna Kennedy-Glans, MLA for Calgary Varsity, said, “The community is still grieving. It’s really quite important that we get together and share stories and grieve together.”

With files from Calgary Herald

 

Anti-gay activist arrested at University of Regina

US anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera was arrested at the University of Regina last Monday after refusing to leave the campus. LaBarbera, who is with the group Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, was distributing anti-gay literature and graphic images along with fellow activist Bill Whatcott. 

The university issued a statement that the two would be monitored to ensure that they would not be promoting hatred, but when a university official asked the two to leave, they refused. The police subsequently arrived, handcuffed LaBarbera and Whatcott, and removed them. 

LaBarbera defended his right to be on the campus, saying, “The idea that you can’t have an open debate on homosexuality on a college campus and some speech code is brought in, to kick people off [. . .] seems to me to be pretty undemocratic.”

With files from Global News

 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society