The art of storytelling

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November 18, 2013

We probably all remember being children and listening to bedtime stories with rapt fascination; the stories seemed magical and beautiful, coming to life as our parents or grandparents read to us. As we grew older, we learned to internalize the magic and read on our own, but the feeling of being entranced by an oral tale never truly goes away.

That is the very feeling that Lizzy Karp and Karen Pichen drew on when they set up Rain City Chronicles, a series of live storytelling events that take place around Vancouver. Karp, after moving from Toronto, was disappointed to find that there weren’t really any events established to connect and meet with creative people. She formed Rain City Chronicles with Pichen in 2009 with the aim of showcasing the stories of Vancouverites and their city.

Since the organization began, Rain City has run several successful events with themes ranging from hotel stories to the hilarious misadventures of driving cross country. This past summer, they also hosted an event showcasing the culture of Chinatown. Of her storytellers, Karp says, “We don’t try to find expert speakers, or people who are the best in their field. We find people from all walks of life, some who had never even been on stage before, to tell their stories.”

Stories are also brought to life through song and banter by local musicians. The project is non-profit, designed to bring people together in the spirit of a relaxed community, and Karp focuses on finding intergenerational storytellers that can provide hilarious and inspirational stories for her audiences. Indeed, the community of sharing stories truly is a special and intimate experience. All of the money made from ticket sales goes right into making future shows the best that they can be.

We find people from all walks of life, some who had never even been on stage before, to tell their stories.”

Lizzy Karp, co-founder of Rain City Chronicles

On Nov. 21 and 22, Rain City will be going back to the embarrassing yet endearing days of public school in their two part series, “ Pencils and Playgrounds” (Elementary School Tales) and “Chalk and Lockers” (High School Stories). Of the event, Karp says, “There are so many funny and awkward school stories. It’s a really unique time that everyone goes through and they really remember these stories. I wanted to bring the show into unexpected places, so I contacted the Vancouver School Board and they loved the idea.”

Taking place at Strathcona Elementary and Templeton High School — two schools with a rich history in Vancouver — attendees will gather to reminisce about their most memorable school moments. Teachers and principals from the Vancouver School Board will recount their experiences, along with people from across Canada. Rain City is also partnering with a pop up restaurant and three chefs will serve dinner at the school cafeteria to recreate the aura of a nostalgic cafeteria experience.

Oral culture in Vancouver is beautiful and, according to Karp, should be preserved. Of storytelling in the Internet age, she says, “Live, oral storytelling is really important right now [in order] to create an immediate connection that people experience at first with themselves, and then with the people around them. Everybody becomes a part of the story, which is something we don’t experience online. There is a hunger for that. That is why Rain City Chronicles continues to grow.”

Clan add to trophy case

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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It was quite the week for the SFU men’s soccer team. Coming off the high of their double-overtime win against Seattle Pacific, the Clan capped off their regular season with plenty of hardware.

The team swept the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Awards, including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year, to go along with their fourth-straight GNAC title.

Then, the team blew out its first-round competition at the NCAA Div. II national tournament in Los Angeles.

Junior midfielder Chris Bargholz earned Player of the Year honours, improving on his second-team all-star nod from a year ago; it also marked the third-straight year a Clan athlete has won the award. Sophomore Alex Rowley captured Defensive Player of the Year honours while defender Magnus Kristensen was named Freshman of the Year.

Head coach Alan Koch won Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive season, having won it each year his team has been in the NCAA.

But, the Clan are still in the hunt for that one trophy that’s eluded them so far: a Division II championship. They started the chase off on the right foot however, with a dominant 5–0 win against the California Baptist University Lancers in the first round of the NCAA Championship.

SFU scored early and often in the match, putting up four goals on the Lancers before the first half ended. It was freshman defender Alexander Kleefeldt who opened the scoring on a rocket from almost 30 yards out — but it was Rowley who was the star of the contest.

Entering the win-or-go-home game with no goals on the season, he picked a good time to score his first two tallies of the year. He scored the Clan’s second and fourth goals of the game, the latter coming just moments before the first half came to a close.

His two goals sandwiched a Ryan Dhillon tally, as SFU cruised to a four-goal lead after 45 minutes. Sophomore Colin Jacques, the Clan’s leading point-getter, scored the fifth and final goal of the game midway through the second half, which was little more than a 45-minute formality.

“Amazing performance by the lads tonight,” said head coach Alan Koch after the game. “The desire and the willingness to work for each other was evident for the full 90 minutes. I am incredibly proud of this group of players.”

The win pushes the Clan to the second round of the Div. II tournament, and one step closer to that one last piece of hardware, a National Championship.

University Briefs

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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RCMP receive tips on UBC sexual assaults

Since releasing a sketch of the suspect in the recent rash of sexual assaults at the University of British Columbia, RCMP have received 57 tips, as of Nov. 6.

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Peter Thiessen stated, “Investigators are prioritizing these tips that have been coming in from individuals across the province and country. We continue to work diligently and thoroughly with all the new information, and are hopeful that we will soon identify the suspect responsible for these assaults.”

The police describe the suspect as a Caucasian male in his mid to late 20s or early 30s, between 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-2, with a long, round chin and face with a straight nose, broad forehead, and short dark hair.

With files from The Ubyssey

Students go chasing waterfalls

Residents at St. Francis Xavier University’s Power Hall AB had a rude awakening on Sunday, Nov. 10 when a flood swept through the residence building. The flood resulted in severe damages to the building, and uprooted the tenants.

Issues with the hot water tank on the fourth floor caused the tank to rupture and water flowed into the three apartments directly below. Damage was limited to the apartments’ kitchens and family rooms. The floors, walls, and ceilings will need to be replaced — work started the same day to repair the damage.

With files from The Xaverian Weekly

McGill prof accused of death threat

Last week, 10 students interrupted a lecture by McGill professor Gary Dunphy, chanting “hey hey, ho, ho, racist profs have got to go.”

The protest was a reaction to reports from earlier this year that Dunphy allegedly harassed graduate student Amr El-Orabi, who then chose to leave McGill to return to his home in Egypt.

Dunphy allegedly made death threats towards El-Orabi, which were captured on a voice recording and shared with Global News. On the recording, El-Orabi can be heard asking, “Is there anything else that you want from me now?” Dunphy then replied, “Yes, your death.”

With files from The McGill Daily

Save democracy through democracy

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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Comedian and actor Russell Brand set out to bring attention to what he felt was a major issue last month when he appeared on Jeremy Paxman’s talk show. His argument, as summarized in a follow up he wrote for The Guardian, was that “democracy is irrelevant” because the priorities of the government don’t seem to line up with those of “the people.” However, given the seemingly endless struggle of countless numbers of people throughout history to achieve the very democracy he so willingly disregards, I believe that his line of thinking is fundamentally flawed.

To Brand, voting is a useless endeavour since the government’s priorities, as he told The Guardian, “remain the interests of big business, rather than the people they were elected to serve.” As a result, he wrote, “the impact of voting is negligible and it is our responsibility to be more active if we want real change.”

In his rant-like piece, he goes on to state that, “the lazily duplicitous servants of The City expect us to gratefully participate in what amounts to little more than . . . choos[ing] what colour tie the liar who leads us wears.” Among the strong words and seemingly unrelated examples, however, he seems to be missing any sort of action plan for how change can be brought forth without the democratic process.

It is easy to understand, at least, where Mr. Brand is coming from. Many of our political representatives do tend to come from affluent backgrounds, and some do have ties to major corporations. I don’t think there is a system more fundamentally fair than democracy, though.

How would we possibly elect more favourable leadership without democratically choosing it?

In case Brand has forgotten, democracy involves citizens being voted into office by their fellow citizens. Sure, multinational corporations and special interest groups can throw millions of dollars into the process, but at the end of the day, it is not money that touches ballots. Nearly anyone can run for office and, given the support of their constituents, win a position to represent their fellow citizens. The question following Brand’s outburst remains, then, how would we possibly elect more favourable leadership without democratically choosing it?

On the heels of Remembrance Day, it is difficult not to think of the millions over the course of human history, and most notably in the 20th century, who have laid down their lives to secure the right to vote. Though Brand and similarly politically indifferent individuals may be too far removed from such situations to consider this, many people still struggle every day for the basic freedom of democracy. It is one thing to not enthusiastically support a specific political party or candidate, but to declare this political system irrelevant or unimportant simply when one’s choices don’t seem good enough devalues the ongoing sacrifice given to attain it.

The only way to save democracy is through democracy. Neither outlandish rants on talk shows nor staying home on election day will cause even a single instance of real change in society. Brand can continue to call for a ‘revolution’ as election periods all over the world pass him by and, ironically, if he gets his wish, the same subset of people continue to be elected to office.

The reason for this is not a corrupted system, but rather that those voting are engaging the political system and making their selection based on their collective interests. If major political change is in the minds of the majority, that result should, and hopefully will, come about from ballot boxes rather than on set in front of a camera.

In light of the struggle and sacrifice necessary to attain it, while the democratic system may be flawed, that is no reason to abandon it all together.

Rob Ford should not step down

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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WEB-rob ford-Toronto Mayor Rob Ford-flickr copy

In an almost comical amount of controversy, Toronto mayor Rob Ford has become the target of a call to step down resulting from the video which surfaced of him smoking crack. In case you have been living under a rock, no, that’s not a joke. And frankly, it falls perfectly in line with the rest of his behaviour throughout his adult life.

However, given that he is currently clearly dealing with difficult substance abuse issues, and that the video comes to us from career criminals attempting to profit, I do not believe that this situation is enough for him to be forcibly removed from office. Rather, it should entitle him to support from the community and trained professionals to work towards recovery.

I should note first, though, that due to his ridiculous actions, I do not believe that Ford is qualified to be mayor of a Foursquare location, much less of a major city. In the late 90s, at 29, he was charged with driving under the influence in Florida, which he lied about in his 2010 mayoral race. During his time as an elected representative, he’s suggested a ‘public lynching’ in place of a public meeting about a homeless shelter, been accused of inappropriately touching a female political opponent during a photo-op, and been kicked out of a Maple Leafs game, among many other offences. Given how difficult it must, or should, have been, him being elected and keeping his position is bizarrely endearing.

This particular offense of alleged crack use, though, should not be considered grounds for dismissal. Amongst all the excitement of some actually interesting news in Canadian politics, we can’t overlook the circumstances under which this video emerged.

In early May of this year, an alleged gang member showed the video to a Toronto Star reporter in the back seat of a car, hoping to sell it. The man’s plan nearly came to fruition as Gawker tried to raise $200,000 to buy the footage, while radio station Newstalk 1010 was given the chance to purchase it for $20,000.

This is not the kind of behaviour that should dictate major political change in this country. Deals that involve a Kickstarter named “Crackstarter,” as Gawker’s is, should not be admissible in the sphere of rational discussion. Ford was basically being held hostage by known drug dealers in exchange for their profit. If Ford is removed from office over this matter, it sets the precedent that thugs can have a profound influence on Canadian politics.

The media and various internet “journalists” have also glossed over the fact that substance abuse, such as the use of crack or large amounts of alcohol, is still regarded as a disease. Rob Ford has openly admitted that he struggles with alcohol, stating that he used crack in “a drunken haze.” The manner in which alcoholism has been, in this case, labeled mocked and used as a means to judge Ford is completely unacceptable in a nation aware of “invisible” illnesses, as Canada is.

This man is clearly not well, and should be supported by the community to battle his demons rather than be called on to resign. Canada is lucky enough to be reaching a point at which such issues are not demonized, but rather faced with a helping hand. Abandoning this could further stigmatize these issues, and deter other sufferers from coming forward.

Despite Ford showing lack of character becoming of the mayor of a major city, and the fact that he really should seek some rehabilitation for an apparent battery of issues, neither the existence of the now infamous crack video nor his substance abuse should mandate his removal from office. The involvement of career criminals with the mayor’s ongoing personal issues should shift the gears of discussion away from his removal and towards finding him help and a path to wellness.

In the line of fire

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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When I first published a story last month entitled, “SFSS internal conflict follows alleged physical altercation,” I knew that I was starting a fire. It’s an extremely sensitive topic in a tinderwood climate: conflict in a governing body, an alleged altercation between a man and a woman. Potential violence.

When I was first approached about the Oct. 11 incident, I knew it was something I wanted to shed light on as fairly and evenly as possible, a line that would be difficult to walk. I didn’t expect that in trying to maintain that line, I was putting myself in the line of fire.

As a community paper, part of The Peak’s mandate — and one that falls largely on the news section — is to act as a watchdog for the institutions that students place their trust and livelihood in. Whether that institution is the university administration, the graduate, or the undergraduate student society, or one of the many programs that student money goes towards, The Peak included, we’re responsible for reporting on what’s being done and discussed.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not a trained journalist, or even a journalist in training. None of The Peak staff is, as SFU doesn’t have a formal journalism school. I came to SFU to pursue my degree in English. I wanted to write. I came to news because I showed a genuine interest in campus affairs and an ability to write cleanly.

As news editor, it has been my job to follow the affairs of the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), a body that represents all undergraduate SFU students and collects fees from them each semester. Student fees pay the wages and stipends of the volunteers and staff members, including the board of directors. Students are given further power in the SFSS through the election process, where a new board of directors is elected each spring.

After the piece on the alleged incident was published, the hammer came down. The online article got the most traffic, and the most comments, that The Peak website has ever had. Comments ranged from civil to . . . not so much. Comments and backlash were directed at everyone involved in the article. It turns out they were also directed at me.

I was called “patriarchal,” “victim-shaming,” and “the SFU counterpart” to UBC rape culture.

I knew that writing a piece exposing conflict in the SFSS might strain my relationship with that society; however, I did not expect personal attacks from strangers. I was called “patriarchal,” “victim-shaming,” and “the SFU counterpart” to UBC rape culture by a reader who believed that I had portrayed Monique Ataei unfairly.

With any important issue, it’s important that you, as a reader, are critical of how the story has been presented. Has it considered both sides? Does it use leading language? Completely unbiased writing is almost impossible to achieve, but it’s something I aim for.

I would be lying if I said that the process of publishing the story hasn’t made me wary of looking into something like this. And as I will be leaving the news editor position after this semester, it will no longer be my job to do so. I think what I would like to leave readers with is a fairly simple message about how you consume and react to your news, based on my personal experience.

So please, don’t shoot the messenger.

Board Shorts

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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Build SFU Undergraduate Student Bursary

As part of the proposal to create a new student union building and stadium at SFU Burnaby, the SFSS will be implementing a bursary program to help undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need.

Starting January 1, 2014, the SFSS will be charging a $10 new membership levy to all students, to increase by $10 every subsequent year until 2022. The levy will cover the costs of funding construction, maintenance, and utility fees. The board is putting three per cent of collected fees into the bursary, which is meant to reimburse students in financial need. Any surplus will be rolled over into the next semester.

Board members brought up concerns as to the small value of the bursary, which is set to match the levy (which currently stands at $10). Because students in need of financial assistance will most likely be applying for other bursaries, the decision was made to offer the Build SFU Bursary directly through Financial Aid and Awards.

Mediation Following Oct. 11 Incident

President Humza Khan gave an update on the progress of the mediation of the Oct. 11 incident between directors Monique Ataei and Moe Kopahi, reporting that Ataei met with mediator Paula Boddie for the first time over the weekend.

Khan also said that the terms of reference between the society and Boddie were still being drafted, as a point that was omitted has not yet been added. The particulars of the point were discussed in-camera.

External relations officer, Chardaye Bueckert, expressed concern about the pace of the investigation, pointing out that the incident occurred over a month ago. Khan agreed, and welcomed any help from other directors who may be able to offer it.

Independent Electoral Commission

The Board has opened nominations for the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which “is the body responsible for ensuring that SFSS elections are free, fair, democratic, and honest, and that all candidates play by the same rules.”

As little interest has been shown thus far in the position of CEO, the board is planning to increase their advertising of the position through social media, the website, and an ad in The Peak.

The CEO’s term is set to begin on Dec. 1, 2013, after which the elected party will be responsible for recommending applicants for IEC commissioners, whom the Board of Directors appoints. According to the SFSS Policy Manual, advertisements for candidates for appointment to any position on the IEC, including the CEO, must be posted at least two weeks prior to the date of the board meeting on which appointments will be made.

SFU football earn first home win of 2013

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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The Clan football team is finally back in the win column following their domination of Humboldt State University in their second last game of the season.

SFU earned their third win of 2013, and their first home victory of the season beating the Lumberjacks 38–17 on Terry Fox Field. In a cold evening match-up, the Clan held a 24-0 lead at the half after a dominant performance from their defensive line, shutting the 2012 GNAC champions out handily.

Senior Casey Chin led the defense with 15 tackles and three sacks on the night, earning him the GNAC Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week award. Mitchell Barnett added 10 tackles of his own to the Clan’s efforts, as the defense allowed 15 points less than their season average.

The Clan offence returned to form in the game, with star running-back Chris Tolbert opening the scoring with an eight yard touch-down run. He would score one other touchdown in the game, running for 153 yards on the evening. It was senior wide-receiver Tore Corrado with the highlight of the night however, returning a Humboldt State kickoff 99-yards for his second touchdown of the season. Quarterback Ryan Stanford also had a good night with two touchdowns and 220 yards through the air. One of those marked the first touchdown for wide receiver Lemar Durant since the season opener, after an injury kept him on the sideline for six games.

The Clan men will close their 2013 campaign at home facing the 2013 GNAC Champions from Asuza Pacific University. The 3–6 Clan will look to boost their season record to a respectable 4-6, as they host their annual Seniors Game, honouring athletes who will finish their eligibility as of that game. To earn the win, the Clan will need to pull together as a team and fire on all cylinders to pull off an upset victory and close out a disappointing 2013 with a bang.

Woohoo, Boohoo

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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Woohoo: activism

Activists from a Vancouver-based group, Rising Tide, recently protested Premier Christy Clark’s collaborative decision with Alberta Premier, Alison Redford, to install the infamous pipeline that would link oil sands in Northern Alberta with the oil-needy on the West Coast.

The group set up fake pipes and a fake oil rig on Clark’s lawn while she was home to protest the pipeline, drawing particular attention to the fact that fracking — the process this pipeline would involve — has made some household water in northeastern BC not only undrinkable, but also dangerous for children’s skin.

It’s pretty flippin’ awesome that people are taking the pipeline and its possible consequences so seriously, and such a public demonstration is definitely drawing huge amounts of attention to the issue.

Boohoo: trespassing

Illegal activity such as this, though, puts more focus on the protesters than the protest. I made a similar argument earlier in the year about self-proclaimed anarchists burning down housing developments in the downtown Eastside to protest gentrification. Acts like this, that break the law, put attention on the protesters, and separate the issues further from the general public.

The general public, whose opinion these protesters should be attempting to sway, are less inclined to take a group seriously when they don’t follow the rules. Sure, they’re raising awareness to the issue, and sure, they’re probably pissing of Clark, but this puts more attention on the group than the issue. I doubt Clark will see any reason to change her opinion on the topic in light of activists annoying her in this extreme, and I doubt the general public will be swayed on the issue when the extremity of the protest takes precedent over the issues behind it.

While the group’s intentions are good, these activities create a divide between the voting, generally law-abiding public, and themselves. What reason would the average citizen have to join such a group, if they could potentially be viewed as anti-societal in doing so?

Man forced to rant angrily about late bus too tired to verbally abuse family

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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SURREY — A 25-minute delay of the 319 bus at Scott Road Station last night has left a local man completely eviscerated after he had no choice but to spend the entirety of his wait loudly complaining to everyone he met.

Although John Frippman, 37, would end up making it home in “fucking twice as long as it should fucking take if only TransLink weren’t so fucked up,” according to family members he was completely depleted of his usual violent rage.

“He just wanted to sit quietly and watch TV” his wife Joan told The Peak in a shaky voice. “He didn’t even have the energy to take any anger out on me or the kids!”

She went on to explain that John used to always get home early and lambaste them with all his problems but recently the persistently late bus has caused him to be lifeless, and almost pleasant to be around at home.

“Last night he was so angry about the late bus that he didn’t even have the energy to yell at our son for being five minutes late on his curfew,” Joan continued, almost breaking down in to tears “TransLink is tearing apart our perfectly disfunctional family!”

While Joan has said that she’s been doing her best to make up for her husband’s lack of anger by flying off the handle over day-to-day minutia, she said she just isn’t able to replace the feeling of unsafety that used to exist in their house.”

“Sure, I’ve been fully capable of making our house unpleasant but it’s just not the same” Joan explained. “We used to be honestly terrified for our lives, but I haven’t had those feelings in weeks!”

According to those who have seen Frippman at the station, however, he is at the top of his insane anger game.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him out there, he really gives it his all,” said a fellow transit user who’s been privy to his late night bus riding rants. “He gets right up in everybody’s faces and goes off on everything from TransLink, bus drivers, the government, Obamacare . . . it must be exhausting.”

While Frippman has expressed interest in returning some of his irrational anger to his homelife, he says he feels conflicted over his responsibilities to all the people at Scott Road Station Bay 7.

“Without me, everyone would just stand in silence waiting for a late bus and be completely unaware of how much they were getting ripped-off,” Frippman said of his duties as a 20-minute-a-night transit revolutionary.

“Someone has to band these people together into a pointless feeling of anger, and I seem to be the only one willing to step up to the plate.”

Frippman went on to say that as long the bus keeps being late, he will rant about it but has vowed to work extra-hard to save some negative energy for his wife and kids. However he also stated it may be impossible if he ever has a late bus and an incompetent Wendy’s employee in the same day.