Yesterday was the WORST!

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April 2, 2024

windows-XP-2 — PHOTO: Courtesy of The Peak

By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor

March 20, 2008

UGHHHH! Dear Diary,

I’m calling you a diary even though I’m writing this online cause I’m still talking about my day. So you’re still a diary to me! But just online, which Jessica probably can’t even do anyway! Back to MY story. YESTERDAY was the WORST day of my ENTIIIIIRE life.

It started this morning when my mom forgot to put the Juicy Couture tracksuit that my friends had been waiting all week to twin with in the dryer. So it was too wet to wear to school. She also didn’t let me use my Motorola flip phone to let my friends know about the situation because I went over my minutes last month. And when I tried to tell her it was because of an emergency, (I needed to quiz a friend on which celebrity she’s most compatible with in the newest J-14 magazine), she basically told me to talk to the hand. Can you believe that! She’s a life ruiner, it’s what she does!

When I got to school, I was so worried about what my friends were going to say that I stepped through a huge puddle with my sparkly Hannah Montana light-up sneakers, and the splash completely soaked the end of my dress, which I was wearing on top of my jeans. Just the worst! So I had to change into the old shirt and sweatpants I keep in my locker for gym, and when Jessica saw it (she’s super popular), she called me an outfit repeater in front of the whole class. But here she is wearing last year’s Bobby Jack monkey shirt!

Besides that, school was boring with a capital B today. All I wanted to do was go home and play Lilo and Stitch Sandwich Stacker after my friends said I couldn’t beat their records (I bet them three Silly Bandz brackets that they were wrong), but my dad was working on the family computer all night long! Not only could I not play the game, but I couldn’t even sign in to play Club Penguin with my friends, which we do EVERY night. So not cool of him! It’s like he’s trying to ruin my social life.

Anyway, I have to cut this short or else I’m going to miss the High School Musical marathon on Disney Channel, and I’m NOT missing that after the day I had yesterday. Then, I’ll download a bunch of songs using that free music website my friends told me about. My parents kept bringing it up and calling it something like a “virus” or “pirating,” but what do sick pirates have to do with music? Clearly, they need to learn a thing or two about the internet. I guess they wouldn’t know because they don’t even have their own blog, like me.

That’s it for now. I hope you liked my first blog post, and if you didn’t, then you don’t know awesomeness when it’s right in front of your eyes. Check you out tomorrow.

P.S. Here’s a song for the road

Myimmortal.mp3

P.P.S. you’re so welcome

P.P.P.S. this would make a great story title

Chat Room A: The Peak Spoof Brainstorming

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April 2, 2024

By: Izzy Cheung, staff writer

Chat started with EICExtraordinaire, ThePRODOPro, Don’tCOPYMe, and ClickShootPHOTO

Don’tCOPYMe: GM!

ThePRODOPro: Good morning y’all!

EICExtraordinaire: Hiiiiii 🙂

ClickShootPHOTO: hello hello!

Don’tCOPYMe: We’re halfway through the spring semester !!! You know what that means…

EICExtraordinaire: It’s spoof brainstorm time !!!! (★^O^★)

Don’tCOPYMe: Let’s get all the editors in here to decide!

Now entering: That’sNEWSToMe!, What’sYourOPINION?, FEATURE-ing… iHeARTyou, and BeAGoodSPORT

ThePRODOPro: Hello !! We’re starting brainstorming for our spoof issue 😀 what ideas do you all have ??

What’sYourOPINION?: OMG it’s already time for the spoof issue ???? It feels like we just finished Peakflix !!!

EICExtraordinaire: IKR!!! Time flies T_T

That’sNEWSToMe!: We could do a barbie theme?? Include lots of pink and have photos of each staff member as a barbie (＾▽＾)

iHeARTyou: soo cute, great idea（　＾＾）人（＾＾　）

Now entering: TheBestSenseOfHUMOUR

TheBestSenseOfHUMOUR: Did someone say BARBIE ???

EICExtraordinaire: ROFL

FEATURE-ing… What about a yearbook kind of format? With tips and tricks to survive the semester? 😕

ClickShootPHOTO: That would be cute <3

What’sYourOPINION?: Hmm, I like that, but it’s a little similar to the Burn Peak we did a few years ago…

BeAGoodSPORT: Maybe we should get the writers and production assistants in here to help us decide!

Now entering: TheWrite1, 2ManyStories, Don’tWriteFor3, 1News1, 2MuchNews, TheWriteSport, 1ProdoAtATime, and 2ProdoForU

1News1: Morning !!

2ManyStories: Hiiii ＼（＾＾）／

TheWrite1: Is it time for spoof brainstorming already ???

EICExtraordinaire: Yes !! Any ideas ??

1ProdoAtATime: OMG love the yearbook suggestion

2MuchNews: We could do a “most likely to” section for the yearbook one !!

EICExtraordinaire: FUNNNNN

Don’tCOPYMe: OMG what if we did something like club penguin ?!

TheWriteSport: Like old internet flash games??

BeAGoodSPORT: I love that !!

2ProdoForU: OMG

ClickShootPHOTO: That would be so fun

iHeARTyou: We could even change it to a 2000s internet kind of theme ???

TheWrite1: Yes!!! And we could even talk about 2000s music and fashion!! ^_^/

FEATURE-ing…: YESSSS

ThePRODOPro: What if we did a playlist with a bunch of our favourite 2000s songs in the style of an iPod shuffle??

TheBestSenseOfHUMOUR: YES LOVE IT

That’sNEWSToMe!: We could also include a bunch of callbacks to old internet games that we played??

2MuchNews: Poptropica!!

Don’tWriteFor3: We need LOTS of club penguin

1News1: PUFFLESSSS

EICExtraordinaire: YESSS

2ManyStories: What about some old internet memes/social media platforms ??

Don’tCOPYMe: MySpace??

EICExtraordinaire: I love how this is progressing <<3

ThePRODOPro: I think we have our idea then!

EICExtraordinaire: YAYYYY

Don’tCOPYMe: o(^o^)o

ThePRODOPro: Now we just need to figure out how to make it…

SPOOF: Brown bear is gonna be mad. . .

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April 1, 2024

Photo of a Teddy Bear — PHOTO: Teresa Howes / Pexels

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Brown bear is gonna be mad…

ONCE YOU START READING THIS DO NOT STOP OR YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK FOR 12 YEARS AND YOUR SKIN WILL BE SO DRY AND CRACKED THAT NO MOISTURIZER WILL EVER WORK AND YOU WILL BE CURSED SO THAT NO ONE WILL LOVE YOU…

Do you know Brown bear? Brown bear is a nice and soft bear… as long as you don’t make him mad. He doesn’t want to be forgotten, like the other toys. After his favourite human abandoned him, he tried to make friends with the other kids… But one day… there was a dog who wanted to play with Brown bear, but Brown bear didn’t know the dog could hurt him. His stuffing came out and was left all over the concrete sidewalk. Brown bear felt so sad, as he tried to pick up his stuffing, he thought of his favourite human — Cindy, who had abandoned him.

“None of this would have happened if Cindy hadn’t left me all alone,” Brown bear thought. His sadness quickly turned to anger, and as he failed to stitch himself back together, he became a plushie spirit. Today, he haunts all the plushies around the world, trying to find a new home. If he is accepted into a new family, he will stay there peacefully for a few years and move on to a new home before the children go to high school. But if Brown bear possesses a toy that isn’t frequently played with . . . Brown bear gets mad. He unstitches all the other plushies so that he is the only one left to play with. Brown bear isn’t evil, he just doesn’t want to be forgotten . . .

SHARE THIS EMAIL TO FIND A FOREVER HOME FOR BROWN BEAR. SEND THIS TO 13 PEOPLE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES AND YOUR STUFFIES WILL BE SAVED, YOUR CRUSH WILL KISS YOU TOMORROW MORNING, AND YOU WILL MARRY YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH

Every undergrad should do co-op

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April 1, 2024

A man working in an office — PHOTO: Microsoft 365 / Unsplash

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

If you’re in your second year of university or older, you’ve probably had speakers come into your lecture hall to do a presentation on co-op at least once in your post-secondary experience. While it’s easy to brush co-op off as extra work or an unnecessary means of extending your degree, I firmly believe that cooperative education is one of the best experiences an undergraduate student can have. Not only is it a chance to gain relative work experience in your field, but it can also open up doors for networking opportunities.

The co-op program at SFU aims to blend your education with paid employment. To receive a special co-op designation on your diploma when you graduate, you must complete three semesters of work. These work terms are often four months long and are alternated with academic coursework toward your degree. Alternating your work and study semesters allows you the opportunity to grow your portfolio, build valuable professional connections, and make money at the same time. Between study semesters, I worked a full-time position related to my area of study: communication. This helped me look at what kind of jobs I could get with my degree. Co-op can provide you with a paid position, and also opens dialogue around your career trajectory during and after your work experience.

University courses are great for understanding the theoretical aspects of our area of study, but they don’t always offer practical or hands-on work experience that is necessary to have in a professional setting. Through co-op as a communication and marketing intern, I learned how to cultivate skills like public speaking for a corporate audience, engaging in community conversations and activism, and technical writing outside of academia.

By taking a chance on co-op, you are taking a chance on yourself. After getting through the application process, you will find yourself excited and eager to take on the experience, wherever your co-op placement may be. You might make a new friend, cultivate a meaningful connection with one of your colleagues, or even explore an unexpected career path. Whatever your work experience brings, you will be pleasantly surprised with the knowledge it leaves you with.

The Bright-er Side: End of semester

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April 1, 2024

Student leaving campus — PHOTO: Amrit Kamaal / The Peak

By: Jin Song, SFU Student

I’m really not the first to comment on how fast time passes. Still, let it be known that I, for one, blinked twice and the semester was over. Between the blur of assignments, the mundanity of going to lectures every day, and the humbleness of everyday student life, this semester just happened so quickly.

And you know what? That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

A quote by Douglas Harding I think about often is, “It’s the very last thing, isn’t it: we feel grateful for having happened. You know, you needn’t have happened! But you did happen.”

Familiarity makes time speed up — in our perceptions, at least. Neuroscientist David Eagleman explains, “The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass.”

Though we are constantly learning new things as students, it’s startlingly easy to fall into a routine. We adapt to our schedules, and sometimes it may feel like we’re stuck in the mundane routine of academia while our friends are off on new adventures.

As this semester draws to a close, some of us may already be preparing for courses in the summer, while others have different plans. Regardless, it’s a time as good as any to remember that our ordinary, monotonous lives are inherently remarkable, that our very existence is miraculous.

Don’t separate the artist from their art

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April 1, 2024

Photo of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, from Harry Potter

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of antisemitism and grooming of minors

Elvis Presley is one of the most influential artists of all time. His characterization in the film Elvis (2022), shows the profound impact he had on the music industry, such as his commanding stage presence and charismatic vocals. What the film doesn’t show is the star singer’s crude and controlling treatment of his 14-year-old wife, Priscilla. It also doesn’t include the multiple other women he was seeing during their marriage, nor does it include his disgusting tendency to pursue relationships with underage girls. His views toward women are evident in his music, which reflect sexism and objectification. Elvis is just one example of many artists whose troubling beliefs or actions are overlooked for the sake of entertainment. Despite the urge to view art as its own entity to be enjoyed, art cannot be separated from the artist.

Artists don’t need to be perfect to be appreciated. However, there are certain actions that can’t be excused. Famously problematic artist Kanye West has a long history of making antisemitic remarks outside of his music. His derogatory beliefs also appear in his lyrics, demonstrating the effect his prejudices have on his artwork. As long as artists have a hand in making a piece, their thoughts, beliefs, and actions can’t be separated from it. Explicitly or implicitly, ideology affects art.

While Harry Potter has been hailed for raising a new generation of readers, it is not without its faults — faults we shouldn’t brush past due to nostalgia. A lot of the “diverse” characters in these books were heavily stereotyped. A girl named “Cho Chang” (which is typically two surnames) was the only East Asian character in the entire series, never mind the fact that she had very little personality depth, making it hard for readers to resonate with her. Her name, role, and the fact that she was placed in “Ravenclaw” (the house known for intelligence) perpetuates commonly-used stereotypes about East Asians. JK Rowling is also a self-proclaimed transphobe, and her transphobic remarks have reached the point where actors and actresses from the film adaptations of her books have spoken out about their support for the trans community. Other negative characterizations and stereotypes include the lacklustre treatment of Pavarti and Padma Patil in the fourth book, as well as the antisemitic comparisons of Gringotts’ goblins to Jewish people — which perpetuate antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish people owning banks and having pointed noses. It’s hard to enjoy art when you don’t feel like you belong within the community that celebrates it. Even if you don’t feel personally offended by these things, solidarity with marginalized groups is important. We shouldn’t just brush away these problems because it doesn’t affect us and we want to enjoy media guilt-free.

Even when not explicit, the beliefs of each individual artist are embedded within the works they create. These beliefs or actions aren’t just a “stain” on an artist’s reputation, but a genuine part of who they are. Celebrating these artists shows that we can tolerate their actions and allows them a platform to continue their harm. Buying the next Kanye West album or the next JK Rowling novel still financially supports the creators, even if we claim to disagree with their beliefs. Separating art from the artist leaves them unaccountable for their actions. Art is subjective; bigotry is not.

What’s Going On in Stanley Park?

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EIC

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April 1, 2024

Twin Peaks blurs the lines between reality and the unconscious mind

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March 30, 2024

A hazy photo of a road surrounded by wilderness and mountain leading around a curve and a sign that says “welcome to twin peaks.” — PHOTO: Courtesy of Lynch/Frost Productions

By: Yildiz Subuk, SFU Student

Content warning: mention of death.

Shows like The Sopranos and The Simpsons are frequently mentioned as the most groundbreaking shows of all time, and while there is merit to those claims, there is one show that often gets overlooked in discussions around shows that redefined television: Twin Peaks, which first aired its pilot episode on April 8, 1990.

At the time, David Lynch was one of the most fascinating art house film directors, well known for writing and directing surrealist films such as Eraserhead. Surrealism is an artistic approach to cinema that reveals aspects of the unconscious mind, containing irrational and abstract elements, and letting them bleed into reality. Surrealism has become synonymous with Lynch’s work, which often focuses on evoking a haunting, abstract, and dream-like atmosphere, revealing deeper parts of characters’ subconscious. The surrealism and abstraction Lynch added to Twin Peaks, along with other elements, made it one of the most mind-bending and distinctive shows of the ‘90s, the influence of which still remains radiant today. Its umbrella of influence includes shows such as The Sopranos, Atlanta, Stranger Things, Lost and many more.

Initially framed as a murder mystery, Twin Peaks begins with a man coming across the dead body of the town’s homecoming queen, Laura Palmer. From there the show becomes a lot weirder. From the first episode it’s clear Twin Peaks is not concerned about telling a “who-dunnit” style story, and instead the focus is on creating an unforgettable atmosphere, town, and characters. The mystery at hand reveals the bizarre aspects of the town of Twin Peaks, such as its supernatural happenings, dark secrets hidden by the characters, hallucinations, dreams, and unforgettable quirks. The protagonist, Dale Cooper (Kyle Maclachlan), is an FBI agent who, unlike most man police protagonists, has a wholesome charm, and treats others with respect. Dale perfectly encapsulates a kind-hearted spirit, visiting a place shrouded in ambiguity and surrounded by the supernatural.

The dream-like aspect of Twin Peaks can be terrifying, psychologically warping, downright nonsensical, beautiful, and also absurdly hilarious. The acting in the show can be off-putting at first glance, as the characters alternate between behaving like normal humans and then switching to over-exaggerated soap opera caricatures. The idiosyncratic method of acting in Twin Peaks can make the show feel a lot more like witnessing a dream where the audience is left laughing hysterically or uneasy, than a serial drama with a tightly-paced plot. The continuity in Twin Peak’s narrative relies less on plot, and more on presenting the audience with abstractions and multiple mysteries to ponder.

Twin Peaks has three parts, which includes the original show, which aired for two seasons from 1990–1991, a film called Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), which was horrifying and dark prequel (that should be watched only after completing the first two seasons), and Twin Peaks: The Return, in 2017, which essentially served as an even more abstract third season of the show. Each part should be watched in order of their release date.

When the show first aired, there had been other shows that challenged audiences, such as the Twilight Zone (1959–1964), which presented philosophical dilemmas through the use of sci-fi and fantasy, but none that pushed the boundaries of what television is and could be like Twin Peaks. Many shows have borrowed from Twin Peaks, but recreating the same atmosphere, filled with brilliant genre-bending that leaves audiences wrapping their heads around the show for years, seems impossible.

A hate letter to my immune system

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March 27, 2024

Woman laying in bed blowing her nose. — PHOTO: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

By: Kelly Chia, Editor-in-Sick

Dear body,

We’ve had our differences these past two months, huh? Since you’ve wrecked my stomach day after day for no apparent reason, I gave up garlic and onions. Apparently they can irritate your sensitive system. I did that FOR YOU. And you know what? It didn’t make a difference! #AlliumsareAlright. So thanks for three weeks of avoiding some of my favourite foods in the world to figure out what works for you. Give a girl some consistency!

Well. There’s one thing you can be less consistent about.

That’s actually what I’m writing to you about today. Yeah, besides the tummy issues, you and I have a . . . problem. I know you’re trying your best, and public transit is rife with air-borne illness, but come on. I’ve started to count the months between being ill. We are well for a measly month and a half before something happens. And last week? You decided to take me out again! Do you know how much my co-workers hear me do an impression of Donald Duck because my throat goes all hoarse?!

I try my best to keep you safe — I socialize with the same group of people, I mask everywhere, and I wash my hands. I take vitamins, I sleep well . . . I do my part! I’m just asking you for a simple favour. I need you to not look at a cough and turn it into a week-long affair. Or more: remember when we were sick for a month?

Well. It’s not all you. We always cringe when people cough or sneeze loudly next to us without covering their faces. The CDC has all but dropped essential COVID-19 protections, and now we have to worry about measles, too. Again! It was supposed to be eliminated!

And, well, clearly if my doctors say to just wait out that constant dry cough we get, that’s all it is. But you can’t also be pumping out anxiety on top of that! Think of little old me.

The point is: I can’t be taken out constantly by some minor ailment, body. There’s only so many times my coworkers can hear me cough over Google Meet before they start conspiring to get me! At least push it to three months so I can blame my sickness on the season. It’s embarrassing at this point, okay?!

I’m holding a truce: you don’t subject me to sounding like a horse, I don’t get milkshakes and pizza every week. Deal?

Casting for Love Is Blind: SFU Edition is underway

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March 27, 2024