Woohoo, Boohoo

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November 18, 2013

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.

Canvas takes over

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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At the end of December, WebCT will officially be retired from use at SFU. Canvas, an open source learning management system (LMS) by provider Instructure, was chosen as its replacement.

Implementation started at the beginning of the spring 2013 semester and was tested by eight SFU courses as part of a pilot project. The implementation expanded in the summer semester to the point where approximately 5,000 students were using Canvas.

“The implementation has actually been going really well, and we’re quite a bit ahead of schedule, actually,” said Mark Bachmann, communications officer at the Teaching and Learning Centre.

This semester, it was originally forecasted that half of of LMS courses would be delivered in Canvas. In reality, over three quarters of classes used the new platform, something that Bachmann is excited about.

Bachmann points to the fact that more instructors using Canvas than expected as proof that faculty are responding well to the pilot, something that has been echoed in student feedback.

“In terms of Canvas support, the help desks are reporting that there’s less activity than there has been in the past, even though they’re dealing with a new learning management system,” said Bachmann. “Either that means that Canvas is very easy to use, or it means that students are quick to learn. Probably both.”

According to Bachmann, in surveys of the pilot project done at the end of the summer semester, 64 per cent of students were either satisfied or very satisfied with Canvas, and 58 per cent rated it as easy to use.

While the progress of Canvas overtaking WebCT has been quicker than expected, Bachmann said there is still room for improvement.

That means that Canvas is very easy to use, or . . . that students are quick to learn. Probably both.”

– Mark Bachmann, Teaching and Learning Centre communications officer

One huge, and previously unexpected, improvement to the system, is the agreement with Instructure to create a mobile app, something that was not thought possible considering BC’s strict privacy legislation that doesn’t allow institutions like SFU to host information on the Cloud.

However, SFU and Instructure have negotiated an agreement to create a mobile app that doesn’t use Kaltura, a platform for hosting and delivering content that is built right into cloud versions of systems. Instructure and SFU will be building the Canvas app separated from Kaltura, so that it complies with BC legislation.

According to Bachmann, the Canvas mobile app should be available sometime in the spring 2014 semester.

One of the main strengths of Canvas over WebCT is the fact that it is an open source platform, which allows it to be constantly adding new features to the system. With the open source aspect, instructors are able to build their own modules, such as grammar tools or plagiarism checks, that can then be used by other faculty members.

Further adding to its flexibility, Canvas also uses Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), which allows the system to integrate third-party plugins and modules. Bachmann believes as faculty become more accustomed to the system, use of LTI and modules will deepen the capabilities of the system.

Poet’s Corner: Coffee house

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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Pound down the pavement

Rain is falling, on me, on my hair, on my face, on my back, all of me

I’m soaked

It’s miserable out

It’s beautiful out

Open the glass door to coffee house

Door to another world

Hit by a wave of damp, warm air bearing a strong aroma

Coffee; with a hint of mildew and a dash of despair

It’s beautiful in here too

Coffee made by a misty-eyed university drop out in a heavy metal tee shirt

I order a cappuccino and he makes me a latte

Perfection

Sit by the window, let the light seep in, watch the rain fall down

Somewhere someone else is miserable out there

Makes me feel warm and protected sitting inside with my coffee

They say you watch the world go by but it comes too, it comes and it goes

It does not forget

The Coffee house

Architects propose uses for SUB space

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November 18, 2013

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On Friday, Nov. 8, SUB architects held a public presentation to update the SFU community on their current vision for the project. The architects have narrowed down the sites to Main Street and Crossroads, as the Treehouse site was not preferred by students.

The presentation centered around their preliminary plans for the Student Union Building (SUB) space as well as their space programming interpretations of the information collected from students.

After reviewing the feedback from students collected during Build SFU’s Focus Group sessions, the architects have come up with four areas of focus as outlined in the benchmark statement: student focus, sense of community, outstanding design, and nature.

The team outlined a desire to create the SUB as the “heart of the student experience.”

For student focus, the team outlined a desire to create the SUB as the “heart of the student experience” that instills unity among students, pride in their school, and includes a clear “wow factor.” They also hope to create a sense of community in a comfortable, fun, welcoming space which provides a “home-away-from-home” for students.

With regards to design and nature, the team plans for the SUB to be a focal point or “postcard image” of the campus living room that allows students to connect with the natural mountain environment of the Burnaby Campus.

Marc Fontaine, Build SFU general manager, shared with The Peak the proposed space program for the building, which outlines the net square footage (NSF) allotments for different uses of the space in both Main Street and Crossroads. There is approximately 105,000 NSF total available on each site, and that space is split up similarly in both options.

For administration, which encompasses the SFSS board offices and general office, both sites have allotted 3,553 NSF.

Both sites have also designated 16,750 NSF for student activities, organizations, services, and clubs. This space includes eight proposed ‘organization suites’ which are meant for departments of SFSS or other student organizations that are “student centred,” like the FNSA or the Women’s Centre.

These suites come in two sizes: 1,320 NSF, which is roughly the current size of the Women’s Centre, and 820 NSF, which roughly equates to Out on Campus’ current size. However, Build SFU is planning to create more suites than there are current groups.

“If a group was created in two years and it’s a really active group and the Student Society at that time wanted to provide a space to assist with its function and growth, that group wouldn’t be disadvantaged by not having existed today,” explained Fontaine.

Both sites also feature 12,730 NSF of designated meeting and multi-purpose space. The plans include four meeting rooms which would hold 20 to 25 people, 15 meeting rooms for four to six people, one formal meeting room, one dance rehearsal space, two music rehearsal spaces, and a ‘cabaret’ space which would act as an informal stage or performance space.

There would also be a 4,000 NSF mutli-purpose room, which could be used for lectures or other public events.

The sites differed in their division of space concerning Food Services and Lounge areas. In the proposed Main Street building, architects allotted 10,650 NSF for food and beverage services; in comparison, Crossroads only has 2,950 NSF, which is planned for a coffee shop and dining seats. Fontaine explained this decision, saying, “The Crossroads site can tie directly into the food court in [MBC].”

What this means for Crossroads is that with the extra space, architects were able to designate 17,060 NSF for lounge area. Compare this with 9,500 NSF in the proposed Main Street building. Lounge space includes features like common areas, quiet study space, games areas (one in Main Street and two in Crossroads), group lounge space (for between 90 and 200 people), and a multi-purpose foyer.

When asked whether this difference could be a key determinant in which building is chosen, Fontaine replied, ““It could be one of the factors. It’s definitely a big piece.”

PED use should result in lifetime ban

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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Performance-enhancing drugs (PED) use is one of the utmost concerns in the professional sporting world, as the deterioration of once-revered New York Yankee Alexander Rodriguez’s legacy has proven. With most competent athletes being able to avoid detection for years, some argue that performance enhancers should be allowed in order for them to be administered in a safe manner and to, somehow, ‘level the playing field’ amongst athletes.

I, however, would argue that this completely disregards what it means to be a sportsman and puts the athletes in harm’s way. The only way to truly mitigate the use of PED in sports is to effectively ban those found guilty of using them.

Perhaps the most convincing argument against loosening the restrictions on PED and in favour of stricter legislation comes from the world of contact sports. No careers are shortened by how fast Lance Armstrong can pedal a bike or how fast a sprinter can run; however, serious injuries can occur when an NFL player can deliver harder hits or when a boxer can orchestrate a more concussive attack. Drugs that allow athletes participating in such sports to encourage an above-normal amount of muscle growth only further opens sportsmen to dangerous injuries.

In addition to the danger that stronger and faster athletes present in high-contact sports, PED also devalue what it means to be a professional athlete. Adding an unnatural substance into the training regimen goes against the pursuit of pushing the human body to its natural limits.

While they do not negate the necessity of skill, PED allow the possibility of otherwise unworthy athletes being able to force their way into the professional ranks on the basis of ill-gotten gains rather than pure, unadulterated hard work. Professional sport should be a celebration of the skill of a select few who are able to hone their craft better than anyone else rather than a bizarre science experiment.

It may, at first, seem that the system of temporary suspensions currently being used almost across the board is sufficient to deter users and punish those who have used them in the past. After all, don’t those who have been punished for past use of PED deserve a second chance? Not at all, says a recent study reported on by the BBC.

Research done at the University of Oslo suggests that those who use steroids, even for a short period of time, can reap the physical benefits on a long-term basis, perhaps even a decade after stopping use. If correct, the implication would be that once an athlete has been found to be using PED once, not only would their past achievements be called into question, but all their future outings would also be tainted.

As one of the authors of the study, professor Kristian Gundersen, tells the BBC, “In science if you cheat you are out for life, and my personal view is that it should be similar for athletes . . . it is a harsh treatment but if you really are cheating, I think that’s reasonable.”

For centuries, sports, both professional and amateur, have given us all a reason to come together and cheer. However, with the growing commodification of the industry, it is only natural to assume that there will be those who want to gain an unfair advantage.

Given all we now know about brain injuries in professional athletics, it is nothing short of irresponsible to let anything increase that risk. Furthermore, PED dilute the standard to which professional athletes should be held, by introducing an unnatural variable into the equation. As a result, those who have been found guilty of using such substances should face a permanent ban from their chosen sport, rather than a temporary suspension or other likewise insufficient punishment.

Music to your ears

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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A new study by an SFU PhD student has found that women suffering from chronic pain have increased sensitivity to specific frequencies and therefore might respond differently to sounds and music — a discovery which opens up new options for treatment through acoustic therapy.

During a study on the therapeutic use of music for chronic pain (CP) patients, lead researcher Mark Nazemi discovered that chronic pain patients were more sensitive to sounds than the control group. Even more notable was the fact that women experienced this pain more significantly than the male participants.

“Not only did we find this through the data set that we collected using a software that we designed, but also reinforced by the results of the qualitative questionnaires in which female CP patients reported greater sensitivity to everyday environmental sounds,” explained Nazemi.

“For example, [women] tend to listen to music at speech level versus listening to [it] loud, they prefer listening to speakers rather than use headphones, so they have this kind of phobia in terms of wanting to be farther away from sound source.”

A student in SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT), Nazemi first became interested in the topic while working on other health related projects. “I noticed that in the field of music therapy they weren’t really looking at the frequency content in music, and they would just generalize the type of music that would have therapeutic qualities example, ‘play some classical music’ or ‘let’s play some jazz,’” related Nazemi.

They have this kind of phobia in terms of wanting to be farther away from sound source.”

– Mark Nazemi, lead researcher

The problem he noticed, based on existing research, was that chronic pain patients tend to be in a hypersensitive state, so environmental factors can be more damaging than previously thought. Therefore, there is a real need for greater awareness of the effects of sound on chronic pain patients. “Let’s say if there is a construction site, being able to shut the windows can actually help them feel less pain at home,” said Nazemi.

Building on this research, Nazemi is now looking to develop an interactive sound system for therapy, which could help those suffering from chronic pain. He is doing so by creating a database of “comfortable sounds,” which mainly includes nature sounds, such as birds, the ocean, and even the sound of wind.

Nazemi and his team hope that by compiling these sounds, they can potentially provide patients in medical waiting rooms and similar stressful or uncomfortable environments with “soundwalks” to help lower anxiety and stress while they are waiting.

Said Nazemi, “If patients are really affected by listening to these recordings, if their anxiety levels are reduced, then I would actually want to make this into an actual system that we could implement in clinics and hospitals around the world.”

Family hit hard with 12 year-old’s Coke addiction

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November 18, 2013

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BURNABY —The Gonzales family has had a lot of tough breaks since arriving in Canada including a lack of jobs, repossessions and a house fire earlier in the year. However, nothing compares to their 12 year-old son’s two can-a-day Coke habit.

Bobby Gonzales, who started drinking Coke at the young age of five, was found to have two cavities. He has already previously had one filling. He often has a hard time paying attention in class. His room is untidy with a few cans of coke scattered across the room. These are symptoms common in heavy Coke use.

“His teeth are falling out, his teacher says he talks too much, I just don’t know what to do,” said Flores, the mother of the household, while holding back tears, “He’s out of control!”

The Gonzales’ dentist, Dr David Wong, though calmer, was equally grim in his words saying, “If he doesn’t get help, I don’t see a scenario that he won’t get another cavity,” and that Bobby “will have to probably have at least four fillings for the rest of his life,” to the audible gasps of the dental hygienists in the room.

When he is not allowed to have a Coke, he will pull drastic stunts such as pout or say moderately hurtful things. Sometimes he will even state statistics that sugar “is not that bad for you.”

“Come on man, what is so bad about Coke? If I want to drink it, I should be able to drink it,” justified Bobby, while sipping some Coke. “Besides everyone is doing it.”

Indeed, he is correct: Coke drinking has become an epidemic, not only reaching school children, but people of all ages. Drinking of sugary substances has not been this high since the Pepsidemic of the mid-90s. However, Dr. Cooper, a soft drink treatment specialist, says it is much worse now.

“In the 90s you had the edgy youth, what we would now call hipsters, drinking Pepsi during the height of the Pepsidemic, maybe a few schoolchildren would have the odd can,” Cooper explained.

“But now, everyone from lil’ Sue in kindergarten to your grandmother are drinking Coke. I have not seen anything like it in all my years.”

Many addicts are in denial, not realizing the seriousness of their addictions, claiming that “it’s just a drink” or that they “only have one once in a blue moon.” Former addict Sean Howard knows this all too well.

“At first, it was a Coke after work, then it became two, then it became three. My wife and children no longer recognized me. I was a wreck,” said Howard, a rough looking man, with not quite white teeth. “Before long, I lost my wife, my job, my home . . . everything to Coca-Cola.”

It was not an easy road to recovery for Seam Howard, a former lumberjack. “I tried cold turkey but it wasn’t working, when I’d go to a restaurant, I’d slip up and order a Coke. It wasn’t until my doctor suggested I try heroin that I fully kicked the habit. I haven’t touched a can of Coke since.”

Lacking funds for “food,” new restaurant opens as specialty “Breatharian” establishment

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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VANCOUVER — Capitalizing on the ever increasing number of specialty restaurants in the city, a new restaurant opened last week which is expected to take the city by storm by really setting its menu apart.

While Vancouver prides itself on its abundance of trendy vegan and vegetarian eateries, places that cater to specific diets, almost all of them have something that could appeal to anyone. The hippest new place in town, The Windbag, however, is expected to appeal to almost no one which could just make the next big sensation in local cuisine.

According to the owner, Alexander Conacher, The Windbag is a “breatharian” restaurant that caters to the lifestyle of those who shun all conventional foods and even water, believing humans can live and thrive on air and sunlight alone.

“Biting, chewing, swallowing; all the shallow mechanisms of eating only distract us from savouring the sweet taste of the universe,” Conacher told The Peak. “But even breatharians should still have a place where they can go out, socialize, and have a good time.”

While food and drinks are not served at The Windbag, all the essential amenities of the breatharian lifestyle are present.

The lighting is designed to be as close as possible to natural sunlight, in order to stimulate photosynthesis and tables are spread out so when patrons take their seats they aren’t accidentally breathing in their neighbours’ “meals.”

“We can serve hundreds of people a night because we don’t need to waste time cooking,” Conacher raved, happy to put in as little work as possible. “And all the money that we save on unnecessary plates and cutlery, we put into our state of the art air conditioning system. We even offer a full buffet; just pay at the front and we’ll setup a fan beside your table.”

“So, if you’re ever downtown and you’re looking for a nibble of fresh air, or you’re feeling “green” and just want a “light” snack, drop by at the place with the best “atmosphere” around!” Conacher said in promotion of The Windbag. “And if you don’t finish your meal, we’ll wrap it up in a balloon and you can enjoy your meal at home!”

Transphobia exists in the trans community

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EIC

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November 18, 2013

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“Trans*phobia,” derived from “homophobia,” refers to the aversion to trans* people. This is rather common among cis (non-trans*) people, but it also exists within the trans* community. It occurs when trans*normative people, those who appear cis and believe that other trans* people ought to as well, discriminate against people who do not wish to appear cis.

This is a manifestation of internalized cisnormativity, or the belief that cis people are more normal than trans* people, which ultimately harms all trans* people by suggesting that one’s gender is debatable.

I do not think that trans*nor-mative people are, in most cases, actively trying to oppress non-normative people. Often, appearing cis (or “passing”) is a matter of personal safety, as being visibly trans* makes one vulnerable to abuse. If several trans* people go out together and some are visibly trans*, it may jeopardize the safety of everyone in the group.

A violent trans*phobic person might not care if someone is visibly trans* because it reflects their gender, only that they are not cis. However, this does not excuse trans*normative people from discriminatory behavior.

I have most often seen this discrimination in the form of refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns, like the singular “they.” Choosing “he” or “she” to refer to someone who does not identify as such assumes that everyone must fit into the gender binary, even against their will. This is especially harmful because refusing to use someone’s preferred pronouns may trigger dysphoria, the disorder that living as one’s actual, rather than designated, gender (or “transitioning”) treats. It is akin to what trans*normative people suffer at the hands of cis people when they refuse to use their preferred pronouns.

History has taught us liberation of some at the expense of others is still oppression.

I have heard people protest that the singular “they” is grammatically-incorrect. I imagine these same people would be incensed if they saw other neutral pronouns, like “ze/hir,” that non-normative trans* people have had to create simply to communicate comfortably.

As mentioned in my previous article, English itself works against trans* people generally, and therefore it is unfair to claim that grammar is a good reason to cause dysphoria. Those who use neutral pronouns are attempting to work around a language that is designed to exclude them.

People often justify refusing to respect a non-normative person’s pronouns on the grounds that the person has not had a medical transition, like hormone replacement therapy or surgery. This is simply not defensible. There are many personal reasons why one may not transition in this way, like, for instance, not being able to come out as trans*, which is inevitable when undergoing drastic physical changes.

Oppression within the trans* community creates obstacles on the path to liberation. I hesitated to write this article because I have been told it will open up the community to attacks from cis opponents. This has been a tactic used by the ruling class against the organized oppressed throughout history and across a range of struggles, and has sometimes been effective, as seen in the homophobic lesbian/feminist divide in the 1970s.

However, history has also taught us that liberation of some at the expense of others is still oppression. This oppression is a reflection of cisnormativity, an insistence that presenting as trans* is bad even if it reflects one’s gender, even if passing as male or female would cause dysphoria. This attitude is harmful even for those who want to appear cis, as it perpetuates trans*phobic attitudes within and without the community.

When we speak of liberation, we must speak of liberation for all. We must imagine a world in which no gender is privileged over another.