Peak Week September 9 – 14

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September 9, 2013

Eats

Looking to make summer last a little longer? Earnest Ice Cream’s brick and mortar location on Fraser and King Edward has finally opened its doors, just in time for the last rays of sunshine. The local business, formed by Ben Ernst and Erica Bernardi, started out with a little cycle-freezer, transporting to-die-for pints and gourmet ice cream sandwiches to farmer’s markets around the city. Their company eventually outgrew the cart, which is understandable considering their goods are some of the best ice cream to come around in a long while. Check out some of their staple flavours, like whiskey hazelnut or vanilla, or take the adventurous route and sample their earl grey or summer-preserving basil strawberry.

Beats

The Cobalt’s new Karaoke event, offered the third Thursday of every month, is not to be missed. Ear Muffs: Karaoke is “a potentially horrific karaoke night hosted by Seany Guys.” There’s a host to guide you through the good and bad performers, plus drinks are cheap — which is good, because the more drinks you have, the better the brave soul on stage is going to sound. Bring your friends and liven up a regular Thursday night.

Theats

Cinematheque’s new fall schedule is out, and it’s looking hot. This week, check out their Blue, White and Red series, featuring the Three Colours Trilogy (inspired by the three colours of the French Flag) by the late Polish master Krzysztof Kieslowski. His Blue, White and Red trilogy stands out as one of his crowning achievements. Blue is the first film in the series, following Juliette Binoche as a young woman who loses her family in a car accident; White is a black comedy follows a hairdresser who is left penniless on the streets of Paris after a divorce; Red is the story of a young model who meets a retired judge.

Elites

Check out the opening of SFU Gallery’s newest exhibit, Samuel Roy-Bois: Not a new world, just an old trick on Sept. 14. Between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. the gallery will offer breakfast, mimosas and live Dvorak for guests of the exhibit. Samuel Roy-Bois’ work questions the conceptual and physical definition of space and how we define the spaces around us. The exhibit will question the boundaries between art and exhibition. Check out sfu.ca/gallery for more details.

Treats

Board of Trade is a concept clothing shop with two locations in Vancouver, in Chinatown at Union Street and in Gastown at Carrall Street. The main concept is to offer local creatives a place to showcase and sell their work, and the shop hosts a medley of brands ranging from clothing to jewelry to ceramics. If you’re looking for some back to school duds, or some unique pieces to spiff up your dorm, consider buying local. Check out Wylden’s stacked thin and wide silver rings or the classic-with-a-twist denim western shirts by Soulland.

Championship or bust

By

EIC

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September 9, 2013

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The Simon Fraser University Men’s hockey team ended last year’s BCIHL season on a sour note, losing to Selkirk College in the championship series. The deciding game in that series was played, for the most part, without the team’s leading goal scorer Ben Van Lare.

His injury served as a precursor to the upcoming 2013-14 season as his graduation, along with captain Chris Hoe’s and several other key players who graduated, sent head coach Mark Coletta hard along the recruiting trail to replace the offensive production that was departing. He did just that.

This offseason saw the Clan introduce a recruiting class of 12 new players, all with significant shoes to fill. The most notable players of the 2013 recruiting class are Trevor Esau, Josh McKissock and Yan Kalashnikov.

It will be hard to miss Trevor Esau when he hits the ice, as he stands 6’4 and weighs 220 pounds. Esau will bring much needed leadership and physicality to a very young squad; the physical defenseman served as captain for his former team the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL, and he also racked up 290 penalty minutes in only 159 games played. Esau will likely team up with returning defenseman Mike Ball to create a formidable defense in front of goaltender Graeme Gordon.

Incoming forwards Josh McKissock and Yan Kalashnikov will be relied upon heavily to put pucks in the net, and judging by their track record, scoring will not be an issue. Mckissock netted 51 points in 43 games for the Junior B side Fernie Ghostriders and Kalashnikov chipped in 35 points in 36 games for his former Junior A club, the Alberni Bulldogs.

The key aspect to each player’s offensive game is consistent scoring, as both players tallied, essentially, a point per game. The added production, along with the return of talented forward Nick Sandor, gives SFU a vaunted offense that could give every BCIHL goaltender nightmares this upcoming season.

As for the rest of the BCIHL, the upcoming season seems to be leading to another two-horse race between SFU and Selkirk College. Selkirk lost BCIHL leading goal scorer Jordan Wood but returned two dynamic forwards in Logan Proulx and Connor McLaughlin. Selkirk also added a former junior hockey goaltender of the year in Guelph Ontario’s James Prigione, making the Saints a formidable opponent once again.

The Clan hockey team’s regular season begins October 12 against Thompson River at Bill Copeland Sports Centre. Until then, the team will play exhibition games against cross town rivals the UBC Thunderbirds, as well as make a trip out to the East Coast of the United States to take on four NCAA Division I hockey teams. The preseason schedule will give coach Coletta a great idea of how his team stacks up against elite talent and will serve as a measuring stick for an upcoming season that should end in a championship title and nothing less.

Superheroes and Sexism

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EIC

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September 9, 2013

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Though many strong arguments exist against the sexist representation of women in comic books, the most immediate of them all may well be the Hawkeye Initiative. Begun in late 2012 by female webcomic artist Noelle Stevenson, the Hawkeye Initiative is a satirical blog comprised of images of Hawkeye aping female comic book characters in “Strong Female Character” poses, which have been criticized as degrading and unrealistic by feminists, comic book fans and members of the artistic community.

The results are, predictably, hilarious. Those of you who are familiar with the comic series, or with Jeremy Renner’s performance of Hawkeye in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, will doubtlessly find humour in seeing the character semi-nude and twisted like a pretzel, often with a set of pursed lips and a seductive come-hither expression.

But the Hawkeye Initiative also successfully sheds light on the oft-degrading depiction of women in comic books: if we find a male character in these poses so ridiculous, why don’t we react the same way when characters like Elektra, Batgirl and She-Hulk are presented the same way? For that matter, where is that Wonder Woman movie that’s been in development hell for decades? And what’s the deal with all the revealing costumes — wouldn’t armour be more practical?

Most comic books remain as exaggeratedly misogynistic as ever.

The natural conclusion that many cite for the myriad issues under the Women in Comics umbrella is that comic books are naturally a male domain, and artists depict women with the male gaze in mind; that is, as objects rather than subjects. Although this may have been the case in the Golden Age of comics, that was more than half a century ago.

Nowadays women form a sizable percentage of the comic book market, and a comparably large chunk of the industry, especially in the realm of “alternative” comics. Writers and artists like Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist), Alison Bechdel (Fun Home), Pia Guerra (Y: The Last Man) and Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant) have done incredible work for the comics medium in the last decade alone, and those are just a few of my personal favourites.

Still, many of the biggest names in the medium seem hell-bent on reminding their fans just how old-fashioned their views are. Tony Harris, the artist behind such comics as Brian K. Vaughan’s Ex Machina, took to Facebook last year with a rant about female cosplayers — fans who dress up as fictional characters — which culminated in an all-caps accusation: “YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT COMICS, BEYOND WHATEVER GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH YOU DID TO GET REF ON THE MOST MAINSTREAM CHARACTER WITH THE MOST REVEALING COSTUME EVER.”

More recently, Todd McFarlane and Mark Millar — the creators of Spawn and Kick-Ass, respectively — came under fire for their comments about the supposed inherent masculinity of superhero comics, and their use of rape as a plot device. Let’s get this straight right off the bat: superheroes are fictional. It is entirely up to a given author or artist to depict superheroes in any way they choose.

Calling the superhero genre “testosterone driven,” as McFarlane recently did in a panel promoting a PBS documentary, is missing the point. Just because comics have mostly been macho power fantasies in the past doesn’t disqualify their potential to grow and evolve with time. To deny the possibility for change is laziness, plain and simple. If we all thought this way, we’d still be riding horses to work and bloodletting at the barbershop.

Maybe the reason that so many still see the medium as a boy’s club is that many comic series just aren’t very inviting to women as fans. After all, who wants to see their gender constantly objectified, contorted into anatomically impossible poses and depicted as either virginal and innocent or seductive and sexualized? (Google the Madonna/Whore Complex sometime.) Those of you who’ve seen the Fake Geek Girl meme or who’ve spoken with gamers online know that geek culture can be viciously and unapologetically misogynistic — comic creators and fans alike seem obsessed with preserving this reputation.

Nowadays women form a sizeable percentage of the comic book market, and a comparably large chunk of the industry.

Take Millar’s comments on rape as a storytelling tool. In an article for The New Republic earlier this year, Millar defended his use of rape as a plot device, saying, “The ultimate [act] that would be the taboo, to show how bad some villain is, was to have somebody being raped, you know? [. . .] It’s the same as, like, decapitation. It’s just a horrible act to show that somebody’s a bad guy.”

But Millar’s defense hints at the truth of rape as a storytelling tool: its purpose is, more often than not, to have an effect on the male protagonist rather than the female victim. Though several male comic book characters — Batman and Green Arrow among them — have been raped themselves, it’s always been advance their own character arcs, and to develop them as protagonists.

When female characters experience the same fate, it is almost always in the service of the arc of a male character; the victims are often secondary or tertiary figures, and more often than not, little attention is paid to the physical and psychological repercussions of their experience.

The website Women in Refrigerators borrows its name from a particularly gruesome Green Lantern comic in which his girlfriend is killed and stuffed into a refrigerator by his nemesis. Created by comic writer Gail Simone, the site lists female characters who have been “killed, raped, depowered, crippled, turned evil, maimed, tortured, contracted a disease or had other life-derailing tragedies befall her.” Compiled in 1999, the original list includes over 100 characters.

Of course, these tropes are common in film, television, literature, video games and music videos, too. But where these mediums have seen a steady improvement in their depiction of women, most comic books remain as exaggeratedly misogynistic as ever. And those are the ones that have the audacity to even include female characters; many modern comic books have scarcely any speaking roles for women at all.

Women read comic books, write comic books, and are affected by their portrayals in comic books, directly and indirectly. Heck, a comic book made Time magazine’s list of 100 best novels of the last century (Alan Moore’s Watchmen) — the medium is gaining respectability every year, and rightfully so. For a genre with so much potential, there’s no excuse for the antiquated, sexist portrayals of women that still plague panel after panel. If there’s any hope for a new Golden Age in comics, this would be a good place to start.

Revisiting the Mountain

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Peak Web

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September 3, 2013

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With the new semester underway, and with many of you new here to SFU, The Peak brings you a quick rundown of all the hot spots up here at Burnaby Campus.

Created by Brandon Hillier

Every poet is a Force Field unto herself

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Peak Web

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September 2, 2013

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Poetry: the polarizer of literature. Most people I know either adore poetry or cannot fathom the appeal. To be honest, I don’t know what poetry I like. I enjoy listening to poets read aloud, but I can’t figure out what style of poetry I prefer to read.

“That’s the beauty of an anthology,” counters Susan Musgrave, acclaimed poet and writer, from her Copper Beech House Bed and Breakfast in Masset, Haida Gwaii. Musgrave says she often tells her MFA students at UBC that it is “not wrong to not like something.” The beauty of an anthology of this size is the diversity of styles, thoughts, and opinions within. Musgrave suggests I read poetry anthologies at random — pick a page, read a poem; if I like it, seek out more by that writer.

In April 2013, Mother Tongue Publishing released a perfect book for that experiment: Force Field: 77 Women Poets of BC. Edited by Susan Musgrave, the collection was a huge undertaking that began as an idea in the summer of 2010 when Mother Tongue publisher Mona Fertig was staying at Musgrave’s bed and breakfast.

Musgrave says she agreed to the idea, although she later had some apprehension when considering the scope of the endeavour. Recent anthologies have celebrated Canadian women poets and BC poets separately, but there has not been an anthology of women poets of BC in 34 years, and none of this size — Force Field weighs in at 390 pages — since Women’s Eye: 12 BC Women Poets (edited by Dorothy Livesay in 1974) and D’Sonoqua: An Anthology of Women Poets of British Columbia (edited by Ingrid Klassen in 1979).

It is “not wrong to not like something.”

The difficult part, Musgrave explains, was determining who would be in the book and whom they had to leave out. “We could easily do a second [book], but I don’t think Mona [Fertig] has it in her,” laughs Musgrave. She believes that the “consciousness [the anthology] raises about women in BC” is valuable.

Fertig and Musgrave started with a list of 30–40 poets they wanted to include — obvious poetic heavyweights such as Lorna Crozier and Daphne Marlatt. They then put out an open call for poets, which resulted in more than 150 submissions.

“We started as 55 [poets], then increased it to 75, and eventually we had to cut it off at 77.” Still, many poets were not included, such as Sarah de Leeuw, who won the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize this year. Others, like Rhea Tregebov, bowed out in order to make room for younger poets to be included.

Musgrave was charged with the difficult task of then choosing which poems to include. “I didn’t just choose poems I liked,” explained Musgrave. “If I just chose my favourites it would be a very different book.”

After initially asking writers to submit 10 poems, she asked them to narrow them down to four favourites. Arranged alphabetically, each contributor in the anthology received equal space: four pages of poetry preceded by a short bio and headshot.

While gender inequity is an issue in the literary arts, as well as many other fields, Musgrave does not press this point when we speak. She puts more emphasis on how writing reflects the “struggle, suffering, and little joy that life has,” and if writing helps you get through it.

While I still don’t know what style of poetry I like, I’m a little closer to figuring it out.

Manitoba Blue Cross a bad fit for SFU

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Peak Web

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September 2, 2013

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After recent grievances, it has become apparent to me that SFU should switch its ihaveaplan’s travel insurance provider to one appropriately designed to service BC residents.

Last November, I had to go to the ER while in the US. Before I went to the hospital, I made sure I talked to CanAssistance as instructed by SFU’s Travel Health Passport. I was told which hospital I was allowed to go to, and that my bill should be covered.

However, I received a call the next day from Manitoba Blue Cross telling me they wouldn’t cover my $4,000 bill because they thought I had gone with a pre-existing condition. My condition was not pre-existing, and after hours on the phone with the hospital, I was able to obtain the evidence to prove this.

When I tried to contact Manitoba Blue Cross again, I learned the number on their forms only works in Manitoba. In BC, this number connects callers to the closest Blue Cross — the Pacific Blue Cross, for us. For those wondering, their out-of-province number is 1-888-596-1032.

I spent many hours on hold with Pacific Blue Cross while they took my information and tried to process my claim. It was only later that I realized I’d been given the wrong number and was talking to a different insurance company.

I was informed that my credit rating would be affected.

Everything took time. I had to wait a week for someone to call me back regarding any questions, and it took weeks for certain forms to be mailed — all of which had to first be submitted to BC Healthcare to prove they weren’t covered by MSP. This took 16 weeks.

A month after I’d been to the hospital, I was contacted by a collection agency. Despite still waiting for my claim to be processed, I was informed that I owed a large amount of interest and that my credit rating would be affected. On the other hand, Manitoba Blue Cross didn’t express sympathy about the collection agency, and explained that I should have paid the $4,000 bill up front and waited for reimbursement. As I’m sure is the case with most SFU students, this was not possible.

Last month, Manitoba Blue Cross paid the hospital for a portion of my bill, because the physician at the ER had a separate bill that had been overlooked. It’s been 10 months since I went to the ER, and I still have a $500 bill that may not be covered because it wasn’t submitted before the deadline. If I had had the proper information, I would have been able to submit it on time. If I had been able to call Manitoba Blue Cross from the beginning, this could have been avoided.

Employees from both Pacific and Manitoba Blue Cross couldn’t comprehend why a BC resident was using Manitoba’s Blue Cross; they said Manitoba Blue Cross is for Manitoba residents, and that Pacific Blue Cross services BC residents.

When I did eventually get in touch with Manitoba Blue Cross, I told them they needed to give their BC clients a number that works in BC. The employees I spoke with told me their phone number works in Manitoba, and that it’s the standard number they give out. Frustrated, I asked to speak with a manager. I was told he would contact me, but I never received any call.

Manitoba Blue Cross explained I should have paid the $4,000 bill up front.

While I continue to wait for answers, I remain frustrated by the preventable challenges that I have had to endure. All of these obstacles could have been avoided had I been provided Manitoba Blue Cross’s out-of-province number to begin with, and if SFU’s travel insurance provider through ihaveaplan.ca was one actually designed for those in our province.

How to save money as an SFU student

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Peak Web

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September 2, 2013

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University may seem like an impossible time to save money, but after four years as an undergrad, I’ve learned many ways to stretch my paycheque and save whenever I can.

On top of tuition, students fees, textbooks and a U-pass, there is the additional cost of school supplies to consider. Binders, paper, and pens cost money, but they don’t have to cost a lot. Many thrift stores have an office section where you can purchase previously owned backpacks, binders and notebooks — many of which have hardly ever been used.

Spending dollar store prices on name brand school supplies will save a lot of money over the course of your degree, so why not scour the office aisle of the thrift store instead of buying from the bookstore?

Bringing your own travel mug to to coffee shops is also a great way to get more bang for your buck. The majority of coffee shops award discounts for those bringing their own mug, with Renaissance Coffee and Higher Grounds both offering this savings option — 10 per cent is taken off your purchase every time. This may sound small, but over the course of a month or an entire semester, the savings add up and can help stretch your coffee budget further! These two cafés also have stamp card programs, meaning that every eighth or so drink is free.

Even the biggest cost outside of tuition — books — don’t have to cost as much as you may think. There is a Textbook Trade Center page on Facebook where students post used course materials they have for sale, as well as books they are wanting to acquire. Because the texts posted here are used, it’s much cheaper than going to the SFU Bookstore, and you have the potential of making money by selling your old course materials.

Using the library is also a great avenue. By combining the collective powers of SFU’s libraries and your own local libraries, it can be quite easy to obtain books depending on which courses you are taking.

Between second hand stores, savings programs at coffee shops on campus, and alternative routes to obtaining course materials, it is possible to save bundles of money as an SFU student.

Take control of your university experience

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Peak Web

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September 2, 2013

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When I started at SFU two years ago, I was told that it is a “commuter campus” with little sense of community. While this notion is commonly thrown around, it’s definitely a misconception. The most important advice I can offer any student — in first year or otherwise — is that the university experience is what you make of it.

If you are a student attending classes and promptly heading home right afterward, you’re opting out of many opportunities to get involved with the many different communities on campus.

One of my recommendations for any new student is to check out SFU Volunteer Services. They link students to many campus opportunities in a variety of fields. Additionally, they provide a chance for a student to network with other students and enrich their community through different passions.

My brief experience with SFU Volunteer Services in my first semester led me to write for the ENGAGE blog, a forum dedicated to exploring the ways a student could get involved on campus. Though that was only a short commitment on my part, it was a valuable experience. I began by explaining what my interests were, and I was recommended an opportunity that suited who I was as a volunteer, and the amount of available time I had. If you find yourself overwhelmed — or the opposite — by the different choices available on campus, this is the place to find your starting point.

Meeting other people on campus is a great conduit both for making friends and for finding ways to get involved. Many students are affiliated with various groups on campus which welcome new participants at any time. Through this, it is possible to build a social network that allows you to be privy to what is happening on campus while also being able to avoid the potential discomfort of showing up alone. Start by introducing yourself to classmates, because you already have one thing in common by being here.

Another important place where community is fostered on campus is the academic groups within a faculty or department. When you declare a major, minor, or certificate, you are gaining membership into a group with a plethora of ridiculously cool people. Professors and graduate students may be intimidating when they are teaching you, but they are generally really approachable and love to talk about their research and experiences in the field.

Meeting people on campus is a conduit for making friends and finding ways to get involved.

I, for one, feel most comfortable on campus walking through the SFU Linguistics Department, because I feel a part of that community. There is a strong sense of belonging when you can get excited about very specific things in a field and not be questioned about why you have a favourite click. It should also be noted that events hosted by a department tend to feature free food or coffee for those who show up.

Moreover, SFU is home to many communities built around common passions outside of academic fields. For those interested in health or sports, SFU Recreation and Athletics offers ways to support or get involved with SFU’s teams. For the average student, there are options to join sports clubs, intramural teams, and a diverse selection of classes ranging from burlesque to fencing. If social or environmental activism are more your thing, SFPIRG and Sustainable SFU are always looking for students to get involved.

Between academia and broader universal interests, there is community at SFU, if one knows where to look. SFU is only a “commuter campus” for students who view it as such.

Letter to the Editor – September 3, 2013

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Peak Web

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September 2, 2013

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Dear editor,

I’d like to thank Leah Bjornson for her article “Religious traditions should be adapted globally”, because of how forthrightly it sets out the challenge of religious tradition in the face of modern society.

However, I believe she approaches the problem backwards by taking modernity as the normative standard. The whole point of religious tradition is to oblige us to a certain way of life which may or may not be completely compatible with modern, “global” lifestyles. There certainly is room for adaptation and reinterpretation, but the danger behind such calls is that by adaptation, a tradition risks losing its fundamental meaning.

The traditions do not exist merely for themselves, as Leah seems to suggest, but are meant to perfect human behaviour for the sake of union with the divine. Religious traditions, therefore, do not exist simply as cultural artifacts, but as the direct means by which religious faith itself is propagated within a community; it is the means by which society itself is changed.

Religion summons humanity towards something greater than itself, and so it demands that society conform to its standard. This is in complete contrast to what modernity would have us believe — that individual fulfillment and self-actualization are the highest ideals we ought to uphold.

Rather, religion says that humanity is incomplete without contact or discourse with the sacred. The sacred is not a vague force, but the real foundation of order and meaning for the whole universe, known not merely in religious texts, but through the proper exercise of human reason. Of course such ideas are inconvenient for those steeped in the ideals of modernity, which is probably why calls to adapt religion to contemporary society are so prevalent.

Sincerely,

Juan Tolentino
SFU Alumnus

You are cordially invited

By

Peak Web

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September 2, 2013

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It’s September once again, so let me take the time to say welcome back to SFU! I’m so pleased that you’ve picked up The Peak, and even more pleased that your eyes have alighted on this column.

A brief introduction is in order: I’m Natasha, and I’m working on my MA in French Literature here atop Burnaby Mountain. I’m an American, and have been in Vancouver since April of 2013, making me fairly new to beautiful BC. I have a taste for the undiscovered, for adventure and exploration, and I have a pesky penchant for word-smithery (yes, I did just make that up). And now, I would like to cordially invite all of you to walk with me this semester.

Not literally. I mean, we could meet over coffee or something else of your fancy if you’d like to actually walk with me, but I was speaking metaphorically. Throughout this semester, I am going to explore Vancouver looking for spots that speak to me in some way.

Not to get too la vie bohème on you, but I’m a lover of beauty. The record store wall covered in fraying posters, the warm scent of butter wafting up from a plate, the crooked smile of a bartender, the minute movements of a dancer — I can’t help but be intrigued. I’ll share my experiences of each of the places I uncover here, in this column, every other week. Get it now? The invitation to walk with me?

This column won’t simply be a review of a person, place, thing or event, because there are plenty of critics out there who have seen more than I, and who have legitimate credentials and expert opinions.

I will communicate a concept of space and how our surroundings are influenced by us.

What I will attempt to communicate is a concept of space and how our surroundings both influence and are influenced by us. I plan to write about really cool places within the context of the subtle — or not-so-subtle — neighbourhood nuances that make them interesting.

I’m hopeful that this column will provide all of you with a fresh perspective: that of a newcomer, of a non-Canadian, and of an outsider. I’m hopeful that you’ll be able to look at this great city through a shiny new lens and discover along with me what makes it diverse, welcoming, gritty, beautiful, and real. Like the wrinkles on a wizened face, I’m looking for the quirky and unique places that speak to Vancouver’s personality, for better or worse.

I hope you’ll join me.