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Spiegelman featured at the Vancouver Art Gallery

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Art Spiegelman, AS 031 MA

The newest exhibit is a one-of-a-kind experience

By Max Hill

Photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery

Art Spiegelman is the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and essayist behind Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, In the Shadow of No Towers and a wide variety of comics publications, essays, and collections. Despite his impressive resume, Spiegelman seems like the last person whose work you’d expect to find in a gallery retrospective: he’s renowned for his acerbic and selfcritical sense of humour and his discomfort with the vast praise he’s received during his career.

However, after winning the Grand Prix at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in Paris, Spiegelman helped put together an exhibition of his work, which has been featured at four museums worldwide, including the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany and the Jewish Museum in New York. Until June 9, an impressive collection of Spiegelman’s sketches, scraps, and published pieces will be on display at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The CO-MIX exhibit gives viewers a linear narrative of Spiegelman’s distinguished career: beginning with his experiences in the underground “comix” scene of San Francisco, the show includes many strips and stories from this period. Heavily influenced by the history of the comics medium, from Windsor McCay’s Little Nemo series to Harvey Kurtzman’s work for Mad Magazine, Spiegelman’s early work experiments with a variety of styles and genres.

Included in the exhibit are such works as Prisoner on Hell Planet, a shockingly personal account of Spiegelman’s reaction to his mother’s 1968 suicide told in German expressionist style, and the original artwork for Spiegelman’s three-page 1972 strip Maus, which would go on to inspire his graphic novel of the same name 10 years later. This documentation of Spiegelman’s early work displays his struggles to find both his artistic voice and an effective medium for the artist’s unique brand of inflammatory social commentary.

After moving back to New York in 1976 and marrying Francoise Mouly — who would become a key artistic collaborator — Spiegelman began teaching at the New York School of Visual Arts. Having spent four years involved in the burgeoning New York underground comix movement, Spiegelman began Raw, a comix anthology co-edited with his new wife. The publication helped bring many lesserknown cartoonists into the public eye, including Chris Ware, Charles Burns, and Alan Moore. It was also in the pages of Raw that Maus was originally published. The exhibit includes several original copies of Raw, as well as preliminary sketches for many of the magazine’s covers and an impressive collection of memorabilia, including graphic tees and buttons.

Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prizewinning opus Maus is of course given particular attention: the exhibit includes a wealth of sketches and drafts from Maus’ second volume and a variety of other fascinating documents, including Spiegelman’s parents’ passports and documentation of his father’s entry into the Auschwitz concentration camp. Many visitors to the exhibit will linger in this section; the pieces are beautifully arranged and breathtaking in their simplicity.

The graphic novel, which tells the story of Spiegelman’s father Vladek Spiegelman’s experience during his time in Auschwitz, was one of the first works of its kind to receive scholarly and critical attention.

“I think what Art did was to take a medium — the comics medium — and to see what the possibilities were,” says Bruce Grenville, senior curator of the exhibit and personal friend of Mr. Spiegelman. “He developed a narrative that is so rich and compelling that people kind of gravitated toward it that never would have looked at a comic book in their life.”

This is the first time that Maus has been featured in a gallery setting since being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1992.

The exhibit’s second half focuses on Spiegelman’s work since the release of Maus. One room is dedicated to an impressive collection of controversial and intransigent New Yorker covers which the artist contributed during his 10-year stint at the magazine. Included is Spiegelman’s Sept. 24, 2001 cover depicting the Twin Towers in New York City as black silhouettes against a black background. Inspired by the abstract paintings of Ad Reinhardt, the cover has achieved recognition for its striking minimalism and evocation of the loss felt by citizens of New York, and Art himself, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“I felt that images were suddenly powerless to help us understand what had happened,” said Francoise Mouly in a Sept 5, 2011 New Yorker article. “The only appropriate solution seemed to be to publish no cover image at all — an allblack cover. Then Art suggested adding the outlines of the two towers, black on black. So from no cover came a perfect image, which conveyed something about the unbearable loss of life, the sudden absence in our skyline, the abrupt tear in the fabric of reality.”

Another room focuses on In the Shadow of No Towers, an idiosyncratic and self-referential comic series published by the German newspaper Die Ziet from 2002–2004. The work doubles as a form of social commentary of an anxious post-9/11 America and a deeply personal expression of Spiegelman’s own anxiety and post-traumatic stress following the attacks.

At the exhibit’s end is a collection of the artist’s publications for children, which contrast with the profoundly mature themes of his better known pieces. Works such as Open Me… I’m a Dog and comix anthology Little Lit (co-edited with Mouly) illustrate Spiegelman’s versatility, inventiveness, and unlikely lightheartedness.

Unlike the exhibit’s first half, Spiegelman’s work from 1991 on is not presented in any linear fashion: instead, museumgoers are free to explore the artist’s contemporary works in whatever order they choose. The show also offers the opportunity for visitors to read Maus and other works at their own pace: copies of Spiegelman’s works are littered across two cozy reading sections throughout the gallery.
The museum has not featured any comics artists in their galleries since 2008’s popular Krazy exhibit, which was cocurated by Grenville and Spiegelman. Despite growing acceptance of comics as a valid art form, exhibits that focus on cartoonists are still few and far between — and seem to attract a different crowd than the usual museum fare.
“It’s a surprisingly broad and diverse audience,” explains Grenville. “When I go in there, I’m always surprised at the kind
of range . . . there are people who are more hardcore artists in a dedicated sort of way, and then at the same time people who probably haven’t set foot in the museum before.”

Tuesday nights are especially popular, when the gallery opens its doors late and charges by donation. “It’ll be jammed tonight,” exults Grenville.

The gallery has rarely seen such an interesting and unusual array of attendees as you’ll find at the CO-MIX exhibit: suit-andtie intellectuals and skateboardcarrying punks share breathing space and speak volumes towards the wide appeal of Spiegelman’s work and its ability to convey something different to each and every reader.

But perhaps the best reason to recommend the exhibit is that Spiegelman’s work is unlikely to be featured in a gallery setting again. “I think what’s great about the show is that you will never get another chance to see a retrospective of Art. You won’t get it in your lifetime,” says Grenville with a hint of wistfulness.

It doesn’t seem far-fetched to say that it’s the last opportunity fans and art lovers alike will likely have to take a closer look at the work of one of the medium’s most well-known and influential figures.
Given the deeply personal nature of Spiegelman’s creations, be they the brusquely satirical strips of his San Francisco years or the grandiose statements of his more recent output, many of his devotees feel an intimate connection to his work.

When asked about what aspect of Spiegelman’s work spoke to him, Grenville replied, “I think with Art’s work, it’s his ability to make every page — every frame — so dense with possibility and meaning. And it’s what you see in every great artwork is this sort of sense of the complexity of composition, of the content, an understanding of the history — that’s brought to every page of what he does.”

By blending the best aspects of high and low art with his own unique sense of humour and insightful socio-political critique, Spiegelman has solidified himself not only as one of the greatest artists in the history of the medium, but also as one of the defining artists of his time.

To see these pieces in such vibrant detail, from conception to finished product, is worth the trip. Inviting yet uncompromising, the show is a perfect metaphor for Spiegelman’s work, and for the man himself.

SFU authors shortlisted for The BC Book Prizes

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EIC
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djwa-sandra

SFU alumni acknowledged for their contribution to Canadian literature

By Monica Miller
Photo courtesy of Lisa Hartley

Anakana Schofield is an alumnus of the Writers’ Studio at SFU, and her first novel Malarky is receiving praise and being called an “experimental format.” Schofield calls into question this label of “experimental,” instead calling her book an “episodic fragmentary work.”
But something seems to be working, because Schofield says she’s “been so touched and impressed by word of mouth . . . people who read it and really respond to it.”

The novel centres on Our Woman, an Irish widow dealing with the loss of both her son and her husband. The label of “experimental” is probably due to the non-traditional novel format with changing point of view from first person to third, to omniscient as well as a non-linear construction.

“I’m interested in language — the line, paragraph, sentence, words — and my approach to narrative is the extrapolation of a single moment. You can come to it and read it backwards, sideways, I’m not worried.” She compares finding the right form for the story to “trying on cardigans.” Playing with tenses and internal rhythm is something that intrigues her as a writer.

The format may be non-traditional, but Schofield feels that the linear story “being served up on a platter” does “nothing for me as a reader and writer.” This does lead some readers to question Schofield about the ending of the novel, but she explains she “left it open-ended intentionally” and “didn’t want narratives that tie up in neat little bundles because lives don’t do that.”

Malarky has been shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and although Schofield mentions she is “fortunate with this book to get attention,” she is also “quite critical of prize culture.”
This is ironic, because Malarky has been making best of lists across North America since it was published last year, including being shortlisted for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. Schofield feels that prizes and best of lists are driving how we read, “squeezing into boxes of awards and shortlists” and limiting the number of voices heard.

“Readers have power — much more than they realize — to affect books,” attests Schofield, citing that seeking out, buying, and reading books that aren’t well known not only broadens the readers’ horizons, but it also affects the market.

Anakana Schofield is currently working on a “footnote novel” featuring a very minor character from Malarky, named Beruit. While tr ying to write Malarky, a process that took 10 years, Schofield inadvertently wrote another book or three. This footnote novel is a parallel narrative, and even more fragmental and darker than Malarky, “if that’s even possible,” she laughs.

Also receiving multiple award accolades is Sandra Djwa, professor emeritus in the Department of English at SFU. Her book, Journey with No Maps: A Life of PK Page, has been shortlisted for the Hubert Evans NonFiction Prize. PK Page invited Sandra to write the biography in the late 1990s and they conducted many interviews, resulting in a plethora of information. Unfortunately, PK Page passed away in January 2010 at the age of 93, but Sandra had the permission of her estate to publish the biography.

“Biographers have to choose what to put in when the subject matter is sensitive, and what to leave out when there is too much [information] or subject constraints,” explains Djwa, who stated that she was fortunate there was a great deal of material and she had the opportunity to consult with PK about the book.

Unfortunately, Kate Bird did not encounter the same ease while helping research Making Headlines: 100 Years of The Vancouver Sun for author Shelley Fralic. Bird explains that The Vancouver Sun archives has so many different clippings about businesses, but not The Vancouver Sun’s own corporate history.

“We didn’t really write about ourselves, so we really had to dredge up the work.” This also meant that there was no photo of the original owner of the paper, J.P. McConnell, in their archives. Fortunately, a family descendent of McConnell found and donated a photo.

Making Headlines: 100 Years of the Vancouver Sun is shortlisted for the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award, which is distinct from the other shortlists where three judges vote on their lists. With the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award, booksellers across British Columbia submit their votes on the titles that readers are seeking out.

Bird is the research librarian for The Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers. She says that her background in fine arts and art history meant that she was always interested in images and art collections, so when The Vancouver Sun wanted to create a database of their image collection in 1990, it was a perfect fit. She’s worked at both newspapers since then, and helps reporters research their daily stories, longer features, departmental requests and public queries through InfoLine. She also collaborates with galleries and art exhibits such as the current exhibit entitled NEWS! at Presentation House’s Satellite Gallery downtown.

Kate Bird is a graduate of the Writers’ Studio under mentor Stephen Osbourne, with a focus on non-fiction. She has already written her own manuscript and completed a Manuscript Intensive with Betsy Warland, so perhaps her own book will be on award lists soon.
The winners of the BC Book Prizes will be announced May 4, 2013 at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prize Gala, an award celebration in Victoria. On April 10 at Joe’s Apartment, the BC Book Prize Soiree will celebrate the shortlisted authors. Then, the BC Book Prizes On Tour will kick off, touring select authors around the province to visit schools, bookstores, and libraries in various communities.

Monsters and slashers vote Tory

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EIC
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slasher films

By Kyle Leitch
Illustration By Eleanor Qu

REGINA (CUP) — While paying due attention in film class last week, a professor raised an interesting concept that I thought worth sharing. Over the course of the lecture, aforementioned professor suggested that horror films, and, more specifically, the slasher films of the 70s and 80s were representations of conservative political policies, albeit cartoonishly over-exaggerated ones.

“Surely, he jests?” I asked my neighbour.

“Fuck off,” my neighbour responded, going back to the doodles adorning every margin of every page of his notebook.

“It’s okay,” I nodded. “Surely, he jests.” But still, I couldn’t get the nagging idea out of my head. The night after that fateful lecture, I sequestered myself in my living room — beside me, a cornucopia of bloodlust. Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Tommy “Leatherface” Hewitt would be my only company that cold night in this foul year of the Common Era, 2013.

First on the docket was Jason. Surely Friday the 13th wouldn’t let me down. Okay, things are looking good: teenagers getting high and screwing, Jason putting the machete to them, and — wait. Hold on: teenagers. Drugs. Sex. Oh no. I ejected the DVD getting slightly more panicked now.

Nightmare on Elm Street? Freddy killed without discrimination, right? He got you in your dreams, right?! Teenagers. Drugs. Sex. Abortions. Oh, fuck.

Mike? Leatherface? Teenagers. Drugs. Sex. Oh fuckety fuckety fuck! This is bad. This is really, really bad.

How could I have not noticed the patterns? They had been in place since before the turn of the century! These movie monsters are the metaphorical archangels sent by conservative politicians to punish the things that they hate most.

Think about your favourite slasher movie. Now, think about your favourite kill — you sick bastard. Now, think about the victim. Think about what they were engaged in immediately before their intestinal tracts were used to string up the light fixtures. I guarantee you they were either having intercourse out of wedlock, were abusing a controlled substance, or were discussing something guaranteed to piss off your local Conservative MPs.

And, suddenly, it hit me. This is how the Conservatives have been exerting their power in Canadian politics for so long. They get into power, and then they use their cronies summoned literally from the very depths of hell to murder their competition in cold blood. All I’m saying is, who’s heard from Joe Clark, lately?

Jason, Freddy, Michael, Leatherface — I expected more from you. I honestly thought you killed regardless of political affiliation. I can assure you, gentlemen, that whatever the Conservatives are paying you, we, as a collective body could easily double it to stop your mercenary work for the Conservatives, and make a few more sequels each.

Peak Week – March 25, 2013

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EIC
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By Daryn Wright

Eats
Acme Cafe, located at 51 W Hastings, is the ideal spot to slip into for a warm and hearty lunch. Their soup rotates daily, and they also offer daily specials. Try their open-faced roast beef, with a pretzel bun and spicy horseradish, or if you’re really hungry, the Ploughman’s lunch is a sampling of chef ’s choice smoked and cured deli meats and cheeses, roasted veggies, olives, mustard and bread. They also offer coffee on the run, and an entire display case stocked with pies and cakes and cookies. I recommend the peanut butter sandwich cookie. You’ll never look back.

Beats
Breakbot is playing at Fortune Sound Club on March
26. Breakbot is a French electro producer and DJ, whose main game is funky throwback French Touch disco. Along with his coterie of artists such as Justice and Drive soundtrack contributor Kavinsky, Breakbot helped define the warm, vintage sound of 21st century dance music. He’ll be per for ming with guests Matty C, Savemeboots, and Phil David. Tickets are available at Red Cat, Zulu Records, Highlife, and Beatstreet.

Theats
The Rio Theatre is showing Paris a Minuit Burlesque on Friday, March 29. Think Moulin Rouge cabaret: some of Vancouver’s finest burlesque performers will be putting on a night of dance, comedy, and circus with a little French je ne sais quoi. There will also be a Parisian photo booth by donation, so for a little extra fun, attend dressed up.

Elites
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is currently featuring the exhibit Tattoos and Scrimshaw: The Art of the Sailor, running until October. This exhibit will explore the origins of tattooing, and trace the evolutionary changes of the practice, beginning with ancient mariners up to modern practices. The exhibit is focused on the use of tattooing among sailors as an artistic expression of permanence amidst a life of unpredictability. If you’re a fan of the tattoo, or are maybe considering getting your own arm anchor art, pay them a visit and learn a bit about life at sea.

Treats
If you’re looking for something to do between semesters, consider signing up for a pottery class. The City of Vancouver offers pottery classes at many community centers for a wide range of ages and skill levels. There’s tons of drop-in classes if you just want to try it out for an afternoon, or you can sign up for month-long lessons if you want to learn how to master the wheel. If you’ve already taken classes before and are just looking for unlimited access to a studio, membership prices are usually pretty reasonable.

SFU gets back in the win column

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EIC
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WEB-lacrosse-Vaikunthe Banerjee

SFU completes wild road trip with a win against Virginia Tech

By Frank Davalos
Photos by Vaikunthe Banerjee

Following losses to the defending national champions, Colorado State, and #4-ranked University of Colorado, Simon Fraser looked to capitalize on its next opportunity and get a little redemption.

After being dropped from the Nike/Inside Lacrosse’s Top Virginia Tech Hokies 11–9 on a frosty Tuesday afternoon in Boulder, Colorado.

Senior attackmen Colton Dow and Eric Ransom and freshman midfielder Alex Bohl led the Clansmen with four points each. The upset put Simon Fraser back in the polls at #25. This was the third time that Simon Fraser upset a team that has appeared in the Top 25 rankings this year, with previous wins against #20 Oregon State, and formerly #25 Chico State.

Bohl got the ball rolling for the Clansmen, scoring a nice outside shot to put the Clan up 1–0. Dow then sniped a nice a 3–0 lead early on in the first quarter.

Looking to regain some composure, the Hokies took a timeout, which proved to be a smart move as the team went on to score two goals, closing out the first quarter trailing 3–2.

The Hokies came out strong, scoring just eight seconds into the second quarter. They took their only lead of the game after an end-to-end goal by defender Sean Meacham making it 4–3 for the Hokies. Following a forced timeout, and a major offensive adjustment, the Clansmen went on an 8–0 run that led them to victory.

25 poll, the lone Canadian team managed to climb back into the rankings after upsetting the #14 shot from the side of the net, and went on to assist another goal to Ransom, giving the Clan Simon Fraser sophomore midfielder Casey Foster began the assault with an outside rip from 20 yards out. Bohl, along with junior midfielder Brendan Farrell, put the clan ahead by two. Swarmed by three Hokies defenders, Ransom battled through to score an impossible goal from inside, making the score 7–4 for the Clan.

Continuing the attack, freshman midfielder Matt Bailey registered his first goal of his collegiate career, and increase the lead by four. Freshman midfielder Andrew Branting and sophomore midfielder Travis Hayes would also notch one each, making it
10–4 for Simon Fraser.

Bohl closed out SFU’s first half of scoring with a nice behind the back goal, which completed his hat-trick, and forced a Hokies goalie change. The Hokies tallied one more, making it 11–5 going into the second half.

The goal change proved to be advantageous for the Hokies, as they held SFU to zero goals in the second half. Despite some undisciplined penalty trouble, Simon Fraser’s defense held off the Hokies offensive, allowing just three goals in the half to secure the upset.
The Clansmen are now entering a much-needed bye week as they continue to chip away at one of the toughest regular season schedules in the MCLA.

Over the next week the team will be preparing for three of its biggest games of the season as the Clan head to the Midwest to face GRLC power Illinois on March 28, followed by two more ranked opponents in #10 Michigan State (March 30),

Clan fall short in NCAA championship

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EIC
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WEB-womensbasketball-Wendee Lang

Women end historic post-season run at sweet 16

By Jade Richardson
Photo courtesy of Wendee Lang

The Clan women’s basketball team’s first NCAA post-season run came to an end last Tuesday night, losing in the 16th round to their Great Northwest Athletic Conference rivals, Western Washington University.

It was a season filled with success for the Clan, as the team finished the season as runners-up in the GNAC as well as the West Region. SFU picked up numerous conference awards and gained a large support group from within the school and the community.

The team’s run at the regional championships through the top 64, 32, and 16 was wellfollowed by their fans, as many people made the journey down to Bellingham to take in the games.

The women began the tournament with two wins over Northwest Nazarene, another GNAC rival, and then Grand Canyon University to earn a spot in the finals.

Heading into the regional final the SFU women were bracing for a tough game, having dropped the conference final to WWU earlier in the month. The teams, who match-up well on the court, had traded wins in the previous two games.

The Clan opened strong in the first half, as all-regional first team all-star Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe scored 17 points in the opening 20 minutes, allowing the Clan to lead for most of the period.

With 4:54 remaining in the half, the Clan earned their largest lead of the match at 28–22, but Western Washington was able to get on a 9–1 run in the final moments, and the teams would head to the change rooms with WWU leading 32–30.

SFU needed a strong second half to top the reigning GNAC champions, but despite scoring the first four after returning to the court, they were unable to hang on to their lead as a consistent WWU squad started sinking their shots.

The Clan struggled with their shots for the remainder of the period shooting 40 percent in the game and 24 percent from beyond the arc, while Western Washington hit 54 and
50 per cent on the other end.

The game ended in similar fashion to the GNAC championship, as the Clan dropped the match 75–58.
Raincock-Ekunwe led the team in scoring with 19 points and 10 rebounds on the night, while Carla Wyman and Erin Chambers would add 10 and eight points respectively.
Post-game, Raincock-Ekunwe was named to the all-tournament team, one of five players to earn the honour.

The Clan had their best season so far since joining the GNAC conference, ending with a total record of 25–6.
The loss marks the end of the 2012–2013 season for the women’s basketball program, as well as the final game played for SFU by seniors RaincockEkunwe, Chambers and Kristina Collins, but also signifies the beginning of a new era for the team.

Having established themselves as contenders in the conference and the region the team will be back in full force next season looking for their first conference title, as well as to make history in the NCAA.

LAST WORD: Working under Big Brother

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EIC
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The surveillance techniques your employers may be using

By Devyn Lewis

One day, when leaving from the grocery store where I work, I was subjected to a bag check from one of my superiors. I felt violated and bewildered. Having someone rummage the contents of my purse made me feel that I didn’t have the same rights as when I walked in.

In a free society, the police need a warrant before they can come in to search one’s home. However, in the privately owned corporate work environment, one is guilty until proven innocent by a bag check. The power structure forces me to comply, or risk being reprimanded for my dissidence and insubordination.

I was really pushed to my limits when I was asked to give a biometric fingerprint at a retail job. Biometrics is the digital measure of an individual’s biological characteristics, (such as the ridges on one’s finger, the shape of one’s hand, or the pattern of one’s iris) and converts the information into a numerical code called a mathematical template.

Biometrics is yet another security measure that is being adopted to prevent time theft, which includes things like “buddy punching,” where one co-worker writes in another’s time for hours not actually worked.
Depending on which studies you look at, employee theft accounts for somewhere between 42 and 50 per cent of inventory stock loss and is considered far more of a problem than any given shoplifter. Payroll companies like Ceridian Canada claim that through installing biometrics in the workplace, the employer can eliminate payroll errors, reduce time theft, and save the company money.

All sorts of frightening Orwellian images ran through my head when the company asked for my fingerprint. Does this constitute an issue of privacy? Do corporations have a right to ask for this?
What next, my retina scan, or a blood sample, perhaps? I’m not working as a secret agent here; I’m just a regular wage worker trying to trudge my way through university.

It turns out that a common problem in Canada’s privacy legislation is that of balancing privacy with security. Despite the pieces of provincial and federal privacy legislation in place, like BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), or the Canadian federal Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), I found the issue of biometrics to be vague.

While the legislation does indicate that biometrics constitute as a person’s private information, the lines become blurred as to what information I am required to give to my employer in order for them to conduct their business without compromising my privacy. Information regarding my marital status or my race should be considered irrelevant in order to acquire a job, and yet I cannot withhold my name or my social insurance number (SIN), though these are considered to be private information as well.

So where does withholding my biometric information fit in?
Over the past decade, there have been a few notable cases in Canada regarding privacy rights and biometrics. Worker’s unions brought
forward grievances to the courts, fearing that technology could be used for purposes other than simple payroll purposes, as the personal biometric information could be stored in a company database.

The first case regarding biometrics was in 2002, regarding the replacement of timesheets with an electronic hand-scanning machine. The General Workers Union (GWU) complained that the technology was “dehumanizing the workplace and making the employees feel like they are not trusted.” They were also concerned about the storage and use of such data.

Another notable case took place in May 2005, where the United Steelworkers Association (USWA) opposed the implementation of a partial finger scan machine in place of a punch card system on similar grounds.
The technology was largely questionable and USWA had doubts about the security of the information, particularly with the potential for sophisticated hackers to reverse the data and replicate the individual’s actual fingerprint. The case was decided through weighing out the interests of the employer’s security and payroll purposes and the employee’s right to privacy.

Subsequently, IKO was ordered to cease and desist implementing biometric time-keeping machines as the arbitrator ruled that privacy had indeed been compromised.

Bag checks, along with watchful security cameras, biometric machines, and even RFID chips, reflect the growing security measures in the work environment that have widely diluted the consensus on what constitutes privacy; corporations in pursuit of business goals have challenged what constitutes a reasonable limit to privacy in the workplace.

“I was disappointed by some of the employer attitudes . . . [where] some apparently see workplace privacy as a privilege granted to employees,” said privacy commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart in a November 2006 speech.

“No one agrees with the notion that workers are entitled to some measure of privacy that cannot be taken away. This is deeply concerning to a privacy advocate.”

Technologies like biometrics have presented new challenges to privacy advocates in Canada. In comparison, the overall consensus among advocates of surveillance tools is that common sense will act as guidance for when not to invade an employee’s privacy.

“The current trend is more monitoring, not less,” Stoddart pointed out. “Common sense does not tell us where to draw the line.”

So, where do we draw the line? Turns out, the finger scan machine wasn’t quite as sinister as I had thought it was; corporations are still bound to follow laws protecting a person’s private information.

As outlined in legislations such as PIPA and PIPEDA, individuals have a right to have access their own personal information, know what information the company stores about them, and most importantly, have control of this information. I got the company to show me exactly how the machine works, as well as how to erase my mathematical template at any time.

Furthermore, I found that the mathematical template with my photo (and the word “dissident” written in bold underneath), wouldn’t be stored in the company’s system, but only in a small machine that hung on the wall.

I have to confess, I was a bit relieved.

How far will we compromise as society in order to secure a job? As students, we are often thrown into low paying jobs with few options: we either take the job and obey their rules, or are left with no job at all.

Working in so many low-paying service industry jobs, I was distraught to find that the vast majority of these workers are completely unaware of their rights in the workplace and are just blindly obeying rules in order to keep a job, no matter how uncomfortable these rules may make them.

As for privacy rights, once we lose them, it isn’t easy to gain them back again. In a democratic society it’s up to us to educate ourselves about our rights and preserve them, or we may one day find that we haven’t any left at all.

As for myself, I think I would like to keep Big Brother out my purse.

SFU R-R-Roll up team looking for new players to roll over opponents

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EIC
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WEB-timmies win-Ljudmila Petrovic

SFU’s Roll Up Team aiming to cream opponents next season; two sugars

By Timothy H. Bitts
Photos by Ljudmila Petrovic

It’s that time of the year again ladies and gentlemen, roll up the rim season is in full swing at SFU and nobody is more prepared for this than the Clan’s very own varsity R-R-Roll-Up team. Although coffee has been around for centuries, the competitive drinking of it is something relatively new to the world of varsity athletics.

The Peak had a chance to catch up with the caffeine king himself, team captain Morris Van Houtte, who was training in line, to talk about how the 2013 season was shaping up. “[ The season] is looking good, much better than last year.

“Granted, last year was a shitshow,” said Van Houtte. “Everyone was caught off guard when Tim Hortons introduced the new 24 oz. extra larges. We were unprepared for the extra four ounces of the coffee; ever yone ended up jitter y. We couldn’t roll up as many rims as we needed to, and it showed in our ERA (Earned Roll Average). Also the ulcer injury suffered by Buck, our team’s star guzzler, who had to let his Tim’s card run dry.”

Of course, the sport of R-RRoll up isn’t restricted to the Clan’s elite coffee chugging crew. A quick glance around the West Mall and you can see dozens of amateur R-R-Roll up games, people just rolling for the fun of it.

A tip from a pro: it’s easy to tell who’s a veteran and who is just getting into their first cup of joe. It’s a technique called the pinch and roll, and if I have to explain it to you, I suggest you put down your cup before you hurt yourself.

When asked about what made R-R-Roll up stand apart from other sports Van Houtte said, “What drew me and the rest of the team to the sport is is that every cup gives you the same chance to be a winner. Whether you’re 4’11” and 130, or a 6’6” and 220, male or female, you stand the same chance of locking up a free donut. Plus, since every cup gives a one-in-six chance, that means we should end this season with a better record than the women’s soccer and the volleyball team.”

As he got the polished off the last of his coffee, Van Houtte popped the lid, pinched the cup flat, and rolled his 20th cup of the season, finding the elusive free coffee.

“It might not look like much, but this is the most exciting prize you can win because it gives a chance to play again for free. When you win at a slot machine, you use it to play that machine again. That extra spin could mean hitting the big-time, getting scouted and playing for the NRL, and a chance at the $500 gift card or barbeque,” he said.

For those of you that have been thinking about joining the r-r-Roll up team, Van Houtte says, “We could use every body we can get, we are still looking to fill the hole that the extra large put in our rosters and stomachs when Steve was sidelined by his ulcer last season. Tryouts are running in West Mall until the promotion ends, so jump in that line, and you might just become a walk-on for SFU’s fasting growing varsity sport.”

Clan remain perfect in conference play

By
EIC
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0

Clan softball continues to win; sweeps WWU

By Jade Richardson

After dropping some tough pre-season matches, the Clan softball team is off to a blazing start in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The 2012 conference runners-up have yet to drop a game to a conference opponent this season and lead the GNAC with an impressive 7–0 record.

This success continued on March 16 against cross-border rivals Western Washington University as the home side won their double-header by scores of 7–2 and 7–0.

Pitching was a major factor in both games as Cara Lukawesky and Kelsie Hawkins each led the team to victory in their individual games.
In game one Lukawesky pitched seven innings, allowing one unearned run, before being relieved by freshman Mackenzie Bender. She would have to return quickly, however, following an injury to Bender in the eighth.

Lukawesky struck out seven in the first game, improving her win record to 5–4 on the season.

In game two Hawkins pitched a two-hitter, and struck out 10 as the Clan shut out the Vikings.

Her performance in the game would earn the junior the GNAC Pitcher of the Week award.

“Our pitching plays a major part in the success we’ve had so far,” explained team captain Trisha Bouchard. “Kelsie and Cara have pitched so dominantly since the start of conference play, and their performances really fuel us to play just as well on offence, and bounce back when we need to.”

That offence was present in both games against WWU. Game one was led by Bender, who batted five runs of a grand-slam and an RBI single in the third inning.

Danielle Raison went twofor-three with a run scored, and Alex Baylak scored two runs of her own and drove in two teammates off a single in the third as well.

In the second game Baylak went two-for-three again, scoring a three-run home run to cap a 6–0 third-inning rally. Bouchard, Carly Lepoutre, Lauren Mew and Rosie Murphy also scored runs for the Clan in the second victory.

“We have a lot of big hitters in our conference, girls who swing for the fence every at-bat,” continued Bouchard. “We have a goal of making the GNAC conference tournament this season, and to be in contention come April we will need to be mentally confident on offence and prepared to swing hard.”

That strong offensive presence paid off well for the team in the victory over WWU, and will continue to be a focus throughout the remainder of their season as they battle their way to the top of the GNAC.

Men’s hockey falls in championship

By
EIC
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0

Selkirk College overwhelms SFU to win BCIHL championship

By Andrew Jow

A great BCIHL season came to a close over the weekend as the top two teams from the league faced off in a best-of-three championship series. The Simon Fraser University Clan were pitted against the top ranked Selkirk College Saints at the Nelson and District Community Complex in a highflying affair that lived up to the hype.

The first 20 minutes of game one were the model for everything that followed. At first, SFU was the better team, as they finished their checks and won the battles along the boards.

Clan netminder Graeme Gordon also set the tone for his stellar play over the weekend as he thwarted a Selkirk two-on-one by stacking the pads while diving cross crease.

Gordon’s counterpart, Alex Sirard was equally up to the task, miraculously using his stick to steer a Jono Ceci attempt away from its course to the back of the net. SFU dominated early on, but could not solve Sirard.

The second period started much the same way the first ended, with both goalies stealing the show. Gordon flashed the leather on Scott Swiston, and Sirard was easily Selkirk’s best penalty killer, backstopping his team to two straight kills.

Selkirk ended the deadlock on a power play of their own, as Justin Sotkowy tipped in a Dylan Smith point shot. The Saints’ lead grew to two when Mason Spear jammed the puck home during a power play scramble in front of SFU’s net.

Despite a mass of SFU power plays in the final frame, Sirard was not to be beaten, giving his team the all-important first victory.
Five-on-five play was relatively even throughout the game, so special teams played an important role. SFU’s power play had troubles entering the zone all night as they constantly went offside, leading to an 0–6 night. Coach Mark Coletta was visibly frustrated at his special teams, as Selkirk’s edge in power play goals served as the difference in this one.

Game two started much the same way as game one, with SFU flying around and drawing penalties. Unfortunately, another theme carried over was a lack of success for SFU’s power play.

Simon Fraser finally broke the goose egg with a Kale Wild penalty shot. Wild skated in and froze Sirard with an ankle shattering deke, eventually firing the puck top shelf.

Wild’s effort gave SFU their first lead over Selkirk all season. SFU’s Brenden Silvester added to the advantage on a massive slap shot from the high slot. The visitors were well on their way to forcing a deciding game three until Selkirk’s Cody Fidgett hit Clan leading scorer Ben Van Lare from behind.

Van Lare missed the rest of the game. Shortly after the Fidgett hit, Selkirk capitalized on a skirmish in SFU’s net when Thomas Hardy buried a muchneeded goal. Selkirk found their legs after Hardy’s effort and carried the momentum into the third.

Without Van Lare, SFU had trouble mounting any type of offense in the third period. The play throughout the final 25 minutes of the contest was carried by Selkirk, and mostly took place in the Clan’s own zone.
Gordon did his best to keep his team in it, but could not stop a perfectly placed Jordan Wood wrist shot, which tied up the game. Regulation ended with the two squads tied 2–2, which meant the series would go into sudden death overtime.

SFU needed a goal to keep their season alive, but three minutes into overtime it was Selkirk’s Cody Fidgett who played the role of hero. Fidgett flew down the sidewall and slid a sharp angled shot past Gordon, giving Selkirk their first ever BCIHL Championship.

The SFU men’s hockey team left Nelson with a sour taste in their mouth. They played tough, inspired hockey, but ultimately could not solve the Selkirk Saints. As a good season ends, the boys from Burnaby will put this one past them and look to finish next season on a higher note.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024