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The urge to purge: dealing with bulimia nervosa

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EIC
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bulimia the peak

By Alanna Fairey
Illustrated by Ariel Mitchell

When she was 15 years old, Darcy Hale made herself throw up for the first time in her family washroom. At the time, Hale’s parents were going through a divorce and it was negatively influencing her academic performance. In addition, Hale’s boyfriend at the time was verbally abusing her, leading her to find solace in a frequent binge-and-purge lifestyle.

Bulimia is an emotional disorder involving distortion of self-body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight that takes over the individual’s life. It manifests itself behaviorally in extreme overeating, followed by self-induced vomiting or fasting. Bulimia is not limited to self-induced vomiting, however, and can include extreme exercising and the abuse of laxatives after a binge in an attempt to purge the self of the excessive caloric intake.

“I felt like I was losing control of my life. I felt like everything was crumbling down around me,” Hale says. “I just felt like I didn’t have any control, and bulimia was the only way I could get some of that back.”

There are a plethora of different factors that can contribute to an individual’s development of bulimia nervosa, though more research still needs to be done.

“Some theories say that it can be influenced by environmental, biological or even genetic factors,” says Kristine Laboni, research coordinator at Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) Canada. These include early problems with food and weight, such as childhood obesity, family overeating, and poor habits.

Being raised in an environment with low parental contact, demanding parents, or family members that make negative comments about weight can also contribute. More recently, there has been a growing interest in the role that physical or sexual abuse may play.

Though men can also suffer from bulimia, according to Statistics Canada, about 90 per cent of cases of bulimia nervosa affect females. Approximately one to three per cent of young women develop bulimia nervosa in their lifetime, commonly beginning during their adolescent years.

While the constant vomiting is seen as a “means to an end” in the hopes of losing weight while seemingly gaining control, people often overlook the dangers of bulimia. The myth that bulimia is a “safe” disorder is just that — a myth.

Purging after meals is sometimes taken lightly in our society, but Luciana Rosu-Sieza, executive director of the Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa Association (BANA), stresses that the direct health effects can be dire. Bulimia can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which affects the regularity of the individual’s heartbeat. At this point, the possibility of heart disease, heart failure, and even death becomes very real.
Frequent vomiting may cause inflammation — or even a rupture — of the esophagus, elevating risk for cancer. Other health effects include tooth decay due to exposure to stomach acids, constipation from laxative, and the possibility of gastric rupture.

Rosu-Sieza also notes that most bulimics are typically of an average weight, which often leads people to assume that nothing is wrong with them, and makes finding help and recovery much more difficult.
But bulimia is not limited to the physical state of an individual’s body. One’s state of mind can also be ruptured as a repercussion of bulimia.

“There are numerous [psychological issues],” says Laboni. “There can be issues such as depression or anxiety, personal shame, issues of control, and insomnia from potential malnutrition.”

BANA works to promote acceptance of diverse body shapes and sizes through the adoption of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. The association often organizes and hosts educational health promotion presentations and programs to raise awareness.

“In a lot of those presentations we don’t talk about eating disorders, because a lot of the research shows that talking about eating disorders actually promotes it,” Rosu-Sieza says. “Instead, we talk about self-esteem, body image and body base harassment, which is something that everybody’s experienced at some time.”

BANA instead facilitates health fairs and promotions that focus on eating disorders, but also on healthy eating, exercise and physical activity.
There are many organizations like BANA that provide resources for those seeking recovery from an eating disorder. Sadly, it takes a long time for many to get to that point.

Hale suffered in silence for three years, during which time she estimates that she spent over $10,000 on binge food, only to throw it up afterwards. Even though the vomiting only made her feel worse about herself, Hale soon became addicted to the process.

“Bulimia was, in a sick and twisted way, my friend. It was that companion that was always there and encouraged me to go that extra mile,” she says. “I knew it wasn’t healthy, but I didn’t care. It was just something I had to do.”

Three months after Hale’s 18th birthday, things took a turn for the worse. Also suffering from depression and low blood pressure as a direct result from her eating disorder, she collapsed in the home she shared with her mother.

Hale was taken to the hospital, and when she gained consciousness, she tearfully admitted to her parents that she was suffering from bulimia. She had never envisioned bulimia putting her in the hospital at the time, and her collapse was a wakeup call.

After being released from the hospital, Hale’s family and friends held an intervention, and she went to a treatment center for three months. There, she learned alternative coping skills and how to love her body.
Now at 27, Hale has graduated from college, works full-time, and is planning a wedding to her college boyfriend.

Though she admits that she sometimes has strong urges to purge after having a particularly large dinner, Hale is able to fend off most of those demons with her own coping mechanisms. She also cites her family, friends and fiance as having an integral role in her continued recovery. “I call them all my little support team,” Hale says. “I know that I wouldn’t completely get over my eating disorder without them.”

There are some common signs that an individual may be suffering from bulimia: Are they secretive about eating? Do they disappear once a meal is done? Have they gotten defensive when they were questioned about their eating habits? Have you noticed that they eat lots of food but have no change in weight?

If there is suspicion that an individual may have bulimia, pay attention to their patterns and reach out to them.

Hale admits to exhibiting most of these behaviours and while people had noticed, no one confronted her. She was often passive and quiet about her eating disorder, which she believes may have prevented her family and friends from talking to her about it.

“People noticed my weight loss, and they also saw me going to the bathroom at the end of every meal,” Hale explained. “Everyone knew what I was doing, but I was never confronted about it because I became difficult to deal with. There were times when I wished they would say something. I think it’s so important to confront the issue face first.”
Do not wait for a bulimic to be comfortable talking about their disorder, because it may not happen. Confront that person and seek help for them immediately.

It is much easier for a bulimic to recover from their disorder if they have support from loved ones while seeking professional help. However, loved ones should be mindful that recovering from bulimia is a lifelong process.

“It’s a lifelong process because people have relapses at times,” said Rosu-Sieza. “But going back is not a failure.”
Struggles are inevitable in the road to recovery, but no one should endure bulimia alone. Hale admits that she is still on the journey but hopes that her story will inspire others.

“My journey of self-love was not easy; it may have been the hardest thing that I have ever done,” Hale said. “But this is the only body I’ll ever have. I can’t lose that. If I ever have a daughter, I will tell her about my struggles.”

A Bite of Poetry at SFU Harbour Centre

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EIC
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By Monica Miller

 

Grab your lunch, slip out of work/class, and hoof it over to the Teck Gallery at SFU Harbour Centre to hear a diverse array of local poets. On the third Wednesday of each month for the past year (except July and August), a mid-day reading series called Lunch Poems has taken place at SFU’s downtown campus. On Wednesday, March
20, 2013, SFU English professor Stephen Collis will read with former Writers’ Studio poetry mentor, Rachel Rose — both accomplished poets with new books out this year.

Lunch Poems was the brainchild of poet and Writers’ Studio graduate, Renee Sarojini Saklikar and Shauna Sylvester, executive director of SFU Public Square. “We got to chatting at a dinner in November 2011, and she invited me to come read at SFU,” explains Renee. They had a good turn out with a variety of students, staff, Writers’ Studio mentors, and even a former premier.

From there the idea snowballed, filling a void of poetry readings in the downtown core during lunchtime. Their muse — whose book was read at the inaugural event — is Frank O’Hara and his book Lunch Poems, commissioned by San Francisco bookstore-cum-publisher City Lights, as part of their avantgarde Pocket Poets series.

Here at SFU, a committee of volunteers arrange the monthly reading series. In addition to Renee, this team includes: Katherine McManus of the SFU’s Writing and Publishing Program; the director of the Writers’ Studio (first Betsy Warland and now Wayde Compton); Robin Prest, manager of public programming for SFU’s Centre for Dialogue; and Kim Gilker, SFU alumnus and employee of the International Centre of Art for Social Change.

The inaugural event took place on March 28, 2012, and featured Vancouver’s Poet Laureate Evelyn Lau, SFU alumnus and poet Daniela Elza, and more than 100 listeners with their lunches. One year later, attendees will be treated to what Renee describes as “pairing of lyric and language” poetry with Stephen Collis and Rachel Rose.
Renee calls Wayde Compton a “poet sommelier,” as he couples distinctive yet complimentary styles, and usually pairs an emerging poet with someone established.

Stephen Collis and Rachel Rose will both be reading from their latest books of poetry.

Collis’s book, To the Barricades, is hot off the press this month, and now he has to decide which poems are “reading poems.” To the Barricades is a continuation of The Barricades Project, a Life-Long Poem, which typically takes decades to write and is published over multiple volumes. This project began with Anarchive (2005) and The Commons (2008).

To figure out his reading poems, Collis says he will “lock [himself ] in [his] office, pace around, and read aloud” in an effort to “hear how it sounds and feels together.” He notes that it is important to combine the temporal and spatial, making an effort to have it echoe back to earlier in the reading so listeners feel fulfilled and it leaves them thinking.

Rose’s third book of poetry, Song and Spectacle, was published in the fall and shortlisted earlier this month for the Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry. She says it explores “how we live and see others and look with an unflinching eye at the world around us.”

Rose’s world has changed drastically in the past year. She has opened new professional doors, writing the libretto for the first lesbian opera, premiering as part of the Queer Arts Festival in August. She’s exploring more song-writing, combining her poetry with her brother’s musical talents.

Lunch Poems @ SFU has featured various poets over the past year including George Bowering, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Garry Thomas Morse, and Renee Saklikar, who emphasizes the that the event is about community building. “It’s strictly one hour, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., and completely free.” Readings are followed by a Q&A session.

Theatrical maladjustment

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EIC
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0

theatrical the peak

Conceptual Theatre production pushes boundaries and provokes community involvement

By Ljudmila Petrovic
Photo courtesy of David Cooper

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the theatre at Firehall Arts Centre was the stage props: there was some furniture, and the rest of the set design consisted of piles of storage boxes. This made me wonder what the play was going to be like amidst the creative and powerful, albeit messy stage. It turned out much like the stage.

The concept behind maladjusted is described as “theatre making policy,” a somewhat difficult connection to make out of context. I quickly learned that this entailed two components. The first, a short play (running at approximately half an hour) that dealt with various mental health issues and the “mechanization” of the mental health system.
This was followed by a repeat of that play facilitated by Theatre for Living’s artistic director, David Diamond, where audience members were asked to stop the scenes at integral parts where they could see an alternative and take the places of the community actors.

Diamond’s idea is to generate conversation on potential policy changes within the social services through community discussion and involvement. The project uses a community scribe, whose function is to transcribe any ideas for policy changes that might arise on a given night, then to compile them all into a Community Action Report to be presented to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

The plot revolves around several stories and issues. One involves a mother and daughter (played by Khoal Marks and Micheala Hiltergerke, respectively) face the latter’s diagnosis of bipolar II disorder, while the mother deals with her own mental instabilities.

In another, a homeless man (Colin Ross stepping in for Martin Filby) deals with various mental health issues — including ADHD and anxiety — must fight through a bureaucratic system that lacks resources and is driven by overworked, often burnt-out workers and practitioners (Erin Arnold, Pierre Leichner, and Sam Bob’s characters all exemplify this).

Diamond then guides an audience discussion about the “human-centered care” approach to mental health that should be addressed in policymaking. The change, he tells us, is possible through theatre, and we can use theatre as a way to illustrate the issues, look within ourselves to find empathy and understanding, and to use it as a launchpad for discussion and brainstorming.

The second part, as mentioned, has the purpose of getting audience members to step into the shoes of the characters and to address possible routes for policy changes through an improvised adaption of the initial scene. While in theory an innovative idea, this is of course completely reliant on the type of audience in attendance; it took a while for people to begin breaking out of their shells and, when they did, it did not always lead to any ideas on policy change.
Diamond seems to have an expectation of where, when, and how people should approach the scene, and so he often asks probing questions and directs audience members as he would his actors. This is no doubt due to his obvious passion for the project, but it also intimidates audience members.

I decided to go up for the next scene. Being thrown into an unknown scene — one with complex characters, interactions, and issues — and having to deal with it in an empathetic but pragmatic way in front of an audience of strangers is an intimidating experience. That, combined with Diamond’s constant questioning and pushing, leaves you feeling exposed and vulnerable, but that might be just the right state to discuss protective policies for those who are systemically exposed and vulnerable.

As a social project, maladjusted is a bold and creative gem, and a potential vessel for change powered by a marginalized local community; as theatre, it is still conceptually novel, but the implementation of it leaves an image of disorganization.
Local projects that engage the community and rally for change like this are worth supporting. They are beacons of hope for those that may feel like they’re lost in the system.

Personal stories on the stage

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EIC
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By David Ly

 

How Has My Love Affected You?, the most recent production on the Arts Club’s Revue Stage, is a personal account of the incredibly tumultuous relationship between Marcus Youssef and his mother, Roleene Youssef. Alongside Marcus’s 17-year-old son, Zac Youssef — the father-son act puts on a brave, personal performance.

When Marcus approached Zac with the idea of a play about his grandmother, Zac was originally not too enthusiastic about it, questioning the topic’s appropriateness in the public eye. However, being a musician, Zac began composing original songs with local singer-songwriter Veda Hill, with actual excerpts from Roleene’s journals. In creating original music for the play, Zac eventually became more comfortable with the production.

Despite his initial weariness, Zac felt more in his element with the piano at his fingertips, which is evident on stage: Marcus says that Zac is a musician first and actor second, only having a small amount of acting experience. Zac’s passion for music is evident in every word he sings from his grandmother’s writing collection, even the short one-liners from her vast collection of post-it notes.

Marcus says that, as an actor, “The ‘real’ feels more authentic, while older conventions [of theater] are too obvious.” This sentiment is self-evident in this production, as the style and setting are remarkable: as he speaks, actual photographs from his childhood with Roleene are projected onto mountains of boxes. The entire stage suffocates under these boxes and mounds of dusty journals from his mother’s storage unit.

In tandem with Marcus’ story-telling, the audience comes to truly understand the strenuous relationship he has with his mother, contributing to the authentic emotions experienced while watching the play.

Yet there are moments when the acting makes it too obvious that this is happening on stage; the result is a disconnection from the story. As it is a family memoir, it’s understandable that the audience is expected to feel sadness, pity, and relief for the performers, but it comes off as heavy-handed.

Surprisingly, these moments came mostly when Marcus and Zac are interacting directly with each other. One would expect closeness to inspire naturalism; however, this is not the case. To make matters worse, the delivery of some quickly-paced lines became a bit muddled with the live music.

The play focuses on a touchy subject: mental illness and how it affects family dynamics. If you can get past some poorly delivered lines, the attractive stage design and play as a whole comes together to create a wonderful message.

How Has My Love Affected You? is a brave production, although at times the acting is rusty. It’s honest, tumultuous, and complicated, but its message is clear: in the words of Marcus, “[Loving support is] what families are for.” It’s clear that he is entirely sincere.

Peak Week – March 18, 2013

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EIC
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By Daryn Wright

Eats
If you haven’t grabbed a sandwich from Las Tortas at 3353 Cambie St. yet, I recommend you pay them a visit this week. Their gourmet Mexican sandwiches are hand-crafted, infused with traditional Mexican flavours, and incredibly delicious. Try the Pollo Pibil (Mayan Style), which features chicken slow roasted in a citrus orange achiote marinade, topped with tomato, cabbage, pickled onion, jalapeno, refried beans, and mayo. If your mouth is watering now, just wait: they also offer hot churros, which I highly recommend you grab for dessert.

Beats
If you happen to be lucky enough to have a break from midterms and papers and you’re looking for something to do this Wednesday night, consider checking out Iceage playing at the Biltmore. The indie punk-rock band from Denmark will be playing tunes from their new album, You’re Nothing, with guests Spectres. There’s also usually a barrel of cheap beers offered, perfect for feeling better about being in the thick of the semester. Tickets are $13 at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and ticketweb.ca.

Theats
The Cinematheque is presenting Drifting States: The Films of Denis Cote March 25, 27 – 28, and April 3. The New Brunswickborn, Quebec-based director took a minimalist and genredefying approach to filmmaking, focusing on characters who were outsiders and themes of loneliness and oppression. The run will be anchored by Bestiaire, which will run four nights. Enemy Lines, Carcasses, and All That She Wants, and more will also be shown over the four evenings.

Elites
The new exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery has begun: Ar t Spiegelman CO-MIX: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics and Scraps will run until June 9. The exhibit will trace Spiegelman’s artistic output from his early underground comics from the
1970s, his best-known work in Maus, and his more recent illustrations. His work in the field of comics and illustration has helped to develop new ideas of technique, and combines cultural commentar y with subversive art.

Treats
Nouvelle Nouvelle, situated in Gastown, has just released a bundle of their spring collection for men and women. They’re a great stop for classic and unique pieces by local and small designers, as well as hand-crafted gold jewelry and little nick nacks, like Swedish Dream soap. If you’re looking to update your wardrobe to suit the coming warmer months, expect to find light and airy polka-dot blouses, tropical print bustiers, tye-dyed men’s tanks, and leather fringe purses. Even if you can’t wear them yet, it’s still fun to imagine it’s sunny and 25 degrees, right?

An annual Celebration of SFU Authors

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EIC
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By Monica Miller

 

Each year, authors from all disciplines at SFU publish hundreds of works, including articles, books, and research papers, as well as contributions to anthologies, journals, and textbooks. These authors are faculty academics, administrative staff, alumni, and even students. On March 26 the SFU Library will host the sixth annual Celebration of SFU Authors to recognize university-affiliated authors.

The event began in an effort to draw attention to books authored or co-authored by SFU members, which had a lower degree of discoverability compared to journal articles. The SFU Library hosts and supports peer-reviewed journal databases, which are then accessible through an open system independent from their source material.

However, there was no system in place to ensure bookrelated publications were also catalogued and added to the SFU Library Collection. The first annual Celebration of SFU Authors was in 2007.
That first year, more than 80 authors were included in the celebration, including literary bigwigs George Bowering and poet Roy Miki. The event honours any “faculty, students, staff, alumni and retired university community members who authored or co-authored a book, or its equivalent, within the past year.” This year includes 113 authors who have published more than 120 works, including Gail S. Anderson, associate professor and undergraduate program director in the School of Criminology, who also participated in 2007.

“It’s nice to be appreciated and to be recognized by the university,” says Anderson, who was the first full-time forensic entomologist in Canada. Her research has been used to identify victims, suspects, determining the cause of death, and recently, to help convict Robert Pickton. When she participated in the first Celebration of SFU Authors, “it was the first time I’d published a book, so it was neat for me to be involved.”

Her new publication is a textbook intended for police officers-in-training, and is coauthored by a retired police officer and a lawyer.
Over the past six years, the criteria for submissions to the celebration has changed as they have “redefined the parameters, updating and including new types of works” explains Chuck Eckman, dean of library services since 2010.

“Our default is inclusive rather than exclusive.” Works submitted now include “authored, co-authored, or edited books or chapters; illustrated books; musical compositions; art exhibit catalogs; and audio or video recordings.”

Last year was the first year they included an original translation: David Scott Hamilton was a finalist for the 75th annual Governor General Award for French to English translation of Nelly Arcan’s Coups de tete (English title: Exit). The submission form now inquires about any award nominations or accolades.

“Catherine [Louie] and Angela [Raasch] are the stars behind the project,” credits Eckman. They send out calls for submissions, obtain qualifying works, catalogue the submissions, prepare bibliographic data, coordinate the reception, and prepare marketing materials for the reception. Both individuals work for the SFU Library in the department of management and administration; Catherine is the library assistant and Angela is the manager of administrative services.

The bookstore is a quiet partner of the event. Most of these books will be added to the SFU Library Collection following the event, except in rare cases, such as children’s books or very specialized publications.

The event helps build relationships within the university community and celebrates faculty, staff, and alumni. All SFU-affiliated individuals are welcome to send in submissions, provided they are recent publications.

A book display will be placed in the WAC Bennet Library on the Burnaby campus in the third floor foyer. The Celebration for SFU Authors reception will take place on March 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm on the 7th floor of the WAC Bennett Library in the Wosk Room–Special Collections.

Wondrous Bughouse is slightly motheaten

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EIC
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Youth Lagoon’s second effort doesn’t quite live up to the first

By Max Hill

Wondrous Bughouse, Trevor Powers’ second album under his Youth Lagoon moniker, marks a dramatic departure from his 2011 debut, The Year of Hibernation: where the former was intimate, tender and warm, Powers’ sophomore effort is ambitious, experimental and purposeful.

However, though Wondrous Bughouse is undoubtedly a capable effort from a talented young musician with patches of the brilliance his fans have come to anticipate, it fails to live up to the grandiose expectations set by its predecessor, substituting style for substance and performance for emotion.

The album starts off strong with the one-two punch “Through Mind and Back” and early single “Mute”. Reminiscent of Deerhunter and Mercury Rev, the tracks explore a more psychedelic sound with prominent vocals and live drums.

It should come as no surprise that the album was produced by Ben H. Allen, famous for his work with Animal Collective, Deerhunter and Washed Out. From its onset, Wondrous Bughouse takes a hazy and distant
tone, reminiscent of Allen’s previous work. His production elevates album highlights “Pelican Man” and “Third Dystopia”, which borrow from artists as varied as The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Tame Impala while incorporating Youth Lagoon’s talent for hooks and straightforward melodies.

Powers’ vocal is also more prominent and confident here than in his previous work, lending the songs charisma and voice which was lacking from some of The Year of Hibernation’s more reserved and introverted tracks. At its best, Wondrous Bughouse shows an artist taking his best qualities and translating them into a more accessible, heterogeneously influenced style which stays true to his core sensibilities as a musician.

Sadly, this potentially great album is plagued by a variety of subpar efforts and a tendency to rehash song structures and lyrical themes. “Attic Doctor” is strange and carnivalesque (and not in a cool way); “Sleep Paralysis” meanders along without coming to any sort of apex; and album closer “Daisyphobia” sounds like a mediocre Animal Collective B-side, sauntering along fruitlessly for five minutes and ending the album in remarkably unspectacular fashion. These sporadically sup-par tracks give the album an uneven, spasmodic quality which keeps it from coalescing as a singular musical statement.

Powers also relies too heavily on a similar song structure — a hazy, quiet opening, standard verse-chorus-verse, psychedelic instrumental and stripped-down outro — which leaves some tracks feeling stale and rehashed. None of the songs here are bad by any means, but many seem borrowed from other, lesser albums and leave Wondrous Bughouse feeling like more of a compilation than a deliberate composition.

The pressure of following a successful debut surely wasn’t lost on Powers: Wondrous Bughouse feels like a measured and purposeful attempt to break away from The Year of Hibernation and tread new and inventive artistic ground. And in places, it works: there are enough great songs here to make an outstanding EP, and the under whelming nature of the album as a whole doesn’t detract from the quality of these standouts. But as an LP with a 50-minute-plus r untie, the album comes off feeling bloated, disjointed and ultimately unexceptional. Though Powers deserves note for making a conscious effort not to imitate his superb debut, Wondrous Bughouse sounds like the work of an artist who’s still looking for his own distinct voice, and going through the typical and altogether necessary growing pains that come with that process.

Clan athletes shine in Birmingham

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EIC
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By Jade Richardson

Photos by Mark Burnham

Three Clan teams dominated at their very first NCAA Division II National Championships. Women’s swimming, women’s indoor track and field, and men’s wrestling proved to America that Simon Fraser University belongs in this level of competition.

The Clan sent a total of 13 athletes to the Division II Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, where the small group battled to the end in all of their events. They brought home three NCAA National titles, four top-three performances, and 10 of the 13 athletes earned All-American honours.

Mariya Chekanovych and Helen Crofts earned the Clan’s first ever NCAA National titles, as the freshman swimmer and the senior runner beat out every single competitor in their respective events to put the Clan on the map.

Women’s Swimming
At the pool the women had an excellent weekend, entering the championship ranked 14th, but finishing in ninth position overall — an outstanding accomplishment, as they were a sixperson team.

Chekanovych won SFU’s first title in the 100-yard breaststroke on March 8, posting a new NCAA record time of 1:01.50. She entered the competition with the top ranking and did not disappoint, edging out the second place competitor by 0.35 seconds.

She earned her second title — and the Clan’s third of the weekend — the next afternoon racing to the championships in the
200-yard breaststroke in a time of 2:13.35.

On the first day of competition the 200-yard medley relay team consisting of Chekanovych, Kristine Lawson, Nicole Cossey and Alexandria Schofield earned third place for the Clan in a time of
1:42.84, securing the school’s first trip to the podium that weekend.
The relay success did not stop there as the following afternoon the four girls would return to the podium, this time in second place, as they swam the 400-yard medley relay in a time of 3:44.15.

Individually, Cossey earned All-American status in two events, placing sixth in the 100-yard freestyle and seventh in the 50-yard freestyle events in times of 51.12 and 1:42.84, respectively. Teammate Carman Nam also placed 10th in two events for the Clan.

Women’s indoor track and field
On the track, the five-woman team had great success as well as each athlete earned AllAmerican status at the meet, highlighted by Crofts title in the 800-metres. In their signature event, Crofts, Michaela Kane and Lindsey Butterworth all raced to All-American status, with Kane and Butterworth finishing shortly behind the captain in fifth and eighth positions. Sarah Sawatzky barely missed the final for that event.

Crofts’ championship came on March 9 as the senior led the way throughout the 800-metre event, winning in a blazing time of 2:05.96. It was her fastest time of the season and an impressive feat, having ran both the 800metre preliminaries and the distance medley relay the day before. Croft was a two-time NAIA champion in this event, and can now add her NCAA title to her impressive resume.

In the distance medley relay the Clan finished in third position, as Crofts, Butterworth, Kane and freshman Chantel Desch raced a total of 4,000 metres in a time of 11:32.35 minutes. The following day, with Sawatzky instead of Butterworth, the team would also race to All-American status in the 4×400-metre relay, earning an eighth place finish in a time of 3:47.14.

The successes of the weekend would be historical for the Clan, as Crofts and Chekanovych became the first athletes from an international institution to win an NCAA Championships, and also a great indicator of things to come as the program continues to grow and thrive in the NCAA.

Men’s wrestling
Wrestler Skylor Davis also had an impressive weekend for the Clan, finishing in third place overall in the 125-lbs weight-class. The junior started the championship strong winning his first two matches on the first day of competition, taking down the thirdranked competitor in his first match. He would follow with a
5–2 loss by decision, but bounced back with authority in the consolation final, earning third place thanks to a 10–4 win by decision.
“My finish at the championships was both exciting and disappointing for me,” Davis explained.

“Earning third place is a huge honour at this level, and I am proud to have been able to bounce back from my loss in the semis, it was not an easy feat mentally or physically. I am disappointed that I did not win the championship as that was a goal I had set for myself this season, but I am pleased to have been able to represent SFU, and am honoured to be the first wrestler from an international institution to earn AllAmerican status in the NCAA.”

Davis’s teammate Sunny Dhinsa also wrestled for the Clan, but dropped all his matches in closely-contested battles.

“SFU is such an amazing institution, and I am proud to be able to represent them at such a high level, and look forward to all our successes to come,” continued Davis.
At this rate, there will be many.

SFU out-duelled in Colorado

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WEB-lacrosse-Vaikunthe Banerjee

SFU loses first two games of Colorado road trip

By Frank Davalos
Photos by Vaikunthe Banerjee

Last weekend the #23 Simon Fraser Clansmen headed south to Colorado to play three games against the #1 Colorado State Rams (CSU), the #4 University of Colorado (CU) Buffaloes, and the #10 Virginia Tech ( VT ) Hokies.

The six-day road trip proved to be the most difficult trip of the regular season, matching up against three, top-10 ranked opponents. The first of these matchups took place on a frosty Saturday in Loveland, Colorado vs. the defending National Champions, the CSU Rams. After an outstanding first quarter by both teams, a series of undisciplined plays and several SFU breakdowns led to a 16–7 victory for the Rams.

The Clansmen came out strong with a lengthy possession at the beginning of the first quarter, but it was the Rams that opened up the scoring in the first quarter. However, this didn’t seem to faze the Fraser Lacrosse team, as freshmen midfielder Chris Pond answered back with a quick stick goal off of a pass from sophomore attackman Ward Spencer.

Shortly after, senior attackman Eric Ransom added another for SFU, giving the Clansmen a 2–1 lead early on in the game. This proved to be SFU’s only lead of the game, as the Clansmen began to break down, both offensively and defensively.

Heading into the second quarter tied at two, the Rams went on to score nine unanswered goals throughout the next two quarters — a couple of two-minute, non-releasable penalties were responsible for the adversity.

Looking to get back on track, SFU senior attackman Colton Dow picked a corner to bring the score to 10–3 for the Rams. Despite two added goals by Spencer, and one more from freshman midfielder Alexander Bohl, Simon Fraser fell to the top ranked CSU 16–7.

Head coach Brent Hoskins reflected on the Clansmen’s effort, “Colorado State are the defending champs and ranked number one in the MCLA for a reason.”

He went on to explain the breakdowns. “Our focus slipped a little bit in the second quarter and this ultimately dug us a hole that is very tough to get out of when you are playing an opponent like Colorado State. We need to do a much better job of keeping our emotions in check, while still maintaining a high level intensity.”

Coming off of a tough loss to begin the weekend, the Fraser lacrosse team had no time to dwell on the past. The very next day, the Clansmen were set to face the CU Buffaloes. Unlike the previous day, the weather called for warm temperatures and sunny skies, and the backdrop of the Colorado Rockies at Kittredge Field in Boulder was nothing short of breathtaking. Despite another strong first quarter by Fraser, the Buffaloes prevailed with an 18–11 victory.

Dow opened up the scoring and put Simon Fraser up by one early on in the first quarter. However, the Buffaloes answered back quickly to tie the game, 1–1. After a clean faceoff win by SFU sophomore James Irwin, and an exchange of possessions by

both teams, Fraser capitalized on a man-up situation with a top cheddar rip from All-American sophomore midfielder Sam Clare. The University of Colorado scored three straight to finish off the first quarter, giving the Buffaloes a 4–2 lead.

The Buffaloes continued to build off their momentum by scoring an additional five unanswered goals, making the score 9–2. Simon Fraser regained momentum by capitalizing on a few more man-up opportunities. Clare completed the hat trick, receiving passes from Ransom and freshman midfielder Andrew Branting. However, the Buffaloes answered back with two straight goals to make the score 11–4 heading into halftime.

Off of a nice pass from freshmen midfielder Jordan Lashar, Branting scored with a snipe top corner to start the second half ’s score at 11–5. CU countered with two quick goals, giving the Buffaloes their largest lead of the game.

The Clansmen weren’t finished yet, adding three unanswered goals by Dow, Ransom, and sophomore midfielder Casey Foster. The teams then exchanged goals, with Clare adding his fourth. The Buffaloes added one extra goal before heading into the final quarter up 15–9. SFU went on to lose the game 18–11.

Long stick midfielder Riley Wanzer spoke with The Peak about the loss after the game. “We came out of the gates real strong but we were unable to maintain our high level of play over four quarters,” said Wanzer. “Colorado’s goalie continued to make great saves that deflated the confidence of our offense, and ultimately allowed the Buffaloes offense to capitalize on our defensive breakdowns.”

SFU face-off against BC Thunder

By
EIC
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WEB-W hockey-Vaikunthe Banerjee

Women’s hockey team comes up short against BC Thunder to finish home schedule

By Vaikunthe Banerjee

On March 8, the SFU Women’s Hockey team hosted their last home game against the BC Thunder in the South Coast Amateur Female Hockey League. The game started with SFU dominating and keeping the puck in the offensive zone and not allowing the Thunder to drive to their net.

With 11:24 left in the first period, the BC Thunder broke through SFU’s defense and flipped the puck to the top of the net, making the game 1–0. SFU had scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize. The women got a chance on a power-play but BC Thunder’s penalty kill unit came out on top.

The second period started with both teams going up and down the ice, looking for chances to score. Both teams went up the middle to the slot, but were forced to skate the puck out wide by the defense.

BC Thunder’s frustration was on show, as they drew four penalties in the period. Unfortunately, SFU could not convert on any of these chances. Their special team made good plays by passing to the point and seeking high percentage shots on net, but they could not make good.

BC Thunder’s Kaitlin Knowles managed to get a pass to Brittany Wakefield at the goal line. Wakefield scored the Thunder’s second goal with 12:55 left in the second period, making the game 2–0.

BC Thunder showed their dominance in the third period as they kept getting scoring chances. Stephanie Mumm managed to score on SFU off of a shot from the point. It deflected off a player and dipped down through Lea Lewis’ fivehole, making the game 3–0.
Despite their lead, BC Thunder’s ire only grew, and finally Clara Gaudet took a cheap shot on SFU’s Sheralie Taylor, pushing her into the boards behind their goal.

Taylor was injured and lying on the ice and was helped off the ice after a few minutes when she could get up. Gaudet was given a five-minute major for boarding and SFU had a power-play for the rest of the game. They could not convert and lost the game 3–0.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society