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University Briefs

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By Graham Cook

 

Elections BC taps Emily Carr students to get more young people to the polls

 

Elections BC is hoping to reverse the trend of few young people showing up to vote in time for the May 2013 provincial election. They have partnered with Emily Carr University of Art and Design to create a new course titled, “Designing for Democracy.” In this class, students are able to get credit for putting together a campaign that encourages people aged 18 to 24 to vote. In the 2009 provincial election, just over one quarter of eligible voters in that age group voted, a contrast to the 54 per cent who voted of those aged 25 and up.

 

With Files from Canadian University Press

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Controversial study suggests financial compensation for organ donors

 

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and the University of Calgary conducted a study that concluded that people are likelier to donate an organ if they are given financial compensation. The study, titled “Attitudes towards Strategies to Increase Organ Donation: Views of the General Public and Health Professionals”, notes that almost half of Canadians that were surveyed approved the idea. This approval comes regardless of the fact that selling organs is against the law in Canada. The study was conducted using a web survey that targeted the public, health professionals, and those affected by kidney disease.

 

With files from The Capilano Courier

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Robert Ploughman a symbol for gay men in the RCMP

 

Corporal Robert Ploughman is one of the first openly gay RCMP officers in Canada, a designation to which he brings humour. Ploughman first came out in 2001 while attending the RCMP academy and, since then, has accomplished a number of initiatives, including entering the BC RCMP into the Vancouver Pride parade,. At one point in his life, he considered joining the Catholic ministry, but realized he was homosexual after a visit to a St. John’s gay bar. Over the past decade, the number of openly gay officers has increased, a change, which could be attributed to a shift in attitude in the RCMP.

 

With files from The Ubyssey

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Continuing Education Students’ Association at Ryerson hit with hefty legal fees

 

CESAR (Continuing Education Students’ Association at Ryerson) has had years of internal conflict and, just as it is trying to improve itself, has new legal challenges brought up against it. The group is facing legal bills in excess of $33,000, which were incurred by a former executive. Some of the bills resulted from members hiring lawyers to inquire how to go about impeaching someone, which was paid for with student fees. The fees totalled $33,311.04 for 2012, and around $25,000 for 2011. The normal amount for such fees is usually about $5,000.

 

With files from The Lance

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Scott McLean: moving on up

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EIC
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The Peak speaks with Scott McLean, the upcoming Public Affairs and Media Relations Director for SFU. He will become the university’s spokesperson in December 2012, replacing outgoing director Don MacLachlan.

Created by: Julian Giordano

Special thanks to:
Scott McLean
Alison Roach

Sports Spotlight: Manvir Sahota

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Manvir Sahota was born in San Jose, California but moved to Vicoria at a young age where he started to wrestle for the first time. 

By Clay Gray
Photos by Mark Burnham

Some say North America is a land of opportunity, a place where people of all cultures and ethnicities are able to live together.  As a born American and fifth-year criminology major, Manvir Sahota knows this is true.  Born in San Jose, California to immigrant parents, Jasbir and Gurjeet Sahota, Manvir has first hand experience with the trials, tribulations, and rewards that are ever present in this society.  The Sohotas didn’t remain in the United States for long. When Manvir was five years old, they relocated to Victoria, British Columbia.

It was in Victoria that a very young Manvir began his life-long love affair with wrestling. His father, who had wrestled during his youth in India, introduced Manvir to wrestling. But when he stepped on the mat for the first time, it wasn’t love at first sight. As a child, Manvir was somewhat undersized — although his now-190-pound frame doesn’t give that impression — and he spent his first year of wrestling being tossed around the mat by some of the girls on the team. Manvir says, “I got pummeled by the girls on the team everyday. I wasn’t strong enough to wrestle with the other guys, because I was just a little guy.”

However, this didn’t deter Manvir from going back to the wrestling room day after day, and after a year of being on the bottom of the pile, his hard work started to pay off. “I went away from it for a year because it was so frustrating. While I was gone, I did pushups, sit-ups, and squats, so when I came back I was finally able to hold my own,” says Manvir. Although he was stronger and little more mature, he still had yet to truly embrace wrestling. But in eighth grade that changed quickly for him once he joined his middle school wrestling team, when he really began to hone his grappling skills.

As Manvir was about to start his post-secondary career, he was restless and felt as though he was stuck in a rut.  It was at this time that his father took the opportunity to bring Manvir back to the small rural village Dhulleta, India, where he grew up. “I lived the village life for six months. There was no running water, no electricity, so we showered with cold water. We butchered and gathered our own food. I made me appreciate everything I had here so much more. It changed me as a person by making me more humble. I learned more from that trip than I ever could from any book or class.” Upon his return to Canada, he had gained a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices that his parents made in order to give him a life full of opportunities.

Manvir has more than success in sport on his mind; academic achievement is also on his docket. Like the other student-athletes at SFU, he believes in getting up early, working hard like his parents taught him, and making the most of his time.  With a busy travel schedule for wrestling, Manvir knows that time management is the key to accomplishing his goals. However, it’s not the daily coordination of practice, school, and work that he views as the most crucial aspect for success, but the preparation that occurs weeks or months ahead of time. Manvir says, “It’s not someone else’s responsibility to organize my semester. I have to be on top of my schedule to make sure everything gets done. People think athletes get special treatment, but it really is just being organized and communicating with your professors.”

As Manvir moves into his final season for the Clan, many people in his life have high expectations for his wrestling.  The great expectations are due to the fact that he placed third in last years National Collegiate Wrestling Association and Canada’s Senior National championships. Recent success and lofty goals have been known to be the undoing of many athletes. So when Manvir assessed this upcoming season he knows that he needs to stay humble and keep his mind and his body strong. He said, “I don’t just analyze the matches I’ve lost, I analyze my wins as well.  I look for things I could have done better, and make those adjustments. By setting small, obtainable goals, I am able to deal with the pressure to win.”

SFU wins three home games to start

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EIC
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Clan beat up on local colleges to start the season, 3–0


By Clay Gray
Photos by Adam Ovenell-Carter

SFU’s Men’s Basketball team started their regular season with three straight victories over two of the local Lower Mainland colleges, Northwest Indian College and Douglas College.

In the home opener on Nov. 9, the Clan did not give a quarter to the NWIC Eagles, exactly doubling the visiting team’s total at the end of the night 104–52.  The evening’s dominance stemmed from Elijah Matthews and Anto Olah,who both racked up over 20 points. The Clan headed into the locker room at halftime with a 34-point lead over the Eagles. However, head coach James Blake made sure that the court time was spread around, giving at least 10 minutes to 11 different players.

The following evening, the Eagles scored 26 more points than the previous night. They kept it close in the opening minutes of play, and momentarily held the lead. But in the end it was the Clan who came out on top, taking the 112–78 victory.  Taylor Dunn led in scoring, putting up 24 points for the Clan, but Matthews who stole the show. He sunk six two-pointers and five field goals in the game. Making the best of the easy opponent, coach Blake cycled two freshmen, Matt Staudacher and Jahmar Thompson, into the lineup.

The Clan continued thrashing local opponents,putting up a 70-point difference in their 115–45 victory over Douglas College. This game did not have any surprises for the Clan’s point leaders, with Dunn and Matthews once again putting up 20-plus points. Coach Blake hadthe same 11-player rotation take to the court for this game, and all 11 would contribute at least five points.

With three home games in the bag, a 3–0 start, and scores of over 100 points in all three games, the Clan’s offence appears to be firing on all cylinders. However, the Clan wouldn’t attribute the win solely to their offence, with junior Anto Olah saying, “The first two games we played pretty poor defense, but we addressed that . . . and we played a lot better defense.”

Clan drop final season game to the Cougars

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EIC
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SFU can’t overcome early Cougar attack, lose 41–28

By Bryan Scott
Photos by Adam Ovenell-Carter


The Simon Fraser football team went out for their last game of the season last week. They took on the Azusa Pacific University Cougars, who were one position below the Clan in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standing.  Unfortunately, the Clan were unable to mount another miraculous comeback like they did against Humboldt State, and lost the game 41–28.

The Cougars scored early and often in the first quarter. They started with a 23-yard field goal after a few solid passing plays and an 18-yard rush from Cougars running back Ronald Douglas. The Clan tried to respond, but quarterback Trey Wheeler was picked off, giving the ball back to the Cougars on their own 36-yard line. Both teams used both of their quarterbacks to try and get an advantage. It worked for the Cougars; after JoJo Bones rushed for 10 yards and the first down, Nick Owens went in. He tossed up a 42-yard bomb to wide receiver Ed Dillihunt, who ran it in for a touchdown, pushing their lead to 10–0.

On the ensuing Clan drive, running back Bo Palmer was able to get the Clan moving with a 27-yard rush that got them down to the Cougars’ 48-yard line. They did not get much farther, as the Cougars’ defense and a costly penalty kept the Clan from scoring. The punt pinned the Cougars deep in their own zone, so they had to start from their own one-yard line.

The Clan’s run defense was their Achilles’ heel once again, as the Cougars pounded the ball up the field using the run nine times, including a 41-yard rush by Terrell Watson. He ended up finishing the drive with a six-yard run into the end zone. The first quarter ended with the Clan down by 17 points.

The Clan defense continued to struggle with the run in the second quarter when Owens went for a 63-yard jaunt to the SFU 33-yard line. Their defense stepped up after that and kept the score at 17–0. The Clan sacked Owens on fourth and 10 for eight yards, giving them the ball at their own 41. Palmer rushed the ball for 25 yards, and the eventual touchdown on the drive, pulling the Clan within 10. As the half ended, the Clan were in need of another huge second-half performance to win.

It was the Cougars who scored the first points out of the locker room to start the half. Bones capped off a nine-play, 66-yard drive with a rushing touchdown, putting the Cougars up 24–7. After some back-and-forth action, the Clan had a good drive going as they headed into the fourth quarter, but they were stuck at the APU 16-yard line on fourth and one to go. Wheeler found Jamal Kett for a first down. Palmer did the rest, completing his second touchdown of the game and closing the gap to 10 points once again.

The fourth quarter saw both teams putting up points. The Cougars matched their first-quarter total with two touchdowns and a field goal. The Clan scored touchdowns on their last three of four possessions, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit this time. They lost their final game of the season.

Palmer, who was named to the GNAC All-Academic team, had 159 yards on 26 carries, and two touchdowns. Trey Wheeler threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, and  was 25–44 on the day.

They finished the season 5–6 overall with a 4–6 record in the GNAC. This leaves them fourth in the conference, tied with the Cougars and ahead of Dixie State (3–7). This is an improvement from last year, when they finished with a 3–7 record.

Clan move on in NCAA Championships

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EIC
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SFU wins first two championship games, move on to quarterfinals

By Bryan Scott

The Simon Fraser men’s soccer team started their quest towards NCAA glory last week, with two games in the championship tourney. The Clan boasted a first-place seeding in their region, which gave them a first-round bye.

The Clan hosted on the California State Stanislaus Warriors, in Hayward, California. They were unable to host in Burnaby, since the border caused issues for some the teams. The Warriors were first to strike. In the 18th minute, Josue Barajas put his third of the year past Clan goalkeeper JD Blakely to give them a 1–0 lead.  On the other end of the pitch, Warrior goalkeeper Clint Long made five saves in the first 45 minutes to maintain the lead at the halfway point.

The Clan responded to start the second half, when Justin Wallace took a pass from Chris Bargholz, which went off the post and in the net to tie the game at one. In the 61st minute, after a phenomenal save by Blakely, Lucas Ferrito got the ball down the field and scored on his own rebound to boost the Clan to a 2–1 lead and a date with the Grand Canyon Antelopes in the third round.

For the game against the Antelopes, the Clan faced adversity before the match even started. A few days prior to the game, the Clan were told there was not enough room in their hotel for four teams, and they had to go to Phoenix, Arizona to play the Antelopes on their home field, despite their lower ranking.

SFU was not going to let a little extra travel time ruin their chances of winning. The Clan came out firing, getting nine shots to the Antelopes’ two in the first half. The game remained scoreless until Matt Besuschko coverted a Juan Sanchez corner kick, to give the Clan a one-goal lead. The lead held until the 66th minute, when Saeed Robinson tied the game on a penalty kick. Despite being outshot 12–4 in the half, SFU got the last laugh. In the 87th minute, leading goal scorer Carlo Basso put in a header on a feed from Bargholz to give the Clan the 2–1 victory. Basso credited his team for the winning goal, “[Wallace] got the ball up to Chris [Bargholz], who put a beautiful ball in to me and I didn’t really have to do much to be honest, just put it in the back of the net.”

With the win, the Clan’s historic season continued on Sat. Nov. 17 when they took on the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals (14–3–2) from San Antonio, Texas.  The results will be covered in the next issue of The Peak. 

Students should be more aware of what they fund

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EIC
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It’s 10 o’clock. Do you know where your $5 is?

By Graham Cook
Photos by Mark Burnham

With a multitude of confusing fees levied against students every semester, it can become difficult to keep track of where they go and how they are being spent. With student fees now totaling hundreds of dollars (with an increase coming soon due to the Student Union Building), it is clearly important to hold those that receive student funds accountable.

Take for example SFU’s official student newspaper, The Peak, which receives approximately $355,000 from students every year. Along with advertising and miscellaneous revenue, that totals a fairly substantial amount. That’s right, students fund three quarters of The Peak’s budget. According to the most recent financial statements, the newspaper incurs around $380,000 in expenses.

Seems fair enough, right? A student levy keeps the student newspaper, an integral part of campus life across the country, from running in the red. However, it is very important to know how the funds are spent. The process of actually printing the newspaper only totals around $45,000. The most substantial expense (by far) is wages, which run over $200,000 annually.[pullquote]All organizations that accept student money should be scrutinized by the student body that funds them.[/pullquote]

In addition, membership in Canadian University Press (CUP) and trips to the conferences that they hold total nearly $25,000. These conference costs include airfare, hotel stays, and attendance fees for editors and solid contributors. Another major fee of over $20,000 stems from an October 2008 lawsuit, which The Peak lost. The number could have been significantly higher if a more recent lawsuit against the newspaper had not been dropped.

It is not just your beloved student newspaper that spends student funds on things that may be unexpected. According to their most recent annual report, SFPIRG, which collects $3.00 per full-time student, spent over $180,000 of their $216,545 in student fees on wages for their four permanent staff and three temporary staff, as well as paying for their benefits and for employer taxes.  This year they have three permanent staff and their projected wages will be about $120,000. There are a plethora of other student organizations that collect levies from students in order to fund their activities.

All organizations that accept student money should be scrutinized by the student body that funds them. If you do not agree with the mandate of an organization, many of the fees levied against you are actually refundable. That said, rescinding your funding is not a decision that should be made lightly. One would have a hard time even buying lunch with the cost of most levies, and many of the services provided are valued by and necessary to a number of students on campus.

The point is, if you’re going to shell out the money, you should at least look into whose salary you are paying, and maybe even take advantage of the services made available to you.

Clan have perfect record at Disney Tip-off Classic

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EIC
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SFU defeat two ranked teams, start season 3–0

By Bryan Scott


The Simon Fraser Women’s basketball team jump started their year with three out-of-conference wins at the Disney Tip-off Classic in Anaheim, California last week. Their opponents were the 13th ranked University of Grand Canyon Antelopes, the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs, and the eighth ranked University of California, San Diego Tritons.

The first game was against the Antelopes, who came out of the gate strong, scoring three unanswered buckets. The Clan responded: Erin Chambers hit a couple baskets from behind the arc,and Marie-Line Petit added one, and the Clan were up 13–12. The Antelopes got close but never had the lead again throughout the game. The game continued to be tight nearing the end of the first half, with the Clan up only by one point, when Kristina Collins hit one of her two free throws to get the Clan a 29–27 lead at halftime.

After the Antelopes tied the game at 29 to start the second half, the Clan went on a 14–4 run over a five-minute period to give them a 43–33 lead. Grand Canyon never got closer than four points after that, and the Clan took home the win, 69–60. They were led by Chambers, who had 22 points including five three-point shots, and NayoRaincock-Ekunwe, who finished with a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds).

The next game was against the Lady Buffs, and this time it was Collins who led the way for the Clan. She opened the scoring for the game, and was there to respond every time the Lady Buffs tried to make a move. After the Clan took a five point lead, the Lady Buffs reclaimed some territory and took over the lead at 13–12. Collins hit one of her four three-pointers to give the Clan the lead by two. The Lady Buffs came roaring back, taking the lead on a three-point shot of their own, making it 18–15. Collins and her Clan were not going to let that happen;she made another three-pointer and then stole the ball on the ensuing play for another two, giving the Clan a lead they did not relinquish for the remainder of the game. At halftime,they headed into the locker room up 37–26. Collins led all players in the first half with 15 points in 13 minutes of playing time.

Chambers and Raincock-Ekunwe helped solidify the win for the Clan in the second half, adding 12 points and 10 points respectively. Raincock-Ekunwe had 11 rebounds in the game, which contributed to her second doubale-double in as many nights. Collins had seven points in the half to bring her total to 22 points, which led all scorers. Head coach Bruce Langford was happy with his team’s performance, saying, “We did an okay job of taking care of the ball and I liked our shot selection.”

The final game of the weekend was also the toughest. The Tritons are ranked eighth for a reason. The first half was a battle.Both teams traded the lead several times. The Clan were down 25–22 at halftime, with Chambers accumulating the most points in the half with only five. They were not shooting well, hitting only 29 per cent of their field goals. In the second half the Clan stepped up led by Raincock-Ekunwe and Chambers once again. They had 19 points and 10 points respectively in the half, and Raincock-Ekunwe was one rebound away from her third straight double-double, finishing with nine on the night. The Clan squeaked out a huge win early on the season, 61–58.

Chambers earned Red Lion Player of the Week honours for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with her 51 points and 15 rebounds over the three games. She was also incredible at the free throw line, going a perfect 15 for 15.

The Clan headed to St. George, Utah over the past weekend to participate in the Dixie State Tournament. The results will be covered in the upcoming issue of The Peak. 

Men’s wrestling team start season in Oregon

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Skylar Davis wins first gold medal of the season for the Clan

By Clay Gray

The Men’s wrestling team journeyed to Forest Grove, Oregon for their NCAA season opener.  The Clan brought more than 10 athletes on the trip. There are 10 weight classes but they did not have competitors in the, 149-pound, 157-pound, and 174 -pound weight classes. However, head coach Justin Abdou said, “I expect to see the gaps fill in as the season continues and people settle into their weight classes.” Yet the Clan didn’t let the empty spots keep them from getting some positive results, with three athletes finding their way to the finals.

Freshman Sunny Dhinsastepped onto the mat in Forest Grove as one of two wrestlers representing the Clan at the 285 pound weight class. Dhinsa marched through his early-round matches, pinning three straight opponents on his way to the tournament’s semi-finals, where he squared off against Jacob Mitchell of Clackamas Community College. Dhinsa continued his dominance and advanced to the finals after overcoming Mitchell in a 10–2 major decision. In the finals, Dhinsa scored the only takedown of the match and a chance at standing on top of the podium. However, a mistake against Oregon State University’s team captain, Chad Hanke, cost Dhinsa the match and the gold medal. When asked about Sunny’s performance, Abdou said, “Sunny was very close to winning [his finals], and I think it was a step forward for him. He definitely went out with the right mind frame this weekend, and he wrestled well.”

Senior Manvir Sahota was one of three SFU wrestlers in the 184-pound division.  Sahota started the day off with a bye into the quarterfinals, where he faced off against John Tuck of the OSU Beavers. A 6–3 decision over Tuck sent Sahota on to the Semis to battle another OSU wrestler, Brian Engdahl. Sahota managed to defeat Engdahl and advanced to the finals to tussle with yet another OSU grappler, Ty Vinson. The senior Beaver proved to be too much for the Clansman, besting Sahota 15–3. According to Abdou,“Manvir came out and had a decent performance, he looked really good his first two matches, but he came up against a real tough division one wrestler in the finals, and he just couldn’t quite get his offense going.”

Junior Skylar Davis was the sole athlete for the Clan at 125 lbs. Davis opened the tournament with a technical fall over Tyler Jensen of South Western Oregon. Davis’s quarterfinals match against Clackamas’s Stevan Knoblauch ended 50 seconds into the second period as Davis pinned for the win. The semi-finals pitted Davis against one of the Beaver’s freshmen, Joey Palmer, in a back-and-forth, high-scoring rumble ending with a 14–12 decision in favor of Davis. The 125 lbs. championship round was a showdown between Davis and Mathew Nguyen of SWO, where Davis seized a 3–0 decision making him the only gold of the weekend for the Clan.

The Clan’s men’s team travelled to North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for a duels tournament on Saturday, and then to Spokane, Washington for an open tournament on Sunday, while the Women’s team went to London, Ontario for the Herry Jeris Open. Results will be reported in the next issue of The Peak.

Ani-malapropisms: A murder of crows

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EIC
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By Gary Lim and Eleanor Qu

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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