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U-Pass far from universal

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EIC
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By Benedict Reiners

Proponents of the current U-Pass system have often talked about it as a useful way of introducing students to using transit, and rightfully so. However, if the system is, at least in part, designed to promote transit use amongst students, then there are some significant problems that must be addressed.

The foremost amongst these is that of not offering the U-Pass for the full summer semester to students taking either intersessional or summer session courses. One cannot claim that “the ‘U’ in U-Pass BC stands for ‘Universal’,” as Translink does on their website while continuing to limit the eligibility as such. If Translink is going to continue to claim that the program is truly universal, they must actively endeavor to make the eligibility, as well as the services available, as wide as possible.

However, even more preposterous is that those who take intersessional or summer session courses still pay the same amount for those courses as any other, due to course costs being determined by unit. Yet, despite the fact that they save no money on courses, those taking intersessional or summer session courses do not receive access to the U-Pass for the time that they are away from campus. This shows a blatant failure to recognize that students may be using transit for other purposes, something that is supposedly encouraged by the program.

Not only would this be positive for students, it would also be in Translink’s best interest, as it would bring more riders to their service that they may not have otherwise gained, suggesting that it might be slightly easier to convince them to approve the program if that avenue is followed.

However, although this change in the program would be positive for many students, not all would likely be so receptive. Students are not currently forced to pay for a U-Pass for a month in which they will not receive one, and some would disagree with the imposition of a new fee for a pass that they may or may not use. However, this practice would be in line with giving all students the pass during the fall and spring semesters, regardless of their plans to use it or not. The fact remains that students will need to pay for their transportation one way or another, but this ensures that such costs are as manageable as possible, in addition to encouraging a sustainable choice of transportation.

The practice of only offering a U-Pass for certain months to students is not limited to SFU. This summer, UBC has stopped offering full summer U-Passes for all students except those participating in the co-op program, and has received mixed reviews for doing so. Predictably, those who do not use transit much have been pleased, while those who do use it have been far less receptive to the change. However, one must keep in mind that SFU is generally more of a commuter campus than UBC, and as such, a greater number of students rely on transit regularly, providing a greater incentive for U-Passes spanning the whole summer being given to students in intersessional and summer session courses.

In the end, the question of what to do with the U-Pass program comes down to simply fulfilling claims that have already been made. If they want to keep presenting the program as universal, it’s about time that they actually make sure that it is.

Good Vibrations: How the popular sex toy came to be

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EIC
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By Ellen Crosby

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CUP) — Let’s face it: if anything warrants a retelling and celebration of its invention, it’s the vibrator. Rachel P. Maines’s 1999 novel, The Technology of Orgasming, retells the story of its origin. In Victorian England, women who complained of headaches, stoma aches, fatigue, or any other unexplainable symptom were diagnosed with hysteria.

Hysteria — in its literal sense — means disease of the womb. Doctors believed that women with emotional excesses had disturbed uteruses. This alleged disease was said to be affecting about half of the female population.

Luckily, men were able to solve the problem. Doctors found that performing “pelvic massages” on women until they reached orgasm seemed to help.

No kidding.

Before the vibrator was invented, and as early as the beginning of the 16th century, married women who suffered from hysteria were urged to have sex with their husbands. Single women who could not relieve their hysteria via sex were encouraged to take “vigorous” horseback rides.

Maines’s novel was a source of inspiration for Sarah Ruhl’s play In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), and for the 2011 movie Hysteria starring Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Ruhl’s play was nominated for three Tony Awards in 2010, including best play. It centres on two women who are unhappy with their monotonous sex lives, which have always been focused on their husbands’s pleasure. They are both excited to try out the newly-invented vibrator, and to experience their first orgasms. The final curtain closes on one of the actresses having sex with her husband, but not in their usual missionary position. The couple has discovered woman-on-top sex, and the play ends with Catherine having her first satisfying sexual experience with her husband.

The film Hysteria focuses heavily on the doctors who invented the vibrator and why they did it.

Hugh Dancy plays the young doctor, Mortimer Granville. He takes his career very seriously and insists that the invention, at first called the “feather duster”, has nothing to do with pleasure. Instead, Granville’s objective is to help hysterical women become sane again. Little does he know that his method of curing women’s hysteria is through sexually satisfying them.

The vibrator was originally created to cure a fabricated disease. However, the dismissal of hysteria as a disease does not mean that the vibrator cannot be used for medicinal purposes. In fact, the medical research coming out about the health benefits of experiencing orgasm is increasing in amount each year. Some of the latest research shows that having frequent orgasms can curb your appetite, get rid of headaches and cramps, lower your cholesterol, decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke, protect you against cancer, and boost your immune system.

Of course, there are other benefits that come from using your mechanical friend that are harder to measure, such as enhancing your mood and lifestyle, recharging your romantic relationships, and making you feel more comfortable with and about your body.

Granville may have had a misogynistic and unfounded reason for inventing the vibrator, but we now know that it actually does have some legitimate health benefits.

You are what you eat?: The most bizarre diets

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EIC
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1

By Ljudmila Petrovic
Wallis Simpson, a former Duchess of Windsor, once famously said, “You can never be too rich or too thin.” It’s no secret that, in a society where this attitude is constantly plastered across tabloids and magazines, many people go to great lengths to reach a waif-thin figure. Because of this pressure, the tried-and-true idea of eating healthy and exercising moderately to stay healthy has taken a back seat to extreme, often bizarre methods of appetite-suppression.Moreover, appetite suppression has been part of various religious and spiritual passages. Below are some of the most ridiculous diet fads.

FRUITARIANISM

The general idea behind fruitarianism is to not eat anything that has been killed, which includes vegetables that fruitarians believe have been brutally torn from the ground. Because of this belief, fruitarians can only eat fruit that has already fallen from its branch, as well as nuts and seeds. Of course, no animal products of any sort are permitted, and there are variations in the extremity of the diet; for example, some people whose diet consists of 75% fruit still consider themselves fruitarians. Another reason for the diet choice is that, according to Genesis 1:29, “God said: behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat,” the original human diet thus interpreted as consisting of only fruit. This diet, depending on the level of extremity, either has little or no protein. Furthermore, it can cause deficiencies in many essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, and most B vitamins.

Famous followers: Gandhi is said to have had a fruitarian diet, but discontinued it at his doctor’s urging. Steve Jobs, too, is thought to have been a follower, which is allegedly where the name of Apple Inc. came from.

BREATHARIANISM/INEDIA

The concept that humans do not need physical food intake for their sustenance, but can rather survive off of the energy from its aura and aroma and, in some cases, the energy from the sun. This is, in its truest form, supposed to be only an effect of a spiritual expansion of consciousness. However, it has since become a major cash market, with the Breatharian Institute of America offering $10,000 workshops led by Wiley Brooks to get people started on the lifestyle (the website specifies “this is not a misprint” under the price). Those that take part in this diet do not eat anything, so it goes without saying that there are more than a few nutritional deficits. In fact, there have been several deaths as a result of this diet. It is extremely dangerous.

Famous followers:. Most of those that have admitted to breatharianism have done so for spiritual and religious reasons. Many spiritual and religious leaders have practiced breatharianism.

SLEEPING BEAUTY DIET

This diet was developed in the 1970s and advocates sedation-induced sleep for days on end. The premise is that if you’re sleeping, you’re not eating. True enough, but it is also true that your metabolism slows down immensely when you’re asleep, and not eating for so long is bound to induce binge eating upon awakening; not to mention that any diet that involves spending days under sedation cannot possibly have a good long-term success rate.

Famous followers: In his bloated days, Elvis Presley was desperate and would occasionally use this method as a weight-loss attempt. Unfortunately, he would wake up after several days and go on a binge. We all saw how that turned

TAPEWORM DIET

Does this even need an explanation? Popular in the 1920s, the idea is that by purposely ingesting a tapeworm, it will eat all the calories that the dieter consumes, leading to extreme weight loss. Needless to say, the parasitic worm also consumes essential nutrients and it is possible that it will act unexpectedly, spreading to unplanned areas of the body. Not surprisingly, selling tapeworms for this purpose is illegal in North America.

Famous followers: According to urban legend, Maria Callas, an opera singer from the 1950s, used this method and lost immense amounts of weight. Callas, however, denied this rumour.

COOKIE DIET

People on the cookie diet can eat all the cookies they want throughout the day, but only one meal: dinner (a small portion of lean meat and vegetables). Sounds like a sweet diet, but the cookies are originator Dr. Siegel’s creations, made with fibrous bran or whole wheat. This diet does not provide a variety of nutrients, and is unlikely to last long due to its repetitive nature.

Famous followers: Guy Ritchie (Madonna’s ex) apparently lost some weight on this diet, but experienced side effects, such as a significant decrease in libido. Madonna wasn’t happy.

BOOZE-ONLY DIET

This concept is pretty self-explanatory. The idea is that by only drinking alcohol wand eating no food, weight loss will occur. However, alcohol is caloric, and taken alone there are significant nutrient deficiencies. This is certainly not a functional diet. A variation of this diet has been on the increase in recent news: what experts call “drunkorexia”, where people — mostly women — limit food in order to compensate for the calories consumed from alcohol.

Famous followers: In an attempt to lose weight, William the Conqueror consumed nothing but alcohol. He did notice a decrease in weight, but his death was also caused by a horse fall, which may or may not be related.

BABY FOOD DIET

The idea here is to replace one or two regular meals with pureed baby food. This diet has recently gained popularity with many celebrities, but not only does it seem unsatisfying, it also doesn’t provide all the nutrients or fiber needed in an adult diet. This food is designed for pre-teething infants, not for full-grown adults that need to perform a number of daily tasks.

Famous followers: This diet is a recent one, so its proponents include current celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Lily Allen, and (surprise!) Jennifer Aniston. It’s a fad diet.

CABBAGE SOUP DIET

This has historically been the inevitable diet of the lower classes, but celebrities have been using it to try and shed pounds since the 1950s. It consists of cabbage soup for seven days, with allowances for fruits, vegetables, skim dairy products, tea, and coffee. It’s a bleak week with extremely boring meals, not to mention a lack of nutrients. Side effects include fatigue, irritability, and junk food cravings.

Famous followers: Jaime Pressley and Sarah Michelle Gellar are both fans of this diet and claim it helped them lose weight after having children and in preparation for roles.

FLETCHERIZING

Named after its founder, Horace Fletcher, this early 20th century diet takes all the enjoyment out of a meal: dieters must keep their head leaned forward while chewing their food 32 times. When this is complete, they lean their heads back and all that doesn’t naturally slide down their throats is supposed to be spit out. This diet certainly does not provide enough sustenance for survival and is bland and time-consuming.

Famous followers: Author Henry James, John D. Rockefeller, and John Harvey Kellogg (as in the cereal) were all famous names that followed Fletcher’s diet advice.

 

These diets are bizarre ways to reach an unrealistic goal for body weight. “If you are only eating one food it is impossible to have your nutrient needs met, which can interfere with your everyday tasks such as studying, working, even sleeping,” says Rosie Dhaliwal, an SFU Health Promotion Specialist and blogger for The Dish. “Diets do not work.”

The Reality Stars

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EIC
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By Ljudmila Petrovic

 

“Vancouver is a goldmine and I love to go digging,” announced Christina — one of the stars of the new Real Housewives of Vancouver — in the promotional video for the reality show. For most viewers watching the newest installment of the Real Housewives shows, the fact that the setting is so familiar makes the ‘reality’ of Vancouver life that is portrayed so much more bizarre. In his article “Reality TV: A Dearth of Talent and the Death of Morality”, Salman Rushdie pondered: “Who needs images of the world’s rich otherness, when you can watch these half-familiar avatars of yourself — these half-attractive half-persons — enacting ordinary life under weird conditions? Who needs talent, when the unashamed self-display of the talentless is constantly on offer?” And yet, despite this cynical and negative view of reality TV and everything it stands for, there is nonetheless something about reality TV that keeps people coming back for more, which raises the question: what exactly fascinates us about reality TV?

Reality TV as we know it started with the rise of COPS in 1989 and MTV’s The Real World in 1992. With the 2000 debut of Survivor, the genre shot upwards in popularity, and has since expanded to include a variety of styles and sub-genres. Predominantly, there are documentary-style shows — such as the Real Housewives — where the camera follows around the subjects in what is supposed to be an unscripted and candid look at their lives. This type of reality TV is further divided to include documentaries starring celebrities (e.g. Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Simple Life). Another popular type of reality show deals with makeovers and lifestyle changes, such as Extreme Makeover or The Biggest Loser. Additionally, there are reality competitions, such as The Amazing Race, and talent searches (e.g. American Idol), both of which appeal to the thrill of competition. Each of these sub-genres seems to appeal to a certain demographic or a certain sentiment, which makes the question of our society’s fascination that much more complex.

One of the reasons for this fixation may be the sense of voyeurism that we experience, especially in shows such as Big Brother, whose main purpose is exactly that: to give the audience an opportunity for voyeurism. Unlike scripted television, reality shows provide the audience with an intimate view of real people and real events; most shows not only film the arguably candid interactions between characters, but also confessional asides where the characters divulge their true thoughts to the camera. As an audience, we are given the ultimate insight into the lives and minds of the people on screen.

Another reason for watching reality TV is that it provides viewers with the opportunity to live vicariously through the characters they are watching. “The type of reality shows I watch, they’re mainly about people that live lavish lifestyles, which [are] different from mine,” says Chelsea, a 21-year-old student. “So I find it interesting to see how different it could be.” It is true that many of the more popular reality shows follow people living in extravagance — the Real Housewives series and Keeping Up With the Kardashians, to name a few. A survey at Ohio State University found that regular viewers of reality TV shows were more likely to agree with statements about social status than those who were not fans of reality TV (e.g. “Prestige is important to me”). “Reality TV allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame,” wrote one of the researchers, Steven Reiss, in an issue of Psychology Today. “Ordinary people can watch the shows, see people like themselves and imagine that they too could become celebrities by being on television.” Reality television provides viewers the opportunity to vicariously experience extravagance safely; we can watch those on screen do things that we would never dare do in reality.

On the one hand, reality shows give viewers glimpses of lifestyles different from their own; on the other, the fact that the premise is one of ‘reality’ means that viewers internalize the content and compare their lives to those of the people they are watching. This is exactly what some dislike about reality television. “It paints ‘reality’ of other people’s lives as much more exciting [than] what real life is actually like, so people get this false notion that their own reality doesn’t make par,” says 25-year-old Saeid. For others, however, it is a way to feel better about themselves. Some reality shows — such as MTV’s True Life and Intervention — concentrate on the downfalls and negative aspects of people’s lives, which comfort the average viewer with the feeling that their own lives, though ordinary, are at least not as messy as those on screen.

One of the more popular sub-genres of reality TV is that of competition shows. Viewers follow the competitions with excitement, picking favorites and reacting to their successes and downfalls. It’s clear what draws the audience to these shows: the same adrenaline rush-inducing devices that draw people to watch competitive sports — or competitions of any sort, at that — are used in reality show competitions. An added feature of reality television, however, is the personal aspect; viewers are introduced to the competitors, providing them with a sense of a deeper personal understanding of the characters. The same can be said for reality shows that deal with lifestyle changes and personal makeovers: the stylistic devices used in making a reality show (mainly the participants’ confessions to the camera) can create a sense of empathy among viewers. By watching someone speak about how unhappy they are in their current life situation or their current body, the audience develops a desire to see them change and improve their standard of living. Shows like The Biggest Loser or Extreme Makeover have received criticism for many reasons — including the harshness with which they work the competitors — but there is no denying that the way the transformations are presented to the audience provides a happy ending; a problem and the succeeding solution.

While all of the above explanations are certainly valid, the answer could be as simple as amusement. Chelsea cites Jersey Shore as one of her favourite reality shows. “Entertainment value,” she says, is the main reason she is such an avid fan of the show. “I love hot messes and partying and it’s basically just an hour of rowdiness every episode.” Perhaps what we enjoy about reality shows is that they take us along for the ride.

“The problem with this kind of engineered realism is that, like all fads, it’s likely to have a short shelf-life, unless it finds ways of renewing itself,” predicts Rushdie in the same article. It seems, however, that reality TV appeals to every possible aspect of human nature: the voyeurism of candid shows; empathy, and the desire for a happy ending; the adrenaline rush of competition. This is perhaps why the audience is so vast: because it is not just one audience. People watch reality TV for different reasons, just like they watch scripted television for different reasons. The foundation of reality television is that it reflects and documents reality, however, the appeal seems to be a reality distorted enough from our own that it provides an escape from everyday life.

Optometry retailers have students seeing red

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EIC
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By Sheila Bissonnette

Students looking for cheap eyewear may find it more difficult and less safe than expected to fill their prescriptions online

When second-year SFU student Tony called Clearly Contacts to order prescription glasses online, he was told his prescription was incomplete. In order to buy his glasses online, he needed something called a “PD”. He returned to the optometrist retailer, where he had initially received his prescription, only to be told that the PD number will be provided if he pays a $50 fee.

“I had already paid for the exam, but they told me I had signed something that said I agreed to pay for the PD measurement. When I asked what she was talking about, she showed me a copy of the health questionnaire I had signed and at the bottom I had agreed to pay for the PD.”

Students may have recently noticed a number of advertisements featuring former NHL player Trevor Linden, drawing attention to the cost-saving benefits of purchasing prescription eyewear online. The Simon Fraser Student Society extended health plan lists Clearly Contacts, an online prescription eyewear provider, as a preferred member of its ‘professional network’. But students seeking to fill their eyeglasses prescriptions in cyberspace rather than from a local optometrist may find themselves caught in a crossfire between the Ministry of Health and optometrist retailers, leaving them seeing double when the bill arrives.

Online purchase of prescription eyewear generally requires a prescription from an optometrist, which outlines several different measurements including a PD measurement. The ‘interpupillary distance’, (PD) measurement determines the distance between pupils. In March 2010 (effective May 2010), the Liberal government of B.C., represented by Health Minister Kevin Falcon, issued a memorandum to B.C. optometrists outlining several regulatory changes.

The memorandum introduced “a series of changes . . . that will modernize the way in which British Columbians get their glasses and contact lenses.” One specific item on the memorandum regarded the provision of PD measurements at the time of eye examinations free of charge. Currently optometrist retailers are charging students up to $50, on top of the eye exam fee in order to provide the PD measurement. In March of this year, CBC News reported that against provincial regulations, this practice had become commonplace, implicating Iris and Lenscrafters as key culprits.

The Peak interviewed Dr. Robin Simpson, the registrar of the B.C. College of Optometrists, for a better understanding of the impact of the regulation. The B.C. College of Optometrists is the regulatory body which oversees professional conduct and policies relating to the practice of optometry.

Dr. Simpson stated, “The Optometrists Regulation was amended in 2010 to require those optometrists who are affiliated or associated with one who engages in the dispensing of corrective eyeglass lenses to measure a patient’s PD at the time of conducting an eye health examination and to include that PD measurement as part of the prescription for a corrective eyeglass lens.” The college set out policies to inform the members of the profession, alerting them to the change in their scope of practice. The college also interpreted the regulation to allow companies such as Iris Visual Group to charge a fee, as long as the patient agrees to the charge prior to the examinations.

The Peak met with Dr. Francis Jean, CEO of IRIS The Visual Group, at his Langley head office, where he provided documentation regarding policy changes and the rationale behind the $50 fee. “When the representatives of the B.C. College of Optometrists met with the Ministry of Health in May, 2010 the question of establishing an MSP code for PD measurements was rejected by the ministry,” said Jean.

According to Jean, the ministry told the college representatives that optometrists could charge a fee in order to allow them to be compensated for the added service of measuring PD. “Our other option was to increase the cost of an eye health examination, but I didn’t feel that would be fair to our other patients. Measuring the PD is not part of an eye exam; why would our professionals offer a free service so that patients can buy eyeglasses online?” Charging customers who wanted to buy their glasses online seemed fair and in line with the policy set out by the B.C. College of Optometrists.

He added that his company’s focus is on offering quality services and education to customers.
Cindy McDougal of the Ministry of Health stated, “The Ministry of Health expects optometrists to follow the optometrist regulations and provide a prescription to the patient upon completion of the eye health exam, free of charge. The prescription is required to contain the individual’s pupillary distance as measured at the time of the eye health exam with no separate fee being charged.”

MLA Mike Farnworth, The NDP critic for health, has his own reservations about the regulatory changes. “It is never an ideal situation where the government hands down an edict. I believe there are safety concerns about purchasing prescription eyeglasses online, which have not been addressed. I would like to see discussions with optometrists, opticians and the Ministry of Health to determine what is in the best interest of patients.”

The Peak asked vice president of Clearly Contacts (Coastal Contact Inc.) Terry Vanderkruyk for comments regarding concerns with safety issues. He commented “we are not optometrists nor do we claim to be. We sell glasses once we are provided with a prescription. The glasses can be returned within one year.”

So, what perceived safety issues are there for students who routinely buy their prescription contacts and glasses online? The main concern appears to be that students will substitute eye examinations done by optometrists for repeat purchases online. In an effort to save money, students like Tony may forgo eye examinations, which can detect rare but serious health issues.

All independent optometrists interviewed by The Peak had at least one anecdote wherein they had discovered seri ous health issues such as glaucoma or brain tumors during routine eye examinations. Buying prescription eyewear online will save money, but it is not a substitute for regular eye examinations done by a board-certified optometrist.

Do you purchase your prescription eyewear online or at a retailer? Take the survey at The Peak’s facebook page.

SFU researches water quality testing

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EIC
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By Graham Cook

The new science of metagenomics is being used to test water before it reaches the tap

Scientists from Simon Fraser University have been working on a project to better the testing of water quality. The aim of the initiative, Applied Metagenomics of the Watershed Microbiome, was described by microbiology professor Fiona Brinkman in an email to The Peak as “[changing] the way we monitor water quality.”

The team plans to accomplish this by running tests at the source instead of downstream at the tap, while utilizing the new science of metagenomics, the study of genetic material that is recovered directly from environmental samples. The hope is that this will allow water pollution to be identified earlier, at its source. Brinkman noted that the pollution they are dealing with involves factors such as agricultural run-off or septic tank leakage rather than chemical pollution.

In the same email, Brinkman outlined that the three-year project began in July of 2011, but that preparation had been previously ongoing. Her main research interest, she explained, involves the creation of new procedures for controlling infectious diseases. Following work with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, she became interested in “how we could much more effectively identify and control disease-causing microbes in our water supply,” which led directly to the creation of the project.

Along with Brinkman, who acts as the director of bioinformatics, those who have worked on the project include co-principle investigators Patrick Tang and Judith Isaac-Renton, faculty member Rob Holt, graduate student Mike Peabody, and staff member Matthew Laird. In addition, there are a growing number of people joining the team as the initiative increases in size.

Brinkman claimed that their future plans include completing an analysis of both clean and contaminated watersheds over the course of a year in order to develop a new water quality test. Despite being in the early stages of the project, she added that they have already been successful in beginning to outline the “needs and wants” in a new testing system.

According to an SFU PAMR press release, the study is receiving funding from an SFU Community Trust Endowment Fund research grant along with support from not-for-profit organizations Genome B.C. and Genome Canada.

A dating option for commitment-phobes

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EIC
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By Ms. X

I’ll be the first to agree that SFU is a diverse school with students from countries around the world and backgrounds of all sorts. This, however, does not mean we don’t share one thing in common: sex and relationships. Even if you’re not having it, or not in one, it is fair to say it is the one thing that everyone on this campus is thinking about, so let’s talk about it.

Let’s start with relationships. Defining a relationship insinuates that you are with someone with the intent of there being a future together. They become involved in every part of your life, meet your family, and learn your strengths and faults. But while for some students relationships are about finding “the one,” for others it is about finding “the one for right now”, so how can these two ideals co-exist for us?

The middle seems to be found in what I am going to call quasi-relationships (QR). This wannabe partnering allows everything you would gain from dating minus the commitment and titles, and they’re more common than one would expect. At the forefront of these quasi relationships is commitment phobia and it is seemingly rampant across us university students. Though some may debate that fear of commitment is a true phobia, many are willing to admit that they are not ready to make relationship plans for their futures. Just like the question we all face, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” the question of, “Who do you want to do for the rest of your life?” can be daunting. QRs, to some extent, answer this problem by offering the short term, easy way out.

Defining a QR will most definitely differ for every partnering. These situations are often not created so that you can have your cake and eat it too; maintaining a bond with a certain someone and also taking home a different someone from the Highland on a nightly basis. QRs are in place for people who enjoy being with their partner but are not at a place to be in it for the long haul. Taking away ‘quasi’ and being left with ‘relationship’ implies there is more of a future involved. You play a larger role in their life, perhaps meeting family or moving in together. For some, right now is the time to have fun with someone you enjoy spending time with and having the flexibility to separate that from your future.

The point is: to each their own. Sure, there are situations where a QR does not work, but if boundaries are clear and both parties involved are aware of what they want, it can allow for two people to find temporary happiness. For those students who are still mapping out their futures and unsure of all that is out there for them, quasi-dating may be what is working for you, just ensure that your situation is fair, healthy, and makes you happy.

SFU business students turn umbrellas into backpacks

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EIC
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By Graham Cook

Opportunity Fest winners receive $1,000

Second Chance, a project started by fourth year business students Cindy Cheng, Celeste Jhala, and Melissa Maat, has taken a step forward following a win in the sustainable category of SFU Surrey’s Opportunity Fest. “Opportunity Fest gives SFU business undergrads the chance to showcase their class-produced ventures to judges from industry, academia and the wider business community,” according to an SFU press release. Inspired by the abundance of broken umbrellas and used rice bags in Vancouver, the team collects these items and turns them into backpacks.
Maat spoke with The Peak about their recent success and stated that the initiative began as a project for their new product development and design class during the Spring 2012 semester. It will be continued in Shawn Smith’s new ventures course this summer at the Beedie School of Business. She explained that each member of the team has a specialty, such as website design, which is used in the production process. Melissa Maat, who spends three hours hand-sewing each bag, claimed that they had been able to sell all 11 of the bags they have made this semester, mostly to SFU students. The backpacks, the majority of which are named after current or former partners and require one-and-a-half umbrellas and rice bags, are sold for $40 each and are created with the city of Vancouver’s 2020 Greenest City goals in mind. These goals include 10 targets consisting of green economy, buildings, and transportation, as well as climate leadership, zero waste, lighter footprints, access to nature, clean air, clean water, and local food.
Though the backpacks primarily use the broken umbrellas and rice bags, the project website advertises that they also accept donations of old belts, shoe laces, and zippers. The group’s Facebook page, which advertises their “aim to minimize the amount of solid waste going into landfills,” has generated just over 150 ‘likes’ as well as a collection of posts from supporters and those wishing to donate.
The group also received $1,000 in prize money from their victory. When asked what plans they had for this money, Maat replied that they have considered spending $600 on upgrading their sewing machine to increase productivity, or outsourcing the manufacturing entirely. She added that they would wait to receive input from Smith, a lecturer in innovation and entrepreneurship at the Beedie School, which Maat described as having extensive experience with start-up businesses.
Opportunity Fest also saw such innovations as a hot tub water care system and a wristband that monitors heart rates and sleep patterns.

Girl’s clubs just as bad as men’s centres

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EIC
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By Esther Tung

In the last issue of the spring semester, The Peak’s cover story was on the approval of $30,000 by the SFSS to create a men’s centre. The men’s centre has whipped up a maelstrom of outrage from the Rotunda groups, as well as the student body. There is little value to the structure and mandate of the proposed men’s centre, and it’s baffling that the working group of Jeff McCann, Keenan Midgely, and Danielle Hornstein got anybody else in on the idea, let alone funding. A Youtube video consolidates angry responses towards the men’s centre and reiterations of why the Women’s Centre, on the other hand, is necessary. Patriarchy and hegemony and stuff. But the men’s centre’s critics have not questioned the continued existence of the Women’s Centre, or its annual budget of about $80,000, mostly accepting at face value that women’s safe spaces are a tenet of feminism, unequivocally justifying its presence on a progressive, left-leaning university campus.

Creating a literal girl’s club in response to a men’s world made sense back in 1968, when women were rare as both students and faculty, and the space functioned as an opportunity for mutual support and recognition, as well as feminist activism. However, the SFU Women’s Centre’s mandate has become antiquated. It bills itself first and foremost as a safe space on campus, a relic of the ‘60s and ‘70s movement, a time when women were considered the appendixes of the student body. In the grander scheme of things, women are certainly marginalized to this day, and safe spaces are still relevant, but a modern university campus is a setting in which women are the furthest thing from marginalized. We make up a slight majority of students, earn three degrees for every two by men, are less likely to drop out, and as urbanite graduates, we will start off earning more than our male peers. We no longer need a space for women to be women, but for feminists to be feminists — and safe space and referrals should not be the main services of what was once a powerful feminist collective, then called the Women’s Caucus. The Abortion Caravan began at the Vancouver Women’s Caucus in 1970, which saw hundreds of women driving to Ottawa to participate in a peaceful protest for the legalization of abortion that would come to shut down the House of Commons for about half an hour. Now, the Women’s Centre takes on pet projects like campus childcare facilities, and offering yoga and self-defense classes. Again, there’s an $80,000 budget here. Maybe their next focus could be on making an active effort to disrupt the creation of a men’s centre.

It is a great thing that the women’s movement has evolved to a point where there are less of these things to be outraged about. Feminism succeeded, and we have raised an entire generation of North American women on feminist values, or at least they’ve learned by way of osmosis. Now we need to teach the boys.

We’ve come to a point in time where we can’t do much more damage to patriarchy by shutting out the very half of the population who is supposed to be the root of our problems. The Women’s Centre does exactly that by using language that is already beginning to become outdated, by segregating men and women into ‘feminists’ and ‘male feminists’ (or rather, as the Women’s Centre puts it, ‘male allies’), the latter of whom can look forward to volunteer duties that range from poster boy to pancake flipper.

Feminism is supposed to be the affirmation of women (versus privileging women), not the rejection of men. It’s gender parity, not role reversal or male tokenism. On that count, both the gender-based safe spaces that we have (or are about to have) failed us, if we are indeed as progressive as we want to believe we are.

University Briefs

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By Ariane Madden

Concordia permits use of transgender chosen names
Transgendered students at Concordia University in Montreal will now be permitted to use their chosen names — rather than birth names — on school identification cards and other university documents. This comes after a two-year campaign by the campus’s Centre for Gender Advocacy. Birth names will continue to be used on transcripts for legal purposes only.

Quebec students reject government concessions
Quebec students continued their strikes over proposed tuition hikes after rejecting a late April concession by the provincial government. The proposal, which would double the current tuition rates, would spread the hikes over seven years instead of five years and boost provincial bursary funding.

Trent announces Cayman Islands partnership
Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario announced a new partnership with the University College of the Cayman Islands last week. The partnership will expand student exchanges as well as research and international conference initiatives.

Lakehead student union to challenge board of directors in court
The student union at Lakehead University in Ontario has vowed to challenge the university’s board of directors in court following a new bylaw barring student representatives from discussions where they may be viewed as having a conflict of interest, such as in the case of tuition hikes. The school says that lawyers were consulted in the drafting of the bylaw, which applies to all members of the board.

Student project causes bomb scare at FNUC
The Regina police explosives unit was called to the First Nations University of Canada last week after a student project was mistaken to be a bomb. Students approached police to call off the detonation of the suspicious package, identifying it as a part of their GPS tracking project for a class.

– Ariane Madden

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