After approximately four months of construction, the washroom renovations in the Southeast AQ near completion. The renovations, which involved the demolition of old infrastructure as well as upgrades, were completedon three facilities in question: a male and a female washroom, in addition to one private unisex washroom, all in compliance with accessibility requirements. These washrooms should be opened to the public this week.
“The washrooms in the AQ were chosen as they are some of the most heavily used washrooms on campus and were also some of the oldest and in most need of repair,” said Larry Waddell, director of facilities development. He added that, although these were the washrooms with the greatest need of repair, there were still many others that also needed similar repairs elsewhere on the Burnaby campus. “Planning and design work is underway to renovate the washrooms located in the northeast section of the AQ near the Renaissance, and the washrooms in the southwest corner of the AQ. This work is planned to take place this summer.”
However, this work did not come without cost. Sources indicate that the recent renovations cost the university approximately $375,000, all while, as SFSS university relations officer Marc Fontaine pointed out, the provincial government has been making cuts to available funding for such projects. “Several years ago, the provincial government [cut SFU’s] annual capital allowance $6.5 million to $0.5 million, not nearly enough to address deferred maintenance of campus buildings,” Fontaine reported.
In addition to this, the opening of the newly renovated AQ washrooms has been delayed as a result of issues regarding the building permit, which, although initially approved, was later mandated by the city building inspector to be changed to include entry doors from the corridor. Despite these setbacks, the washrooms are set to open this week.
While these renovations have been going on, the SFSS has also been doing some of their own renovations in the Maggie Benson Center to the washrooms under the Higher Grounds Coffee Shop and the Highlands Pub. This project is set to be the last for the time being by the SFSS in terms of washroom renovations, as it is intended to bring the last of those under the SFSS jurisdiction into good condition. “In terms of washrooms that are under the jurisdiction of the SFSS, our facilities are now all in excellent condition. The upper pub washrooms were renovated as part of the recent pub renovations and two other washrooms near the SFSS conference rooms are relatively newer than others on campus,” said Fontaine.
As the last of the planned washroom renovations by the SFSS for the time being, the upgrade is smaller than the project just completed in the AQ, only covering two smaller washrooms, a male and a female. As a result of this, the project will only cost the SFSS approximately $112,000, a little under a third of the cost of the AQ renovations. This money is coming from the SFSS expansion fund, a fund set aside to pay for building upgrades and renovations under society jurisdiction. The planning for this project took place from April to December, and building started in January. The renovation is projected to be completed in March.
However, outside of the SFSS jurisdiction, there is much work that remains to be done on the aging washrooms throughout the university, and there will be much work on such projects as the university moves forward, projected Fontaine. “The university itself is continuing to undertake [the] renovation of its own washrooms around campus, especially in the AQ. These projects take a lot of time and money but I am proud to say that the university’s senior administration is aware of the issue and taking action.”
AQ bathrooms renovated
University Briefs
Former Calgary student union president charged with robbery
The former president of Mount Royal University’s student union was arrested and charged with bank robbery last week, only one month after resigning from her position. She allegedly resigned after a routine review uncovered several unexplained discrepancies in policy compliance. She had a prior outstanding arrest warrant for fraud.
Federal youth employment programs cut
Several Service Canada Centres for Youth Employment shut their doors last month as part of a government cost-saving strategy. Federal human resources minister Diane Finley highlighted enhanced online government employment services as an alternative to the former job-search assistance centres.
“Cavesluts and Dinowhores” posters elicit warning to UBC club
The University of British Columbia Ski and Board Club has received a written warning from university administration following the display of event posters which were deemed offensive last month. The posters — which advertised a prehistoric-themed beer garden event — featured a scantily clad woman leaning against a dinosaur skull.
Law school students participate in Twitter mock court case
Students from the universities of British Columbia, Victoria, Dalhousie, Ottawa, and York participated in the first ever mock-court case to be held over Twitter. Students were asked to argue different sides surrounding the issue of the B.C. government’s obligation to First Nations’ treaty rights and were judged on their clarity of responses as well as use of the social media tool.
Ineligible votes uncovered from UBC BoG election
A review of the votes cast for the University of British Columbia’s recent board of governors elections discovered that some ineligible votes had been cast. The UBC associate registrar stated that the votes were mostly cast from students attending UBC’s affiliate colleges who are not permitted to vote in board of governors elections but that the number was not high enough to affect election outcomes.
— Ariane Madden
Referendum questions announced
By Jennifer Bednard
On February 29, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) released the list of referendum questions that will be on the ballot for this year’s SFSS elections. Within these referendum questions is the proposal that would fund the proposed student union building at SFU Burnaby.
Ali Godson, chief electoral officer of the IEC, explained the process. “There are three ways to get a referendum question on the ballot. One of them is by getting a petition signed by five per cent of the SFU undergraduate student population. Another way is having it approved by forum. The final way is having it approved by the board of directors. [In this referendum] the Schools Building Schools question was approved by forum and the other three questions were approved by the board of directors.”
The first question is concerned with whether or not to add a levy of $1 per semester for full time students and $0.50 per semester for part time students in order to support the charitable organization Schools Building Schools, which Godson explained would use the levy to build schools in Uganda. The question also asks whether or not to allow students the ability to opt out in any given semester.
Question number two addresses a proposed amendment to By-Law 17, which is concerned with referenda. The amendment would address a number of provisions in the bylaw to allow referenda to be held in the fall semester. “It would allow referendum questions to be held in the fall,” Godson said, “whether or not there is a by election.”
The third question has to do with the reallocation of a portion of the Space Expansion Fund to different campus organizations, including clubs and departmental student unions. “Currently, $15 is collected from each student. $5 of that would be reallocated and $10 would remain in the Space Expansion Fund,” explained Godson. The reallocation would not increase the student levy.
Question four deals with the proposed Student Union Building and stadium. A membership levy of $10 would be introduced in January 2014, increasing by $10 each following year until it is capped in 2022. Godson further clarified, saying, “The levy would be pro-rated, depending on how many courses you’re taking each semester.”
The referendum will be held online from March 20 to 22.
For a full list of referendum questions, see page 8.
Library hours extended
By David Dyck
Library announces longer study hours during exam time at both the Burnaby and Surrey campuses
At forum last week, it was announced that the Fraser Library on the Surrey campus and the W.A.C. Bennett Library on the Burnaby campus would be extending their hours to accommodate late-night study sessions. The new hours will allow the Surrey campus to remain open longer, and students on the hill who want to pull all-nighters will now be able to do so in the comfort of the library.
SFSS university relations officer Mark Fontaine and president Jeff McCann first approached the library in December to attempt to extend library hours. “We were going in with the idea that students don’t need full check out facilities and full librarian assistance in the middle of the night,” said Fontaine. “They need the space to study in; warm space and good lighting, with access to computers.” Fontaine pointed out that when either the Burnaby or the Surrey libraries close in the evening, “there’s a stream of students who are herded out of the library.” This indicated to him that the demand was there for longer hours.
Natalie Gick, associate university librarian, administrative services, explained the changes at forum. “At the Bennett library we’re going to have what I call ‘late night study hall’. We will be keeping parts of the building open 24/7.” These hours are for exam period only, taking effect on April 10 and running until April 22. Gick explained that only designated spaces, such as the fourth floor, most of the third floor, and the group study lounge on the second floor, would be kept open.
Students wanting to check out books, borrow laptops, or browse the stats and reserves collections are out of luck after regular library hours, however, as there will be no library staff on hand. Students won’t be completely alone; security will remain on hand to manage safety on the floors that remain open. Essentially, the library will only be providing added study space.
On the Surrey campus, the Fraser Library will not be offering the same full-time service, but it will be extending regular operating hours. Beginning April 12 and ending on April 21, from Monday to Friday, the library will be open at 8:00 a.m. as usual, but it will close at 11:00 p.m. instead of 8:00 p.m. On Friday during that period, it will close at 11:00 p.m. as well, as opposed to its regular Friday closing time of 6:00 p.m., and on Saturday it will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., rather than 5:00 p.m. Regular services will be available at the Surrey location during those hours.
Gick told The Peak that they are doing this on a trial basis this semester, and will be looking at how many students use the facilities during this time.
Bruno Mars: not quite the hopeless romantic
By Denise Wong
Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records
Think twice about making that Bruno Mars cover video for your special someone — here’s what you’d be saying
Bruno Mars is the singer-songwriter behind the hit single, “Just the Way You Are”, a sweet song about how his lover is perfect the way she is and doesn’t need to change a thing. Ask the average pop music groupie if they see anything wrong with the picture, and they’ll probably shake their heads innocently.
“Bruno Mars is talking about loving a girl for who she is, no matter what. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s a great message,” they might say, without ever having really listened to his lyrics beyond the chorus.
He’s not saying that girls shouldn’t be insecure because looks don’t matter to him — he is absolutely saying looks matter, but that whoever the song is meant for doesn’t need to be insecure because she’s already pretty.
The song’s message is quite simple: “I love you because you’re perfect.” Physically perfect, that is. Don’t believe that’s the message that your Prince Charming-slash-role model is really saying? Take a look at the line right before the first chorus: “When I compliment her, she won’t believe me / And it’s so, it’s so sad to think she don’t see what I see.”
What does he see? Her eyes, her hair, and how physically attractive she is (re: first chorus). There’s nothing to rule out the possibility that he only thinks the object of his affection doesn’t need to change because she’s already drop dead gorgeous.
He’s not singing about inner beauty, or how love colours our perspective so that our beloved is beautiful no matter what — he’s singing about big, shiny eyes, perfect hair, and sexy laughs. Note how he never actually says anything about loving this girl regardless of how she looks.
When Bruno Mars says she’s beautiful and she doesn’t need to change a thing, the message I’m getting is, “Pretty people, like you, don’t need to change because they’re already physically perfect.” I can’t assume that he means she’s beautiful whether or not she wears make up—because that’s not what he sings.
And suddenly those sweet words have become flavourless.
“There’s not a thing that [he] would change about her face,” is the kicker line that shows he’s really just talking about physical appearance. “If perfect’s what you’re searching for, then just stay the same” says Mars, completely disregarding the fact that all human beings are predisposed to this thing called old age.
Luckily, it’s a disease easily prevented and cured by Botox shots — but Bruno Mars should probably bank on something other than good looks and long eyelashes, because her “beautiful skin” is going to sag in about 20 years.
Throughout the song, he manages to capture a relatable scenario for women who have, at one point or another, felt insecure about the way they look, and targets those insecurities with flattery by telling them how perfect they are. Yet, as I’ve stated before, his idea of perfect is really more shallow than what most people think it is.
If one looks strictly at the title and the catchy chorus, “Just the Way You Are” almost makes an easy pass for a song with substance. How does telling someone they’re perfect just the way they are seem superficial? It doesn’t, if all you’re hearing is the chorus.
Bruno Mars gives more reasons than not to believe his song is about skin-deep beauty. Because it’s music, I understand it’s open to different interpretations. Just because he doesn’t say he won’t love her when she gets old, doesn’t mean he won’t. Just because he only describes her looks in this song, doesn’t mean he doesn’t love her for her personality. Understandable. But that goes beyond giving him the benefit of the doubt; it would be praising him for something he never even said.
I acknowledge his amazing range and admit his songs are catchy, but it’s a whole different story to give him credit for being a sweet romantic when the message behind the song is really quite far from it. No one thinks of Bruno Mars as a shallow singer who sings about pretty faces, they think his songs have uplifting messages — but the problem is that people tend to be selective. They pick out their favourite lines and think those lines represent the whole song, but they don’t.
In the case of Bruno Mars, people are supporting the song for reasons that are not even represented by the lyrics. It sounds like he’s sending an uplifting message to the female population when he sings about how they’re perfect just the way they are.
What people don’t always realize, is that his love is conditional and only applies to those that are physically attractive — which counteracts the major appeal of the song.
Arts rep pitches student affairs officer position
By Graham Cook
Kyle Acierno, SFSS arts rep and SASS president, has drafted a proposal for the creation of a student affairs officer. The proposal describes the position as being “responsible for developing programming, advising student organizations and student leaders, and conducting research to meet the needs of the whole student — physical, emotional and mental.”
The document also claims that Tim Rahilly, VP-Students, “has agreed to provide half the financial support” for the position. This comes with the condition that the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will provide the rest of the funding and strategic support.
The same report cites a 2010 survey completed by SFU about the top 10 things that students would improve about the school. The findings concluded that other than repairing facilities, the biggest focus was on student life. The document goes on to describe that “although student societies . . . and student clubs have existed at SFU since the early 1960s, there still appears to be a disconnect between the students and the university.” Also mentioned are the current student issues in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, most of which surround the poor relationship between the dean’s office or Arts Central and the student population.
On this proposed position, Acierno told The Peak that it would be very connected to both the administration and the students. He also said that it comes in response to “the lack of engagement that our faculty provided for students in the faculty.” In addition, Acierno said the inspiration for this came from observing the Arts Undergraduate Society at UBC where there is a similar position: “Once I found out that they have a person there . . . helping to engage the students, helping to help the students, helping to work with them, and make activities and make events for them I thought this was something that is really necessary here.” Nancy Johnston, executive director of SFU Student Affairs, has also been noted as being in favour of this position being implemented.
Acierno’s report concludes: “Student social integration and engagement at SFU is relatively low. Given the anticipated student retention benefits of a more engaged student population, SFU should consider ways to increase awareness of social activities and opportunities to increase engagement of its students on campus.”
In the Faculty of Science, a similar position existed to bridge the gap between students and administration. However, the position was eliminated in January of this year by dean of science Dr. Claire Cupples.
Good to Know! March 5th
By Brad McLeod
After extensive research, experts in the field of communications are confident that by this time next year podcasts, not the radio, will be the number one form of media that no one pays attention to.
The research comes from a study based on the work of Marshall McLuhan, in which people were asked to name the forms of media they were aware of and the ones they used. As less people are even aware that radio still exists, podcast were found to be the most ignored.
“I’m not surprised,” commented one of the researchers, professor Jim David. “I remember I used to listen to podcasts but now there are too many of them. I’m still subscribed to a bunch on iTunes but I haven’t really figured out how to get them on my iPod. I know it’s probably not very hard,” he admitted, “but I’d rather listen to music anyways.”
Those in the podcast industry remain unfazed by the findings, which have been published in several newspapers across North America. The same group of researchers are currently conducting a follow-up study in order to determine whether newspapers have replaced the Bible as the thing people don’t actually read.
