Dr. Kimbrough of the economics department looks into the cause of over-bidding during online auctions
The science of bidding wars was the subject of an independent study conducted by Dr. Erik Kimbrough of SFU’s department of economics in conjunction with Dr. J. Phillip Reiss of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, particularly at auctions run by eBay. The subjects used were students of Maastricht University, mostly German and Dutch.
The drive behind the study was to investigate the phenomenon of over-bidding during online auctions, and was inspired by another paper published in 2011. Speaking on the paper, called “The Bidder’s Curse”, published in The American Economic Association Review, Dr. Kimbrough said, “They document the empirical facts, they have some models, but we weren’t 100 per cent compelled and wanted to see if we could use the lab to elaborate a little further.” And the data collected presented some very interesting results. Commenting on the unexpected data, he said, “This was a case where we accidentally got interesting data.”
The study was a two-stage, eBay style auction, where subjects bid on an item in the first round. This item has a fixed, “buy now” price. After this they were made aware of the highest bids and allowed a second bid. A “spiteful bidder” was seen as one who raised their initial bid, not to win the auctioned item, but to simply make someone else pay more than they would. A “non-spiteful” bidder was one who did not change their initial bid. The study also showed that most people were either spiteful or non-spiteful, with only a small portion of subjects between the two extremes.
The results were so interesting, in fact, that the study has sparked debate about human nature, in particular, whether or not we are naturally inclined to be spiteful to one another. These results show a clear distinction between “yes” and “no;” some people are spiteful when given the opportunity, and some are not. This study was carried out in anonymity, so there was no risk of revenge or retribution from any aggrieved parties. Subjects were free to do as they pleased when it came to the bidding. “We hope that we’re measuring something that’s consistent about these people over time . . . that some guys are spiteful types and some are not spiteful types,” said Kimbrough
The reasoning behind each individual’s personal decision is unclear, and a psychiatric/psychological study is more suited to clarify that aspect of the study. Dr. Kimbrough did touch on the psychology and the motivation behind the spiteful act in the study, having spoken to a professor of psychology, but no concrete conclusions have been made. However this has prompted him to refine any future studies and, in his own words, “laser in on spitefulness, [and] make sure that’s the only thing that we’re focusing on.” Raising more possibilities is the idea of using different subject groups — such as students from different parts of the world, or subjects of a different age range — in studies. Cultural, socio-economic and personal factors may contribute to the level of spite in individuals and communities. So next time you bid on eBay, think about which side you’re on.
Document lays out how Build SFU project will move forward
The Simon Fraser Student Society and Simon Fraser University have released a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the construction of a Student Union Building (SUB) and stadium, known as the Build SFU Project, at the Burnaby campus. It formally sets out the conversations and mutual understanding between the two groups about the project and how it will move forward.
One provision that it lays out is the two possible locations for the 100,000 to 120,000 gross square foot SUB. The first potential locale is a repurposed Lorne Davies Complex, including the areas that currently contain the east gymnasium, pool, recreation offices, and coaching offices. Option two involves both groups finding another space to construct a SUB. In both cases, the university will own the land and lease the space to the SFSS for a nominal fee, and may “retain an amount of space in the [building],” for things such as athletic and recreation administration. This lease is outlined as being long-term in nature, possibly lasting up to 99 years.
Under the “financial arrangements” section of the document is the agreement that the Build SFU Project will be entirely financed by the student society. It states, “SFU will provide assistance to the SFSS in securing financing, where possible . . . SFU will not incur any debt or financial liability . . . to construct the stadium or the new SUB.”
In an email to The Peak, SFU’s associate VP students, Tim Rahilly, said, “The University is pleased that we have been able to negotiate an MOU with the SFSS to proceed with the project. The process has been highly collaborative and . . . I think the University is as excited as the students about the next steps.”
In a separate email, SFSS University Relations Officer Jeff McCann mirrored Rahilly’s feelings, stating, “I’m excited about the progress we have made to date with the Build SFU project. We are on an aggressive timeline and look forward to getting as many students involved in the process as possible.” McCann went on to write that the SFSS “will be appointing members to the . . . Build SFU committee in the coming week,” and that he encouraged interested candidates to contact him. According to McCann, the next step is to fill the two positions and start broadly consulting students.
McCann added that he was “impressed with SFU in their commitment to this process and the undergraduate students . . . Tim Rahilly has been instrumental in his role as the prime university contact.” He concluded by sharing his hopes that “this agreement will serve as the road-map for future boards to follow to create the best student space possible.”
The Student Union Building and Terry Fox field stadium project has an approximate cost of $65 million, with $5 million going to the stadium and $60 million going to the SUB. Last March the undergraduate students of SFU approved a referendum to implement a student levy to fund Build SFU. The levy will begin at $10 a semester and increase by $10 annually until it reaches $90 a semester.
For many, October is the month spent busily readying a Halloween costume that will inevitably be lost to the night. Not true for the folks at Out on Campus; for them October is Queer History Month, and this year marks the 40thth anniversary of queer activism at SFU. Out on Campus is now in the process of planning a Queer History Project to trace a trajectory of queer activism at SFU, and how it plays into the history of the Vancouver LGBTQ community at large.
SFU’s history as a radical activist university is represented in Vancouver’s news archives, and Out on Campus hopes to find examples of SFU’s first queer activists’ actions both on and off campus to chart not only SFU’s queer community, but the intersectionality present with the queer community at large. “A lot of the things that have happened in SFU reach to the larger LGBTQ community activism; a lot of things going on at SFU were informed by the things going on in the larger community of Vancouver, so I’d be really interested in us linking those things together, because I think it’s really easy for folks to forget how influential SFU has been,” said Samonte Cruz, Out on Campus’ Volunteer and Office coordinator, who is heading the charge to get this project off the ground.
The project itself is expected to take the form of many smaller endeavours that together will shape the project as a whole. One potential starting point is a panel discussion between former queer activists to outline their experiences at SFU and demonstrate the ways they and their peers’ efforts have informed the queer community at large. Cruz notes that tracking queer activism on campus and influential activists is difficult because of “the nature of the university, where people are around for a limited amount of time, and then they move on.” Cruz hopes that ideally the panel session would identify “the discussions that actually started at SFU,” which will demonstrate the far-reaching nature of the campus’s activism. Other hopeful sub-projects include radio shows and websites documenting the findings of the archival research, and Out on Campus is open to suggestions from volunteers about how they would like to see the project take shape.
Right now, plans for the Queer History Project are in their infancy, and Out on Campus will require a strong volunteer base to see the project through to fruition. Because of the archival nature of the project, volunteers are in need to help with that, but anyone interested in the general concept of the project is more than welcome to join. The volunteer-run status of the project means that it’s up to SFU students to create and shape.
When imagining a sexual killer, most people picture a loner, lurking in the shadows and waiting for his next victim. Not so, says a new study by SFU criminologist Dr. Eric Beauregard. One of the largest studies of its kind in Canadian criminal history, it looked at 350 Canadian cases of sexual homicide from the last 62 years. The most significant finding of the study was that many sexual killers are not actually as socially isolated as was previously believed. In fact, in more than 40 per cent of the cases, the attackers used a social ruse to approach their victims, rather than attacking them outright — only 20 per cent actually used physical force to overpower their victims. This can be seen as an indicator of developed social skills. Most sexual killers in the study also did not seem to be serial offenders — 80 per cent did not have any official sexual convictions in the past. However, they did have 1.7 past convictions for violent offences that were not of a sexual nature, and 7.3 past convictions for property offences on average.
The study found that the average sexual killer was a single, white male in his late 20s, usually with a thin or average build. Their victims were often around the same age, with a shocking 90 per cent being female, and a strong majority (62 per cent) being white, closely followed by aboriginal victims (33 per cent). Many of the victims had a history of alcohol or drug abuse, and 17 per cent had at some point been sex workers. Contrary to the general stereotype of the sexual serial killer that plots his victims carefully in a basement, it turns out that more than 80 per cent of the victims in the study were not specifically targeted, but were randomly selected.
“The fact that more than half of the offenders did not use any forensic awareness strategies is very interesting,” said Beauregard in terms of analyzing the findings, “This suggests that a little bit more than one out of two offenders do not pay attention to the evidence he may be leaving at the crime scene.” Beauregard notes that the culture of criminal shows on television such as CSI would be hypothesized as having an effect on actual crimes, as offenders would learn what kind of evidence they should hide or be careful about.
In the past, there has been a misconception of what a sexual killer’s profile looks like. However, with this new study, Beauregard hopes these findings will aid police and investigators, giving them a better of idea of what they are looking for in suspected sexual killers. “One of our next projects is to investigate what are the factors related to the solvability of the sexual homicide,” said Beauregard about the future of research in this area. “In other words, we are interested in looking at what sexual murderers are doing to avoid police detection.” This area of research is one that is essential to public interest and safety, and this study is leaps and bounds ahead of other Canadian criminological studies of its type.
Welcome to SFU. The Peak explores how new students feel about their first semester in university. Followed by some great advice from seasoned SFU vets.
BURNABY — Last week, professors teaching first year courses from all SFU faculties once again banded together to dedicate the first week of the semester to raising awarenessabout academic dishonesty.
Dubbed ‘Plagiarism Awareness Week’ by its organizers, the event’s goal was to help eliminate cheating from the university by having at least 50 per cent of each participating courses’ lecture time spent repeating the exact same, fairly obvious information about plagiarism.
Along with the lectures, a campaign of handouts, e-mails, and website links containing identical content were also readily distributed to students whether they asked for it or not.
“We all got together this year to make sure that every one of us had the exact same thing to say” explained one first-year communications professor about his lecture last week. “Plagiarism might seem like a pretty black-and-white issue, and it is, but we made damn sure that we dragged it out for as long possible, and gave as many improbable hypothetical scenarios as we could think of.”
Although some might feel that dedicating so much time and energy on an issue which is essentially not copying someone else’s work is ridiculous when all the students are legally adults, these professors believe it’s an absolutely necessary cause.
“I think it’s safe to say that most of the cheating that occurs in university happens only because the students were simply not aware that they had to do their own work,” said another elderly professor who grew up in a world before plagiarism. “Like, did you know that even something that sounds completely innocent, like paying someone to write an essay for you, can be considered cheating?”
‘Plagiarism Awareness Week’ also served as a harsh introduction for a lot of first year students, many of whom spent more than three total hours listening to lectures about how they have to do their own work.
“There’s nothing that gives you more of a sense of independence during your first post-high school days than to listen to hours of presentations about exactly what it means to be dishonest,” described freshman Jay Sanders, who, like the majority of his classmates, attended a high school that also did not allow plagiarism. “It’s really got me exciting about next week, when hopefully they’ll thoroughly explain the concept of sharing.”
While most students felt that an entire week wasn’t necessary for the cause, there were some who actually found the information quite valuable.
“I had no idea there were so many ways to cheat before,” realized Tim Peters, another first-year student, eager to put what he learned into practice. “If only I could have gotten this information in high school, I wouldn’t have had to try so hard . . . anyways, at least university will be a breeze.”
Although the week of awareness is over until next semester, professors have ensured that they will continue to bring attention to plagiarism for most days in the upcoming term, during any essay, test, or time they forget their lecture notes.
Though students might think that these special events are behind them for the rest of the year, according to inside sources, the school’s T.A.s are planning their own ‘Plagiarism Awareness Week’ for the first week of tutorials in conjunction with their tri-annual ‘Icebreaker Games Appreciation Week’.
You hear a lot about a lack of engagement on campus, with terms like “satellite campuses,” “commuter university,” and “generational apathy” thrown around to justify that most students are too lazy to drag their asses to a campus on a day they had previously planned to sleep for 14 hours on. Not true of the Rotunda, the home of SFU’s social justice groups located over the lower bus loop, which is at the heart of the busy connective network between Convocation Mall and West Mall Complex. Whether you enter one of the centre’s and association’s rooms to hang out or get involved, you will always find staff, volunteers and other university peers already working on something but ready to talk, listen or help. We asked the Rotunda groups what you need to know about them, and this is what they told us:
Out on Campus
Website: www.outoncampus.ca
Location: TC314N
Author: Katie Gillespie
Out on Campus (OOC) is the LGBTQ+ group at SFU, working to end discrimination and oppression through awareness-raising, workshops, and maintaining a safe space on Burnaby campus. Our social events help build queer community on campus and link students with Vancouver’s queer community at large.
This year OOC is proudly celebrating 40 years of on-campus queer organizing, so there will be a tonne of events and action going on. Get to know the OOC collective at our open house (and enjoy free soup) on September 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to find out how to get involved in our upcoming events, including: the Vancouver AIDS walk on Sept. 23rd; interactive theatre classes aimed at teaching non-theatre students skills for creating disability justice and anti-racism in everyday scenarios; and a for-fun soccer event, Kick Out Prejudice, where you can learn the ropes, meet new people, and enjoy a pizza dinner after your cardiovascular work out.
The African and Caribbean Heritage Students’ Association
Website: www.sfu.ca/achsa
Location: TC317
Author: Joy Walcott-Francis
The African and Caribbean Heritage Students’ Association (ACHSA) is a student organization at Simon Fraser University that works to initiate and maintain fellowship between students interested in African and Caribbean cultural heritage and students of African and Caribbean descent. Our members represent the collective desire to promote student awareness of the social and political issues significant to African and Caribbean cultures.
Over the years, ACHSA has been involved in a number of initiatives both on and off campus (Black History Month events, BBQs, Games and Movie Nights, Pub Nights, etc.). Most recently, we were able to establish a financial award for members of the club. Through a number of fundraisers, we were able to make that dream a reality this semester — there is now an ACHSA award being offered through the SFU Student Services Office.
New and exciting plans are on stream for ACHSA this year but we invite suggestions from interested and eager members. We started off the year by participating in the Week of Welcome with a booth set-up, a 30-minute interactive Socacize demonstration, an Azonto dance demonstration and a dance routine by our members.
You do not have to be of African or Caribbean descent to be a member — you just need to be interested in sharing our culture.
SFPIRG
Website: www.sfpirg.ca
Location: TC326, Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Author: Shahaa Kakar, SFU student / SFPIRG Media and Outreach Coordinator
The Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) is a student-funded and student-directed resource centre dedicated to social and environmental justice. PIRGs were established across North American campuses in the 1970s and 80s as a way for students to advocate for change. This one was set up by students on the Burnaby campus in 1981 — we celebrated our 30th birthday last year.
SFPIRG has done loads of amazing work over the years and has positively impacted the lives of many students. Our mission is to engage students in social and environmental justice. Our work is rooted in an anti-oppression analysis and practices which focuses on education, action, research and community.
This semester we have four discussions series on decolonization, fat happiness, critical masculinity, and sexual health, as well as our house party, workshops, and more; get involved in ARX (supporting non-profit groups with research) or Letters for the Inside (completing research requests from people in prison); volunteer in the library or join the Community Connections Weekly Meet-up Group; start or join an action group to organize around social and environmental issues that you feel passionate about, apply for a grant for a conference or project; make use of the student lounge (microwave), library, or the bike tool co-op.
Women’s Centre
Website: sfuwomenctr.ca
Location: TC3013
Author: Marion Roberts, Negin Alavi and Debbie Le, SFU students
Welcome to the Women’s Centre. Step right in through the office door (South side) — no knocking needed if the door happens to be closed — you’ll find the coordinator: handy as a resource for referrals and general inquiries about local/SFU resources and community. Please feel free to enter, boys and girls (etc.) alike. Sometimes the office door may be locked, due to it being dependent on volunteer/staff hours.
We do have a second door, but ask that only self-identified women use the North-side door and make use of the adjoining space. Self-identified women? That means that the Women’s Centre is trans-inclusive, (and sex-positive, pro-feminist, anti-racist and pro-choice). This portion of the space is always open, but can be locked or opened by security for whatever safety purposes or needs. It includes a functional kitchen, a lounge, and a free local calling telephone.
What does the Women’s Centre do in terms of programming? It supports the international student community by connecting them with resources in their first language, funds and solicits workshops/speakers events, International Women’s Day vigil, and joint community programming with other organizations and campus groups plus much more.
Please come by the Women’s Centre if you have any questions about the space, how it functions, and exciting details on the year to come.
Rotunda Libraries
Website: rotunda.kohalibrary.com
Location: The Women’s Centre, Out on Campus, and SFPIRG
Author: Craig Pavelich
Are you looking for alternative resources for your courses? Would you like to expand your research network? Do you just enjoy reading?
Come check out the Rotunda libraries. Located in the Women’s Centre, Out On Campus and SFPIRG, the Rotunda libraries feature thousands of books on many diverse and interesting topics. Ranging from socioeconomics to anti-oppression work, from gender studies to do-it-yourself skill-building, from indigenous studies to zines and poetry, our libraries have it all. The collection includes a large DVD section with hard-hitting documentaries and exciting feature films. If you’ve always wanted to get to DOXA, but never got around to it, this is the next best thing.
Our libraries are open to all students, staff, faculty and community members, and are all gender-inclusive. Simply stop by any of our libraries and speak with a staff member or volunteer to sign up.
First Nations Student Association
Location: TC 3108 and TC 3112
Author: Laura Forsythe, SFU student / FNSA Treasurer
The First Nations Student Association (FNSA) is a student organization whose mandate is two-fold: to personally, academically, and culturally support First Nations students (Inuit, Metis, Status and Non-Status) and to educate the campus community on First Nations issues. This includes advocating for services and resources for students and the promotion and sponsorship of activities on campus that demonstrate the cultural diversity of First Nations people. It also includes hosting panel discussions, workshops and conferences as well as responding to any negative media portrayals of First Nations peoples.
The First Nations Student Association formed in the early 1990s and over the past few years the organization has been working to bring about changes to the support services and equipment that are necessary for student success. We have organized workshops and panel discussions in the past; keep an eye out for our upcoming events.
CJSF
Website: www.cjsf.bc.ca.
Location: TC216
Author: Bonnie Anderson, Music Coordinator at CJSF
CJSF is SFU’s campus and community radio station, providing grassroots programming to SFU and surrounding communities. We are proud to provide a voice for people’s interests and creativity that cannot be found in mainstream media.
In June 2001, we received a CRTC license to broadcast on FM, and are currently broadcasting on the FM dial throughout the Lower Mainland. Tune in at 90.1 FM, 940 AM in Louis Riel and Shell Residence Houses, or listen online.
Volunteers are always welcome. Host your own show. Help strengthen alternative media in an age of corporate media conglomeration.
SFU Dining Services marked a new era with the launch of the renovated MacKenzie Cafe and Residence Dining Hall cafeteria last week. The bricks and mortar renovations also signified a complete overhaul to campus dining management and the residence-dining plan. The changes to dining services at SFU came after years of dissatisfaction, which prompted months of consultations from SFU Ancillary Services.
The changes, which were originally announced in June, include a 24/7 all-you-can-eat meal plan for residence students and the hiring of a new manager to oversee all of the university-owned food operations. The changes also saw the launch of a new SFU Dining Services Facebook page and Twitter feed. These social media outlets encourage members of the campus community to submit feedback on food services in real-time, and run regular contest giveaways.
Dorothy Yip, SFU’s new food services general manager, invites members of the campus community to maintain an open dialogue with SFU and the food service providers: “We are on Facebook and Twitter, as well as the ‘Dine on Campus’ website, and welcome any feedback students may have- be they bad or good. We can only improve on the bad and make the good the best [through your feedback].”
All of this follows the renewal of the Chartwells dining contract and months of consultations and surveys surrounding campus food options.
The introduction of Food Truck Thursdays in the courtyard between Saywell Hall and the A.Q. have also helped to expand the overall food offerings on campus, with a Starbucks Coffee slated to open next year.
The university will also strive to maintain its recent reputation as a hub for sustainability and social awareness by continuing the Go Green Container Exchange program at most dining locations, expanding waste diversion programs such as composting, and introducing Fair Trade options to vending machines and campus food locations.
Reactions from students in the first week were hesitant, but optimistic. Christine and Karen Tulloch, both fourth-year students at the Burnaby campus, frequent Mackenzie Cafe between classes in the English and Kinesiology departments respectively.
They applauded the modern decor changes and more functional seating and couches installed in the newly renovated Cafe located at the West wing of the AQ. However, they didn’t believe that pricing had changed significantly from that of previous years. Christine described the food at the old Mackenzie Cafe as “greasy” and was excited by the new changes and expanded menus. Karen saw the changes at the cafe as one of many changes happening at the university in recent months.
“I’ve seen a lot of improvements take place this past year including the renovations of Maggie Benston Centre and the A.Q. bathrooms . . . its really nice to see that [the university] cares about it and cares about making it a better experience. They’ve really invested a lot of money into it and it definitely seems better than before.”
However, students at the residence dining hall expressed concerns and frustrations with some of the changes that have meant the inability to take most meals to class and increased costs for cross-campus dining as the meal plan no longer applies at dining locations other than the residence dining hall.
Martin Palibroda, a cross-country athlete expressed mixed feelings on the new dining services. “I’m not starving this year with the all you can eat meal plan!.But there hasn’t been enough fruit or groceries in the My Pantry section, and I miss the selection that the grill had before.”
Other residents expressed disappointment that the Go Green container program can no longer be used at the Residence Dining Hall, and that typical grab-and-go items such as muffins and coffee cannot leave the dining hall premises under the new system.
“The Go Green container program will be launched [at cross-campus locations but] we are looking into the possibility of implementing another system for the Residence Dining Hall as the current Go Green Program will not be viable there [with the new program].” Says Yip, highlighting that the university is committed to sustainability through waste diversion and the introduction of compostable take out containers.
Despite the hiccups, the residents also recognised the newness of the system and that some equipment and practices have not yet been installed or implemented.
“This is definitely better quality than before so far,” said V.K. Banerjee, a second-year student who has been on the meal plan for both years in residence. “There seems to be better variety and it’s pretty good value for the money. But I emphasise the ‘so far.’ ”
Johnny Aether, a third-year biochemistry major has lived in residence and struggled with maintaining a vegetarian diet under the old meal plan and dining menus.
“It was horrible. [The old dining locations] practically had no vegetarian options, and when you’d ask for it, their answer was to give you tofu on a plate. It’s a lot cheaper now and there’s money to be saved. But I think the new system needs to relax a bit. It’s frustrating that when I’m late for class or just on the run I can’t grab something to go, and the staff seem stressed out by the new system, too. I really think they just need to relax.”
But with more changes set to take place in the coming months, students and staff will have to wait before they pass full judgement on the expanded and overhauled services. Food options are slated to be introduced to the newly renovated Discovery I facility which houses Fraser International College, and other food vendors in the A.Q. are expected to be announced in the coming months.
Dorothy Yip reiterates the need to continue to provide feedback as the changes take place over the coming months and years.
“We believe the changes we have already implemented reflect the students and SFU dining needs [after months of consultations]. However, we will not sit on our laurels, but continue to implement changes to ensure we meet everyone’s needs.”
More information on the newly overhauled dining services can be found by visiting MacKenzie Cafe, the Residence Dining Hall or the SFU Dine On Campus website.
