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A tale of two Scarfaces

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EIC
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By Will Ross

 

The 1932 Howard Hawks and 1983 Brian DePalma versions of Scarface are only loosely linked by their plot structures, wherein a power-hungry immigrant named Tony works his way up from dispensable grunt, to hitman, to underworld kingpin. As he does so, he takes his boss’ girlfriend, kills his sister’s lover out of incestuous jealousy, and destroys the lives of himself and everyone around him in the hunt for the limitless wealth and power that he feels entitled to.

Each film is led by a grandstanding, scenery-chewing performance that foregrounds the character’s accent and violent personality: Paul Muni plays the Italian Tony Camonte in the 1932 movie (with a nice-a theeck accent), Al Pacino the Cuban Tony Montana in 1983 (who doesn’t leave a single ‘fuck’ unsaid). The lack of any hint of inner life in the remorseless gangster positions the films as distanced allegory. The political context of that allegory is very similar. Both films address concerns of criminal contingencies in immigrants while making it painstakingly clear that they don’t mean to imply that all immigrants are murderers, both films nonetheless adopt a stance of righteous outrage against organized crime, and upon initial release both lead to worries that their extreme and stylized violence would be imitated by wannabe crime lords (in each case, this somewhat came to pass).

But the moments that distinguish their aim as consciously politically relevant are a pair of sequences that are among the least violent or plot-important in either film. Just as Tony Camonte’s crimewave is reaching its peak, Hawks’ film shows two scenes in which anonymous characters debate how society can best respond to organized crime. First, a police officer chastises a newspaper reporter who hunts for a story on Camonte; he says that this leads to public romanticization and glorification of gangsters. Second, a newspaper magnate fields complaints of his paper’s heavy crime coverage. He claims that awareness is better than ignorance and that exposure can only be bad for the underworld. Without saying so directly, Hawks shows how confused and contradictory public responses to crime can be.

DePalma’s film takes this a step further: the social criticism comes from the mouth of the monster himself, Tony Montana. While sitting in a Jacuzzi and watching TV, he rants to his wife and his right-hand man about the banks — which have just raised their rates for money laundering — as emblematic of a system that rewards exploitation. “You know what capitalism is? Getting fucked.” His wife quickly points out that he has bought into this system himself. A news commentator appears to stress that he does not believe that legalizing cocaine will eradicate organized crime, and Montana — a coke kingpin himself — calls him and other media figures liars who court public interest instead of speaking honestly.

These scenes’ underlying accusations of social hypocrisy are more or less in tune with one another, but what distinguishes the DePalma remake from the original is its integration of Tony’s opinions. Ulterior motives always distort discourse on public peace and unity, but the ’83 film suggests that the only ones with a clear picture of the problem are the criminals themselves, because they have followed the logical course of actions and priorities that their culture and economy have prepared them for.

One man’s garbage

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EIC
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The quest for zero waste at SFU

By Esther Tung
Photo By Mark Burnham

 

In step with Metro Vancouver’s plans to divert 70 per cent of its waste from landfills by 2015, SFU has launched its most comprehensive waste reduction strategy to date, with a strong focus on composting. If you’ve eaten at McKenzie Cafeteria or Tim Hortons in the past month, you’ll have noticed that four-bin sorting stations have replaced traditional trash bins, with waste sorted into organic matter, recyclables, refundables, and one more bin for anything that doesn’t fit into the first three categories. Twenty-two such stations are located across campus in high-traffic areas, with 15 more on the way.

After launching the Go Green Container Exchange Program last semester, this is the next step in reducing campus waste and increasing SFU’s visibility as a sustainable campus. “As a research institution, we should be moving further ahead in the curve than the region’s goals,” said Sarah Stoner, the acting sustainability coordinator. Up until this year, SFU was one of the only major research institutions in the region that had yet to begin composting. UBC built an in-vessel composter several years ago that processes up to five tonnes of organic waste each day, and UVic’s volunteer-operated office compost program has been in place for over a decade.

Composting is the final step in closing the crucial ecological loop that turns end products — our waste — back into raw material for other uses. Organic matter in landfills represents nutrients and minerals that are taken away from the soil and get stuck in the loop due to landfill design. Landfills are required to be lined with clay soil to prevent ground and water pollution from any toxic material in the trash. This design still allows for organic matter to break down over time, but the clay lining and the conventional method of heaping new loads of trash over the old depletes the landfill of oxygen. This means that the material is broken down by anaerobic bacteria, which survive only in the absence in oxygen. The bacteria give off methane — a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide — as they digest organic matter. Compost heaps, on the other hand, get mixed constantly to introduce oxygen to the environment. Methane levels in a healthy compost heap become negligible, and this marginally negative outcome is far outweighed by the fertile end product that remains, which some call ‘black gold’, that can then be sold to farmers and landscaping companies or individual households.

Up to 94 per cent of SFU’s waste can be diverted from landfills, with 54 per cent (650 tonnes) being compostable and the remaining 40 per cent recyclable, according to Kimberly Irwin, volunteer coordinator for the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC plays a large role in coordinating the compost initiative, working closely with other campus operations and student groups in doing so. The blue bins for paper recycling that are usually paired with a trash can are often mistaken as a catch-all for plastics and refundables, and the new sorting stations are designed to minimize such confusion as much as possible. Each bin in the station is clearly labeled, often accompanied with graphics showing what common campus items can or cannot be in there. A safe rule: if you’ve taken a bite out of it, it can be composted. However, Stoner stresses the fragility of the compost heaps, which have little tolerance for contamination. “We want to maximize waste diversion, but contaminating the waste stream would just be counter-productive. Our message to students is that if you’re in a hurry or are still confused about how to separate your trash, to place it with the regular garbage instead.”

 

“We want to maximize waste diversion, but contaminating the waste stream would just be counter-productive. Our message to students is that if you’re in a hurry or are still confused about how to separate your trash, to place it with the regular garbage instead.”

– Sarah Stoner, acting sustainability coordinator

 

For those who have the time to learn, look out for bright green T-shirts by the sorting stations. Zero Waste ambassadors are usually stationed around them in high-traffic zones to help people understand the new bins. The student volunteers are also involved in other awareness tactics, such as getting people to sign composting pledges and classroom facilitation.

The sorting stations, like the old trashcans, are emptied out every two to three hours, minimizing fruit flies. While some have pointed out that leaving composting bins indoors, which is done because of Burnaby Mountain’s bear and coyote population, may cause unpleasant smells, Stoner said there has yet to be any complaints. “Besides, whether organic matter is in a separate bin or not, it’ll still be indoors.”

Another feature of the waste diversion strategy is co-mingled recycling, which means no more scratching your head over the mysterious numbering system for plastics — all plastics, numbers one through seven, go into the same bin at the stations, and are sorted out for recycling at the facility. These sorting stations can be found in busier corridors and most main dining areas, though there are none in Cornerstone vendors and SFSS-owned operations such as Higher Grounds.

The compost initiative is spearheaded by the Sustainability Network, a working group recently formed between the SAC, Sustainable SFU, and a handful of smaller groups, all with the mandate of creating a more sustainable campus.

The SAC was formed in 2005 when the Sustainable Campus Coalition (now Sustainable SFU) expressed an interest in working more formally with SFU’s senior administration, partially to give recognition to the many unofficial projects that were being undertaken at the time. Many positions are held by staff members from other departments, such as facilities, IT services, and campus planning and development. Representatives from faculty and the student body sit on the committee as well. SAC is an advisory body, and no money passes through their hands directly. Rather, they liaise with the vice-president, finance and administration, currently Pat Hibbits, to advise on and create recommendations for funding on sustainability initiatives. Money goes directly into the Sustainability Fund, handled by facilities.

Hibbits said she generally takes a hands-off approach and does not micromanage funds once they have been granted, as was the case with the $200,000 one-time boost to the Sustainability Fund this fiscal year. The bonus allowed the SAC to hire support staff and undertake larger infrastructure projects, such as Irwin’s position and the composting program. Neither Stoner nor Hibbits was able to speak on whether this higher level of funding could be maintained into the next years. The Go Green Container Exchange program is also under the SAC’s coordination as well, with funding from SFU Ancillary Services.

Both these campus-wide programs are preceded by their smaller-scale counterparts on Rez. SFU picked up the container exchange program after it proved to be a success in the dining hall. And while the Sustainability Network’s composting program extends to all Chartwells locations on campus itself, there is no sorting station anywhere on residence, including the Chartwells-owned Dining Hall. “Rez is treated as a separate entity from the campus, due to having different needs,” said Erika Zell, a residence area coordinator who also supervises the Eco-committee that implemented these programs. The lone compost bin is located outdoors behind the dining hall, which sees very little use due to the bin’s low traffic. Thomas Booker, a student who lives in rez, wrote in to The Peak with a complaint highlighting this issue, correlating its use to awareness levels, which is likely worsened by its hidden location.

But if you build it, they will come. The pilot weeks of campus composting have been successful, according to Irwin, and students have been receptive to being educated on the new bins. Other than having a team of volunteer ambassadors on standby, surveys have been conducted, and there are even more plans to expand on outreach. “We still need to broaden the amount of people we are talking to, so we’ll be making announcements at the beginning of classes as well, especially the big first-year science, business, and arts courses,” said Irwin. A public waste audit is also being considered once the program has had some time to take root. “It’s pretty dirty work. It’s digging through garbage and calculating what is going into what stream, but it’s very helpful in determining how efficient your program is,” said Irwin.

The need to integrate a sophisticated waste diversion strategy to campus life stems partially from Metro Vancouver’s pressing issue of dwindling landfill space. Metro Vancouver has a particularly aggressive composting program in place to meet its goal, with nine municipalities now offering curbside pick-up for food scraps, in addition to yard trimmings, with North Vancouver set to join in as the 10th this May. 2015 may seem like a tight schedule to keep to, but it’s for good reason, since the Cache Creek landfill recently reached capacity and is currently undergoing renovations that will double its current size to the approximate area of 85 hectares, or the same number of rugby playing fields. Meanwhile, some of our waste is being transported long distances to U.S. landfills instead.

Metro Vancouver has been pushing to build more waste-to-energy facilities in the Lower Mainland as part of its campaign. A methane capture plant is now underway at the Cache Creek landfill, which will burn methane gas given off by the garbage and convert it into electricity. Waste-to-energy plants could also look more similar to the existing Burnaby incinerator, which burns garbage to make steam. While the regions frame waste-to-energy plants as an efficient means of reducing garbage by turning it into a resource, they are by no means clean enough for your backyard. The CBC reported that the Burnaby plant is one of the worst offenders in the region for sulphur dioxide emissions.

With 40 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s waste being compostable — that’s an estimated 190,000 tonnes from residential areas alone — there is much incentive to turn to composting first to reduce the pressure on landfills. A waste-to-energy plant will cough up more pollution over time as its facilities deteriorate. Composting, on the other hand, has no foreseeable negative externalities that could outweigh its benefits, be it restoring fertility to the land, or just better tasting blueberries.

Living in diaspora

By
EIC
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1

By Ljudmila Petrovic

“Welcome home.””

The woman at YVR customs hands me back my Canadian passport and smiles warmly.

Home? Where is home? I wonder, glaring at her for starting this internal conflict again. Is it Vancouver, the city I have grown up in, where most of my past and most of my future seems to be? Or is it Belgrade, the city in which I was born, where generations before me have lived and died and where I become overwhelmed by my grandmother’s fleshy embraces and steaming platters of food when I visit?

I was born in Belgrade, but my family escaped the growing political unrest when I was two years old and immigrated to Canada.  My parents predominantly did this for me, the child that supposedly napped through the entire process. They left a life rich with friends, family, and memories, and came here to nothing — no credentials, no family, and a few friends that were no better off than us. Perhaps, had they not had a child, they would never have left — something which becomes apparent when they meet with others who left Serbia at around the same time, who they nostalgically reminisce about their lives “back home” with over traditional dishes and wine. It is also because of this that they never let our language and traditions die the way that many immigrants unfortunately do. Because Serbian was my first language and many of the traditions and cultural habits are things I grew up with, I have always felt a familial connection to the country, something that has further contributed to the dilemma of where I belong.

Nothing makes me feel the cultural dissonance as much as when I visit Belgrade and realize that, just as I have habits that I credit to being Serbian, I also have Canadian habits that make me feel like a fish out of water when I visit Serbia. The most obvious example to me is the habit of apologizing when I accidently step on someone’s toe, bump into someone, or, let’s be honest, when somebody steps on my toe or bumps into me. The concept of apology is not as light in Serbia as it is in Canada; just as Canadians are known for their excessive politeness, Serbs (and most eastern Europeans) are notoriously proud and an admittance of fault comes only after one stubbornly argues for a while. So for me to apologize to a stranger on the bus in Belgrade is met with confusion and reminds me that I don’t fully belong there.

Likewise, growing up in Vancouver, I have always felt that, despite fitting in, I never felt 100 per cent right. As a young child, I loved the fact that my family and I had a ‘secret language’ where we could say anything we wanted in public without anybody else knowing the content of our conversation. To this day, my parents beam as they tell me of the incident where I, ever the leader, led the entire preschool into a chant of “‘ajf, ‘ajf, ‘ajf!”. My parents still laugh at the anecdote as they describe the confusion on my teachers’ faces, and the relief when my parents explained that rajf in Serbian meant hairband, and that I was referring to the bright pink hairband I had so proudly put on that morning. In my teenage years, already an age where adolescents are embarrassed by their families, my mortification was intensified: going out to a restaurant here with my loud Serbian family always elicited more than a few glances, our table ordering more and more dishes, yelling regardless of the emotion we are conveying, and flailing our hands to get our point across. As I grew older, and became more comfortable with myself and my roots, I also realized that the things that had embarrassed me about my family and culture as a teenager, were the exact things I now loved and found endearing: the excessive eating was a love for food and life, the dynamic communication was passion and excitement, and — as much as I had tried to distance myself from all of that as an adolescent — there was no denying that these were all traits and behaviours that I had grown to possess, whether I liked it or not.

The knowledge that I had a part of me that others did not varies from innocent anecdotes like this, to the devastating confusion and helplessness provoked by Serbia’s continuous political instabilities. The most memorable to me is the 1999 NATO air raids of 1999, where the Serbian community in diaspora bonded over the common grief and powerlessness of watching televised images of Belgrade burning, and wondering whether family members were still alive and well, making us feel like I should be there and not here. There is a passion and warmth amongst people that resonates with me; generations and generations exhausted by wars and politics that hold people together, something that I have never experienced here. And yet there are also things that frighten me and make me feel so lucky that I was raised here, such as Serbia’s unemployment rates and poor quality of life, the continuing political instability, and the bigotry and judgment that are prevalent there. When I watch Vancouver’s pride parade, a joyous celebration of people’s differences, I get so overwhelmed at how far human rights have come, and I am so glad that an event like that is so massive and filled with support. On the other hand, Belgrade’s most recent pride parade had to be cancelled for the protection of the organizers, based on violent precedents set in past years.

I don’t think that I will ever truly be able to identify with one cultural identity over the other. While I can successfully integrate myself into both, I always find myself feeling that some of the pieces just don’t fit. Living in Canada, I always identify Serbia as my nationality; however, when I am abroad in Serbia I feel it’s necessary to say that I’m visiting from Canada. As much as this seems like a restless life, one of confusion and uncertainty, I feel as if both sides have contributed to who I am, and what I’ve experienced. I am lucky to have opportunities here that many Serbians of my generation living back home can only dream of — but I am also lucky to have a different history and perspective that comes from being raised Serbian.

“Thank you. Good to be back,” I respond, smiling as I take my Canadian passport. After all, how else can I respond to this stranger? I walk out, scanning for my family. I spot them instantly, speaking loudly in Serbian and waving their hands, waiting to take me home.

SFU BPK major works towards health in space

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EIC
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By Alison Roach

SFU student will create workout plans for pre-fight, post-flight, and in-flight astronauts

The federal government has recently announced its intention to renew its commitment to the International Space Agency (ISS), and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is scheduled to launch in December to live and work at the ISS for six months, for half of which he’ll work as the station’s first Canadian commander. Karen Tulloch is a biomedical physiology and kinesiology (BPK) major at SFU working with the Canadian Space Agency as a co-op student. Tulloch is working to create exercise programs and review nutritional values of Canadian foods that are going to be used in space. Tulloch is one of 42 students from across Canada working with the CSA for the term. Tulloch, psychology student Stephanie Fowler, and computing science student Matthew Torgerson are all SFU students completing co-op work terms at the agency.

Tulloch is working on developing exercise protocols for Canadian astronauts at all stages of flight: prior, during, and after. She also reviews nutritional content of food being sent into flight, and places orders for the upcoming mission. “There is no ‘typical’ work day for me . . . One day I will be reviewing various exercise journal articles and textbooks on methods to improve cardiovascular fitness, and the next day I’ll be at the CSA gym testing out protocols used [or] recommended in that literature.”

Natalie Hirsch, a SFU kinesiology graduate, works with Tulloch as her supervisor in her current position, to develop training protocols for Canadian astronauts’ upcoming missions. Since Chris Hadfield’s mission is coming up, his training program is one of the main focuses. Due to the fact that the astronauts do most of their preparation training in the U.S. or Russia, Tulloch doesn’t have the opportunity to work with the astronauts hands on. “Fortunately we are able to monitor their training and exercise data using various software, and Natalie travels to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to deliver exercise support in person,” said Tulloch of this obstacle.

Of this work as a co-op term, Tulloch describes it as a phenomenal and humbling experience. She first saw the term at the CSA specifically as an opportunity to use her kinesiology knowledge in a unique setting. Says Tulloch, “I was drawn to this position because I knew it would force me to apply concepts . . . and enhance my understanding of physiology and exercise principles.” There is a sense of responsibility and pressure in working for such an important purpose, but Tulloch has found the individuals she works with are exceptional, and very supportive of students.

The experience of participating in the co-op program has been a character-defining one for Tulloch. She says, “One of the most valuable lessons that I’ve garnered from my co-op experience is to be open-minded. Be open to new experiences and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you. You never truly know whether or not you like something until you try it, and regardless of whether or not it works out the way you expected, you always end up learning something valuable about yourself in the end.” In this case, taking on a challenge can even lead to working towards space exploration.

After this co-op term, Tulloch is set to return to an ongoing role in BPK professor Diane Finegood’s lab as a childhood obesity researcher. She plans to graduate in spring 2014 and pursue a career in exercise physiology working with youth and those dealing with chronic disease, thanks in part to her co-op experiences. Says Tulloch, “[The co-op program] has reaffirmed my passion for exercise science and physiology. The human body is a fascinating area of study and this experience at CSA has reminded me of how interesting it is to work in this field.”

University Briefs

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EIC
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By Ariane Madden

VCC bans bottled water sales

Vancouver Community College voted last week to ban the sale of bottled water on campus starting spring 2013. The college will be the first post-secondary institution in greater Vancouver to ban bottled water sales, citing sustainability as a primary reason for the move.

B.C. government pledges for new ECUAD campus

Despite recent cutbacks to university funding, the government of British Columbia has pledged $1.7 million to assist in the building and moving of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design campus. The university, which currently caters to approximately 2,000 students at its Granville Island campus, hopes to build a new facility on Great Northern Way in Vancouver, near UBC’s department of art history and theory facility.

UBC cleared of animal cruelty allegations

An investigation in March found no evidence of animal cruelty at a University of British Columbia research facility. The allegations claimed that macaque monkeys were improperly treated and unnecessarily killed during the course of a Parkinson’s study last year.

London college suspends students over riots

Fanshawe College recently suspended eight students believed to be involved in the St. Patrick’s Day riots, which occurred near the college campus last week. The riots appear to have begun as a result of severe intoxication and caused approximately $100,000 damage to the small Ontario city.

Severed coyote head found at MUN residences

The frozen, severed head of a coyote was found in a plastic bag last week near the student residences of Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Police determined that the remains appeared to have originated from a university study and that the placing of the remains in the residences was likely a student prank.

-Ariane Madden

Rez sends out false acceptance messages

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EIC
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0

By Graham Cook

Emails insinuated that the people had been accepted into SFU, and suggested on-campus housing

A number of prospective SFU students were accidentally sent emails that led them to believe that they had been accepted into the university when it was not necessarily the case.
SFU residence staff apparently sent out the emails early last Tuesday. The message began with the text, “Dear [student’s name], we hear that you have been accepted to Simon Fraser University. Congratulations!” From there, it informed the student, “Now the fun begins from thinking about courses you want to take to figuring out where you want to live,” before presenting the option of living on campus. The message ended with an alert that there was no residence application on file for the recipient, warning them not to delay or miss out followed by a link to apply online.
SFU used their official Facebook account to respond to the issue, updating its status to read, “Earlier [Tuesday] some people received an email from SFU Residence indicating they’ve been accepted to Simon Fraser University. Please be advised the email may have been sent in error. SFU Residence staff is looking into this and will have more information to report tomorrow. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.” No report was ever published on the official SFU website and no further information on the issue was posted on the Facebook page.
However, not all people accepted the official response. One Facebook commenter remarked, “It’s not a computer mistake, it’s merely a smart advertising move by your Department of Business, at least telling by all the social media posts about this! That’s a nicer way to play it off!”
Though The Peak could not reach university administration at the time of publishing, SFU registrar Kate Ross told The Vancouver Sun, “[The email] actually was encouraging them to apply for residence, and had indicated, by being congratulatory . . . that they had been admitted, and unfortunately it went to some people that it should not have gone to.” She added that she did not know how many emails had been sent out but that the mistake involved the use of email listservs.
Those who received the unintended email were sent a follow-up message shortly after which explained the mix-up. At the time of printing there was no sign from the university as far as who was to blame or if the accident caused any serious problems for those involved.

Ski Ninjas: Punk Porn

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EIC
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By Kyle Lees at Ski Ninjas

SFU alumni shortlisted for B.C. Book Prizes

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EIC
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1

By Monica Miller

Several alumni were nominated, including journalist Allen Garr, who made heavy contributions to Chuck Davis’ final work 

Vancouver journalist and broadcaster Chuck Davis’ work has made two shortlists in the B.C. Book Prizes this year. The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver is a 600-page tome with 125 years of people and their stories, illustrated by archival photographs.

‘Mr. Vancouver’, as he was affectionately known, was a journalist and broadcaster with a deep passion for local history. Unfortunately, Davis did not live to see his magnum opus completed. Diagnosed with an inoperable cancer, Davis passed away in November 2010 at the age of 75.

SFU alumnus and Vancouver Courier journalist Allen Garr, who is listed as a contributor, was part of a collective brought together by publisher Howard White after Davis passed away. Garr coordinated the collection of material and wrote four of the chapters. “Chuck had worked on this book for almost a decade before he passed away, and we were called in to help finish it.”

Of the two prizes that Davis’ volume has been shortlisted for, the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize is awarded to publications that contribute to the understanding and enjoyment of B.C., while the Bill Duthie Bookseller’s Choice Award recipient is chosen based on public appeal, initiative, design, and content.

Several other B.C. Book Prizes nominees are also SFU alumni, including English graduate Garry Thomas Morse, whose poetry collection Discovery Passages is shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Growing up in Vancouver with both Kwakwaka’wakw and Cockney Jew heritage, Morse uses poetry to reconnect with the nwaluk of First Nations, or a spiritual intuition of sorts. Because the oral and vocal tradition of the First Nations, as well as their ancient ritual and historic world, are often complicated by modern stereotypes and turned into plot devices, Discovery Passages posits itself as a link between the world and the Kwakwaka’wakw people.

Michael Christie is another emerging author who is gaining buzz in the Canadian literature community. The Beggar’s Garden, a collection of short stories revolving around the Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, made the shortlist. His first novel, The Beggar’s Garden has received glowing praise, award nominations, and also won the Vancouver Book Award in 2011.

Christie’s nine stories are fictional, but very much grounded in reality. They find the humour, honesty, and sorrow in life as a resident of the DTES. Christie creates sympathy for his characters without passing judgment on their situations, whether they were responsible for it or they fell victim to circumstances beyond their control.

“I knew that I didn’t want to write a finger-wagging poverty book that insults you with all the details,” said Christie. After completing his bachelors in psychology at SFU, he worked in a homeless shelter in the DTES and provided outreach to the severely mentally ill. “That changed my perspective on how human beings work,” he said.

All nominees will be celebrated at the B.C. Book Prize Soirée, held in Vancouver this year. The recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence will also be announced at this event, which recognizes an individual’s lifelong contribution to the literary development to the province.Nominees will then go onto tour the province with B.C. Book Prizes On Tour, providing free readings and presentations at schools, bookstores, and public libraries. Winners will be announced at the gala.

 

The B.C. Book Prizes Gala will be held on May 12 at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

The Daily Snooze: Probability

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EIC
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0

By Jacob Samuel at The Daily Snooze

Yeung wins presidency

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EIC
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3

By David Dyck

All referendum questions pass, including SUB levy

Last week, voting in the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) general election took place, culminating in the announcement of the winners for board positions, as well as referendum results. Lorenz Yeung, current member services officer, beat out Ashleigh Kolla and Kayode Fatoba for the position of president. As well, all four referendum questions were passed. “I am excited to be the new SFSS president. I know that I won’t let students down,” Lorenz told The Peak early Friday morning. Lorenz began his SFSS career as the science faculty representative in 2010. He then ran for and won the position of member services officer last year.

Tensions rose throughout Thursday night, as hopeful candidates convened in the Highland Pub several hours before midnight, when the voting period officially ended. The pub then emptied down to the SFSS offices, where the chief of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Ali Godson, read out the results to a rowdy group of approximately 50 candidates and spectators.

According to the preliminary results, which have yet to be ratified by the board of directors, there was an 11 per cent voter turnout, an unusually middle-of-the-road participation rate for a general election. The past several years have seen either between five and seven per cent, or in the case of a particularly contentious issue such as a U-Pass referendum, as high as 26 per cent.

The referendum results were announced first, with by far the closest race being the fourth question, regarding the student levy to go towards a proposed student union building. There were 1,193 votes in favour, and 1,003 against, a difference of 190 votes. “It’s the best thing that has ever happened at SFU. It will totally change the student experience,” McCann told The Peak after the announcement. “There’s still so much more to be done in terms of talking to students and consultation, but now we have a mandate and we have the money, so let’s talk about what students want to talk about.”

All current board members who threw their hats into the ring were victorious, with Kevin Zhang, current external relations officer, winning the position of treasurer, and Jeff McCann, current president, winning the university relations officer spot.

Of the Renew SFU slate, only Craig Pavelich won an executive race, taking the internal relations officer position without contest. However, there are questions as to his eligibility to hold the office. According to policy, former SFSS staff members are not allowed to hold a position on board until four months after they’ve left the staff position. For Pavelich, this will be several days after April 1, when the new board will move in.

Most of the faculty representative candidates ran unopposed, and of those only one lost — by one vote. Business faculty representative candidate Norah Xiao lost with 70 ‘yes’ votes and 71 ‘no’ votes. Alastair Lindsay took the contested science representative position, with 117 votes.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024