Marigolds for Día de los Muertos and beyond

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October 28, 2024

A man (left) and a woman (right) stand on each side of an ofrenda decorated with marigolds, papel picado, talavera skulls, various types of food, and framed photos of people. In the man and woman’s hands are marigolds. — ILLUSTRATION: Abigail Streifel / The Peak

By: Maria Fernanda Osorio Arredondo, SFU Student

Grief is a universal language expressed differently by everyone. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), despite being known for its colours and joy, acknowledges the heartbreak of losing someone. Honouring the memories of a deceased loved one has allowed me to understand that I’m hurt because I care — more than that, because I love. I don’t put the latter verb in the past because death doesn’t mean you stop loving. Author Jamie Anderson notes that “grief is just love with no place to go.” To me, Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to reconnect with this love, and marigolds are the pathway to that reconnection. The Aztecs believed that the powerful scent of cempasúchils (marigolds) is what guides your ancestors back to you during Día de los Muertos. The flowers’ aroma is key in dissolving the barrier between the world of the living and the dead.

My maternal grandmother had an unbelievable green thumb. She used to say that in order for your plants to thrive, you must have a kind soul. However, I once bought an air plant, which didn’t even need soil, and I still managed to kill it in record time.

Both my mom and I are terrible with plants, so for this Día de los Muertos, we decided to look for artificial flowers as an offering. As we looked at the selection in the dollar store, reveling in their realism, I was tempted to bow my head and discover their plastic fragrances.

My mom pointed to an orange flower and asked my thoughts. Before I could answer, a lady beside us quickly took the flower and left. I grimaced and asked, “Is there another?”

My mom searched briefly and cursed. I suggested we take a fall-coloured rose as a replacement. It might be cliché, but my favorite flowers are roses. I liked how these ones curled up on themselves, petals hugging petals in a hypnotizing spiral.

After baking pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and inundating the house in a sweet orange smell, my mom prepared the ofrenda, an altar to honour our deceased loved ones. On a wooden table, she put pumpkins of different sizes, autumn leaves, talavera skulls, papel picado banners, pan de muerto, photographs, and the flower we purchased. Traditionally, marigolds would adorn the ofrenda, but as a diaspora family, we sometimes need to improvise.

In Mexico, a legend says that marigolds were “miraculously gifted to the Nahua people by Tonatiuh, their sun god, so that they might honor their dead.” During Día de los Muertos, it is thought that marigolds “guide the spirits of the deceased back to the world of the living.” Similar to Día de los Muertos, marigolds are important in various Hindu festivals like Diwali and Navratri. They also play a central role in weddings and religious ceremonies. In India, marigolds are associated with “purity, auspiciousness, and the divine.” Symbolic of the sun’s energy, these flowers are believed to chase away negative auras and evil spirits.

Khushi, a close friend of mine, is the one who introduced me to the meaning of marigolds in India. We quickly bonded over our common backgrounds as older sisters who are passionate about art. Upon learning about our shared connections to the orange flower, we decided to nickname ourselves “marigold sisters.”

“Grow your colours, / marigold / Golden rays / Don’t you hideaway / Show your colours, / marigold.”

The lyrics above from Anusha Savi’s song “Marigold” represent how marigolds help us celebrate others and ourselves. Savi’s song, which Khushi shared with me last summer, made me realize how my love for marigolds is rooted in both collective cultural and individual experiences. Marigolds, even when impersonated by a plastic rose, have made me feel closer to people living and dead. There’s no need to say “they love me, they love me not” while plucking petals to feel loved around the vibrant and warm colors of the marigold.

The living tradition of Día de los Muertos

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Peak Web

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October 28, 2024

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A photo of a Day of the Dead altar — PHOTO: Emily Le / The Peak

By: Daniel Salcedo Rubio, Features Editor

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional celebration, originating from a mixture of Indigenous and Spanish cultures. The death cult was a core aspect of Indigenous cultures — families of those who had passed away organized parties to guide them towards the Mictlán (the underworld) and offered them food that they liked. The Day of the Dead was seen as the momentary return of those souls looking to spend time with their families and nurture from the food offerings in their altars — it was, and continues to be, a celebration of life. With the coming of the Spanish colonization, many traditions were adapted to the Catholic palate and were mixed with Catholic rituals — this was the case for the Indigenous vision of the Day of the Dead, which gave origin to the contemporary tradition.

While the name of the tradition specifies “day,” the reality is that, in Mexico, the celebration takes place over several days, in many different forms. In Mexico City we hold events such as the annual Day of the Dead Parade, and throughout the entire month of October, day-to-day shops such as bakeries, florists, and street vendors sell pan de muerto, cempasúchil, alebrijes, and calaveritas. Pan de muerto and calaveritas are typical treats of the month, each with their own unique symbolism. Alebrijes, which are sculptures of magical creatures, are a more recent addition to the festivities. Created by Pedro Linares López in the ‘30s, they were “revealed” to him in a fever dream. Cempasúchil flowers are probably one of the most iconic items of Día de los Muertos. Not only do they have a unique scent and bright, orange petals, but because of their importance and symbolism in the tradition. Considered by the Mexicas (also known as the Aztecs) as a symbol of life and death, in an ofrenda it marks the path meant to guide the souls to the ofrenda. However, one of the most recognizable ways of celebrating this tradition tends to be more intimate: the family ofrenda.

Ofrendas, a word which translates to something close to altars, are made to honour our loved ones who have passed away. The belief behind them, similar to the pre-Hispanic traditions, is that our loved ones come back to the land of the living, and as such we decorate and build our ofrendas with items that remind us of them. While the official tradition only considers the ofrenda to be from October 31 to November 2, it has evolved. October 27 is the day to honour our animal companions, “October 28 is for those who had an accidental or tragic death, October 29 is for the forgotten and the souls in purgatory, and October 30 and 31 is for the children who died unbaptized.” While this might seem complicated, the core aspects of the ofrenda will remain the same.

First, comes the placement and overall structure of the ofrenda. Typically, ofrendas are made of two to three levels, representing heaven, earth, and purgatory. However, the tradition actually calls for seven levels, representing seven of the nine strata of the Mictlán. Also, while not a well known fact, the ofrenda should be built facing towards the sunset. In my home, we always opted for just one or two levels, with one being the floor and the other one a couple of small wooden crates covered in a white table cloth. Once the basic structure of the ofrenda is ready, we can start collecting the essential items and decorations: cempasúchil, calaveritas, papel picado, fruits, pan de muerto, and most importantly, photos of your loved ones.

We usually lay out the papel picado, chopped paper, first. Papel picado is meant to represent the “fragility of life,” because, if you have held one in your hand, you know just how fragile these are. It can be placed both flat as a mat or hanging from the ceiling or from one of the levels of the ofrenda. As for colours, we usually stick to orange, purple, and light blue, which nicely complement the colours of the flowers and other decorations, but many ofrendas don’t stick to this rule and use a variety of colours.

Next, we usually take a couple of cempasúchil flowers and spread their petals all over the ofrenda. Some people like to get creative and make entire pieces of art using petals of different flowers. An ofrenda should also include a flower arch, made with cempasúchil flowers, representing the entrance to the land of the dead. However, this element might not be present as it’s a bit harder to set up. Finally, we also spread a couple of cempasúchil and purple celosia flowers throughout the ofrenda.

Then comes the food and drinks. Here, the most important part of the tradition is to offer the favourite foods and drinks of your loved ones, so don’t worry if you can’t find pan de muerto or calaveritas. Both of these items are typically found in an ofrenda, while not required, they are liked by so many so it’s almost impossible to find an ofrenda without them. Pan de muerto, which translates to bread of the dead, is a type of pan dulce (sweet bread) that is usually only baked during this time of the year. Similarly, calaveritas are candy shaped as a skull, usually made out of sugar or chocolate, and are used more as decor than as actual food, but you can definitely eat them — a reminder that death can also be sweet. While pan de muerto isn’t required, an offering of bread is usually included in the ofrenda, following the Catholic symbolism of it being the “Body of Christ.” But back to the important aspect: the favourite foods and drinks. Those who have passed away are coming all the way back to the land of the living, and as such we offer their favourite foods and drinks to honour them. This includes fruits and snacks, complex dishes such as pollo con mole, and alcoholic drinks such as tequila — so if you’re honouring someone who loved timbits, then you better add some timbits to your ofrenda. These items are placed in the lower level of the ofrenda, in what would represent the earth. Plate them as nicely as possible and don’t forget to leave a glass of water, they’re probably thirsty from their trip.

Now, our loved ones. Print photos of them and put them in a nice frame, they’re going on the top level, the one representing heaven. There isn’t much to say decor wise, but this is probably the most important step of building the ofrenda. Funny story, in my first ofrenda competition, we were meant to build an ofrenda for Mexican celebrities. However, I misunderstood the assignment; I thought it was an ofrenda for historical figures and printed a photo of Mexican dictator, Porfirio Diaz. It was a bit hard to explain what Don Porfirio was doing among the photos of celebrities like María Félix or Pedro Infante. Talking and remembering the life of those who have left us as well as the love we have for them is part of the tradition. That’s why a lot of people have started to also include photos of their pets in their ofrendas, and we’ve even dedicated an entire day to them — October 27, the day where the souls of our pets return. While the title of the celebration alludes to death, this tradition is really rooted in the celebration of their life and the love we have for them.

Finally, the finishing touches. Cempasúchil petals guide our loved ones to their ofrenda, so we make a path with them, from the outside of our house all the way back to the ofrenda. Smaller towns, such as the one seen in Coco, go the extra mile and create a path all the way from the cemetery and back to their ofrenda — just as the tradition dictates. While candles are part of the tradition, due to them being a fire hazard, we don’t include them in my home — be careful and take appropriate precautions if included. The ofrenda concludes with the aromatics. Cempasúchil by itself has a pleasant scent, but other aromatic plants tend to be included throughout the ofrenda: laurel, rosemary, and thyme give a pleasant smell that harmonises with the scent of cempasúchil and are believed to purify the air.

These are the core aspects of an ofrenda, but feel free to add more. With the addition of a day to commemorate our animal companions, some have also included their pet’s favourite toys and treats. Some include toys so the children visiting will have something to play with or unusual items with strong ties to their loved ones’ memories: watches, pieces of clothing, or music instruments. Día de los Muertos, and by extension the ofrenda, are intimate ways to celebrate and commemorate the life of those we love and who have passed, so really, you just need to make your ofrenda reflect that sentiment and enjoy the festivities.

City of Vancouver to cut down 160,000 trees in Stanley Park

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Peak Web

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October 28, 2024

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This is a photo of a few tall trees in Stanley Park. — PHOTO: Karen / Flickr

By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer

On October 8, the Vancouver Park Board voted to proceed with their “Hemlock Looper Response and Mitigation Plan.” This comes months after a report submitted by “Canadian forestry consultant company” B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd. declared “over 32% of the trees in the park” have been damaged by hemlock looper moths. With phase two now underway, the City of Vancouver has already begun removing what could be 160,000 trees.

The hemlock looper moth, a native species, has been damaging and defoliating trees in Stanley Park since an outbreak was identified in 2020. The moth is named “hemlock” for the moth’s main host in western Canada — western hemlock trees. Looper outbreaks are “part of the natural forest ecosystem cycle” and “occur every 11 to 15 years.”

The Peak interviewed Michael Caditz from the Stanley Park Preservation Society (SPPS), a registered non-profit committed to protecting the park from “irreparable harm due to actions of political officials without evidence-based scientific justification.” The City of Burnaby stated that although the hemlock looper outbreak occurs “roughly every 15 years” the 2020 outbreak “resulted in significant tree mortality in the park causing an elevated risk to public safety.” Caditz stated that a majority of the hemlock trees being removed are due to Blackwell’s claim in their report that they would become hazards, but this claim is “completely speculative.” He said the Park Board is proceeding with the project “without sufficient scientific basis for their claim that they will become hazards.”

Amit Gandha, director of parks, said, “Compared to other conifer species, western hemlocks are more susceptible to disease, windthrow, and stem breakage. Add to that, several years of drought and intense winters — and the trees in Stanley Park were more vulnerable to this insect outbreak and unlikely to recover.” Conifers, also known as evergreens, are a “large group of resinous, cone-bearing trees and shrubs.” Blackwell presumes the trees will fall and even increase the risk of wildfires if they aren’t cut down. In contrast, Caditz said, “The logging operation that’s being conducted now will increase the chances of wildfire and the chances of harm being caused by trees falling.

Over the past few months, “seven highly qualified experts” have toured and assessed Stanley Park to report on its damages, according to Caditz. However, the SPPS stated “neither public consultation nor peer-reviewed opinions were obtained prior to awarding the contract and embarking on the project.”

Earlier this year, four plaintiffs, including Caditz, filed a notice of civil claim against the City of Vancouver, the Park Board, Blackwell, and Joe McLeod, manager of urban forestry with the Park Board. A civil claim is a “legal dispute between individuals, businesses, and governments.” The plaintiffs allege the city has been negligent in their decision to remove thousands of trees.

“The relief that we’re seeking [from the suit] is to order the city to only remove trees that are an imminent hazard,” Caditz told The Peak. “We would expect the city to monitor the park and to mitigate trees that were [ . . . ] properly assessed.”

Caditz said standard assessment involves using the tree risk assessor qualification (TRAQ) method to identify and report individual trees that pose immediate danger. “They claim they are using the TRAQ system, but they’re not,” he said. “They are doing forest thinning in mass. Without documentation, without assessing individual trees, they are cutting down thousands of trees with no verification that the trees they’re cutting are immediate hazards.

“The overwhelming consensus [is] this logging operation is making matters much worse and much more dangerous than the looper.”

The SPPS is collecting signatures for a petition to stop the logging immediately.

The Peak reached out to Blackwell for comment but did not receive a response by the publication deadline.

New mother’s tent seized at CRAB Park

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Peak Web

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October 28, 2024

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CRAB Park in Downtown Vancouver — PHOTO: MikoFox / Flickr

By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer

On September 24, Vancouver Park Board officials cut open a new mother’s tent and disposed of her belongings at CRAB Park. The mother gave birth to her baby 30 hours before the incident and was speaking to outreach workers when the incident occurred.

“They took a knife to the tent and then let the garbage people take it. I heard my air mattress popping in the truck,” said the woman. “It’s demonic.” The mother and her child are now staying with friends and family.

The tent city has been a community for many people without housing for the past three years despite the Park Board’s efforts to remove it. CRAB Park advocate Fiona York told CBC that “usually an encampment is swept or evicted within a year or less,” but this tent city is an exception due to a court ruling in 2022 that declared “there weren’t enough indoor spaces for those people to go to.” In 2023, the “Vancouver Police Department spent $409,536 to deploy dozens of officers over eight days” to do a street sweep at East Hastings.

In an interview with The Peak, York said the camp at CRAB Park “has an infrastructure, culture, and governance guided by residents themselves” with support from volunteers, community organizations, and many individual donors. As of late September, seven tents in the CRAB Park Designated Area remain. There were originally 16 in this area.

York also told Vancouver is Awesome that the use of force by park rangers is a regular occurrence that is part of a larger, “slow-moving decampment of the site.” A similar case occurred in June, making it the second time this year that a new mother’s tent and belongings were taken from her. The first incident was carried out while “the new mother was still in the hospital after delivering her baby.

“Seizing tents and belongings directly after a birth is reminiscent of racist, colonial practices of removing children from families, and forced evictions,” stated advocates in a recent press release. These actions echo the Sixties Scoop, which was “the mass removal of [Indigenous] children from their families into the child welfare system, in most cases without the consent of their families” through the 1960s.

York explained that “Vancouver is unique, as no other city in Canada has a separate Park Board and city officials.” On-duty park rangers have “all the power and authority of a police constable” but are “not subject to the Police Act,” which allows for complaints to be made about abuse or misconduct from officers.

In the press release, advocates also noted that there has been a “major escalation” of the Park Board’s control over CRAB Park. For instance, “notices” were issued to residents concerning “rat attractants” inside the tents. The advocates stated that this “violates even the very low bar of the Park Board’s own bylaws that say the rangers cannot enter or open tents without at least 24 hours written notice.” York said the notices are “so-called ‘notices of violations’ of the park bylaws” — bylaws “changed in April 2024” that are “now far more restrictive.”

In the interview, York emphasized the “importance of lived experience” in informing decisions surrounding the camp. The bylaws previously mentioned were used as an example: “All of these were developed without input by those most affected.”

Earlier this year, CBC News reported on “the endurance of [the] community” against the city’s efforts to evict residents from the park. In December 2023, the residents filed a human rights complaint against the City of Vancouver and Park Board, claiming the city was discriminating against them for “failing to provide proper sanitation, electricity, protection from extreme heat, and good-faith consultation.” The date of the hearing has not yet been confirmed.

The Peak reached out to the City of Vancouver for a statement but did not receive a response by the publication deadline.

First past the post is ineffective and anti-democratic

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Peak Web

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October 27, 2024

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An elections BC sign — PHOTO: Krishitha Amarjothi Sreedharan / The Peak

By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer

This provincial election season has been a frustrating time. No, let me rephrase. Every election since learning what first past the post (FPTP) is has been a frustrating time. When you’re a kid, you’re taught democracy is fair, and puts power in the hands of the people. Unfortunately, the electoral system that we use in Canada, both provincially and federally, doesn’t put power in the hands of the majority — let alone the people as a whole.

To understand why FPTP is non-representative both on the provincial and federal level, we must look to the electoral districts. BC has 93 electoral districts that each vote to elect a member of the Legislative Assembly. Whichever party has a majority of the seats in parliament (47) has full control of the provincial legislature. In the 2017 provincial election, we had a minority government for the first time in over 50 years, where neither of the two most competitive parties (the NDP and former BC Liberals) were able to reach a majority of the seats. Until the NDP gained a majority in 2020, Green Party MLAs held a balance of power in the Legislative Assembly, since their votes were needed by either party to gain a majority and pass legislation. The same is happening again this time around, though the official vote is yet to be confirmed.

At a fleeting glance, FPTP might seem like a true majority-rules system, because if 40% of the population is voting for one party, and the rest of the population is split among the others, it is technically a “majority.” However, this is known as a “false majority,” which is when governments hold a majority of seats, despite a majority of total voters (say, 60%), casting their ballots for another party.

The 2015 federal election saw the Liberal Party take control of government with only 39.5% popular support. Because there is absolutely no representation for voters whose candidates did not win in their electoral district, elections often produce results catering to one part of the total population. There is little to no consistency between terms if a different party takes complete control every election. The province can have drastically different policies in effect every four years. For instance, the BC provincial government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act into law in 2019 as a framework for reconciliation based on the United Nations’ declaration. The BC Conservatives have stated plans to immediately repeal this law, if they win a majority government.

The BC Green Party has shown extensively on their platform, as well as during the leader’s debate, that they care about the quality of life for all British Columbians — not just the middle or upper class, who the NDP and Conservative parties both seem to be tripping over their shoes for. The Green Party is concerned for our youth and our future amid the climate crisis and are committed to investing in longevity. They understand it is much more effective to put money into education, healthcare, and housing — ensuring that people are able to live in stable and healthy conditions rather than waiting for a disaster and scrambling to clean it up. This is also significantly more financially responsible.

The BC Conservatives plan to increase police spending. The NDP leader backtracked on the decriminalization of drugs while allocating funds to build involuntary care facilities, which have been shown to increase chances of relapse. This brings us to my recent dilemma, one I know is shared by many: do I vote for who I actually want to win?

The answer is no — for me, at least. My riding is competitive, and if I wanted my vote to have any influence in this election, my only real options are NDP or Conservative. Instead of voting for the party with a comprehensive platform and evidence-based policies that will improve life for many people, I have to vote “strategically.” Voting for who I actually want means there’s a higher chance that the people I definitely don’t want will be elected. So I take my voter registration to a polling booth, shove a spoon of more of the same in my mouth, and force it down with a cup of diluted hope.

We should try to be optimistic, though. There are more effective alternatives to first past the post — alternatives which a majority of Canadians would actually prefer. For example, proportional representation (PR) would eliminate the need for strategic voting because the amount of seats a party has in the legislature would reflect the percent of the population which voted for them. If 30% of voters supported a party, that party would hold 30% of legislative seats. A poll done by FairVote Canada found that 90% of people across the country and political parties agree with the fundamental principle of a proportionally representative system.

A common criticism of PR is that it would lead to coalition governments forming, similarly to minority governments, which could lead to obstacles of disagreement when passing legislation. This criticism isn’t one I find compelling. If we cannot trust our elected officials to collaborate in our best interest, why are we electing them? A government should reflect the needs and wants of the people it serves, and our current first past the post electoral system does a terribly lacklustre job. It is time for a government by us all, for us all.

Mastering the Basics: Broomball

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Peak Web

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October 24, 2024

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a man pushes a small orange ball along with an oar-like stick. — PHOTO: Courtesy of @broomballcanada / Instagram

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

Are you a hockey or curling fan who’s looking for a new sport? Maybe you’re a fan of neither but open to hurling a ball down the ice with a paddle-shaped broomstick to give yourself a workout and partake in the comradery at the same time. Broomball is of particular interest for those who want to be on the ice but can’t skate, and want a bit more action than curling.

Broomball is a Canadian sport that’s a cross between hockey and curling, with players using a broom-like stick. Invented around the early 20th century, it’s since been played in the US and elsewhere internationally. The sport is played on a standard ice rink — the same that’s used for hockey — with many of the same rules. These include offside regulations, having three periods per game plus overtime, and penalties for high-sticking, cross-checking, slashing, and too many players on the ice. Broomball is a team sport in which six athletes take to the ice at a time including one goalie, two forwards, two defence, and one centre.

The broomstick, like a curling brush and a hockey stick combined, is shaped like an angled, plastic paddle. Traditionally, the stick was a literal corn broom with bristles. The game is played with a hard rubber ball — a broomball, as the name states — and goal nets that differ from the shape and size of a hockey net.

Players wear helmets similar to hockey headgear, team jerseys, and padded, spongy shoes similar to those used in curling. Broomball can be played both recreationally and competitively, and has both gender-specific and co-ed teams.

The invention of broomball is thought to have been loosely influenced by vikings thousands of years ago. Today, the modern game of broomball is more subdued, and players often partake in it for leisure — although the competitive leagues are nothing to mess with. To make things even more interesting, broomball can be played indoors or outdoors on ice, or even on a field.

Broomball is preferably played on looser ice in a rink, yet sometimes it’s even played outside in the snow. Who needs a zamboni when you have a broom to do the work of sweeping up all the loose ice for you? Although broomball might seem like an obscure, and arguably, unconventional sport, it’s gained popularity in recreational and competitive leagues through to the modern 21st century. Soon enough you’ll be brushing your broomstick and reeling the broomball hard down the ice and into the net.

What are you waiting for? Grab your witch stick and let the broomball games begin! Bonus points if you dress in your best witchy wardrobe, channel your sporty spell-binding powers on ice, and concoct a cauldron of post-game glory to warm your chilled bones. May the best broom win!

Check out the Greater Vancouver Broomball Association for more information on where to play near you.

The workplace is missing something — MORE EFFECTIVE MICROMANAGEMENT

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Peak Web

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October 24, 2024

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Employer standing over all of his employees in an office. He is using a magnifying glass to watch over them closely. — ILLUSTRATION: Victoria Lo / The Peak

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

Are you missing a deep connection with your employees? Do you feel like sometimes that manager-employee bond is lacking? Do your employees poop on company time a little too long, which takes away from their productivity? Imagine if an expert micromanager could bang on the bathroom stall to tell them “times up” or “speed it up.” That type of encouragement is crucial for any staff member’s development.

Employees need constant critique of their work. They clearly don’t feel valued when they check their phones for a second or two, and their amazing manager isn’t there, slowly striding past them and making comments like, “Oops, let’s not get too distracted,” followed by a little smile or giggle. How do the staff maximize shareholder value if they’re not being called out for their laziness?

Luckily, SFU’s Beedie School of Business introduced a revolutionary major: micromanagement. This program is much more useful than Beedie’s other offerings. Who needs HR Management, IT Management, or Project Management (I have no idea what any of these do) once they’ve mastered micromanaging?

Micromanagement is so crucial for the workplace. Oxford defines it as “the practice of controlling every detail of an activity or project, especially your employees’ work.” It is a form of radical encouragement that can only be enacted by being constantly present. As a manager, you have to treat your employees like children. You are essentially the parent, so parent them.

The Peak interviewed business ethics enthusiast Elon Musk about this program’s benefits and how it can become an ethical step forward in management. “The new program is perfect for passionate minds looking to make a difference in the workplace. Let’s be real, most employees like workplaces that feel like home,” he said, taking a drag from his vape. “The point is to remind everyone of home. What does home feel like? It’s when mom doesn’t let me leave the house until the bed’s made, or when dad glares at me when he watches me fumble my math homework. What do these things do? They force me to get better. That’s what a workplace is supposed to feel like.”

While the interview was cut short due to a minor assassination attempt on Mr. Musk’s life by an ex-Twitter employee, it was clear he was pumped up about this new program.

“We need to take the step in management,” said positive management expert Jeff Bezos in another interview. “For me, it’s never about making money. It’s about creating a workplace that is always aware of improvements, because even the smallest changes make a big difference. I don’t personally watch my employees in the bathroom because I don’t give them any bathroom breaks at all, but even the time they spend peeing in bottles should be accounted for. In the Amazon family, I’m not the father. I’m the big brother; always watching.”

The micromanagement major will teach forward-thinking business minds to become some of the best managers in the world. No more lack of work supervision, we are headed towards a bright future where managers will gleefully remind their employees that they can “spend less time on their phones” or “take more initiative” at work, accompanied with a heartwarming smile that looks like it’s stapled to their face.

Queer dating in the un-dateable city

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Peak Web

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October 24, 2024

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A person looking at a phone, with a dating app opened a various messages on display. — ILLUSTRATION: Angela Shen / The Peak

By: Tam Nguyen, Staff Writer

I saw S. through the glass window of the restaurant as I walked across the street on a gloomy afternoon. Almond-shaped eyes, long brunette hair, red lipstick, dressed in black from head to toe. First impression: she seemed mysterious and distanced, living up to her dark academia Tinder profile. As the conversation moved forward and S. started to open up, I realized she was a completely different person from her profile. I guess she was still trying to figure herself out. I liked listening to people talking about themselves, however, this date made me feel quite conflicted. She barely asked me any questions about myself. It wasn’t a bad experience, however it struck me that Tinder encouraged people to curate an image of themselves without embodying it. If people try to live up to the image they curated, it feels like nobody is getting a chance to know their date’s authentic self.

Maybe I’d have more luck joining different dating sites, I thought. I tried Bumble and went on a thrifting trip with my new date, K. It was going well until K. made a comment that caught me off guard — saying I spoke English very well for someone who was Vietnamese. I laughed it off at first. She went further by suggesting I should marry a Canadian for citizenship if I wanted to stay after finishing my studies. I wasn’t sure how to respond for a moment, then I decided to point out that it was microaggression. She reacted defensively, as many do when their biases are called out — rather than reflecting she succumbed to white fragility, leading to an uncomfortable and defensive reaction. Existing as a queer person of color, racism and microaggressions are a constant reality, especially within queer spaces dominated by white fragility.

These encounters seem minor but once they add up, they can make you feel isolated in a space where you’re supposed to belong. It’s not easy to balance setting boundaries and maintaining connections with others because most of the time, they don’t mean harm intentionally. But if someone isn’t willing to admit that their behaviors are hurtful and problematic, you probably don’t want to hang around them in the future.

I considered myself a hopeful romantic, so of course I didn’t give up. I deleted both Tinder and Bumble to clear room for Hinge. So there I was, on a Saturday night, sitting next to B. inside a jazz club. It was a nice ambience, and B. was no doubt beautiful. However, she tried to project in me expectations of a man, saying how easier it is to date a masc woman compared to a man, because we are essentially the same, minus the toxic masculinity. In a society dominated by heteronormativity, I wasn’t surprised that people still misunderstand what it means to be in a sapphic relationship.

My dating journey in Vancouver ended that night. For the longest time, I blamed the city for being so expensive and how antisocial people are in real life — I felt forced to turn to dating apps. However, once I hung out with some decent, whose feelings I couldn’t reciprocate, I thought maybe I was the problem. I had a chance to have a good relationship, yet I turned it down. Is it because I’m only attracted to toxic people and deep down, I’m self-destructive and don’t think I deserve any affection? Or because I’m lowkey in love with my best friend and she’s the only one I need? Maybe it’s not that deep and I’m overthinking, but who knows?

Growing up in a country with queerphobic laws and a culture based on homophobic and patriarchal views, being aware of my queerness early in life was not easy. Watching classmates enter heterosexual relationships in highschool, while I struggled to make peace with my sexuality, left me feeling alienated and lonely. I turned to movies and TV shows looking for comfort. Instead I saw unrealistic portrayals of high school romance, which only deepened the FOMO (fear of missing out). This conditioned me to crave love and believe that a relationship would make me feel whole and fulfilled, even with the wrong partner.

It took me a long time to realize how bad my perspective on relationships has been twisted, and I can say that I’m happy on my own. I want to focus on myself and build friendships rather than romantic relationships. If you are going through the same thing, know it’s not your fault the dating scene is horrible, and the right person will come along eventually. One of the best ways to meet new people and maximize your chances in dating is by joining an organization, club, or social movement that aligns with your values and beliefs.

“Just be yourself” sounds cliché, I know, but for me, it means living up to my core values, spending time doing things that matter to me, and fostering relationships with people who value the same things. Activism is where I find my support community and life-long friendships. Good luck on your journey, and remember, take care of yourself first and foremost!

What Grinds Our Gears: Winter commutes to Burnaby Mountain

By

Peak Web

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October 24, 2024

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Illustration of someone standing knee deep in snow with a disgruntled expression on their face. They have long black textured hair and are bundled in winter layers. — ILLUSTRATION: Abigail Streifel / The Peak

By: Yulissa Huamani, SFU student

Imagine waking up to a perfect snowy morning in the Lower Mainland. The temperature is cold, but the view outside your window looks stunning. You struggle to get up, but then you realize your university is on top of a mountain — and all of a sudden you’re wide awake. Time to grab a thick jacket, a banana, and run outside to catch the bus to campus.

It doesn’t matter how early you arrive at the bus stop — if there’s a long line, consider yourself dead, cooked, deceased or roasted, you name it!

The buses just keep getting cancelled, and when your hopes finally rise, surprise! The next bus just got cancelled or is extremely delayed. And even if your bus somehow arrives on time, there’s no way on earth that everyone will fit in it. The struggle isn’t any easier for those taking afternoon and evening classes. The sky is dark at 4:00 p.m., and what if it snows while you’re in class? I recall my experience when the transit person told us he hadn’t seen a bus for two hours. I’m still trying to recover financially from the Uber that accepted our shared ride.

As we head into November, I’m reminded that there’s nothing I dread more than commuting to campus when classes should’ve been cancelled. Universities should rely on the power of the internet more often — and especially during winter semesters.

There needs to be a better consensus on microplastics

By

Peak Web

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October 24, 2024

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Plastic containers and bottles on a desk — PHOTO: Victoria Lo / The Peak

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

Content warning: medical descriptions and bodily fluids.

Microplastics are everywhere. They’re in our food, clothing, the oceans, lakes — anywhere in nature — and then some. Wherever you go, microplastics follow. Not only are they widespread, but they’re potentially harmful to humans and other species, alongside their habitats. There isn’t a strong consensus on exactly how harmful microplastics are, and what impact they’ll have on our society going forward. More funding is needed to fully understand their consequences, because it shouldn’t be up to individuals to avoid a material that’s present almost everywhere.

Microplastics are miniscule particles of plastic waste that result from the breakdown of plastic products. They can embed in surfaces, through clothes, and even in body cavities such as lungs, breast milk, intestines, and blood. They often include harmful toxins such as Bisphenol A, which can potentially cause diseases of the endocrine and reproductive systems, as well as insulin resistance and cancer. Not only are microplastics a concern for the health and well-being of animals, but they also threaten the vegetation of their surrounding environments. With oceans and shorelines full of plastics, toxins leach into water and surrounding environments. This can disrupt food chains, as microplastics are transmitted between species through animal consumption. Inevitably, species of all kinds consume microplastics without knowing it — as do we.

There has been recent debate within the scientific community about microplastics, with some arguing that concerns are overblown due to a lack of scientific consensus. However, this wouldn’t be the first time that long-term effects from a toxic substance have taken a while to uncover. For example, lead was used widely for over 5,000 years in products like paint and fuel before it was found to be highly toxic. The same is true for cigarettes, which were found to be harmful in the ‘50s after a century of use. Microplastics were first discovered in 2004, and it wasn’t until recent years that the scientific community started making major discoveries about their presence in human bodies. Although not enough information is known regarding the extent of damage caused by microplastics, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned. We can’t sit back and wait for the damage to be done — action must be taken now on a governmental and global level.

As long as plastic continues to be produced, microplastics will still be an issue. And even if plastic alternatives become more commonplace, microplastics will continue to circulate the earth because they never truly disappear. In order to reduce the level of exposure to microplastics present in everything from soaps and clothes, to food and water, we must find effective plastic alternatives, avoid single-use plastics, and reuse items. But we as individuals cannot solve this problem alone. There needs to be a better consensus on how harmful microplastics are to our health, which means more studies are direly needed.

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