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Chinatown residents concerned over rising gentrification

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Multiple citizens are gathered, holding up signs and cards under a blue tent at 105 Keefer to rally against the Beedie development proposal.
PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

The City of Vancouver is reconsidering its controversial development proposal in the heart of Chinatown. The proposal from Beedie Holding Ltd. had been rejected five times before, between 2012 and 2017. A rally was held outside Vancouver city hall on May 29, with over 70 speakers and activists. Another rally occurred outside Vancouver City Hall on Monday, June 12. No decision on the proposal had been made as of the time of publication. 

The first rally’s large turnout “was a huge victory, not just for the community, but it really [was] a symbol for the rest of Vancouver to say, ‘hey, when we come together, people power is powerful. Collective power does work,” said Jade Ho, in an interview with The Peak. 

Ho is a member of the Vancouver Tenants Union and a PhD candidate with the SFU department of education. She explained the significance of Chinatown and how detrimental gentrification is to its survival. “The history of Chinatown is that of anti-Asian racism [ . . . ] they were basically relegated to this one area.” Ho explained how Chinese immigrants were not permitted to hold certain jobs such as lawyers or doctors because of economical segregation. “Even though it was born out of anti-Asian racism, the residents turned it into a place of safety [ . . . ] a place of survival.” 

Beedie’s proposal is to build a 9-storey, multi-purpose condo at 105 Keefer Street, which is currently an empty lot. 

As well as ventures in capital, industrial construction, and residential building, Beedie Holding Ltd. is known for its Beedie Luminaries scholarship program and SFU’s Beedie School of Business. After a $22-million donation from Ryan Beedie, the company’s president, and the late Keith Beedie, founder of Beedie Holding Ltd., the SFU business program was named after them in 2011. 

Despite Beedie’s five failed attempts to get the condo built, BC Supreme Court Justice Jan Brongers recently ordered a rehearing for its development. Many have expressed concerns over the increased gentrification of Chinatown, and the Keefer Street proposal is no exception.

“Gentrification is the changing of a neighbourhood into a more wealthy value and culture,” Ho explained. This creates a drastic rise in costs for housing and groceries, which is detrimental to low-income residents, many of whom are senior citizens. “Landlords will start raising rents because they can make more profit,” leading to “a replacement of more wealthy tenants,” Ho said. 

“We are in a really dire situation,” they stressed. “This is about people’s lives.” 

Despite backlash from residents, seven major organizations in Chinatown, such as the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden Society and the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, have come forward in support of the Beedie proposal. Ho considered this support as going against the wishes of Chinatown’s majority, stating, “I just don’t think they represent the voices of the Chinese community anymore,” and that the Keefer Street development is another example of “housing that’s being positioned as investments, positioned as profit-making.” 

Ho argued for increased social housing for those in need: “One way to solve housing issues is to house people. But we’re not doing that. Instead, we’re allowing more and more luxury condos to be built. 

“I don’t think our city needs more luxury condos [ . . . ] none of those are going to be affordable.

Ho further encourages an inclusive vision for the city’s housing proposals: “‘Who do you want to include in this city? What do we want our city to look like?’” They want a city where “everyone’s well-being is being prioritized, and not just the people who have the access [ . . . ] I want everyone to be housed, I want everyone to have food. That’s not a radical idea.” 

For more information on the Vancouver Tenants Union’s petition, visit their website. 

Graphic novel combats racism in the publishing industry with humour

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Peak Web
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An illustration from the graphic novel of 3 South east asian women reading books. Two of them are sitting on a yellow couch, and one is sprawled on the floor. They are surrounded by books, and a sage green background, with a plant and a lamp beside them. They’re dressed in colourful, business casual clothes, including a striped shirt, deep blue tights under an orange pencil skirt, and a black blazer.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Plume

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun by Kate Gavino exemplifies all the reasons a writer and book-lover might strive to work in the world of publishing — while pointing out how this career path presents challenges, especially for women of colour. Everyone who wants to work in publishing must read this book. Gavino published her first graphic novel, Last Night’s Reading: Illustrated Encounters with Extraordinary Authors, in 2015. A Career in Books, her third book, is the only book I rated five-stars this year (and I’ve read a lot of books).

Meet Sylvia, Shirin, and Nina  — recent college graduates navigating their first jobs in publishing. From the low-paying, exasperating tasks of editorial work to the challenges of being a Southeast Asian woman in a white-dominated industry, the women begin to realize establishing a career in the publishing industry comes with unique obstacles. Shirin’s boss wrongly assumes she speaks Cantonese, Sylvia’s supervisor is condescending and treats her like “the office custodian,” and Nina struggles with her bosses and boyfriend not taking her career seriously. The three twenty-something roommates rely on their tightly-woven friendships to navigate these challenges and encourage each other to achieve their greatest aspirations — no matter what it takes.  

The story truly begins when they accidentally meet their elderly Vietnamese-American neighbour, Veronica Vo, a Booker Prize winner whose work has long gone out of print. Gavino told Publisher’s Weekly she “always wanted an author like her to exist.” Publishers were more interested in Veronica’s “stories from her homeland, Vietnam, which she feels distanced from” than the content she actually wanted to write about. Sylvia, Shirin, and Nina are captivated by her “books about Asian ladies doing shit that has nothing to do with tea ceremonies or honourable ancestors.” Veronica humbly dismisses the girls’ praise with a wave of her hand, but they don’t take no for an answer; together, they work to figure out a way to reissue Veronica’s books for a modern audience. 

In an interview with Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, Gavino stated most of her work “addresses some aspect of growing up or living as a Filipino American since, like a lot of second generation kids, I was often torn between pride and shame for my family’s culture.” Having worked under “pushy” white women assuming she is quiet and willing to work late, Gavino narrates some of her personal work experience using witty and relatable characters. Realistic and laugh-out-loud hilarious, the book tackles systemic racism in the publishing industry by pointing out the prevalence of microaggressions from higher-ups.

Gavino’s illustrations are one of my favourite aspects of this book. Having a visual representation of the characters helped bring their personalities to life. You get inside the character’s heads with screenshots of their group chat, a peek into their decorated apartment, and a sense of each woman’s personal fashion sense. The illustrations are in black and white, so it still leaves some room for imagination. Each chapter opens with a large illustration, paired with snappy titles like The Dangers of Soju, Anthropology Money, and Wicker Furniture, which kept me guessing. I haven’t read a graphic novel since high school, but Gavino makes me ask myself why I haven’t been reading them all this time. 

Through their friendship, the characters have epiphanies about themselves, translating Veronica’s experience in the ‘70s into action in their own lives. One of my favourite things about this book is the relationship between Veronica and the three women, and how their determination to stake their claim in the publishing industry is further ignited by Veronica.

All of Gavino’s books can be purchased in select stores or online. For more information on the author, visit her website.

My guide to travelling alone

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By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

The first time I travelled alone was in August 2021, when I flew to Montreal and spent a week exploring the city. It was one of the most liberating weeks of my life, and lit a fire in me to do it again. I’ve gone on a few more solo trips to Europe since then, and learned some valuable lessons along the way. I’m very privileged to have had the means to travel. If you can’t afford to travel right now, you can still experience a solo adventure in your own city. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Being your own entertainment

I had never gone out for a meal alone before, but travelling solo requires it. Walking up to a restaurant and asking for a table for one is intimidating. It can feel lonely to not have someone to talk to. The same goes for sightseeing and being a tourist. If you Google, “what to do in Montreal,” I did all of it. It can be difficult to keep yourself busy if you’ve done everything you wanted for the day, but still have a bit of sunlight left. There are a lot of hours in a day, and when you’re travelling solo, it can feel like a lot of alone time. Sitting in a plaza eating ice cream by myself while watching people around me became my favourite thing to do.

Making friends while travelling solo

I’m naturally a social and extroverted person, so being alone forced me to embrace the silence a little bit more. It was uncomfortable at first, and I almost felt embarrassed doing things alone in public. While I learned to enjoy my own company, I also talked to strangers. It’s not too hard to find other solo travellers and do stuff with them. I had dinner with a tourist from Germany and drank at the hostel bar with travellers from Japan, India, Australia, and England. I walked up Mont Royal then ate poutine at Montreal’s most famous poutine place with someone from Mexico. I made an effort to socialize back at the hostel when I could and ended up making friends. All I had to do was start talking! It was so cool to experience a new place with people who are also experiencing it for the first time.

Planning and budgeting

When booking a trip, keep track of everything. I make a note of exactly how many nights I’m going to be in each city and set a budget for each day. I also list the sites I want to see and things I want to do. Keeping track of this helps me visualize how much free time I’ll have. The costs of travelling add up so quickly it’s hard to keep track; you have to take so many things into account, especially when you’re travelling alone and don’t have someone else to split costs with. What I lack in dollars by the end of a trip, I make up for in extraordinary experiences and memories that will be with me forever. Be strategic and spend your money on what matters most for you; I tend to splurge on a flight with a better layover, or accommodation in a safer neighbourhood and save where I can on meals or transportation costs.

Safety

Travelling solo, especially as a woman, made me nervous. I stayed in a hostel in Montreal, but booked a private room instead of a shared dorm because it was my first time going away by myself. I feel comfortable staying in a shared dorm now, but at that time I didn’t know what to expect and also wanted privacy. Hostels are excellent options, especially considering cost and the social aspect of them, but you have to do ample research and read reviews. Also, don’t engage with people who try to hand you flowers or bracelets or other knick-knack souvenirs when you’re in plazas or major tourist attractions — they’re usually trying to get you to pay for it. Don’t hang around metro stations late at night. Make sure your room locks. Bring a padlock with you always, especially if staying in a hostel — you’ll likely need it.

After my trip to Montreal, I felt so confident in my ability to be alone and exist as an independent adult. Choosing how I spent my time felt so freeing, and my anxiety talking to strangers has decreased significantly. I’m more outgoing and willing to do things that make me nervous. I now embrace that nervous-excited feeling of arriving in a new place and itching to explore it.

TSSU members form picket line in labour action

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News
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Six people forming a picket line with two people in the front holding an orange bucket as a drum. The location is at AQ Shrum Science building.
PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

As of June 12, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) has gone on strike, with an overwhelming 94% vote to take this action. Leading up to the strike, teaching assistants (TAs) began their labour action by refusing overtime pay for assignments taking over 17 hours a week, or the assignment of tasks taking over eight hours a day to complete. TAs also enacted classroom strikes, in which students are informed and updated on the strike priorities. The labour action culminated in picket lines formed outside various SFU buildings on June 16.

In an interview with The Peak, two members of the TSSU, Kayla Hilstob, the TSSU chair and member of the contract committee and Liam Kennedy-Slaney, a TA and steward in the department of Geography, explained the reasons behind the strike and the responses from SFU.

Hilstob, a PhD candidate in the School of Communication, elaborated on the priorities the TSSU is working for. “One key thing for benefits is that we want to increase mental health coverage for up to $2,500 a year, because, as you know, we are in a mental health crisis, and it’s incredibly expensive and hard to access mental healthcare. The employer has always said, ‘we support mental health and well-being of students and our workers,’ and we can say that’s really not true, because they don’t want to give us anything into the mental health coverage.” 

Hilstob also pointed to the increasing class sizes as a cause of mental health distress for TAs. “We want to improve compensation to address overwork caused by new modes of teaching and increasing class sizes.We’re doing more online classes. We’re looking at growing class sizes. And there’s no cap on the amount of students that can be in a class.”

Kennedy-Slaney, a PhD student who works as a TA for geography classes, explained that despite his love of teaching and engaging with students, he had been struggling with finding time for his own research under the weight of grading and tutorial planning. “It takes a lot of time and energy to be a dedicated and helpful teaching assistant,” he explained. “It’s also the thing that I’m always thinking about [ . . . ] my mind becomes filled with tutorial planning and grading, and these things. 

“And then, you know, of course, at the end of the semester, about 40 papers come in that are all really well-written, and deserve a lot of attention, but need to be turned around within 5 or 6 days [ . . . ]  what we’re really looking for is fair compensation for that kind of work, because, as I said, myself and most other graduate students make very little progress on our own.” 

“It’s our right to have a picket line. You know, we take it very seriously, and we’re going to keep fighting.”

Kayla Hilstob, TSSU Chair.

There are many concerns related to healthcare coverage, Hilstob said. “They want to eliminate enrollment for international student health fee coverage, and they want to replace it with this individual reimbursement process which makes coverage harder and less robust. [ . . . ] So basically they want to add all these little cuts and hurdles to health coverage that should be easy to access.

“The university has retaliated against our strike by threatening to cut off our extended health and dental benefits, and cut off the international student health fee that we’ve earned through bargaining in the past and through strikes [ . . . ] we see this threatening international student health free coverage as particularly egregious, as it’s an attack on international students rights.” 

Hilstob elaborated. “This is all an attack on our disabled members, folks who need extended health care. Why is SFU attacking our most vulnerable members?

“SFU has not cut off our extended health benefits yet, but they have said they will,” Hilstob said. SFU has communicated to  TSS that unless they pay a “$40,000 bill a month,” their extended health and dental benefits will be terminated. “Which is completely egregious, right? Because it’s our earned right. It’s in our collective agreement.”

The Peak reached out to SFU for a statement and was directed to visit its website on strike updates. According to its statement, the school highlights it has not cut health benefits for TSSU members, and that the responsibility of paying for health benefits goes to the union when strike action is taken. 

According to another statement from SFU on June 16, the school has “received reports from members of the university community concerned about certain behaviours at picket lines” from union members. For those affected by “harassment or intimidation,” SFU encourages reaching out to resources and mental health services. Hilstob completely denies these allegations, and said that this is “complete hypocrisy.”

“We’re fighting for better healthcare and mental health care for our members, and they’re threatening to get away. “It’s our right to have a picket line. You know, we take it very seriously, and we’re going to keep fighting, [ . . . ] It’s our right to make noise. It’s our right to ask people not to cross a picket line, and they’re [ . . . ] trying to smear our actions that are completely our right, and there will be some disruptions on campus. That’s what the picket line is, and it’s up to you to accommodate students.”

Kennedy-Slaney explained that many faculty members have shown support for the protestors. “[They] expressed their moral support of the strikes, and they have put their bodies on the line and joined us on the picket lines on Thursday” and “proudly waved the Simon Fraser University Faculty Association flag.” 

Kennedy-Slaney encourages students and non-TSSU members to not cross the picket line and support the TSSU in its labour action. “I think one of the snappy, nice ways to think about those buildings when a picket line is surrounding is that they are lava. So you know, picketed buildings are lava. Don’t go in, don’t set foot on it. Avoid it.”

This is a rapidly changing situation, and The Peak will update its information as bargaining continues.

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Liam Kennedy-Slatey is not on the contract committee. It has also removed the School of Communications involvement in the strike as they did not consent to appear in this article.

Finding my way back to art

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A painting in shades of blue. Resembles waves of an ocean

By: Saije Rusimovici

Art has always been a huge part of my life, even though I never considered myself an artsy person. I always thought that a “good” artist had to have exceptional drawing or painting skills. This mentality has stuck with me since elementary school, when I received mediocre grades on all my projects. I enjoyed using my imagination in art class, but would always be disappointed at the low grades my teachers gave me, despite my creative efforts. In those formative years, when a subjective thing like art is judged based on a teacher’s rubric, it feels like an objective judgement of your artistic capabilities. For this reason, I shied away from activities like painting, even though I enjoyed them, for fear of not being good enough.

It wasn’t until my adult years that I realized appreciating art was not limited to being good at traditional mediums, nor could it be assessed by a generic academic scale. As a kid, I had fallen in love with songwriting — appreciating and dissecting the lyrics of my favourite songs. I even started to write songs on my own, finding peace in the storytelling process through music. Looking back on my childhood, I realize that there is no “right” way to make or appreciate art, nor does everything you make have to be perfect.

Despite this, it still took a while for me to be comfortable creating. As I mentioned, I was never particularly good at painting or drawing, and despite my efforts to learn how to write music to accompany my lyrics, I wasn’t very good at playing the guitar either. Frustrated, I figured I couldn’t call myself an artist because I didn’t have the talent or patience to learn what all my artistic friends were able to do. Even in everyday life, my best friend’s bullet journal was set up nicer than mine. So, instead of focusing on being perfect, I decided to go back to the beginning, to my true desire: to create.

Taking up scrapbooking was something I always wanted to do, but never thought I would be good at. By “good,” I mean making sure my photos were meticulously chosen, lined up properly, and the pages were decorated with perfect connection to the theme reflected in the pictures. The thought of bringing out my ruler to measure cardstock made me want to pull my hair out. I decided to push all these thoughts aside (including those that tried to compare what I created with someone else’s project) and do whatever I wanted with the blank pages of my brand new scrapbook.

I used scraps of craft paper, left from other attempted endeavours in art, and created my very first page. I decided to document each month as a page or two in my scrapbook, dressing my canvas with photos, stickers, and tangible mementos (things like restaurant business cards) from the month. I didn’t buy any of the fancy pens my friends purchased from Michael’s. Instead, I raided my mom’s sticker collection that she’s had since I was a little kid. I used cutouts from old magazines and newspapers lying around my house. Trying to find things to decorate the pages was a lot more fun than I originally expected, and I relished in the feeling of finding random materials that ended up working well with the photos I chose.

I barely measured, planned, or focused on perfecting anything on any of the pages — instead I let my intuition guide me, decorating the pages with anything I had in front of me and choosing images that evoked feelings . . . Through scrapbooking, I fell in love with creating again.

About three months into scrapbooking, I decided to invest in a few more quality materials that would help me create what I envisioned: things like a glue gun and lettering stamps. I finally felt as though I found a hobby that resonated with me and allowed me to hone my artistic personality, even if it meant I had to use all the ink from the family printer every now and then. This all started with taking that first step away from the concept of perfection — the idea that in order for something to be good or worth your time, it has to be flawless.

There is no right way to make or appreciate art. Had I focused on what other people thought, or kept comparing my work to others as if I were competing for an invisible prize, I would have strayed away from the reason I wanted to make art. I started my scrapbook to reflect on my life, relationships, and adventures, giving my memories and experiences a permanent life on a page.

I’m still learning and navigating through my artistic journey outside the confines of academic judgement and perfectionism. I’ve taken on new projects and learned a lot from creators on social media. I don’t compare myself to them. Instead, I see them as a source of inspiration and encouragement, and delight in their wisdom and experience to expand my artistic horizons. Today, my perspective of art and what I consider as being an artist has changed. I’m no longer fueled by striving for perfection — by seeking validation from my friends, or even worse, my teachers. Scrapbooking has become a way for me to transfer the abstract aspects of my life into tangible works of art. Even though I’m still learning to embrace imperfection and stray away from self imposed judgement, I’ve learnt that art, in all forms, is about letting our creativity run, reflecting on our experiences, and making us feel something.

Children’s shows allowed my inner child to roam free

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A toy figurine of the charachter Woody from the Pixar movie Toy Story sitting, in the horizon a mountain and the sky can be seen

By: Isabella Urbani

Growing up with two teenage brothers, I basically skipped over watching children’s shows. Sure, I can sort of remember watching Yo Gabba Gabba!, Lazy Town, and Hi-5, but what I remember most is watching what my brothers liked at the time: Family Guy, The Simpsons, and King of the Hill. 

When my youngest brother was born, I was 10-years-old and thereby inherited babysitting duties — which basically meant I got to spend my weekends planted in front of the television watching children’s shows. As a result, I got acquainted with a lot of television shows I wouldn’t have otherwise watched: Mike the Knight, Team Umizoomi, and my favourite of them all, Bubble Guppies. I even went to see the Bubble Guppies live. What a dream. 

While my brother was only interested in the music and boisterous characters, I was fully immersed in the storylines, problem-solving, and companionship. But by the time my brother was growing out of these shows, I was just starting to get into them.

So, recently, I got to work tracking down all the shows I would have watched on the Treehouse network in the early 2000s. If I felt endorphins watching these shows again, I reached nirvana when I discovered the shows I had completely erased from my brain: Rolie Polie Olie, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, 4 Square, and Roll Play. 

My fun watching these shows came and passed in a week, but one show in particular held its grasp on me: The Berenstain Bears.

I didn’t watch The Berenstain Bears growing up very often. It wasn’t a fixture on the children’s network we had growing up. But every now and then, when it was on, I watched it. Watching bears acting like humans was entertaining enough as a child, but unlike most blasts from the past, the show was just as good, maybe even better, watching it the second time around at 19.

Ignoring the fact that they’re bears, the show’s plot was practical. In every episode, either Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Sister Bear, or Brother Bear wound up in some sort of trouble. Any children’s show I had watched up to that point only focused on the trouble the children got themselves in, with limited screen time for the parents.

The problems the characters faced were grounded in reality.  Friendship troubles, budgeting, healthy eating, and overwhelming workloads were all discussed at one point or another. Much like the problems, the solutions were as accurate as a children’s show can be. Conflict wasn’t always solved with a simple fix or a snap of a finger. Instead, they faced the implications of their decisions and learned their lessons the hard way.

The family also had their ups and downs. Brother and Sister Bear were extremely competitive with one another and always butted heads. Mama and Papa Bear often fought about expenses and buying their children the gifts they asked for. They were two financially conscious and thrifty bears. Mama and Papa Bear were authoritative.

Not to be confused with authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting is the style of parenting equivalent to being a liberal in Canada: it’s the middle ground. Parents that are authoritative set clear boundaries and expectations, but work hand in hand with their children to solve problems by talking it out.

I was envious of the Berenstain family dynamic. I love my parents, but they operated on the “tough love,” “I’m your parent, so what I say goes” type of program. You can see why I fixated so dearly on the Bears who were the complete opposite of that.

Family turmoil was resolved by the end of the episode. Brother and Sister, although completely out of hand on numerous occasions, had the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

In the “Blame Game,” Brother and Sister go on a tirade accidentally destroying objects around the house and blaming one another. Instead of boiling over, both Mama and Papa teach their children to own up for their wrongdoings, stop blaming one another, and lend a hand without asking for anything in return. “Instead of shouting and pointing fingers,” Momma said, “we should get to work and solve the problem.”

The Berenstain Bears didn’t teach me what a perfect family dynamic is, but what a functional dynamic looks like. Understanding that brought to light the dysfunctionalities in my own family, and it also proved to me that it’s possible for parenting to be reciprocal. This was comforting for me as a child, and even more so now, as I look forward to building my own family.

I have something to aspire to for my children. I want my children to grow up in a similar environment that the Berenstain kids grew up in — one that is forgiving, that doesn’t resort to fear tactics to prove a point, and isn’t fixed. I want to grow with my children. I want to admit to my shortcomings, and change for the better, rather than being defensive about the way my children say I make them  feel — even if that hurts my feelings. I want my children to feel comfortable coming to me and admitting what they did wrong, understanding  there will be consequences, but I’m not going to hold this incident over their heads.

My parents didn’t become softer until I was an adult. The version of them my younger brothers experienced was not who I had growing up. Through their mistakes with me, they learned how to be better for my brothers. And without The Berenstain Bears, I might not have known that a “healthy” dynamic between parents and children isn’t supposed to be spiteful.

Ultimately, it’s not the family squallers that are problematic, it’s how these disagreements are resolved. Problems shouldn’t be pushed under the rug to fester hate into resentment. They need to be nipped in the bud, which means admitting you’re wrong and moving on. I didn’t learn that growing up; I learned that from a children’s show.

Pink convocation, unnecessary vent sesh, and opposite day?

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Peak Web
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Portrait of a woman posing in a large Barbie box. She is surrounded by pink items, including a rotary phone and ice skates.
PHOTO: Юлиана Маринина / Pexels

By: Hana Hoffman, Peak Associate and C Icart, Humour Editor

Dear Peakie, 

I wore pink to my convocation as an homage to Barbie, Elle Woods, and Mean Girls (yes, it was on a Wednesday), and no one understood! How can I recover after discovering that I am surrounded by uncultured folks? This Barbie is really weighed down by all of this. How did they not notice how “fetch” my hot pink heels were? “What? Like it’s hard?”

Sincerely, 
Vision in Pink 

Dear Vision in Pink,

I want to start by saying I truly admire your respect towards pink legends. Pinkalicious and P!nk are my idols! Honestly, I think everyone at the convocation was intimidated by your swag, so they kept quiet. Plus, you just GRADUATED! In other words, you said goodbye to every person in the institution, so why feel embarrassed in front of a bunch of people you’ll never see again?

#2Cool4School,
Peakie

Dear Peakie, 

I actually don’t need advice. I just wanted to give you some: mind. your own. business. Why do you feel like you can tell us all what to do? You won’t even reveal your real name. Is it because deep down, you know that “you know nothing, Jon Snow?” Your relevancy in this paper has peaked, Peakie.

Sincerely, 
Maybe We Should Give YOU Guidance

Dear Maybe We Should Give YOU Guidance,

Unfortunately, I know who you are, and I don’t think sending hate in disguise is very professional: #hater. You weren’t offered the position as Peakie because we currently are not hiring (duh). I understand your frustration, but we do have other available jobs at SFU. Please let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll forward your resume to other hiring employers so they can LOL as well.

Consider applying for local newspaper delivery,
Peakie

Dear Peakie, 

I might have to break my lease because I can no longer live with my roommate. Last night, we were doing a puzzle together, and I found out they don’t do the border first. What next? Are they going to start eating their pizza crust-to-tip instead of tip-to-crust? I can’t live with someone like that. Is there anything in the Residential Tenancy Act that covers this?

Head-scratchingly, 
Absolutely Puzzled

Dear Absolutely Puzzled,

I’m sorry you have to go through this nightmare! I don’t know how your roommate survives school; I bet they write in their notebook from the bottom right to the top left of each page, starting from the middle of the book. From what I know about the Residential Tenancy Act, section 124.2 states that you may be considered for a post-emotional damage fund if your roommate regularly performs opposite actions, such as starting a puzzle from the middle and eating pizza from the crust first. I advise you to reach out and move out ASAP before your roommate starts pouring milk into your bowl before the cereal!

With urgency,
Peakie

Local guy sprints to catch the SkyTrain, knowing damn well the next one arrives in two minutes

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Peak Web
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Runner racing the SkyTrain
ILLUSTRATION: Alyssa Umbal / The Peak

By: Hailey Miller, SFU Student

We’ve all seen him — that one guy who causes a scene at the SkyTrain station. The guy who appears out of nowhere and leaps up the escalator two steps at a time. Like a lightning bolt, he sprints through hoards of people in a failed attempt to catch the moving vessel as its doors are already on their way to being slammed shut. 

Let’s talk specifics here. This always happens at Commercial-Broadway — always. I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it, and there’s no doubt the security cameras have captured it live. At this point, the SkyTrain personnel are a little too accustomed to this regular occurrence. They shrug it off and continue about their day as if they didn’t just see a flurry of chaotic speed whirl by in a frenzy of time-crunched panic. 

If we’re being honest, chances are you’ve probably pulled a lightning bolt SkyTrain manoeuvre once or twice yourself — come on, don’t be shy. It’s bound to happen at some point, isn’t it? Let me set the scene for you: it’s rush hour — wait, every hour is rush hour around here — and you’re in more than a bit of a hurry. You’re trying to be subtle about it, but subtlety has no place in any transit station around this town. Maybe you should’ve left your house two minutes earlier. Let me guess, you thought you gave yourself enough time to catch the bus, right? Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. Maybe the bus was late, or the connection took too long. Have to transfer at another stop? Forget it. Switch modes of transportation on the way? Good luck! Maybe your alarm clock didn’t go off, or you forgot your cup of coffee — the magical bean elixir of energy. Dare I mention the horrors of potentially forgetting your Compass Card? We all know the story. Regardless of the matter, you will never be as careless as the regular Mr. SkyTrain Lightning Bolt Manoeuvrer. 

We all know this guy. Clearly, he likes to attract attention to himself. Whizzing by faster than a thunderbolt, he sizzles on the SkyTrain platform. You’re watching the chaos unfold as Mr. SkyTrain Amateur screeches past the yellow caution line, attempting to pry the doors open with all his might. Wait, who am I kidding? He’s no amateur. He’s a well-seasoned transit user, specializing in the daily disruption of us sophisticated SkyTrain connoisseurs — contrasting his chaotic disarray with everyone else’s orderly fashion.

By now, the door frame’s seals barely allow the guy’s hands to scrape past, out of danger. Even then, he doesn’t make it through the moving doorway in time. His frazzled looks complement the dismay plastered on his face. How dare he miss one train and have to wait a whole 120 seconds for the next? What a waste of time! With dissatisfaction, poor ol’ SkyTrain Hurrier Guy is accompanied by the electric woosh on the tracks that follows shortly after the train’s swift departure from the station. So, the man waits impatiently. Time ticks by like a broken hourglass. He paces back and forth, scuffling his feet and mumbling under his breath until he hears the hissing sound of the tracks coming to life. All is lost, yet all is found, just for Mr. SkyTrain Manoeuvrer to catch the next train in-bound.

Opinions in Dialogue: The intersections of education

By
Peak Web
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0
A lecture hall
PHOTO: Dom Fou / Unsplash

By: Cameron Palmer, SFU Student and Charlie Ruiz, SFU Student 

Meritocracy is the age-old myth that everyone has a fair chance at success in life, and those who try the hardest will achieve their dreams. In reality, our society is built in favour of those who happen to be born with privileges. Not everyone has the same opportunities to get the most out of their university education, but sometimes it feels like professors don’t recognize that.

Cameron: As a renter in Vancouver financially supporting myself and my education independently, life always feels like it’s moving too quickly to keep up with. I’ve tried juggling three courses on top of working full time, maintaining a social life, staying active, eating healthy, and taking care of my mental health — it was far beyond my capacity. I’m in my fourth year, slowly making progress towards my bachelor’s degree one or two courses at a time. While this pace keeps me at bay, it’s hard not to compare myself to peers who seem to coast through assignments, thoroughly understanding the material on top of a full course load. I can’t help but feel jealous seeing younger people graduate before me.

But, I have to remind myself that it’s often not a fair comparison — many students don’t have to constantly worry about making money to support themselves, and can devote more time and energy to studying and managing deadlines. Socioeconomic privilege not only “shapes the path to college” but also plays a major role in students’ experiences and success once they’re there. Being able to devote more time to my courses is a luxury I wish I could have. Instead, I’m constantly rushing to complete assignments after long shifts, never catching a break to enjoy what I’m learning about. I wish professors would understand some students might not be struggling due to carelessness or lack of intellect, but simply because they had to prioritize working an extra shift over finishing an essay because food and shelter are basic necessities.

Charlie: I relate to the “not being able to enjoy what you’re learning” thing. The courses I take have so many interesting concepts and ideas, but I’m never able to learn all of them due to time and energy constraints. Being disabled, I work at a much slower pace than my peers, and so I sometimes have to prioritize certain assignments and readings, while skipping others. SFU has not been entirely understanding of that. Professors release assignment and course details too close to deadlines and often will not give you earlier access or extensions out of “fairness.” Sometimes courses expect you to dedicate your entire life to school, but for so many people that’s not feasible. There are many factors that make up student life besides school: work and finances, family and social relationships, and health. Without stability in all these aspects — it becomes increasingly difficult to focus on doing the best you can in school. University success isn’t only made up of hard work, but often many other factors align to shape the experience. 

Because of this, it’s very frustrating when professors are inflexible about things like attendance. Some students need to make sure they’re able to pay rent, get food in their bodies, and even have to stay home to take care of themselves. School isn’t everything and professors shouldn’t expect it to be.

I’m grateful to have control over my own finances without having to worry about rent by living with family, but it’s another stressor to have conflictive parents, and “moving out” isn’t a simple solution. In addition to cost, I worry about living alone because my physical limitations make it so that I would have a hard time taking care of myself, all by myself. 

Cameron: I empathize with wanting independence from difficult family members. Living separately has granted me a sense of freedom; being able to set boundaries with family is so much easier when you don’t live under the same roof. I’ve also heard of families using money as a way of controlling their children. 

Even though I appreciate my independence, I still spend considerable time helping my family with things like accessing resources and applying for government assistance. While resources are available in BC for lower-income people, they aren’t always accessible and usually the waitlists are long, which can cause considerable stress in times of crisis. Supporting my family is also going to come before class assignments, in ways those with higher income may not have to worry about.

I can’t blame anyone for depending on their parents, especially with Vancouver’s high cost of living. For me, living on my own was never a choice and I had to put myself through university for a chance to get a good paying job one day to bring stability to my family.

Charlie: Helping family feels like a form of labour that never gets spoken about! Translating and connecting them to resources is something that can be so time consuming, and, depending on your relationship with your family, difficult to set boundaries on. Students who have shelter, financial stability, and a good home life are definitely free of some of the stressors other students face, and I wish professors would recognize that not all circumstances are equal. 

Cameron: Building on this, many professors direct students to external resources for support without actually acknowledging the extra time and effort it takes to use these resources. Most communication classes grade based on writing, grammar, speaking, and comprehension of course content. This gives fluent English speakers a considerable advantage. Non-fluent speakers are casually told to get help from the Student Learning Commons outside of class. As a fluent speaker, I still struggle to comprehend academic readings and put them into words — I can’t imagine how difficult and time-consuming that must be with a language barrier. While it’s great resources are available outside of class for students with barriers, including learning disabilities and mental health issues, professors need to factor in those barriers when it comes to grading.

Charlie: In addition to professors being understanding about various circumstances, universities should be more flexible with their support. Scholarships and bursaries require full-time status and a minimum GPA. This is very exclusive to those who cannot meet the criteria. While SFU allows students with disabilities to apply for these with less of a credit count, the student must be registered with CAL — which is a lengthy and laborious process. Further, SFU notes bursaries “should not be treated as your primary source of funding” and “you may not be awarded a bursary every term.” For students in need of funding, this can be very difficult. It is also unclear how SFU defines “financial need,” and simply applying is another lengthy process.  

Cameron: Anthony Jack, author of The Privileged Poor put it perfectly: universities “bend over backwards to admit disadvantaged students, but then, once the students are there, they maintain policies that not only remind those students of their disadvantage, but even serve to highlight it.”

The Bright-er Side: A transit ride

By
Peak Web
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0
Skytrain at King George station
PHOTO: Lauren Han / Unsplash

By: Alex Ileto, SFU Student

Every day I have to take transit is a day I dread. Something always tends to irk me, whether that be an angry bus driver who runs over the curb every once in a while, or a baby who is having an absolutely miserable day. However, I started to enjoy my transit journey when I paid more attention to what was going on around me. 

I’ve noticed people admiring the sunset when the time hits. I’ve noticed a little girl — no older than five — entertaining an elderly woman by enthusiastically talking about her first camping trip with their dad. I’ve noticed people coming together collectively to yell, “BACK DOOR” when the exit just won’t open. Little interactions like these remind me that although transit rides can be dreadful, there are always wholesome moments to cherish. 

Every time you board a bus, SkyTrain, or SeaBus, you’re entering a community of people who transit, all with their own stories, personalities, and destinations. So forgo watching that new TV episode on your phone. Embrace your next transit ride and pick up on the positives.

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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