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STORYTIME: THE DAY I FOUND OUT ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES AT MACKENZIE CAFE WAS MY MOTHER (part two)

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Peak Web
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Over-the-top YouTube thumbnail with someone looking shocked. There is text in all caps that reads, “I FINALLY FOUND MY MOM”
ILLUSTRATION: Christina Cao / The Peak

By: C Icart, Humour Editor

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my channel! I decided to switch things up today and film this from my car while sipping my $9 Starbucks because my manager said it would make me more relatable. What do y’all think about this new setup? Let me know in the comments below! 

Alright, so if you’re not up-to-date, you should definitely go check out part one of this STORYTIME. I’m not going to repeat everything, so . . . Y’all know the drill; like, comment, and subscribe. Also, click the little bell so you’ll be notified every time I post a new video . . . Oh my god, why do y’all think I won’t sit here and wait till you click? Go on, don’t be shy; click the bell and join our amazing community. I truly have the best fans and would not be here (and rich) without y’all, so thank you so much for buying all the scam products I advertise. It means the world to me. 

Speaking of scams, today’s video is sponsored by Colonial Fantasy. Have you inherited from your ancestors a strong, unexplainable desire to own land you may never visit just so you can have a fancy little title and brag about it to your friends? Well, Colonial Fantasy is for you. For a small price, you can buy a tiny piece of land and be a Lord or a Lady (or whatever the gender-neutral alternative to that is because it’s Pride month, and my manager said I should try to look like an ally)! So check out the link in my description and live out your Colonial Fantasy today!

switches to a clip of me in a poorly lit room wearing glasses, and my hair is a little messy 

Hi! Editing me here! Just wanted to slip in and clarify that this is a GAG GIFT, I repeat, a GAG GIFT. I was definitely trying to mislead you into thinking you’d actually own land, but I can sense y’all are on to me, so I’m backtracking. Please do not cancel me, okay? Thanks! 

switches back to me in the car looking fabulous in this natural light and my no-makeup makeup look that I will swear on everything is me with a bare face 

Okay, so where was I? Oh yeah! So, I go to SFU . . . Oh my god, I know y’all are going to leave a bunch of comments below saying I only go there because I couldn’t get into UBC, and while that is true, it is still rude to say. Did you know that SFU is only one letter off from STFU? The former is where I’m girlbossing to get my degree, and the latter is what you should do! Just kidding, I’m riling y’all up for engagement. Is it working? Sound off in the comments! 

Anyways, so there’s this place on campus called Mackenzie Cafe. It sells, like, all sorts of food. So, like, I go there all the time to get stir-fry. They have this cute little setup and you get to pick what you want in it, and I am not kidding y’all. I literally order the same thing every. single. time. 

So picture this, right? I walk into Mackenzie Cafe, walk up to the stir-fry station and get ready to order my double-tofu stir-fry on rice noodles with all the veggies EXCEPT carrots (fuck carrots), with thai chilli sauce and all the toppings. Y’all got that, right? Thai chilli sauce. So I’m ordering, right? And then . . .

Oh shit, y’all, my camera is about to die, but part three will be uploaded soon! In the meantime, you can check out the other videos on my channel. Again, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe! Thank you so much for watching. Bye!

SKIM and Maiden China get personal in YOU AND I ≠ WE

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Peak Web
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SKIM and Maiden China stand on blue crates in bold coloured makeup covering their faces, looking fiercely into the camera.
PHOTO: Linden Royea

By: C Icart, Humour Editor

“Do you like living in Vancouver?” That’s the first question Maiden China (Kendell Yan’s drag persona) asks her co-star SKIM (Romi Kim’s drag persona) during their show YOU AND I ≠ WE as part of the rEvolver Festival at The Cultch. What follows is a long answer reflecting on what it means to be a racialized settler on unceded, unsurrendered xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) territory. But how did I get here? 

Well, the first time I fell in love with SKIM was during Pride last year. Their moving drag performance to the song “King” by Florence + the Machine left no eye dry in the crowd. The first time I fell in love with Maiden China was while watching this cheeky little number she did to Jessica Simpson’s “With You,” where she removes white t-shirt after white t-shirt until there’s nothing left but two tiny white t-shirt pasties. Frankly, I fall in love with drag as an art form every time I see a performance. 

So, as soon as I saw the ad for YOU AND I ≠ WE, I knew I had to go. Drag and theatre? Sign me up. The show is described as “a collaboration between Romi Kim (they/them) and Kendell Yan (she/they), performed by their drag personas.” They collaborate often, and I’d pay money to watch SKIM and Maiden China do literally anything. Heck, I’d pay to watch them eat on stage! Oh, wait . . . 

In all seriousness, the section of the show where they eat together is my favourite. They share shrimp chips, juice boxes, and Pop Rocks, chewing loudly and sighing into their mics. It’s lighthearted and wholesome as they feed each other foods from their childhoods and savour every bite. During the talkback after the show, they highlighted the cultural significance of that part. 

The show references some of their previous performances. I appreciated getting insight into how they felt during other performances I’d also seen. The talkback felt like an extension of that as well. Kim and Yan talked about the origins of the show but also their ideas for future iterations, as the show is a work in progress. In our interview, Kim said, “We actually wrote it during the pandemic where we weren’t getting very much gigs. [. . .] We were seeing a lot of callouts for BIPOC creators, but we kind of felt like this burden of, ‘Why do we always have to talk about our identity in order to prove that we should be making art, to get funding to make art, or be part of a show?’”  

In the future, they’re considering performing at Eastside Studios’ newest venue, The Birdhouse, and they might include video projections. The current iteration has minimal set pieces, relying on a few crates and props that are stored within them. During the talkback, Kim expanded on the use of crates in their practice as it is common. They associate the crates with moving and, by extension, movement, transformation, and flux. 

YOU AND I ≠ WE “shares insights into vulnerable experiences and gestures of refusal in being consumed by the audience’s gaze.” When I asked Kim what they were hoping the audience would take away from the show, they answered that they hoped the audience wasn’t only white. How they tackled these topics clearly shows that this is not meant to be an educational moment for the whites and the cis-hets. They share on their own terms, which is apparent when SKIM speaks Korean without providing a translation, for example. 

I’d call the performance an honest and vulnerable love letter to community, diaspora, queer and transness, and their bodies. And man, oh man, I’m going to be around as long as Kim and Yan keep writing.

Do I like living in so-called Vancouver? As a Black francophone, I wonder this often. The answer is complicated, and it shifts like the seasons — but I do know I love the community I’ve found out here with people who also have messy answers to that question. Shows like YOU AND I ≠ WE are where I go when I want to be reminded I’m not alone.

To stay up to date for their future projects as well as future iterations of YOU AND I ≠ WE, you can check out Romi Kim’s website, romikim.com, and SKIM and Maiden China’s Instagram @skimisme and @queenmaidenchina.

SFU hosts speaking engagement panel with Full Circle studio

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Peak Web
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This is a photo of the main hallway in SFU’s Vancouver campus at Harbour Centre. Seating and the Security Centre booth is seen in front of escalators.
PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff writer

Editor’s note: On July 6, 2023 this article was updated to correct the following information. It was incorrectly stated that Full Circle created the first 3 Skate games. Also, Jaylenne Ayala’s job title is lead test software engineer, not lead test software designer.  

On May 31, in conjunction with SFU Career and Volunteer Services, Full Circle studio held an online speaking engagement panel about working in the video game industry. Full Circle is part of Electronic Arts (EA) and is based in Vancouver, BC, but operates remotely. For the event, panel members were made of eight Full Circle employees: Sasha Farhat, Elliott Walton, Logan Buchanan, Jon Lawlor, Jaylenne Ayala, Andrea Thiessen, Marilyn MacDonald, and Angela Saenz, who moderated the event. 

The event started with a brief presentation detailing Full Circle’s current and upcoming projects. Currently, they’re working on creating the next evolution of the Skate series, which initially emerged in 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, three Skate titles were created under EA Black Box studio. In 2020, Full Circle announced it would be working on a new installment of the game. Their current project is a result of players’ and fans’ desire to bring the games back.

Panellists stressed the importance of developing your skill set for working in the video game industry. Helpful tools they noted included the GDC (Game Developers Conference series) on YouTube, and Jesse Schell’s The Art of Game Design. 

“Develop a critical eye for [watching how things work in the world] and it will make you so, so much better at making them,” world artist, MacDonald, said. “Don’t be afraid to see what the talented people around you are up to. It’s so, so important to developing your skill set.” 

When asked about what is often expected from the portfolio of someone looking to get into game design, lead level designer, Walton, discussed the importance of the learning experience. “I’d rather see the application of what you’ve learned more than the final product,” he said. “It should be more concentrated around proving that you can learn really well and listen in class and apply it.” 

“I feel like a toolbelt with a strong skill set is super-duper important [ . . . ] mainly soft skills,” associate producer, Thiessen, mentioned regarding obtaining a role in the video game industry. “People skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, problem-solving, leadership and even empathy,” she expanded. 

“Soft skills are just as important [as technical skills],” studio engagement and culture specialist, Saenz said. “Ultimately, you’re a team. You could be an individual contributor but you’re all going towards the same goal, so those skills are very, very important.” 

The event ended with a final question that had each panellist offering advice they would have wanted as their past selves in university. 

“Give yourself the grace to be bad at something and trust in your abilities, and one day you won’t be stuck in the gap anymore,” MacDonald said. 

“Never be too proud to say ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I don’t know,’ and always just be in the learning mindset,” Saenz added. “Surround yourself with people that are supportive.” 

Head of engineering, Lawlor listed a few words of advice. “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It really doesn’t matter. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. It goes a lot faster than you might think it does.” 

“Don’t be afraid to just go with the flow. Things might go wrong and that’s okay, because we can fix things,” Thiessen advised. 

Walton reflected on his past experiences with pressure and how this impacted his journey. “It’s kind of about enjoying the process a little bit more [ . . . ] this is like a dream, where I’m at [now] and I didn’t stop and enjoy it along the way as much as I should have.” 

Systems designer and former SFU SIAT co-op student, Buchanan, remarked on his experiences filling out applications. “It’s what got me into the jobs I’m now absolutely over-the-moon to be in [ . . . ] those [hard] times are worth it no matter how terrible it is to fill out those applications over and over again.” 

“See failure and rejection as a learning experience,” responded Ayala, lead test software engineer. “It helped me get to where I’m at.” 

“You won’t know until you try,” concluded software engineer Farhat. “It’s all a learning experience, failing is key [ . . . ] just because you’ve gotten declined doesn’t mean you’re anything less, so just keep trying and never shorten yourself of anything.” 

Day in the life of a Burnaby Mountain bear

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Peak Web
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Stuffed animal of a sleeping bear in front of a laptop
PHOTO: Nastya Dulhiier / Unsplash

By: Hana Hoffman, Peak Associate

Hey, SFU bears! Welcome back to my blog! I was extra ecstatic about writing this week because we’ve had a beary interesting couple of days, from playing pranks on raccoons to going on a campus-wide scavenger hunt. Even better, I got to interview one of our fellow bears, Barny Benson, about how chaotic the parking lots have been getting due to all kinds of human gatherings going on. Sigh, it’s that time of year again. I’ll go over the full story later, so keep reading!

Soooo, the scavenger hunt event last Wednesday was pretty wild. And fun. And tiring. We were divided into groups of three, and our mission was to find all the hidden bear-ries. I thought my team was doing a good job until one of us got stung by a bee and had to sit down, while the other team got snoozy and started napping before we were done. Despite having useless teammates, participating in this activity was totally worth it since I met new bear citizens at the awards ceremony. They made an excellent decision moving here to Burnaby Mountain. I mean, what’s better than watching buses slide down the road in the winter and playing hard-to-get with campus security? Life never gets boring up here.

Next, I have to talk about how hilarious it was when we were playing pranks on our raccoon neighbours. The looks on their faces were PRICELESS when they saw their new sneakers had gone missing. While they went off to find more goodies, we snuck into their bush, took their sneakers, then put them back later on while they ran off to look for the robber. We were just teaching them a lesson because they shouldn’t be leaving those things out of their sight! Especially if they haven’t installed security cameras around their homes.

Finally, let’s go over the annoying human gatherings we’ve had to bear with during the past few days. Most of you are probably aware there are certain times of the year when hundreds of humans cover themselves in dark blue blankets, put a square on top of their heads, then walk in a double-file line to the ceremony stage. You can’t really see the actual event unless you hide in the bush and look through binoculars. Still, our main concern is how noisy and gassy the entire mountain gets from all these groups of people driving around and sprawling out to take pictures. I don’t see why they should be allowed to invade our home on the mountain when we never enter their designated areas, which are the buildings. How are we supposed to cross the road safely when cars are coming up and down nonstop? How are we supposed to get three high-quality naps a day and a full ten hours of sleep every night if we keep getting interrupted by people talking into the microphone for hours? It’s just so chaotic!

Fortunately, I got to speak to our special guest, Barny Benson, who shared some of his wise tips on coping during a time of human mayhem. First, express your frustration by knocking down a tree with your bear hands. And when you do this, try to aim for one of the main roads so the tree can block any cars trying to reach SFU. Second, meet up with your friends and do bear-aoke together to drown out out the annoying voices coming from the humans’ ceremony, or whatever they call that seasonal gathering. Lastly, jinx the weather and make it rain or hail on everybody just to piss them off and discourage them from having more ceremonies on this mountain in the future.

Well, that’s it for my eventful week. Have you found other coping mechanisms for dodging human annoyance? Have you done anything interesting this past week? Or anything em-bear-rassing? Comment below! Thank you all for reading my blog this week, and stay tuned for next time! Peace, I’m out.

Climate Convergence concerned about TMX’s impact on BC ecosystems

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Peak Web
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This is a photo of a TMX pipeline construction site. The pipeline is sitting in a trench. There are trees and mountains behind the pipeline.
PHOTO: Adam Jones / Flickr

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

“Being here in Vancouver, you are constantly confronted with tremendous beauty, the tremendous natural environment that we are really fortunate to live in,” said Alison Bodine, an organizer with Metro Vancouver’s Climate Convergence. “But then when you scratch the surface, you look a little deeper, you can see so clearly the impact of resource extraction projects on this area.” 

Climate Convergence is a volunteer-led, grassroots organization fighting the new pipeline expansions in British Columbia and Alberta. “We’ve had victories when it comes to the pipeline and kind of putting pressure on the government” to recognize the impact of the pipeline project, Bodine explained in an interview with The Peak. “And then we’ve had defeats, with the Liberal government buying it, the Trudeau government buying it.” 

According to Global News, the government bought the TMX pipeline for around $5 billion in 2018, but the actual cost to complete construction of the pipeline has exponentially increased, reaching over $30 billion as of May 2023. “The Trudeau government buying the pipeline, using taxpayer money to acquire this project that private industry had said was not feasible [ . . . ] and the federal government stepped in and said, ‘we’ll buy a pipeline and then we’ll use the profits to plant trees,’” Bodine continued. 

Bodine noted how last year’s floods and the ongoing wildfires have impacted the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) construction. She found it ironic climate change is “preventing the construction going forward of a pipeline that’s going to bring about more climate change.” 

Activist groups have been speaking out about the government’s “continued doubling down [ . . . ] to drive this project through.” Climate Convergence has been active in fighting against the pipeline and other causes of climate change, such as deforestation and pollution. “No matter the ups and downs, whether we have a march of 20,000 people in the streets or a gathering of a dozen people on a bridge. We have to keep up this consistent voice,” Bodine said. “We need to stay in the streets.”

Climate Convergence holds online webinars with global climate activists, local banner drops, and mass postering projects. One of their strategies is intersection action. “We gathered at a busy intersection with large banners and signs and marched around the intersection in line with the walking symbol,” said Bodine. With this strategy, they can avoid disrupting traffic and focus on rasing awareness instead.

Bodine noted they have had a mixed response from the public for these demonstrations. “Of course, there are some people that honk their horns and tell us to get a job or whatever,” Bodine said. However, she noted the general response has been “overwhelmingly [ . . . ] positive. 

“I think we have a very real chance to stop this pipeline,” said Bodine. 

While the government claims the pipeline will promote future job opportunities, Bodine isn’t so optimistic: “Everything they’re talking about are really short-term gains and benefits. And there are very real studies that have been done that show the negative impacts to the economy, especially here in British Columbia, where the economy depends so much on tourism. 

“So imagine if all of the southern resident orca whales are becoming extinct because of a seven-times increase in tanker traffic brought on by the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. Then where are the tourism dollars related to people coming to see those orcas?” 

Canada adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People into law in 2016. Bodine noted this means the government of Canada isn’t supposed to “allow resource extraction projects that have not received free, prior, and informed consent by Indigenous peoples to take place on their land.

“That is really coercion, in my opinion, and it is completely based on the fact that the government of Canada has neglected its responsibilities when it comes to relations with Indigenous peoples. 

“We know the problem [ . . . ] Canada is a wealthy country. Canada could be immediately investing in alternative energies coming off of oil and gas and helping the rest of the world do the same,” Bodine continued. 

The best way to make an impact, Bodine argued, is simply staying informed and “getting involved.” Personal actions are admirable and valuable, but real change lies in collective action: “Taking action against the TMX expansion, standing up for Indigenous rights, really organizing collectively. We need a movement. We need a mass movement in the streets in defense of our planet.” 

For more information on how to get involved, check out Climate Convergence’s website. 

New SFU survey finds lectures do “absolutely nothing”

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Peak Web
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A man in a gray suit blazer sitting in front of a typewriter touching a red book
PHOTO: Ron Lach / Pexels

By: Isabella Urbani, Staff Writer

Burnaby, BC, June 12 — This just in: a new SFU survey revealed 99% of students find lectures pointless. The survey, which was sent last week from the email address “[email protected],” asked students to evaluate the benefit of lectures on a five-point Likert scale. 

A subsequent email was sent to Beedie students to explain that a Likert scale is NOT a test, and they DIDN’T need to get together to compare answers. They begrudgingly agreed on the condition their lawyers could inspect the survey prior to their participation. K?

In just a mere day, all students, staff, and faculty — although students were the only ones contacted  — had responded to the survey. All but one individual agreed lectures were a “waste* of time.” 

*A more explicit term was used in the survey. 

The Peak was able to get in touch with the sole lecture fan and made a shocking discovery in the process. 

“I hit the wrong button,” the fourth-year student shared. “I usually just click on the first option for every survey SFU sends. I’ll do pretty much anything for a chance to bag some free merch. Well not anything, but you get the point. Lectures suck.” 

Students don’t like to attend lectures, and teachers surely don’t want to give them, but how does the only person who has the power to do anything about them feel? 

“I’m not surprised,” said president Joy Johnson about the survey’s results. “But let’s remember that it’s not just SFU. We’re probably the best of the worst. UBC? I’d like to see what their lectures look like.” 

“Johnson said that?” asked one UBC student. “Yeah, maybe we’d have time to answer a survey if we actually had time to focus on anything but class material in lectures. Try Douglas.” 

The Peak did in fact try Douglas College. 

“No . . . no . . . no, there’s only one person per lecture,” said a Douglas student whose full response to the question was pushing the length of a Communication tutorial. 

Our SFU senses tell us Douglas College was just happy that someone actually cared to ask them something. The Peak will never make that same mistake again. 

While the uselessness of lectures is unanimous at SFU, no two people The Peak interviewed agreed on the identity of the “mastermind” — their words, not ours — behind the survey. 

“It’s probably just a first-year who got completely rocked in exams and thinks this is their way of ‘revenge,’” said a student sitting in a kiddy pool in the middle of the AQ. “Totally amateur hour.” 

“A first-year? No way,” said a student in the middle of getting a parking ticket. “They still have too much respect for the school. You’re looking at the work of a checked-out fourth-year for sure.” 

“Come on now, students? No student is going to put in that level of effort for something everyone already knows,” said a 400-level Physics professor. “Off the record, if you want to find some answers, you gotta start at the top.” 

To the top, we scaled. 

“The school is still tracking down the IP address of the student who sent out the survey,” said the big cheese, Johnson. “Identity theft is an offensive charge. But I’ll admit, John Cena, that’s a new one.” 

“It’s not like I’m advising professors to make classes as unbearing as possible so students become so apathetic they don’t put up a fight when we increase tuition. Because that . . . that would be horrible, right?” 

Right. 

“Well, thanks once again for agreeing to a follow-up interview, Dr. Johnson. I’ll be on my way now,” we say.

“No problem, anytime. I can assure you SFU is working diligently on the matter, and we’ll be in touch. Have a good day now!” 

Finally. What’s a president got to do to get rid of these pesky students? Now where was I? 

‘Sup, my SFU compadres, 

New survey fresh off yet another of the school’s money grabs — the printer. Do you think Johnson is making lectures bad so we become so numb we don’t put up a fight about shelling out more money each semester? 

And send. Slay. 

Okay, back to doing damage control. 

Must-read books by Indigenous authors

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Peak Web
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Book cover featuring an illustration of a person with brown skin and long brown hair showing from the neck-down wearing a white T-shirt with feathers printed on it.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Candlewick Press

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Book cover featuring an illustration of an Indigenous woman surrounded by amber flowers.
PHOTO: Courtesy of One World

Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

This contemporary collection of stories is rated just over four stars on Goodreads, though in my opinion, it deserves five. Fajardo-Anstine crafts “a narrative of unrelenting feminine power” that places emphasis on womanhood and female connection as a way to overcome oppression, poverty and systemic injustice. Each story follows a different cast of Latina characters of Indigenous ancestry as they navigate “the universal experiences of abandonment, heritage, and an eternal sense of home.” Though their stories are different, each character embodies the relentless force of feminine power in the face of abuse, relationships, and the gentrification of Denver, Colorado, where several of the stories take place. 

Sabrina and Corina exposes the lasting implications of what Fajardo-Anstine refers to as neocolonialism, “a set of economic, cultural, and social principles that emerges from colonialism.” In “Tomi,” a woman who has just been released from prison returns to her childhood neighbourhood, and the gentrification reminds her of tornados “demolishing one block while casually leaving another intact.” The author highlights gentrification as a form of neocolonial violence “which continues to displace the lives and erase the experiences, cultures, and communities of contemporary Indigenous and Latinx neighbourhoods — in favour of creating profits for both corporations and local governments.” 

Each of Fajardo-Anstine’s unique stories are moving and thought-provoking. She reaches the reader with simple, conversational language. With every story, it seems as though she is unravelling intimate, personal secrets, which keep the reader engaged and critical of the colonial societies we continue to inhabit today.

Book cover featuring a silhouette of a person wearing a hula skirt in front of a hazy, red colored background.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Hogarth

This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila 

Hawaiʻi is often thought of as a luxury vacation spot — a place to enjoy beautiful beaches and warm weather. Often, the existence and needs of the island’s Indigenous people are overlooked. The stories in this book offer “an unforgettable portrait of life as it’s truly being lived”  in modern-day Hawaiʻi. In a collection of six short stories, Kahakauwila explores the tensions between Native Hawaiians and tourists, expressed through slice-of-life stories. There are many misconceptions about Native Hawaiians, and the author carefully and purposefully unravels them, drawing the reader in by taking them on a journey across the islands of Maui, Oahu, Kauaʻi and the Big Island.

Despite transporting readers to Hawaiʻi, the stories challenge the common perceptions of Hawaiʻi as a traveler’s “paradise” by recognizing the positionality of Native Hawaiian people on the island. Tourists often fail to recognize issues Native Hawaiian women face in particular, including laborious underpaid housekeeping work and unaffordable housing. This book “makes the point that lives in ‘paradise’ are just as complicated as anywhere else.” 

Book cover featuring an illustration of a person with brown skin and long brown hair showing from the neck-down wearing a white T-shirt with feathers printed on it.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Candlewick Press

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith 

Hearts Unbroken is a young adult romance crafted by New York Times bestselling author, Cynthia Leitich Smith, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. The novel exposes the isolating experience of being an Indigenous high school student in a predominately white, middle-class town in Kansas. Louise Wolfe is a senior who enjoys spending most of her time working for the school newspaper. When the school’s musical director takes an inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz, the townspeople’s prejudice is exposed through hostile commentary and behaviour, and anonymous threats. While grappling with the tensions growing between students, parents, and teachers, Louise begins to develop feelings for Joey Kairouz, a photojournalist for the paper, and finds that navigating dating as an Indigenous person is complicated.

I picked this book because it’s comprehensive and approachable for readers, while tackling important issues like systemic racism, microaggressions, and discrimination — all factors which greatly impact Indigenous adolescents. When the townspeople expose their prejudice from something as trivial as a school play, the reader questions how perceptions of minority groups influence internalized responses to casting choices made in popular media. It brings us to reflect on our positionality as settlers and how we can be more conscious of colonialism’s influence on our perceptions of Indigenous peoples. 

The Chinese Canadian Museum receives $5.18 million from Government of Canada

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Peak Web
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This is a photo of the streets of Chinatown in Vancouver.
PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

The Chinese Canadian Museum, located in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown in the Wing Sang building, has received $5,179,000 from the Government of Canada. The funding will support the museum’s space renewal at its permanent location. The Chinese Canadian Museum is the first of its kind in Canada. It hopes to provide a transformative experience that encourages all Canadians to learn about the history of Chinese Canadians, past and present, to educate them for the future. 

The Peak connected with Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum, to learn more about the goals of the exhibits and what the foundation hopes to accomplish when opening its doors.

The museum’s first national exhibit will be “The Paper Trail to the 1923 Exclusion Act, curated by Catherine Clement, to commemorate this significant anniversary,” Dr. Lee explained. “The museum will also showcase an overview of Chinese Canadian migrations and a tribute to the Yip family through two interactive ‘Period Rooms,’ which immerse visitors into the 1920s and 1930s to provide a glimpse into the daily lives inside their Chinatown residence.” 

The museum is appropriately located in Vancouver’s Chinatown, a monumental and historic community established over 100 years ago with continuously growing attractions and activities. Dr. Lee noted the museum, in the historic Wing Sang building, is a “remarkable heritage site embodying Chinese experiences throughout the late 19th and 20th century.” 

The Wing Sang building is the oldest in Vancouver’s Chinatown, named after Yip Sang, a local businessman who helped create the Chinese Benevolent Association, the Chinese Board of Trade, a local Chinese hospital, and a Chinese school. 

The museum’s funds from the government of Canada will focus on a three-phase, multi-year project which includes revitalizing and upgrading more than 21,000 square feet of building space. “Annual operating support is critical to our museum’s sustainability, so having the support of this multi-year operating grant is very much appreciated,” Lee expressed. The upgraded Wing Sang building will have bright, contemporary interior spaces to enhance cultural learning and experiences for visitors. The museum will showcase varying exhibits, detailing stories and histories of Chinese identity from “diverse histories and stories of Chinese identity. They will consist of experiences from 1788 to today.”  

“At a time when anti-Asian racism has reverberated across North America and beyond, the museum’s work is a powerful reminder of the importance of educating and celebrating the contributions of diverse communities who help shape Canada’s history and identity,” said Dr. Lee. 

The Chinese Canadian Museum doors will open on July 1; for more information, visit www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca

Horoscopes June 12–18

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Peak Web
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An illustration of a girl with long flowing hair. Astrological signs and stars shine around her.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: Alex Ileto, SFU Student

Cancer

Venus, the planet of love, is currently zooming toward Earth to orbit around you. That’s right, this week, invest time into your love life. Forgo Pokémon Go and download that dating app your friends have been pestering you about. Head to the SFU Surrey Engineering Building and pretend you’re lost — an engineer in the making will be happy to help. When all hope is lost, put on a UBC hoodie and scope the scene there. 

Leo

Time to assert your dominance in your friend group by becoming an alpha. Our pro tips include keeping a straight face when your friend shows you a silly (but funny) TikTok, finally making that LinkedIn page, and getting your finances together for your first home— okay, maybe not in this economy. A Minecraft house will do. 

Virgo

The planets are aligning and telling me you’re the best star sign and deserve the most. This week is your time to shine and be a little narcissistic. Treat yourself to some new drip. Post those photo dumps you’ve been withholding for months. You. Are. A. Star.

Libra

Happiness: declining. Urge to curl up in a ball and hide in the depths of RCB: increasing. However, things are looking up for you this week. Visit your local spirituality store and stock up on crystals because now is the perfect time to manifest. 

Scorpio

Eenie. Meenie. Miney. Oh no! You seem a little lost. Time to start investing more time into self-care. During your free time, crank up a Nicki Minaj 2010s era playlist and go on a nature walk. Find peace amongst the trees and yassification amongst the Roman Zolanski soundtrack. You’ll be slaying the day away in no time. 

Sagittarius

STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW AND MAKE THAT IMPORTANT DECISION YOU’VE BEEN HOLDING OFF ON. 

Capricorn

Have you recently been bothered by friends who won’t stop giving you unprompted updates about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour? Are you annoyed by notifications about changes in her setlist and new outfits? Well, don’t be! It’s time to give in and submit your life to being a Swiftie. So enter that lavender haze. Are you ready for it?

Aries

This is your week to CHILL OUT. The last few weeks have been brutal for you, so take it easy. Go to a pilates class in a fancy gym, go on a long drive to a place without much going on (I’m looking at you, Mission), learn how to make that Gigi Hadid pasta you’ve had saved on your TikTok since the pandemic started — the possibilities are endless. 

Taurus

Keep calm and carry on. SIKE. These are NOT words to live by this week. Unlike Aries, this is the time to be aggressive. Sharpen those horns and bulldoze through everything that’s been bothering you lately, whether that’s an assignment you’ve been procrastinating on or a Tinder chat that’s going nowhere. Do what you need to do!

Gemini

Time to switch things up and break out of your routine. Instead, adopt The Rock’s routine: waking up at 3:30 a.m., 50 minutes of cardio, a breakfast of steak, eggs, watermelon, and toast, and an intensive back workout followed by an ice-cold shower. Don’t be too tempted! Start today!

Aquarius

You got the whole squad laughing. No, actually! Now that Venus is aligned with Mars, your inner silly, goofy persona is emerging. Embrace this newfound humour by saying the first thing that comes to mind in any situation. Get rid of any filters you have and start blurting. Someone in the room will be doubled up laughing — I promise. 

Pisces

It’s time to finally do that spring cleaning session you’ve been putting off! This includes (but is not limited to) getting rid of the pile of pebbles you gathered at the beach as a “souvenir,” unfollowing everyone who you speed-walk by on campus to avoid making eye contact with, and composting those flowers from your ex that you tried to press in a YellowPages. Marie Kondo would be proud.

Mary Ancheta Quartet takes cinematic jazz to the Next Level

By
Peak Web
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0
Album cover featuring a photo of Mary Ancheta behind a psychedelic background with a spiral with stripes, warm orange, blue, and purple. Ancheta is playing a keyboard and looking fiercely into the camera. She had long black hair, wearing a white headpiece and silky shirt.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Mary Ancheta Quartet

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

I was intrigued by the track titles on Mary Ancheta Quartet’s EP, Level Up, released on June 2; “Grease the Wheel” and “Gotta Get it” instil being in motion, which is exactly what the EP entails. It’s a mix of ‘70s jazz, electronic funk, and progressive tempos, ending with a gritty banger. Perfect for coasting through the day!

I interviewed quartet leader, Ancheta, ahead of her tour across the country, including an upcoming show for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Ancheta is a renowned Vancouver-based film scorer and keyboardist, and has composed for local artists like rapper Kimmortal and singer-songwriter iskwē. Now, she’s setting the tone of a new sound with the band’s debut.

Ancheta said the title describes “when you’re struggling with something, like a thought process or practicing something — that moment right before, when you’re just about to give up — and you push through the process. That’s when you level up.

“I think it’s definitely been me levelling up in that sense of being a studio musician and session musician to band leader.”

Ancheta’s background in scoring film and TV bleeds into the tracks, which could fit into the Mad Men soundtrack. The EP has a bustling, mid century modern atmosphere with retro video game bleeps, a hurried rhythm, and brassy swing.

“I feel like I’m always trying to pull from certain things,” she said. She listed ‘80s synths, Aphex Twin, ambient, and baroque composers as some of her eclectic sources of inspiration. With technical training in classical music, you can expect inventiveness from Anchetta. 

It’s also supercharged with emotion, reflecting feelings of  “determination, joyful noise, and freedom.” It’s energizing to cling to the album’s whimsical melody. When asked to name some of the multi-dimensional instrumentation, she noted the use of vibraphone, which creates sharp notes by hitting felt beaters onto a mallet. 

“Grease the wheel” especially struck me with its industrial sound, and how it holds feelings of strength and consistency amidst the chaos. Ancheta explained the organ runs through a Leslie, which is a rotating speaker that reverberates through a “woofer and a high-frequency horn.” The analog and electronic fusion add to this track’s addictiveness.

Ending the album is “Impermanence,” a pulsating, noise-for-your-skull track which alternates between groovy saxophone, and clashing drum and heavy bass. “I tried to encapsulate the fragility of life and of how quickly things can change in a split second,” she wrote on her Instagram about the track. Written at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it “encompasses the joy of having time to yourself, and the isolation that one can feel with too much time by yourself.”

See Mary Ancheta Quartet live on June 29 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, where she is opening for BADBADNOTGOOD. Purchase tickets at coastaljazz.ca. Listen to Level Up on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp and follow Ancheta on Instagram at @Maryancheta.

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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