Home Blog Page 187

Connect the Lingo

By
Peak Web
-
0
Illustration of a character connecting the words “connect the” and “lingo” with a pencil.
ILLUSTRATION: Alyssa Umbal / The Peak

By: Natalie Cooke, News Writer

Word Bank: goalkeeper, airball, shank, 19th hole, double dribble, muff, cut shot, bunt, meet, nutmeg

  1. When a player stops dribbling and then begins again, or dribbles the basketball with two hands, they commit a ________ dribble.
  2. This soccer player usually wears a different colour than their teammates on the field.
  3. Time to relax and grab some lunch at the ________. 
  4. When a football player makes contact with the football, without successfully maintaining possession of it. 
  5. When a softball batter chooses to tap the ball instead of swing.
  6. A volleyball attack where the player spikes the ball “at an extreme angle across the court, making it nearly parallel with the net.” 
  7. The libero received the serve but their pass was a  ________. The ball flew out of bounds!
  8. You ________ an opponent in soccer when you kick the ball through their legs, instead of trying to go around them.
  9. She tried to make a three-point shot, but instead hit an ________. 
  10.  Another word for a swim competition.

 

Answer Key

  1. double
  2. goalkeeper
  3. 19th hole
  4. muff 
  5. bunt 
  6. cut shot 
  7. shank 
  8. nutmeg 
  9. airball 
  10.  meet

What’s with all the shouting in karate?

By
Peak Web
-
0
photo of two people performing karate.
PHOTO: Ashima Pargal / Unsplash

By: Matthew Cheng, SFU student

One of the biggest questions people have about karate is why practitioners yell when they punch or kick. They do it to practice kiai (pronounced “key-eye”) — the official word to describe the sounds heard when performing an attacking strike. “Two Japanese characters make up the word: Ki means ‘energy,’ and ai means ‘to unify.’” It’s essentially the “convergence of your energy.”

To perform a kiai, athletes need to exhale during the technique instead of holding their breath. If an athlete holds their breath, their muscles will tighten up. This tension makes the body slow and rigid. When hit with a flood of adrenaline, it’s normal for your breathing to become more shallow because your airways are expanding to take in more oxygen to your muscles. Kiai can be a tremendous help in steadying your breathing. 

It’s important that the sound comes from your stomach and not your throat. In order to do that, you’ll have to trigger your transversus abdominis, which sits on either side of your abdominal wall. If done correctly, the pressure in your stomach should push the shout from your mouth as you exhale. The kiai is similar to vocalizations practiced in other sports. In boxing, competitors grunt to exert power, while in sumo wrestling, competitors use stomping as an intimidation tactic while entering the ring. Kiai can also be done for reasons beyond breath control: from gathering strength to intimidating your opponent. The real consensus is that it sounds different for everyone and is interconnected with a person’s spirit. 

This week at SFU

By
Peak Web
-
0
PHOTO: Sebastian Brinkman / SFU Athletics

By: Simran Sarai, Sports Writer

Home Games

Friday, March 24: softball vs Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. 

  • Beedie Field
  • First regular season home game 

Saturday, March 25: softball vs Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. 

  • Beedie Field 
  • Second of four consecutive games against Northwest Nazarene 

Away Games

Monday, March 20: women’s golf at Colorado St. Pueblo Pack Spring Invite (all day)

  • Day two of the event

Saturday, March 25: lacrosse vs Brigham Young University at 2:00 p.m.

  • Riding a three game win streak 

Saturday, March 25 to Sunday, March 26: track and field at the UBC Open (all day)

  • Second meet of the outdoor season 

Letting go of the future to be aware of my present

By
Peak Web
-
0
PHOTO: Stormseeker / Unsplash

By: Daniel Salcedo Rubio, Features Editor

Content warning: mentions of disordered eating and harmful behaviour.

Happiness is such an elusive concept; we look for it in every corner only to realize it’s still far away. We keep thinking we will eventually find it after some great achievement or in the company of someone else. I’m only 28 years old, and I feel I’m nowhere close to having any meaningful wisdom. For the past couple of years, I’ve lived in a continuous state of autopilot. Even before the pandemic started, I felt my life was becoming monotonous. I was already shutting down my awareness — I was just performing the same tasks and activities on the same days, every week, every month. Don’t get me wrong, I think finding a routine that works for your lifestyle is an essential part of finding a balance between leisure and responsibility, but moving through time without awareness of either removes all the obligations and enjoyment of both.

I’m not entirely sure how it all started, but in hindsight, I realize I was moving through life without any notion of awareness during the last year of my undergrad degree some five years ago (yikes). I had just come back from studying abroad, where every day truly felt like it could have been a short novel on its own. I was ready to apply that same motivation for life back in my own city, but I just couldn’t. I got extremely anxious about life after graduation. I started looking for a job in my field and had to navigate through an ocean of rejection, with each new failed interview feeling like a bigger wave of disappointment than the previous one — I thought I was going to drown. One day I got it: a great job with great pay in my field, and I thought I could finally breathe again, but the air didn’t last long — a month later I was back to the beginning. I kept looking for the next big thing to bring me joy: the next promotion, the next event, my next achievement, and soon after I finally got them, I would find myself back at the bottom of the ocean.

I was dissatisfied with my life despite having everything one could need. I had a great job with pay well above the average for my age bracket, caring friends, a great relationship with a wonderful person, and most importantly, I had a place to sleep and a full pantry. I didn’t go to a psychologist; I was afraid and I grew up in an environment where the stigma surrounding mental health was always present. I kept thinking, “you just need this one more thing, then your life will be better.” My eyes were always on the goal, but my mind was never in the present. I just kept moving through life on autopilot, jumping from tiny bits to tiny bits of awareness and enjoyment. One day I got a promotion, six months later I got accepted into SFU, and six months after that I was moving my entire life to Canada. Don’t get me wrong, I worked for these achievements, they’ve brought joy into my life and I’m proud and grateful for them — but I don’t remember enjoyment in between them. It wasn’t until I moved to Canada that I truly felt something was wrong. This had been a dream in the making for more than a decade; yet, my first few months here were filled with anxiety and confusion. “I made it!” I repeated to myself day after day, but I still found myself barely eating and barely going outside my room in residence. I was confused. This had been the big achievement that I had been working so hard for, it was the ultimate goalpost, the surface I had been trying to reach with all my strength —  I wasn’t sad nor happy, I just felt . . . nothing.

I decided I needed to take a step back, to chill the fuck out. Of course, that’s easier said than done when living in one of North America’s most expensive cities with an income that wasn’t enough to sustain me long-term. I had also just started a new degree — it seemed like the worst time for me to chill. There was so much to do, and so many new things to achieve. And there I was again, setting new objectives for myself, setting my happiness in goals yet to achieve, setting myself up for failure — until one catalytic moment happened. One goal I had been looking forward to and that felt so close was torn into pieces, never to be achieved. I was broken, I moved from barely eating to just not eating at all for days, from barely going out to literally not leaving my room once in an entire week. I took a step back; not by choice, but by force.

Thankfully I didn’t stay long in that dark place. I gathered myself slowly, built myself back up, and started to look for happiness wherever I could find it. A year ago, a friend gifted me a book called The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down and while I haven’t really read it, the title kept bouncing around my head, telling me, “you need to slow down, you need to appreciate the things around you.” So, I made the conscious effort of being aware of what I did and what was happening around me. I would try to no longer play music or something on Netflix just to get background noise. I would instead stop and try to focus and enjoy one thing at a time.

I started going outside, walking through the trails of Burnaby Mountain just to hear the leaves rattle with the wind, and I would wake up early just to listen to the noise of cargo ships in the distance. I decided to romanticize my life — I imagined myself as a character in a Studio Ghibli movie, finding magic and joy in doing the most mundane things. Taking the Expo Line suddenly felt like being on the Sea Railway of Spirited Away. I found joy by slowing down and being grateful for the tiny things that make my life special, and I even started a daily gratitude journal.

I wrote every other day what I was grateful for, from tiny things like my technological gadgets to more complex things like relationships with my friends. I must admit that I felt silly writing about why I was grateful for the change of seasons and it was kinda hard to find things to be grateful, but now I genuinely appreciate these things I used to take for granted. But don’t assume that I’m fooling myself, I’m well aware that the anxiety will likely come back. I’m still setting goals for my future — I even started 2023 with a list of 28 things to do before turning 29 — but now, my happiness isn’t solely bound to them.

I want to finish by saying that I’m truly happy, I’m enjoying the present while still looking forward to the future. I’m still switching to autopilot, but I’m no longer jumping between tiny bits of happiness; instead, I’m jumping between tiny moments of autopilot. I started going to counselling because I know my Studio Ghibli trick will not last forever, but I will still enjoy it while it does. If there’s one piece of advice I could give you, it’s not to wait until you’re broken into pieces. If you need help, look for it or ask for it. SFU Health & Counselling is open for you and British Columbia also has a list of resources you can access when needed. Take care of yourself, for yourself.

New Music: Vivek Shraya releases single and announces new album, Baby You’re Projecting

By
Peak Web
-
0
Vivek Shraya wearing skintight black bodysuit, leather gloves, and black leather corset sitting in a front of a yellow wall. One hand is extended up touching the top of a glass through which half a part of her is filtered through a darker yellow shade. She has dark black makeup and a red bindi on her forehead looking fiercely into the camera.
PHOTO: Vanessa Heins

By: C Icart, Staff Writer

My first encounter with Vivek Shraya’s work was through her book, I’m Afraid of Men. Shraya’s powerful account of her relationship with masculinity in the context of homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny was unfortunately very relatable for me and helped me find language to talk about fears I was experiencing. While the book opens with “I’m afraid of men because it was men who taught me fear,” she goes on to highlight how her gender nonconformity (or gender expression) is the reason men (and women) fear her. 

In her new single, “Good Luck (You’re Fucked),” Shraya explores another kind of gendered fear: the anxieties vocalized by men in the post-#MeToo era. The song is aimed at men who fear being cancelled because of “how hard it is to even talk to women now.” Shraya is shutting those claims all the way down, and honey, it’s a banger. The lyrics are badass and unapologetic. Her confidence is infectious; paired with a punchy instrumental and disco-style vocals it’s almost impossible not to dance. 

The song emerges from a collaboration with James Bunton (producer and co-writer), Alanna Stuart and Kamilah Apong (background vocals), and Drew Jurecka (string-work). While she has been releasing music independently for twenty years both as a solo artist and with her brother as the band Too Attached, “Good Luck (You’re Fucked)” is the lead single for her label debut album Baby, You’re Projecting, set to come out in May.

Shraya is a multi-disciplinary artist and has received multiple awards and critical acclaim in fashion, writing, theatre, music, and visual art. She is “currently adapting her debut play, How to Fail as a Popstar, as a digital series with CBC.” It’s so exciting to watch her continue evolving as an artist in her 40s. She has said: “What I love about songwriting as a 40-something is that you’ve really earned and experienced the feelings you are writing and singing.” Her lived experience comes through in “Good Luck (You’re Fucked),” as she sounds so sure of herself.

I’ve been listening to the song on repeat and it makes me feel so empowered. I recommend it to anyone who’s tired of listening to men complain about the “hardships” of cancel culture. Add “Good Luck (You’re Fucked)” to all your feminist and dancy playlists and keep your eyes peeled for Shraya’s upcoming projects. If you’re looking for me sometime this spring or summer, hopefully I’ll be on a dancefloor surrounded by all my favourite women and femmes dancing and belting “You don’t care about my friends, you just care what they think about you. Guess what? They don’t! You don’t even cross our minds!”

Listen to The Peak’s regularly-updated “New Music” playlist on our Spotify profile.

The west is villainizing the Chinese government

By
Peak Web
-
0
digital illustration of someone reading a newspaper with the Chinese flag on the front
ILLUSTRATION: Alyssa Umbal / The Peak

By: Karissa Ketter, News Editor

Content warning: mentions of anti-Asian violence and racism. 

China has consistently been featured in western news for one reason or another these last couple years. Beginning with the COVID-19 outbreak, western media and government officials have villainized China for their role in the pandemic. 

Should we be critical of the Chinese government? Absolutely. They have recently committed their own share of violence against minority groups, including over one million Uyghur Muslims being put in concentration camps. We should also be critical of their ever-expanding surveillance state and social credit system used to collect personal data and monitor behaviour. However, the west’s media framing of China goes beyond a critique of their government and falls into manufacturing severe and misplaced hatred for Chinese culture and citizens. It’s time news outlets take a hard stance against such divisive rhetoric.

At the start of the pandemic, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres posted to Twitter, “The pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering.” 

Human Rights Watch attributes the rise in anti-Chinese sentiment to conservative government leaders in western countries. A prominent example of the blatant racism and xenophobia in western politics is Majorie Taylor Greene, a US republican party representative. According to Vice News, Greene was trying to “do the Red Scare all over again — this time with Chinese citizens living in the United States.” The Red Scare was a government-manufactured fear of communism after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Throughout the 20th century, it resulted in multiple false accusations, and “is often cited as an example of how unfounded fears can compromise civil liberties.”

In 2021, Greene publicly declared her aim to deport everyone in the US with Chinese background if they’re loyal to the Chinese government. How she would prove loyalty is unclear, but the tactic echoes back to World War II, when the US detained Japanese Americans in concentration camps and publicly questioned their loyalties. 

Anti-Chinese sentiment is not exclusive to the US Republican party, either. Canada recently announced plans to introduce a “foreign influence transparency registry.” This came after months of demands from the Conservative Party to address allegations of Chinese election interference. The new registry could result in criminal charges to anyone who refuses to disclose “arrangements, registrable activities, exemptions, information disclosure,” and “compliance.” The list appears intentionally vague, and there’s little information on what would qualify as foreign influence.

Manufactured hatred for Chinese people exists across the globe. Senior government officials in the “United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Germany have latched onto the COVID-19 crisis to advance anti-immigrant, white supremacist,” and “xenophobic conspiracy theories.” The result is the demonization of refugees, foreigners, and anyone from East Asian descent. 

Unfortunately, their scare-mongering tactics worked. From 2015 to 2020, “unfavourable views” of China spiked from 55% to 73%. This was accompanied by a rise in xenophobia and hate crimes across the world. The Vancouver Police Department reported 204 incidents of anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020 alone.

Three years into the pandemic, this manufactured hatred for China has lingered. Most recently, an alleged Chinese “spy balloon” was spotted off the coast of South Carolina. The US used a fighter jet to shoot down the balloon. China responded to the incident and said the airship was a civilian vessel drifting off course. Their Foreign Ministry added, “The Chinese side has clearly asked the US side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional, and restrained manner [ . . . ] The US use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.” While the device’s true purpose is still unclear, western media outlets were quick to adopt the Pentagon’s unfounded spy balloon allegation, making claims of espionage. Fear-mongering without solid facts only exacerbates international division.

The anti-Chinese rhetoric created by the US has more consequences than awkward international relationships, though. One in four Americans think of China as an enemy. This has led to disgusting acts of violence against people from East Asian descent. 2022 reports find that anti-Asian violence in the US increased 339% compared to 2020. Violence against Chinese people continues to be reported worldwide, with Vancouver being titled the “anti-Asian hate crime capital of North America” after seeing a 717% increase in reported attacks in 2020. 

News articles that stir hatred and division are a sensationalized version of reality, and they contribute to widespread prejudice against East Asian people. We can’t point fingers at the Chinese government’s failures without acknowledging mistakes made by our own. For instance, Canada’s intelligence agency, CSIS, has been given permission to spy abroad and even break local laws in overseas countries. That’s not to mention the fact that the last residential school only closed in 1996, and a settlement for reparations was reached just this year. Canada still has a lot of work to do. We can and should discuss current events without perpetuating an “us vs. them” narrative.

SFU350 calls for the SFSS to divest from Scotiabank

By
Peak Web
-
0
This is a photo of the outside of the Student Union Building at the SFSS Burnaby campus. The photo is a close up of the doors. Above the doors the sign reads “Student Union Building, Simon Fraser University”
PHOTO: Afsaneh Keivanshekouh / The Peak

By: Aditi Dwivedi, News Writer

Editor’s note: Chloë Arneson, who was interviewed for this piece, is a former Peak employee. The Peak acknowledges and has taken steps to prevent conflicts of interest or potential bias from influencing the article. 

On March 1, SFU350 organized a sit-in in the Student Union Building at the SFU Burnaby campus. They were calling for the SFSS to divest from Scotiabank. The non-violent protest was, however, put to a stop by SFSS staff, citing they did not obtain permission to host the sit-in.

SFU350 is a student-led club that promotes divesting from fossil fuels. They called for the SFSS to “cut their ties” from Scotiabank, the second largest funder of fossil fuel projects in Canada. The sit-in was organized in tandem with Banking On A Better Future, a non-profit organization that mobilizes youth climate justice activists to address financial support for fossil fuel projects. 

Representatives from the SFU350 called on SFU students to sign their open letter. The letter was addressed to the SFSS during their peaceful sit-in. After the SFSS staff shut down their sit-in, SFU350 later released a statement condemning the actions of the SFSS for curbing their right to protest. They noted, “Protests don’t involve booking space. They involve taking up space.” 

In an interview with The Peak, executives of SFU350, Jaden Dyer, Natasha Ivkov, and Maryam Shakeri talked about their efforts to help the SFU community divest from fossil fuels. 

According to Dyer, “The SFSS purports to represent students and their interests, but is using our money to support the banks’ fossil fuel lending. So it’s our role to hold them accountable as students.”

Dyer explained the sit-in on March 1 was organized at the same time as other sit-ins by climate justice groups from universities across Canada, like University of Alberta, University of Toronto, and University of British Columbia. They all pressued their student unions and universities to switch banks and educate them on the roles that big banks — RBC, CIBC, and Scotiabank — play in funding fossil fuel projects. 

Ivkov discussed the SFSS response to their demands. According to her, their response can be summed up as “a tentative yes,” and that the SFSS “have expressed interest in investing in renewables and investing in credit unions instead of banking with Scotiabank in the future.” She added that SFU350 understands the divestment, if it occurs, would be a slow process since the SFSS has “ties to Scotiabank that they have to abide by.” 

Addressing the protest on March 1, they said, “The problem we encountered with the SFSS was not exactly about the topic and our demands for the sit-in but more, the logistics of it.” According to the SFSS, a prior booking needs to be obtained to host an event in the Student Union Building. Ivkov however, called their actions “unjustified,” stating the difference between events and protests. She added the purpose of the sit-in is to “have a spontaneous demonstration that is not booked in advance.”

Since then, the SFSS executive committee has released a public apology letter in solidarity of the cause upheld by SFU350, acknowledging the “lapse in judgment” on their end, and reaffirming their support of the freedom to protest. The statement also noted, “We want to acknowledge that many of the members of SFU350 belong to racialized groups and thus experienced further harm due to racial disparities in policing and security. We take concerns about discrimination very seriously and are taking internal action to discuss this factor further with our staff.”

Additionally, according to a statement given to The Peak by Chloë Arneson, acting vice-president of university and academic affairs, “The concerns about our relationship with Scotiabank align with our Issues Policies and also reflect the broader societal change that is happening right now [ . . . ] We are an organization that handles a lot of money and it’s critical to consider the impact of how we are managing that money.”

Arneson added, “I don’t want our organization to be unwelcome to change or criticism. I want SFU350 and any other students with concerns to know that my doors are always open if they have concerns regarding the SFSS.”

Find out more information about divestment from fossil fuels on SFU350’s website. Sign the open letter calling for the SFSS to stop banking with fossil funders on Action Network’s website.

When disaster strikes, these dogs don’t just sit and stay

By
Features
-
0
A photo of a grey dog with blue eyes.

By: Daniel Salcedo Rubio, Features Editor

I come from Mexico, a country where, as unbelievable as it might sound, we have nearly annual earthquakes in September, now known as “earthquake month” by the locals. I know such a thing doesn’t exist, but when three substantial earthquakes occur on the same date in different years, you begin to question logic. The 2017 earthquake was a particularly bad one, trapping many under the rubble and claiming the lives of over 350 people. Thankfully, aid organizations, the government, and even citizens mobilized quickly to support the affected regions throughout the country. Stories like this one are full of heroic people, risking their lives to aid and save those affected by catastrophes; but they are not alone. More often than not, they’re accompanied by heroes who walk on four legs and are paid in belly rubs. Yes, I’m talking about man’s best friend: dogs.

Search and rescue (SAR) dogs have been around since the 17th century, with the first historic account of formal training taking place in Switzerland. St. Bernard dogs were trained by monks to find the path back to their monastery, but these dogs also helped those lost in the snow — apparently a dog named “Barry” saved 40 people in a span of 12 years. The use of SAR dogs continued, with a total of over 30,000 dogs aiding medics to find wounded soldiers during World War I, and later specializing as “rubble search dogs” at the end of World War II, finding people under the rubble of bombed houses. Naturally, in the early ‘70s, a systemic approach to train and deploy rubble search dogs in catastrophic situations such as earthquakes was developed. Canada has adopted similar training programs; in 1995, Jim Galloway became the first RCMP coordinator for the “Civilian Search and Rescue Service Dog Program” — now called the Canadian Search Dog Association (CSDA). Ever since, organizations like the Vancouver Island Search and Disaster Dogs Association Canada and the Canadian Search and Disaster Dogs Association were formed and continue to operate. Today, these organizations are part of a larger network of over 120 SAR dog organizations spanning 39 countries, demonstrating the impact of SAR dogs in disaster response efforts.

The importance of SAR dogs was demonstrated once again during the Turkey and Syria twin earthquakes. Many countries, including El Salvador, South Korea, and Mexico, deployed SAR dogs on-site to help locate and rescue survivors. These dogs have proven their value on-site time and time again; Delta, a black labrador from the K9 Search & Rescue NI, and Ecko, a Belgian Malinois from the Mexican Navy, have been fundamental to locate and find survivors under the rubble. Their impact doesn’t end there, shown by many more success stories from SAR. Baillie, an Alberta border collie, was deployed on-site to provide aid in the southern Alberta massive flood of 2013. Jet, a labrador retriever from Halifax who “was involved in hundreds of hours of operational searches,” retired in November 2021. Mexican rescue dog Frida has helped save over 50 lives in several natural disasters and even became a beacon of hope for many locals.

Despite their incredible value and contribution to search and rescue efforts, the use of SAR dogs might also be a subject of controversy. This was highlighted by the recent tragic death of Proteo, a Mexican rescue dog who died during a rescue mission in the Turkey and Syria earthquakes. While the deployment of SAR dogs can be incredibly effective, it also comes with risks for both the dogs and their handlers, particularly in hazardous and unstable disaster zones. One can also argue that it might be best to invest resources in the development of SAR-related technologies like drones to both improve the efficacy of SAR operations and ensure the welfare of both dogs and handlers. It is important to acknowledge the potential ethical concerns surrounding the use of SAR dogs for these purposes, particularly in situations where they may be subjected to physical trauma. Due to these concerns, SAR organizations have developed guidelines and procedures for the deployment, care, and retraining of SAR dogs and their handlers. These are steps that help ensure their welfare and effectiveness in future disaster response efforts.

The bravery and dedication of SAR dogs and their handlers can’t be overstated — from St. Bernard dogs that saved lives in Switzerland over four centuries ago to Delta and Ecko saving lives in Turkey and Syria these past couple of weeks. Thank you, Frida, Baillie, Proteo, and every single dog and handler that has put their lives in danger to rescue those in need. You’ll all be remembered in history as the heroes that you are. Below you will find some of the organizations and fundraisers you can donate to that are currently supporting those affected by the Turkey and Syrian twin earthquake catastrophe:

UNHCR: Provides shelter, tents, and blankets, as well as other non-food items, hygiene, and medical items.

Red Crescent Response in Türkiye: Distributes hot meals to people outdoors and in emergency shelters and sends its’ national blood stocks to the affected regions. They are calling for monetary donations and blood donations.

Médecins Sans Frontières: A non-profit organization of medical professionals that provides medical services to people affected by natural disasters.

CDP Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund: Provides targeted financial support where needed the most “in collaboration with local partners.”

Earthquake Solidarity Fund — BC, Canada: Raise funds to support local organizations, providing essential supplies to those affected.

Rolling through history: The rich cultural legacy of roller skating

By
Features
-
0
A photo of a person of color in roller skates. No clear location of where the photo was taken.

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer

Many groups of people who face challenges in society find community and solace with those who face their same issues and develop bonds over common interests. Such common interests can come in the form of geek culture, arts, or sports — like roller skating. Many of us have seen a music video or a show where people are roller dancing, and if you’re like me, you are amazed at how effortless this looks. But beyond that, there is an immersed history of community and liberty in roller skating. While roller skating is not exclusive to one racial group, Black people have had a significant impact on many roller skating styles in present day.

Roller skating in Canada dates back to the 1880s when the first roller skating facilities were opened in Toronto. In 1961, the Canadian Roller Skating Association was established, later to be renamed Roller Sports Canada in 1995. In the earlier years of roller skating, George Berry, one of Canada’s notable roller speed skaters, would lead as the winner of the North American championship and later be announced as the world’s champion. Artistic roller skater Kailah Macri, who started roller skating in grade school, is also recognizable within skating culture.

In Black communities, this sport has been adopted into many lives, and appreciated for its history. One of the first sit-in protests of the Civil Rights Movement “didn’t involve sitting at all — it was a skate-in.” Skate-in protests persisted throughout the ‘60s, both Black and white skaters organized boycotts and blockaded segregated rinks. The rinks functioned as rally points for racial equality, this can be dated back to the protests of segregation of roller rinks during WWII. The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People played a role in arranging legal obstacles to segregated roller skating rinks in Flint, New Jersey, and Cincinnati among many other towns and cities. It was only later in the ‘60s that the roller skating rinks became desegregated.

Another influence that played a role in roller skating and its development in the African-American community was music. In the ‘50s there was a change in how music was played in the rinks: there was a switch from organ music to vinyl records to popular radio music. This coincided with the American musical revolution of the ‘50s, where rhythm and blues (R&B) became “the most popular music created by and for African-Americans.” During this period of time, independently owned radio stations were dominated by R&B vocalists like Etta James, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Fats Domino, the latter became “one of the most essential first-generation rock & roll stars.” The music industry in the ‘50s had a huge impact on roller skating as well as other areas of American artistic and social culture. This was a trigger for the emergence of “‘style’ roller skating” in the African-American community and the eventual wide spread of African-American culture to a white audience in a new era of racial tensions in the United States.

In present day, Black communities in Canada and the United States enjoy and commemorate its significance as part of Black history. Documentaries, music videos, and events alike continue to preserve and honour the rich history of roller skating in the Black community. Many might focus on the physical aspect of roller skating, but its true essence lies in the way it continues to foster a sense of community and connection among those who practice it. Its particular history tells the story of the people that came together through this sport. Many skilled Black skaters have gained recognition for both their abilities on the rinks and for promoting inclusivity in a sport that has had a positive impact on recreational opportunities for the Black community. Roller skating provided another moment of solace and empowerment during the rise of the BLM movement. When the movement faced violence and unrest in the midst of isolation brought by the pandemic, women of color led this nostalgic activity. The communities created through roller skating brought a “sense of escapism.”

Roller skating’s revived popularity is not limited to the United States — the sport has become a popular pastime in British Columbia as well. This year there have been events like the Van City Soul Skate hosted every Sunday by the Rolla Skate club, which have been dedicated to the BIPOC community. One of the reasons they did so was to give credit where it’s due, considering how prevalent portrayals of white people dominating the sport are in the media.

It’s not just the physical benefits of roller skating we should consider; for the Black roller skaters of Vancouver, it goes back to the community and history of the sport. It has a great span of cultural significance and history to the Black community, but you don’t need to be Black to enjoy it. You can look forward to summer in Vancouver; roller skating in Stanley park along the seawall with a group of friends, or with a community that aligns with your interests. We’ve all seen how roller skating is coming back into mainstream media, but it’s beyond aesthetics and fire shoes — it’s a lineage of Black culture.

Black History Month is over, but Black history continues

By
Features
-
0

By: C Icart, Staff Writer

Another Black History Month (BHM) and Black Futures Month have passed, so, I’m taking this opportunity to reflect on the mixed feelings that often come up for me this time of year.

Even though I’m a Black student, writer, and researcher, I feel like I’ve been less and less invested in BHM as I got older — I’m still trying to unpack why. Growing up, BHM was one of the only times of the year I got to learn about the achievements, contributions, and stories of Black people in school. In my teenage years, I often took the opportunity during BHM to educate others by giving presentations or coordinating activities related to Black history.

February became my cue to tell people who only knew about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. about Marsha P. Johnson, Africville, and Marie-Joseph Angélique. I could keep mentioning names, and I could spend this entire article telling these stories, but frankly, you should google it.

Spending my Februarys educating non-Black people for free — who often don’t understand why it’s even important — is no longer appealing to me. Also, I think that there is still a problem with the way Black history is often taught as something completely separate from other histories like so-called Canadian history. The experiences of Black people in this world are relevant to everyone. This is not a separate history that can be taught as a list of “interesting facts” on top of “mainstream” historical events. Why is slavery, for example, perceived as Black history and not Canadian history? Forced labour is part of what made Canada what it is today. Black history can’t be separated from the broader narrative of Canadian history.

This separation has often made me feel othered. So, instead, I’d rather surround myself with Black community year-round and support their healing and growth as much as they support mine. I had the opportunity to chat with SFU student and activist Balqees Jama who “​​spent this BHM resting intentionally and basking in joyful moments.” Jama also values connecting with community during BHM. She “took part in community spaces like Couch Jams, which celebrates Black creatives and artists” and spoke at the Vancouver Public Library about Black social media spaces. Jama ended the month “attending SOCA’s BHM Cultural Night, a wholesome night filled with laughter and traditional finery.”

Despite the change in how I approach BHM, I would never argue that we no longer need it. While BHM remains important, there is always the opportunity to learn the history and experiences of Black people as we continue to face challenges like police brutality and the erasure of Black experiences in mainstream education. This year, the month started off with Tyre Nichols’ funeral. Following the circulation of the video of his arrest on social media, his funeral was also televised. This continued the longtime practice of sharing videos of Black death. In addition to ongoing police brutality, there have been continued efforts to remove or at least heavily edit the curriculum for Advanced Placement (AP) courses in African American studies in the United States. In fact, “more than two dozen states have adopted some sort of measure against critical race theory.” This makes it almost impossible to discuss Black History and racism in the classroom.

These so-called “anti-woke” groups exist in Canada as well, and have been applying similar tactics. Groups like “Blueprint for Canada” push for the election of school board trustee candidates that support regressive views. They are often anti-LGBTQIA2S+ and align themselves with figures such as Dr. James Lindsay, a vocal critic of critical race theory, and Bruce Gilley, who has controversially argued for the “benefits of colonialism.” These groups often rely on misinformation “to rebrand bigotry as a resistance movement.” The “wokeism” they claim to be fighting against in schools and society at large is not real, but the right-wing hate for civil rights and social justice is.

This is the backdrop of this year’s BHM: increasing division and campaigns trying to prevent conversations about historic and ongoing injustice. Living in this context is exhausting. So what can be done about this and who is responsible for doing it?

Hiring a Black person once a year for diversity training is not enough. And honestly, this year it feels like fewer and fewer companies are doing that. Many Black content creators have taken to social media to talk about how they are receiving fewer opportunities this year. This year, “the rush of opportunities to partner with brands for Black History Month initiatives — many of which emerged within the past two years, following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 [ . . . ]  — appears to have faded.”

When the options seem to be either performative corporate activism or mostly silence, the latter doesn’t seem so bad. Or at least it feels a bit more genuine. Regardless, the outpouring of public support and donations to Black organizations after the murder of George Floyd did matter and it did make a difference.

The month may be over but it’s definitely not too late for non-Black individuals to show up. Don’t rely solely on the Black people in your life to show you the way. Do your own research. As Jama told The Peak, “Every institution has a responsibility to centre Black folks, highlight contributions, and highlight Black histories and futures. It’s 2023 and we’re past ‘listening and learning.’” She added, “Support Black businesses, update your curriculums, and fund Black youth! I also want to remind everyone that Black people deserve respect and support year-round!”

There is so much work left to do to tackle systemic racism in our communities. Public education, donations to Black organizations, support for Black initiatives, having difficult conversations with family members, calling out your friends for saying certain things — even when there are no Black people around — are part of the many ways to fight anti-Blackness. If you need more ideas, you can check out this list.

And if you’re Black and you made it this far in the piece, you really didn’t have to. But I love you and I hope you take care of yourself. If you’re looking for community or ways to get involved in Vancouver, you can check out SOCA and the Vancouver Black Library.

1...186187188...1,421Page 187 of 1,421

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