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Sports in Dialogue: Fundamental sports movies

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Illustration of two people watching sports movies together on a couch.
ILLUSTRATION: Hailey Gil / The Peak

By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor, and Simran Sarai, Sports Writer

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

The term “Bend it like Beckham” may pay homage to English soccer legend David Beckham’s legendary curling free-kick shot. But the movie Bend It Like Beckham chronicles Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra, a young British-Punjabi woman’s, dreams of becoming a professional soccer player much to the chagrin of her parents. While trying to rebel against her parents’ cultural norms, Jess is also navigating her newfound friendship with teammate Jules Paxton, and a blossoming romance with her soccer coach, Joe. Jess takes viewers on one hell of a journey as she struggles to be true to herself and be a “good” daughter to her parents in a movie that weaves cultural differences, love, and high stakes together. 

Simran: I’ll be honest, I loved this movie growing up. It was so wonderful to see my culture represented on the screen, and in relation to a sport that I loved! I think Jess was definitely an icon for a lot of young girls struggling to balance athletics in more traditional households.

Isabella: Very true. It was refreshing to see a sports movie, especially a Disney one, go against the grain and focus on marginalized voices in sports. It was equally as nice to see the main conflict of the story be Jess’ battle to honour her roots while playing the sport she loved, instead of having the antagonist be an opposing team. One storyline that was not appreciated was the romantic relationship between Jess and her soccer coach. I can’t believe that movie had me rooting for that relationship with every fibre of my being. Yuck! Talk about an ugly power dynamic.

S: Joe dating Jess was definitely a little questionable. I mean a lot questionable. Also, his attempt to relate to Jess’ experiences with discrimination was entirely ridiculous. There’s an entire meme of him saying, “I’m Irish, of course, I understand what that feels like!”

I: That was a definite swing and a miss. It comes off as ignorant. Not to mention, Joe was able to have a successful career in soccer without being subjected to racial hate on the field. 

S: But strange player-coach relationship aside, this movie was one of the first sports films I saw that blended a desire for athletic excellence and satisfying cultural expectations. I felt very seen when I watched it growing up, and I still love it to this day. It is definitely a family favourite in my household!

I: As a woman in sports, although I can’t directly relate to Jess’ battle to be seen as a person of colour, I can relate to feeling like an outcast in both my family and in my profession. While I salute this movie for trying to tackle a lot of real-life issues like discrimination and homophobia, there’s this one scene where Jess’ mom becomes furious because she thinks her daughter is dating her teammate Jules. As if dating someone of the same gender is more of a cause for concern than dating someone much older, who’s your coach. This movie definitely has all the eye-catching jokes of an early 2000s movie, so be aware that it’s a little outdated. 

McFarland, USA (2015) and Gotta Kick It Up (2002)

Director Niki Caro brought tears to eyes when she brought this heartwarming story inspired by real events to screens worldwide. Former football coach Jim White must relocate his family to small-town, McFarland, California, which is home to a strong Latinx population. After being fired as assistant coach to the McFarland High School football team, White decides to form a cross-country team.

S: I ran cross country in high school and I remember our coach taking us to watch McFarland, USA on opening night in theatres. It’s definitely a cheesy, feel-good sports movie, but I think the message it sends is so important. Hearing about these young boys who were able to harness the ability of sport to grow into their self-confidence and skills, and then go on to lead lives they are all proud of, is a real-life story that I’m so glad made it onto big-screens.

I: In full transparency, I just watched this film the other day because Simran recommended it. But it didn’t disappoint. I’m a sucker for sports films that have less to do with a sport itself, and more to do with the experiences that the team goes through. It reminds me a lot of a Disney channel movie called, Gotta Kick It Up. The movie is centred around a predominately Latina dance team that tries to assemble a competitive squad amongst other white schools which pour more money into their teams. 

S: I haven’t seen Gotta Kick It Up yet, but I am so glad that producers and directors started making more films focused on the differences between high school sports programs in higher and lower-income neighbourhoods. It’s a very real problem that we experience here in BC too, and I think that telling these stories through film is a great way for younger people to learn about the issue in a comprehensive way.

I: Athletic funding is definitely not divided up equally. Teams that do better typically get more money. But how does this help unsupported teams become successful? It often takes miracle seasons like the one seen in the movie for teams to get the funding they deserve, which isn’t easily achievable. If you do watch the movie, the scene where Coach White is explaining how scoring works in cross country by comparing  it to golf, one of the runners chuckles and says, “You think we play golf?” I laughed so hard, I had tears coming out of my eyes. You just have to watch it to appreciate how perfectly the line was recited. 

Up until now, I never realized just how many sports films Disney released in the ‘90s and 2000s. Growing up, I never thought of movies like Johnny Tsunami and The Thirteenth Year to be “sports films.” They were just about two teenagers struggling to adapt to new environments while playing sports. Interweaving sports into these characters’ lives just added authenticity to the films. And if authenticity is what we’re after, sports films need to continue to be representative of the issues characters face outside of their sport. The exciting sports montages and game clips viewers get to experience might be what they remember most after an initial watch of a film. But genuine storylines and experiences are what make people come back and enjoy rewatching these films years later. 

Lowering inflation isn’t enough to fix the rising cost of living

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A photo of different denomination bills from both Canada and the United States

By: Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor

Browsing news and social media these days feels increasingly dystopian. News feeds present articles about Canadians cutting back on prescription medications, working two jobs, and changing their minds about having children in this economy. Wealth disparity has always existed under capitalism, but income inequality is rising rapidly, and seemingly daily. Many people point to inflation — the rising cost of goods and services alongside decreasing purchasing power — as a major culprit. While inflation plays a large role in exacerbating wealth inequality, we must also turn our attention to other institutional barriers that the Canadian government fails to address. An under-regulated housing market and costly groceries are two factors that amplify systemic poverty. It’s time we debunk the myth that addressing inflation will suddenly make all our financial problems disappear.

The Inflation Problem

Inflation is a concept that’s difficult to understand, and difficult to pinpoint a single cause for. According to the Bank of Canada, inflation typically rises when “the demand for goods and services is more than the economy supplies.” The value of inflation is assessed based on how quickly the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rises. In simple terms, the CPI compares the price of goods from one period of time to another. In a perfect world, prices change at a rate so slow it doesn’t impact spending or saving habits. The Bank of Canada refers to this as price stability. Capitalism is far from a perfect system, so there are endless factors that contribute to continuously shifting prices.

The most recent inflation surge impacting North America began in 2021, shortly after the pandemic started. In June 2022, inflation reached 8.1% in Canada — the highest it’s been since the ‘70s. Supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine contributed to this number, as well as a shift in spending habits; many people slowed down their use of services, and began spending more on hard goods to get by.

Definitions aside, there are significant reasons why inflation is frequently on the minds of citizens, economists, and policymakers. Few people can keep up with the current pace of inflation, which directly affects their purchasing power and ability to save money. It also impacts less “essential” services in industries like beauty and recreation, which puts people out of jobs. Combating inflation seems like the most reasonable solution to the rising cost of living — right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Typically, policymakers increase taxes and interest rates in attempts to reduce inflation. This can help, but it only goes so far. In an age ripe with global humanitarian and environmental crises, stagnant wages, and corporate greed, lowering inflation won’t do enough to address rampant systemic inequalities.

Beyond Inflation

There are more than a few industries seeing costs rise faster than the rate of inflation, which is concerning. In Canada, the price of groceries has risen to around 31% depending on the item. Food banks have been seeing record numbers of visitors as a result. According to CTV News, they’ve seen a 35% increase since March 2019. Lowering inflation wouldn’t necessarily alleviate the burden of expensive groceries, nor would it address the fact that wages aren’t increasing enough to meet our daily needs.

There are a few actions the government should take to assist with grocery prices, though there is no “easy fix.” According to CTV News, the NDP is urging the Canadian government to “recognize that corporate greed is a significant driver of inflation.” This is a crucial recognition, as food is essential to survival. Grocery prices shouldn’t be rising at a higher rate than inflation. The NDP is urging CEOs and corporations to pay their fair share by “closing tax loopholes.” They also called for an “affordable and fair food strategy.”

It’s safe to say that we should have better public resources for people in need of groceries. Charity-based organizations like food banks are important, but they’re not enough to ease the pressure of rising food prices. Beyond that, they’re certainly not a long-term solution for the country. The head of the International Monetary Fund told BBC that governments should subsidize food and energy costs for low income individuals. Doing so would alleviate the stress of living paycheck to paycheck to cover grocery bills, and reduce the need for food banks, many of which offer limited food options with poor nutritional value.

The Housing Crisis

The housing market is another domain with numbers that don’t reflect the rate of inflation. Prices have risen 318% since 2000, with fewer people being able to purchase or even rent homes these days. CBC News mentions that a “slowdown in new housing construction,” which started in 1970, “left Canada with far fewer homes per resident than the G7 average.” A shortage of housing isn’t the only problem, though. The average rental cost across Canada sits just above $2,000, with landlords contributing to highly inflated prices.

The commodification of something as essential as housing is disturbing. Large-scale investors like corporate landlords play a large role in Canada’s rental market crisis. These entities purchase large amounts of properties and monopolize the market. CBC News notes that 20–30% of Canada’s rental housing is owned by “institutional landlords,” and 200,000 units across the country are owned by “real estate investment trusts.” These investors often buy and trade housing in the stock market. Often, rent increases made by landlords fall under the realm of price gouging. While landlords can only increase rent alongside the rate of inflation for existing renters, they’re allowed to hike prices up further when tenants move out. For instance, rent increased 18% last year for new tenants — more than double the rate of inflation at its most recent peak. Without stricter rent control measures, affordable housing is a reality that few renters can experience.

Evidently, the Canadian government has plenty of work to do regarding housing and rent control. The privatization of housing means profit will continually be prioritized over individuals’ well-being. Canada needs to limit the amount of properties investors can own, and funnel government dollars into social housing. There’s no easy way around this — the country needs more housing, and that housing should not fall into the hands of corporate investors going forward. This would be a huge step toward providing for those without houses, and securing the futures of young people who are unable to afford rent. We shouldn’t have to spend all our income keeping roofs over our heads.

Research has found that affordable housing improves employment opportunities by giving people the opportunity to attend or return to school, thus developing their careers. It also allows for economic growth by granting residents disposable income to spend on goods and services.

There’s no easy solution when it comes to the alarming cost of living in 2023. Inflation rises and falls; even if the government manages to “fix” inflation or it naturally decreases, there are lingering systemic disparities that can’t be overlooked. Addressing the food and housing crises will remarkably alleviate financial strains exacerbated by inflation. No one should have to skip meals or spend their entire income on housing themselves.

SFYou: Dr. Rebecca Cobb’s Close Relationships Lab

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Features
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A photo of three women hugging and laughing with a city skyline as a background
Remember that love is the one thing you can keep sharing and it will only keep growing.

By: Maya Beninteso, Peak Associate and Research Assistant in the Close Relationships Lab

“The love of your life.” “The one.” “Your person.” These expressions reference an assumption and expectation that has been set by society — monogamy. Despite monogamy only being pervasive for the last 1,000 years, this idea that you must find one person, and one person only, to meet all of your romantic and/or sexual needs is untrue. You’re not confined to monogamy; other relationship structures exist, such as consensual non-monogamy (CNM). CNM relationships include all relationships where all partners receive explicit consent to engage in relationships with others. There is a clear lack of understanding surrounding CNM relationships, which has contributed to its stigmatization. This lack of understanding is what Dr. Rebecca Cobb, director of SFU Close Relationships Lab, intends to address through her latest research endeavour. SFU Close Relationships Lab studies the change and development of romantic relationships and how “factors such as psychological health, attachment security, and communication” affect relationships and sexual satisfaction.

Cobb’s inspiration for the study derived from several experiences throughout her career, the most notable being through her Transition to Marriage Study that included following newly-wed couples through their first two years of marriage. Cobb and her research team assumed the couples were all monogamous, however that didn’t appear to be the case. During the study, Cobb inquired about their sexual relationship with their husband, to which the participant responded, “It’s going pretty well, but mostly that’s because of my boyfriend.” This incited reflection on the “assumptions we make about relationships in society.” In the following studies, Cobb began asking participants whether they had “exclusivity agreements” or if they were in CNM relationships. Cobb found “up to 15% or 18% of people in [these] studies were non-monogamous.” This finding is consistent with an article in The Journal of Sex Research that suggested up to 20% of individuals have been in an open relationship.

Cobb sought out to explore the experiences of those in CNM relationships and the intricacies with which these relationships are associated. Although there were a variety of motives, a main theme regarding reasons for engaging in CNM was the “idea of living one’s true authentic self” and “a sense of ‘this is who I am.’” Other reasons included: making them happy, providing them with a sense of autonomy, giving them a sense of interconnectedness, and being an authentic way to live their life.

Cobb found the study was “far more diverse . . .  than any other study” she has done. For sexual orientation, she found 27% identified as pansexual, 22.5% as bisexual, 20% as heterosexual, 13% as queer, and the remaining few as unlabeled, demisexual, or gay.

Despite a growing population of individuals engaging in CNM relationships, there are many incorrect, preconceived notions as to why individuals engage in CNM relationships: Cobb noted the most important one surrounds sex. “People are not becoming involved in CNM relationships simply to have more sex, ”she explained. Other misconceptions about CNM relationships include: engaging in CNM due to an unfulfilling primary relationship and a lack of commitment. These misconceptions have been disproven because typically, CNM relationships originate from a happy and secure primary relationship, and there needs to be a certain level of commitment from all parties involved.

Cobb explored discussions surrounding boundaries for individuals in CNM relationships. In her experience, while there is “consistent attention to boundaries” and the renegotiation of boundaries, there is rarely a time when individuals explicitly discuss them beforehand. Cobb noted these conversations occur before and throughout the relationship. The time or method by which these conversations take place is “different depending on how [they] got into a CNM relationship.” Regardless of the differing times at which these conversations take place, Cobb noted that “the spirit of clear, open, transparent communication is dominant.” A way by which communication differs between some CNM relationships is whether or not partners adopt a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, or if they wish to know the details of their time spent with other partners. There’s an expectation for partners to be respectful, thoughtful, “and caring about each other.”  There isn’t just one way to love or engage in relationships — there are many.

Don’t tell me to “go to therapy”

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Peak Web
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illustrated speech bubble saying “you need therapy”
ILLUSTRATION: Angela Shen / The Peak

By: C Icart, Staff Writer

These days, telling someone to “get therapy” or “get help” is such a common read. But even when said with good intentions, saying this to someone unprompted is kind of rude. Don’t get me wrong, the openness with which Gen Z talks about mental health and therapy is a good thing. It contributes to destigmatizing these topics. However, it’s also led to some disturbing trends. 

Somewhere in the sea of jokes and memes about men needing therapy, we lost our way. Now, it seems like instead of just appreciating when therapy works for us or people we know, we are now judging those who don’t go to therapy. For instance, “on dating apps, being in therapy can vouch for your emotional soundness, while not being in therapy may be considered a red flag.”

You have no idea what someone’s circumstances are. On top of being condescending, you might be recommending an option that is inaccessible to some because of its cost. Others may be avoiding therapy because of its stigma. However you look at it, therapy is a privilege. 

Finding the right therapist for you can be a challenge as well. If you’re already down and struggling, “shopping” for a therapist can seem like a pretty daunting task. The times in my life where I could barely brush my teeth are not the times I wanted to spend hours searching for a therapist that was going to make me feel safe as a Black, queer, and trans person. I needed someone that I’d mesh well with, whose practice meets my needs, whose price works within my budget, and whose waitlist wasn’t a mile long. Jumping through all those hoops to end up seeing someone who isn’t a good fit is a pretty demoralizing experience. Personally, some therapists I’ve had in my teenage years have said some stigmatizing and alienating things to me, and it’s part of the reason I haven’t gone back. 

On top of that, therapy isn’t the only way to work on your mental health. Assuming that you are doing more internal work than others, or that your mental health is better than someone because you go to therapy and they don’t — is misguided. Exercise, art, journalling, self care, self-help books, and support from friends and family are possible alternatives. 

Writer Julladonna Park highlights how telling someone to “get help” pathologizes them as well. “Nobody is entitled to an upfront explanation of these complex and intersectional reasons for avoiding therapy,” Park writes. 

Are you using the phrase “get therapy” to insinuate that someone is “crazy” or “sick?” Are you doing it to discredit them? That’s not okay. Everyone’s needs, resources, capacity, and lived experiences are different. Therapy (and as a reminder there are many kinds, not just “traditional” talk therapy) is meant to be a tool to help people improve their health, so it’s time we stop using the term in such toxic ways. 

More uneducated opinions from your tutor

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Peak Web
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Photo of a student helping another student with homework questions.
PHOTO: Manmeet Sagri / The Peak

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer

  1. Explain Marshall McLuhan’s phrase, “The medium is the message.”

Is there supposed to be a double meaning to this? Nothing is as clear as day, as bright as the sun, as clean as the . . . I’ve lost my train of thought. The medium! Ah yes, the middle, mid, and such. How else am I supposed to explain what we all understand as the medium? Why, here’s an example! If we were only to speak through telepathy, like the very real Martians, then we would not need a medium because talking would be needless. Just contemplate my concise answer. Even I still have not conjured the answer, that is the simplicity and sheer brilliance of my wisdom. I’m certainly not trying to talk about something I don’t understand. But what does it matter? After all, the medium is nowhere to be found when you need one. Like those mediums that pretend to read your worries with cheap tricks. 

2. If you record a sound and pitch it up by three octaves, how will it sound when placed in a large room with minimal secondary reverb?

Like when a choir sings, but it’s the tenor that chases your ears? Er, no, that’s a tone. Maybe close to an echo, then? I believe it was Nicki Minaj who said that a minimal secondary reverb is like when you rap then comes the reverb. Some people call it a chorus. For example . . . actually, I don’t have an example, just take my word for it. 

3. When should you use an em dash, an en dash, and a hyphen?

Hear me out, in my whole academic career I’ve always avoided these three sins of nature. I call them the three musketeers. Nothing about them makes sense. When you need to use one of them, they confuse you. The best way to go about it is to wing it and hope for the best. 

Just romanticize them. Em dash is the dashing knight on the white horse, and he comes riding at dawn to rescue you from his enemies — in no time, you are in love with this mysterious saviour. En dash is his shorter and stronger older brother who is definitely a flirt. You might catch feelings fast, I’m talking 0–100 fast but it won’t last. Hyphen is the mister know-it-all of the group, and always has to be right and precise about everything. You should use either one based on what you are looking for. But academically speaking, use autocorrect. 

Hoo, is it getting (grammatically) hot in here?

4. What does spaghettification mean?

This seems like a space language. It is when two stars meet and fall in love. The next thing we know they have a baby star and so it starts to grow and one day it goes to mama star and asks for a bowl of spaghetti. But the mama star with sadness tells the baby star: “You know we can’t afford pasta and your dad hasn’t sent us any money since he last left to crash land on earth.” Spaghettification is when baby stars find out that spaghetti is not so cheap in space.

Social media is psychologically addictive

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Peak Web
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someone staring at their phone with a zombie-like expression on their illuminated face
ILLUSTRATION: Jill Baccay / The Peak

By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

The realities of social media addiction have been highly debated alongside increasing internet use. Not enough people truly understand the impact of spending hours staring at their tiny rectangles all day, and the effects on our mental health and psychological development are still being discovered. Social media addiction can be as harmful as other forms of addiction, and should be taken seriously.

I was 13-years-old when I got my first iPod with a touch screen. I started using Instagram and Snapchat, and as the years passed, the number of social media accounts I acquired increased. I love many things about social media — particularly its ability to connect me to friends and family who live far away. I find the act of sharing photos and snapshots of my life to be quite meaningful. Unfortunately, it also became something I obsessed over. I would often compare the number of followers I had to my friends and check the number of likes I got on every post. It became unhealthy really quickly.

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms right now, with over one billion monthly active users. There’s been a lot of research into the way that TikTok affects our attention spans by allowing us to consume so much content in such short periods of time. The TikTok algorithm has been studied relative to a concept called intermittent reinforcement; this psychological term describes the way rewards are used to capture users’ attention in randomized intervals. Sometimes when you post a video, it’ll go viral or gain a considerable amount of positive attention. Your first video that goes viral might give you a high number of likes and followers, which triggers a release of dopamine — the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure in your brain’s “reward system.” Other videos you post might not go viral, but the more you post the higher your chances are. Thus, our willingness to continuously engage with TikTok is maintained due to our desire to feel that hit of dopamine again. The constant positive reinforcement validates us and makes us feel good about ourselves.

The same principle can be applied to other addictions like gambling, due to the way that dopamine is released when we receive these rewards. We may not win all of the time, but when we do get a positive result it’s enough to keep us going until we get our reward again. Though researchers have made it clear that dopamine is not what we are addicted to when we develop addictions, it’s a highly influential motivator that encourages us to continue seeking out positive rewards. We become neurologically addicted and develop a psychological response that makes us use social media constantly.

Unlike gambling, social media addiction isn’t classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, since Internet Gaming Disorder (ICD) was recently added in 2013, more people have pushed for the inclusion of social media addiction as a mental health condition. ICD refers to “impaired control over gaming” that significantly impairs one’s daily life. According to Forbes, social media addiction can also have a significant impact on people’s personal lives, and even lead to withdrawal symptoms like anxiety.

Take a look at your screen time and set a goal to bring it down a little bit each day. Maybe that means reading a book instead of scrolling TikTok before bed, participating in phone-free activities, or setting time limits through your phone’s settings to decrease the time you’re using social media. Small steps like this add up and make a big difference on the way we engage with social media and the off-screen world.

TransLink is electrifying their bus routes

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This is a photo of a TransLink bus. The side of the bus says “100% electric-bus”
PHOTO: TransLink

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer

At the beginning of 2022, TransLink released a Climate Action Strategy. A message from the chief executive officer Kevin Quinn stated, “It’s our responsibility, as the backbone of Metro Vancouver’s sustainable transportation system, to do everything we can to respond to the climate emergency.” Since the plan’s release, TransLink has now begun implementing their strategies. 

In February 2023, TransLink released a statement about launching a fleet of LFSe+ battery-electric buses. There are currently 15 electric buses and their aim is to quadruple TransLink’s battery-electric bus fleet by 2030. TransLink plans to order more battery-electric buses and set charging infrastructures in place so they can expand the fleet to more areas. The new Nova LFSe+ Electric bus travels “150 kilometres on a single charge and can be topped up by an on-route overhead charger within five minutes.” 

This step to electrify the roads “will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,000 tonnes annually,” according to TransLink’s estimations. They also note it will “save TransLink around $40,000 in fuel cost per bus.” 

The TransLink Climate Action Strategy outlines seven key areas where they are making changes to account for climate change. These include implementing the low-carbon electric buses, developing climate change adaptation policy, developing their resilience roadmap, and supporting a climate-resilient region and low-carbon economy. 

Quinn also stated transit is one of the most reliable sources for the public; this decision will reduce the public’s carbon footprint. “Electrifying our bus fleet and moving to renewable fuels are the fastest ways TransLink can reduce GHG emissions to help combat climate change.” This step towards the betterment of the environment was a $16 million investment administered by the Union of BC through the Canada Community-Building Fund. 

Chair of the Vancouver mayor’s council, Brad West, also shared his excitement. “The mayor’s council is supportive of electrifying TransLink’s fleet to help fight climate change and create a brighter future,” West stated. 

On TransLink’s announcement post on their website, most of the comments indicated curiosity on the significance of the battery. One person questioned why the initial route is a short distance, indicating it is a waste when the bus can go 150 kilometres on a single charge. 

There are more steps that TransLink has stated in their strategy plan that goes beyond the bus fleet. Since Translink is “one of British Columbia’s largest employers, fleet operators, and purchasers of fuel,” innovation for better technology and policy are included in the Climate Action Strategy. 

To read more on the TransLink Climate Action Strategy, visit the press release on the TransLink website. 

Q&A with Elvira Chan on her independently-published novel

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Elvira Chan holds her book, displaying the cover with an illustration of two shadows of people walking against a backdrop of tall buildings on each side of the book. Between them is a watercolor gradient of a blue, cloudy sky. They are each on opposite sides of the book— one on top and one on the bottom. The one on top is upside down. Chan is smiling wearing an orange knit sweater.
PHOTO: Elvira Chan

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

Elvira Chan is an SFU graduate student in the area of counselling and human development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in print and digital publishing. The following is The Peak’s conversation with Chan about her self-published debut novel, The State of Us.

The Peak: How did your undergraduate education at SFU shape and inform your experience of writing and publishing this novel?

Elvira Chan: My background in communication and publishing at SFU helped me gain a clearer understanding about how storytelling can be such a unique blend of lived experience and imagination! Nobody tells a story exactly the same way, and the idea of gathering my own experiences and memories and turning them into a work of fiction through new characters and plot ideas was really compelling to me when I first started writing. In my courses, I was often taught how to design covers, properly format dialogue, pitch a manuscript, and pull off a lot of research to support my writing. My background gave me the technical tools and skills that I needed to get started, but it was actually the people and places I had come across during my time at SFU that made the biggest difference and gave the greatest inspiration when it came to writing and publishing my novel!

P: That sounds like the perfect learning environment to successfully publish a novel! Was this something you planned to do from the beginning of your education and did your vision of what that process / final product would look like change at all along the way? Side note — the cover looks beautiful!

EC: Putting a novel out into the world has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember; it’s something I have always wanted to do! I used to write and draw on plain paper, staple it all together, and call it a book when I was a little kid. I wrote hundreds of those “books” back then and it has been incredibly rewarding to be able to bring my dream to life. 

My vision of the final product changed more times than I can count! One of the most interesting things about the process is that I didn’t write it from beginning to end in a linear fashion. It was actually quite the opposite, where I pieced together chunks of dialogue and scenes over time, almost like a puzzle. It was a challenge to weave everything together, but one of my favorite things about the book now is that it threads through the characters’ lives over the years, and you get a glimpse of all these little moments and memories that might have been cut out completely if I had written the book from beginning to end without finding a special place for them.

Interestingly enough, the idea for the cover came quickly and stayed very true to the original design! I wanted the cover to show a different perspective depending on which way you were holding the book and to show the two characters crossing paths despite being in different places and phases of their life.

P: I want to know more about these characters! What was your inspiration for them? Can you tell us a little about your favourite moment from the book?

EC: Like my main character, I was also in a long-distance relationship during my time at university. Five years can feel like a really long and impactful time when you’re in your twenties! I wanted to write about that past experience through the eyes of new characters. I was also inspired by other people’s relationships at the time, and everything from my favorite movies to song lyrics inspired different parts of the book as well. It’s like a collage and time capsule in one, which I really love. 

One of my favorite scenes has to be when my two characters first meet! They’re both stranded overnight at a Seattle airport during a snowstorm on New Year’s Eve, and that’s when the reader discovers that the characters are struggling to accept the reality of loss in their lives (for very different reasons), and they end up bonding over it. That chapter jumps to different times over the course of that first night, and you gain insight into their past, and a lot of empathy for their situation. I think losing someone you love is a very universal and human experience, which many people may relate to in the book.

P: I’m looking forward to reading it! What is your current area of study and what are your plans for the future? Do you have more characters and moments you hope to bring to life in fiction?

EC: Yes, a hundred percent! My current book is categorized as adult fiction and leans toward a modern romance, but I’m so intrigued by different genres such as fantasy, paranormal fiction, and thrillers, and I’ve already got the gears in my head working overtime for my next one. Putting myself in a different character’s shoes and trying to understand their mindset and motivations is one of my favorite things about writing. You can elicit a wide variety of emotions and reactions through something completely made up, something you created with words and your own imagination!

I’m currently in the PBD program at SFU for counselling and human development, and my goal is to work in the mental health field by becoming a registered clinical counsellor. 

Whether it’s counselling, storytelling, or writing a book, there’s the common thread of connection at the core of it! I think it’s fair to say that I’m very intrigued by other people and what they have to share with the rest of us. 

The State of Us is available as a paperback or Kindle ebook on Amazon. Follow Chan on Instagram at @littlelvira.

New Music: “Sinisin” is melancholic and full of yearning in the very best way

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Peak Web
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Emét is seated and signing a guitar. They are wearing a gray sweater vest on top of a white T-shirt with tattoos on their arms. Behind them, there is a window that shows snow outside.
PHOTO: Jayka (Jay) Herrera

By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

Emét gives off soft indie-folk vibes with their single, “Sinisin,” their most recent release following their EP, Carlin’s Farm. “Sinisin” was my introduction to Emét’s funky discography, and it sent me down a rabbit hole searching for more. I reached out to Emét to learn about their inspiration for the song. 

According to Emét, “Sinisin” tells the story of a “relationship doomed to fail” and “the heartbreak of accepting less than what you deserve, the heartbreak of being complacent instead of truly content.” 

“Sinisin” hinges on the emotional impact of the tone and meaning of both the instrumentals and the lyrics. The different feelings and buildup of emotions is really interesting and definitely caught my attention. 

“It’s a different kind of heartbreak,” they said. “Jealousy is a really strange emotion when you think about it.” You can feel this gut-wrenching sentiment settle into your soul as Emét sings.

“Growing up in Ireland, folk music has always felt like the most authentic way to tell a story,” they said. They cited Phoebe Bridgers, Leonard Cohen, and Damien Rice as inspirations. The song’s strong guitar presence and poeticism also reminded me of Hozier. 

I was intrigued especially by the hypnotic guitar instrumentals in “Sinisin,” and how well it blends with Emét’s harmonies. There are some consistent melodies throughout the song, but Emét also incorporates different guitar accents and motifs to add personality to an otherwise constant and steady beat. Emét’s voice has a sense of anguish in it — it’s a lower, deeper sound that lulls and swells with the instrumentals. Because of this, there’s a bigger impact when they start to hit some of the higher harmonies. 

“Sinisin” feels dark in some ways, while repeatedly coming back to that sense of melancholy with the steady rhythm.

The end of “Sinisin” introduces an epic, angsty electric guitar solo. Emét said that they recorded every part of the song themself:  “The recording process was a lot more about letting the track swell, stripping it away in places and giving it enough depth to stay interesting [ . . . ] The guitar solo at the end is so ridiculous compared to where the song started out, definitely a departure from ‘folk’ in a lot of ways.”

To listen to “Sinisin” and more of Emét’s music, you can find them on all streaming platforms. They’re also on all social media as @itsemetofficial.

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

Blaming women for filming gym harassment misses the point

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Peak Web
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photo of exercise bikes in a gym
PHOTO: Manmeet Sagri / The Peak

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of assault and harassment

From my experience, the gym is a place where I can thrive. I feel confident in my skin and glow after a good sweat on the treadmill. Likewise, lifting weights makes me feel powerful and strong. Even though I workout in the women-only section, I still often find myself looking over my shoulder, feeling like there are eyes on me. I can only imagine what I would feel like exercising in the co-ed section. With recent discussions about filming unwanted gym interactions, we should focus on the deeper issues that lead to discomfort in gyms.

Gym culture has always been something that’s difficult for many people to find their place in. Significant efforts have been made in the past decade that encourage women to take part in activities that have historically been dominated by men. Additionally, some gyms now use branding strategies that encourage inclusion for all body types and fitness levels. However, there are still many toxic components of gym culture that are ingrained into the way we perceive fitness. According to The Globe and Mail, the gym can be a place where you’re very likely to find yourself surrounded by ageist, ableist, racist, and homophobic behaviour — not to mention the sexism and fatphobia. These issues can lead to unsafe conditions for many people in gyms, particularly women who work out alongside men.

The ongoing TikTok trend #gymcreep has become a viral sensation with over 240.5 million views and counting. This hashtag has become a way for women to share harassment from male gym-goers while they work out. Something to keep in mind is that women have been subjected to unwanted advances from men in more instances than just gyms. At least 30% of women over 15 have experienced some form of sexual assault in Canada. For this reason, women have to be “on-guard” in their daily lives, thus bringing this trend to the gym. 

Video surveillance can be used to offer protection for women in gyms. Recently, a 24-year-old woman was attacked while working out alone in her apartment gym. Surveillance recordings provided a way for the attacker to be identified, arrested, and charged. When it comes to the sharing of personally recorded videos attempting to address this issue, Leilani Carver, “director of undergraduate communication at Maryville University,” told USA Today that these videos can be a mechanism for exposing problematic behaviour and harassment in gyms. She also mentions video recordings can empower women to report these individuals. Sharing their experiences with others shows that the harassment they experience is real. 

However, Carver notes that the act of filming other people in gyms is a complex issue that can also be considered a form of harassment itself, as people are being filmed without their consent. If the harassment is not explicit, it’s difficult to see what’s actually happening in these videos. She also points out that the “pile-on effect” of digital shaming may have the power to shift the narrative and create sympathy towards an offender. For this reason, it’s important that these videos are directed towards encouraging people to speak out about gym harassment, not just gaining views on social media. It’s also crucial to recognize that gym harassment still exists despite the occasionally questionable recordings that may circulate online.

The culture that’s been upheld in gyms for years has made women hyper-vigilant, turning to social media as a tool to express their long built-up discomfort. The root of this problem is a misogynistic culture that’s reinforced by media and social expectations. Going forward, it’s important that gym organizations and gym-goers work together to change this culture that has been ingrained in fitness for so long. 

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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