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Council Chats: Support for Palestine and science Week of Welcome

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This is a red and blue graphic of two speech bubbles on the left and the words “Council Chats” in the middle right.
ILLUSTRATION: Andrea Choi / The Peak

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer

As a new semester begins and summer slowly fades to fall, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) Council continues to convene for bi-weekly meetings. For those new to campus life, Council serves as the governing body for the student society and holds the “responsibility to represent and work in the best interests of all SFU undergraduate students.” The group includes executive officers and student group representatives. The Peak attended the meeting on August 27 via Zoom to kick off the semester.

Support for Palestine 

The meeting opened with an acknowledgment of the SFSS’ 2022 IP-10 policy, “which commits the SFSS to supporting Palestinian liberation, self-determination, and the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.” Councillors also noted the SFSS’ endorsement of the apartheid-free communities pledge, “a coalition of communities who pledge to work together to end Israeli apartheid.” The SFSS formally expressed their desire that the federal government enact a two-way arms embargo, halting “both the import and export of military goods and technology” to and from Israel. 

The Peak followed up with SFSS president Landy Liu for more information. Liu said that IP-10 “remains an active policy that guides how the SFSS approaches activism in line with undergraduate student interests. In this sense, its mention tied directly to the recent call for an arms embargo.” He also said, “As for the letter to government, my understanding is that our vice-president equity intends to bring this forward and follow up with the Equity Committee. However, that step has not yet happened.”

Science Week of Welcome

Next, the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) presented a grant proposal for their Week of Welcome from September 22–27, an event designed to welcome first-year students into the field. SUS represents over 4,000 students, with nine departmental student unions participating in this year’s event. The society requested a budget of $5,640.87, a decrease from last year’s $6,234.83. Individually, the highest ticket item was t-shirts, with an estimated cost of $1,505.28.

SUS emphasized that the event’s importance lies in community and academia. Incoming students have the opportunity to develop relationships with peers, while also networking with faculty and older students. Each day of the weeklong gathering will be tailored to specific departments, like chemistry or physics, with the last day being a day-long event for all science students. Activities include games, crafts, and t-shirt decorating. For the 2025 iteration, the society expressed a goal of 100 attendees.

Discussion ensued regarding cost specifics and the possibility of decreasing the proposal budget. Councillors inquired if costs could be reduced through removing an iPad as a prize or eliminating t-shirts, and asked questions regarding the sourcing of merchandise. After some back-and-forth discussion and failed motions seeking to adjust the budget, the original motion was ultimately passed with one vote of dissent.

 

Meet the BC Green Party leadership candidates

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This is a photo of all three candidates’ headshots side-by-side. From left to right: Bremner-Akins has short blonde hair, wears square glasses, and a blazer with a blue button up shirt; Kerr has short, dark brown hair, wears rounded glasses, and has a blue button-up shirt on with a thin, light green puffer jacket on; and Lowan has medium-length dark brown curly hair, long circular earrings, and a button up short sleeve shirt. All three photos are green and/or have nature in the background.
This is a photo of all three candidates’ headshots side-by-side. From left to right: Bremner-Akins has short blonde hair, wears square glasses, and a blazer with a blue button up shirt; Kerr has short, dark brown hair, wears rounded glasses, and has a blue button-up shirt on with a thin, light green puffer jacket on; and Lowan has medium-length dark brown curly hair, long circular earrings, and a button up short sleeve shirt. All three photos are green and/or have nature in the background.

By:  Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer

The BC Greens are slated to elect new leadership this month. After losing her seat in the provincial election in October 2024, former party head Sonia Furstenau stepped down in January 2025. Now, three candidates are vying for the position. Adam Bremner-Akins, Jonathan Kerr, and Emily Lowan will appear on the ballot from September 13–23. The Peak spoke with the three contenders for more information on their outlooks and campaigns.

Bremner-Akins

Bremner-Akins has rooted his political movement around four key tenets — affordability, climate, mobility, and health. “The main focus of my campaign has been dealing with my frustrations on how the province is being handled, and that is cost of living, and that’s lack of environmental action, and on housing affordability, healthcare, and transit,” he said. “I have lived experience with all of these, and as an SFU student who cannot afford to live in the community that I grew up in, or frankly anywhere out in the lower mainland, I really felt motivated to put myself forward.” 

The SFU political science student in his early 20s explained that he has run before: “I’ve run twice for MLA with the BC Greens, and I’m the only candidate who has held internal leadership positions. I was the party’s counsellor at large for three years, and then I was the party secretary for another year after that.

“I really come with the background of knowing the organizations and understanding what the Greens have been doing for the last five/six years, and I want to continue that, but I also want to bring bold new policy,” he expressed. According to his campaign site, such policies include a four-day work week, a windfall tax for gas and oil, making public transit for ages 0–19 free, and more.

When it comes to problems facing British Columbians, the Greens are not looking to “band-aid issues,” Bremner-Akins said. “We’re looking to fundamentally fix them, work from the ground up to ensure that we have systems that are sustainable and work for people.” 

Kerr

Kerr’s platform revolves around climate, reconciliation, health, sustainable economy, and more. The candidate is a family doctor and draws motivation for leadership from his own children: “I really want to make sure that they have a future [with a]great quality of life, that’s affordable, and that the planet’s still around,” he expressed.

The Greens will always “have the best platform for the planet,” Kerr said. “But we’re also going to have the best platform for other really important issues like affordable housing, cost of living, the economy,” and “creating well-paying jobs in our province.” In addition to focusing on the environment, he explained that appealing to voters as “the job party, economy party, housing party,” and “healthcare [party]”  would help the Greens win more seats in the next election. 

For the current leadership race, Kerr wants to provide added support for the Youth Climate Corp, build on the BC First Nations Zero Waste Program in rural areas, create more accessible rental housing, and more. He has twice represented the Green Party in the Comox district as a city councillor. He also serves as the vice chair of the regional district, working on issues like sewer, water, recreation, and transit. “We’re going to really have to have someone that has a track record of speaking with ministers on a regular basis, like I do in my role as a regional director and vice chair,” Kerr said, noting this as the main difference between him and other candidates. 

“Who sets us up with a better chance to win, who sets us up with a better chance to have real credibility with the electorate? And at this point, given the three of us, I think that I’d be the best choice going into the next election.”

Lowan

Lowan has built a campaign around the slogan “fight the oligarchs, fund our future.” “We’re building a people-powered movement to force our government to directly confront corporate interests — so we can invest in a future that works for everyone,” she told The Peak. “We need to tax billionaires out of existence, to have a healthy democracy, planet, and society.”

On a policy level, this looks like incorporating “corporate and individual tax increases on BC’s richest corporations and the 1%,” as well as banning “data centers in BC from burning fossil fuels for power, in order to reduce climate pollution, protect air quality, and public health in BC communities.” Lowan’s platform additionally centres Indigenous rights, climate action, solidarity with Palestine, and more.

“I have a decade of experience as a climate organizer and policy researcher,” Lowan added, in her early 20s. “I’ve worked as a strategist at Canada’s leading coalition organization, Climate Action Network Canada, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Corporate Mapping Project.” Lowan also noted that she has received campaign endorsements from Dr. Gabor Maté, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, and activists Severn Cullis-Suzuki and Tzeporah Berman.

“One candidate, Jonathan Kerr, believes that the BC Greens should court the centre to gain more seats,” Lowan also claimed. “This is a complete misread of our potential and pathway to regain relevance. Any seasoned politician will tell you that the centre belongs to the party in power — the BC NDP. The centre is satisfied with the status quo.” She expressed, “While others are fighting over a shrinking slice of pie, we’re (Lowan’s team) expanding that pie with droves of youth and disillusioned non-voters across the province.”

Why should students care about the Greens?

In separate conversations, both Kerr and Bremner-Akins expressed that they believe the Greens are the only party truly looking forward. “The Green Party, for me as a student, was the only one that was being genuine about wanting to improve living conditions for us,” Bremner-Akins said. 

For Kerr, “there’s only one party that’s talking about the future.” 

“We are creating a campaign in our own image: one made of renters, young people, and the disaffected,” Lowan said. “There are 726,000 people between the ages of 20–30 in BC. The BC NDP only won with 900,000 votes in the last election, our generation could truly turn the tide.” 

Those who were registered Green Party members on August 10, 2025, and who have verified their identity will receive a ballot.

Lorena Alvarado explores memory in Lost Chapters

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A woman standing in front of a mosaic
Courtesy of Lorena Alvarado

By: Michelle Young, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Lost Chapters (or Los capítulos perdidos) is a quiet and tender documentary/fiction hybrid set in Caracas, Venezuela. The film follows Ena, who is searching for “forgotten writer” Rafael Bolívar Coronado across the city. Lost Chapters will be premiering at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival on September 5. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with director Lorena Alvarado to learn more.

This interview has been condensed for concision and clarity.  

Tell me about how your life influenced the film. 

“I considered it sort of an auto-fiction film so it’s a mix of real things of my life and my childhood. The character of my sister is a hybrid of her and me, she’s kind of this character that’s playing herself but I’m also living vicariously through her in the film. So the film is very inspired by my life but the fiction component kind of carries the film.” 

I found that the film has an overarching theme of memory and loss. There’s the loss of memory, lost books, lost business, and so on. Can you speak to what these themes mean to you and their importance in the film? 

“The core of the film I would say is memory loss, and it’s explored in different ways through the characters. With Ena, it’s coming back home after being abroad for a long time and feeling this loss of when you leave and come back — that’s a very universal feeling of having these holes in what your life was and what you are now. She’s trying to reconnect with her sense of home and her family and coming to terms with the fact that things are different but they’re also kind of the same, so this bittersweet feeling of change. 

“There’s the grandmother character who explores memory loss in a very literal way, like she has dementia, and she’s literally losing her memory. 

“The third character, the bookseller father, he’s trying to safeguard the memory of a country that has had so much massive [emigration] and so many people have left, and libraries are left behind. His work as a bookseller has become to recover these books that people leave behind and he’s becoming a keeper of heritage of Venezuelan books. All of them are dealing with memory and trying to deal with memory, and trying to hold onto memory, even though it’s kind of a futile desire. Ultimately, we all die and we all lose the things we love so it’s this beautiful and futile endeavour that we all have as humans to hold onto the things that we love and care about but ultimately they get lost.” 

A grandmother in a rocking chair
Courtesy of Lorena Alvarado

While the film is set in Caracas, and features small references to Venezuela’s current situation (such as the power outages and disputed election results), the main focus is on daily moments in life. Can you talk about your decision to keep Venezuela’s political and economic situation in the background? 

“That was a big question I had throughout the entire process of making the film, how present I wanted the political and social crisis to be in the film — whether I wanted it to be at the forefront. And you know, most of the films I see in Venezuela are about the crisis and for me that was a little bit exhausting as a filmmaker and as a viewer — of only seeing the country through crisis. Just growing up, all my life I’ve heard of Venezuela in negative terms and always bad things. Despite it being a country that has gone through so much turmoil, I had a beautiful childhood. I wanted to reconnect with my childhood and my memories in a way that wasn’t mediated through politics. So that’s when I gave myself the agency to be like, ‘this is going to be a story about a family and not about the situation in Venezuela.’ I didn’t want the protagonist to be Venezuela.

“I wanted to make the film as subtle as possible. So there is mention of the things you said — the electricity shortages, people who have emigrated, the elections, but I wanted to present it in a very quiet whisper and not have it be smacked into people’s face.” 

In the film, it’s this journey following this writer, Rafael Bolívar Coronado, who may have written on Venezuelan oil. I find that many people, when they think about Venezuela, they think about oil as being tied to our national identity. What was the reason you chose this author to lead the narrative? 

“Even as Venezuelans, I think we see our national identity very connected to oil because it’s what’s caused so much richness and also the crisis we have now. I think oil is inextricable to the reality of Venezuela. But again, so many things I see about Venezuela are about oil and again, I was exhausted by that unidimensional exploration of the country. Like oil and the crisis. So I did want to mention it somewhere, but have it be this very soft whisper. 

“Ena finds this postcard that mentions an author that actually wrote this book called Elvia, that is the first novel that mentions oil. The postcard suggests [the book] might be written by Bolívar Coronado, so it’s a possibility. So then Ena kind of embarks on this search to find the book to confirm if it might be written by this author. 

“The search becomes about the book and also about him. So there’s this effort to learn more about Venezuelan history and dig into things that aren’t the first thing that people know about Venezuela.” 

Lorena and Jose filming Lost Chapters
Courtesy of Lorena Alvarado

Tell me about the filmmaking process and your own cinematic influences.  

“It’s a very small film. It was self-funded and most of it was shot by myself and with one other person. A very small part of the film — the scenes which were outside — was shot with a small crew. I think that intimacy shows through the film and you can see that it was filmed by very few people because there’s this sense of intimacy and tenderness that would have not been possible if it had been a big production. And also the actors aren’t professional actors, they’re real people. 

“I love Matías Piñeiro, Nicolás Pereda, and Abbas Kiarostami. His films are just so tender and about universal human emotions. I read a book called Lessons with Kiarostami and it’s this collection of workshops that he did with filmmakers and I found it really inspiring. He talked a lot about seeing a film as a poem, rather than entertainment. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

“Stress the importance of seeing the film as a poem. We often aren’t used to seeing films that aren’t very clear cut or have a bad guy and a good guy, and a resolution and this film is very much not like that. So that’s why I see it as a poem: as something that moves you, and you might not necessarily know why. You might finish the film and not be able to pinpoint what it’s about. I love that feeling. I think art is the best when it makes you feel that way and it lingers with you. 

“I see it as a poem: as something that moves you, and you might not necessarily know why.”

“There’s a poem in the film that’s at the core of the film and Ena is trying to get her grandmother to learn the poem by heart and she’s trying to recite it with her. I think for me, the closure of the film is when Ena realizes her grandmother won’t be able to learn it by heart and accepts that she’s losing her memory, so Ena starts learning the poem herself. That’s her way of keeping her grandmother inside of her. I wanted to stress how important poetry is for me in the film.” 

SFYou: Costume designer Ash Currie

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Ash Currie walking in the Bizarre category at the 2023 Supernatural kiki ball in Vancouver wearing an ethereal red and white mushroom costume. They’re holding a smaller red and white mushroom in their hand.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Danielle Lastres

By: C Icart, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ash Currie is a master’s student in the department of political science. When they’re not acing their coursework, they can be found getting their 10s at a local ball. Their costumes are elaborate and unique, and their passion for creating is infectious: they’ve embodied an ethereal red and white mushroom and a larger-than-life inflatable octopus inspired by Lady Gaga. I sat down with them to learn more about their work and the vibrant queer subculture that is Ballroom.

What is Ballroom? 

Currie importantly points out that “​​you shouldn’t talk about Ballroom without going into the history of it.” House Ballroom culture emerged as a response to the racial bias against Black contestants in drag balls, which are pageant-style competitions where queer and trans contestants defied laws against wearing clothing associated with the opposite gender. In an effort to create a space where Black queens were celebrated, the House of LaBeija hosted the first “Black initiated ball which has now become the foundation for the Ballroom scene we are familiar with today.” In Ballroom culture, houses are essentially chosen families led by “mothers” and “fathers” and provide a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals who, in some cases, have been estranged from their family. The House of LaBeija, for instance, was founded by Crystal LaBeija, a “pioneer of civil rights, equality, and integration of pageants.” 

Currie and I first learned about the history of Ballroom through Paris is Burning, a documentary about queer, trans, Black, and Latinx people competing in balls in 1980s New York. It lets the viewer into a subculture which has shaped queer culture and mainstream pop culture. Words like “mother,” “reading,” and “shade” all originate from the Ballroom scene and are defined and explained in the film. 

What do balls look like now? 

“​​The way that I’ve heard it described is like a queer party with competition elements. There’s fashion categories, there’s vanity categories like ‘Face’ and ‘Body.’” Currie explained that marginalized people would often walk in these categories to see whether or not they could make it in the modelling industry. Participants first walk individually in front of the judges for approval. If they receive their 10s, they battle against each other until one person is left and wins the category. 

“One other category as well is ‘Realness,’ which is a really interesting category because it’s really about safety. It’s about passing as a cishet person. And some people can have conflicted feelings about ‘Realness,’ especially nowadays when queerness has become more accepted in the general public. But ‘Realness’ really serves as a place for trans people, but also queer people of all backgrounds to come and be like, ‘Will I be safe if I’m going to present like this in front of cishet people? Am I going to be able to safely blend in?’ And for trans people, it may not just be about safety. It could also just be celebrating the progress you’ve made to actually pass as who you are.”

Ash Currie wearing a grim reaper raven costume. They are holding a glowing orb. This was their 2022 Halloween costume and the first costume they ever made.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Ash Currie

Which category do you walk in?

When it comes to fashion categories, “we have ‘Runway,’ which is more typical, like runway walking, and then we have a little bit more inventive categories, like the one that I do is ‘Bizarre,’ which is more of making really big, extravagant avant-garde costumes.” 

I knew this category would showcase their skills right away because in October 2022, Currie showed me a grim reaper raven costume they had made for Halloween, which happened to also fit the description of a ball that was happening at The Birdhouse. While I don’t remember this, Currie insists I was a person who had encouraged them to walk. Although they didn’t win the “Bizarre” category that night, Ivy Andromeda, a mother from a local house, took note of their talent and cheered them on to continue walking. 

“It is such a fun, high energy . . . It’s just a great place to go to have fun, see local talent  and to uplift the queer community.”

Currie then attended a “Bizarre” workshop taught by Mother Ivy Andromeda, and the rest is history. 

Tell me about your house. 

“I am in the house of Andromeda. It is run by Mother Ivy Andromeda.” They’re “a ‘Bizarre’ walker who’s been walking for at least seven years, like to the very start of the Ballroom scene in Vancouver, because the Ballroom scene is fairly young in Vancouver compared to a lot of other places.” 

“We’re a very DIY punk house, and I think that a lot of that is because of Ivy. There’s not a lot of ‘Bizarre’ walkers, period. On an international scale, ‘Bizarre’ is one of the least-walked categories because of the amount of effort that goes into it. You’re expected to completely hide any element of humanity and make these very big, larger than life costumes, and sometimes balls are only announced with two weeks’ notice. So, you have very little time to put something together.”

Ash Currie wearing a baby blue and blush pink inflatable octopus costume named Dottie. It was their Bizarre look from the 2024 Platinum Pride Ball in Toronto based on a latex inflatable outfit worn by Lady Gaga.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Ash Currie

What’s your process for designing a costume for a ball?   

“When a ball is announced, they have an effect [costumes, appearance, theatrics, presentation] description. And so it’s kind of like what the judges are looking for for your effect.” Currie explained. “So I’ll just try and sit and think of a concept. Then, I will sketch it out as an aside.” 

During this process Currie asks themselves, “What would make sense for my body to wear?” and “What could I make? What kind of materials do I have access to?” For materials, they typically turn to FABCYCLE, a social enterprise that prevents textile waste from getting sent to landfill by selling it to artists and designers to be reused. During the building process they turn to other members of the House of Andromeda for feedback. 

Finishing with a day or two to spare can be incredibly beneficial because “‘Bizarre’ isn’t just about the costume itself, you will need to be able to perform in whatever you’re wearing” (remember the battles I mentioned earlier?). “​​There have been times where either I’ve lost a battle or other people have been chopped [disqualified, the opposite of receiving your 10s] because they weren’t performing. They were just there on the stage, or they didn’t look confident in it, or they weren’t embodying whatever it is. So, being able to get the look done in time to have at least a day before the ball, to actually put it on and try to embody whatever it is that you made is really important to actually doing well in the category as well.”

All this talk makes me want to go to more balls! 

“Ballroom really, is this really vast culture that I want more people to [ . . . ] participate in, especially if they’re queer, Black, Latine. I want them to participate, and I want more people to come, spectate, and buy tickets and cheer for people that come.” Currie said. “It is such a fun, high energy . . . It’s just a great place to go to have fun, see local talent  and to uplift the queer community.”

Want to be in the loop for the next ball? Check out:

Van Vogue Jam: vanvoguejam.com and @vanvoguejam on Instagram

Vancouver Kiki Ballroom Alliance: @vankikiballroomalliance on Instagram

Brighter Side: The joy of grimdark

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A photo of a city, with decay all around. There are buildings that have slightly deteriorated. Along with a rusty ship that is situated on the ground. The scene is bleak.
PHOTO: Nat / Unsplash

By: Corbett Gildersleve, News Writer

The world is not in a good place right now. Between the ongoing genocide in Palestine, the ICE kidnappings in the US, and Canada’s new legislation sidestepping Indigenous rights and environmental protections, it’s hard to feel joyful. So, what do I do when things get me down? I watch hours-long lore videos about fictional grimdark universes — worlds somehow worse than ours. 

Grimdark settings are often bleak, dystopian universes where even the rare good things come at a cost. I have been listening to Warhammer 40K lore videos for over a year now — often as a sleep aid. This grimdark sci-fi universe is set 40,000 years in the future, where humanity has spread across the galaxy. 

Everyone is at war with each other, there are no “good guys,” and everything is turned up to 11.  

So, why do I watch these videos? Because even in moments of horror, there are stories of heroism, sacrifice, and determination. I see echoes of these qualities in everyday activism and resistance from communities organizing to stop or delay ICE raids, to people pushing back against religiously-motivated book bans, and in First Nations groups taking legal action against the Ontario and federal governments.  

In a strange way, these grimdark tales remind me that even in the bleakest of worlds — real or imagined — people still find ways to fight back. And when the real world feels like too much, returning to those stories of defiance helps me hold onto hope. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, take a moment to listen to a short story of heroic defiance in a world far worse than our own.     

People with psychosis must be supported

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An illustration of a person sitting with their hand beneath their chin. They are covered in label stickers. The label stickers have the following written across them: “stigma”, “misrepresentation”, “lack of support”, and “alienation”.
ILLUSTRATION: Cassandra Nguyen / The Peak

By: Zahra Khan, SFU Student and Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor

Psychosis is a mental health condition that affects a person’s perception of reality. It can occur at any time and is increasingly common. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health estimates that 3% of people will face an episode of psychosis one or more times in their life. Despite this prevalence, psychotic people are pushed to the margins — and remain profoundly unsupported. Those who experience psychosis are sidelined in favour of maintaining the status quo of neurotypical thinking. Psychotic people need support in university settings and outside of them. 

It is important to establish that psychosis is not just an internal experience. It affects how others perceive individuals with psychosis, whether or not they disclose it. The way psychotic people experience psychosis leads to being persistently labelled for their experiences, whether they want to be or not. This could mean that admitting that you experience psychosis can help to remove public and private stigma behind the disorder. 

Public stigma remains a powerful barrier to support and inclusion. Public stigma could emerge from the perceived social support received by someone in psychosis, or with persistent psychosis. Psychotic people are depicted in the media as wholly antisocial beings or as killers, which in turn alienates psychotic people from their peers, institutions, and care systems even further. 

Moreover, stigma is entrenched into history and institutions. The diagnosis of psychosis has a fraught history. Even now, many people hesitate to seek help. Students battle the perception that disclosing mental illness may lead to judgment, and lost opportunities. Both public perceptions and self-perceptions of psychiatric disorder have negative effects on the possibility of a sufferer seeking help.

True support means choice, compassion, and believing that psychotic people belong.

Recognizing and even celebrating psychotic experiences is essential to fight public stigma and psychosocial disability. Our inner realities are not distortions — they are valid, complex, and worthy of recognition. 

Early intervention in the case of psychosis looks like psychiatric help on the advent of delusion — or at least, that’s what it looks like currently. Methods of early intervention can involve support groups, reconnection with family, and equal access to accommodations like exam re-takes or assignment extensions. Furthermore, time off from studies may put students back on track. And psychiatric help is available if such an avenue for healing is one that they wish to pursue. But really, there is no one-size-fits all solution. What is important is the implementation of compassion.

True support means choice, compassion, and believing that psychotic people belong. The truth is not all people facing psychosis will benefit from the straight and narrows of psychiatric help. I think that the best way to support a student in crisis is offering different avenues of support, and above all, an understanding that their experiences matter. Without pathologizing and medicalizing psychosis as something that can be treated by psychiatry alone. I hope that psychotic people can be made to feel like they belong. Belonging means more than surviving — it means having the right to exist, and to access community, care, and dignity on our own terms.

Quiz: Who said it? Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, or a DNC insider?

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Peak Web
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Three photos in a composite format. Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and James Carville.
IMAGES: Dmitryshein / Wikimedia Commons (Zohran), Gage Skidmore / Flickr (James), and Delta News Hub / Wikimedia Commons (Andrew)

By: Mason Mattu, Humour Editor and Corbett Gildersleve, News Writer

Congratulations, you’ve survived 13 weeks of classes — pop quiz time! The Peak has gathered only the finest quotes from two well-known individuals and James Carville. You need to figure out who said what before I do! It’s a race. 

In one corner, we have New York’s former governor, harassment allegations collector, and NYC mayor democratic primary sore loser Andrew Cuomo. In the other corner we have the NYC mayor democratic primary winner, democratic socialist, and someone who’s been betrayed by his own party, Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, won the city’s democratic primary with a whopping 50% of the vote. 

In the third corner, we have uncle James Carville, a democrat insider and strategist for over thirty years. He represents the part of an anti-Mamdani wing of the party that believes that Mamdani is going to tax everyone into obliteration (AKA their rich buddies).. They’d rather vote for a creepy Italian dude (Cuomo), who is once again a fucking sore loser and is going to be running as an independent, than support their party’s chosen candidate . . . what a great way to show unity against the republicans. 

And finally, in the fourth corner we have . . . no one, there is no fourth corner, it’s always been a triangular ring! And I’m gonna beat you by guessing who said it before you do. Shut up! Let’s get on with it! 

    1. “Public transit should be reliable, safe and universally accessible.” Couldn’t agree more, Mamdani. 
    2. “I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country.” Real. This is something I could get behind. Whoever said this must have a lot of common sense. Only hot, progressive, and wise people could say this. Thus, this is also a MamDADDY quote.  
    3. “A suspicion of mine is that there are too many preachy females . . . don’t drink beer, don’t watch football, don’t eat hamburgers, this is not good for you.” What the fuck does this even mean? How do I respond to this? This definitely gives massive Carville energy.  
    4. “The message is too feminine: ‘Everything you’re doing is destroying the planet. You’ve got to eat your peas.’” Let them eat peas, I guess? This sounds like something an elitist democrat would say . . .  James Carville? Is that you? AGAIN?   
    5. “With no clear leader to voice our opposition and no control in any branch of government, it’s time for Democrats to embark on the most daring political maneuver in the history of our party: roll over and play dead.” Woof, woof. I’m a dog, can’t you tell? This has indeed been the democratic party strategy after the 2024 presidential election. Just pretend like it didn’t happen! Once again, I think this is James.  
    6. “People go into politics because they want the affirmation, and they want the applause.” As they should. Honestly, this is definitely Cuomo. He’s got the ego the size of the Statue of Liberty, compensating for his small —
    7.  “Charities should not fund war crimes — it’s that simple. The stated U.S. foreign policy is that settlements are illegal — this bill seeks to bring New York state policy in line with that goal.” This sounds like common sense . . . I feel Mamdani energy from this. Basically anything that is common sense here is Mamdani. Are you beating me so far? No. You’re pathetic. I’m winning. 
    8. “A life of dignity should not be reserved for a fortunate few. It should be [a life] that city government guarantees for each and every New Yorker.” This is getting me hyped!!!! Doesn’t sound radical to me, but then again — in America, even healthcare is radical. Mamdani for sure.   
    9. “‘Hello, I’m applying for the job of the mayor of the City of New York.’ ‘OK, do you have management experience?’ ‘No.’ ‘Have you managed 100 people before?’ ‘No.’ ‘Have you managed 50 people before?’ ‘No, I have no management experience.’” Sigh, I distinctly remember this quote — definitely a Cuomo one. The only place where Cuomo has managed this many people since he resigned as governor is probably at the Wendy’s drive-thru. No, your customers are not your employees, Andrew.   

Oh, you’re looking for the answers? I already gave them to you. That’s right, I win. Go cry about it. 

What is being filmed on campus this month?

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Peak Web
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This is an illustration of a filming sequence near the SFU convocation mall
ILLUSTRATION: Yan Ting Leung / The Peak

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

Stepping off the bus at the loop near the convocation mall, one immediately notices the set. At first, I thought the university was building a small aesthetic space to brighten the atmosphere, maybe an area for students to take pictures, especially after convocation. After digging around and peeking across the no entry tape, a small gazebo-esque structure, shrouded by some cherry blossom trees, becomes visible. A film is being shot on campus, and if you’re like us at The Peak, you’re curious.

Here’s what we know. The title of the film is Karoshi, written and directed by Takashi Doscher. The most notable members of the cast include Cynthia Erivo, whose well-known role was that of Elphaba in Wicked, and Isabel May, who stars in the mini-series 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone. Aside from SFU, the film is being shot across Metro Vancouver, with one of the filming locations being Chinatown. The shoot began in June and will continue throughout August, but an official release date for the film has not been revealed.

According to Deadline, the film is described as a “corporate thriller with a samurai twist.” A “corporate thriller” does not have a clear definition. Some examples of this would be TV shows like Mr. Robot, which revolves around a hacker working for a cybersecurity company, whose motive is to expose and destroy the major corporations that govern society without the knowledge of the public. Another example includes Severance, which tells the story of a “macro-data refinement” team, who sever their memories of the outside world when they step into the office and vice versa once they leave. Neither of these shows are specifically labelled “corporate thrillers.” They are widely different from one another but share the aspect of corporate espionage. 

The samurai film on the other hand is easier to define. The genre is packed with many unique films ranging from Ran to Harakiri. They focus on the stories of feudal Japan, and tackle themes like power, and visually showcase the nature of violence. The elements of samurai films have been co-opted by western media before, such as in Kill Bill, which is a revenge flick taking place in a contemporary setting. It uses sword combat, as the protagonist seeks revenge on a man who wrongs her — a fight for and against power, similarly to samurai films that came before it. 

Based on the brief description, Karoshi will be a work of fiction that transcends any genre-label. The word itself translates to “death from overwork,” so maybe we’ll see a compelling anti-corporate thriller, filled with interesting action sequences and a commentary on business culture. There are limitless possibilities, but the most likely theory is Karoshi will pay homage to the samurai genre, while translating the themes of corporate power-struggles to contemporary settings. We’ll have to head to the movie theatre to find out the truth and see if we can recognize parts of SFU Burnaby! 

#NotClueless: SFU, like, totally gave me a private jet?

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Peak Web
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A girl with blonde hair taking a selfie in front of an elevator at SFU. The elevator is covered with cardboard inside.
EDIT: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson IMAGES: Mason Mattu / The Peak and Look Studio / Unsplash

By: Katie Walkley, Peak Associate

Hey Instagram fan girly pop queens! It’s your influencer queen here. You won’t believe the level of growth I’ve been on lately — both as an influencer and as a girl in the world. I’ve got lots to celebrate, which means that you have lots to read. Consider this your one nonschool book for the week!

So, I was running a bit late for my GSWS tutorial. Totally not my fault, I was too busy hyping up a girl waiting for her Renaissance coffee who had clearly gone through a breakup. I can’t just walk by a literal goddess without reminding her that she’s a bad bitch and that dating is a total fad. 

OK, so since I was just a little behind on schedule, I knew I wouldn’t have time to take the stairs for my usual mid-day glute workout (which I totally recommended for taking your Pilates on the go — it even helps the hot girl tummy aches). I absolutely detest being late — not only is it RUDE, but my presence totally distracts everyone and draws attention away from the fugly TA. It’s not just the sound of my Labubus knocking against each other, it’s an aura thing. Anyways, instead of taking the stairs, I fiercely strutted to the elevator and you won’t believe what happened next.

A couple of seconds after pressing the button, the metal doors parted, and down from the roof descended my brand new PRIVATE JET to pick me up in my time of need. The university seems to have finally noticed that I am the influencer queen of our school, and I deserve to be treated as such. But, honestly, I know that true artists are never appreciated in their time, so I think it must have been sent from the universe as a reminder that I am Her chosen one.

The reveal was JAW–DROPPING. I walked in and found myself surrounded by cardboard-padded walls. Talk about safety! Now I use it all the time, and I’m like, totally getting my daily meditation in while plotting my next post. #Mindfulness #SpiritualAwakening.

I’ve even noticed that they’re putting a bunch of effort into maintaining it for me because sometimes I see total randos heading in there. When I’m in the jet at the same time as the cleaning people, I can’t even tell what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s so sweet that they’re keeping all of their hard work behind the scenes for me so that I can enjoy my celeb moment free from worries.

I know some people out there are scared to see a woman thriving, but don’t even bother hating on this post because after uploading, I’m gonna shut off my notifications and see where else this private jet can take me (surely high above you haters). Get ready for some legendary travel content!

Love and kisses, your favourite totally not clueless/literally a genius influencer queen.

CLASSIFIEDS: Time machines, Benson Boone, and a pyramid scheme

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Peak Web
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Everyone’s least favourite artist, Benson Boone, performing on stage with a microphone stand in his hands. He’s giving Freddie Mercury energy.
PHOTO: Robyn Beck / AFP

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

A list of advertisements for locals selling items/services.

Learn to get rich through developing interpersonal skills with S.C.A.M.

Have you ever thought to yourself — gee, I wish I had better social skills so I could network myself into a high-paying job? Have no fear; our unique services will teach you how to become a better communicator, manipulator, money maker, and an absolute unit on LinkedIn. Sign up with Social Communications Asset Management (S.C.A.M.) and get 35% off our courses. We will set you up with the knowledge to become a top-tier course reseller, allowing you to learn from our courses and then sell them back to people. It’s kind of like being a master’s student, but instead of doing a boring program, you will get hands-on experience, coming out with something more valuable than a master’s — the ability to S.C.A.M.

Contact by sending a messenger pigeon to (location redacted).

FOR SALE: Frustration insurance

Have you ever found yourself frustrated with a service? Ever wish you could be compensated for your frustration? Maybe it was a bad flight gone bad. Maybe when you showed up to your seat, you noticed that you got an aisle seat with barely any leg room, and the person beside you keeps watching Madagascar 3 without any headphones on a cracked iPhone 11, but it’s not even the full movie, it’s just YouTube shorts, and for some reason the clip is edited with a bass-boosted version of “Like A G6” playing in the background? And when you tell them to turn it down, they say, “I CAN’T, I CAN’T, I HAVE TO DO THIS, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.” So now everyone thinks you’re an asshole, and when you try to comfort the person by saying “it’s OK,” they continue yelling, “KING JULIEN IS GOING TO BE REALLY DISAPPOINTED!” Maybe you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, to get away, but when you go inside the door locks and the only thing in the bathroom is just a video of King Julien doing calisthenics with American fitness icon Jillian Michaels, while “I Like To Move It” is playing — but it’s an AI cover sung by Benson Boone, displayed on a projector you can’t find, so now your whole flight you have to think about the gravity of your circumstance?!

Has a situation like this happened to you? Do you want to protect yourself from future emotional damage? Get your frustration insurance today — call 1-800-MOONBEAM and ask for extension 3289.

FOR SALE: Time Machine that can only travel 15 minutes forward in time

I recently built a time machine — but there’s a teeny tiny catch. It only travels 15 minutes forward. I believe that with some more effort, more time can be added to the machine’s capacity. It is, however, really simple to use and requires no background knowledge to operate it. A child can even do it. All someone needs to do is: step inside, close the door, close your eyes, click a pre-authorized timer, bolt the door, and wait ‘till you hear ringing. After the timer rings, open your eyes, and you’ll find yourself to be 15 minutes into the future. I believe there is a way to travel further in time, I just need to figure out how to set a longer timer.

Anyone interested? Selling for $35.

Contact: [email protected]

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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