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This week at SFU

By
Peak Web
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Photo of an SFU swimmer celebrating in the water.
Wilson Wong / SFU Athletics

By: Simran Sarai, Sports Writer

Away Games

Tuesday, March 7, until Saturday, March 11: swimming at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships (NCAA).

  • All of the six qualifying swimmers were unable to compete due to SFU’s failure to comply with a “participation bylaw” 
  • Men’s and women’s teams placed 14th and eighth, respectively last year

Friday, March 10, until Saturday, March 11: track and field at NCAA Indoor Championships (all day).

Friday, March 10, until Saturday, March 11: men’s wrestling at NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships (all day).

Saturday, March 11: softball vs Western Washington at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 12: softball vs Western Washington at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

On the road against Western Oregon for the next four games

You cannot separate sports and politics

By
Peak Web
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0
PHOTO: Zhang Kaiyv / Unsplash

By: C Icart, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of sexual assault, genocide, racism, and police brutality 

We are less than a year and a half away from the next Summer Games. In light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, will Russian athletes be allowed to compete? The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is going back on a previous recommendation to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Paris Games and “is now examining a ‘pathway’ to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in the 2024 Olympics, with some restrictions.” After all, one of the fundamental principles of Olympism is that “sports organizations within the Olympic Movement shall apply political neutrality.” But is it possible to separate sports from politics? Not really.

China has a particularly bad track record when it comes to sports and human rights violations. Calls to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to the genocide of Uighur Muslims and the disappearance of Peng Shuai after accusing a top Chinese official of sexual assault are two of many possible examples. “Kyiv [ . . . ] says at least 228 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed in Russia’s invasion.” Is it possible to overcome this reality with white flags and not playing the Russian and Belarusian anthems? “Political neutrality” in sports is a lie that benefits powerful nations. Sporting events have always been political despite efforts to downplay this reality. FIFA Uncovered is a documentary highlighting how soccer and politics are intertwined, and have been for a long time. As Miles Coleman, the producer of the documentary, puts it, “Football and politics are in bed together and to ignore it is either to play willful ignorance or you don’t like how they are relating and you wish it would all just go away. The question isn’t whether we can remove politics and football. The question is what do we do about it?”

Politics play a role in deciding where significant sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics are held. Despite the exorbitant costs (the Sochi Olympics costed around 50 billion dollars), countries compete for the opportunity to host, probably because it can boost their economy and their “global trade and stature.” Governments use these events for sportswashing, which “is the use of sports to present a sanitized, friendlier version of a political regime or operation.” For example, Qatar spent “at least 220 billion dollars” in luxury accommodations and infrastructure projects. They promoted the World Cup using famous celebrities like David Beckham while being accused of “modern day slavery.” But sportswashing can go beyond hosting; sponsoring teams or simply participating in sports can also be a form of sportswashing. An article by Sports Illustrated traces sports washing all the way back to the ancient Olympic Games. 

Governments also use athletes for political purposes. For instance, Brittney Griner became a political prisoner after being caught possessing a small amount of cannabis oil in Russia, where she played basketball in the ​​Russian Premier League. Logically, it makes sense that athletes sometimes also use their platform to make political statements. We must challenge the idea that politics and sports only interact when athletes engage in political activism. Athletes staying quiet on political issues would not magically make sports apolitical.

Sports have historically been one of the first places where marginalized communities have been accepted to participate and can be a driving force for social inclusion. This does not change the fact that oppressive ideas such as racism still affect sports today. After all, this year’s Super Bowl was the first time in history two Black quarterbacks faced off. 

In recent history, athletes taking a stand (or a knee) in support of Black Lives Matter is the most visible display of political activism in sports in North America. In 2020, the NBA was incredibly vocal. “Black Lives Matter” was painted on courts. Players wore jerseys displaying messages like “Black Lives Matter, Say Their Names, I Can’t Breathe, and Anti-Racist,” among many more. After a police officer shot Jacob Blake, NBA teams opted not to play in protest, halting the playoffs for three days. 

For some athletes, competing in and of itself is political. This is the case for the Haudenosaunee Nationals, a lacrosse organization. They “are sanctioned by the sovereign Haudenosaunee Grand Council and are governed by the Haudenosaunee Nationals Board of Directors.” Haudenosaunee territory is on both sides of the border between the lands colonially known as Canada and the United States. The Haudenosaunee, like other Indigenous nations, are sovereign. As a result, they maintain a nation-to-nation relationship with Canada and the United States and travel internationally using Haudenosaunee passports. 

The Haudenosaunee government has issued passports since 1923, and the Haudenosaunee Nationals teams still encounter resistance today when they enter and travel to lacrosse competitions. Notably, in 2022, the Irish government accepted the Haudenosaunee passports of athletes traveling to Ireland for the Lacrosse World Championships. This is 12 years after the team had been denied entry to the UK. UK Daily News reported, “The Canadian government, too, has been known to confiscate Haudenosaunee passports and dismiss them as ‘fantasy documents.’” The team is hopeful they will be allowed to compete in the 2028 Olympics considering the Haudenosaunee “not only created the game, they are currently 3rd in the world, based on their bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships.” Every time the team competes, they “assert their nationhood and sovereignty in the geopolitical arena.”

Depending on the sport, professional athletes have massive platforms and are sometimes watched by millions of spectators. This situation gives many of them the power to create change by highlighting social justice issues. Not to mention, athletes often risk their careers to speak up for themselves and the toxicity and violence that sometimes goes on within sports organizations.

The idea that sports and politics could and should be separated is a myth that silences changemakers. In an article she wrote on the topic, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka mentioned that LeBron James was told to “shut up and dribble” by a news anchor “after he discussed racism, politics, and the difficulties of being a Black public figure in America during an ESPN interview in 2018.” Osaka does not let the backlash deter her: “Just because we are athletes doesn’t mean we are unaffected by what happens around the country, nor does it obligate us to keep our mouths shut.” Athletes may not have an obligation to become activists, but they should have the right to be. 

The twin earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria

By
Peak Web
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PHOTO: Shefali Lincoln / Unsplash

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Turkey is located directly on two main fault zones, making it a hotspot for earthquakes. The twin earthquakes of February 6, with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5, caused extensive damage to the region; it is now one of the top 10 deadliest earthquakes worldwide since 1950. The earthquakes impacted at least ten provinces in southeast Turkey and in Syria, “the cities of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Idlib were badly hit.” The earthquakes destroyed buildings that were not prepared to resist such an impact. Over 46,000 people have been confirmed dead while many others struggle to survive among the rubble and poor weather conditions.

According to TIME, civil engineers warned that Turkey’s infrastructure would be unable to withstand the impact of a large earthquake. Despite these warnings, plans to update to modern building codes and standards were largely ignored. In 2022, Turkey’s Union of Engineers and Architects declared that Turkey “has failed in terms of what needs to be done before the earthquake.” Despite codes passed in 1997 that would require all buildings to be constructed using ductile concrete, only one in ten meet this requirement. Civil engineering professor at Purdue University, Ayhan Irfanoglu, also notes that local jurisdictions and contractors don’t often apply these codes to building designs. 

In August 2016, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Central Italy, leaving many people injured, homeless, or dead. While this is not by any means comparable to the devastation of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, I have always been an advocate for earthquake security as I had family living in that region at the time. My aunt and her family were moved from their home three years later, once the government declared her apartment complex unfit for living as the structures were not built to withstand earthquakes. Even though earthquakes are not the most common natural disaster, earthquake-resistant building techniques can help protect against all types of natural disasters. Materials like concrete, when adequately used, have the capacity to withstand tornados, fires, and floods in addition to earthquakes.

The magnitude of an earthquake and the building guidelines are not the only factors that can contribute to the great destruction of an earthquake. The Turkey and Syrian earthquakes hit in the early morning when many residents were asleep and defenseless inside their homes. Preparedness, which largely lies with the authorities and not with civilians, is crucial in minimizing the risk of fatalities and injuries. Countries like Turkey and Mexico have early-detection seismic sensors, that can prevent fatalities when coupled with efficient communication strategies by the pertinent authorities. But, because there had not been a significant earthquake in the region for more than 200 years, there was a lack of preparedness that contributed to the ability to get adequate resources in response to the earthquake. 

In the wake of this tragedy, it is important to consider that Vancouver is also in a seismic zone and there’s a possibility an earthquake will occur in the near future. Thankfully, since the ‘70s, new and renovated buildings must incorporate seismic upgrades, but it’s still important for Vancouverites to take precautions at the individual level in preparation for a potential earthquake. The BC Provincial Government recommends making an emergency plan and having a kit on hand in the event of an earthquake. It is recommended that your kit includes non-perishable food items such as canned goods, and 4 litres of water per person for both drinking and sanitization. These should last anywhere from three days to two weeks and should be stored somewhere that is accessible. It is also recommended to pack first aid supplies, portable phone chargers, and personal toiletry items. 

While the UN has launched a one-billion-dollar appeal for earthquake aid operations in Turkey, there are still many ways that Turkey needs support. SFU grad student, Nesil Martens, alongside community members Ziya Cemre Kutluay, Isin Can, Sumerjan Bozkurt, and Lara Aysal, have organized a fundraiser to support those impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. By donating to causes like Martens’ GoFund me page, survivors in need of food and shelter will receive the appropriate help. According to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, one of the best ways to support disaster survivors is to find local organizations that better understand the context, culture, and affected communities. CEO Patricia McIreavy also mentions that it is not only important to donate now when the incident is at the height of the news, but even after the immediate need.

You can donate to some of the organizations that are currently supporting those affected by this catastrophe: 

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

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

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

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

Dear Peakie

By
Peak Web
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A photo of someone looking prim in an office chair with a thick book in their hands.
PHOTO: Pexels

By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

Dear Peakie,

I have also been forced to answer questions of yore, from students young and old. I’ve even assigned myself a title: Peekie, as my aficionados call me. My most important question, one I think you should be very qualified to answer: what makes you the expert?

Peekie

Dear Peekie,

Firstly, I find it morally wrong and awfully offensive for you to steal my nickname. I understand it may only be a matter of spelling to you, but to me, it is a matter of reputation. I am the only true Peakie. I am the ultimate keeper of knowledge and give advice so valuable that Joy Johnson herself has asked me to sit in on her meetings and make executive decisions in her place. If you’re curious why tuition will be raised in the fall, it’s because I need the 10% increase to fund my personal Little Treat initiative. It’s where I use your tuition dollars to buy myself a Little Treat (read: iced caramel macchiato) once a day so that I don’t completely lose it before I even graduate.

Sneakily yours,

Peakie

Dear Peakie,

My roommate won’t stop leaving our good quality knives in our sink! In this economy! I mean, the sink is not only gross, but it feels like I’m in the movie, Jaws, whenever I stick my arm in the sink. The problem is I loathe ALL forms of confrontation. How do I get them to see it my way?!

Walking on Knives

Dear Walking on Knives,

Your roommate needs a little bit of sense knocked into them, and you need to make a statement. I recommend leaving an Elf on the Shelf holding a mini knife around your place so that your roommate is reminded that they’re being watched every time they turn a corner. Say a lot without saying anything at all. Let Elfie speak for you; it’s creepy and sure to get the point across. If that doesn’t work (though I’m sure it will), set the TV to play Jaws repeatedly until your roommate gets so paranoid they swear off knives altogether.

Mischievously,

Peakie

Dear Peakie,

I experience fresh betrayal when I leave my home wearing a nice outfit only to discover that it is actually as bitterly cold as my heart outside. HOW do I stop being bamboozled by the nice sunshine outside?!

Not So Sunny

Dear Not So Sunny,

Ahhh yes, I know the feeling you describe. I experienced it only a few days ago. The trick, my dear reader, is layering. If it’s ten degrees in the city, it’s six degrees on Burnaby Mountain. And if it’s six degrees on Burnaby Mountain, it’s three degrees inside the AQ. Leave the house in crocs, jeans, and a light sweater, but bring a jacket and thick socks in case your toesies get cold. You may also require a blanket — I suggest investing in a Comfy so that you get warmth and style all in one. This does, in fact, mean you may have to ditch the hot girl tote bag and bring a backpack instead to store all of your extra layers. Don’t yell at me. You’ll survive.

With warm and cozy vibes,

Peakie

A plea from your web manager for basic competency

By
Peak Web
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A photo of a man, looking frustrated, at his laptop.
PHOTO: Pixahive

By: Subaig Bindra, Web Manager

Imagine going to your job — in this case, in my room and at my desk. Pretty convenient, eh!? What’s not convenient is me having to ask people, colleagues, great writers, and generally amazing humans, to finish their part of the job so I can do mine. 

Dear section editors: it is my sincere request (and injunction) that you provide all the info required to publish an article on our website! Y’all do such a great job overall to get content out to the community. Let’s try to get a wee bit closer to utopia by never missing alt-texts, credits, scheduling info, tags, and whatever the hell I might add to this list when one of you leaves it out for the first time.

You see, I simply hate having to text each of you individually, and ask nicely for the part you’ve failed to provide me. I would be down to talk about anything but this. We can talk about emo music or discuss concepts that we think are cool. We can even talk about the meaning of life and be existentialists. Just don’t make me beg you (nicely) to add fucking alt-texts (and besides, we intend to be accessible, right?!) 

There are other things that grind my gears too, like when the R5 bus gets away from me, in front of my eyes, while I’m standing across the road waiting to cross the intersection (fuck the traffic light). Or, when everyone in the house incidentally has to do laundry on the same day. I guess that’s just entropy playing tricks on me, or Murphy’s law. Who KNOWS.

Finding peace with fitness beyond the scale

By
Peak Web
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photo of someone walking through a park.
PHOTO: Emma Simpson / Unsplash

By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of disordered eating

Physical education was far from my favourite class in high school. I played on various soccer, basketball, and volleyball teams growing up. But I’ve always been a little bit “bigger,” and dealt with varying degrees of disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and self-esteem issues. 

I wanted so badly to be skinny that I started going to the gym — except I had no idea what I was doing. When a few months passed and I hadn’t noticed any changes in the way my body looked, I became frustrated. I swore off the gym after deciding that achieving my “dream body” was not worth the toll it was taking on my mental health. 

Since then, I’ve been experimenting with different ways of being active that don’t come with the huge expectations that encompass working out in a traditional gym setting. One of the biggest hurdles I’ve had to overcome is understanding that the way I work out and stay active can change over time.

I signed up for the Sun Run once because I wanted to challenge myself. My mom was extremely surprised at my decision because I had never expressed interest in running before. But I trained for a few months and completed the race. I wasn’t fast nor was I very fit at the time, but I did it and was proud of myself for it. I fell out of the habit of running after that and started taking classes at my neighbourhood recreation centre to try out different types of core and strength training. That phase lasted a little longer than my first running stint, but it didn’t stick after I, once again, wasn’t seeing physical changes in my body.

It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) that my workout habits changed. I realized that my intentions surrounding working out and staying active shouldn’t actually be about becoming thin, but should rather be focused on moving my body in ways that feel good to me and get my heart rate up. Shifting my mindset in this way helped remove the nervousness, social pressure, and negative emotions that I previously associated with working out. I started doing it for me and nobody else.

I began going on really long walks around my neighbourhood, which then evolved into jogging whenever I wanted an extra challenge. Now, I feel adrenaline instead of anxiety when I think about going out for a walk or a run. YouTube has also exposed me to so many videos customized for varying skill levels and physical abilities. I’ve really been enjoying at-home Zumba workouts that include early 2000s music. It feels more like dancing to Rihanna in my bedroom than exercising, which has done wonders for my mental and physical health and has made being active much more approachable and enjoyable for me.

While exercise is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle, it should never be something that you despise. That’s what held me back from enjoying being active for so long. You have to find your comfort space, whatever that may look like. It might be the gym, or it may be on a mat on your bedroom floor. There is no unconventional space to work out, as long as it’s done in a safe manner. Working out away from a gym doesn’t make what you’re doing any less beneficial.

Most importantly, find an activity you crave. It may be hard at first, and it may take a while to feel like you’re in your element. But it should be something that makes you feel just a little bit better at the end of the day. You might not feel this with the first activity you pick up. Even when you do find something you enjoy, you’re not stuck with that same exercise for the rest of your fitness journey. I’ve learned to have fun, take it a day and a time, and enjoy the endless possibilities.

Learning to take the good from my tennis experience

By
Peak Web
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photo of a player walking across a tennis court.
PHOTO: John Fornander / Unsplash

By: Jeeya Parasbhai Khavadia, SFU Student

I dreamed of becoming a professional tennis player when I was young. And no, I’m not a professional at this age, nor do I still compete at that level. But if I could go back and make a different decision that may have changed that outcome, I would. I started out at a tennis academy when I was six after my father, who was a tennis enthusiast, convinced me to give it a shot. There were three levels at the academy: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. I was assigned to the beginner rank, where I met my best friend from school. 

It wasn’t long before I developed an infatuation with the sport. I’m not sure why — it could have been the coach, my teammates, or my best friend from school. Whatever it was, it made me attend every class without fail. The more I went, the more matches I won, and the faster my coach took notice. 

After a few years, I had become good enough that my coach thought I was ready to compete in the advanced category, completely skipping the intermediate competition. That’s when things began to change. I was 10-years-old at the time, and everyone in the advanced level was at least five years my senior. They had their own group of friends with people their age. I began to feel a little lonely. I had lost all of my academy friends. Everyone I had become close with was still at the beginner level, and my best friend from school dropped the sport altogether. 

I felt so lonely that I stopped going to tennis classes on a regular basis. Without as many practices, I began to lose my grip and knowledge of the sport I had been playing for four years. When I did attend sessions, I had been away for too long and I couldn’t keep up with the more advanced players, missing shots that came my way.

From then on, I began to lose interest in the game. I was no longer the emphatic tennis player who participated in every match and couldn’t wait to attend classes. Back then, I thought my situation would never change: that I would feel this way about tennis for the rest of my life. Back then, I was a little girl who had lost all hope, sobbed uncontrollably, and eventually left the sport.

Now that I’m older and can reflect back on my experience, I realize it was a mistake to walk away from tennis. I can’t help but think that I would have been a professional by now. While I can’t change the past, I didn’t let my disappointment of not reaching professional status stop me from returning to the sport I still love. I’ve joined a new tennis academy, and I attend it daily. It’s become my favourite part of the day.

It’s so important to remember that setbacks and difficulties are a normal part of the journey. When faced with obstacles and difficulties, it’s easy to become discouraged. But it’s critical to view mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning, as every end marks a new beginning. 

This can be made easier by a support system of friends or family who can help you see things from a different angle, and offer support when the challenge feels too big. If you don’t have that support in place, you do have yourself. In those times, I like to think of the same girl who quit tennis. I think of what she needed, and I become that for myself. Instilling myself with the confidence, bravery, and encouragement she never had.

The history of the Coloured Hockey League

By
Peak Web
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photo of two players taking a faceoff.
PHOTO: Markus Spiske / Unsplash

By: Simran Sarai, Sports Writer

There’s hardly a Canadian who hasn’t heard of the National Hockey League (NHL) at least once in their life. Hockey, the official winter sport of Canada, has been popular across the country since its inception in the late 1800’s.

As sports do, the early rise of hockey brought communities and movements together. Perhaps one of the most important of these hockey movements was the Coloured Hockey League (CHL) — an all-Black hockey league founded by four Nova Scotian men in 1895. Despite its popularity and importance in the pursuit of equality for Black Canadians, many current-day Canadians might know little about the league and its significance. 

In 1895, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Pastor James Borden, James A.R. Kinney, James Robinson, and Henry Sylvester Williams founded the CHL. The group of four men were not just athletes or hockey players. They were some of the first Black academics in Nova Scotia. They were pathfinders.

When the CHL first started, teams could only play games between the end of January and the beginning of March. This was because Black players were not allowed to access the arena rinks until players on white teams had completed their season. There were no formal rules introduced to the game: just what was written in the Bible. This lack of “structured” play established CHL players to be talented, fast, and hard-hitting. They were the innovators of moves, like the slapshot, that would later be replicated by other professional hockey teams.

The CHL initially started as three teams. However, it grew fast, and quickly added teams from across the province. By the early 1900’s, the league was composed of 12+ teams with thousands of community members attending championship games. However, the league would face near extinction in the 1910’s, after conflict between government officials in Nova Scotia and families from Africville erupted when the government attempted to take over land in Africville. Africville was a vibrant African-Canadian community near Halifax, Nova Scotia, that would end up being razed by Halifax’s municipal government in the 1960’s. 

The CHL would make one final comeback in the 1920’s, but with a smaller number of teams competing, and a largely new makeup of players. The league would face significant challenges, including a lack of media coverage as the NHL gained notoriety, and constant turnover in players and leagues. The arrival of the Second World War would ultimately bring the league to a close. However, Black community members across Canada continued their push for equality across the nation, and the storied legacy of the CHL and contributing communities like Africville would be immortalized.

Thanks to the work of four Black men, a plethora of Black athletes have staked their claim in the NHL. Including Willie O’Ree, the first Black NHL player, and Grant Fuhr, the first Black player to be introduced into the Hockey Hall of Fame. As we reflect on the accomplishments and contributions of the trailblazers of the CHL, let’s not forget that the path towards meaningful inclusion and support in athletics is still long ahead. Honouring the work done by the founders and players of the CHL to break down social and racial injustice in Canada is just the first stepping stone in the continued pursuit of equity for all.

Toxic hockey culture starts young

By
Peak Web
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illustration of a sports fan opening a closet full of sports jerseys.
ILLUSTRATION: Andrea Choi / The Peak

By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor

In the last few years, it’s become progressively harder to call myself a hockey fan. My love for the game hasn’t faltered. If anything, it’s becoming a more significant part of my life. Checking statistics of National Hockey League (NHL) players went from something I did for fun to something I made a career out of.

Deep down, I’ve always known that hockey culture wasn’t as flawless as the rose-tinted glass it was portrayed through. I heard the distressing stories my brothers would tell about what goes on in the locker room, behind closed doors. Stealing gear and defacing it; hazing younger players; and appointing a team “bitch” to take the brunt of team duties. Everyone knows what’s going on — organizations, coaches, players — but no one says anything. 

From the moment you play hockey, you’re told that your team is your family. Through thick and thin, you stick by the family. No matter how bad it gets. If that means looking the other way, so be it. It’s “do or die,” just like the USA Hockey chant. 

Growing up, this is what hockey players hear. I’ve seen it firsthand. Some of the worst people on a hockey team are the best players. All their life, they’ve been told they’re the “man.” They aren’t told no. Their skill gives them a free pass to do whatever they want, and they’re told the team will take care of the rest. This is the foundation on which hockey culture lies. 

The true problems with hockey culture didn’t really start to get peeled back until last season when years upon years of secrets, buried accusations, and player testimonials were revealed. Hockey Canada, the same organization that supplied my earliest childhood memories of some of the best Canadian hockey players, had taken out a separate fund to silence sexual assault survivors from speaking out for years. 

Kyle Beach, a former NHL player for the Chicago Blackhawks, sued the Blackhawks in 2021 after he was sexually assaulted by the team’s former assistant coach during his time with the organization in 2010. Multiple players on the team knew, according to Beach. One of them being captain Jonathan Toews. Toews said he thought the firing of the assistant coach was how the organization was dealing with the situation. He had heard of rumours about what had transpired, but didn’t intervene at the time.

As players put on fronts, so do organizations. The NHL prides itself on being inclusive for all, establishing the tagline, “Hockey is for Everyone.” This would be the case if “everyone” was a straight, cisgender white man. The NHL is homophobic. Ivan Provorov, a hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, skipped the team’s warm-up skate just last month to avoid wearing the team’s pride jerseys. He cited his religious beliefs as a Russian Orthodox Christian for refusing to put on the sweater. A day later, the NHL released a statement that said “Players are free to decide which initiatives to support.” 

Being a member or ally of the LGBTQIA2S+ community isn’t an agenda you can subscribe to. Discerning sexual orientation as an initiative, much like religion, is incredibly belittling. What message does this send Luke Prokop who became the first openly gay professional NHL athlete just two years ago? Prokop took to social media to voice his displeasure about the situation saying, “There is a place for every [LGBTQIA2S+] athlete, fan, coach, [and] team staff member in sports, as well as hockey. We shall continue to break barriers and show hockey is truly for everyone. I can’t wait to see what our community and allies are capable of in the future.” 

Knowing what I know, seeing what I’ve seen, how can I take the bitter with the sweet? I can’t help but be reminded of the toxicity embedded in hockey as I tell people about the sport I love the most in the world. 

How can I support the young athletes chosen by Hockey Canada without supporting the organization? It’s something I’ve thought long and hard about. I decided to draw a line in the sand.

 The NHL has hardly backed up their words with meaningful actions. They’ll say that hockey is inclusive, but make sure to cater to homophobic athletes and fans to keep their revenue moving. I, however, can decide not to support them. In the grand scheme of things, it won’t do much. But the more people refuse to let the NHL get away with it, the more the culture will have to change. Hockey Canada’s board of directors only resigned once some of the organization’s biggest sponsors pulled out, including Bell Media. 

While the actions of companies may pressure teams to make changes faster, the real change needs to come from the type of culture encouraged in locker rooms. Fredrik Backman, who wrote a book about how a small Swedish City relies on its junior hockey team, says that “culture is as much about what we encourage as what we actually permit.

“It takes a culture of silence to foster a culture of winning.” 

Change the narrative. Stop putting athletes on a pedestal and letting what they bring to the ice justify the way they behave in their private lives. 

Celebrity biopics are exploitative

By
Peak Web
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dimly lit shot of a large movie camera
PHOTO: Jeremy Yap / Unsplash

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

Content warning: mentions of death and substance use.

You don’t need to look too far to notice the recent rise in biopics about dead celebrities. A biopic is a film that portrays the life of a real person, usually a famous person. From Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) to Elvis (2022), and Blonde (2022), films that dramatize the tragic lives and deaths of famous icons are appearing at the box office one after another. It makes sense why these films are so popular; there’s a sense of nostalgia and mysticism attached to cultural icons who died young in the public eye. Biopics offer a glimpse into the “darker” parts of their lives, satisfying our curiosity. But is there a way to dramatize someone’s tragedy without turning them into a spectacle? And is it right to tell someone else’s story when they’re not around anymore?

Entertainment media exploits celebrities by scrutinizing them relentlessly and portraying them in a patronizing light to the public. The media especially tends to target women, creating a narrative that blames them for being objectified. Britney Spears, a well-known example, endured constant harassment from paparazzi determined to provoke her mental state. Photos taken of her in private moments were broadcast to the world without her consent. Images of her shaving her head in defiance became a defining viral pop-culture moment in tabloids — one she never consented to share publicly. 

When I heard about the planned Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black, I was livid. Similar to Spears, Winehouse was aggressively bullied by the press throughout her career. She struggled with addiction and substance use throughout her life. As writer Bailey Agbai pointed out, the media used this to their advantage by deliberately publicizing “unflattering pictures and sensationalized stories” of Winehouse to tarnish her image through a misogynistic lens. Making a biopic about her life would mean that her tragedies, which were captured without her consent, will be broadcast to a large audience once again.

There’s a fine line between portraying someone’s life on film for educational purposes and the sensationalization of their story for the sole purpose of entertainment. Biopics tend to cross that line. Blonde’s depiction of Marilyn Monroe was criticized for fetishizing her and reducing her experiences to the trauma she endured. Whoopi Goldberg is setting an example by legally preventing a biopic of her life from ever happening. I wonder if Winehouse or Monroe would’ve done the same if they were given the chance. 

No one should tell someone else’s life story when their motive involves box office returns and film awards. Consent is crucial in this process. For example, the 1997 Selena biopic was released two years after the death of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla Pérez, and was produced in “close collaboration” with her family. The film genuinely immortalized her legacy in a way that few biopics have managed to achieve. 

When looking at how celebrities have no control over their own representation in the media while they’re alive, it isn’t a far stretch to say that there’s little difference when they’re no longer here. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at 27 years old. While we can’t say the media is to blame for her death, the way that she was constantly treated like a public spectacle to gawk at undoubtedly contributed to her difficult life. 

Others might argue that biopics have the potential to re-tell someone’s story in a more positive fashion than was portrayed during that person’s life. This is what Back to Black is claiming to set out to do. But even though the director claims to be determined to portray “what Amy saw,” I think there comes a point when a celebrity’s story should rest in peace with them. Winehouse made it clear she didn’t want to be in the public eye. “If I could give it all back just to walk down the street with no hassle, I would,” she said in one of her final conversations. Her legacy lives in her music; her words and her voice carries her truth. Maybe it’s time to take a step back from biopics. We need to respect the lives and deaths of influential people. 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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© 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