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An interview with the creators of MiPhone

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Peak Web
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Person holding a “Business” newspaper
PHOTO: nappy / Pexels

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer

Touted as the second coming of the iPhone, Parker Parkins’ MiPhone has risen in popularity since appearing on the famous reality TV program, Dargon’s Den. The MiPhone is the newest cellular device on the block. It operates as a typical cell phone would, but also allows users to access all the financial data of anyone within a certain radius — you know, as you do. 

The Peak sat down with Parkins, and co-founders Michael Michaels and Bob Johnson, to discuss how they are “disrupting” the phone industry. 

Q: How did you all meet? 

Parkins: The three of us were in the same statistics class in first-year. We did a project together about accessibility in technology, and we’ve been tight ever since. We moved into a big house together in second-year, and we’ve been bringing more people in from that day on. 

Q: Your mission statement is to “change the world through accessibility.” How did accessibility become such an important topic for you? 

P: We took a class in third-year about cryptocurrency. It made us think about the politics behind accessibility, specifically, accessibility to each other’s data. Why do we have to keep secrets between us? We’re all on the same side — the side of the human race. 

Q: You’ve been saying “we” a lot. I’m curious to hear what Mr. Michaels and Mr. Johnson think about this. 

Michaels: I agree. 

Johnson: I agree as well. 

P: We always know what the other is thinking. The three of us are intertwined. 

Q: So you’re all very into knowing everyone else’s personal information. 

P: Yes. As a collective human race, globalization has made us trend towards becoming a more interconnected society. We want to accelerate that process by making connecting with others easier. Again, why do we have to keep secrets between us?

Q: You mentioned that you’ve been bringing people into your house since you moved in together. Are these people your employees, or . . . ? 

P: We don’t refer to them as “employees,” but as our recruits. All of us firmly believe in the idea of human connectivity, so we’ve all replaced our cell phones with MiPhone. We even picked up a few other recruits from our appearance on Dargon’s Den. Our recruits have fully subscribed to the MiPhone mindset, so it’s only a matter of time before we can convince others to do the same. 

Q: That sounds awfully cult-like. 

P: It’s called devotion. We wholeheartedly believe in this cause and are actively working towards making the world a more connected place through it. 

Q: With all those recruits, what kind of jobs does each member have? Are there any specific roles within the franchise? 

P: Oh, no. We don’t believe in a hierarchy system, so there are no specific roles within our community. Everyone comes in at the same level, which makes us even more interconnected. 

Q: So . . . how do you determine a manager for everything? 

P: Everything is equally managed. 

Q: By . . . ? 

P: We all have our respective roles. We all believe in the future of an interconnected human race. 

Q: An interconnected human race that makes everyone’s financial data accessible, making them vulnerable to exploitation. 

P: We prefer to call it accessible. Exploitation is a crude way of referring to it. 

Q: So how do the operations of MiPhone run if there’s no specific management system? 

P: Everything is equally managed. 

Q: Mr. Michaels? Mr. Johnson? Care to pitch in? 

M: I agree. 

J: I agree as well. 

Q: Any final closing remarks before we end this interview? 

P: Join us in making data more accessible throughout the world. Replace your iPhone with MiPhone, and reap the benefits of interconnectivity. 

The Book Nook: Five books to add to your summer reading list

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Peak Web
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A person sitting criss-cross between two heaping piles of books looking up with an open book in hand

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Book cover with title and author in white text with abstract collage elements featuring images of mountain, cityscape, and clouds.
PHOTO: Courtesy of ‎Ecco

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On  by Franny Choi

Reading poetry in a shaded area with a cool drink in hand — what could be a better way to start the summer? Franny Choi is a novelist and poet with a variety of thought-provoking fiction and non-fiction under her belt. The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On is perfect for reflecting on the colossal issues in our world today in small doses of lyrical poetry. Re-reading lines and stopping to soak up and sit with the difficult emotions that arise allows for new insight each time. For instance, “Good Morning America” reflects on the ongoing and repeating tragedies of a colonial state, and the grief and horror that follows. Covering topics like the pandemic, refugee crises, and race, Choi offers a glimpse of hope in the face of these crises. I recommend listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Choi!

Book cover with title and author, a colourful floral spine. The photo featured is of a Black woman and an Italian man. The woman is in a white gown sitting atop a bike, smiling, with her hair slick back. The man is wearing a tweed suit and is smiling at her.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

From Scratch by Tembi Locke

Tembi Locke is an “actor, producer, and screenwriter” who made her debut as an author in 2019 with this heart-wrenching memoir. From Scratch is a compilation of Locke’s life experiences, including interracial and intercultural marriage, and grief. A Texas native, Locke travels to Florence, Italy as an international college student. Upon meeting chef Saro Gullo, her life changes drastically. After moving to LA with her after several months of long distance, the couple navigate seeking the approval of their in-laws, cultural differences, adopting their daughter, and their biggest fight of all — cancer. The book speaks to your senses with flashbacks to hot summers in Sicily, the bustling streets of LA, and scrumptious culinary experiences in lively Florence. Ultimately, this memoir encapsulates what it means to be human and experience grief and love. 

Deep red book cover with a bold, capitalized white title. Featuring an illustration of three crows on a barbed wire.
PHOTO: Courtesy of ‎Doubleday

Bad Cree by Jessica Johns 

The cover’s bold illustration of a spooky forest against a flaming orange sky drew me to pick up this book, and the thrilling narrative kept me on edge to the very end. Indigenous author, Jessica Johns, crafts a unique, supernatural read that will give you chills. The horror novel follows a young Cree woman experiencing terrifying dreams of dead crows. What’s even scarier is the fact that she now sees crows everywhere — as if they’re following her. These dreams surface memories from the night of her sister’s death. Soon enough, the dreams start to infiltrate her waking life, offering more and more details about what really happened the night her sister died. Fearfully navigating through her grief, Mackenzie returns to the rural Alberta community where she grew up and is forced to face the truth and confront the messages in her dreams. Bad Cree brings you along a young girl’s personal mystery to uncover hidden truths about family, violence, and the land that she grew up on. 

Book cover of with title written in capitalized, yellow font filling up half the page. Subtitle reads: The stories behind the province’s most intriguing murder and missing person cases.” The photo behind the text is of an empty road beside a mountain that turns left.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Arsenal Pulp Press

Cold Case BC  by Eve Lazarus

Calling all true crime fans! I never knew how many unsolved cases there were in BC until I read this book. Eve Lazarus is an exceptional storyteller who transports readers to the time periods where crimes were committed, unpacking evidence, motives, and suspects as engaging as a true crime podcast. Her writing is detailed yet easy to comprehend, avoiding legal jargon and centering the focus around the victims, their families, and the communities. The reader is able to form their own theories about some of BC’s most baffling cold cases. As a criminology minor, summer is my favourite time of year to take a break from academic reading and pick up a new read that relates to the intriguing history of crime in BC. 

A book cover with a closeup of Viola Davis’ face in black and white. There is a sticker on the book that reads “Opra’s Book Club 2022.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of ‎HarperOne

Finding Me  by Viola Davis

This is hands-down one of the best books I’ve ever read. Award-winning actress, Viola Davis, walks readers through her life’s journey of poverty, professional rejection, and what it was like growing up as a Black woman in an industry built for white actors. Davis leaves nothing unfiltered, including stories about abuse in her family home, discrimination at school, and working through mental health issues including depression. Her story of self-discovery, determination, and perseverance begins with facing the traumas of her childhood and young adulthood in order to understand how these experiences have shaped her into the woman she is today. 

All books in this list are available to purchase online from the Massy Books website.

Clothing stores have a sizing problem

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Peak Web
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Clothing store racks
PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of size and weight

There’s nothing more frustrating than walking into a store filled with gorgeous clothes only to be absolutely traumatized by the fitting room experience. For women in particular, there seems to be a persistent notion that the size of our clothing defines us. It’s unfortunate that many brands still reflect the idea that smaller is better. For years, I tried to fit my size ten body into denim shorts, dresses, and trousers two or three sizes too small for me, all for the sake of seeing a smaller number when I got dressed in the morning. The designs of many popular brands are tailored to a specific body type — often tall, thin, and small-busted. Because of this, “standard” sizing can be perceived as reinforcing the notion that smaller is better. Clothing stores are excluding many women with their sizing, and should be taking on proactive initiatives to make their clothing lines more inclusive for all bodies. 

Plus-size is defined as “a size of clothing for people who are larger than average.” According to Project Cece, a curator of over 200 sustainable ethical fashion brands, sustainable fashion is often not size inclusive because there is not enough demand to cover the costs of full lines of plus-size clothing. However, the “average” American woman is a size 16 — how can it be that the demand is not high enough to make more plus-size clothes? It’s baffling that ‘plus size’ has become its own niche even though it represents such a large portion of women. 

For years, I wanted to be “an Aritzia girl,” decked out in the latest fashion trends like low-rise jeans and slim fitting leather pants. However, nearly every time I went into the store I left feeling terrible about myself. Even the largest dress on the rack wouldn’t zip up past my hips, and the medium-labelled sweaters clung to my body as if they were size XS. Similarly, Brandy Melville clothing is marked as “one size fits all,” which is far from the case. Even for petite girls, most small sizes don’t take proportions into consideration. Dresses and jeans marked as XXS can drag on the floor and leave gaping holes in the chest area, because they assume you’re shaped like an hourglass. Similarly, individuals who are petite yet curvy may struggle to find clothing tailored to their body type. 

Aritzia is not the only store that advertises clothing catered to a specific body type, save for the one or two performative Instagram shots of mid-sized women wearing non-fitted, casual fitness attire made of naturally stretchy materials. In 2017, plus-size model and actress Barbie Ferreira was featured in an Urban Outfitters campaign. However, at the time the store didn’t, and still doesn’t, have a plus-size clothing line. This sort of performative advertising works in favour of big brands wanting to showcase a commitment to size inclusivity without taking real action to do so.

I used to feel so ashamed to ask for a bigger size, so I would buy something off the rack and hoped that somehow I would become smaller by the time I had to wear it. It’s not only that sizes are limited — many articles of clothing are labelled as a size large but comparable to another brand’s small. By what standard is the clothing we wear true to size? 

Brands that do not offer inclusive clothing sizing options reinforce a culture that deems smaller is better. It’s nice to see that more clothing brands have become committed to diversifying sizing such as Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle, and Joe Fresh, as well as smaller fashion brands like Girlfriend Collective, that are making strides in diversifying the fashion industry. But there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to create fashionable, sustainable, and well-fitting clothing for all bodies. 

By Us, For Us reports pressing circumstances faced by BC sex workers

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Peak Web
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This is a photo from the 2011 Slut Walks in the United Kingdom. Protestors are holding a large banner that reads “We Demand Sex Worker’s Rights,” in red font.
PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

The By Us, For Us project surveyed over 200 sex workers across Metro Vancouver and Southern Vancouver Island; it highlights essential topics like the COVID-19 pandemic, the criminalization of sex work, the ongoing overdose crisis, and the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. 

In an interview with researcher Sylvia Machat, who wrote the By Us, For Us report, further explanation and insight were provided regarding the project’s goals. 

Machat described decriminalizing sex work as “removing restrictions on the sex industry via legislation.” For example, the current legislation has criminalized the act of purchasing sexual services or the sex worker themselves hiring third parties such as divers or assistants. “Decriminalization would allow sex workers to access health and safety regulation as well as support services,” Machat added. 

The criminalization of sex work means that workers involved in the sex trade do not receive the same amount of care and support as other jobs. This disadvantage limits their access to counselling, regular HIV/STI testing, and other medical services. Machat elaborated that “increased access to healthcare, particularly mental health care, would help address ongoing issues that sex workers deal with,” especially those from all backgrounds and walks of life. 

Prominent findings within the report show 73% of surveyed sex workers are living with disabilities, 45% identified as Indigenous, and 60% were worried about a loved one overdosing. The report makes numerous suggestions for how the government can create solutions; these include investing in the security and safety of sex workers to eliminate the stigma. This may also open new opportunities for their collaborations with agencies and organizations. 

The report notes how sex workers often face stigmatization and discrimination for their work at the hands of police and law enforcement officers. A section in the report addresses the stigma that cis-gender male sex workers face as they are often categorized as doing “women’s work.” Machat discussed how the stigma of sex work exclusively being a woman’s job has been fought against by numerous male, Two-Spirit, transgender and non-binary sex workers. “Rather than tackling this issue through police departments, male, Two-Spirit, trans, and non-binary sex workers we spoke to wanted to see support such as check-in systems, good rapport with healthcare professionals, and avenues for reporting harms experienced in sex work to sex worker support services,” said Malachat.

A suggestion Machat provided in the report regarding communication avenues between sex workers and police, is “trainings delivered to police by active and recent sex workers about the realities of the sex work industry.” The Canadian National Inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls found “state actions and actions rooted in colonialism.” Sex workers who identify as Indigenous and Two-Spirit feel disadvantaged and ignored because of colonist practices within Canadian culture. A suggestion that Indigenous sex workers have provided are resources to see medical professionals to be able to access STI screenings and “to ask sex-work related health questions openly, without fearing loss of child custody and racism.”

The By Us, For Us project aims to further educate communities about decriminalizing and sex work. Machat said, “I think the most important thing to know about the sex industry is that sex workers do sex work as a solution to costs of living in Canada.” 

Manufacturing the Threat exposes how policing upholds power in Canada

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Peak Web
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FILM STILL: Ana and Omar walk outside of a gas station convenience store holding hands and each have a paper cup. Ana is wears a black hoodie over a red hijab and baggy pants and Omar wears a white kufi on his head with brown stripes, a black jacket, jeans, and an earth-tone T-shirt.
PHOTO: Courtesy of DOXA

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

Content warning: mentions of Islamophobia, colonialism, and racism.

Canada’s façade of tolerance and freedom is stripped away in a new documentary called Manufacturing the Threat. It’s the first feature-length documentary that explores the infiltration of marginalized communities by agent provocateurs, revealing the dark underbelly of the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS). It premiered on May 6 as part of DOXA Documentary Film Festival screenings, and it’s a must-see for understanding how colonial power is upheld in Canada.

The film’s director, Amy Miller, has been making documentaries “in the spirit of justice” since 2008, and her documentaries have been screened at over 100 festivals around the world. Inspired by educational theorist Paulo Freire, Miller believes in “popular education as a way for transformative change,” she told The Peak. “[Freire] came up with this idea that if you can connect the dots for people in terms of structural inequalities in our life, they can build collective power and transform society.”

The documentary investigates the case of Ana Korody and Omar Nuttall, a couple from Surrey who were targeted by CSIS agents after converting to Islam. They spoke on how their vulnerable mental states and life circumstances were taken advantage of in radicalizing and coercing them to plot a bomb on Canada Day. They were told that according to Islam, they were predestined to commit this act and had no free will, which Ana explained and later learned is not accurate according to Muslim teachings. They were arrested in 2013, and in 2022 sued the RCMP. Hearing about their experiences, which must have taken a lot of bravery to share, was chilling.

“We often hear the claim that the way to counter racism in national security agencies is to diversify them,” Azeezah Kanji, a legal academic with a specialty in Islamic law stated in the documentary. “To the contrary, the presence of Muslim officers is used to further extend the arm of securitization and the reach of these agencies into vulnerable Muslim communities and families.”

Manufacturing the Threat points out how the CSIS exists to “justify its own existence.” The film demonstrates Canada’s largely undocumented history of infiltrating and undermining marginalized communities to uphold colonial control, which was inspired by the book Produire La Menace by Alex Popovic. From the RCMP’s roots in colonizing Indigenous land to vilifying and surveilling Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11, Miller hopes the film shows people how “othering happens in a collective way through things like policing.” 

Miller explained information on the CSIS’ operations are not widely known or available. “It is so difficult to be able to have the proper conversations that we’re just navigating in the fog,” she said. “Something we really should be discussing more is: why is it so difficult to get this information, why does Canada like to present itself as this beacon of democracy, and why is our access to information so difficult and filled with so many trickwires to stop us from having that access?”

Miller argues that security threats like climate change are largely ignored, and other “manufactured” threats are used as distractions. “To me, it’s not homeless people in Vancouver that’s the crisis around what makes people feel safe, it’s affordable housing,” she added. “I think we need to go a step backwards and say ‘what does national security even mean in 2023?’” In our current institution, it’s often those who defy the “status quo” who are made into an enemy.

Check out the full list of documentaries showing this year at DOXA on their website, doxa2023.eventive.org/films. Find out more about Amy Miller, her campaigns, and documentaries on her website, amymiller.info.

LGBTQIA2S+ students need the SOGI curriculum

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Peak Web
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girl in denim t-shirt with rainbow symbol wear backpack in summer park outdoor.
PHOTO: IURII KRASILNIKOV / iStock

By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

The topic of queerphobia has been increasingly present in the media lately, mainly due to increased drag bans and anti-trans laws occurring in the US. Unfortunately, our neighbours to the south are not the only culprits of increasing queerphobic propaganda, such as stripping away gender affirming care for trans minors. In British Columbia, an anti-queer agenda has risen dramatically, causing concern for the lives and well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals residing in the province. 

On March 25, 2023, an incident sparked outcry from the queer community and allies. A protest took place in Surrey challenging the sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) curriculum taught in BC school districts. The SOGI curriculum teaches about different sexual and gender identities and educates students to create inclusive and safe spaces, such as gay-straight alliance clubs in schools.

The queer community has been attacked relentlessly for years. Yet, in 2023, it’s staggering how queer folks still have to fight for narrow-minded individuals and politicians to see their identities as valid. As with any social issue, the people most impacted by discriminatory rhetoric are those already experiencing heightened marginalization — in this case trans and racialized queer folks. In a world where progress and new ways of thinking have been celebrated and introduced into schools, workplaces and communities, the resistance to accept this change is consistently based on far-cry claims of LGBTQIA2S+ people grooming children. The same people making these claims ignore religious organizations or groups like the Boy Scouts of America involved in scandals of leaders grooming young children, when these are the exact ideals they argue against. 

Schools have added curricula like SOGI to better educate the young people of today and show them that the feelings they may experience at a young age are valid. SOGI not only helps questioning individuals find a term for what they identify as, but helps build better-educated and accepting members of society who will soon pass the torch on to the next generation. This curriculum is educating allies of the LGBTQIA2S+ community on how to support their fellow queer peers and create a safer and more inclusive environment by teaching them about pronoun usage, different types of gender and sexual orientations, and having conversations about diversity. SOGI being attacked because of the education it provides to young minds not only damages the mental health of queer and questioning individuals but also spreads misinformation like the grooming rhetoric into the consciences of young people that may affect how they treat members of the community. 

It’s unfortunate to see how, once again, positive change is being pushed back and rejected due to religious right-winged political opinions and a general lack of education regarding these topics. I applaud the teachers discussing these subjects in class and moving forward with the SOGI curriculum to educate and provide awareness around a community of people who are increasingly attacked based on their identity. Parents who are raising their kids to be anti-queer are failing their children by not being open-minded or accepting, and creating a toxic environment for schools and society in general.  Allies need to ensure they are being educated properly on these topics, and that means listening to their queer friends and peers to further understand how to support them and raise awareness regarding LGBTQ2S+ stories and calls for action. Queerness is never going to cease to exist, so you might as well jump on board and begin to accept that our communities are evolving for the better. As Sasha Colby, winner of RuPaul Drag Race Season 15, stated in her historic winning speech: “We’re not going anywhere.” 

DoNoHarmBC protests the removal of mandatory masks in healthcare settings

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Peak Web
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On the pavement in the foreground lies a young protester with shoulder-length brown hair, a blue t-shirt and jeans, and an N95 repirator mask. They lie as if dead, one hand fallen beside their face, surrounded by a chalk body outline. All around them are other chalk body outlines stretching as far as the eye can see. In the corners of image are the feet of standing and crouching protesters.
PHOTO: DoNoHarmBC

By: Michelle Young, Opinions Editor

Content warning: mentions of medical ableism.

On April 28, DoNoHarmBC hosted a non-violent die-in protest in front of health minister Adrian Dix’s office to protest the removal of mandatory masks in healthcare settings. The group’s core demand is to “return universal masking protections to all healthcare settings in BC,” citing the airborne nature of COVID-19. A die-in protest refers to protestors lying on the floor to highlight how people are affected by death from a particular issue. Die-in protests have historically been used to advocate during the AIDS epidemic, anti-war protests, and environmentalist movements. 

Signs at the protest read: “Vulnerable lives are still worth protecting,” and “Masks save lives.” After lying down, protestors outlined their bodies in chalk and also wrote messages on the sidewalk: “COVID-19 is airborne,” and “Do no harm means don’t infect people.” An estimate of 40–50 people joined the event. All participants were asked to wear high-quality masks and stay home if they had any symptoms or exposure to illness, but were provided with online options to engage with the protest. 

DoNoHarmBC collected online responses to read out at the event to represent those who could not attend. They explained, “Many of the people most impacted wouldn’t be able to attend in-person, due to their health and the COVID-19 risk levels in BC right now. That’s why it was essential for us to welcome remote and online participation — and why our die-in featured body outlines, to represent all the missing people so often hidden from view.” The Peak spoke with two of the organizers for more information about the protest and advocacy work. 

Dr. Karina Zeidler, an organizer who is a family physician and co-founder of Protect Our Province BC said, “One of the most moving moments for me was seeing someone help their partner, with severe long COVID, out of the wheelchair that COVID-19 put them into, and onto the ground so they could draw their outline with chalk.”

Many statements included details of how patients and their loved ones are high-risk and have contracted COVID-19 in healthcare settings. Jay, who had received a major surgery explained, “It caused me unnecessary anxiety and stress to have to worry about catching an airborne virus out of surgery. Staff made comments on my choice to mask and nurses were unmasked in the hospital rooms I recovered in where there was no proper air filtration, despite knowing my medical history and vulnerabilities.” 

Another read: “My name is Sora. I am a 46-year old healthcare worker and was diagnosed with cancer in October 2021. While I was in treatment, my family and I did everything we could to protect me from COVID-19 exposure [ . . . ] Given the dire outcomes for patients who catch COVID-19 in the hospital, I find it difficult to express the depth of betrayal that I would have felt if masks had not still been universally required in healthcare settings in BC at the time of my surgery. I am recovered and back at work now. I always wear an N95 in the hospital because I refuse to be complicit in putting patients at risk.” 

DoNoHarmBC’s press release outlined how COVID-19 can spread through the air, even by those who are vaccinated or do not show symptoms. “All COVID-19 patients (including vaccinated adults and children) are potentially at risk of long-term health damage or death, though some groups are disproportionately affected. These risks multiply with each reinfection,” they explained. They also cited high levels of transmission in BC and ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in the province. 

Elaine Carol, an activist and organizer, explained, “Throughout the pandemic I’ve struggled to access healthcare.” She added, “To me, removing universal masking in healthcare was the last straw. I saw the announcement, and basically the first thing I did was tweet: Who wants to join me for a protest?

“I got an absolutely massive response from people all across BC. Before I knew it, we had over a dozen people lending their skillsets and resources organizing this — and it’s just taken off from there.” 

The decision to remove mandatory masks in healthcare settings was announced in early April, under the rationale that COVID-19 is not currently overwhelming the healthcare system. Multiple independent reports and BC wastewater data note that COVID-19 cases are increasing. The decision has prompted a statement from BC’s human rights commissioner, among others, who outlined concerns with the new policy — primarily that it “does not uphold a human rights-centred approach to public health.” 

Following the statement, Adrian Dix defended the policy change: “I think that Dr. Henry and her team always act with the most vulnerable in mind.” Carol noted “his response so far has been inadequate.” She explained Dix did not detail “how stripping away key safety measures could possibly benefit rather than endanger us. Nobody we’ve spoken to considers this response appropriate or sufficient — particularly not the vulnerable people Minister Dix and Dr. Henry claim to centre. We intend to let them know that.” 

DoNoHarmBC added, “The momentum is only growing, and we hear everyday from more people who want to be involved. One of my fellow organizers said something that stuck with me: “Much like COVID-19, political courage can be highly contagious.” In the end, so many people don’t have the choice not to care about this. Healthcare isn’t optional. Our safety isn’t optional. This is an issue of life and death and lifelong disability — for ourselves, and for the people we love.” 

You can read DoNoHarm’s collection of first-person stories here. To get involved, follow @DoNoHarmBC on Twitter.

New Music: Täbï Yösha teases debut EP with two sultry singles

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A photo of Yosha from her torso up from the side as she tilts her head back with her eyes closed and her hand on her chin in a sultry pose. She has sparkly blue eyeshadow and long lashes. She is wearing all black with a black hat with fringe falling daintily against her face, in front of a deep-red background.
PHOTO: Maxyme G. Delisle

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

As a trained singer and dancer, Täbï Yösha has long been a go-getter in Quebec’s music scene, collaborating with artists and dipping her toes in many genres. From jazz and classical to hip-hop to electro, her versatility has led to a blossoming career as a solo artist with a hazy neo-soul sound. Her passionate stage presence and memorable vocal flair caught the attention of beatmaker Suiker last fall, who tailored instrumentals for her next big project. 

“Pause” and “Vampire,” two fresh singles with colourful music videos, build anticipation for an exciting EP in the works. It’s no wonder COMPLEX named her one of “20 Canadian artists to watch in 2023.”  

Released on February 2, the upbeat dance single, “Pause,” explores being afraid to fall in love. The song’s disco groove paired with Yösha’s jazzy vocals makes for a smooth and silky sound. The lyrics carry vulnerability with self-assurance: Lyrics like, “You wanted quantity, I wanted quality” demonstrate Yösha’s ability to know her worth. The music video places Yösha where she belongs: on a colour-coated dancefloor.

The release of “Vampire” on March 9 somehow manages to one-up Yösha’s vocal performance in “Pause,” which is a major feat. The francophone track deals with a one-way connection with a fluid and airy delivery that moves slow and heavy like honey. The music video fittingly features Yösha in a dimly-lit red glow. If you love Kali Uchis or Amy Winehouse, you’ll fall in love with the seductive, smoky atmosphere of “Vampire.”

The beauty and genuineness of Yösha’s creative process is demonstrated by the fact that “Pause” was spontaneously written in the studio, and “Vampire” was “written at 6:00 a.m. after a heated discussion.” It shows Yösha wastes no time confronting her thoughts and sentiments in the moment, which is reflected in every note and line.

Follow Yösha on Instagram at @tabi_yosha and keep an eye out for the announcement of her upcoming EP. For more of the best up-and-coming Canadian talent, listen to The Peak’s regularly-updated “Peak Discovery” playlist on our Spotify profile, peaksfu.

In Case You Missed It: Obasan by Joy Kogawa

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Image of the book cover of Obasan. The title is white in a large serif font with a red line under it and the author’s name written in a smaller font underneath. The photo behind the text is of a Japanese child looking out a train window. She is wearing a red blouse with a round white collar.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Penguin books

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer

Content Warning: Discussions of Japanese internment camps and racism.

As a student who’s taken their fair share of Communication and English courses, I’m no stranger to digging around large bodies of literature in search of deeper meanings. To me, looking for literary metaphors is like looking into a stagnant lake and trying to find fish; most of the time, I only end up seeing myself reflected on the surface. I was writing a brief summary about Joy Kogawa’s Obasan when I had an interesting thought about what this kind of novel means for Asian Heritage Month in Canada. 

It’s important to note I am writing from a Chinese Canadian perspective, and can empathize with similar cultural experiences. However, I understand my experiences will be different from those experienced by Japanese Canadians, as differences in Asian diasporas will impact the ways we encounter life. 

Kogawa is a Japanese Canadian poet and author who was born in 1935 in Vancouver, BC. At the age of six, Kogawa and her family were placed in a Japanese internment camp, and the experiences there informed the narratives she writes about in her novel. The book centres around the struggles of Japanese Canadians during and after their time in the internment camps. Despite being written in 1981, this book still serves as a reminder of the chilling chapters of history Canada has tried to keep hidden — some that should never be forgotten. 

Obasan follows Naomi Nakane, a grade-school teacher whose family was separated by the displacement created by internment camps. After her uncle passes away, Naomi is tasked with taking care of her aunt (obasan in Japanese). Living with obasan opens Naomi’s eyes to the pain caused by internment camps — not just to her obasan, but others in the family, including herself. 

A major plot point in Kogawa’s novel is obasan’s reluctance to discuss her experiences in the internment camp. Her resistance towards topics close to the camps made me consider how many other Japanese Canadians may be living the same way. As I read, Kogawa’s novel became a lake, in which I saw the fish, as well as my reflection. From my experience, a common characteristic in Asian households is a determination to appear as strong as possible on the outside. This often means bottling up any feelings of pain or hurt, mostly because we want to be as little of a burden as possible. 

I considered this in regard to a trope often seen in various media — that of the model minority myth. This stereotype views individuals of Asian descent as being smart, mathematically-inclined, straight-‘A’ students. More often than not, this also includes depictions of Asians, particularly women, as meek and submissive. In short, some attribute Asians as being “self-sufficient” and taking things with “cold detachment.” These people assume such harsh experiences have no emotional effects on our communities. 

While it may seem easy to say stereotypes are based on false characteristics and shouldn’t be taken seriously, it occurred to me that there are some in Asian diasporic communities who were forced to be silent about their experiences as a means of survival. Reading this novel, I wondered how many Japanese elders have refrained from talking about these traumatic experiences because they don’t want to cause trouble for their descendants. 

Kogawa “did not want to be thought of as Japanese” and, like many other Japanese Canadians, attempted to think of herself as “a white person” in order to “forget the painful past.” It wasn’t until she read letters written by another Japanese Canadian woman when Kogawa realized that forgetting can be just as harmful as remembering. 

Through the surface of the lake, as well as obasan’s memories, the purpose of Kogawa’s text became clear — in Kogawa’s words: “Where do any of us come from in this cold country? Oh Canada, whether you admitted it or not, we come from you, we come from you. From the same soil, the slugs and slime and bogs and twigs and roots. We come from the country that plucks its people out like weeds and flings them into the roadside.”

Purchase Obasan online at Massy Books’ website: storestock.massybooks.com.

Tell us your Renaissance order, and we’ll tell you what your Hinge bio should be

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Cropped photo of couple toasting with disposable coffee cups
PHOTO: Yelena Odintsova / Pexels

By: Maya Beninteso, Peak Associate

Large upside-down iced caramel macchiato with white mocha syrup instead of vanilla and the cup lined with caramel drizzle

People would often describe you as a (perpetually sugar-high) kid at heart. You’re always looking for a good time, and your profile immediately gives that impression. Your bio is full of very original flirty lines, your favourite being: “Yes, I will take some coffee with my sugar so long as you give me some, too, wink wink.” 

Profile Highlights:

Occupation: Fun-Haver  
Height: 5’5.5” (yes, the additional half inch is important)
Location: Wanderer <3
Looking for: You know what I’m looking for 😉 

Two truths and a lie

  • I’ve been kicked out of a coffee shop for making too many modifications
  • I accidentally sent the wrong version of my essay to my English TA that included “that’s what she said,” in brackets following Shakespeare quotes that sounded dirty
  • I’ve never been kicked out of an English class

The key to my heart is:

  • Being my karaoke partner (yes, we will be singing Disney duets)

Straight espresso

The first word that comes to mind when anyone views your Hinge profile? Chaotic. You are relentlessly efficient, yet have a mess of a bedroom not even Marie Kondo would dare to touch (you should probably clear your semi-clean clothes from the chair before any Netflix and Chilling). Your profile reads like a business proposal because, let’s be honest, you aren’t down to play the ever-pleasant game of “What are we?”

Profile Highlights:

Occupation: Student, Teaching Assistant  
Height: 6’0” (no, I’m not 5’11”)
Location: WAC Bennett Library
Looking for: My Forever Person

Guess my secret talent:

  • Hypothesizing what questions will be on an upcoming exam
  • Making my bedroom disappear with piles of clothes 
  • Kicking out students that write inappropriate comments on their English essay
  • All of the above 

My dream home must include:

  • A quill pen and ink
  • A grand library 
  • Our marriage certificate, signed 

Audio clip: A clip of my podcast, “Ode to the Google Calendar.” 

Small leaf tea (in your own cup)

Ah, yes, a calming tea for a calm person. Wrong. Don’t be fooled by the choice of beverage; you couldn’t find inner peace if it were pinned on Google Maps. If the internal locus of control had a Hinge profile, it would look identical to yours. You despise the saying “everything happens for a reason,” and take no chances when it comes to finding love (or bringing awareness to climate change). You background check every single one of your matches and think of all the possible ways it could go wrong — not because of personal experience, of course.

Profile Highlights:

Occupation: Volunteer with Climate Action Network Canada
Height: 5’2”
Location: Vancouver, BC
Looking for: Anyone but Randy

I’m obsessed with (in this particular order):

  • Revenge

Randy, if you’re reading this, which I bet you aren’t because you probably think this is “too long,” you better stop changing my streaming service passwords, or else I’ll tell your mom what REALLY happened between us (P.S. your PlayStation 5 is having a fun little bathtime right now). 

  • Sustainabili-tea

I’m weirdly attracted to:

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society