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Final Analysis Paper: The Lorax

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Peak Web
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Student studying at a desk late at night
PHOTO: Kulik Stepan / Pexels

By: Gabriel Kitsos, SFU student

Bryan Smith
English 110
15/04/2022
Prof. thomas murphy

Final Analysis Paper: The Lorax

It goes without saying that for my historical literature analysis I have chosen to write about The Lorax. Basically, my thesis is that The Lorax was a massive bummer and the commodity over the people who needed the oxigen (Supply chane). From reading the book I’ve learned a lot about my own life and flaws and never to judge a book by its cover. From watching the movie (start to finish btw) I learned that taylor swift also voice acts. I personally enjoy listen to rap but taylor swift has peaked my interest since reading The lorax. And I may include her in my gym playlist. The book was Originally published: June 23, 1971 which is actually 5 days before Elon Musk’s birthday who once said “I am late to the party but I am a supporter of Bitcoin.”. From using the equation ((birthday year)-(Current year)=(how many years old something is)) which makes the book 43 years old this summer!

At the end of the day the inflation in the book was seriously not good because the commodification of oxygen made it really tough for people. The merriam-webster dictionary defines oxygen as “a chemical element that constitutes 21 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere, that is capable of combining with all elements except some noble gases, that is active in physiological processes of almost all known organisms, and that is involved especially in combustion” This is bad because as Dr. Seuss says in the book, “No one can sing who has smog in his throat.” Its mostly Gross Domestic Product in this marginal analysis and its a dog ate dog world. In a nutshell this was really bad but its really true, but in conclution I have learned a lot while also growing. All in all I learned there’s no i in “ “TEAM” furthermore, to put it all together this book has shaped me into the man I am today. great book! THANK YOU

 Works Cited

The Lorax
The merriam-webster.com dictionary
Top 7 economics phrases you need to know

P.s I know I didn’t write the proper word count but I really need this W credit so as the saying goes I am willing to scratch your back if you can give me a passing grade.

Questions first-time tattoo getters have

By
Peak Web
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A photo of a coloured tattoo that flows from the back of their neck and down their spine. The tattoo is an East-Asian style charm made up of red string with tassels and beautiful floral knots. The string is tied to a jade ring, small beads, and a miniature framed photo of a tree with a branch emerging out of the photo behind a blue background.
PHOTO: Nhat Truong

By: Isabella Urbani, Staff Writer

I didn’t like my tattoos when I first got them. A week later, I was Googling “tattoo removal near me,” and scouring Reddit to see if other people’s tattoos looked as crooked as I thought mine did. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I thought I was alone until I found an article about another person hating their tattoo — not hating it for the quality, but hating the reality that tattoos fade. They don’t ever look as they do online or when you first see them in the mirror yourself. 

I knew this before I sat down in the tattoo chair, but I still naïvely assumed my tattoos wouldn’t fade. Nhat Truong, a tattoo artist in Vancouver, is here to tell you that’s not the case. “When you see a tattoo photo online, it’s taken when fresh. Some styles and sizes look great when they just got done but won’t age well over time,” she said. Truong also shared more of the most common concerns people have about their first tattoos. 

“Can I get it as small as possible?” 

Your tattoo artist will print out your tattoo in multiple sizes for you to choose from. I spent three hours getting three tattoos (two small and one medium) at my first appointment. Two of those three hours were spent just talking through placement and sizing. I really love the daintiness of fine-line tattoos. Truong said the problem with going smaller is, “you need the tattoo to fit well with your body,” and stressed the importance of being open to different sizes. 

My tattoo artist explained to me that the smaller the tattoo is or the details on the tattoo are, the faster it will fade. Since one of my tattoos was just script, the smaller I went, the more indistinguishable it would be over time. Take as much time as you need to come to terms with a size that you like. The decision is up to you, but no matter how much you’re committed to a certain style, be sure to listen to the advice your artist recommends. 

“I’m thinking of getting it on my hand” 

I, too, was in this boat up until the moment I was in the tattoo chair. Finger tattoos have skyrocketed in popularity as of late, and so have people’s interests in getting one. I was wisely advised by my tattoo artist to try another spot for my first tattoo. Traditionally, finger tattoos are done as the finishing touch to an arm sleeve. 

Some other first-time tattoo placement no-nos? Truong says to avoid your neck, sternum, or chest. “I think it’s nice to start with limbs (arm and legs), as it’s easy in terms of pain and skin texture is great,” she said. 

“Should my tattoo face me or others?”

I knew which tattoos I wanted to receive months in advance, and it never once dawned on me whether they should be facing towards me or other people. Truong says it ultimately depends on you and the tattoos. “If it’s a reminder for yourself, by all means, [position it whichever] way you can read [it],” she said. “Most of the time, it’s more natural facing a way that others can read.” I elected to have my two small tattoos on my wrist facing me because they serve as reminders for myself. 

“Why does my tattoo not look straight?”

This is a question I still grapple with, and is why tattoo placement is super important. If you have a bicep tattoo, like myself, it won’t look straight no matter what you do when you turn your arm. So, you’ll have to choose when you want it to look straight. For me, I wanted it to be straight when I laid down so that I could read what the tattoo said. But as a result, when I place my arms by my side, the tattoo is slightly diagonal. When your tattoo artist puts the stencil on you, you’ll have time to look in a mirror to see how it looks. Take the time to ensure you like the way it looks from all angles, but understand that if you’re hung up on it not being 100% straight in certain positions, you’ll never be satisfied.

“How do I take care of my tattoo?” 

Aftercare is a huge factor in extending the longevity of your tattoo! Once your tattoo is complete, your artist will likely wrap it up in something called “second skin,” which has a similar appearance to saran wrap. Leave that on your skin for two to three days. Taking it off is a challenge, and yes, there is a right way to do it. I found that out when the skin around my tattoo looked like a rash. Truong recommends “[pulling] the corner in one direction” while showering to make it a bit easier. Once off, make sure you moisturize your tattoo with fragrance-free lotion after you shower, and don’t forget to apply sunscreen! 

“What does a tattoo feel like?” 

As someone who has tattoos, the best way I can try to explain it is by describing what’s happening: multiple needles are being pierced into your skin. Okay, maybe scratch that. While everyone is different, Truong describes getting a tattoo as “uncomfortable rather than painful.” Some areas like your sternum, ribs, elbows and knees are going to be more uncomfortable than others. Generally, after a few minutes in, you get used to the pain, and believe it or not, forget you’re getting a tattoo until your artist goes over a sensitive spot. Personally, I like to go to sleep!

Follow Truong on Instagram at @nat.thetatt to see more of their Asian-fusion style designs and book an appointment via direct message.

How to spend a summer day in Vancouver

By
Peak Web
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0
Aerial view of island with Lions Gate Bridge in foreground
PHOTO: Lee Robinson / Unsplash

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer

Cherry blossoms are blooming, the rain is fading, and we can finally leave the house without a thick puffer jacket on. You know what that means — eat, sleep, beach, repeat! While there’s certainly no shortage of activities to partake in every summer in BC, there are many “classic” Lower Mainland activities that you’ve probably already done in previous summers. If you’re looking for a summer bucket list that’s more than just the PNE, Richmond Night Market, and Granville Island, you’ve come to the right place! 

THE MORNING JOLT 

Start your day off right with a jolt of caffeine accompanied by some sweet summer views! From North Vancouver to Coquitlam, there’s a bountiful supply of Cafés where you can sit back and study the beauty of nature before your own eyes. You can enjoy your drink while walking by the scenic shores. Here’s a few places I’d recommend. 

Crema Café Bar in West Vancouver is a great place to get your day started with an oceanside walk. Similarly, Convivial Café and Bakery in Olympic Village will treat you to more than just a coffee and pastry, but the busy energy of a waking city as well. 

Steveston is home to both Rocanini Coffee Roasters and Sanctuary Café, while travelling further south to White Rock will bring you to Finlay’s East Beach Café. Enjoy the beach at all these locations while sipping on an iced latte!

While New Westminster is home to many waterfront coffee shops, Craft Café and Hive Café are two that stand out. In Craft Café you can both get the “best cup of coffee of New West,” and buy art supplies or attend a workshop. Hive Café offers a more traditional experience, but they offer a wide variety of baked goods, sandwiches, and unique beverages, making it a required stop if you’re in the area. 

 BRUNCH WITH A VIEW 

If taking the mornings slow is more your jam, then no worries — we’ve got you covered. These places serve up mouth-watering brunches that range from classics like eggs benedict to a unique brunch charcuterie board (found at Hard Bean). Try these delicious dishes on any of these restaurants’ patios. The combination of nature and good food is sure to make for a great start to your day!

If you find yourself anywhere near Yaletown’s Quayside Marina, be sure to check out the infamous Over Easy Breakfast Co. before taking a stroll around David Lam Park. Continuing west, while walking along the water, will take you to CRAFT Beer Market, located by English Bay. 

Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar is located within North Vancouver’s Shipyards and is home to a beautiful waterfront balcony as well as some delicious eggs benedict. Moving a little east to Deep Cove, you’ll find Arms Reach Bistro, where you can enjoy brunch before taking a paddle out on the water. 

Heading further into the South Cambie area will bring you to Queen Elizabeth Park, which boasts the highly touted Seasons in the Park. Dining here will treat you to spectacular views of both the city and its natural surroundings. 

On the edges of the Delta area and overlooking part of the Fraser River is RiverHouse Restaurant, Pub & Marina. Be sure to stop by if you’re looking for a casual dining experience with a pretty view of the water.    

Craving the view of the water without the bustle of Downtown Vancouver? West Beach Bar and Grill and Foodish Café in White Rock provide the soft churning of ocean waves with a smaller slice of privacy than the main areas in Vancouver. 

Angelina’s Dutch Corner in New Westminster provides Dutch classics such as Pannekoeken and Dutch-style Omelettes. Psst — they also serve dinner now, so be sure to check out their specialty: fish and chips! 

Finally, if you’re stuck in the Tri-Cities, that being Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Port Coquitlam, be sure to try On and Off Kitchen + Bar in Coquitlam for their wide spread of brunch time favourites. Or, if you’re new to the Port Moody area, check out The Hard Bean Brunch Co. for their fun twists on breakfast classics.  

SUPPORT LOCAL SPORTS 

While the ever-popular Vancouver Canucks are currently hitting the links, there are still a few summer sports that you can check out. Soccer, baseball, and football are all still active right now, with Vancouver’s respective teams all playing sometime this summer. 

With their season having started back in February, the Vancouver Whitecaps will be playing until October, which means there will be plenty of games to check out during the summer. Their Flex Pass lets you buy tickets to three different games for as low as $66, while the average ticket price per game averages around $30. 

Vancouver’s Northwest League baseball team, the Vancouver Canadians, will have games running until the start of September. Tickets for these can range from $20–32, with the option to purchase various Flex Packs that can provide further discounts. If you’re looking for a fun activity that will accommodate a big group, this is the sport for you! 

Coming off a trip to the western final, the BC Lions look to improve upon their previous season and pursue their seventh Grey Cup. Their first home preseason game is expected to be on June 1, which will see them match up against the Calgary Stampeders. The Lions’ regular season starts on the road, with their first game at BC Place to be played on June 17 against the Edmonton Elks. 

MONTHS OF MUSIC 

Whether hosted at Rogers Arena or the Commodore Ballroom, there’s a plethora of concerts to enjoy this summer. We’ve seen the likes of Jackson Wang and Shania Twain perform in the Lower Mainland recently, and luckily, there’s still plenty heading our way. From Matchbox Twenty to Drake, here’s a brief list of artists coming to Vancouver this summer.   

In May, you can catch Matchbox Twenty on the 16, Kali Uchis on the 23, Luke Combs or Ebi on the 27, and Tove Lo on the 29. 

June boasts a variety of musical genres, such as A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie on June 10 or 11, Seal on the 14, Louis Tomlinson on the 26, Blink-182 on the 27, and Nickelback on the 28. 

Kicking off concerts in July is Charlie Puth on the 3. Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Too $hort & More perform on July 7,  Madonna on the 15, and Tears for Fears on the 24. 

Perhaps the busiest summer month for concerts, August is kicked off by Rod Stweart and Cheap Trick, who are in town on August 12. Sam Smith performs on the 22, NF on the 23, Vance Joy on the 25, and Cigarettes After Sex on the 27 and 28. Drake closes out this summer’s list of concerts with a performance on the 28. 

LOTS TO WATCH 

One of the most entertaining ways to enjoy Vancouver’s outdoors is to take it in alongside a movie or performance. The Summer Cinema at Stanley Park will be running again this year at Second Beach, and while their movie schedule is currently to-be-determined, last year’s showings featured the likes of The Lion King, Jurassic Park, and Grease. 

Want to catch a movie without the hassle of leaving your car? Check out Langley’s Twilight Drive-In for some older classics and retro vibes. Their on-site concession includes movie classics such as popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, and even poutine. 

If live performances are more of your jam, then be sure to check out Theatre Under the Stars, which takes place at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. This year, TUTS is producing The Prom and Matilda, with both musicals expected to run from July 6 to August 26. 

For my fellow literature aficionados — Bard on the Beach will return for its 34th season, incorporating a Beatles-esque spin on a Shakespearean classic, As You Like It (running from June 8 to September 30). Plays that will also be featured are Julius Caesar (from June 15 to September 24), Henry V (June 28 to August 13), as well as a goblin-inspired showing of Macbeth (August 19 to September 17).    

DOWN BY THE BAY 

The Lower Mainland is a place with ample opportunities to get out by the water, whether that’s by paddleboard, canoe, or hike. 

Kitsilano Beach is always a classic for beach sports and tanning. If you find Kits is too busy, continuing west will lead you to Jericho Beach Park, Locarno Beach, and Spanish Banks.   

West Vancouver’s Lighthouse Park will treat you to a rewarding seaside hike that can be easily-traversed if any of your furry friends want to join. About 20 minutes away is Whytecliff Park, a place where you can take the perfect summer-vibe Instagram pics. 

Iona Beach Regional Park is home to some of the nicest views in the Lower Mainland. Catching the sunset here can be made all-the-more better by shopping the deals at the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet beforehand. 

If you’re looking for a place to enjoy some sweet snacks while out on the water, try visiting Deep Cove and Honey’s Donuts — they’re Kate Winslet’s favourite, too! (Just don’t let her anywhere near your boat . . . we all know how that ended last time). 

Those that live in Port Moody are no strangers to Rocky Point, which provides kayak rental services, a brewers row, and their beloved ice cream shop. Belcarra Regional Park and White Pine Beach are also favourites located near the Port Moody area, especially due to the buses that stop there. All of these places do tend to get busy pretty quickly, so be sure to head up early and claim your spot!  

We need masks in healthcare settings

By
Peak Web
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0
A healthcare provider sitting in a hospital, wearing a head strap N95 mask.
PHOTO: Amir Arabshahi / Unsplash

By: Michelle Young, Opinions Editor

As of April 6, masks are no longer mandatory in healthcare settings. As one of the only settings in BC to have pandemic precautions, the decision is needlessly harmful and irresponsible. It puts those who require access to healthcare settings — like vulnerable patients — at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and other airborne diseases. Walking into a healthcare facility and potentially contracting COVID-19 shouldn’t be something anyone has to worry about. If masks are to be mandated anywhere, healthcare settings should be the place. 

Following the removal of this basic precaution against airborne illness, COVID-19 outbreaks have already sprung up across the province. This is completely avoidable, and yet with our Provincial Health Officer’s insistence in prematurely removing pandemic precautions — once again, disease is spread needlessly, and will affect those who are vulnerable to COVID-19 the most. 

On March 30, CTV News reported that COVID-19 hospitalizations were at their highest since January. Why, then, a week later, are masks being dropped from healthcare settings? Henry argues we are at a place where COVID-19 is “manageable” to the healthcare system — should we then bring back smoking in all public spaces because the levels of lung cancer are manageable to the healthcare system? No, of course not, because preventive care is key to the health of the population and it would negatively impact those with asthma and other health conditions. 

The hospital is supposed to be a safe setting, with a duty to protect its patients. Hospitals, if anyone was unaware, are full of people who are already being treated for illnesses. Exposing patients to a very infectious disease, when COVID-19 cases are high, is both irresponsible and ethically questionable. Various hospitals have now begun asking patients to stay home if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms. If sick people cannot go to the hospital, or must delay treatment and care, where are they supposed to go? The universal use of masks in healthcare settings would drastically decrease the amount of airborne disease, and it’s an easy preventative measure. 

Our healthcare officials are playing pretend — acting as if they care about the elderly, disabled folks, immunocompromised people, and healthcare workers. They have consistently kept the public uninformed about long-term COVID-19 risks and transmission, and they are shameless in ignoring the voices of those who are most affected. 

Despite an in-person protest, a nation-wide petition with over 27,000 signatures, and a condemnation from BC’s human rights commissioner on the decision — Minister of Health Adrian Dix has the audacity to defend their policies and continue to emphasize the “vaccine-only” approach in BC. It’s clear he isn’t listening. Vaccines alone are also currently insufficient: booster uptake is low, COVID-19 can still be transmitted while vaccinated and asymptomatic, and reinfections continue to harm the health of many — even those who were previously healthy. Vaccines themselves are important to reduce the severity of acute COVID-19, but they play a very small role in reducing the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the vascular system. 

Henry says, “masks may be required in high-risk situations where a patient is vulnerable to infectious diseases.” This completely falls apart at a closer look — what is a high-risk situation? Who is being defined as high-risk? Even under this criteria, masks only might be required. One-way masking isn’t as effective as universal masking, and in many cases, patients cannot wear a mask due to the type of care they’re receiving. 

I need to access healthcare, but getting blood tests and ultrasounds will likely not be considered high-risk settings. How would the technician know if I had chronic illness or disability? They wouldn’t, and even if they did, I likely still wouldn’t qualify as high-risk. Even if I was entirely able-bodied, I shouldn’t be exposed to this disease needlessly. How would they know if I have high-risk family members? They won’t. I can ask people to put on a mask, but this puts me in a situation of potentially upsetting the person who is providing care to me. At the time of publication, I’ll be in surgery — one that I’ve been on the waitlist for for nearly a year — and crossing my fingers that I don’t come out of recovery with a COVID-19 infection. 

Patients shouldn’t need to advocate for themselves, and disabled folks already face high levels of healthcare bias. Now, patients have to worry about acquiring an extremely infectious virus that has the potential to leave them with long-term health consequences? 

Henry has consistently spoken about “wearing masks where and when it makes sense.” Despite COVID-19 cases increasing, and active outbreaks in BC, she has removed the simplest protection against airborne illness. This does not make sense. 

COVID-19 is not new. It has been circulating for years, and we now have the knowledge to easily reduce transmission. It is so simple — and yet our health officials refuse to do the bare minimum to protect our health.

SFU paleobotanist discovers ancient fossils on Burnaby Mountain

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Peak Web
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Photographs of Dr. Rolf Mathewes, a paleobotanist at SFU, next to a large wall of rock and sediments
PHOTO: Rolf Mathewes / The Peak

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

New research from SFU paleoecologist Dr. Rolf Mathewes reveals evidence for what the geography and plant life on Burnaby Mountain would have looked like over 40-million years ago. When Mathewes was an SFU undergraduate, he discovered ancient plant fossils on Burnaby Mountain with his mentor, Dr. Robert Brooke, whom Mathewes’ most recent paper is dedicated to. 

“At the time we collected them, neither I nor Dr. Brooke [ . . . ] knew what they were. Neither one of us was a paleobotanist. So we collected these things [. . . ] and we boxed them up, and put them away,” Mathewes said in an interview with The Peak. “It’s quite a small collection, because it was only collected over a few days when we were just poking around in 1967.”

Mathewes said the fossils he identified were a part of the late Eocene period, or “one of the longest recent geological periods,” that stretched from 54-million years ago to around 34-million years ago. Because the Eocene was pre-Ice Age, it saw a warm climate, and the plants of the period were adapted to tropical temperatures. “We know palms were actually fairly common in this area during the Eocene [ . . . ] in tropical or subtropical conditions.” 

The main method Mathewes used to conduct research for his most recent paper was comparing known fossils to current plants and environments. “There are a number of publications where people have studied sites, like the Puget Group near and around Seattle [ . . . ]  we had found some close connections between the Puget Group around Seattle and Burnaby Mountain fossils, which wasn’t really known before,” Mathewes explained. “If I find similar fossils, it gives me an idea of where they should fit in the geological time scale. So you do it by association with known fossils and sites that have been better studied, so the ages are almost always an estimate.”

Mathewes is also interested in paleoecology, the science of analyzing historic environments. By looking at environmental conditions of the past, we can predict future conditions. “Plants are the best indicators of climates of the past, because plants are very closely aligned to what the climates are: palm trees are only aligned with tropical conditions, that sort of thing.” 

Mathewes explained that plants can also indicate any disturbances they have faced, like fires or earthquakes. “We’ve used pollen spores on coastlines [ . . . ] on previous big earthquake events here, the big ones, and that can be done by looking at sudden submergences, where vegetation changes from upland shrubs to suddenly being intertidal, indicting that the land had shrunk, or the sea-level had suddenly risen.” 

Mathewes’ is also focused on palynology, or the study of pollen fossils. “That’s my speciality, actually, working with the things you can’t see [ . . . ]  That’s actually the best way to look into the past, because when I’m looking at a slide from 40-million year old rocks at Burnaby Mountain, I’m looking into the past.” 

“There’s a lot to be done with the microfossils, but everybody is focused, of course, on the leaf fossils and there’s always two questions, whenever I show somebody a fossil, the first two questions are always: ‘what is it?’ and ‘how old is it?’ And both of those are not easy to answer.”

SFU researchers join the fight against treatment-resistant bacteria

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Peak Web
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A gloved hand conducting research in a lab setting
PHOTO: Andrew Hays / Unsplash

By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

Assistant professor Dr. Amy Lee from SFU’s department of molecular biology and biochemistry is leading a research project to study how superbugs evolve, and their potential effective treatments. Superbugs can be “strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics.” The concern over superbugs is significant due to how viruses evolve and become stronger, thus having further negative effects on humans.

The purpose of the study is “to understand how bacteria develop resistance because that makes the drug ineffective,” according to SFU News. 

The research will study the genes of superbugs using “current sequencing technologies and computation analysis to discover new drug targets,” ultimately fighting the occurring infections, said SFU alumni Venus Lau, another research team member. 

Researchers’ current focus is between treatments against superbugs, like antivirulence and antibiotics, to fight bacterial infections. When antibiotics are taken to fight infections, the bacteria which aid the immune system and human body are also attacked. This can cause more negative than positive outcomes. SFU professor Dr. Patrick Taylor discussed how antivirulence treatments can reduce harmful bacteria by focusing on the effect of antibiotics on the human body. At the same time, patients recover without negative consequences. 

Antivirulence drugs are increasingly being developed as they are in heavy demand. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported over 700,000 deaths that are caused by “drug-resistant diseases,” leading the WHO to name antibiotic resistance to be a global health threat. 

Guide to chasing success this summer semester

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Peak Web
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A blackboard with “SUCCESS go get it” written on it with white chalk
PHOTO: Gerd Altmann / Pexels

By: Hana Hoffman, Peak Associate

Before jumping into a new semester, I advise you to stay on this page and quickly review these school survival tips. I was a university student just like you — I’ve been through the grind and felt the struggle, but I’ve also learned how to deal with these challenges. I’m honoured to share my advice to help you all maximize your academic and personal potential this term. I recommend using this as a checklist. 🙂

The Commencement

  • It may not be April Fools’ Day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put on a show! Sneak into your classrooms when there’s no one there, drop a banana peel for people to slip on, put whoopie cushions on some chairs, adjust the analog clock to an incorrect time, and draw your favourite Sonic X characters on the whiteboard along with whatever message you want to tell your class. That’s how to properly start the first day of the semester. 😉
  • Always put your homies first. Don’t bother connecting with people in your class if they’re just gonna do their homework all the time. Instead, invite your buddies to lectures and play Fortnite on your laptops.
  • Choose your unique style for the semester’s assignments — your go-to font type, colour schemes, emojis, etc. Do you really think TAs enjoy reading the same boring 11-point Times New Roman typed papers over and over again? Personally, I like to use Comic Sans in red, highlight important sentences in green, and use my favourite colour, pink, for my name and title. Be sure to insert plenty of emojis and gifs to help your TA better visualize your writing.

The Mid-Term Crisis

  • Play Pokémon Go wherever you go. All three of SFU’s campuses are gigantic. There are many hidden Pokémon to capture, which will make you feel accomplished and give you self-confidence you can transfer into your studies.
  • Deadlines don’t really mean anything if you take advantage of every realistic excuse. Have you tried saying, “I slipped down the wet campus stairs and got a concussion,” or “I haven’t been able to log into SFU canvas because my phone was stolen, and I can’t get through the multi-factor authentication?” Besides, it ain’t like TAs will mark everybody’s assignment right at 12 a.m. on SFU Canvas.
  • In addition, word minimums don’t mean anything, either. The world would go nowhere if humans only ever put quantity before quality. For instance, would you rather buy 30 rotten apples or 1 ripe apple? Only one of these answers will allow you to feed yourself to survive. It’s the same with writing papers. Handing in two thousand words of uselessness is worse than two hundred words of making a point.
  • Don’t waste your precious time during lectures; find side tasks to get things done quicker. In one class, I could watch an anime episode, complete a few Duolingo lessons, do some online shopping, listen to new songs on Spotify, and text my friends to make lunch plans. What’s the point of trying to pay attention to the professor when you know you’ll be daydreaming the entire time?
  • As university students, we’re always low on time. We need everything to be instant, so we must rely on AI to do all the work for us, cup noodles to make our meals in 3 minutes, and Instagram to satisfy our entertainment needs instantly.

The End Game / Grand Finale 🏁

  • Keep calm and slay on!
  • Pull the fire alarm before every exam you didn’t prepare for and turn the school into an absolute mess! Water will spray on all the test papers, leaving your professor and classmates soaked. Causing a postponement of an exam will make you a hero. 
  • Stuck on an exam question? Don’t worry! Just use your creativity to make something up. Draw a nice picture if you have the chance.
  • Procrastinated on your final paper? Not a problem. Copying and pasting some random essay you found online will do just fine, but it’s more fun to write a story! 

I’m sure your professor would love to read something entertaining and unique rather than a bunch of information they probably already know about. No word count requirements, no topic restrictions, just you, yourself, and your super duper awesome imagination.

And that’s it. You’ll be done with school before you know it!

Whose safety is prioritized by clearing encampments?

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Peak Web
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A traffic light on East Hastings street.
PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer

During the spring term, I spent most of my semester at SFU’s Harbour Centre, which made me familiar with the atmosphere around Waterfront Station. Seeing the street performers play instruments outside the station’s doors and watching the bustling city while heading to classes at Harbour Centre became comfortable. I never questioned my own safety — but maybe it wasn’t my safety I should have been questioning. 

On the morning of April 5, Vancouver workers and police began removing encampments located in the Downtown Eastside. This included disposing of the belongings of those who call these tents their homes. Surrounding areas were blocked off, with buses rerouted to keep people out. That morning, the streets seemed emptier than usual, and the performers disappeared from their usual perches. The city shouldn’t have cleared these encampments, especially at the hostility and rate they did it at. Clearing these encampments abandons the safety of those living within them, and only leaves them more vulnerable. 

The city encouraged those affected by the decampment to seek shelters for help, despite many already being full prior to the clearing. There wasn’t anywhere else to go. Even if there were, there have been multiple reports that these spaces are ridden with pests, crime, and abuse — issues that need to be fixed for shelters to be a viable alternative. 

One of the key justifications for the sweep is that the Downtown Eastside will be “safer” without the encampments. The city predicts that without unhoused people living in these areas, crime and fire hazards will be reduced. However, tent cities themselves have not been shown to correlate with crime. Instead, the unhoused are “more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to commit such crimes.” Further, the size of these spaces “are not associated with increases in property crime, on average.” 

Disposing tents plays into a game of power and control. The city claims the removal of those who live in encampments and their belongings will create better public safety — but the people that live here still exist. If the Downtown Eastside is prohibited as their living space, unhoused people will find somewhere else to set up — and this often pushes them into even less safe areas. Women are being left especially vulnerable as tents themselves have been confiscated.  

Instead of putting efforts towards clearing encampments every few years, the city should seek to develop long-term housing solutions. Creating safe spaces for the unhoused to live would ensure the people who find shelter here can get the help that they need. And the federal government should help fund this — the weight of systemic issues can’t be solved solely by non-profits. Small steps towards this plan have been taken, as 89 housing units for the unhoused are undergoing construction. But who decides who gets to live in these units? It’s far from a permanent solution. 

When we imprint on a home, we make it our own — whether that space is a house or a tent. Exercising power by forcibly removing someone from their shelter is devastating. Listening to my professor lecture about power and politics while hearing faint police sirens in the background — I thought about how I was safe behind closed doors — but the people outside weren’t. 

To access resources for the unhoused, please go to the online version of this article. 

Resources for the unhoused: 

Shelter directory: View available shelters across BC, with the ability to specify women-only and family shelters. 

Downtown Eastside Women’s Center: Drop-in centre provides access to meals, clothes, phone/internet, washrooms, menstrual products, and harm reduction supplies. Welcome to cisgender, transgender, and Two-Spirit women. 

WISH Drop-In Centre Society: For current or former sex workers, WISH provides access to a meal, shower, first aid, and menstrual products, among others. They also have a 24/7 emergency shelter.  

This is me . . . Period: Distributes menstrual products for those who are unhoused or are at-risk of being unhoused.

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society: Provides a variety of programs to Indigenous peoples, such as the Homelessness Prevention Program, Weekly Bread Delivery, Reaching Home Program, and SKEENA Transition House Program.

SFU professor discusses migrant and plant displacement

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Peak Web
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Darkly lit photo of a floating globe resting on top of a hand.
PHOTO: Greg Rosenke / Unsplash

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

Author and SFU English professor Stephen Collis commonly makes a pilgrimage across England in the summer months. These walks, known as the Refugee Tales, inspired by The Canterbury Tales, have occurred since 2015. They walk in solidarity against immigrant detention, focusing on the endless cycle of rejection, transience, and uprootedness immigrants face. To explain, Collis uses the term, “the middle,” to showcase the status of immigrants. He explains that the middle is “a space of almost perpetual mobility, where the go between — goes between — as well as the space of possibility [ . . . ] but we so rarely stop to consider what we are in the shifting middle of.” 

Collis explored the importance of the Refugee Tales in a recent lecture, Middle of the Middle, hosted by SFU. He described the “complete redistribution of life on earth,” immigration, climate change, war, and violence, while using allusions to Dante’s Inferno, The Divine Comedy, and his own family’s history with migration. 

The concept of “middleness” is central to Collis’ lecture. “Where we are is in the middle of a crisis, or smack in the middle of the intersection of several compounding crises.” He cites climate change, a staggering amount of displaced peoples, and strict policies that are “doubling down on even more authoritarian and nationalist forms of exclusion — at a point when planetary collaboration is most desperately needed. 

“There could be as many as 1.2 billion climate migrants in the next thirty years,” Collis said. “But it is not just human beings that are on the move: all planetary life is currently in motion, fleeing the rising heat, heading north or south, towards the poles, at measurable rates.” 

Collis showcased the connection between plant migration and human migration, despite its “less obvious partnership in mobility. 

“The nationalist who wants to keep the borders of their sacrosanct nation closed and the conservationist who wants to keep ‘invasive’ species out, and restore or preserve an ecosystem’s historical integrity, meet here at the frightful borderlands of mobility,” he said. 

Collis discussed the story of one returning member of the Refugee Tales, Osman, who experienced a brutal and tumultuous journey to make it to the UK. From his experiences, Osman said he often felt like “a stray dog among humans,” a common expression among immigrants.  Collis elaborated on this: “the processes of dehumanization are so difficult to counter because the very notion of the ‘human’ as a privileged category apart is predicated on the difference and debasement of the nonhuman.”

Osman often carried sprigs of lavender with him on this journey, which naturally grow along the coasts of the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, and the Red Sea. “The entirety of Osman’s journey, from Africa and across the Mediterranean and Europe, was a walk through lavender’s expanding biome.” 

Collis tied in Osman’s migration with plant life: “Plants join themselves to people as much as people to plants [ . . . ] the point is to work with and within the stretching biocommons to which we properly belong [ . . . ] What is clear is that our fate is tied up with the whole of life — a new definition of the term Holocene: one planet, one fate.

“Whenever I refer to ‘human activity’ I actually mean ‘capitalism’ — the ‘human’ in this equation kept in focus in order to think relationally, one species with another. For capital, there are only ‘resources,’ human or natural, thus it is less a question of dehumanization than it is the commodification of life, although the end result is often the same [. . . ] Human exceptionalism got us into this mess, and it cannot, formulated in the same way at least, get us out of it.”

Partnership between SFU and UVIC strives to address climate change

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Peak Web
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A stock photo of a forest on fire.
PHOTO: Matt Palmer / Unsplash

By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

Interdisciplinary teams from SFU and the University of Victoria (UVIC) will partner to study climate challenges and solutions. They will specifically focus on solutions for remote, rural, and Indigenous communities in BC. To do this, they received a grant of $1 million from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS). The team includes professors with health science and civil engineering backgrounds from both institutions. 

Their research aims to understand and address issues regarding how these communities are impacted by climate change. Project partners will investigate different policies within specific housing practices that aid isolated communities to fashion climate-friendly solutions while addressing the damage these communities face due to climate change. 

The project focuses on remote regions in BC due to the lack of attention these areas receive as opposed to densely populated major cities. Disasters such as wildfires and floods threaten the lives of the people living in these areas, as professor Nancy Olewiler discussed. These communities are being prioritized because of their smaller population size, as they may not have the resources or capacity to address the effects of these risks. 

Michael Sadler, executive director of the First Nations Housing and Infrastructure Council, added: “We know we need to assist our Nations in creating housing that’s resilient and responsive to climate change.” 

Over the next four years, the project will focus on “designing practical frameworks to build climate resilience and capacity in these communities.“ In addition, the team will host a workshop for rural Indigenous communities occurring in May to introduce the purpose of the project. Rob Hill, acting director of Indigenous asset management at BC Housing, says they plan to share interests and goals such as to “amplify the voices of Indigenous peoples, by enabling communities and community members to articulate, in their own words, the climate changes happening in their territory.” 

The project is also taking input from these rural communities to update building legislation and requirements to ensure future infrastructure is built with climate change in mind.

Ian Mauro, executive director of the PICS, highlighted the importance of Indigenous knowledge and how the solutions will be created using the combined knowledge of Indigenous peoples and academics. “We’re building knowledge that is holistic, integrative and respectful,” Mauro said.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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

© The Peak Publications Society