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Top ten ways to save your resolutions at the end of January

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Very calm, very cool. Nothing wrong here. Illustration: Siloam Yeung / The Peak

By: Maya Beninteso, Peak Associate

1. Ctrl + S

For those of you who are tech-savvy, simply type “your resolutions” into the word processor of your choice. Did you do it? Great, now locate the “control” and “s” keys on your keyboard and press them simultaneously. Congratulations! You’ve just saved your resolutions. 

2. Gaslight yourself 

No, you did go on your daily 30-minute walk. Don’t you remember? You zoomed through the halls of the AQ looking for the class you definitely attended in the first few weeks of the semester. Of course that counts! You also jumped to conclusions several times today, what a fit queen. 

3. Embrace your inner editor

Get out your trusty white-out, or your backspace key (if you’re too fancy for a piece of paper), and edit your resolutions to your heart’s content. After all, you can’t fail your resolutions if you constantly edit them to fit your life (or lack thereof, but who am I to judge). 

4. Pretend like they never existed 

What resolution? You most definitely didn’t have a resolution to do all of your readings before lecture because, let’s be honest, no one does that (and for those of you who say you do the readings, shhh! Not so loud!). Shove the memory of making your resolution deep down, just like your memories of last semester. 

5. Start a petition to cancel resolutions 

Assert your conveniently-timed disdain for resolutions and begin a revolution. March to the AQ and proclaim your reasons (fake reasons to hide your failure, of course) for wanting to get rid of resolutions. Claim that resolutions aren’t consistent with a growth-mindset, which you, an intellectual, possess. Get those signatures and vindication.

6. Go back in time

Set your calendar back to January 1, 2023. Boom. Life = HACKED. 

7. Really listen to your resolutions

Do you really want to read 5 self-help books this year . . . OR do you actually need therapy? You should read between the lines of your resolutions instead, they may reveal what you truly need. 

For example, here are my resolutions:

  1. Listen to Taylor Swift at least once a day
  2. Rewatch Gilmore Girls 13 times 
  3. Indulge in therapy . . . retail therapy once a month
  4. Attempt to finish the book I’m writing

As you can see, I, too, need therapy (If you’re my therapist, Randolph, I will never admit this to your face so don’t even think about bringing it up at our next session).  

8. BEDMAS 

Simply make another resolution and stick to it so that your failure cancels out! People will applaud you for adhering to, and remembering, this very complicated math principle. Well, doesn’t that add up . . . not a fan of puns, I see. I’ll just subtract myself from this equation then.

9. Hide

Hiding and avoidance always solves problems, so why not hide from your failed resolution, too? Cower underneath your warm duvet and hope that your resolution doesn’t find you. At least you will be a rested queen, and there will be no consequences from centering yourself in everything!

10. Practice radical acceptance

Why do you need to save your resolution? Because you failed, obviously. That is the reality of the situation and you need to live with it, with the help of some coping mechanisms, of course (healthy ones, no doubt). Maybe you need to make SMART goals like the smart human I know you to be, and have a growth mindset instead. 

This week at SFU

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photo of the SFU softball team in a huddle.
PHOTO: Garrett James / SFU Athletics

By: Simran Sarai, Sports Writer

Home Games

Thursday, February 2: women’s basketball vs Central Washington at 7:00 p.m. (West Gym)

  • Whiteout T-shirt Giveaway
  • Upset No. 24 ranked Central Washington 65–57 last meeting 

Saturday, February 4: women’s basketball vs Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) at 1:00 p.m. (West Gym)

  • 1–0 against Northwest Nazarene this season

Saturday, February 4: men’s hockey vs UVIC at 3:45 p.m. (Bill Copeland Sports Centre) 

Away Games

Thursday, February 2: men’s basketball vs Montana State Billings at 6:30 p.m. 

  • 0–1 against Montana State this season 

Friday, February 3 until Sunday, February 5: softball at South Central Regional Challenge 

  • First tournament of 2023: games against Western New Mexico, Adams State, New Mexico Highlands, Colorado State Pueblo, and Fort Lewis (Colo.)

Saturday, February 4: men’s basketball vs Seattle Pacific at 2:00 p.m. 

  • Looking to split the season series 1–1 against Seattle Pacific 

Sunday, February 5: women’s wrestling at McKendree (Ill.) Bearcat Open (all day)

How Hannah Cassers brought a softball club to SFU

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photo of an SFU softball member squaring up for a pitch.
PHOTO: Chloe Legge

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Third-year student Hannah Casseres began the co-ed SFU softball club to rekindle her childhood love for the sport and build a space that inspires “teamwork and collaborative effort.”

Playing both baseball and softball growing up, Casseres was on the hunt for a new softball club after her old team “dissolved” prior to her freshman year at SFU. The only problem was SFU had a varsity softball team, and not a club program. Determined to have the chance to play again, Casseres had one question on her mind: “How do you start a club?” 

Deterred by the beginning of COVID-19, Casseres was able to set her plan in motion a year later, when classes returned to in-person learning. “It was a lot of work,” she explained. “I didn’t realize how much goes into starting a club.” 

Before Casseres could get the club approved, she needed to attract enough members, which was initially a big roadblock. “I needed fifteen signatures — we had no one.” With the help of close-friends turned vice presidents Sunwook Kim, Netanel Orzech, and Chloe Legge, Cassedres received over 90 sign ups at clubs day. “I couldn’t have done it alone,” she said. 

Casseres spent some time talking about the difference between baseball and softball and the misconception some people have about softball being easier than baseball, which she “doesn’t think is necessarily true.” In contrast to baseball, softball is played on a smaller field, the ball is bigger, and pitchers throw underhand. Similar to baseball, nine players on each team take the field in softball. Teams rotate between batting and being in the outfield once they’ve reached three strikes. The aim of the game is to get the most runs — players brought around to home base. 

Practices are currently held indoors on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. in the East Gym. A typical practice consists of throwing and hitting drills, and a friendly, yet competitive, scrimmage with teammates. While the softball club is running indoor practices as the varsity team gets priority on the field, Casseres is hoping they’ll be able to get a few games going outdoors, especially as the weather gets warmer.

A little softball experience is preferred to join the team as there’s no coach. While playing experience is not technically necessary, players should know the basic rules of the game and how to throw and hit. Casseres encourages any student intimidated by attending practice by themselves that most of the club’s members first joined the team alone, and had a “great time making friends.”

“I feel like the softball community is super accepting,” said Casseres. 

There’s no formal registration to join the team. Just send the club an email, attend practice, and try to bring your own glove. Once a registration portal is actuated, team members pay a $35 registration fee which goes towards equipment, such as helmets for outdoor practices. In the meantime, if you don’t have a glove, the team usually has enough to lend out during practice. 

“We were really lucky,” said Casseres. “Last year people just brought buckets of balls and tons of bats to help out.” However, the team is always looking for extra equipment as gloves can start at $50. “Any equipment you do have and are willing to bring would be great,” said Casseres. 

To sign up, email [email protected] or find them on Instagram @sfusoftballclub. 

New Music: Only A Visitor’s ruminative singles build anticipation for upcoming art album, Decay

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Group photo of Only a Visitor members surrounded by plants with flowers that are just about to bloom.
PHOTO: Yohei Shimomae

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

Only A Visitor is a Vancouver-based quintet with an idiosyncratic style that dips its toes in art pop, jazz, acapella, and avant-garde. They’re gearing up for the February 24 release of their first album under Mint Records, Decay. The album is full of peaceful melodies and harmonies that resonate as lasting meditative hums, drowning out negative thoughts throughout the day.

While akin to the conceptual songwriting of Mitski and ruminative outlook of Weyes Blood, Only A Visitor’s vocal composition casts them in a league of their own. After graduating from UBC with a bachelor’s degree in music, classically trained composer and pianist, Robyn Jacob, founded Only A Visitor in 2015. According to Stir, it started as “a project in which the voices were treated as one of the main instruments.”

This idea is mastered in Decay. From the simple humming that backs their acapella track, “Understanding Nothing,” to the call-and-response of their jazzy single, “What Does Waiting Mean,” vocal techniques are used not only to produce soothing rhythms, but to represent the nature of introspection. 

In addition to Jacob’s keyboard and vocals, the group consists of vocalists Emma Postl and Celina Kurz, drummer Kevin Romain, and bassist Jeff Gammon. Their collective talents come together cohesively. For instance, the jazzy instrumentals paired with theatrical songwriting in “All You’ve Held Since” produce a meandering, whimsical tone.

The album as a whole is a rhythmic meditation. Their single “I Am At Ease,” alternates between piano and vocals, gently building off each other to expand on singular optimistic thoughts like “everyday is a new day,” and “the future is a miracle.”

“Fraud of Finery,” my personal favourite song, ponders “being close but yet so far, reaching over barriers of communication, and showing love and connection through the digital versus the tactile.” It was released with a music video October 2022, featuring interpretive dance by Justine Chambers. Chambers’ expressions perfectly match the melancholic mood of the song as she moves throughout her house and a forest. The lyrics, “It’s the season of darkness and midnight sleeps on the couch,” capture the song’s essence perfectly.

After listening to Decay, it’s no wonder CBC music named Only A Visitor “one of 10 Vancouver acts to watch.”

Stream Decay starting February 24 on Spotify and follow them on Instagram: @only.a.visitor.

Canada! We need to talk about our garbage

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ILLUSTRATION: Raissa Sourabh / The Peak

By: Victor Tran, SFU Student

In 2019, Canadians produced more garbage per capita than any other country. What’s worse is that we’re sending that waste to developing countries. Between 2017–22, Canadians shipped more than 2,300 metric tons of garbage overseas. It’s high time Canada stopped dumping its trash on others and solved this problem domestically. 

Exporting waste to developing countries is appealing for many reasons, ranging from being cheaper, to helping meet recycling goals, to freeing up space in domestic landfills. Despite there being an international agreement that’s meant to prevent the exporting of plastic trash to developing countries, the non-profit Basel Action Network reported that multiple countries, including Canada, violated the treaty in 2021. The result of these violations is Canadian trash being found strewn across the Global South. 

Illegal trash dumping in developing countries with inadequate waste management infrastructure can harm people and the environment for a long time. The charity Tearfund estimated in 2019 that “between 400,000 and one million people die each year in developing countries because of diseases related to mismanaged waste.” Plastic that is not recycled is sometimes burnt in those countries, releasing toxic chemicals that contaminate communities and the food chain. Countries that receive exported garbage are at risk of that waste leaking out to the sea, resulting in contaminated water sources and impaired ecosystems. The influx of plastic waste in the Philippines, a major plastic importer, has sickened residents of Manila and clogged the island nation’s coastlines. We as a nation are creating horrible conditions for developing countries and their citizens. 

So, how do we solve the problem?

The easiest answer is to build more landfills in Canada. We produce more waste than we can store, so why not just build more storage? Because that doesn’t tackle the root cause of the problem.

Canadians produce a great deal more waste than peer nations. In 2019, Canada approximately produced 36.1 metric tons of waste. US, the world’s poster child for consumerism, produced 25.9 metric tons. We should be ashamed. 

We need to take that shame and direct it upwards toward producers. 

In Canada, only 9% of 3 million tonnes of annual plastic waste are recycled. This number is a far cry from Germany, which, in 2020, had a 67% recycling rate. Canada lacks what Germany has been focusing on for the last two decades; namely, strong government policies that motivate consumers and businesses to reduce and recycle.

The German government motivates recycling with two strategies: a deposit refund scheme and mandatory waste sorting policies. The deposit refund scheme charges consumers between $0.12 and $0.37 for purchased glass bottles — which is refunded if the bottles are returned to the retail stores. The program results in an outstanding 98.4% return rate, which not only accelerates the recycling process but also helps customers develop a more sustainable mindset. 

The mandatory waste sorting strategy consists of three major policies. The first is the 1991 Packaging Ordinance, which forces manufacturers to recycle and recover sales packaging. The next is The Green Dot System, a nearly EU-wide program that forces manufacturers to pay waste management companies a fee based on the number of packages on the market and the weight of the packaging. Lastly, there’s the Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act, which hold businesses accountable for avoidance, reuse, recycling, and environmentally compatible disposal of waste that arises from manufacturing. Together, these programs incentivize businesses to rethink their production system and adopt recyclable materials in manufacturing.

Canada has a garbage problem. The solution can’t be to just build more landfills; we need to force producers to think about the ways they package their products and the degree to which they’re liable for disposal. 

An exploration of shinbyu and reincarnation in Myanmar

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This is an aerial photograph of a temple in Myanmar. The roof is solid gold.
PHOTO: Yves Alarie / Unsplash

By: Olivia Sherman, SFU student

For Buddhist people in Myanmar, earning merit creates a better chance of a good life after rebirth. The pursuit of merit can be understood as “the Buddhist way to develop a wise sense of self” that is often based on selfless activities such as giving, virtue, and meditation. Earning merit can happen in many different ways, but the ideal way is to give things such as food or clothing to monks. The tradition that Dr. Keziah Wallis’ lecture focuses on is called a shinbyu, the practice of turning a boy into a monk. The symbolic action of “giving” the boy to the monks results in high merit for all. 

Wallis, an anthropologist and associate professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, discussed shinbyu ceremonies at a public lecture hosted by the SFU department of sociology and anthropology. She has spent many years studying the Bamar people in Myanmar, where reincarnation “is a total fact of life.”

Wallis has attended 17 of these rituals. The official ordination occurs when boys are around 20 years old. There is a primary ritual for younger boys, often aged between 10–12. The shinbyu is, Wallis stated, “the most important ritual in Buddhist Southeast Asia,” and almost all Buddhist Bamars share this notion. 

The shinbyu is a vital ritual in a young boy’s life. It is meant to mimic the ordination of Buddha, who was once a prince who left his regal life to become a monk, where he reached Enlightenment. The boys undergoing the shinbyu are dressed in the finest clothes and makeup, given the best food, and carried in parades: the festivities can last weeks. Wallis explained the literal translation of the word shinbyu is “to make a lord,” as the boys are symbolically turned into princes. 

Though the ceremonies technically aren’t mandatory, most feel an obligation to partake, and those who don’t partake feel an immense loss. Some people will temporarily adopt poor or orphaned boys to sponsor their ordinations; this offers them an equal opportunity to take part in this ritual. Most of the boys stay for only a few weeks, while some stay for years studying Buddhist readings. A mere 1% stay with the monks for life. 

Women are considered “the dominant powerhouse” when it comes to decisions and economics because of their skills. Similarly, the women orchestrate the shinbyu from behind the scenes. While women are not able to earn merit by becoming a monk, they can earn merit by organizing these rituals. 

Shinbyu is also a ritual that highlights motherhood. “A man is not really a man until he has become part of the monkhood, and a woman is not truly a Buddhist until she has given a child to the sangha,” the community of monks, Wallis explained. While most merit-making events have women placed in the back, the shinbyu places them at the forefront. “Although it’s a symbolic sacrifice [ . . . ] that kind of idea of giving up a child is a big thing.” Women earn more merit than men do when they give their child to the sangha. 

The concept of community is a vital factor in a shinbyu as well, something that women largely orchestrate. “The village is constituted by karma, karma is made through merit-making, women are the ones who do merit-making. So if women weren’t doing merit-making, you would have no village.” A shinbyu is a ritual that provides the most merit for the entire community. People gain merit by being happy for others gaining merit, thus creating a “merit-go-round.”

“When you share merit with people, you create a bond of karma with them. You create yeseq.” Yeseq is the concept of sharing merit, therefore creating karma, with those closest to you. The more yeseq one shares with another, the more likely it is they’ll be reborn with each other in the next life.

“Yeseq means we’re not apart,” Wallis elaborated. “We have such strong yeseq that we will be brought back together again.” 

Knowing a shinbyu is the best way to make merit, “it makes sense, then, that the highest, strongest, deepest bonds of yeseq occur during the shinbyu,” Wallis noted. “Karma and community and connectedness — these are all what women do. Men don’t engage in that, women do it on behalf of the men.” 

Horoscopes January 30 – February 5

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An illustration of a girl with long flowing hair. Astrological signs and stars shine around her.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: Hana Hoffman, Peak Associate

Aries

In this mysterious world full of unexpected coincidences, you are someday destined to end up in the same tutorial class as Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Aww, Aries and Ariel are going to be right next to each other on the alphabetical attendance list so when the instructor splits the list into groups for discussions, you two will always be in the same group! Please tell me about the interesting conversation when she tells you all about how she went from living in the big blue sea to enrolling at SFU as a human 🙂

Taurus

Honestly, you’re so strict when critiquing your own work. You always set your expectations so high! Soon you’ll discover that judging is your secret talent, and you’ll someday become a Canada’s Got Talent judge and meet your colleague, Simon Cowell. You’re gonna “no” the judging criteria so well.

Gemini

Are you still making edits on your new year’s resolution? New Year’s is so over — it’s time to just stick to the plan and start working towards your goals! It seems like you really need to start believing in yourself, which will lead you to meeting Justin Bieber after your counsellor schedules him to teach you how to become a “belieber” . . .  in yourself. That extra confidence boost goes a long way!

Cancer

The answer for you is actually up to you. On TikTok’s search bar, type the letter “c,” and the third account with a blue checkmark that pops up is who you’re destined to meet. Who is it gonna be? Central Cee, Charlie Puth, or even Cardi B? You tell me!

Leo

Looking straight into the future . . .  a time machine will be built by a group of SFU students, and they will offer anyone a free day trip to the past while they’re testing the machine. You will volunteer to enter the big futuristic time machine, and it will take you to Italy in the year 1503 to a painting studio. There, you will then meet the legendary Leonardo da Vinci. You could ask him if he ever thought his name would still be well known 510 years later!

Virgo

Once in a while you enter those social media giveaways, right? Well, some day, Virgo, good luck will come your way! You will see an Instagram notification saying you are the winner of a VIP meet-and-greet ticket to Harry Styles’ concert. That’s an exciting future, and it’s never too early to plan your hairstyle for that moment. It would put the good vibes in One Direction: a bright one.

Libra

Some day in the future, while life is good, you and your peers decide to travel to Toronto and go party at a local nightclub. Drake just happens to be the special guest that night, and during the show he accidentally drops his microphone right in front of you. He says, “Libra, can you do something for me?” and you’ll pick up the mic and give it back to him. So helpful! He thanks you dearly and wants to meet you after the show, wow. 

Scorpio

I’ll tell you why you’re so lucky to be a student in Burnaby, Scorpio. Some day after a long study sesh at SFU, you will go to the grocery store to buy a few cans of Bubly. You soon find out you’re not the only person craving Bubly when you look at the man also taking packs of Bubly into his shopping cart, and he turns out to be Michael Bublé! You get all excited and bubbly and start a conversation with this famous singer.

Sagittarius

As an SFU student you’re probably living in or near Vancouver. This means your chances of meeting Nardwuar the Human Serviette is extremely high! You’re a human Sagittarius, so I just have a feeling you two will cross paths some day! Whenever you hear about a famous artist touring to Vancouver, take some time to visit some local music stores and you might catch Nardwuar doing an interview in one of them. Meeting him is your destiny, I am certain of it.

Capricorn

Capricorn, I know from my omniscient Star-eyes that some of you are guilty of skipping a lecture or a tutorial at some point in your year(s) at SFU. But that’s also a cool thing, because it makes you have one thing in common with rapper Lil Baby: skipping. He was a headliner for Breakout Fest at the PNE venue last September but skipped his show . . . so if you two ever meet, you will have so much in common and become fast friends.

Aquarius

Aquarius, you’re full of fun, happiness, and sunshine, and a fun fact is that you love cats and you always enjoy sweets on Valentine’s. Well, that probably means that you’re destined to meet Cat Valentine on one of your future Valentine’s. You guys would be best friends, I can picture it already.

Pisces

Pisces, your ability to hide your stress and anxiety during exams and your laughter during lectures makes you an outstanding actor by heart. This will someday lead you to getting hired as an actor for a future TV series. Guess what? The cast also features the amazing actor, Ryan Reynolds. Therefore, you will become great friends with your fellow actor. Or great enemies. . .  who knows how it’ll go?

SFU workshop discusses sexual violence

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This is a photo of two individuals sitting at a table. They appear to be confiding in each other.
PHOTO: Christina Morillo / Pexels

By: Natalie Cooke, News Writer

Content warning: mentions of sexual violence and harrassment.

SFU’s Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office (SVSPO) recently hosted a workshop to address matters relating to sexual violence. Topics included the various forms of sexual violence, responding to sexual violence, and the services provided by SFU. 

People can be impacted by sexual violence in various ways — including indirect impact such as having received a disclosure or witnessing sexual violence. The Lunch ‘n’ Learn event spread awareness and answered questions about sexual violence for the SFU community. 

The event was discussed in an interview with Belinda Karrsen, an educational specialist for the SVSPO. Karrsen said as a facilitator, she noticed the Lunch ‘n’ Learn event was highly successful, and the conversations were enlightening and supportive. She explained the SVSPO has “created a space where people feel like they can engage.” 

The SFU sexual violence misconduct and education policy (GP 44) defines sexual violence as: “A sexual act or an act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression that is committed, threatened, or attempted against a person without the person’s consent.” This kind of behaviour may include “but is not limited to: sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism, stealthing, and the distribution of sexually explicit photographs or videos of a person without their consent.”

Sex & U defines consent as an agreement between parties that is “freely given. Consent cannot be given by someone who is intoxicated, unconscious, or otherwise considered incapable.” Consent can be withdrawn at any time. “No always means no, even if you or a partner initially agreed to sexual activity or sexual activity has already begun.”

Karrsen said it is important to be aware of sexual violence and prevention because “it is more widespread than some people think.” A 2019 report by Statistics Canada showed that 71% of post-secondary students attending Canadian schools have witnessed or experienced sexual violence. 

Karrsen said, “We can always deepen our awareness of the complexities and nuances of this topic.” She added the need to turn our awareness into action; when combating the systemic issue of sexual assault, “It is up to each person where they want to focus their efforts.” For example, you can get involved in advocacy and working with organizations such as the SFU Active Bystander Network or SFU Students for Consent Culture. 

Karrsen hopes people will continue to connect with the organization and other support networks after the workshop. According to Karrsen, the SVSPO emphasizes “the importance of offering a compassionate and non-judgemental response if someone does disclose an experience of sexual violence to us [ . . . ] and to respect their decisions.” She explained many people respond to a disclosure with advice and urgency to report an incident. However, it is important to allow the survivor to do what they want at that moment. 

Karrsen explained the importance of self care for anyone impacted by sexual violence. “Learning different ways to regulate your nervous system if you have experienced trauma is important because trauma can come to the surface unexpectedly in flashbacks.” She added, “When a person accesses support in some way, it can facilitate their healing and the process of healing.” Additionally, people need to find what works best for them. 

Karrsen told The Peak the SVSPO uses a “survivor centered approach,” where they “work with the assumption that the person that has been impacted by sexual violence knows what they need best.” Therefore, the SVSPO presents options for ways to move forward without judgement. 

The SVSPO offers “education and support services for people who have been impacted by sexual violence.” Such services include: access to health and counselling services, transportation to hospital or police, supporting someone who is reporting an incident, and connecting people to community-based services. 

To connect with the SVSPO, visit their website for more information. 

D. O. Gibson inspires youth through hip-hop

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Headshot of D. O. Gibson. Gibson wears a blue hat that says “G.O.A.T.” and a blue plaid shirt against a black backdrop.
PHOTO: Khush

By: Anna Kazi, Peak Associate

World record-setting rapper, Duane “D.O” Gibson, kicked off the year with the Black Music 365 tour which teaches youth in BC about the musical contributions of Black Canadian talent. Gibson spent the second week of January speaking and performing his songs at schools in Chilliwack, Langley, Aldergrove, Maple Ridge, and Port Coquitlam. This past week, he delivered presentations in Burnaby at the Michael J. Fox Theatre. Before he heads to Toronto for the next leg of the tour, Gibson sat down with The Peak to talk about why he’s on a mission to empower youth and Black Canadian talent.

As a Black Canadian from Nova Scotia, Gibson has always been interested in learning about his family history. “What I noticed when I was living in Ontario is that a lot of people weren’t aware of Black history.” He added, “I think it’s really important, especially as a Canadian, to talk about our country.”

Gibson has visited over 1,000 schools since he started delivering presentations to youth back in 2001. “When I tell kids about how Black hockey players in the NHL was from Canada, and that there was the Coloured Hockey League in the 1800s — 22 years before the NHL — I think it makes people realize that there is a rich history of Black Canadians playing hockey,” said Gibson. “For people to say things like ‘Black people don’t play hockey’ is an ignorant thing. I hope that by giving kids that knowledge, they can come back and stand up to racism.”

In 2014, Gibson wrote a hip-hop curriculum for the Toronto District School Board. “Hip-hop music is a part of youth and popular culture. It’s a way to engage students,” he said. 

Gibson’s extensive discography boasts impressive wordplay, groovy rhythms, and inspirational hooks. His anti-bullying anthem, “I stand up,” features a music video filmed in an Ontario elementary school. Students were filmed dancing and mouthing the lyrics along with Gibson.

Gibson is also working towards raising the profiles of Black Canadian musicians. He will be attending the Grammys in LA, where he’ll be organizing his sixth annual Canadian artist and industry networking event, Northern Power Summit. 

“I love showcasing Canadian talent. One of the things that I noticed coming up as an artist was that there didn’t seem to be as many opportunities for hip-hop and racialized artists, and I realized for myself in my career, that I had to take charge of my career,” said Gibson. “I couldn’t wait for a label or manager to come along and help me. So I want to provide an opportunity that was never given to me to help that next generation of artists.”

Gibson also reminisced about his childhood influences. “I loved hip-hop music and I remember it being an outlet for me because when I was getting picked on in school and being bullied. I didn’t fight back with my fists, but I used hip-hop as my outlet,” said Gibson. “By writing raps and expressing myself, there was a way for me to get things off my chest. And that’s what I loved about hip-hop is that it’s so much of your personal story. It gave me a chance to express myself. Tell my own story.

“One of the things that I tell kids in every presentation, and I get them rapping along to this phrase as well, is ‘can’t nobody hold me down.’ I think that’s an important thing for young people to learn is that you can’t let anybody hold you down or hold you back.”

Canada should be focusing on domestic COVID-19 cases

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PHOTO: Camila Perez, Unsplash

By: Michelle Young, Editor-in-Chief

As of January 5, “All air travellers two years of age and older, taking a flight originating from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, or Macao that lands in Canada must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status.” Not only does this make no sense for COVID-19 policy — it also, once again, fuels anti-Asian sentiment by suggesting COVID-19 is largely carried by people coming from these places. 

A statement from the BC government frames this new policy as a way to “protect Canadians from COVID-19.” They weren’t protecting us in the first place, though. There are already substantial levels of COVID-19 in BC, and hundreds of people were hospitalized from the virus at the start of January. Focusing on travel restrictions for a problem that is already here is nothing more than a smoke screen to look like the province cares. The US has incredibly high amounts of COVID-19 transmission, and yet, no additional restrictions announced for them to enter Canada. 

The CDC itself reported data from the WHO which found over 1,000,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the US in the last 30 days. In comparison, China had over 800,000 cases in the last 30 days. It’s also important to note that while China has been criticized for undercounting its COVID-19 data, the US is also undercounting. Even if we had an accurate picture across the globe, these travel restrictions would be ineffective, because COVID-19 is ever present in Canada anyways. 

It’s true there is a new COVID-19 variant, but this is not the way to combat it. You can still carry and transmit COVID-19 with a negative test result. The move has already been critiqued by multiple experts across Canada as being a political decision, rather than one based in science. Anti-Asian sentiment has been on the rise since 2020, and we obviously haven’t learned anything from the consequences of unfairly stigmatizing these groups. 

It is not difficult to curb COVID-19 transmission — we know how — it’s just that BC hasn’t been taking the steps to make that happen. Acting like there is no more pandemic, while simultaneously encouraging booster shots doesn’t work. Pointing fingers at other countries and arbitrary restrictions doesn’t work. What does work is mandating masks in public spaces, providing paid sick leave so people can stay home when they feel unwell, and improving ventilation, in addition to vaccination. All together, we could have a much nicer time waging this war against the pandemic: a world where the healthcare system isn’t collapsing and there aren’t as many mass reinfections, deaths, and disabilities. There is no perfect solution, but there are better ones than what’s being implemented now. 

COVID-19 is not a problem unique to China, Hong Kong, or Macao. If Canada was truly interested in COVID-19 management, we would be looking at the many “tools” we have at our disposal — most of which are not being used here. 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024