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Gabe Liosis declares candidacy for SD42 Board of Education

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The photo is of Gabe Liosis. It is a headshot of Liosis where he is staring into the camera and smiling.
Liosis is passionate about bringing mental health initiatives, LGBTQIAS2+ resources, and Indigenous curriculum into high schools. PHOTO: Hudson Campbell

By: Pranjali J Mann, News Writer

Gabe Liosis, former SFSS president and current student at SFU, will run for trustee in the School District 42 Board of Education in Maple Ridge. The elections will be held on October 15, according to the official Maple Ridge election page. 

The Peak interviewed Liosis to find out more about his campaign. Being involved in school and community since Grade 9, Liosis said he always worked towards creating change in the community. He worked with senior district staff and the Board of Education in Maple Ridge to engage in advocacy through his high school student council. He noted, “Through [this] experience I started developing a sense of ‘hey, this is actually a place where a lot of change happens’ within the education system within Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.”

When asked what prompted him to put his name through in this election, he said, “I think that young people don’t usually put their name forward for positions like this, and it’s really unfortunate because I do strongly believe that youth should be at decision making tables like the school Board and city Councils. 

“Any decision making body youth deserves a voice at the table and I really want to be the person who puts their name forward, puts their voice forward,” said Liosis.

Some of the key issues his campaign revolved around is “to try and connect the youth voice to the Board.” 

Another key issue that inspired Liosis to run for trustee is the negative impacts of COVID-19 and how remote learning impacted school experiences. “School age children have gone through significant mental health challenges,” during in-person and remote learning, said Liosis. “Even when they were in person it was very stressful because COVID-19 protocols were always changing. They weren’t able to experience the milestones that they would normally be able to achieve, like field trips, graduation, social events and because of that, mental health has significantly deteriorated amongst youth,” said Liosis. 

Liosis pointed to the persistent issue pertaining to accessibility of mental health services among youth. He stated, “There are lots of services within the community at large. The problem is there are so many of them. [ . . . ] It’s incredibly difficult to navigate.” 

Liosis added, “I think there’s a lot of work that can be done at the school Board level and as a school Board trustee to advocate at all levels of government for better mental health services embedded within schools themselves.”

Additionally, he hopes to build on the work already underway by the ministry of education to add Indigenous curriculum in high school. He mentioned “implementation of that across the province is incredibly sporadic, it is not centralized in any way, shape, or form.” If elected, he would advocate for a coordinated delivery of Indigenous curriculum. 

Further, he wished to increase support around LGBTQIAS2+ education. In Liosis’ press release, he said, “Growing up as an openly gay youth was challenging [ . . . ] but I always had teachers I could confide in, and a community that espoused equality and camaraderie.” He aims to “work with the community and district staff to enhance other LGBTQIAS2+ youth’s experiences in schools.”

Reflecting also on his experience as SFSS president, Liosis noted, “I would say that my experience with the SFSS and the skills I learned there directly correlate to the new role that I am running for now.”

Emphasizing the importance of municipal elections, he noted, “Your votes for your school Board trustees and your city councillors, those are the politicians that actually impact your life in the closest way possible.” He urged young people to vote in the upcoming elections on October 15.

For more information on SD42’s trustees, visit the School District 42 website.  

Hug the mountain protests against Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

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The picture is of a trail on Burnaby Mountain. Both sides of the trail are filled with bright greenery and trees. The sun is shining through the trees onto the gravel path.
The pipeline also increases risk of fire hazards on Burnaby Mountain. PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Pranjali J Mann, News Writer

On May 7, members of climate organisations such as Save Old Growth, Protect the Planet, and SFU350 formed a human chain around Burnaby Mountain to hug the mountain. The protest aimed to create awareness for the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX). This location is central to TMX construction as the Burnaby Terminal has a collection of oil storage tanks and the mountain tunnel involves “boring through the mountain to accommodate the pipeline expansion,” according to the StopTMX press release.

To understand the importance of the collective efforts against TMX construction, The Peak spoke to Dr. Kate Tairyan, director of undergraduate programs at SFU’s health sciences department and one of the key organisers of the campaign. 

According to Tairyan, Burnaby Mountain is a “frontline for global climate crisis” as the TMX construction would double the size of existing oil pipeline storage and tripling the carrying capacity of diluted bitumen, an unrefined toxic carcinogenic crude oil.  

Refuting the claims of the federal government, Tairyan stated, “Canada praises itself on the global scene to be a global climate leader — this is a lie because [we] have never met our climate commitments.” She noted the TMX expansion project is placing Canada farther behind in achieving climate goals. Tairyan added the government “is lying to our own people, lying to the global community and pretending to be a climate leader — climate leaders don’t build pipelines.”

The government of Canada claimed TMX “will create thousands of good, middle-class jobs [and] generate billions in revenues each year to help fund clean energy solutions.” They say TMX makes this possible by entering “new global markets in order to get a fair price for Canadian oil.”

Tairyan explained this catastrophic expansion project is not economically viable and won’t sustain without government investment. She said  “instead of investing this money into our future, green energy and just transition, we are investing in a dying industry.

“[The] issue is beyond talking about our health and environment. This is about much more than that — this is about protecting our life and our right to live,” said Tairyan.

Tairyan emphasised building the pipeline is an “immediate threat of fire hazard.” Chris Bowcock, the fire chief for the City of Burnaby has expressed similar concerns regarding the inability to contain fire on the mountain. Tairyan said if there was a fire at the tank farm, the toxic fumes would engulf the atmosphere.

Tairyan was happy to see a huge number of people from different faiths and age groups come out on short notice. She hoped the message of love, care, and solidarity through the campaign would eventually extract some concrete action. 

The SFU administration has yet to take a clear opposition stance on TMX. “It is shameful. This is not a political issue [ . . . ]  This is about a climate emergency. Our campus, our people are at the frontline of this. The university has the obligation to clearly say where they stand on this.”

Tairyan emphasised the priority of the campaign. This is not about going against each other. This is about doing the right thing for future generations, for all of us and to show our love for the place and land that sustains us.” 

Dining with Sophistication: Brunch at the trash cannery

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An illustration of a snooty raccoon critic in glasses.
ILLUSTRATION: Maple Sukontasukkul / The Peak. Another soaring attempt in the journey of fine dining!

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer

Restaurant: Cornerstone Organic Bins

Rating: ★★★

Location: Univercity Burnaby Mountain

Appetizer: Egg in hash brown basket

Entrée: Quiche

Dessert: Fruit Salad

Wine: Pét-Nat
Yesterday was my mother’s birthday celebration and we had the pleasure of inviting some of her geriatric bosom friends — for lack of a better term— and their children to one of mother’s favorite restaurants, Cornerstone Organics, up on Burnaby Mountain. Truly the best part of the neighborhood, Univercity, that glorious concrete street!

This morning, my mother insisted I take her friend’s children back to the restaurant for their breakfast service.

I, Reginald Trashpánda III, your honorable and favorable food critic, have decided to give finding the best and the finest dining experience in the community another shot. I had the pleasure of joining some acquaintances for a delightful breakfast last week. Aside from the grating laughter and mindless chatter, I actually rather enjoyed my meal.

It wasn’t as superior as the other places I have visited but it did a fine job. Perhaps breakfast might just be my next favorite meal of the day.

We started off with the appetizer: the egg-in-a-hash brown basket. Was this creative? Not necessarily. Anyone, even an eight year old, can come up with that! But it was not horrible either. The hash brown managed to maintain a humble moisture. The egg was not runny but not hard as a pebble. I was entranced by the crispy layer of egg complete with glistening yolk. It was a delight to start on a good note after yesterday’s soirée. I may have had too much fun, if you catch my fermented drift.

The entrée was not too creative, so one star off the rating. I mean, a quiche, nothing wrong with it. But I am within my right as a critic to say this has been overdone — and I already had eggs, after all. My acquaintances seemed to have no clue as to what a basic dish they were ingesting. One of them had the audacity to call it a pie! Ugh, can you imagine? Mind you, being so truly virtuous, I would have liked to school these impudent folks. A pie can be savory or sweet, but a quiche is always savory, light, and fluffy! That is like Royalty Culinary 101, people. Besides that, the quiche was not at all exciting, just plain spinach and mushroom. Forgive me but I tend to like a little meaty attribute to my food.

The dessert was a fruit salad. Again, nothing wrong just indulging in proper juicy vitamins. Mind you, a healthy gut can come from foods such as fruit salad in the morning. There’s nothing better for the willies! Oh and the Pét-Nat for the wine service was tasty! Fizzling by nature and light in alcohol levels. The natural sugars definitely excite the mouth and my sophisticated tastebuds.

I have come to a decision that my favorite meal of the day is still yet to be decided. I think that maybe had I enjoyed the breakfast in total peace and quiet, I would have been more engaged with my food. But the constant bickering and overzealous banter among the common folk was tiresome, to say the least. I have learned that your company matters just as much as the food. So, there you have it my faithful readers: Reginald Trashpánda III serving you honesty.

Horoscopes August 8–14

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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: Isabella Urbani, Mediator for the Stars

Aries — Mar 21–Apr 19

Guess who’s becoming YouTube’s latest food vlogger? Who else is going to tell the people whether or not McDonald’s newest summer drink is good? Let’s get one thing right here: you’re going for number of vlogs, not quality. The Stars aren’t that mean.

 

Taurus — Apr 20–May 20

I understand that you’re still super obsessed with that guitarist✨Kirk Hammett✨from the band you just discovered last week. Too bad you’re 40 years too late. He was topping the charts when your parents were your age. Don’t sweat it, just learn how to shift planes. Watch a TikTok or two, it can’t be that hard.

 

Gemini — May 21–Jun 20

You want to feel real power? Recite Pi. You heard me. Next time you’re in an argument, just start screaming the digits of Pi. How can they one up that? They can’t. You win, by default. That’s just the rules. I would know, I happen to make them.

 

Cancer— Jun 21–Jul 22

Um . . . I don’t really know what to say. The Stars kind of just skipped over you LIKE YOU SKIPPED OVER THEIR ADVICE LAST WEEK. Anyways, talk to you soon.

 

Leo — Jul 23–Aug 22

AHHHHHH IT’S LEO SEASON! Everyone knows Leos are the Stars’ faaaavourite sign. Throw a block party. Volunteer (as the people pleaser you are, ofc) to host it at that family’s house that has a nice pool. You are the hostess with the highest chance to end up dancing on a table after all. Jokes. Viruses are real.

 

Virgo — Aug 23–Sept 22

Getting big camp vibes from you Virgo. Summer is ending, and your birthday is approaching and that’s a whittle scary for you. Invite your first three contacts for a weekend-long trip in the woods. No glamping. Just you, nature, and existential dread. I mean, bug repellent. Or are they equally as bad? Idk.

 

Libra — Sept 23–Oct 22

It’s time to get your driver’s license. The last three summers didn’t feel like the “right” time to you, but this year, there is something in the heatwave compelling you to go through with taking that driving test. You don’t have a car, your L may have expired for all you know, but just book it anyway. That’s a problem for fall you to deal with.

 

Scorpio — Oct 23–Nov 21

Three words. Guinness World Records. You’ve been feeling a little underappreciated lately, Scorpio. What’s a better pick-me-up than becoming the newest title holder for “most apples held in one’s mouth and cut by chainsaw in one minute?” I mean that just screams you! Wait, aren’t you allergic to apples?

 

Sagittarius — Nov 22–Dec 21

Knock. Knock. It’s change at your door. I’m calling for a full-blown makeover, starting with your hair. Grab some kiddy scissors and have a go at it. Don’t forget to ask your friend what their favorite colour is. No reason . . .  just that it’s becoming your new hair colour.

 

Capricorn — Dec 22–Jan 19

Remember that game you played relentlessly in the summer when you were 12 years old? Yeah, I heard through a very reliable source that the final boss of that game is talking some major smack about you. Are you just going to let a fictional character do that to you? NO! Maybe if you were a Sagittarius. You set your N64 back up and you slay the shit out of that dragon!

 

Aquarius — Jan 20–Feb 18

Hiya, don’t be mad at me, but prepare to get high, and I don’t mean what you usually get up to on Friday nights. That’s right, you’re skydiving. Yes, you might be afraid of planes. But it will be over in a second, and you’ll thank me. You will thank me, right?

 

Pisces — Feb 19–Mar 20

You know how teachers occasionally ask if you speak more than one language? Well, you’re tired of never being able to put your hand up. So you know what you’re going to do? You’re going to learn a new language. And not just any new language — a brand spanking new one. Get to work, Duo is calling.

 

Animal meeting concludes humans are garbage at recycling

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An illustration of a gathering of bears sitting on the grass
ILLUSTRATION: Nazmus Sakib / The Peak. How would you like it if I kept your food in a bin?

By: Nathan T., Peak Associate

Dear humans,

We strongly encourage you to read the latest meeting minutes for the weekly Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area Bear Community Meeting as part of the Burnaby Mountain Neighborhood Committee. We trust you will enact changes to your garbage disposal habits in line with best practices.

 

July 2 Weekly Burnaby Mountain Bear Consortium

Special guests: Northern Port Moody Cougar Family

Location: Office of the President Strand Hall, 3000–8888 University Drive

Date: July 2, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

Attendees: Bears: Simon, Fraser, Robert, Brown

      Cougars: Lorne, Davies, McFogg, Uni

 

Agenda items:

  • Discussing availability of human trash as food

Be it resolved that human methods to dispose of trash are currently unacceptable:

All in favour / Motion passed

  • President Simon said if the humans will not let us eat their trash, we should eat the humans instead.
  • Observation manager Fraser added, “Early morning humans will be less able to run away, but were only widely available during exam period when the Burnaby Campus library operates 24/7.” This caused an uproar.
  • Sustainability representative Uni said that if we ate the humans, they would produce less garbage and thus less food for us to eat. “We needed to be sustainable in how we treat the humans so we can keep getting food from them long term,” he stated. Robert concluded the local humans were moving towards composting which was good for nature.
  • Simon countered that the meeting committee was part of nature and it was not always good for them.
  • The committee formed breakout sessions to define the meaning of the term “nature.”

  • Discussion of the definition of nature:
  • Deliberations lasted for four hours.
  • Reactions ranged, but generally all parties agreed that nature was something humans liked exploiting. “Just look around us, bro,” Fraser said.
  • Deliberations proceeded to explore “places where we can poop without a human yelling at us.”
  • Discussion proved unproductive as all voting parties agreed that meeting fatigue was present. There was a unanimous agreement to leave the tawdry work of defining nature to the people living in the giant gray prison structure adjacent to the meeting space. Discussion concludes.
  • Participants returned to the main room and took a nap. Upon return, Uni wanted to discuss food dispensers (i.e. human waste disposal cans).

  • Discussion of food dispensers AKA waste disposal cans:
  • Head of cougar resources Lorne provided background information on the locks of the trash cans, arguing all animals should take a stand on it.
  • Parks and recreation representative Davies told Lorne he needed to get shredded and work out more and that he had plenty of recreation classes available for him to join. Lorne reluctantly said he knew but that the gyms on the west side were way too far away for him to get to.
  • Uni wanted to stop the group from getting distracted and informed the Council that local humans were moving to composting. He brought a motion to inform humans that animals are natural compost machines that don’t require infrastructure or transportation.

Be it resolved that humans are informed of proper composting methods:

All in favour / Motion passed

  • Simon agreed that humans needed to know the plight of animals.
  • Fraser brought up that since humans used tiny red pieces of meat in their mouths to communicate instead of their bodies like all other animals, it would be hard to communicate with them.
  • Uni said that they could use a combination of body language and speech to make sure the humans understand.

Be it resolved to scare the humans with roars and charges if they continue locking their waste disposal cans:

A timeline of SFSS conduct and concerns

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The outside of the Simon Fraser Student Society Executive Committee meeting room.
The new student government increasingly faces critiques over its Executive Committee. PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Meera Eragoda, Features Editor

May 2022 

  • President Helen Sofia Pahou and the new Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) begin their 2022/23 term. 

May 11, 2022 

  • In an interview with The Peak, Pahou said she hopes to facilitate clear communication within the SFSS. 

May 11, 2022 Council meeting

    • In-camera portion called by Pahou and vice president internal and organizational development Judit Nagy to discuss committee election. 
      • In-camera refers to portions of the meeting which are confidential and unavailable to the public. Matters which constitute a basis for an in-camera meeting are: HR matters, “open contract negotiations or competitive processes,” legal issues, and anything subject to the Personal Information Protections Act (PIPA).
    • English councillor Gabe Liosis and mathematics councillor Ben Tischler run for vice chair — Council votes in Tischler.
    • Oversight Committee on Executive Officers formed with Alan Ropke, Aaron Fun, Nim Basra, Gabe Liosis, Matthew Reed, and Riordan Huenemann as councillors for the 2022/23 term.
    • Governance Committee formed with Ben Tischler, Abhishek Parmar, Hilary Tsui, and Mark Giles for 2022/23 term. Vice president equity and sustainability Rea Chatterjee and vice president external and community affairs Eshana Baran run but are not appointed.
      • The Governance Committee is responsible for keeping up to date with and interpreting the SFSS’ constitution, bylaws, and policies. They can also make recommendations to change any of the above.

June 8, 2022 Council meeting

  • In-camera portion called for by Faculty of Communication, Art, and Technology councillor Ratsko Koprivica and sociology and anthropology councillor Arthur Lee to discuss Forum Chambers Temperature Check and Potential Sponsorship from Memory Express.
  • Council approves $6,300 to send Pahou, Chatterjee, Baran, and Unit 5 CUPE Local 3338 representative Trish Everett to Chicago, Illinois for the 2022 Labour Notes Conference from June 17–19. Various councillors express concerns over the number of people being sent, the cost of the budget, and a lack of transparency regarding the motion.

June 14 Executive Committee meeting

  • The Executive Committee is comprised of seven members, four of whom belong to the Stronger Together Party, two of whom belong to the SFU Progressives, and one independent.
  • Council moves in-camera to discuss legal concerns.
  • Vice president internal and organizational development Judit Nagy motions to issue an apology to SFU over letter dated May 17, 2022 calling for firing of an SFU employee. The Peak does not have access to the contents of the letter. According to the minutes, the letter included the SFSS Executive Committee as a signatory despite lack of support from majority of the committee. Motion passes with only vice president external and community affairs Eshana Baran and vice president equity and sustainability Rea Chatterjee opposed.

June 22 Council meeting

  • Nagy motions for policy amendments for in-camera meeting which would stipulate only councillors and invited third parties be allowed access. Additionally, any councillor not at a meeting would be excluded from information discussed at the meeting. Councillors express concerns over transparency. The motion required a ⅔ majority which was not met, with only 56% of the vote.
  • Vice president external and community affairs Eshana Baran asks for an update on coverage for operations organizer Ayesha Khan when she goes on leave. Pahou states building manager John Walsh has agreed to step in temporarily and the item will be discussed at the next Executive Committee meeting.
  • Chatterjee brings up discussion item regarding the Executive Committee meeting decision to apologize to SFU regarding the letter dated May 17, 2022. Chatterjee alleges lack of sufficient discussion time surrounding the letter. Councillors express concerns this undermines the other signatories such as Graduate Student Society, Teaching Support Staff Union, Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry, Disability and Neurodiveristy Alliance (DNA), etc. Councillors allege concerns over transparency, conflict of interest between Committee on the Councillor Breaches of Confidence and Executive Committee, and undermining of complaints process. Other councillors express support for Executive Committee decision, citing that the current Executive Committee does not have to agree with the previous one. Others express concerns over Chatterjee informing constituency groups about what they claim was SFSS business. Baran and Chatterjee allege they have been isolated and excluded within the Executive Committee.

June 23 

  • English councillor and staff liaison officer Gabe Liosis expresses concerns over Executive Committee’s decision to merge operations organizer and building manager roles into one. Liosis outlined lack of consultation and silencing of current operations organizer Ayesha Khan, alongside a prediction of burnout of building manager. 

July 5

  • The Peak reaches out for a statement regarding the operations organizer positions. Pahou requests future media requests be sent solely to her and says councillors are not to speak to The Peak. English councillor Gabe Liosis claims this is unreasonable and undemocratic of Pahou.

July 6 Council meeting 

  • In-camera session called by vice president finance and services Abhishek Parmar and vice president university and academic affairs Nicole Kirigin to discuss review of a public report and Committee on Councillor Breaches of Confidence (CCBC) report. Concerns about CCBC’s transparency raised by members of Council. Council passes motion to allow CCBC to continue investigations and enable CCBC to begin future investigations on recommendation of Council or other committee.
  • English councillor Gabe Liosis, Disability and Neurodiversity Alliance representative Vivian Ly,  vice president external and community affairs Eshana Baran, and vice president equity and sustainability Rea Chatterjee leave the meeting at 6:45 p.m.
  • Motion put forward by French councillor Ethan Dungey and science undergraduate society councillor Ayooluwa Adigun to allow Council to replace members of CCBC “whenever Council believes” they are in “potential conflict of interest.” Motion is not carried with two in favour and 35 against.
  • Environmental science councillor Chloe Homenuke’s resignation accepted.
  • $14,000 approved to furnish the Computing Science Student Society common room.
  • $10,000 approved for Fall Street Festival.
  • Hiring position for staff leave and potential administrative restructuring discussion brought forth by Ly. Mathematics councillor Ben Tischler objects on the basis it should be an in-camera discussion. Discussion item postponed.
  • Operations organizer Ayesha Khan raised concerns regarding SFSS lack of action for coverage of her position. 

July 8

  • English councillor Gabe Liosis resigns due to time constraints. Liosis also alleges concerns of transparency, toxic work culture, and silencing tactics based on political ideology. Liosis states he will continue in his capacity as associate vice president external and community affairs.

July 13

  • Disability and Neurodiversity Alliance representative Vivian Ly resigns, alleging concerns of transparency, misuse of power, corruption, and accessibility, all of which Ly says contributed heavily to “rapid, severe deterioration of [Ly’s] mental health.”

July 20 Council meeting

  • Ly, Liosis, and Indigenous Studies Student Union councillor Nebula (Anita) Shen’s resignations accepted.

July 25 

  • Vice president equity and sustainability Rea Chatterjee and vice president external and community affairs Eshana Baran release a public letter alleging concerns of transparency, toxic work culture, overuse of in-camera, and other silencing tactics meetings. Chatterjee and Baran are the only two members of the executive committee belonging to the SFU Progressive party.

July 27  Special Council meeting 

  • Meeting held to call for the censure of and request resignation of Chatterjee. Motion postponed until next meeting.
  • Council condemns letter released by Chatterjee and Baran over “concerns about [councillors’] mental health, wellbeing, and safety as a result of this statement being disclosed at a Council Meeting without Council’s approval, then to the public at large.”
  • Chatterjee alleges her email has been accessed by Nagy without permission.
  • Koprivica called to skip discussion and go to a vote on condemnation of the letter, effectively blocking any discussion from the 50+ student members in attendance due to concerns they are “acting in bad faith and clearly have been brought by the two SFU Progressives [ . . . ] to pressure council to vote a certain way.” Motion to skip discussion fails. Members in attendance express concern over the seeming attempt to stifle democratic process.
  • Council goes in-camera two times in the meeting.

July 27 

  • SFU350 releases statement standing in solidarity with Chatterjee, condemning motions to call for Chatterjee’s censure and resignation. They also state they condemn the current culture at the SFSS, citing concerns of toxicity.

July 29 

  • SFSS announces hiring of Sindhu Dharmarajah as temporary replacement for operations organizer Ayesha Khan, keeping the positions of operations organizer and building manager separate.

July 29

    • Students of African and Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA) holds general meeting in Student Union Building.
    • The Peak receives a tip from an anonymous source. In a Discord chat, film councillor Riordan Huenemann made a potentially inflammatory comment towards SOCA that he later explained was not meant to be taken seriously and for which he has since apologized. Pahou acknowledged this comment and said she does not condone this behaviour. She assured Council that SOCA’s safety needs have been attended to.

This is a developing story that The Peak will cover in future issues. 

Study tips for people with ADHD

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a person lies slumped behind a pile of books
A few tips to try if you have ADHD. PHOTO: Pixabay / Pexels

By: Meera Eragoda, Features Editor

While everyone who experiences ADHD will experience it differently, this non-exhaustive list will hopefully provide some new tips to try. As always with lists of study tips, try it out, if it doesn’t work, that’s OK. Take what serves you and leave the rest. 

ADHD brains tend to require a different approach than a neurotypical brain does, as they aren’t motivated in the same way by importance or rewards. ADHD’ers understand they can just give themselves a reward whenever they want. Instead of working within a rigid set of rules, they have to be able to game the system to introduce novelty and accountability, while reframing how rewards work.

    Diagnosis/General Tips

  1. Join the weekly Experience ADHD support group offered by Centre for Accessible Learning, Student Experience Initiative, and SFU Health & Counselling. While I have not been yet, this group was created to provide support and connect with other students with ADHD. Some of the topics they cover include diagnosis, tips for navigating ADHD, self-advocacy, and intersectional identities.

    Routine
  2. Counterintuitively, a routine is one of the most important things for someone with ADHD to get into. And ADHD makes it very difficult to get into a routine. The best way to hack it is to find a routine that does not seem like a routine. If I do the same thing in the same place at the same time every single day, I lose the novelty that my brain needs. So I rotate among my favourite coffee shops to keep things interesting for myself, even though the routine of going to a coffee shop does not change. If coffee shops don’t work for you, you can try whatever spaces work for you. Just remember to give yourself enough time to find the perfect spots and get used to them.
  3. Get going in the morning (or whatever time makes you most productive). Setting alarms is a good way to do this. However, executive dysfunction means all your brain sees sometimes is the numerous steps you have to take even for something simple. For me, pulling out my phone, opening my alarm app, and typing in my alarm can become too much of a hurdle. Though not everyone is comfortable with Google Home, they have made it so much easier to set alarms by just speaking a command out loud. This is especially helpful if you tend to get distracted and are always running late. 
  4. Plan ahead and make time to plan. This means figuring out a list of things to do. This sometimes requires writing down the steps to your various routines and placing them where you can see them. It means dedicating certain places to certain things (like your keys and wallet) so you don’t misplace them. Planning can also be fun because it can be a productive way to procrastinate a little and you can integrate fun stationary into the process to give you a serotonin boost.
  5. Start slow and remember, progress is not linear, so  be a bit forgiving of yourself. When you’re building in routines, try building things one at a time and give yourself a few weeks to get one habit down before adding another.
  6. Remember to feed yourself regularly, drink enough water, get enough sleep, and move your body in whatever way you can. One of the things with ADHD is sometimes forgetting the basics, which is why setting timers, planning, and getting into routines becomes incredibly important.

    Accountability

  7. I find it difficult to see priorities in the same way other people do, which sometimes means it’s difficult to get things in on time. One of the ways I work around this is by having coworking buddies and meeting them early enough to start getting things done earlier. One important thing about this is since most of my coworking buddies are also friends, we set strict rules about non-talking time. Another thing that works for me is going to coffee shops by myself. I cannot work at home because I will get distracted by everything in my house and coffee shops are a nice distraction-free environment, especially when paired with headphones. 
  8. If your ADHD is also paired with perfectionism, practice getting a terrible draft on paper, just to have something there. After that, go back and edit but having something down on paper will make your life much easier.
  9. Many ADHD’ers may relate to sitting down right before a paper is due or right before an exam and then hyperfocusing to get it done. If this has gotten you good grades, you have trained your brain to know that you don’t actually need to set aside a whole day to study. While you want to make sure you’re not cutting it too close, starting closer to a deadline might actually be the best motivator for your brain. Whenever I try to leave myself plenty of days to do an assignment in, I still never end up actually getting it done until the last minute. That being said, try and do prep work, like research, beforehand so all you have left to do is to just do the assignment.

    Alternatively, if this is not your experience or you’re studying for an exam, finding a way to split up your study sessions into multiple days of shorter sessions may be more effective. This way, it doesn’t seem as daunting to sit down to a whole day session but just two hours. This will require planning ahead and finding accountability tools but will leave you feeling less drained.

  10. Work with your tendency to procrastinate but also do not get in the habit of asking for extensions because if you get them, that will train your brain that there are no consequences to your actions.

    Novelty

  11. Pair your studies with rewards. So most study tips ask you to give yourself a reward after you complete a task. This does not work for me because I know I can just give myself a reward anytime and I can’t trick my brain into waiting. The best way to get around this is to pair your study session with a reward or to get a reward in preparation for your study session. So getting a coffee you like and then sitting down to work or using nice stationary and pens for your notes (or customizing your desktop wallpaper, apps, and theme). This helps associate study time with something positive, making it more appealing.
  12. Another aspect of novelty is to do things more creatively. Try and make your study sessions into games to see how much you can get done — like trying to do it within a certain amount of time or doing tasks out of order.

Still our money: The SFSS is spending too much running itself

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Students are paying a whole lot for a bureaucracy. PHOTO: Fabian Blan / Unsplash

By Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer 

When SFU released its 2021/22 budget plan, a plan that called for a 2% increase in domestic tuition and 4% increase in international tuition, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) objected. Their objection, in part, was based on their recognition of students’ “unprecedented financial hardship” during COVID-19. Unfortunately, it’s an objection that rings a bit hollow in light of how the SFSS spends our money. As of 2021, a third of the SFSS budget is devoted to running the SFSS. That’s a big change from previous years.

The SFSS claims to be a student advocacy group. For students, by students. But because they draw the overwhelming majority of their funds from students’ bank accounts, we also need to closely examine their actions. Take the most recent year. In the SFSS’ final 2021/2022 Operating budget statement, $3,070,662 out of the total $3,169,725 SFSS revenue came from students in the form of SFSS member fees. That’s 97% of the SFSS’ revenue. Every semester, full-time students pay $42.74 as part of their SFSS membership fee, and part-timers pay $21.38. 

So, where’s the money going? Despite some fancy infrastructure investments, the answer is largely disappointing. 

What’s of concern are the ballooning administrative costs associated with the Society’s activities. In 2012, the SFSS’ administrative costs totaled $479,389. Those costs were mostly associated with administration, financial office, general office, and “build SFU office.” That’s fine. The SFSS is a big organization. It needs upkeep, supplies to run, and, of course, to pay its workers. But let’s flash forward to 2021, the latest year for which figures are available. 

In 2021, those same line items now total $1,567,090. That’s over three times as costly as in 2012. “Administration and financial office” have more than quadrupled, from $193,711 in 2012 to $777,894 in 2021. “General office” and “build SFU office” expenses have more than doubled. The overwhelming majority of those funds are coming from student fees. We’re funding this explosion in SFSS operations. That’s plenty of strain on a student body that, by the SFSS’ own admission, has been experiencing “unprecedented financial hardship.” 

Why has running the SFSS become so much more expensive over the course of the decade? The rate of inflation hasn’t doubled, let alone quadrupled to match the expenditures above. We deserve answers. Whether it’s the previous Executive Committee or the current one, the SFSS has become an increasingly controversial organization. From the confusing closure of the Student Union Building to leaks to the dismissal of members over said leaks to the recent resignation of multiple councillors, the group has been placed under more scrutiny than ever. On budgets, they deserve even more scrutiny. 

There are, admittedly, some big shiny benefits we’ve gotten for our money. The annual build levy, approved in 2012, currently demands full-time students pay up $90 and part-time students pay $45. We’ve seen those dollars go to some cool projects. $10 million from the levy paid for the new Burnaby Campus stadium. The same fund went towards the construction of the SUB, which, of course, was then denied to us at the height of the pandemic. The 2023 financial budget consultation listed COVID-19 mental health as one of the recommendations. It explains this objective should “provide expanded accessibility and health services including dedicated funding.” That’s all well and good. But it doesn’t answer why we’re paying the SFSS to devote such a substantial (and increasing) portion of its budget to running itself. 

That the SFSS publishes its financial statements for everyone to see is fantastic. That it sometimes shells out for big, shiny infrastructure projects is nice. And that it has committed itself to a living wage for its employees is great, too! But what we need are explanations as to why the SFSS has become three times as costly to run over less than a decade. 

Treading water: Canadians need Universal Basic Income

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UBI is a bridge to happier, healthier living. PHOTO: PiggyBank / Unsplash

By Bhavana Kaushik, SFU Student

In a world with skyrocketing housing prices, wages that don’t reflect productivity, and rampant worker dissatisfaction, we need a way to bridge the gap between wages and the real cost of living. Universal Basic Income (UBI), a program that provides citizens with regular income to help them meet their needs, fits the bill. In Canada, a UBI program could enhance the happiness, productivity, health, and overall financial well-being of citizens. After a pandemic that devastated our pocketbooks and amid rising prices, it’s time for Canadians to seriously consider UBI. 

Before the pandemic hit, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada conducted a survey to measure the financial well-being of 1,953 Canadians. Only 33% of respondents felt financially secure while 41% felt somewhat secure, 19% were struggling somewhat and 7% were struggling a lot. Thanks to COVID-19, inflation, and global supply chain shocks, Canadians are likely feeling even more financial pressure. UBI will reduce that pressure so Canadians can feel financially secure.

On the benefits of UBI, we can move beyond speculation. A Finnish UBI study that compared recipients of UBI to a control group without the regular income supplement found that UBI recipients came away from the program with more favourable perceptions of their household’s financial well-being. As a result, seemingly unrelated aspects of their lives improved. Respondents felt they’d “experienced less mental strain, depression, sadness, and loneliness” over the course of the program. The UBI group also expressed better perceptions of their cognitive abilities, including “memory, learning, and ability to concentrate.” Without financial disaster around every corner, Finnish UBI recipients were able to enjoy improved mental health. 

Despite UBI being supported by a shocking 75% of Canadians, as of 2019, some doubts persist. One persistent myth is the idea that, with UBI, no one will want to work. Some believe a steady stream of income will produce a population with no inclination to work. They couldn’t be further from the truth. That same Finnish study, and others like it, found that recipients of a regular income supplement weren’t just hanging around. Because of a newfound feeling of autonomy associated with less worry about their finances, recipients were more likely to engage in “voluntary work or informal care.” They didn’t withdraw; they engaged. 

“Engagement” extends beyond informal work, too. A study on the effects of a UBI pilot program in Ontario found that receiving unconditional payments improved the participants’ well-being and boosted their likelihood of landing jobs. Not only did they keep working, but they also gained the confidence and financial security to seek out better jobs. 

We can argue about how much to offer Canadians on a regular basis. We can argue about how often to dole our payments. But what we can’t argue about anymore is whether our current system of labour and pay is working for Canadians. UBI offers a potential bridge from our current state of toiling away for insufficient pay to a healthier, wealthier, and happier future for every Canadian. 

SOCA and SFU Black caucus host inaugural Black Graduation Celebration

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The photo shows 13 graduates wearing the Kente cloth stoles. They are huddled together smiling at the camera.
The event offered a culturally immersive experience by including music, food, and performances. PHOTO: Chloe Arneson / The Peak

By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer

On June 6, the SFU Black Caucus hosted the SFU Black graduation celebration at the Student Union Building. The celebration was supported by SFU Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry (SOCA) and endorsed by SFU African Students Association (ASA) and the Somali Students Association. The inaugural event was the first annual Black graduations.

Graduates from 2020, 2021, and 2022 were invited to attend. In their press release, SOCA noted they chose to include previous years’ graduates to celebrate those who had online graduation ceremonies. “Black students over the years have been instrumental in ensuring that there is space and opportunity for Black/African Descent students to be recognized and celebrated for their accomplishments.”

June Francis, director of the institute for diaspora research and engagement at SFU, spoke to the graduates virtually. “It has been our dream for some time to be able to celebrate with our Black students as they move on to other things [ . . . ] you never leave us as a member of the Black caucus, we hope we will continue to provide a community of support,” she said.

Francis wanted to emphasize the importance of celebrating Black joy despite challenges faced by Black students in academia. “I know many of you have advocated for change, but today I wanted to do two things. To remember where we have come from and to really rejoice,” she said. “We know that racism is still with us and we know that as you go into the wider world there is a lot that you will face [ . . . ] but as you go into the world and embrace it with everything you’ve got, that you go with joy.”

The event featured African food, spoken word poetry, Ugandan dancing, and a performance by local singer and songwriter, Bukola. The night offered a chance for graduates and their loved ones to celebrate “while creating a culturally immersive experience,” SFU stated in their press release.

The graduates were presented with SFU Black Caucus-branded Kente cloth stoles after celebrating each of their individual achievements. SOCA is also offering Black graduates a chance to be in the inaugural SFU Black grad yearbook to celebrate their hard work during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the SFU Black grad yearbook, you can contact [email protected] or visit their website.

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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