SFU food workers rally for a living wage

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March 28, 2022

Illustration of five ethnically diverse students standing next to each other — Mutual aid and care support network among the campaign’s alternative to security on campus. PHOTO: Alyssa Umbal / The Peak

By: Karissa Ketter, News Writer

Content warning: this article mentions anti-Black and anti-Indigenous topics.

Council receives a presentation from No Cops on Campus

At the March 16 meeting, Graduate Student Society director of access and equity, Hafsa Sadiq, and Chantelle Spicer, director of engagement at the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group delivered a presentation on the No Cops on Campus campaign.

“As we know all too well, the RCMP has a history of white supremacist and colonial violence in Canada.” said Sadiq. “From SFU’s founding in 1965, the administration has relied on RCMP to suppress student protest, police Black and Indigenous bodies, and promote a culture of colonial, white supremacist security on campus.”

According to Sadiq, the RCMP and security corporations causing harm to BIPOC communities is not only a historical issue. “They continue to overpolice Black, brown, disabled people, members of the LGBTQ2SIA+, and low income or houseless peoples.

“As a campus community we have seen this expressed in a variety of ways. Black, brown, and Indigenous students have been stopped by security for simply being on campus to security responding inappropriately and harmfully to survivors of sexualized violence.” She also highlighted the “violent arrest of a Black alumni in December of 2020.”

Spicer noted the call against police and security presence on campus began prior to the arrest of the alumni in December 2020. “Students and workers were [already] beginning to call out and take action against the kinds of community safety that we were seeing perpetrated by RCMP and security on campus,” she said.

No Cops on Campus began “pushing for a number of things, including getting RCMP recruitment off campus, and calling for different approaches to safety. Especially for and to be led by Black and Indigenous community members.”

After the arrest of the Black alumni on campus, No Cops on Campus was formed. They aim to “eliminate policing and security presence as it exists now.”

They are campaigning for “a campus and large societal environment that doesn’t rely on violent institutions and practices for community safety,” said Sadiq. “These features that we are advocating for are not a lack of policing, but the presence of strong communities expressed through mutual aid, care support networks, and ongoing education training. These are alternatives that reject tactics of surveillance, violence, or social control used by policing or security systems.”

There are similar chapters of this group at the University of Toronto, University of Alberta, and many institutions across the US, according to Sadiq.

Spicer added, “The name ‘No Cops on Campus’ doesn’t mean we hate police officers or that we think all police officers are bad people. We really identify this as a structural issue, not as an individual issue.” She noted they are “taking a stand against policing or security structure, ideology, and practice that historically and contemporarily causes harm to people, land, and futures.”

No Cops on Campus are aiming to discover the current cost of security at SFU, both in-house and contracted security. Spicer reported SFU spent $6.3 million on security throughout the 2020/21 budget year. This has been increased by $300,000 from the previous year.

Additionally, Spicer noted when students are stopped by security on campus and asked for ID, regardless of why they are stopped, it is allegedly added to their permanent record. They are aiming to have that policy removed.

“Because of SFU’s lack of transparency around policing practices [ . . . ] we don’t even know enough to make tangible policy recommendations. All of the processes and practices are hidden within contracts between SFU and the security firms they contract,” said Spicer. “[Increasing] transparency is crucial to knowing what to ask for.”

Ezawa Malish on her inspirations and journey to SFU

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March 28, 2022

Malish aspires to open her own facility to lower training costs for future up-and-comers. Photo: Garrett James

By: Luke Faulks, Staff Writer

Major: Business, first year

Hometown: Coquitlam, BC

Position: Middle blocker

Ezawa Malish was first introduced to volleyball after attending summer camp between grade eight and nine. The following year, she joined her high school squad. Malish soon began rising in the ranks and gathering accomplishments, including a gold medal at the 2018 BC Provincial High School Championship, and a spot on the Team BC Select Program for the 2021 Canada Games.

“In grade 10, I played on the senior team, so I played [with older players], and we were able to host the provincial tournament at our school which, to this day, is like the greatest experience I’ve had,” she said. “We got a bronze medal with our four seniors [who] are the biggest leaders in my life.”

Those four seniors continued to be a strong influence on Malish, embodying four values — perseverance, inspiration, control, and dependability. “Those four values just kind of stick with me a lot,” said Malish. “I always think of them when I’m struggling on the court or off the court because they’re just good examples.”

Her high-school coaches are also a big part of her life. “They coached me from grade nine to grade 11,” she said. “I look up to them so much.”

Due to COVID-19, Malish didn’t have a chance to play during her senior year of high school. She described not having volleyball in the interim between high school and SFU as quite nerve-wracking.

“I was going from not competing for almost a year to going and playing NCAA volleyball. It was very, very scary. I was watching a lot of volleyball games, and tracking film.” It’s a strategy that she continues to employ in the run-up to a game. “Trying to absorb as much volleyball as I can off the court, so when I get on the court I’m ready to go.”

Whether it’s at the high school, university, or professional level, she said being a Black woman athlete in volleyball makes her stand out. “In my sport, you don’t really see a lot of Black people. To kind of go through the sport without seeing someone who looks like you is pretty hard because there’s no one to watch.”

During her first senior level tournament, she saw another Black female player for the first time. “I just remember that day so much because [ . . . ] I saw someone who looked like me, for like the first time, and I kinda looked at her like ‘I wanna be like her.’”

Malish has made it a goal to try to be an inspiration for other athletes in her field. “It’s really important to see Black female athletes that look like you. And that’s why I [ . . . ] go so hard, because there are little girls in my community who kind of look up to me.” She added, “It just keeps me going.

“I hope to one day be that role model for other girls who can look at me and say there’s another Black [woman] athlete playing volleyball.”

For now, Malish’s long-term plan is to make coaching services more accessible. “I know that eventually, I want to open a training facility for volleyball and hopefully widen it to basketball and soccer, and kinda just give priority to kids who can’t afford the huge prices for training.”

What sport should your favourite Canadian singer play?

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March 27, 2022

A close up shot of a microphone on stage. — Michael Bublé the singer? I only know Michael Bublé the swimmer. Photo: Bogomil Mihaylov / Unsplash

By: Tamanna T., Staff Writer

The SFU Athletics team could use some popular players on their side. Who better than some of the country’s biggest singers? The Canadian entertainment industry has many multi-faceted stars, and I believe these singers can not only play their sport well, but also bring some pizzaz to SFU.

Michael Bublé: Swimming

Who better to start this list off than Canada’s Christmas sweetheart, Michael Bublé? His ability to make everyone smile with his music and send listeners into a deep nostalgic coma makes him the perfect fit. He comes from a line of fishermen, so he is more than familiar with the water. In fact, he himself was a salmon fisher before pursuing music. While Bublé would be a great swimmer because of his seemingly aquatic abilities, he’s too nice to be petty towards his opponents. This is where his voice comes in handy. Every time his head bobs out of the water, he sings, catching his opponents, and the rest of the audience, off guard. His opponents will be mesmerized by his voice, unable to focus on the task at hand, leaving Bublé to cruise his way to the finish line.

The Weeknd: Football

The Weeknd has made his mark in the music industry and will equally flourish on the SFU football team. His ability to perform under pressure is unmatched. He also has some experience headlining the NFL Superbowl half-time show, so I’m sure he can pull a few strings to find a spot on the team. On the flip side, his thought-process runs so deep with his music, it’s only fair to expect him to get lost in his own world while playing. He might not move when the play begins, or miss a perfectly catchable ball, but hey, have you ever seen the stands so packed before?

Nav: Golf

Nav is an underrated artist, mostly because he co-writes and produces songs for rappers like Drake, but doesn’t get the same hype for himself. This plays perfectly into the game of golf. The success of the team is dependent on each individual member’s performance. You have to be able to handle the pressure and carry your own without the support of your team constantly by your side. Because the team competes off-campus, Nav can also play without being worried about a larger crowd. He might, however, get attention for his golf clubs made out of diamonds

The Rundown

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March 26, 2022

Collyn Gage posing with the words "National Champion" next to him — SFU swimmer Collyn Gagne shatters an NCAA swim record at the National Championship. Photo: Jacob Lazare / SFU Athletics

By: Greg Makarov, Sports Writer

🚨 Buzzer Beater🚨: David Penney pushes the men’s basketball team into overtime during the quarter finals with a late three. SFU, however, fell short in the extra frame.

Date: March 2

Women’s basketball drop their playoff matchup against Central Washington by a score of 91–85. Jessica Wisotzki racked up an impressive 29 points.

Date: March 3

Unbeaten: SFU hockey comes back from a 2–1 deficit in the third period to advance to the championship final 💪

Date: March 4

SFU softball keeps on rolling, picking up their first two wins at Beedie Field over Western Oregon.

Date: March 5

Taking home gold🏆: Karla Godinez-Gonzalez, Alex Hedrick, and Alyvia Fiske take down their competition and win individual national titles at the National Championships in Adrian, Michigan.

Date: March 5

Crowning a new champion 👑: SFU hockey wins the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League Championship!

Date: March 6

Excellence across the board 🙌: 16 SFU athletes are honored as Division II All-West Region selections by the US Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association — the most of any GNAC school.

Date: March 10

Just keep swimming 🏊: Collyn Gagne sinks his competition and wins the NCAA championship, while setting a Division II NCAA record for the 400m individual medley.

Date: March 10

This week at SFU

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March 25, 2022

SFU softball members celebrating and high-fiving each other. — Only a few teams at SFU are still competing including golf, softball, and track. Photo: Wilson Wong

By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor

Away Games

Monday, March 21: women’s golf at Colorado State University Pueblo El Cheapo Classic (all day)

Final day of the event

Saturday, March 26: women’s softball versus Central Washington in Ellensburg, Washington (1:00 p.m.)

Game one of doubleheader

Saturday, March 26: women’s softball versus Central Washington in Ellensburg, Washington (3:00 p.m.)

Game two of doubleheader

Saturday, March 26: outdoor track and field at the UBC Open

Day one of two

Sunday, March 27: women’s softball versus Central Washington in Ellensburg, Washington (1:00 p.m.)

Game one of doubleheader

Sunday: March 27: women’s softball versus Central Washington in Ellensburg, Washington (3:00 p.m.)

Game two of doubleheader
Last game before the Tournament of Champions in California

Sunday, March 27: outdoor track and field at the UBC Open

Day two of two

We need to move on from the suburban myth

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March 25, 2022

A birds-eye-view of a suburban landscape. Visible are cars, solar panels, rooftops, and roads. — Space is at a premium in urban areas — we need to be more efficient with how we use it. PHOTO: Tom Rumble / Unsplash

By: Jared Murphy, SFU Student

The idea of suburbia probably conjures up many different ideas for you. Possibly, a nostalgic picture of riding your bike until “the street lights turn on,” like mom used to say. For others, maybe feelings of isolation because the nearest activity is 40 minutes away by car. Either way, it’s important for all of us that the myth of suburban utopia dies in our collective consciences. Suburbs aren’t bringing us towards some middle class utopia, but rather towards some hodge-podge form of neo-feudalism in which power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of the few.

The development of suburbs accelerated after WWII. With a massive amount of wealth flowing through the West as soldiers made their ways home, the concept of the middle class was brought to the forefront of public perception, opening a new demographic. Cash was flowing, and the recent abundance of cars drove a new demand — cheaper country housing without the need of workable land.

An unfortunate reality of suburbs is that they are ecologically damaging. Houses lose heat much faster than an apartment complex; exposing five walls to the outside for heat to drain through. Single-lane road construction averages over a thousand tonnes of CO2 per kilometer, and with suburbs, we need a lot of concrete for all those Hondas to park somewhere. Further, the low-height sprawl of suburbs takes up a lot of land to house a comparatively small population. Even without considering the emissions of construction, every square kilometer of developed land takes away from what could otherwise be much-needed conservation areas. As we start to recognize the need for sustainability in infrastructure, we should also realize that the best way to do this is to make cities more dense.

The trend to treat land more like an investment than a human need has become increasingly pronounced. One needs to only look at how much faster Vancouver’s housing prices are growing than its population to support this. I find it abhorrent to watch billionaires drop millions in pocket change in what is basically a glorified flex. How many DailyHive articles showing off “eye-popping” mansions in West Vancouver need to be published until we begin to realize that this is all just a game to those with capital?

Additionally, there are countless anecdotes of people moving into a single-family home only to commute over two hours to and from work. We need to decide on which path to take — either that of densifying and urbanizing the surrounding suburbs into more efficient uses of land, or moving away. I don’t need to remind you that Canada is huge. Moving to Chilliwack isn’t the solution to the problem. The middle and lower classes might need to be reawakened to the dream that’s being sold: suburbia isn’t sustainable.

I would like to offer an alternative. Vote with your (probably empty) wallet. Vote with capital alongside with your democratic rights. Move away from detached homes — lobby for more high rises, and incentives for rural living. Our city has some of the most draconian zoning laws, all in the name of vibes. Younger voting blocs could shift this legislation that affects us all. This city isn’t the only cool place in Canada. Working towards living in a strictly rural or urban environment can lower our capitalist, carbon-laden impacts as a result.

WGOG: The need to imitate meat in vegetarian food

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March 24, 2022

Paneer and peppers are grilled on a skewer. Either they look exceptionally tasty, or I’m exceptionally hungry. — Meat can only taste like meat, but vegetarian foods have so much more room for variety. PHOTO: Abhishek / Pexels

By: Tamanna T., Staff Writer

It is ridiculous for vegetarian food to imitate meat. For the first 19 years of my life, I followed a strictly vegetarian diet, with a protein intake coming from curries, stews, stir fries, and dried fruits. It’s a pretty good diet, if I do say so myself. However, I am thoroughly perplexed at the constant need to imitate the taste and texture of meat in vegan and vegetarian food.

Impossible, Beyond-meat burgers, and fake chicken nuggets suggest that meat is a fundamental ingredient, which is not true. Rather than encouraging a vegetable-based lifestyle, these substitutes are counterproductive to their cause.

Instead of looking into how to make your food taste more meat-like, perhaps consider expanding your palate. Consider, for example, my beloved paneer. Not only is paneer a good source of protein, but I have never craved the taste of meat when eating paneer. Its culinary versatility makes me believe that most people who try it will enjoy it — maybe even over, dare I say, chicken. The dishes made from this one vegetarian ingredient are both endless and extremely delicious. And this is to say nothing of the myriad uses of lentils — when simmered with spices and vegetables, they make a curry with an incredible depth of flavour.

Trying different cuisines that specialize in vegetarian/vegan food (cough Indian cuisine cough) will help in not only learning new meat-free recipes, but will also help develop a more delicious and healthy food pattern. Once you follow the vegetarian diet for a while, you start to realize that meat isn’t all it’s cut out to be.

Fridays for Future Vancouver hosts TMX Rally

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March 23, 2022

a costume dinosaur blocking a truck — Numerous cars passing by showed support for the rally by honking. PHOTO: Karissa Ketter / The Peak

By: Karissa Ketter, News Writer

Editor’s note: Article is updated to reflect that the rallies are hosted by Fridays for Future Vancouver.

Fridays for Future Vancouver— a youth-led climate activist group — is hosting a weekly rally at the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) construction site at the base of Burnaby Mountain.

At the construction site on Lougheed and Gaglardi, protesters gather on Fridays from noon until 2:00 p.m. On March 11, cars passing continuously honked to show their support of the cause.

The Peak spoke with Fridays for Future Vancouver organizer, Neelam Chadha, to find out more about their cause.

Fridays for Future Vancouver were previously protesting at Vancouver City Hall. The protests at this location started on February 25. “The reason for shifting it down here was, I was actually contacted by phone six days in a row by one of the Indigenous leaders who really encouraged me to get out here,” said Chadha.

Chadha noted, “One of the main things that got my attention is the location of where it’s being built — within 100 meters of Burnaby Mountain Secondary School. That is dangerously close to the school.”

She said while the chance of a rupture may be low, “there is more of a possibility of a slow leak, which does tend to happen over time as pipelines age. Even with the likelihood of a rupture or leak being lower, there [would be] a catastrophic impact if anything were to happen.”

The Center for Biological Diversity reported an average of 76,000 barrels have been spilled per year in America since 1986. This averages to over 3 million gallons. Pipeline spills have left over 31,000 barrels of oil to pollute the land and water, creating problems for years.

The Peak spoke with one protester, who identifies as Oyster, about their support for the campaign, “As long as construction continues, it just means you have to fight harder.”

Dressed as a Tyrannosaurus Rex to remain anonymous, Oyster joined other dinosaur and non-dinosaur protesters on Friday.

Oyster is concerned with another key issue of the pipeline construction at this site. “There’s the threat to Indigenous rights and title as well. This is unceded land that we’re on — unceded Coast Salish territory. The Tsleil-Waututh nation whose land we’re on right now has not consented to this project.”

“Trans Mountain respects the constitutional rights, unique culture, diversity, languages and traditions of Indigenous People in Canada. We acknowledge the significance of culture and language for Indigenous People and the considerable traditional knowledge that has been passed on for generations,” Trans Mountain states on their website.

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation released a report of assessment on the TMX pipeline and tanker expansion project. “We stand here together as Tsleil-Waututh people and we say ‘no.’ We say ‘no’ the risk is too great. Our obligation is not to oil. Our obligation is to our land, our water, our people, our life, our [law]. This project represents a risk that we, the Tsleil-Waututh people, are not willing to take,” noted the report.

The UN Human Rights committee has also called on Canada to cease construction on the TMX pipeline.

Oyster explained Canada has an ethical responsibility to stop TMX, as they benefit from industrialization and cheap fossil fuels. “People closer to the equator are impacted first and worst [by climate change] so this is a racialized problem, this is a class problem, and an imperialist problem that Canada is still burning fossil fuels,” said Oyster.

“Canada’s already not on track to meet the Paris Agreement commitment to limit global temperature rise to well below two degrees celsius,” said Chadha. “With pipelines going in, especially this type of pipeline, we are just not on track to do that.”

The protest resulted in police intervention. One dinosaur protester at the event obstructed a construction vehicle’s pathway by standing in front of it. The police were called by the construction workers and arrived promptly.

In a follow-up email after the protest, Chadha told The Peak the police informed them not to block vehicles, or walk along the side of the road near the construction site.

The sidewalk has been removed because of construction but a corridor of cones has been placed down. “They also said that the people at the rally should not be walking on the corridor by the road, so I went to tell them not to walk there. It was not intended to be a sidewalk, but people had misunderstood it to be used as a sidewalk,” said Chadha.

She also noted she “will likely talk to the ‘T-Rex Against TMX’ people about not engaging in actions that may result in a police visit.” Chadha added, “It is great to have a few T-Rexes dancing and adding to the energy of the rallies, but we want to keep the rallies inviting for everyone of all ages. We, however, do not want anyone engaging in any potentially arrestable actions, or activities that may result in a police visit.”

Chadha hopes this incident will not deter anyone from attending the protests, “or be given the wrong idea about being involved with ecological protection in general.”

Oyster added, “As a young person, I’m looking ahead at my future, and I’m terrified. I’m absolutely terrified of what the rest of my life is going to look like because of the climate crisis. The fact that the government is still pushing this through without the consent of the nations whose land it is, it really shows how little the government cares about young people,” said Oyster. “It really shows how little they value our lives. When our rights are under attack like this, we stand up and we fight back.”

“We actually might have a chance of stopping the pipeline,” said Chadha. “It would be great to reroute it if we can’t stop it.”

According to Financial Post, the federal government announced in February that no more public funding will be used for the costly TMX project. Instead, third-party financing will be used to complete the project. Chadha said one of the reasons they stopped public funding of TMX is because of public pressures including rallies like this.

Chadha noted they are hoping to see more youth involvement in the protest. “We are looking for especially more youth leaders and leaders at the university level as well.”

To find out more about the TMX rallies, visit their Facebook or Instagram.

The Oscars need to stop pandering to the masses

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March 23, 2022