Top ten reasons SFU is better than UBC
By: Sara Brinkac, Humour Editor
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Our campus isn’t the worst
Separate buildings across a 400 hectare campus? What is that? Who needs that much space? While UBC students are bragging about their “campus culture” SFU students will be happily walking to class under something called a “ceiling.” Have fun in the rain people, we’ll be the ones roasting marshmallows at Convo Mall.
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Our president is literally named Joy
What’s more indicative of a happy university than a president with an alliterative name? Nothing. Especially if their first name is the purest form of happiness. Some say it’s overcompensation, but those are just lies spread by UBC saboteurs, jealous of JJ and the superiority of SFU.
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We don’t have concerts
You know what I often say is such a nuisance? Fun student events. And don’t even get me started on universities that have a stadium for mildly famous performers to actually have concerts in. Honestly, who would want to bother with meeting new people in a loud environment. Dancing? What is this, West Side Story? Get real UBC.
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Mountain
I mean what’s more to say? “Mountain” is the best geographical landform. Mountain puts SFU both figuratively and literally above UBC. You can’t deny it, you can’t argue it, you can only accept it. Face.
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We have more expensive parking
UBC students pay $400.80? Per TERM? What a bunch of chumps! According to the supply and demand curves that govern our society, whatever is more expensive is of more quality. And that’s exactly why SFU charges $440.00 per term for parking. Sorry UBC, looks like you have low quality spots that no one wants to park their cars in 🙁
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Funnier people
Fact: it has been scientifically proven people at SFU are 420% more funny than people at UBC. Fact: UBC people are all butt-hurt they can’t think of a good comeback to this study because they’re not funny. Fact: I like sandwiches on Sundays after a swim. They’re refreshing, light, and easy on the stomach. You should try it sometime.
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We’re more engaged
SFU’s motto: “Engaging the World.” UBC’s motto: “Tuum Est.” Verdict: SFU is actively engaging people and officiating international weddings while UBC still thinks people speak Latin. Extrapolation from verdict: SFU is better than UBC, because . . . international love.
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Hackers like us more
Last time I checked, SFU was a total hotspot for hacker activity while UBC’s systems remained completely safe. Looks like whatever data UBC has, the hackers don’t want. Not to be rude, but SFU’s spicy secrets are just another example of how basic, bland, and boring UBC is in comparison.
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Our wifi is worse
You know what’s a real problem these days? The youth on their phones. This world is crumbling one instant message at a time. It’s only by some divine grace that SFU is committed to fighting back. With campus wide shoddy wifi and consistently elusive network passwords, SFU makes an impactful commitment to the future. Meanwhile, UBC sits back and watches the world burn in the eternal fires of hotmail.
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We’re farther from the ocean
Everyone knows the ocean sucks. That’s why SFU is built on a superior mountain far away from any salty water that would affect the pricing of our luxury parking spots. Honestly, I worry about those poor UBC students that are forced to inhale ocean air during their 45 minute walks to class. May McFogg have mercy on their souls and may SFU continue forever in its superiority. Go mountain.
Horoscopes: March 28–April 1
By: Charlene Aviles, Staff Writer and prank expert
ARIES
You love a good sitcom prank. As overdone as the whipping cream-sleep-feather routine might be, it also never fails to get you a laugh (track). Watch out this April Fool’s day though, there’s a warm cup of water with your passed out finger’s name on it.
TAURUS
You like to go all out with your pranks. Which would be great if you didn’t waste all your time on blueprints. Now you don’t have enough time to set up your materials for April Fool’s and Mercury was so excited to see that one with the windmill . . .
GEMINI
What goes around comes around. And in your case it’ll be the ketchup you (hilariously) switched out for hot sauce last week. Gemini, this would all be avoidable if you just stop getting your prankees to make lunch for you, c’mon.
CANCER
You’re a newbie when it comes to pranks, but don’t be shy. Just start off with something small, like a whoopie cushion. It’s guaranteed to blow your friends away. It’s an absolute gas! Victory will be in the air! . . . You know . . . The smell of success . . .
LEO
It’s never enough for you to do a prank. You always have to go about starting a prank war with the most random people and it’s honestly exhausting . . . Take the day off this April Fool’s.
VIRGO
Instead of doing the pranks, you’re the target. But don’t worry, it’s not too late to turn the tables. Next time you discover that your sugar is salt, bake the most elaborate and least suspect revenge cake your friends have ever tasted. Start working on your victory dance kid, this is going to be an absolute winner.
LIBRA
You’re going to sleep through April Fool’s this year after pulling a hectic all-nighter. Sucks to suck.
SCORPIO
Scorpio, you’re an absolute expert when it comes to pranks and the stars respect you entirely for it. But as long as we’re being honest, the stars also think that secret prank lair you have is an odd, unnecessary waste of $5,000 dollars.
SAGITTARIUS
You tend to plan extravagant pranks, but someone always spoils them for you and you can’t figure out who. It’s you, Sagittarius. You and your inability to keep a secret. We get you’re proud and want the credit, but just try playing it cool for like three days this year.
CAPRICORN
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but, your pranks are pretty predictable. Literally everyone can see those whoopee cushions coming from a mile away . . . Try mixing it up this year! Early bird gets the worm! (And then immediately puts the worm in their roommate’s cereal.)
AQUARIUS
Why do your pranks always involve random costumes? And how do you keep losing pieces of your sets? Now you have half of a Buzz Lightyear costume, a unicorn head, and a lot of explaining to do to the person who just opened your secret closet.
PISCES
You got your days mixed up and have all your elaborate jokes prepared for April 2 instead. It looks like poor Pisces is April’s fool this year.
Find multimedia works by visual arts students all over Burnaby campus
By: Sara Wong, Arts & Culture Editor
SFU Burnaby’s aesthetic leaves little to be desired. But thanks to this semester’s CA161 class, taught by Sabine Bitter, the campus will be revitalized with interactive art installations. From collages to conceptual sculptures, the work of these visual arts students aims to highlight the relationship between the public and public art. The Peak spoke with four of the artists to learn more about what this entails and where they drew inspiration from.
These and the rest of CA161 class installations will be around SFU Burnaby from now until April 4. See map below.
Zoe Cheng
Contemporary art galleries can sometimes feel pretentious. Cheng explained some of this disconnect can come from artists making pieces to achieve a level of “sophistication.” According to Cheng, “When the artists say, ‘Oh yes, my art is for the people,’ yet they create something that’s so hard to reach for people, it kills off the purpose.” This is exactly what they want to critique with their sculptural piece, which will be located outside the SFU Gallery. Consisting of multiple plaques and other signs, Cheng is directly questioning the practices of public art institutions by looking at how they present certain artworks.
Creating such a site-specific piece was something Cheng found daunting at first. Elaborating on site-specificity, they explained how integral location is when contextualizing art. If it “doesn’t match the aura, or doesn’t match the purpose of the piece, it causes a schism.” Nevertheless, Cheng said they were happy to push themself and their creative limits, adding they were “extremely grateful for Sabine” and the guidance she provided.
Sana Goel
After observing the amount of movement on campus, particularly in the AQ, Goel wanted her project to echo that — literally. “What I hope to do is have a motion sensor that, when people pass by, it plays the sound of a heartbeat,” she said. The motion sensor will be placed behind a mirror already installed on the AQ’s main floor. Goel hopes students passing by will stop in front of the mirror and “see themselves as the heart of the university.”
Incorporating sonic elements into art can be challenging, but Goel was excited to do so. “You have to be really willing to open your mind to lots of different perspectives when you’re making art,” she said. “Coming into SFU, this was the first opportunity I got to make art and really showcase it. So the fact that I’m getting to showcase it in a place such as the Burnaby campus is a really big deal for me.”
Julian Injeti
With this piece, viewers will have the opportunity to directly interact with the artist. Injeti, being unfamiliar with the Burnaby campus, wanted to use this opportunity to learn from other students. His work was inspired by tabula rasa, a philosophical idea that knowledge comes simply from experience. “I believe conversation is a very powerful thing,” Injeti said. The installation will have a backdrop with thoughts and messages — provided by friends — about SFU Burnaby. Meanwhile, Injeti will be in front of the frame, interviewing students.
However, describing himself as an introvert, Injeti noted this project was out of his comfort zone. “But at the same time, this is one of the few things where I’m excited to be challenged,” he said. Injeti credits CA161 for helping him grow as an artist, summarizing his main takeaways as adaptation, acceptance, and confidence in his craft.
Lauren James-Davies
Combining James-Davies’ interest in history with her artistic practices, this life-sized installation commemorates the Vancouver Women’s Caucus, an SFU organization founded in 1968 to fight for accessible birth control, childcare services, and other feminist policies. Four figures from the caucus, made out of paper, will be featured. “I’m using old photographs of them [ . . . ] and then on top of that, I’m going to be collaging some of the old newspapers that they used to make called The Pedestal,” James-Davies said.
The piece will be featured on the front doors of Maggie Benston Centre — a fitting place considering Benston was co-founder of the Vancouver Women’s Caucus. James-Davies shared this will be her first showcase in a public space. Though the process involved “a lot of experimenting,” she is proud of the final result. Further discussing her figures, James-Davies said, “They’re going to be double sided, so people are going to have to see them.”
Six films to celebrate the incredible work of women directors
By: Emma Best, Peak Associate
In the history of the Academy Awards, only seven women have received a nomination for Best Director. Of course, the Oscars are merely a flashy awards show and accolades don’t always equate to skill. But it would still be nice to see women receiving the same amount of praise for directing as men so often do. Especially since, in recent years, “more women than ever” are directing feature films. In celebration of Women’s History Month, here are six woman-directed films to check out.
Zola
Directed by: Janicza Bravo
[image credit: Killer Films]
Based on the iconic 2015 Twitter thread by A’Ziah “Zola” King, this film follows part-time waitress, part-time stripper Zola (Taylour Paige) after she befriends fellow dancer, Stefani (Riley Keough). Zola joins her on a weekend getaway to dance in Florida. However, upon arriving, things are not as they seem. The person Stefani introduced as her “roommate” is actually her pimp, and he has plans for her and Zola that go far beyond dancing in a club. Between the enthralling story and Bravo’s directing, this film is an enjoyable and thrilling ride.
Directed by: Chloé Zhao
[image credit: Caviar]
Brady Blackburn (Brady Jandreau) is a Lakota Sioux cowboy who was once a rodeo star. But, after suffering a traumatic head injury, he now suffers from severe seizures and has been advised to stop riding. This film is based loosely on the true story of the main actor, with the entire cast being made up of his actual family and friends. Zhao spent about a year getting to know Jandreau before filming, and their genuine, collaborative working relationship clearly enhances the storytelling. Much like she did in her Oscar-winning film, Nomadland, Zhao does an amazing job at working with and directing non-actors. The end result is an inherently real, authentic, and cinematic tale.
Directed by: Isabel Sandoval
[image credit: 7107 Entertainment]
Olivia (Isabel Sandoval), an undocumented Filipina trans woman, works as a caretaker for an elderly woman named Olga (Lynn Cohen). She falls into a relationship with Olga’s grandson, Alex (Eamon Farren), in pursuit of a marriage-based green card. However, things get complicated when she starts to develop real feelings for him, and he learns more about her. Though not autobiographical, Sandoval’s own experiences as a trans Filipina immigrant mold this film into a stunning and honest story about identity.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
Directed by: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn
[image credit: Experimental Forest Films]
Content warning: mentions of domestic abuse in the following paragraph
Taking place over the course of one evening, this film follows two Indigenous women — Áila (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) and Rosie (Violet Nelson). When Áila happens upon Rosie — pregnant, barefoot, and crying in the rain — she offers refuge at her apartment. She soon discovers that Rosie has fled from her abusive boyfriend, and the two embark on a journey to get Rosie to a women’s shelter. Directed by Tailfeathers and SFU instructor and alum Kathleen Hepburn, this movie was filmed to appear as one continuous shot (having 12 hidden cuts throughout its entirety). This technique creates a film that unravels in real time, giving an earnest exploration of Indigenous women’s experiences, particularly around domestic abuse.
Directed by: Domee Shi
[image credit: Pixar Animation Studios]
13 year old Chinese Canadian, Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang), is starting to go through all the changes that happen when you’re a teenager. It definitely doesn’t help that she also turns into a giant red panda any time she feels strong emotions. Set in Toronto in 2002, Mei is forced to grapple with puberty, her mother’s expectations, and her panda problem. After a historic Oscar win for her animated short Bao, Shi is the first Chinese Canadian woman to helm a feature length Pixar film. By drawing inspiration from her own experiences in Toronto, Shi crafts an immensely relatable, universal, and entertaining film about figuring out who you are.
Directed by: Emma Seligman
[image credit: Dumbo Pictures]
For college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott), family gatherings are already stressful enough. However, when she and her parents attend a shiva — a Jewish memorial service — things immediately get out of hand. There, Danielle finds herself face to face with her sugar daddy and his family, as well as her ex-girlfriend who is far more successful than her. Despite mostly taking place in one setting, Seligman’s writing and directing (and Ariel Marx’s horror-esque score) create a thriller out of a mundane experience. As Seligman’s feature length debut, this film is near agonizing to watch, yet so entertaining you can’t look away.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival launches fourth year at SFU
By: Karissa Ketter, News Writer
SFU School for Contemporary Arts (SCA) is hosting the Skoden Indigenous Film Festival (SIFF) this April 1–2, 2022. Entering its fourth consecutive year, SIFF was created in 2019 by students Grace Mathisen and Carr Sappier.
In an email statement to The Peak, Carr Sappier, two-spirited Wolastoqew co-founder and co-instructor of SIFF noted, “We wanted to create an Indigenous film festival for a lot of reasons but one of them being to create more space for Indigenous voices at SFU and practice true reconciliation between non-Indigenous members at SFU and the Indigenous community of local filmmakers.”
After the first year of SIFF, it was developed into a course at SFU in the SCA program. The program is taught by Sappier, Kathleen Mullen, and festival intern, Akira (Iahtail Swampy Cree from Attawapiskat and Métis).
According to SIFF’s website, Skoden is a unifying slang word for “let’s go then” that transcends a single language and community. The website notes, “It’s an attitude and a battle cry and we’ve decided to take it to heart.” For Sappier, “Skoden represents a sense of happiness, inclusion, and a space where all filmmakers can feel like they are part of something that holds them up in respect.
“SIFF is one example of how SFU can support Indigenous voices, especially emerging filmmakers who may not have had one of their films play on the big screen,” said Sappier.
Teresa Donck, a co-lead of the programming committee for SIFF told The Peak, “The films shown at Skoden are all made by Indigenous filmmakers and tell Indigenous stories. A lot of the films in the 2022 program share oral traditions and teachings, and often bring them into a contemporary context.”
Sappier added, “We have films about the effects of colonization, intergenerational trauma, reclaiming culture, language, music and all told through many genres such as documentary, narrative, animation, experimental and music videos.”
“Skoden acts as an avenue to educate and activate a dialogue about reconciliation,” said Donck. “Indigenous folks are often lumped together and the nuances between different Indigenous cultures are not understood. There are many stereotypical representations of Indigenous people that persist today, which is why it is so important for Indigenous folks to tell their own stories.”
In an interview with The Peak, co-lead of SIFF marketing Maraya Franca said, “It’s always important to listen and learn from Indigenous people, but being a part of this festival has made me truly realize the importance of giving them a space to share their knowledge and stories.”
In the film industry, Indigenous peoples face “tremendous systemic barriers,” said Donck, citing racism, tokenism, and white-supremacy, among others.
Sappier mentions the struggle for rural Indigenous filmmakers. “There are many challenges, especially for more rural Indigenous filmmakers who don’t have access to the same things as filmmakers in the city. However, this creative adaptability to use what you have is evident in a lot of the films at SIFF 2022 and I think that is important to mention. Film is a very reflective art form and uses methods of oral tradition that have been passed on through generations. ”
Sappier said, “Things are definitely shifting as more Indigenous filmmakers are being recognized and sharing more spaces in the mainstream. The Indigenous arts scene also supports one another and there is a strong sense of community within this circle of peers. It took me a long time to find my people, but once I did, it was refreshing and invigorating to work with like-minded people to create films we all could be proud to show our communities.”
The event will have Indigenous filmmakers on a Q&A panel for guests. “What I hope for the Q&As is to create an opportunity for young and emerging Indigenous filmmakers to ask questions, connect with, and to find encouragement and mentorship from filmmakers in the festival,” said Donck.
“Indigenous people have something to say. And it’s beautiful, truthful, sometimes painful, but always worthy of listening to and learning from. I hope they leave with open hearts and minds, and are encouraged to take action,” said Franca. “It’s so clear how much Skoden means to Carr, and that love has poured over into all of us,” she added.
“SIFF is all about inclusivity and respect and I hope that shines throughout the weekend of the festival. I hope filmmakers are inspired by all the kinds of films in the programs and how they were carefully curated. I hope attendants leave the theatre with questions and a different way of thinking of the Indigenous experience,” said Sappier.
For more information on purchasing tickets to attend the event in April, visit the SIFF website.
SFU food workers rally for a living wage
By: Karissa Ketter, News Writer
The negotiation period for the new SFU food workers contract with Chartwells has begun since their contract ended on October 30, 2021. SFU food workers are wearing red buttons on their uniforms that read “Living Wage,” as part of a campaign to pressure Chartwells for fair wages and better working conditions.
SFU uses third-party company, Chartwells, to hire their food workers rather than hiring them directly in-house. Despite calls from the community to move the hiring in-house, and precedents set by UBC and the University of Victoria, their contract with Chartwells continues.
As Chartwells and workers at SFU are renewing their contract, the workers are campaigning for fair wages, safer working conditions, and access to the same benefits and amenities as other SFU employees. This includes access to on-campus childcare and university facilities such as the library.
The Peak spoke with UNITE HERE Local 40 communications organizer Stephanie Fung to discuss the campaign. UNITE HERE Local 40 is a hotel and hospitality workers union in BC that represents the food workers at SFU. The union has hosted a series of international rallies for service workers at Vancouver Pan Pacific hotel and other Westmont-owned businesses.
According to Fung, the negotiations were halted when Chartwells failed to show up to their meeting a few weeks ago. “Workers were really angry. They really wanted to get back to the bargaining table to discuss the contract details, but when that failed to happen, they decided to escalate and take action.”
Fung said the reason for the campaign is to “call out Chartwells and pressure them to meet them back at the table.”
Fung reported the pressure from wearing the buttons was successful. Chartwells and food service workers met the week of March 10, with Chartwells bringing forth a proposal for a new contract. However, Fung said, “What the management was [offering] them was far below what workers were demanding.” They expect to be back at the bargaining table soon to respond to the proposal.
“Workers are extremely agitated, they’re feeling angry,” said Fung. “They’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that we keep the pressure up and keep fighting.”
The press release noted workers are making between $17 and $19 an hour. They have not received a raise in over three years. SFU food worker Gursharan Gill noted in the press release, “With the rise of inflation in the past decade, my wage isn’t enough to keep up with the cost of living in Burnaby. It’s extremely offensive how SFU is treating us as second-class citizens when other university employees are earning what they deserve.”
The current living wage for families in Metro Vancouver is $20.52 an hour.
Fung noted despite the average rate of $18 an hour, seasonal shifts dramatically affect workers’ income. “I think that number would look very [different] if you knew what the annual income these workers make. Most of the food service workers don’t work during the summers when it’s less busy. So annual income is just really, really low.”
The Contract Worker Justice (CWJ) group at SFU is another community body campaigning for the rights of food and cleaning service workers at SFU. These campaigns are not connected. CWJ is demanding a stop to private contractors for SFU’s food and cleaning workers, while UNITE HERE Local 40 is negotiating for a fair contract with Chartwells in the meantime.
Fung noted they are having a rally on March 31, 2022 at Convocation Mall for their campaign. “This rally is the largest of multiple planned actions we’ll be taking,” said Fung.
To stay updated on the campaign or for more information on the rally, visit their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, @unitehere40.
Council receives presentation from No Cops on Campus
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
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?
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
