The road ahead: the duo will look to take their talent to the big leagues next year. Photo: Krystal Chan / The Peak
By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor
On March 2, seniors Julian Roche and Jordan Lyons competed in their last college basketball game. SFU lost in overtime to Alaska Fairbanks in the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference quarterfinals by a score of 91–83, bringing an end to their season.
Roche and Lyons had a strong outing, finishing the night with 10 and nine points, respectively. The stakes were even higher for Roche, who hit his career-high point total against Western Washington — his most memorable moment of the year.
His close family in New Brunswick travelled over 5,000km to take part in the celebration. He voiced his appreciation for their trek to The Peak, “I am grateful for those memories, and I will remember them for the rest of my life.”
After earning a two-point lead to start the second-half, SFU found themselves down with dying seconds left on the clock and the ball in the hands of sophomore David Penney.
Penney sunk a shot way beyond the three-point line to send SFU to overtime. Lyons, who was unsure if the shot went in on time, spoke on the season-saving play. “It was definitely a huge momentum shift when they counted it, and it felt like we had a second chance at winning the game.”
Although the game didn’t end up shifting in SFU’s favour, the team did end their regular season on a high note. In front of a packed crowd of friends and family, SFU’s seniors pulled out a well-deserved 78–76 victory over Western Washington.
Lyons settled on the crowd favourite win against UBC for the Buchanan Cup for his favourite memory of the year.
Looking forward, both Lyons and Roche have expressed their ambition to play professional basketball next year, and recognized their time at SFU in improving their game. Roche said he learned how to perfect his regiment through training, dieting, and better grasping his emotions.“I also had the opportunity to lead and to be led.” Lyons added on top of finding his sweet spots on the court, he was able to develop as an individual, “becoming more mature, patient, and mentally tough.”
Now that their time is up, who’s going to bring the star power next season for SFU? Lyons says Penney or soon-to-be senior Jahmal Wright. In order to perform at their peak, Roche emphasized work habits. “Take care of your body through how you work and what you eat, but also take care of your mental health and take care of yourself.”
Despite Lyons only playing one season at SFU, both he and Roche appreciated the culture cultivated among the team, especially the senior core. “We know that we will always have our SFU experience to keep us bonded together for whatever is in store going forward,” said Roche. Lyons shared similar sentiments. “I think each senior brought different life and basketball experiences that brought us all together and made us a special group.”
We wish the two all the best in the next chapter of their career!
Students have expressed interest in the further development of SFU’s Surrey campus. Photo courtesy of Simon Fraser University
By: Charlene Aviles, Staff Writer
If you’re an SFU student, you’ll likely find yourself having to take a course at the Burnaby campus at some point in your academic career; however, because of the Burnaby campus’ often harsh weather conditions and distance, it is not as accessible to many students. To keep SFU accessible for all students, there should be more classes at the Surrey campus.
As the SFU community waits for the Burnaby Mountain gondola to be built, students and staff need reliable access to campus. Every year, the Burnaby campus accumulates at least 50 cm of snow, resulting in difficult road conditions for commuters.
More classes at the Surrey and Vancouver campuses would address these accessibility issues. Unlike the Burnaby campus, the Surrey campus is within walking distance from the Surrey Central Skytrain Station and multiple bus stops. The same goes for the Vancouver’s Harbour Center campus, which is just across the street from the skytrain, West Coast Express, and Sea Bus at Waterfront Station. Better transit access makes in-person education more accessible to students from across the Lower Mainland.
The Surrey and Vancouver campuses have a few important features that make them a safely travellable campus: multiple stair railings, wheelchair ramps, elevators, and escalators throughout the campus. This offers students many more options to meet their access needs. In contrast, Burnaby campus has staircases without railings, which pose a safety concern for staff and students.
While SFU students might have felt overwhelmed by the school’s construction and renovations, the 2022 SFSS referendum results indicate students are open to projects that create hubs outside of Burnaby. The results reveal students want the school to pursue an expansion of the Surrey campus, as well as new subsidized student housing. The popular motion suggests the construction of a Surrey campus Student Union Building, which would provide students more study space and access to SFSS resources. The demand for a more involved set of campuses exists; SFU just needs to act on it.As Canada’s engaged university, SFU aims to focus on community engagement. Increasing accessibility to communities throughout the Metro Vancouver area would be a huge asset to this goal.
From basketball court to track: Boagle is finding his footing with the track team after making the switch during high school. Photo: Krystal Chan / The Peak
By: Luke Faulks, Staff Writer
Hometown: Delta, BC
Favourite Athlete: Lebron James
Kirubel Bogale, a freshman on SFU’s track and field team, picked up running in high school. Despite getting a late start to his career, Bogale’s spot on SFU’s track team is nothing short of impressive.
The middle-distance runner has found success in his first run with the team. Bogale placed ninth in the mile at the Indoor Greater Northwest Conference Championship on February 26, and has consistently improved his personal best.
“I started running in grade 11, after what felt like a millennium of constant hounding from my Ethiopian parents and high school basketball coaches to give track a try,” Bogale said in an interview with The Peak. He turned competitive the following year.
Bogale said he likes to prepare for a race with an “easy warmup jog followed by some drills and strides to get the legs loose.” To keep him dialed in, Bogale pictures himself along different points in the race. “I always visualize how I want the race to play out before the gun goes off which keeps me mentally locked in and ready to go.”
He noted that while not all of his wins came with a medal, “A good chunk of high school athletes train their entire lives and don’t end up running post-secondary.” He added, “I’m very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to make a college team with such little experience at the time.”
Bogale also spoke about his experience in and out of the sport.
“I think that track is a sport where being Black doesn’t mean there are any extra barriers to get over, but I wouldn’t say the same for other sports that are dominated by one race, such as baseball or hockey,” he said. “This isn’t to say that these barriers don’t exist, but rather that I find it hard to try and marginalize a community that excels to such a high degree in the sport — [which] Black people do in track.”
With a larger Black student population, SFU has been a breath of fresh air in comparison to high school for Bogale. He said, “It gives the slightest bit more of a sense of belonging knowing that you’re not the only person that looks like you.
“I would say that the experience of being a Black athlete at SFU is different than it was in high school, but still relatively representative of being a Black person in the Vancouver area in general. With such a small Black population in the Lower Mainland, it’s very easy for someone like me to stand out in any setting I’m in.” He added this means he’s more likely to experience “microaggressions and subtle things that remind you that you’re still a minority in the community.”
In addition to his coaches and family, the track team is a pillar of support for Bogale. He describes a close-knit track team. “I think that there are many extra barriers to being a Black person in society, but as an athlete, I’ve been fortunate to have not seen those same barriers in my training environment.”
While he’s still undecided on what to pursue after earning his computing science degree, Bogale ensures he plans on staying attached to his sport. “I know well in my heart that I’ll be running and staying fit regardless of if I pursue anything professionally or competitively.”
The conversation, hosted at the Ismaili Centre Vancouver, features miniature artworks at the Aga Khan Museum.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Amyn Sajoo
By: Nancy La, News Editor
Editor’s note: This article was updated on April 6, 2022 to clarify this event was co-hosted by SFU and the Ismaili Centres.
On March 26, 2022, SFU co-hosted “Art as Dialogue: Ethics of Citizenship and Identity” with Drs. Ulrike al-Khamis and Amyn Sajoo. Sajoo is an international studies lecturer and visiting scholar and al-Khamis is the director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. This conversation opened a five-part series on Islamophobia hosted by SFU and the Ismaili Centres.
The event focused on historical Muslim art and their representation of the Islamic world in relation to Western perceptions.
Sajoo opened the conversation by discussing the necessity of art in addressing Islamophobia. “Culture matters. It can’t be an elite top-down change. We can pass all the hate crimes laws, and all the public policies against Islamophobia or anti-Semitism, or the intolerance of any group, but until it peters down into the social imaginary, into the culture, we’re not quite there yet.”
Al-Khamis spoke about how the public’s opinion on Islamic art is a Western invention from late 19th to early 20th scholars and enthusiasts. This invention does not reflect the artwork but focuses on Western ideas “than the reality within the Muslim world itself,” she said.
As an example, Al-Khamis showed a miniature painting from Delhi, India and explained the misconception of the Middle East being the central location of Islam when India had the third largest Muslim population in the world.
“The same scholars also made popular the notion and the misconception that images are forbidden in Islam. So these two problems we have were actually created by Western scholars,” she said.
Sajoo added, “And it’s totally contrary to the evidence. There’s no shortage of images in Muslim art absolutely from the beginning.”
Despite the geographic distance, al-Khamis pointed out the spiritual connections between Muslim art and Indigenous culture. “It really comes down to the relationship with the divine [ . . . ] and within that, our relationship with the environment, with nature, and with all living beings in harmony.”
She added, “We do all face similar, if distinct, issues of alienation, of not being accepted, of being discriminated against.”
Al-Khamis pointed out the importance of “intangible heritage” within a culture. Instead of the Western focus on materiality, intangible heritage focuses on wisdoms, culture, and collections that many pre-modern cultures possessed.
Throughout her discussion, aAl-Khamis showcased various paintings from the Aga Khan Museum, one of which, The Court of Kayumars, she used to discuss a culturally diverse existence. “We are all yearning for enlightened leadership, we are all yearning for a land and a society where we can all live together, shoulder to shoulder, as is in the case in the in the picture, in peace across differences, not only tolerating our differences but actually realizing that our differences enrich us and make us stronger and more exciting as a society.”
The event is available to view on YouTube. The Onstage Conversations will take place at various locations, including SFU Harbour Centre and the Ismaili Centre Toronto, until September 2022. Interested parties can visit their website to find out more information on registration.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a time when Jahmal Wright wasn’t playing basketball. He started shooting hoops at the age of four, and signed up to play competitively when he turned nine. Despite playing a host of other sports, he always came back to basketball. “Basketball was my first love, so I was kinda drawn to it from the beginning,” said Wright.
After high school, he got a basketball scholarship to go to Miami Dade College for a two-year degree. He then transferred to University of Maryland Eastern Shore where he graduated with a Bachelor of Sociology. Now, he’s at SFU for a Masters in Liberal Studies while playing ball.
Wright felt some culture shock studying in the United States as a Canadian. “Maryland was actually a [historically] Black college but still a culture shock because [ . . . ] there were no other Canadians there,” he said. “There’s a lot more African Americans on the basketball team, so we kind of stuck together at both schools I was at and became a family.”
Wright has been able to get into game action this year, after missing the last two seasons due to COVID-19. “It has been a rollercoaster. Especially this season, we’ve had a couple cancelled games [ . . . ] and we ended up having to play three games in three different cities in five days.
“It was really equivalent to an NBA schedule some weeks,” he remarked. “It was a good experience. There was definitely some adversity with growing pains and chemistry, but overall, it was a really fun time.”
In those difficult moments, Wright said he relied on his mom, who lives in Ontario. “I talk to my mom pretty much every day,” he said. “If I have a bad game, she’s the first person to criticize me, but she’s also the first person to tell me [ . . . ] there’s always going to be another game.”
Wright credits his mom with helping get his basketball career off the ground. “She is the hardest worker that I’ve ever encountered. There’s been times where she’s worked two or three jobs just so that she could pay for me to play basketball,” he noted.
“That is fuel.”
His mom isn’t his sole source of support. “I’ve got my coaches,” he said. “Those guys they’re very big on staying positive, especially off the court.” He also gave a shout out to his teammates, specifically center Julian Roche.
“He’s my roommate on most trips and the conversations that we’ve had have definitely gotten me through some mental blocks that I had during the season,” said Wright. “He’s definitely helped me improve my game and improve my mental [health].”
Wright has one more year of college basketball eligibility, which he’ll be using at SFU. He envisions a full year ahead, including “the GNAC championship in [2023] and just getting better day by day, on and off the court.
“After I’m done my Masters, I want to play professionally overseas,” revealed Wright. He has ambitions beyond that, too. “My dream job besides being a professional athlete, of course, would be to be a broadcaster or sports journalist, so hopefully, all goes according to plan.”
SFU walks away with a few national titles under their belt. Photo: SFU Athletics
By: Greg Makarov, Sports Writer
Women’s wrestling
The women’s wrestling team has taken an exceptional step this season, winning multiple individual national titles from seniors Karla Godinez-Gonzalez and Alex Hedrick (pictured). The biggest haul of trophies came from their Regional Championship win, where SFU came first in six out of 10 weight classes and had an astonishing 11 wrestlers qualify for nationals. The team finished the season undefeated in team competition.
Men’s wrestling
The men’s team had another promising season, stringing together a series of wins and only a handful of losses. However, when it came time for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Super Region 6 Championships, the team was unable to place within the top six to send them to nationals. The biggest highlight of the season has been sophomore Taniela Feliciano-Takafua(pictured)finishing the season with a blistering 30–1 record — one of only six SFU wrestlers to reach the mark.
Hockey
This season has been one for the ages — SFU tore through the BC Intercollegiate League and won all their regular season games. They continued to press on and won the Championship in a tightly contested final against Vancouver Island University, after heading to the final period of the semi finals down two goals. Freshman Garret Hilton was second in the league points and led his team in the playoffs with six points in two games. Goaltenders Cale Dolan and Michael Lenko also finished within the top five in the league for save percentage.
Men’s basketball
The men’s team finished the year with a 12–13 record in a memorable season full of exciting comeback victories and a winning senior send off. The most important shot of the season came from sophomore David Penney (pictured), whose fantastic spinning three pointer in the final seconds of the game sent SFU to overtime. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and their ultimate loss ended their season just shy of the NCAA Championship.
Women’s basketball
The women’s basketball team advanced as the sixth seed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) quarter finals after posting a 12–14 record. In a high scoring bout, they were bested by Central Washington University. The game was marked by an impressive solo effort from Jessica Wisotzki(pictured), who scored a game leading 29 points.
Swimming
The swim team has been historically successful this year. In a season alone, junior Collyn Gagne shattered multiple school records including the 200-yard breaststroke. Gagne also won a national record in the 400m individual medley, and two medals at the 2021 Toyota US Open Championship. Senior Kaleigh Sharkey (pictured) also made waves, becoming SFU’s most decorated NCAA woman swimmer with her 11thAll American award.
Indoor track and field
The track team, and most notably national champion Alison Andrews-Paul, is breaking a myriad of records. Andrews-Paul set multiple record times, including the second fastest 800m in GNAC history. Two best-ever team achievements came this season as the women’s track and field team won the indoor track and field banner while the men’s team finished second thanks to West Region Athlete of the Year, Aaron Ahl.
Play the ultimate game of focus, precision, and strategy. Photo: Lino Lakes/ Unsplash
By: Vanshita Sethi, SFU Student
A carrom board can often be found in a dusty, old corner in Indian households waiting to be pulled out on special family occasions. Some historians believe the game to have first been enjoyed leisurely by the Maharajas of India. Since then,carrom remains relevant in many parts of India to this day.
Carrom consists of 19 wooden coins (carrommen), a striker (a bigger disk used to try to pocket the other pieces), and powder (for glidability). It’s typically a game for four players with pairs of two seated across from each other. The 19 carrommen are divided into two distinct colours, black and white, with a queen placed right in the middle of the board. Similar to billiards, the goal is to pocket the carrom men of the chosen colour as fast as possible, along with the queen — the most valuable piece. Whichever player pockets their pieces first wins the game and receives a point for each of their opponent’s pieces still left on the board. If said winner pockets the queen, they will also receive five bonus points.
Over the last century, various Carrom organizations have been established to bring “uniformity in the specifications of equipment and rules of the game.” The All-Indian Carrom Federation was the first to be established on March 4, 1956.In 2012, Carrom Canada was introduced by Francis D’Costa and now has more than150 members.During the pandemic, carrom saw a resurgence among players in Canada, and D’Costa considered opening the federation up to prospective players who wanted to learn before the pandemic.
It might sound elaborate and intense, however, the “strike and pocket” game might just be your next favourite pastime while stuck at home, and can be bought at the following link.
First year SFU student Jerry Falogie has recently made a substantial impact on student discourse this March. While a campus-wide demand of course restructuring is in motion, not many are aware of what sparked it. The Peak sat down with student Jerry Falogie to learn how a non-refundable misunderstanding became the leading topic of SFU senate proceedings.
“I was so excited for my history of rap class,” stated Falogie to The Peak. His classes were all picked, his books all ready, and Falogie was so eager to get to the campus. “I thought I was gonna learn about Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and maybe even ancient players like Drake, and Cardi B.” However, Falogie was dealt a devastating beat when he found out that the class he signed up for was not History of Rap but History of Rhapsode,a class about ancient Greek performers.
“I wanted to learn about rappers and now all I am learning about is how Ion performed retellings of Plato’s work,” Falogie said in frustration “I guess me and Socrates have one thing in common . . . We both think it was totally worthless!” When asked why he didn’t realise he was in a non-rapping class when assigned books on Hesiod and Archilochus at the bookstore, Falogie thought those were just “cool new rappers” he had never heard of.
This frustration prompted Falogie to create a petition demanding SFU make lecture material clear to potential students in order to avoid misunderstanding. In his petition, Falogie accuses the university of “just using catchy click-bait titles that trick innocent students into taking boring classes.” At time of writing, the petition has amassed over 1,000 signatures, with overwhelming support from many students.
While Falogie’s actions have gained popularity throughout campus, there remain detractors of the cause. Many argue that the core of this issue was not the university “tricking students,” but instead Falogie’s ability to properly understand what he was signing up for. However, Falogie refuses to acknowledge any assertions that he needs to “read things good.”
“Look, I’m just a guy tryna get by,” rhymed Falogie. “All I want is to learn the things I thought I was going to learn.” Due to the recent amount of support, Falogie revealed to The Peak he would be starting yet another petition. This time demanding SFU provide students with an actual history of rap class because that would be “fuckin’ dope.”
Before the interview ended, Falogie asked to wish all his supporters on campus “the blessing of a harmonious life.” However, Falogie became immediately vexed and discontent after stating this. “Crap! That’s from Homer’s Odyssey! I’m actually learning stuff in this class!” He immediately packed up his stuff and grumbled something about needing to go listen to Future to “clear his head.”
It seems like by the end of this semester, Jerry Falogie’s “rhap” game will be thicker than Greek yogurt, and maybe we can all be thankful for that.
Learn what inspires Ashi Reddy, Euge Leung, and Lisa LaRose. Collage: Sara Wong / The Peak, with photos courtesy of Krystal Chan
By: Krystal Chan, SFU Student
Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for concision and clarity.
Last month, Vancouver hosted its first Fan Expo since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Arguably, one of the most affected industries has been arts and entertainment. As we continue to support small businesses during this time, The Peak sat down with three local artists who tabled at the 2022 convention to learn more about them and their craft.
Reddy makes lip glosses and various accessories. Photo: Krystal Chan / The Peak
The Peak: Can you tell us about your journey as a creative? What inspires your art?
Reddy: I had been going to conventions for years and had helped out friends previously with their artist tables, so I was always around that community. When I started, I was a hairstylist making clay hair accessories. That eventually led to resin accessories, which then led to other resin pieces. The cosmetics come from a longtime interest in makeup, and noticing a definite lack of POC alternatives in mainstream cosmetics.
A lot of my inspiration comes from French gothic architecture and Victorian romance, which are very in line with my personal tastes. I like the look of things that are less bright in colour. And if there’s a particular video game or show that I’m interested in, I also like to make things based on those.
P: Are there any special meanings behind your art? What are your goals with your art overall?
R: I don’t have too many sentimental meanings behind my pieces. They definitely reflect the kind of aesthetic I enjoy, which is usually a little different than others. People into goth fashion tend to connect with the pieces I make. That sort of ties into my goals with my art.
P: What pieces are you most proud of?
R: Right now I am most proud of my large, resin daggers. I’ve always wanted to make a decorative display dagger, and during the last convention people were extremely interested in them!
Leung, creator and CEO of Puglie. Photo: Krystal Chan / The Peak
P: How did you start your journey as an artist? Where do you get inspiration from?
Leung: I graduated Emily Carr with very little hard skills in industry standard programs, and needed to continue growing as an illustrator. I resented my time in university for what felt like a lack of education, so I used that anger to fuel my own studying of illustration and graphic design by practicing anatomy, drawing objects, admiring brand design and figuring out what it is I love about it, and so on.
P: Does your art come with any sentimental stories? What goals do you have with your art? Is there a particular piece you’re proud of?
L: At some point in my journey of becoming an illustrator, I fell into a deep and debilitating art block. It’s easy to see a lot of great art online and begin doubting your own abilities — why can’t you draw a hand, why are faces weird, how come you can’t paint like that? Eventually the art block gave me depression, and I either didn’t create anything for days, or I’d create something and despise it. This lasted for about a month, until I finally asked myself, ‘Euge, what do you want to draw?’ I gravitated towards stout, silly things; and food.
Turns out the “stout silly thing” was a pug — nicknamed Puglie — and “food” was a doughnut, because I kept having this idea of something stuck in a doughnut hole and not being able to touch the ground.
When I truly gave myself no expectations on good anatomy, proper perspective or form, a compelling concept, or whatever is considered a good illustration — and just allowed myself to have fun — it finally freed me. After I drew Puglie in a doughnut, I zoomed out of the illustration in Photoshop and for the first time in my life, I laughed and felt this joy in my art.
I continue to draw him because he continues to make me happy. And I have the honour and privilege of making other people happy with him. My goal with Puglie is to let more people experience him — via merchandise, or experiences like themed cafés (hopefully one day) or pop up shops or galleries. As much as I need to make a living, I’d just love for Puglie to be able to brighten peoples’ days.
Lisa LaRose | @lisalaroseart “on all the internet places”
LaRose finds inspiration through emotion and colours. Photo: Krystal Chan / The Peak
P: How did your creative journey begin? How do you come up with ideas for your art?
LaRose: I started my professional artist journey by going to school for video game art and working in the gaming industry from 2009–2014 in Edmonton, Alberta (mainly at smaller studios on mobile titles). I got to a point where I had accomplished many of my goals and wondered “what’s next?”
I thought it would be moving up to a larger studio and focusing on character modeling, but I realized I was more passionate about illustration. I decided to quit my studio gig in order to pursue a new path.
I still did video game art, but also looked at other industries (children’s literature, board games, comics, etc.) and tried new ways to make money as an artist. In 2015, I started selling prints at conventions/art markets. In 2016, I made a painting, Star Fish, which quickly sold better than my other illustrations and fan art. By 2019, I was focused solely on my own art and selling it. During the pandemic, since I didn’t have shows to go to, I spent my time making a published comic book (Ghoster Heights), printing my own line of puzzles, and trying out live streaming.
P: What do you hope to convey with your art? Is there a special or sentimental story behind it?
LR: I make art for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes I have an emotion or feeling I’m trying to capture, and I use different images/colours together to try and build that feeling. Breathe is a painting about my anxiety (trying to keep calm and let go, even when I feel like I am deep underwater). Some of my work was made for a certain project: Ebb & Flow was made for a powerbox in Vancouver (the fish tile around the box — koi fish swimming one way and fish bones swimming the other way). And sometimes I just make things I think would look really cool or because I think it’s hilarious.
P: Which pieces are you most proud of?
LR: Life — it’s one of my strongest pieces and it’s very popular. I have the original on my wall and I still really enjoy seeing it every day.
Another student with a great life, thanks to Peakie.
By: Kelly Chia, Staff Writer and All Knowing
Dear Peakie,
My roommate keeps eating my eggs, but when I confront them they completely deny it! They say either I have a bad memory or someone else is eating them. We’re the only two people living together! Please help.
Lost,
Cracked in Coquitlam
Dear Cracked in Coquitlam,
Oh dear. It sounds like you’re being gaslit by a roommate who would rather fry your eggs than understand your eggs. Well, here’s what I would suggest to get crackin’ on: disguise yourself as a giant ostrich egg and teach your roommate a valuable lesson about stealing. See, upon observing an ostrich egg in the home your roommate will be naturally intrigued by the mythos of that golden yolk of truth. They will be unable to resist trying to eat you. The key word here is try, as you are not actually an egg. Instead, Cracked, you are a diviner of truth. When your roommate discovers what they’re whisking is you, scramble their emotions like they have scrambled yours!
Sincerely,
Peakie
Dear Peakie,
I’m having a tough time choosing which major to declare in my third year. I have done a lot of philosophy classes and really enjoyed them but I also have a passion for biology! I don’t know what careers I could pursue in either, though, so if you could help me figure out my life that would be great.
Sincerely,
Indecisive in West Mall
Dear Indecisive in West Mall,
Unfortunately, I can not guide you through all of life, but I suppose I can help you with this chapter . . . Here is what I would advise you to do: don’t confine yourself to a mortal timeline, darling. Why can you not be both a biologist and a philosopher? Experimentation means flavour, and flavour means dazzle — the two fundamental tenets of Biology and Philosophy. Why pressure yourself with the labels when you can just be, honey?
Anyways, that will be $12,000 dollars per annum for the next 15 years, please. You can send e-transfers to [email protected] the first of every May.
Believe in yourself,
Peakie
Dear Peakie,
I work for the IT services of a major university and my job is really stressful. I spend most of my days working hard to make sure the data of the university is kept safe, but anytime I can’t fend off a major attack, I’m blamed! It feels like everyone hates me or is waiting for me to screw up. Even when I offer solutions, they say I’m doing too much or not enough. How do I stop myself from uncontrollably sobbing and communicate to everyone that I’m a much better person than they think I am?
Thanks,
Stressed in an Undisclosed, Generic Location
Dear Stressed in an Undisclosed, Generic Location,
Have you tried turning your self-image on and off again?
Let’s try to reroute some of these problems and link to the main issue — your reputation. Instead of IT services, I would consider renaming yourself TMB services: “Trying My Best.” That way, when a certain student bodies try to be mean to you about your job, you have protection!
And don’t forget, Stressed in an Undisclosed, Generic Location — you have all the power in this situation. They have problems communicating nicely with you? Cut off their communication lines! No surveys, no internet, and you can guarantee, no complaints! Don’t worry about the moral implications, students are used to poor communication anyways, they will adapt perfectly.
