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What Grinds our Gears: Train to Braid

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Peak Web
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a picture of the Braid skytrain station entrance.
PHOTO: Pwkrueger / Wikimedia Commons

By: Nuha Maisara, SFU Student

Do you ever switch trains at Columbia, only to see the wait time for the next Production-Way line is . . . 15 minutes? And of course, we cannot forget the growing mob of similarly ill-fated individuals like yourself, who accumulate on the dingy platforms as you wait. When you finally have the privilege of setting foot onto this sought-after train, you realize that even sardines in a can have more personal space than the train’s current inhabitants. You desperately avoid eye contact with your compatriots in transit, even if you happen to be close enough to see their nose hairs.

I am all too familiar with such a scenario, much to my displeasure. And each time I wonder, what is the point of the Braid line? For anyone unfamiliar, there is little difference between the two lines — both Braid and Production-Way go through Columbia and Sapperton. However, while Braid stops at, well, Braid, Production-Way continues through Lougheed Town Centre, and stops at Production-Way. These are both major stations. I kid you not, even during the busiest hours, Braid does not hold more than a handful of people. Somehow, it still manages to stop at Columbia every 5–6 minutes, as if to taunt the poor soul waiting for the Production-Way line. 

It leaves me wishing to yell into the void: “Extend the Braid line all the way to Production-Way! Extend it, you cowards!” but I know if I do that, I’ll just get dragged to the Backrooms.

Sigh. Such is life. Such is public transit.

On cannabis literacy and harm reduction

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Peak Web
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A lit joint.
PHOTO: GRAS GRÜN / Unsplash

By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer 

We might know about weed only through its either glamorized or demonized representations in media.

But what might a more mindful approach to cannabis look like? How might we hold conversations that don’t shame or police others? How might we demystify weed and come to understand ourselves a little better in the process? 

The history of cannabis in Canada, like many other places, is entangled with imperialism. From seeking profit to xenophobia, we find ourselves amid a war on drugs. While the first known crop of hemp emerged in what is now Nova Scotia in 1606, Canada legalized medical use only in 2001, and recreational use as recently as 2018, becoming one of the first countries to do so.

And yet, legality doesn’t erase uncertainty.

Cannabis literacy 

Get Sensible, a project by the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP), offers a solution: cannabis literacy. Their website defines it as, “the knowledge and skills required to make informed choices around cannabis use.” They believe drug use is a “health and human rights issue rather than a criminal-legal issue,” which means empowering individuals with education and support rather than punishing or policing them.

It is important to acknowledge that students may gravitate to it for a variety of reasons: managing stress, sleeping better, soothing anxiety or pain, or even just to have a fun time. 

In an interview with project manager Kiah Ellis-Durity, she recommends asking yourself, “What about it seems interesting to you? What are you expecting the results to be? How are you expecting it to make you feel?” As she modelled questions to consider, I realized how different informed and non-judgmental conversations can look from the traditional PSAs that use fear mongering. So what if we leaned into our curiosity? 

Harm reduction

In their Cannabis 101 + Harm Reduction booklet, we can learn about the endocannabinoid system and how various cannabinoids and consumption methods can have felt effects. Most importantly, it outlines 10 principles of cannabis harm reduction: from starting slow to possible drug interactions to plans for transport home. 

“We’re kind of blessed in the way that we do have a legal market with so many different kinds of products,” Ellis-Durity says. So, what if we use this opportunity to learn more? If you use cannabis, do you know which modality, concentrations, or THC amounts you prefer? Have you taken some time to learn the differences in methods of consumption? Do you know how to read the labels to understand what’s in your products? As students, we’re a demographic that is particularly susceptible to certain cannabis-related harms, including dependency and cannabis-induced psychosis. Ellis-Durity says this knowledge allows us to make informed decisions about our use and non-use. 

Another basic harm reduction strategy for first timers is “having a trusted friend or two.” This, she says, can make a world of difference when you don’t know how a substance might interact with you. Similarly, it is important to check in with yourself after use. In the Cannabis in Context booklet, there is a section where people can record their thoughts and experiences: Which strain did you try? How did it feel? How long did the effects last? Ellis-Durity reminds us that journalling or verbally processing with a friend can be helpful. The Native Women’s Association of Canada’s cannabinoid calculator is another way to keep track of your experiences, for those who like metrics.

She also suggested peer-to-peer support via services like the CSSDP’s Vancouver chapter, where you can converse with people navigating similar experiences. 

Unpacking dependency and sobriety 

For many of us, dependency can feel like a scary concept. But avoiding the topic doesn’t help. Ellis-Durity says we can start this conversation by acknowledging that cannabis is a psychoactive substance, and it has biochemical effects on our brain. 

According to Get Sensible, Cannabis Use Disorders (CUD) is a broad term, referring to “a problematic pattern of use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress often negatively interfering with the user’s health and social obligations.” This may look like consuming large amounts frequently, the inability to cut down or control one’s use, increased tolerance, or even withdrawal when not using. Dependence can also interfere with one’s work or school obligations, or involve missing out on socializing and hobbies because of using cannabis. The US National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicates that, within the first year of starting cannabis use, 11% of those aged 12–17 and 6% of those aged 18–25 meet the diagnostic criteria for CUD. 

Ellis-Durity acknowledged, “I do think those conversations can be hard, because maybe someone could be in denial of how it might be making them feel.”

Examining our relationship with cannabis can be a starting point for building a better relationship with ourselves — with our bodies, boundaries, and understanding of the world around us.

She continued, “there’s something called a bidirectional relationship, where your mental health can impact your cannabis use, and your cannabis use can impact your mental health.” This is why, acknowledging “the reality of using a psychoactive substance” and its impact on our bodies can be a safe and non-judgmental starting point for this conversation. 

At the same time, Ellis-Durity clarified, “one’s relationship with weed changes so much in your life.” For instance, sobriety is often framed as an all-or-nothing transformation. You may think you need to quit completely or you’re failing. But real life isn’t binary.

“Supporting young ones in whatever they choose is so important. Someone’s substance use doesn’t define them.”

— Kiah Ellis-Durity, project manager, Get Sensible

In their Cannabis in Context booklet, one participant said, “Using weed as harm reduction helps me get through the days I’m struggling with depression + PTSD. Even if it’s harming my lungs a bit, that’s worth it if it’s keeping me more mentally stable and able to be around day to day.” 

Similarly, for those choosing sobriety, we must also remember that it isn’t linear. “You can celebrate the wins, but also it’s OK to be realistic. Sobriety also might look like reducing. It might not be completely overnight, and in fact, for some people, it’s really bad when it is a split decision,” Ellis-Durity explained. 

Rooted in the “gateway theory,” that “people who use cannabis have a higher risk of trying other illegal drugs compared to non-users,” sobriety can become like a test for purity. Any deviation can become a source of shame. However, most people who use cannabis don’t transition to using other drugs. For those who do, there are often a myriad of genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors influencing their decisions. This is why, beginning with an inquisitive approach and reaching out for support can be helpful. There is no single correct trajectory, and sobriety can look like taking fewer hits, pausing to reassess, or even gently setting boundaries with others. Ellis-Durity also recommends resources like Foundry BC, that offer free and subsidized mental health support for youth, as well as the Cannabis and Mental Health project, that offers a 90-minute certificate course to learn more about how your use may impact your mental health. 

The war on drugs 

No conversation about cannabis is complete without acknowledging the broader sociopolitical landscape. Get Sensible sees cannabis education as its own “gateway” into more harm reduction and education for other substances. Drug use doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it is shaped by policing, policy, colonialism, stigma, and the criminalization and dehumanization of drug users. 

Conversations about cannabis are rarely just about cannabis. It is about how we cope, how we relate to our bodies, how we navigate stress, and how we care for each other. It is about the harm that stigma causes, the compassion that community can offer, and the patience required to sit with our discomfort. Whether you use cannabis, avoid it, or are still figuring out where you stand, I hope you can see yourself and others with empathy. It is only then we can begin having informed and safe conversations about drugs. 

Access Sensible Cannabis Education booklet, and others, as well as for free at getsensible.org/resources. HealthLinkBC also has resources available, including crisis and treatment lines. Visit the web version of this article at peak.sfu.ca for more resources.

The grand history of the spice trade

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Peak Web
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An illustration of a rack of spices in jars.
ILLUSTRATION: Stella Laurino / The Peak

By: Noeka Nimmervoll, Staff Writer

The modern world is full of magic if you take a minute to peek under the hood. One such thing that has struck me lately as absurd is owning a spice rack as a student in Canada. Cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, these are spices that are native to countries all over the world: primarily India, Jamaica, China, and Indonesia, respectively. Since the Roman Empire (625 BCE to 476 CE), spices had been a major indicator of wealth up until the globalization of spices that occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Silk Road and the Indian Ocean trade routes may now just be history to us, but their legacies exist today in subtle ways: the spice aisle in every grocery store, the PSL, and open access to authentic recipes from countries across the world. To truly understand the significance of spices being a household item, you must understand the long and complex history of the spice trade.

Why were spices so highly sought after? 

Many now-common spices and seasonings, like salt, were regarded as highly valuable throughout history. Phrases like “worth his salt” and “salary” originated from the Roman Empire, where salt was a common form of income for Roman soldiers. Spices were used as commodity money, a form of currency with inherent value, much like gold. In fact, nutmeg was once worth more than its weight in gold. 

The consensus of their value was widespread: Alaric the Visigoth, a Roman chieftain and anti-imperialist in the fifth century, demanded 3,000 pounds of peppercorns as ransom for sparing Rome. All over Europe during the Middle Ages, spices were seen as a major status symbol. Going over to your neighbour’s house and seeing cloves in a jar on their kitchen floor might’ve been akin to seeing your neighbour’s brand new Porsche. These European houses were sure to flaunt what others could not afford. Spices had value everywhere, due to their ability to enhance the flavour of food, preserve meat (in a time before refrigeration), aid in medicinal healing, and for use in religious and spiritual practices. Beyond these practical applications, spices were mythologized by Arabic merchants who told grand stories of spices that were guarded by winged creatures on dangerous cliffs. These stories spread across countries and became all the more reason to spend a pretty penny on these luxury items. 

The origin and development of the spice trade

The trade of spices began around 2000 BCE, with Austronesians, a voyaging people who originated from Taiwan, establishing sailing networks between Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and India by 1500 BCE. Then, spices were transported through the Middle East and Europe across land routes, including routes that were part of the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a collection of roads that connected the Middle East, Asia, and Europe in merchandise and culture. Travellers on the road were highly exposed to robbery and other dangers. Since these spices were so difficult to transport, their prices were sky high, rising in price at the hand of every intermediate merchant. 

Around 1 CE Arabs, Persians, and Indians began to dominate the trade routes of the Indian Ocean, making the Middle East the centre of the spice trade. The traders had established a maritime pathway that connected from Rome all the way to China. When the Roman Empire took over Egypt, they established a major trading port that controlled the spices entering the Greco-Roman world. Still, Greece and Rome lacked direct access to spices, which advantaged the Middle East since the countries were forced to pay incredible prices through this monopolized control of the export. After the fall of the Roman Empire, spices weren’t as accessible for Europeans. In 11th century Europe, however, spices once again became an increasingly popular commodity after the Crusaders got a taste of Middle Eastern cuisine. The Crusades re-ignited the hubbub around spices for the purposes of cooking, medicine, and status. 

The path to globalization

The 15th century brought the European Age of Discovery, a mass movement of Europeans travelling by sea for new trade opportunities in silk, precious metals, and spices. This was also the age of European colonization, where significant global events unfolded in a cascade: the enslavement of African people, the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and the massive wealth accrued for European people. In 1498, a Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama was the first to successfully travel around Africa to reach India. His success led to the Portuguese Empire: a merchant and trade dominance that Portugal had on ports around the Indian Ocean, often taken by force. Through their power, Portugal captured the spice trade from Venice, who had control over spices’ distribution through Europe prior to this time. 

Following the Portuguese came the Spanish, the Dutch, the French, and the English, who all established major companies that removed power from the Middle East and decentralized spices completely, shifting the Indian Ocean’s control from local powers to European colonizers. 

Eventually, the 18th and 19th century saw the collapse of English and Dutch companies that signified the end of the centralized trade of spice. Now, through globalization and excessive commodification, spices are easily accessible across the world. However, this widespread luxury is now built on a system that profits corporations and underpays workers severely. Often, spices are gathered from many smaller farms and sold under one corporation’s name. In this process, every intermediary merchant takes a cut, leading to farmers unfairly getting the short end of the stick. Spice farmers are underpaid and often don’t earn a living wage, with child labour being an issue in the industry. Economic insecurity from low wages leads to a high incentive for struggling farmers to use excessive pesticides for a reliable yield, increasing health risks for consumers and farmers themselves, as well as environmental concerns. Global warming already poses challenges for spice farmers in some regions, and will continue to amplify over time. 

The main way for consumers to combat the unethical modern spice trade is to seek out sustainably sourced and organic spices. There is no perfect way to purchase spices in a fundamentally flawed system, but when everyone puts their money where their mouths are, the supply chain has financial incentive to focus on sustainable practices. 

The history of spices is complex and global, and stands today as a powerful and problematic industry. Today’s societies may not consider spices a luxury, however, there is a newfound respect I have for these aromatic goods that comes from understanding the history of it all. Spices are not cheap today — however, if you consider what they used to be worth, modern prices pale in comparison. 

Of all the times to be alive, we ended up in a time where you could make authentic chicken biryani in the home of a Canadian with a modest income.

That, in my eyes, is a modern miracle. 

Tibet Through Images highlights Tibetan Canadian voices

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Peak Web
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PHOTO: Noeka Nimmervoll / The Peak

By: Noeka Nimmervoll, Staff Writer

As a child of immigrant parents who grew up on unceded Indigenous land, I’ve often wondered what life would be like if I grew up in my parents’ home countries. When you’re removed from your place of origin, by force or by nature, there is a longing for something you don’t know: an unnameable grief of separation from a world that is rightfully yours. This is the feeling that resonates through Entangled Territories: Tibet Through Images, the new exhibition at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology (MOA). Open from November 20, 2025, to March 29, 2026, this exhibit features archives from MOA, curated by Dr. Fuyubi Nakamura, as well as works from young Tibetan Canadian artists, Lodoe Laura and Kunsang Kyirong. Tibet Through Images is an emblem of the lived experiences of diasporic Tibetan people. I attended the opening celebrations on November 20 to learn more. 

Tibet is a secluded Buddhist territory currently occupied by China. However, from 1912 to 1951, it was an independent nation, as declared by the 13th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s religious and political leader. The Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949 forced Tibet’s surrender of independence, eventually leading to the current Dalai Lama fleeing Tibet in 1959, followed by around 80,000 Tibetans. Now, these Tibetans and their lineage live widely abroad, either in Tibet’s established exile government in Dharamshala, India, or settling elsewhere, while working to keep their unique culture alive. Some Tibetan people have never set foot in Tibet. Canada is home to one of the largest populations of Tibetan people outside of Asia. 

Tibet Through Images, nestled in the MOA, begins with “Colonized/Colonizer,” a photography display by Laura that visualizes her British/Tibetan heritage. Cleverly mounted in a corner, the pictures capture the artist in separated cultural identities that differ so strongly in motive — indeed, the colonized and the colonizer. Her eyes look at you from every angle, gently daring witnesses of the portraits to consider her circumstances.

Further inside the exhibition, Laura’s photographs surround the room in a personal narrative that feels like grief: these vivid frames capture her father as he looks at Tibet from Nepal, the bordering country from which he managed a monastery. Unable to visit Tibet, her father is so close to home, yet so far from it, limited by political circumstances. The portraits are intimate and quietly poetic, showing a lived reality, and not just an artefact of the past.

Two films by Kyirong were also featured: Yarlung, a short story made of both fiction and non-fiction materials focusing on loss, and Letters From Tibet, a specially commissioned work using archival materials from the MOA’s collection. Yarlung was illustrated in a swooping, dreamlike animation that made you feel as if not everything was okay. It offered simple words for big tragedies, and was felt as much as it was seen. 

The rooms surrounding the two artists’ works were adorned with Tibetan zhubas (gowns), jewellery, art, and other items from the museum’s collection. In the arrangement of the room, the present day diasporic Tibetans are grounded in the history of the culture of their homeland.

The Tibetan people may now have created homes across the world, but they still remain defiant in exploring Tibet — even if they are on a different continent.

Visit Entangled Territories: Tibet Through Images at UBC’s MOA until March 29, 2026.

 

The dance of the diaspora: A conversation with Alvin Tolentino

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Peak Web
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Courtesy of Alvin Erasga Tolentino

By: Phone Min Thant, Arts & Culture Editor  

It was a cold October afternoon for myself and many other Southeast Asian studies scholars attending the 2025 Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies (CCSEAS) Conference. In the momentary relief of a catered lunch, I had my first introduction to Alvin Erasga Tolentino, whose speech piqued my interest, prompting me to network with him later on. A month later, I found myself speaking to Tolentino again — this time on Zoom — to learn more about his life and experiences in dance, and about his dance company, Co.ERASGA.

This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.

Please tell me a little bit about yourself and a short history of Co.ERASGA.

I am a Filipino Canadian contemporary choreographer, dancer, and founding director of Company ERASGA Dance, based in the Coast Salish lands. In 1999, I founded Co.ERASGA, which officially became a non-profit dance company in 2000. The company reflects my interests in the work of Asian Canadians in the diaspora, especially in the performing arts, and my desire to highlight the cultural heritage of other artists in Canada working in the same intersection. A large part of our big mandate is to support artists of colour, especially the Asian artists in the community. 

 

What are the artistic and cultural inspirations behind the Dance Society and behind your inspirations to start Co.ERASGA in 1999?

I was always drawn to dance as a child, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that dance is so embedded into the culture of Filipinos. When I immigrated to Canada in 1983, I wanted to continue the practice of dance, and it was here that I was introduced to contemporary dance. I really enjoyed the experimentation that is inherent in the work of contemporary dance, and I built the company because I felt that I was the very first Filipino Canadian who had a contemporary dance company. The company is a platform where different artists of all generations can come in and collaborate to do different kinds of work.

We’ve done huge work on community outreach that really serves the Asian diaspora, and to dismantle the notion of art as an elite thing. That’s something that I’m trying to instill in the company, to allow a space for community members and share stories of migration and immigrants.

– Alvin Erasga Tolentino, Founding Director of Co.ERASGA

 

The milestone that celebrated Co.ERASGA’s 25th anniversary was the performance of Eternal Gestures at the Dance House. Could you tell me about the performance and your experiences performing it back in October?

For the 25th anniversary, I really wanted to offer something that is quite deep in terms of my great respect and interest towards Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. I’ve had a lot of great relationships with some renowned contemporary Indigenous artists here in our community, and with them, I wanted to honour the notion of respect for mothers, matriarchs, sisters, and women. And so, I worked alongside three Indigenous female contemporary choreographers based on Coast Salish lands: Michelle Olson and Starr Muranko, directors of Raven Spirit Dance, and Margaret Grenier, the artistic director for the Dancers of Damelahamid. Eternal Gestures is also a continuation of the work that I do towards environmental stewardship in exploring how art can be a voice for climate action, and how we can take care of this land that we’re in. 

 

Throughout your time at Co.ERASGA, what did you find the most rewarding for you personally?

I think that building relationships with fellow artists is so critical to me, because we’re all in the same pathway, but we’re also carrying very different ways of understanding the work that we do for ourselves, the community, and the international platform. And so I get to know more about people and their culture when there’s collaboration. To me, it’s really been a very fruitful, nurturing, and enriching experience building relationships and collaborations with a lot of artists. It’s a real education for me when I can collaborate with other people, because there’s always something to learn in collaboration. And I’m just amazed about that and discovering ways of working in the studio, in the theatre, and on tours. It’s also really important for Co.ERASGA to acknowledge that we have this reciprocity with the community that is really integral — that’s one of the important parts of why I make art, because I have an audience.

 

Are there any future events that our readers should look out for?

We are about to go on a tour in Yokohama, Japan for a three-night performance from December 8 to 10. 

Keep track of Tolentino’s and Co.ERASGA’s activities in the new year by visiting their website and following them on their social media: @alvinerasgat and @co.erasga.

 

Be True to Your School: An Exhibition for the SCA’s 50th year

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Peak Web
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PHOTO: Sam Saunders / Wikimedia Commons

By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer 

Be True to Your School is an online exhibition and silent auction celebrating SFU’s School of Contemporary Arts’ (SCA) 50th anniversary. Launched online on November 12, it features the work of 50 visual artists whose practices have emerged from or were shaped by the SCA. All proceeds from the silent auction will go to supporting student-led programming at the Audain Gallery. 

The works on auction are rich, intimate, and politically attuned. Sena Cleave’s And Such Matter (2024) is an inquiry into the forms of care and labour that sustain life. The blue mesh used to weave this piece is taken from Cleave’s grandparents’ fruit-farming work, while the pine needles draw on Japanese symbolism, where pine, plum, and bamboo stand for resilience through the winter. As the pine needles dry and warp over time, the piece becomes a dynamic material record of both impermanence and continuity. 

A different visual grammar shapes Lauren Crazybull’s Red Selfie in measuring cup (2023) of red-filtered paintings exploring the constraints placed on Indigenous representation. Crazybull reflects how Indigenous Peoples continue to be seen through projections that flatten the complexity of lived experiences. And even so, she suggests that these inherited signs can be negotiated and that colonial legacies can be transformed into space for new understandings of Indigeneity to emerge. 

Some of my other favourites are Aakansha Gosh’s Rooms Inside Me 1 (2021) and Elizabeth Milton’s FPA 111 Changed My Life (2025). Susan Schuppli’s Nature Represents Itself (2018) also stands out. It is a reprinted Landsat satellite image originally part of installations examining the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Her work asks what becomes visible or invisible in a slow ecological catastrophe, and how visuals distribute attention, responsibility, and justice. 

Taken together, Be True to Your School prompts a difficult question. Is this exhibition-turned-fundraiser an indication that cultural institutions are now being asked to justify their own existence? That SFU’s SCA is celebrating its 50th anniversary while also crowdsourcing support for student programming feels painfully on the nose for Canada in 2025. And I wonder, what does it mean when even the institutions historically upheld by wealth and empire now crowdsource support for emerging artists? 

I see this exhibition as both a warning and an invitation, a reminder of what is at stake, and what we stand to lose if we fail to imagine more sustainable futures for cultural education. In this sense, this exhibition/fundraiser also offers possibilities: where art institutions reclaim their role not as bastions of prestige but as generative spaces for critical cultural dialogue and experimentation.

If we choose to reimagine the future of art and cultural production as a place where student-artists are supported in breaking disciplinary boundaries, and where political and aesthetic questions can be freely asked, then exhibitions like this one become more than measures of austerity.  

Perhaps the value of this exhibition is not only in the funds raised but also in the questions invoked. It is an invitation for SCA and the Audain Gallery to reimagine their role in Vancouver’s cultural space. 

The exhibition and auction are live online until December 13. 

 

Inclusivity and innovation of movement and film at F-O-R-M 2025

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Peak Web
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PHOTO: Clara Xu / The Peak

By: Clara Xu, SFU Student

The 10th annual Festival of Recorded Movement, also known as the F-O-R-M Festival, ran in Vancouver from November 7 to 22. As a hybrid film festival, F-O-R-M programming prioritized youth artists and artists from intersectional and marginalized communities. As a member of the F-O-R-M Youth Jury, my responsibilities were to watch all of the youth films, select a winner for the Youth Impact Award, and provide a write-up discussing my reasoning for my selections. Being a part of the festival gave me such a great opportunity to express my creative opinions, and to explore a selection of groundbreaking art.

Through the F-O-R-M digital library, I watched the program Dreammaking in Frame — a collection of films playing in a dreamlike stance. Each film created this effect in different manners. Dreamscapes played with videos and audio full of texture, creating sensations in the body like when one listens to ASMR. Chrome and Ai Ki Do: The Art of Peace portrayed reflective flashback scenes with slower framerates, while using back lighting and side lighting to highlight the martial artists’ posture and movements. TATATA superimposed clips upon clips of short videos on top of each other, creating shadowy figures and silhouettes. I felt most awed by A Ki Do: The Art of Peace, when the filmmakers used a montage of moving figures, such as car headlights on city streets, billowing clouds, crashing waves, and, finally, a single drop of water in a lake, to guide the viewer through the martial artist’s emotional state as he performed his moves.

I also attended the live watch party of Public Screens: A Body Uncontained — a series of eight contrasting short films. These films have been screened on loop in art galleries, outdoor screens, and cultural centres across Metro Vancouver, making this program more accessible and flexible to audiences both in terms of time and space. These films were short and sweet, focusing on topics including migration and dancing in a wheelchair. I felt most connected to the films that quickly and firmly established their characters and inciting events, and that followed through with a clear narrative structure throughout the entire film.

Every film at F-O-R-M tells a deeply unique story, reflecting each artist’s cultural background, lived experiences, and wishes for the future.

As we move through our lives, we must always be conscious of the visible and hidden pieces of identity that make the whole of each person, a lesson I learned after my experiences at the festival.

Hallmark presents: Love on the Mountaintop

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PHOTO: Harmeet Gill / The Peak

By: Mason Mattu, Humour Editor and an executive producer with Hallmark 

MAGGIE BENSTON CENTRE – REGISTRAR SERVICES DESK 

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY 

HOLLY is conversing with REGISTRAR OFFICE LADY. The room is grey with no Christmas decorations in sight. 

HOLLY

(to REGISTRAR OFFICE LADY) 

Yes, that’s Holly. H-O-L-L-Y. I know, you probably haven’t met many people around here with my name — I’m kinda named after Christmas! I said goodbye to the small-town life and moved to New York to start a career in professional Christmas tree tinsel placing at Macy’s. I had to make it as a small-town Burnaby girl with passion, a Christmasy name, and my $500,000 trust fund from grand papa! Then, my boss told me that I had to come back to my wee little small town to get a university degree, or my job would go to Tinsel Jolly Smitherseen, my worst enemy! I’m looking to enroll in Tinselology? 

REGISTRAR OFFICE LADY 

(to HOLLY, overly emotive expressions) 

I hate to break it to you, but we don’t have any of those festive degrees. Our new donor made it illegal to have any holiday decorations or vibes on campus! Concrete only. 

A man enters the frame. 

BARTHOLEMEWL  

(to HOLLY, brushing his hair) 

Holly Jolly Mistletoe Macy’s? Is that you? Why, I haven’t seen you since — 

HOLLY AND BARTHOLEMEWL

(to each other, at the same time) 

The Huffle-Pinkle-Tonkle-Wizzle-Burnaby North High School Christmas Baking Contest of ‘09???

Both HOLLY and BARTHOLEMEWL look at each other passionately. Holly applies chapstick. 

HOLLY 

(to BARTHOLEMEWL) 

Bartholemewl, you stole my special cupcake batter so your sister could win the contest. And to think we were going to get married after high school . . . 

BARTHOLEMEWL 

(to HOLLY) 

Let us let bygones be bygones, beautiful. I overheard that you were in a rivalry with Tinsel Jolly Smitherseen. The Smitherseen family is evil — they want to buy the university and UniverCity and turn it into a Halloween pumpkin patch! And the university will stay a concrete jungle forever! 

HOLLY

(to BARTHOLEMEWL, gasping and hyperventilating) 

They can’t Halloween-ify my new campus! 

BARTHOLEMEWL 

(interrupting HOLLY)

I have a plan that will save Christmas. We’ll decorate the campus with so many Christmas decorations. Then, we’ll trick all the faculties to put Christmas trees in convocation mall . . . tell them that it’s for forest fire awareness week. 

HOLLY 

(to BARTHOLEMEWL) 

Put our past aside and save this little small town from being smushed by those anti-Christmas birches? 

REGISTRAR OFFICE LADY 

(to both HOLLY and BARTHOLEMEWL)

You’re the only one who can save Christmas! 

BARTHOLEMEWL kneels down on one knee. He is holding a ring pop in his hand. Holly gasps. 

BARTHOLEMEWL 

(to Holly)

Holly, I know that if we do this together, we can save SFU. You really roast my chestnuts when I’m around you . . . I’d like a second chance. Let’s get married and save this school together! Holly Jolly Mistletoe Macy’s — will you merry me? 

 HOLLY

(to the sky)

You mean we have to put our past aside and save this town and our relationship? And throughout our adventure, we’ll face ups and downs that will lead the audience to think we’re going to split up but we end up together in the end? YES! 

HOLLY and BARTHOLEMEWL share a peck (not a kiss — this would go against Hallmark’s commitment to not highlighting premarital sex). The ring pop is placed on HOLLY’s hand. 

Catch the rest of  Love on the Mountaintop, exclusively streaming at Images Theatre on December 24! 

The Clausgate Scandal: How Big Beverage tried to cancel Christmas

By
Peak Web
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ILLUSTRATION: Victoria Lo / The Peak

By: Zainab Salam, Reporter in Hiding 

By the time the headline “Santa Claus Hates Everyone” ricocheted across the internet and news outlets, the world had already begun cancelling Christmas. Children sobbed into their half-eaten gingerbread men. Christmas influencers rebranded as “seasonally ambivalent creators.” One particular parenting blogger recommended replacing Santa with a “more emotionally available snowman,” noting that Frosty at least “shows up when he says he will and respects boundaries.”

But as any good investigative publication knows, when a story smells fishy, it usually isn’t because of herring snacks at the North Pole. And so began our descent into what we now refer to as The Clausgate Scandal.

The original interview, published by the aggressively festive tabloid The Daily Spinner, claimed Santa had gone “full festive nihilist” during a rare on-the-sleigh interview. The reporter interviewing Mr. Claus claimed that the jolly man had growled, “I despise joy. I resent children.” The Daily Spinner had reported on this incident, describing Mr. Claus’ resentment as a “deep festering hatred for anything festive.” Further alleging that his “ho ho hos” had taken on a “menacing, vaguely capitalist undertone.” 

Here at our publication, Real News, we doubted such reporting as it doesn’t align with Mr. Claus’ personal brand of peppermint and generosity. After all, this is a man who once led unionization efforts to secure dental benefits for the elves. As such, we’ve launched an investigation into The Daily Spinner and their reporter. Once we began our closer inspection, cracks appeared faster than a poorly baked sugar cookie that seemed to crumple before touching it. Audio forensics here at this prestigious publication revealed suspicious editing of the interview footage: long pauses, reversed “ho ho hos,” and what experts described as “a suspicious overlay of a disgruntled mall Santa Claus from a suburban strip mall in Burnaby.”

Moreover, financial records obtained through a whistleblowing elf reveal that The Daily Spinner and its reporter were discreetly compensated by Coke. Our team managed to briefly intercept Mr. Claus while he was practising his Christmas delivery route, somewhere above rural Manitoba. He vehemently denied the allegations while attempting to reroute a mildly rebellious reindeer.

“I never said I hate everyone,” he clarified. “I said I hate having artificial intelligence (AI) duplicating my likeness onto beverages without consent. And now they used AI to edit my voice? Ho, ho, NO!”

For decades, Mr. Claus’ image has been plastered across Coke cans, bottles, and other products. As a self-described “hardcore Trotskyist,” Mr. Claus expressed that he was simply “tired of this shit.” For the first time in his life, he had filed a subpoena against Coke to get rid of the AI-generated Santas from the brand’s cans and ads. 

This, of course, created an enormous problem for Mr. Claus — his residential address was leaked. WikiLeaks leaked his information all over the internet, causing the Russian government to threaten a takeover of his home and toy-making factory unless Mr. Claus pays taxes to the financially-ill Russian government. 

This explains why Mr. Claus was so aggressive with the reporter from The Daily Spinner. He told me that he fears that the Russian government and Big Beverage is after him, causing him to respond to all approaching individuals with a bottle of pepper spray ready to go. For Mr. Claus, Christmas Day will go on as usual unless Big Beverage shuts down his operation. “It’s not a front, I swear to God,” Santa told us, despite us not asking him anything in that nature.  

Grandma got run over (more like splashed so badly that she fell flat on her face) by a reindeer!

By
Peak Web
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ILLUSTRATION: Yan Ting Leung / The Peak

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer

A 92-year-old grandmother was swept off her feet earlier this morning by what bystanders initially identified as a rogue reindeer the size of a school bus skidding down Hastings Street. The oversized reindeer was first spotted by unsuspecting pedestrians at 6:00 a.m. last Wednesday. According to eyewitness statements, the reindeer had been spreading festive mayhem and destruction all across the Lower Mainland by terrorizing pedestrians and treating the city as its own personal, giant ice skating rink. While terribly shaken up, Grandma, thankfully, survived the ordeal with only a few minor bruises.

It was only after closer inspection by transit police at a roadside safety stop that the “reindeer” was revealed to be an R5 RapidBus completely dolled up, from roof to bumper, in Christmas decorations. The reindeer bus was released for good behaviour from the TransLink bus depot last week. In its new–found freedom, it has reportedly developed a particular fondness for barreling through puddles next to sidewalks and drenching defenceless young children, elderly dog walkers, and anyone holding a cup of coffee. The grandmother in question had been minding her own business, carrying out her sacred duty of handing out homemade gingerbread cookies to her neighbours, when the bus scooped her up along for a merry sleigh ride. She had fallen and couldn’t get up. 

Throughout the week, early-morning commuters caught fleeting glimpses of the bus as it was busy breaking speed limits and openly taunting transit police by recklessly weaving through traffic. Meanwhile, in the late evenings, the bus either prowled the streets in search of its next victim or lurked silently in dark alleyways, its presence betrayed only by the flickering incandescent LED Christmas lights that cast a sickly, morbid glow against the pavement. 

For the unlucky few who witnessed the creature up close, their souls were forever scarred. In a poor imitation of a reindeer, the bus sported soulless, unblinking eyes, and an overinflated red nose so garish that it brought Pennywise the Clown to shame. A towering set of twisted antlers, unmistakably evocative of Krampus, completed the set-up. 

When finally detained and questioned by authorities, the reindeer bus insisted it was acting in self-defense. It claimed to have escaped the elf overlords at the TransLink headquarters and accused the transit company’s CEO of sitting on a “throne of lies.” The bus refused to cooperate further without a lawyer and union representative present.

Meanwhile, Grandma led an army of bingo-night seniors down Hastings Street to restore her dignity by unleashing a wave of fury rarely seen (except during annual Black Friday lineups at the local big box retailer). They mapped the reindeer bus’s common escape routes and eventually ambushed it outside an auto shop, where it had stopped momentarily to gaze wistfully at the new line of Slip&Slide 4000 platinum fitted tires. To the bus’ dismay, the seniors descended on the bus, delivering swift whacks to the exterior using everything from floral-printed walkers to umbrellas and dentures. 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024