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September Bingo

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Humour
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A bingo sheet labeled "September Bingo" with joke experiences
LAYOUT: Josh Ralla / The Peak

By: Charlene Aviles, Staff Writer

Plain text of bingo card:

  • Got caught mimicking airbender moves outside lecture hall
  • Couldn’t carry bag overpacked with Renaissance Coffee snacks
  • Missed a class because you were walking in quadrangles in the AQ
  • Realized you were in the wrong class after finishing the lecture
  • Discovered a raccoon stole your snack
  • Slept in because you forgot classes are synchronous
  • Used your laser pointer as a makeshift lightsaber
  • Ran with a vegetable during a virtual scavenger hunt
  • Awkwardly flirted with McFogg the Dog to make up for lost time
  • Accidentally spilled bubble tea when running to class
  • Spammed class group chat with Shang-Chi memes
  • Showed up to an empty tutorial classroom
  • Argued with a broken vending machine for stealing your change
  • Joined student union games just to get freebies
  • FREE SPACE: Checked your waitlist position (again) 
  • Played cricket sound effects to cope with an online tutorial’s awkward silence
  • Bought enough stationery to open up your own store
  • Advertised your Instagram spam account on Welcome Day
  • Forgot which university year you’re in
  • Matched pyjama pants and a dress shirt for Zoom
  • Hosted a dorm-kitchen cook-off with leftover quarantine snacks
  • Mistakenly swapped luggage on Move-In Day
  • Got lost on campus because SFU Snap misled you
  • Procrastinated getting your student ID
  • Convinced your student mentor to film a TikTok with you

Welcome to the SUB series

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Multimedia
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SFU Residence needs to strictly enforce COVID-19 guidelines

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Opinions
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With more residents moving in, enhanced safety is important. Photo courtesy of SFU Guest Accommodations

By Tamanna T., Staff Writer

Home to approximately 2,000 students, SFU Residence has faced challenges housing undergraduate and graduate students safely during the pandemic. Fall brings many SFU students to Residence, some returning and some starting their university journey. With so many people living in close quarters in a pandemic, it’s fair to question if SFU is taking required steps to ensure students’ safety and address concerns for their welfare. While SFU Residence does have community guidelines in place, there is a lack of strong implementation and information on what happens in case of an outbreak, which puts residents at risk.  

As the BC government’s guidelines change with the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases, SFU Residence needs to be on high alert and have stricter measures for the safety of its residents. While having mandatory proof of vaccination is great, being double vaccinated does not prevent transmission, which makes it more important to strongly implement community guidelines.

Currently, masks are required “in all indoor public areas in residences,” and as a resident, I have noticed Community Advisors (CA) going on routine rounds around Residence buildings to try to ensure that safety rules are being followed. However, I have still seen many students sitting in common areas with no masks and no social distancing. Other than the CA’s rounds, there is no effort to implement the mask mandate inside residence buildings. Appointing more CAs would help increase the number of rounds and aid the enforcement of the guidelines. 

Additionally, while the importance of cleaning high-touch areas is mentioned on their website, I have not observed surfaces being cleaned more than once a day. With restrictions being lifted on room occupancy limits, students are likely to have small gatherings in rooms or common spaces without social distancing, making it even more important to strictly enforce safety protocols. UBC has a limit of hosting up to five people in a shared space, and SFU should do the same. 

Although there is information provided on what to do if you are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, lack of information about what will happen to the rest of the students in the event of an outbreak is concerning. 

Not having a set back-up plan can generate anxiety in students, especially since they are living away from their families, and affect their performance in school. Acadia University of Nova Scotia has a detailed plan, which includes training their residents on “preventing, recognising, and monitoring symptoms of COVID-19.” Similarly, SFU Residence needs to have a solid plan and communicate it clearly to all residents, as soon as possible.

With COVID-19 rising in BC, it is imperative that SFU Residence ensures better implementation of its community guidelines and has a clear contingency plan in place.

An overview of the major Canadian parties’ platforms

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Features
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It’s important to check out each individual party's platforms yourself, but for those busy university students we created this quick summary. PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

by Charlene Aviles, Staff Writer

On August 15, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the next Canadian federal election will be on September 20, 2021. We break down each major parties platform to help you make an informed decision. 

 

Liberal Party:

To support the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau promises to implement proof-of-vaccine credentials, mandatory vaccination for travellers, and booster vaccination shots. By offering provinces and territories a $1 billion COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Fund, the Liberals aim to support the launch of vaccine credentials throughout Canada for non-essential businesses and public places.

To address accessibility and affordability for Canadian mental health services, the Liberals hope to establish a three-digit suicide prevention hotline and provide specialized services for Indigenous peoples to address these concerns. Similarly, they plan to improve the health-care system by hiring more staff, reducing surgery waitlists, and increasing online and rural health services.

In their election campaign, the Liberals also feature several projects to promote climate action, such as funding research on Canada’s freshwater and investing $1 billion to conserve lakes. Through new legislation, Trudeau pledges to reduce plastic waste by mandating manufacturers responsibly dispose of plastic materials and require all plastic packaging to be 50% recycled plastic by 2030.

They also outline various initiatives to provide Canadians with affordable housing, such as their rent-to-own program and new First Home Savings Account, which “will allow Canadians under 40 to save up to $40,000 toward their first home.” Through the rent-to-own program, the Liberals intend to boost tenants’ chances of buying a home: “The landlord must commit to charging a renter a lower-than-market rate [and] commit to ownership in a five-year term or less; and proper safeguards will be in place to protect the future homeowner.” Similarly, they will adjust the guidelines for the First Time Home Buyer Incentive to offer homeowners flexible payment plans.

 

Conservative Party:

Erin O’Toole, the Conservative Party leader, plans to improve the financial well-being of Canadians through an increase in the Canada Workers Benefit and Employment Insurance sickness benefits, creation of a “Super EI” as a temporary solution for potential recessions, and by requiring large companies to have employee board representatives. He also promises to “invest $250 million over two years to create the Canada Job Training Fund.” Through this fund, the Conservatives aim to make job training more accessible to unemployed and marginalized Canadians, which they say will help small businesses and sectors struggling financially.

The Conservatives will also support families by reducing the costs for banking, food, housing, internet access, and mobile phones. One affordable housing project their campaign features is their promise to “build 1 million homes in the next three years.”

In their plan for future pandemics, the Conservatives will invest in Canadian personal protective equipment, pharmaceutical companies, and vaccine research. In addition to preventive measures, they also will “develop evidence-based contact tracing systems.” 

To target various aspects of Canadian health-care, the Conservatives propose initiatives such as “[a] three-digit suicide prevention hotline,” a tax credit for mental health services, and greater funding for palliative care.

 

New Democratic Party (NDP):

Under Jagmeet Singh’s leadership, the NDP promises to increase affordability for cell phones, housing, internet access, and post-secondary education. To make post-secondary education affordable, they will forgive “up to $20,000 in student debt, end interest charges on student loans, and permanently [double] non-repayable Canada Student Grants.” Two NDP affordable housing initiatives are offering new homeowners flexible mortgage payment plans and a bigger tax refund through the Home Buyer’s Tax Credit.

Canadian health-care’s affordability and accessibility are two major concerns for the NDP. They say they will make health-care affordable through publicly funded dental care and pharmacare, among others. Similarly, they plan to reduce wait times, produce Canadian-made vaccines, and invest in health sciences research.

Regarding Indigenous communities, the NDP announced they would honour treaties and “fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.” One of NDP’s initiatives to meet this goal is the Indigenous National Housing Strategy, which will provide affordable and energy-efficient housing to Indigenous peoples.

To reform Canada’s electoral system, the NDP will adopt a mixed-member proportional representation system. They also plan to give citizens ages 16 and up the right to vote. 

Climate action is another important component of the NDP’s platform. They announced plans for several sustainable initiatives, such as enforcing a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights, implementing green technology in public transportation, and investing in renewable energy sources.

 

Green Party of Canada:

Green Party leader Annamie Paul’s campaign is focused on sustainability. By investing in clean energy sources, ecotourism, and local farmers, the Greens intend to promote the economy without compromising the environment. Similarly, they will reduce fossil fuels for public transportation through investments in railroads, electric buses, and cycling.

Affordability is another key theme throughout the Greens’ platform. Under Paul’s leadership, the Greens plan to address poverty by creating social housing programs for the homeless and Indigenous people on and off reserves. They intend to reach their goal by creating a “culturally sensitive Housing First approach” for the homeless. 

To support post-secondary students, the Greens will provide free education, offer grants to graduate and doctoral students, and “adopt student debt cancellation programs for student debt that exceeds $10,000.”

The Greens will prioritize the health of Canadians by addressing the opioid crisis and the high costs of dental care and medication. For example, the Greens aim to introduce pharmacare and publicly fund basic dental care, especially for children with financial needs. They pledge to promote harm reduction projects, such as increasing supervised injection sites and enforcing tighter regulations on prescribed opioid medications.

They also plan to end on-reserve drinking water advisories by providing Indigenous communities with clean drinking water.

To revamp Canada’s current electoral system, the Greens propose implementing the proportional representation (PR) system. They predict electoral reform will increase voter turnout and increase citizen’s political literacy.

 

Bloc Québécois:

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet prioritizes Quebec’s interests by addressing “issues in areas such as Quebec sovereignty.” He promises more funding for Quebec’s child care. Blanchet also advocates for Quebec’s involvement in international treaties and the World Health Organization (WHO). Under Blanchet’s leadership, the Bloc will mandate the ability to speak French for Canadian citizenship in Quebec.

Their campaign features several climate action goals, including investments in Québec’s natural resources and exceed the Paris Agreement’s targets by redirecting “unspent money on the Trans Mountain pipeline to renewable projects, and compel provinces that have emissions higher than the national average to pay into a ‘green equalization’ fund to be distributed to provinces polluting less.”

The Bloc intends to make prescription drugs, housing, and health-care more affordable. To offset the costs of prescription drugs, the Bloc will call on Canadian pharmaceutical companies to reduce costs. According to CBC, “The Bloc has called on the federal government to increase its share of health-care funding to 35%t of its cost.”

They also hope to create an equitable hiring process for government employees. One way they plan to meet their goal is to implement resumes without names.

For Indigenous peoples, the Bloc will offer affordable housing, invest in Indigenous schools, and “replace the Indian Act with a set of negotiated nation-to-nation treaties.” 

Visit CBC News to review updated information on the major parties’ platforms. To compare the similarities between your political beliefs and the parties’ platforms, complete CBC’s Vote Compass questions. Go to Elections Canada’s website for student resources on voting.

Staying safe this cuffing season

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Features
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Dating should be fun, and with these tips it can be. ILLUSTRATION: Alyssa Marie Umbal / The Peak

by Victoria Loptka

You’ve been swiping, liking, messaging, and now you’ve found your new potential boo. It’s time to go on your first date. Dating can be confusing, intimidating, or even scary. “Staying safe” on a date means a variety of different things to different people. For some, it’s about not having to fake an emergency phone call to get out of the date early. For others, it’s about protecting your physical health from COVID-19 and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This article will outline a few safety tips for your debut back into the dating world. 

1. Talk with potential dates for a little while before planning a meet-up 

It can be difficult to read someone in only a few sentences — talking with potential dates for a little while can help you determine if they’re a good match for you. Then, if you decide they are, having pre-existing inside jokes and references can reduce that first date awkwardness.

 

2. Ask mutual friends

If you’re comfortable with and know some mutual friends pretty well, they can serve as personal references for your date. Mutuals can give you insight into this person, including any potential red flags or deal-breakers that haven’t naturally come up in conversation. This can save you and your potential date time and energy. Personally, asking mutual friends about someone has given me valuable insight into their personality and how they treat someone prior to my date 

 

3. Tell a trusted person what you’re up to 

Before I go on any date, I let a friend or family member know all the important details: where I’m going to be, when I’m going to be there, when I expect to be home, and who I’m going to meet. I’ll also update that person if the plan changes. If you find you’ll be moving around a lot, like going on a walk, turning on your location services is a good idea.

 

4. Establish an escape plan in advance

Your first date will probably go great . . . but on the off-chance it doesn’t, it’s important to have a way out. Maybe that escape plan includes you saying “Hey, I think I’m going to head home now, I have a few errands to run today.” Maybe it includes getting a friend to call you with an excuse to leave, like a fake minor emergency. Another excuse could be that you work early in the morning and need to get to bed early. Additionally, make sure you have your own way home. If the date doesn’t go well, you don’t want to be stuck relying on this person to take you home. Drive yourself, have a reliable friend pick you up, plan your transit route, or budget for a cab or Uber.

 

5. Meet for the first time in a public place

I think this is self-explanatory — people you meet on online dating apps are literally strangers. No hiking to secluded, forested spots. Instead, consider meeting in a place with lots of people. A coffee shop or a picnic in a public park are great date ideas.

 

6. Get on the same page about COVID-19 safety

If you have any preferences regarding vaccination status, the use of masks, and social distancing, this is something you should discuss with your date before meeting up to avoid any awkward surprises. It can be tempting to “go with the flow”. It can be even more challenging to implement boundaries with someone you are trying to impress. However, it’s important to advocate for your safety, comfort, and health. If you live with other people, be it your family or roommates, you may also want to check if they’re comfortable with you opening up your bubble to potential new partners. 

 

7. Get on the same page about safe sex

This first means figuring out what safe sex looks like to you. Does that include using a condom or dental dam?  Does this mean exclusively sleeping with one person? How often would you expect partners to get tested for STIs? What does “safe” oral sex look like? What does “consent” mean and look like to you? Lube? Birth control? Toys? Kinks? Then, see what your partner thinks about these topics. Talking about sex can be uncomfortable, but getting on the same page is necessary to avoid potentially confusing or scary situations. If you feel completely unable to discuss this with your partner, it may be an indication you’re not ready to have sex with them. 

 

8. Pick dates and activities within your comfort zone 

If the idea of hanging out in a bustling, crowded bar seems like a bad idea in this current health climate, then that’s okay! Plan a picnic or patio happy hour. If you’re unsure how you feel about sex on the first date, you’re not alone. There are a variety of activities and environments that allow you to get to know someone and feel close to them outside of sex. If going on a first date alone is anxiety-inducing, then maybe your single friend can help. See if a double date is a good option. First dates can already be pretty anxiety-inducing, so doing activities that feel unsafe or scary doesn’t benefit you at all. Sometimes it even helps to go somewhere you’ve been before or stake out where you’re going to meet before your date. If you’re in your environment and comfortable, that comfort and ease will be apparent to the person you’re with, and probably put them more at ease, too.

 

9. Take post-date precautions, if feeling sick or unwell 

This tip applies to both COVID-19 and STIs: if after your date, you notice symptoms associated with either, it’s important to discuss them with a healthcare professional. Get tested, and share any positive results with your partner so they can take precautions. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, fatigue, and a dry cough. Different STIs have different symptoms, and some can be present with no symptoms at all, but common things to look out for include unusual discharge, pain when urinating, itching and rashes, lumps, blisters, sores, or warts. 

 

10. Post-date self-care

Dating can be fun and exciting, but it can also be tiring and nerve-wracking. After a date, it’s important to give yourself the time and tools to recharge and feel good. This may include talking to a friend or family member about the date, journaling, meditating, taking a hot bath, having a skincare routine, exercising, or just relaxing out on the couch with some Netflix. 

Strategic voting is an outdated way to use your vote

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Opinions
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Your vote should go towards the party you believe in the most. PHOTO: Arnaud Jaegers / Unsplash

By Kelly Chia, Staff Writer

Strategic voting is what happens when people vote to prevent parties they don’t want elected coming into power, rather than voting by preference. Brock University labour studies professor  Larry Savage wrote, “For many anti-Conservative voters with NDP sympathies, that has traditionally meant voting Liberal in districts where the Liberals and Conservatives are competitive, but New Democrats are weak.” Social media promoting this line of thinking influenced me to vote this way in the 2019 election. But in reality, this isn’t very effective. And now, as we approach a snap federal election, it’s time to ditch this practice.

Strategic voting is harmful because parties like the Green Party or the New Democratic Party (NDP) often lose support as people fear they’re wasting their vote by choosing them. This may resonate with young voters who have viewpoints which align more with these parties, but feel as though they shouldn’t vote for them as they won’t get elected anyway. 

A poll conducted after the last election showed that one-third of Canadians voted strategically rather than for their desired candidate. The National Observer also states that, “of the respondents who had voted Liberal, 46% said they had considered voting for the NDP at some point in the campaign.”

Historically, strategic voting hasn’t proven to be very effective. During the federal elections of 2008, the Canadian Autoworkers Union (CAW) ran a campaign to defeat the Conservative party. Although the CAW targeted 40 districts and encouraged people to vote for Liberal, NDP, and Green candidates in them, few of these candidates won and the Conservatives ended up winning 32 districts.

There isn’t a guarantee that voting according to who you think has the most chance of winning will work. After all, your neighbours might have a different idea about candidates’ prospects of victory, which would undermine your choice. 

This strategy relies on every riding to make the same and most calculative choice. But your perception of how you think your riding will vote based on shared values may not be correct. For example, the Port Moody-Coquitlam riding elected a Conservative MP in 2019, and an NDP MP in 2015. The swing from NDP to Conservative — two very different parties — in just four years proves how difficult it is to predict how your community might vote. This change proves that agreeing on who to vote as a community is very difficult.

A more productive strategy would be to research what each party’s candidates are promising voters in their riding. For example, in the Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam riding, NDP candidate Laura Dupont specifically emphasizes her work in advocating for climate action, and her history on the Metro Vancouver’s Climate Action Committee. 

While Liberals are considered the safer choice over the Conservatives in my riding, the climate crisis is an important issue to me, so I’m watching to see which candidate’s platforms align most with my values. I can assess Dupont’s history and the actions she has outlined working in that committee to make my decision. This way, I can at least be assured my vote can make a difference, and add my voice among the polls in my riding. After all, voting for the “safest” candidates gives you less of a chance to have an MP that truly represents your values. 

It’s tempting to vote strategically with campaigns seemingly emphasizing they are your best bet for defeating the party you don’t want. What I’ve found important over the last few years is to vote for an MP you believe will follow through on their promises. Now more than ever, we need MPs to fight on our behalf for climate change, Indigenous issues, and the homelessness crisis. 

I helped elect Liberals in 2015 because I was afraid of a Conservative win, and chose to vote for the NDP in 2019 instead of the Green Party because I was more confident in the NDP party winning. In both situations, I chose to gamble on the potential of a victory. I was scared by the statistics that showed Conservatives were popular in my riding with a narrow 0.7% difference in popularity compared to the Liberals.

In our last provincial election, I voted for Green party elect Sonia Furstenau because I believed in her platform. While John Horgan took premier in that election, I don’t feel that I’ve wasted my vote. I’ve realized I would rather have my vote reflect the things I care about, than play a game of statistics with plainly unpredictable factors.

Wings Over Water makes a splash at the Vancouver Fringe Festival

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Arts
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Chantal, in character, sits cross-legged in the ocean while Anjalica stands behind them, one arm outstretched protectively
Artists Chantal Gering, Anjalica Solomon, and Sarvin Esmaeili (not pictured) will soar to new heights. PHOTO: Courtesy of Anjalica Solomon / Three Birds Flying Collective

By: Kelly Chia, Staff Writer

Editor’s note: Piece updated to include mention of Wings Over Water‘s production crew.

Performing a show you’ve written, choreographed, and directed with your closest friends sounds like a dream to many. It certainly was for Sarvin Esmaeili, Chantal Gering, and Anjalica Solomon, who manifested this dream into reality, forming Three Birds Flying Collective. Their upcoming performance, Wings Over Water: A Diasporic Bird Play is playing at this year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival. The Peak interviewed Three Birds Flying about what it was like to put the show together. 

Wings Over Water is “set in the liminal space of the ocean where Baby Bird meets five birds through phases of growth and cycle breaking: Grandmother Bird, Patriarchy Bird, Anarchy Bird, Blood Bird, Party Bird, and Dream Bird.” 

Everything in the show — poetry, set design, costumes, sound, shadow puppetry, and script —  was made by Three Birds Flying, which includes crew members Jordan England, Vuk Prodanovic, Tanaz Roudgar, and Danielle Rozali. The artists play with these various mediums to transport the audience, evoking the stages of Baby Bird’s life. The birds that Baby Bird (Gering) meets are all played by Solomon. “[The] three of us really related with these birds, because [they are] just living in diaspora and always wanting to find home and not really knowing where home is,” Esmaeili explained. 

The show plays with these phases in Baby Bird’s life as they grow throughout the play with every bird they meet; and that growth is represented by the changing ocean in the background. Baby Bird encounters worlds they are either pushed out of or realize they have to leave. These represent opportunities of growth for Baby Bird. 

“I think breaking cycles is a big thing for Baby Bird. You kinda choose whether you want to believe in these systems, or whether you want to break it,” Esmaeili said.

Thinking about what inspired the themes of the play, Solomon said the collective asked themselves, “What are some voices that we’ve internalized just as humans throughout our life, throughout our growth? 

“That was really key, and so each bird kind of offers a lesson or a chance for growth for Baby Bird, and they really help Baby Bird along on the evolution of life,” they continued. “[The birds] are definitely inspired by moments in our life of growth and reflecting back on pivotal relationships and lessons that we’ve learned that really come out in the play.” 

Reflecting on their diasporic experiences, Gering said creating the play was itself a healing experience. “I feel like I experience home through the ritual of the play,” they said. “As a performer, I create that meditation for myself within the play.”

The three have long been friends before working on this project together. “We used to live in a house called the Slamily house, which is a house full of poets and artists, and so we’ve always collaborated on things together,” Solomon said.

Having that connection with each other made the project feel friendly and family-centric. “I feel so comfortable playing, improving, and creating with them. I can be my full self around them,” Gering added in an email interview.

Before the characters in Wings Over Water took shape, the show was created with lots of exploration and play in mind to suit the free-spiritedness of the three creators. “If you know us, we’re the type of people who will run around in the forest, jump around on the ferry, we are very windy when we’re together!” Solomon chuckled. 

Instead of working from the script first, they wanted to have a more free-form creative process that felt intuitive to them. “I think the improvisation was one of the most pivotal parts of creating for us because we’re allowed to just express our full nature with each other to play around with ideas,” Solomon explained. 

“We really took an unconventional approach to writing the play, and truly playing, and exploring ourselves, and I definitely learned a lot from our improvisations about what our play could be, and I think we brought that same playful nature into every scene,” Solomon said. Allowing themselves to explore was key to helping them envision exactly what the play could become.

Wings Over Water performs at the Vancouver Fringe Festival from September 10–19. 

Ali Zohar on growing up in Bangladesh, family, and determination

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Features
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A lot of Ali’s inspiration comes from his family. . . and cold showers. PHOTO: SFU Athletics

by Victoria Lopatka, Staff Writer

Name: Ali Zohar

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Major: Communication

Position: Defensive midfielder 

Favourite soccer player: Zinedine Zidane

Fun fact: Loves to watch anime

 

Four new players joined SFU’s men’s soccer team this season, including defensive midfielder Ali Zohar. From Bangladesh to Kentucky to Surrey, Zohar has demonstrated commitment and drive on the field, racking up several accomplishments — including being named the 2017 BMO Whitecaps Youth Player of the Year. After being benched with an injury for almost all of 2020, Zohar is back. The Peak caught up with Zohar right before his first official league game to get his take on confidence, family, and cold showers.

Editor’s note: Some answers have been edited for concision and clarity

The Peak: What does a defensive midfielder do during a game?

Ali Zohar: On the SFU team, they want me to help with the build-up phase, help the team, ticking, control the game and tempo, making plays from a deep position — I’d say is the best way to describe it. Get the ball, break up plays defensively, and pick up smart positions with and without the ball, get it moving, find forward passes, find my teammates in the opposition’s half. I’m the guy that connects with everyone. 

 

P: Could you walk us through what your soccer career has been like, from kicking a soccer ball for the first time to now?

AZ: I was born in Bangladesh. My family and I moved here as refugees. So, I would say I started kicking a ball here in Canada. I used to play back home on the street when I was very little, like seven or eight, but it wasn’t with a soccer ball. It was more like a flat volleyball or maybe a plastic ball or something. 

When I first came to Canada [ . . . ] I think in grade five, this kid saw me play at lunch and saw I was somewhat okay, and invited me to play on his team. His dad was the coach at that time. So, I went to the team and played there. 

I played with that team for a year, I went from bronze, silver, and gold — three different levels in one year. From there, I had a mentor. He’s like my soccer dad; his name is Jack Reddy, and he’s helped me with every step of the way, from when I started playing soccer in Canada until basically now. He mentors me and gives me advice. 

After I was done with that team, I went to play BC Soccer Premier League with Coastal FC 2000, won the provincials with them, and played for a year and a half. 

I went to play for Surrey United SC, and played there a season, then got called up for the provincial team and made the Whitecaps. 

From the Whitecaps, I got called up to play for the U15 national team at the age of 14. I also went on to the U17 team camp at the age of 15 or 16. I was named the 2017 BMO Whitecaps Youth Player of the Year, then had some opportunities to train and play an exhibition with the Whitecaps First Team. I was really grateful for my five or six years at the Whitecaps. 

I committed to Northern Kentucky University to play NCAA DIV1 Soccer, did two years there, was named in the Horizon League Fresh XI. But then I had surgery, in 2020, and I was out for all of 2020. 

Now I’ve finally transferred to come back home to play under coach [Clint] Schneider and [assistant coach] Kevin Harmse. That’s one of the main reasons I transferred to SFU, just knowing Kevin Harmse from when I joined the Whitecaps at the age of 13 or 14. Harmse was there for like six months, and I got to know him very well, he was a really good guy. 

He’s someone who played pro and I know I will learn a lot from him. We stayed in touch over the years. It made my decision to come to SFU easy. 

They have a really good playing style, and it suits me really well. I’ve been friends with most of [the guys] from when I started playing at a young age and I’ve stayed in touch. Throughout my journey, even until now, I have had so many friends, family coaches, teammates help me along the way.

 

P: Could you tell me about that injury you mentioned, if you don’t mind getting into it?

AZ: I went to Northern Kentucky University. My first year was in 2019. A month into the season, I basically tore my meniscus a little bit, and I kept playing because the season was so short and I didn’t want my first season to go down like that. I just went through the pain and kept playing for a month longer [which] made my knee even worse. 

There was a point where I had to stop because it was getting worse and with three games left before the season ended [ . . . ] we weren’t going to make the playoffs. The physio team in Kentucky decided it would be best if I rested and did rehab on that knee. 

I came back home during winter break in January, rested for that period, saw my own physio, and he was helping me with everything, doing rehab every day.

I went back to Kentucky in January 2020 and then I was just feeling good, just wanted to train every day, sometimes even twice a day plus a gym session on top, because I hadn’t trained for like three months. I think I came back too soon to training fully [ . . . ] I went to the field, kicked the ball the same way as I did the first time I injured it, I felt the exact same pain in my knee. At that moment, I called [my] physio right away. The next day I got an MRI and an X-ray, and they gave me the bad news that it was a really big tear. I had to get surgery as soon as possible, and so I got surgery on February 14, on Valentine’s Day. 

From then on, I was just recovering for the whole of 2020, and now I’m finally back. Healthy, feeling good, and excited to play for SFU.

 

P: That must’ve been really difficult, especially the second time. What kept you going while you were recovering? Was there a thought or idea that you were holding onto?

AZ: I think, for me, my motivation comes from my family. Seeing where we came from. It just makes me hungrier and hungrier, wanting to work even harder.

 

P: What has been your impression of the SFU soccer team thus far?

AZ: It’s a really good team. A lot of talented players with really good attributes and character, but I knew I was going to bring something different. I knew that this team could go really far with the talent they have, and the coaching staff is really good. I’ve watched the players play before, trained with them before, played with most of them growing up, so I kind of knew what it was going to be like and knew what kind of players they were. It’s a really good team that likes to play football. It’s a really good playing style, and the coaching is really good. It’s a really good set-up, and I’m so happy to be here.

 

P: Speaking of your coach, Clint Schneider, he has said you bring communication and leadership potential to the team — what’s the secret to being a great leader?

AZ: I don’t know about communication — because I’m not the best at it when it comes to on-the-field. I do communicate, but not as much as I should be doing in my position. [ . . . ] I just like to keep learning, analyzing, from everyone.

Leadership, I think it is almost a natural thing. There are leaders that lead by example, leaders that vocalize [ . . . ] I scream here or there, but I’m more of a leader that leads by example. Maybe like winning the ball in the air, making a good pass forward that breaks the other team down — I think that’s the type of leader I am. 

 

P: Which do you think is most important for an athlete: confidence or resilience?   

AZ: Every athlete has to be confident, they have to believe in their abilities. If they don’t believe in themselves, then why play the sport you love? I would say a bit of both, just believing in who you are and knowing your ability.

 

P: Where does your passion for soccer come from?

AZ: I’d say it’s my brothers — I have two older brothers, two younger brothers, and a younger sister. My two older brothers used to play back home in the village, so I used to walk to go watch their games. When we came to Canada, I got really into watching games and watching my favourite player [ . . . ] Zinedine Zidane. He was really good when I first heard about him, but I never got to see him until I came to Canada.

 

P: I’m noticing a theme of family — your soccer dad, your family inspires you — so would you say family is very important to you? 

AZ: Family is very important, the most important thing in life.

 

P: What is your pre-game routine?

AZ: It’s changed a bit in recent years, it also depends on what time the game is. If the game is in the morning, [I would] wake up early [ . . . ]  watch a game or two, have some breakfast, and head to the game. Before the game, I would listen to some nice RnB music, and relax [ . . . ] just calm my mind. I usually take cold showers most of the time. If it’s a game at like 7:00 p.m., then breakfast, watch some games or anime — just relax as much as I can. But there are times when you do think about it, so just know it’s normal, part of the game.

 

P: I’ve heard cold showers are good for you, but I’m not sure they’re for me.

AZ: I love a cold shower, I used to take cold showers like two to three times a day. It’s really good, plus it cools me down so much. For me, when I take a hot shower, I don’t feel like I’ve taken a shower. 

 

P: I guess you get used to it, right? Anyways, if you could give advice to younger athletes looking up to you, what advice would you give them?

AZ: I would say work really hard, do the extra work on the side when no one’s watching. A great mindset and mentality go a very long way. No matter how good you are, you can always work hard to get better. Growing up, I wasn’t technically or physically the biggest guy on the field, or the smartest player on the field — I had to work for everything [ . . . ] I’m still not athletically gifted, so I try to watch a lot of games and become smarter, analyze the games, learn from the game, put in the extra hour in the gym with my trainer, Gavin. It’s those small things that make a big difference as you get older. 

Nutrition is a really big thing — that is one of the most important things I didn’t have growing up. The Whitecaps tried to help me out with my nutrition plan, but I wasn’t disciplined enough [ . . . ] we eat different food at home than what some people eat — pasta, this, that. I grew up eating rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner back home in my village. It was basically the same for most of my life. At the end of the day, nutrition goes a long way. I wish that was something I took care of when I was younger. There were literally times when I had a chocolate bar, or nothing for lunch, or just one meal throughout the day, and just went to a game.

 

P: Speaking of food, what’s your favourite post-game meal?

AZ: I love rice, and maybe steak, grilled chicken, shrimp or prawns, or baked salmon or pasta, or chicken alfredo, something like that. I love pasta and rice. Can never go wrong with that. 

 

P: What are you looking forward to in upcoming seasons and your future with SFU?

AZ: For the season, I’m just really excited to play my first game [ . . . ] We’ve played pre-season games and trained a bunch with the guys, and now I’m just excited to get on the field with these guys, y’know? I would say we’ve got really high expectations of ourselves for this year, got a really good group of players, talented players, good coaching. I think just seeing how far we go together as a team, game-by-game, and hopefully going all the way. 

We play a lot of top teams this season, which is really exciting, and we travel a lot, which is nice, too [ . . . ] My main reason for transferring to SFU was for me to go somewhere, professionally. I knew that if I came to SFU, this was like the perfect place to be a pro, to go somewhere, to be a pro. I just knew that I could learn a lot. Also get my degree at the same time, hopefully.

To read the rest of this interview, visit the-peak.ca.

 

An essay by someone who never read the book

By
Humour
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Woman holds and bites pencil staring at laptop screen.
PHOTO: JESHOOTS / Unsplash

By: Craig Allan, SFU Student

Frankenstein is about the monster Frankenstein who is created by a doctor, also named Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein puts together the monster and then shocks it with lightning. Like, a whole lot of lightning, to get Frankenstein to come alive and then celebrates by shouting “He’s alive, it’s alive!” 

Frankenstein is tall. Like really tall. Like if three children were wearing a really long trench coat, that would be the size of Frankenstein. And he walks all stiff because his joints are still getting used to moving.

When Frankenstein goes into town, the townspeople don’t like him. They are all like “Hey, you . . . you are all weird looking, and we don’t like that.” Then he sees fire and it scares him because fire is all hot and stuff.  

In the end, Frankenstein dies because the town did not like him and that made him sad. So he dies. From being sad. The book is about Frankenstein, but it is also about not being mean to people who are different. Being mean is not nice. 

Maybe Frankenstein would have felt better if he had another person just like him, a bride of Frankenstein or something. Then, there would be someone else in the world who looked like him and felt the same way he felt. 

What about Dr. Frankenstein? Why did he want to create this monster? Somewhere in chapter two, he said that he created the monster because he wanted to. He said something like  “Creating life will make me like a god, then I can be the best that no one ever was.” (I’m paraphrasing a bit here, but a quote like this was in the book, I swear.) Maybe he thought he was God? I’m sure this is up to interpretation so I am just going to say that yes, Dr. Frankenstein is God on Earth. 

If Frankenstein was a book written today, it would probably be about someone who likes jazz or something, and wears skinny jeans. The author of this essay thinks that would totally ostracize him from the community today. 

In the end, Frankenstein is a good book that I definitely did read. Five out of five stars. Can’t wait for Frankenstein 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Your SFU horoscopes September 13–19

By
Humour
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An illustration of a girl with long flowing hair. Astrological signs and stars shine around her.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: Carter Hemion, Humour Editor

ARIES: You’re a gas, but the things that fuel you might leave you a wreck. At least you’re driven, like the car that crashed into the pond. 

TAURUS: You might want to sit down for this . . . A case of plastic chairs found their way into the pond. Take a stand by bringing them to class. The three decent seats will be taken by the time you get there, anyway.

GEMINI: Bud, you’re balling, but I have something that’s right up your alley. Put a pin in it and go snatch a bowling ball!

CANCER: 1,000 goldfish live in the pond, not added by SFU. You are all of those fish simultaneously. Don’t be koi — dive in after your dreams but stay in a school.

LEO: You are, clearly, the koi fish that routinely eats cigarette butts. This is your sign to quit vaping all those milky mustard-flavoured nicotine pods. Or don’t, I don’t know your story.

VIRGO: Go puck yourself! Three hockey pucks have your name on them. Literally. Stop trying to play hockey on the frozen pond every year and find a normal hobby, like doing homework.

LIBRA: Know your worth, Libra! Some dumped pet fish in Burnaby can cost a fine of $250,000. Tell your ex you’re worth at least two fish, maybe even three.

SCORPIO: You’re a catch! Your own reflection shines through the murky waters and reminds you to reel yourself in and stop fishing for compliments.

SAGITTARIUS: Shoe la la! It’s a-boot time you reclaim those shoes from the pond. We all know you jumped in there as a dare. 

CAPRICORN: You’re exactly the person to annotate a book with “she should have kicked him in the strawberries” and it shows. Kick your internal dialogue in the strawberries and just enjoy a book for once.

AQUARIUS: Turtles definitely don’t belong at SFU. Join them in returning to natural habitats: basking in the sun, swimming in a swamp, and eating lots of bugs.

PISCES: In 2008, a “really boring” diary was found. I’d say you should ask for it back, but it’s probably long gone by now. Hey, at least someone read the soggy pages, right?

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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