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Political Corner: World leaders can’t continue to shrug off wildfires while courting Big Coal

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The Australian wildfires have razed the continent, killing humans, animals, and whole ecosystems. Photo: Getty Images

By: Kelly Grounds, Peak Associate

Last year, the world watched as forest fires in the Amazon led to some of the worst environmental damage the world has seen in recent decades. Throughout all of the devastation, there was a hope through multinational cooperation that we would never have to witness destruction on that level again. Yet less that a year later, Australia is battling approximately 135 separate bushfires in its southeast, including one “megafire.”

The bushfires did not come out of nowhere. Although Australia experiences annual seasonal bushfires, the fires this year are larger, more numerous, and subsequently harder to deal with. This is in part due to rising temperatures and more frequent droughts that have increased the vulnerability of their ecosystem to fires. 

Worsening weather patterns is a result of the willful ignorance of global politicians. Throughout 2019, the Australian prime minister and his party fought against bills that would have lowered Australia’s emissions in favour of protecting the coal industry. The United Nations has also been critical of Australia’s process to limit their emissions, and stated that the country was one of the G20 nations in need of improving their numbers. 

Right now, the Australian bushfires feel like a distant tragedy, but the experience of losing everything to fire is not a distant feeling for many residents of BC. In 2017 and 2018, the province fought several devastating forest fires that cost taxpayers millions of dollars. While 2019 saw fewer fires than the past two years, there is no guarantee that 2020 will follow suit. The reality is that extreme weather events are becoming the new normal.

As weather patterns become harder to predict, we find ourselves in a dangerous middle ground between trying to stop the planet from warming further, and adapting to what changing climate throws us — like devastating fires. This does not mean that we stop fighting climate change. There has to be continued urgency in pressuring policy makers to develop plans that have a real impact on curbing CO2 emissions, and halting more devastation.

 

 

Comparing GPAs is a recipe for dissatisfaction and unnecessary stress

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GPA-envy doesn’t have to define your university experience. Illustration: Ashley Yien/The Peak

By: Lubaba Mahmud, Staff Writer

Success in university shouldn’t be interpreted as a zero-sum game where students are indirectly encouraged to compare grades. Extreme academic competitiveness is evident in some departments more than others, but wherever it goes it creates an unnecessarily harmful competitive atmosphere, which can lead to student stress. Instead of comparing GPAs with peers, students should recognise that there are other, equally valid ways of measuring success.

Before disregarding this somewhat obvious stance that students are stressed about their grades, hear me out: I’m not going to spew some nonsense on how grades don’t matter. They absolutely do. What I’m saying is comparing grades with peers shouldn’t be the only way students measure success. Success has many layers to it, but by insisting on comparing GPAs, one is limiting oneself to a narrow definition of it.

My department has a policy of curving grades, which means that only a fixed percentage of students can get As, Bs, and so on. This can make it especially hard to not be competitive, because the grade one gets is essentially also based on others’ performances. While competition is not inherently unhealthy, this form of direct comparison can be discouraging. It’s important to remember that students have different levels of capabilities, and different strengths and weaknesses. This grading system shifts the focus from trying to do the best one can, to trying to do better than one’s peers. In classes like these, I found myself worrying too much about how my classmates were doing in their exams, which ended up negatively impacting my mental health. 

I had to remind myself that success cannot possibly boil down to just my GPA. There are a range of other measures of success that a university student can look to, in order to be satisfied with their experience at SFU. Learning new skills, trying something new, learning to set realistic goals, learning to be kinder to oneself, etc. are also equally valuable take-aways from university.

One of my personal goals has been to step outside of my comfort zone and make use of the many opportunities that SFU provides. For example, I opted for some electives that seemed really interesting to me, even though I could have taken the easy path of choosing “GPA boosters” that would play to my strengths. I don’t know a great deal about Canadian history since I’m an international student, so last year I took a Canadian labour studies elective to learn more about it. It was a little daunting as I saw other students quickly connect the dots, while I had to spend more time doing some research on my own to fully understand the content. It turned out to be a great learning experience — one that encouraged me to challenge myself more often, rather than give into the GPA rat-race.

Even though grades are an important part of the whole university experience, it is not the only worthwhile aspect of it. GPA isn’t the be-all end-all of your post-secondary journey. That’s why students should consider making a personalised list of goals that are more meaningful to them than a simple grade comparison — or at least find meaning in their own grades and not others. In the end, your success at university cannot and should not be defined by other people.

 

Vancouver-based tattoo artists raise money to support Indigenous communities affected by the Australia bushfire crisis

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Arts
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Screenshot via Instagram
Screenshot via Instagram

by Kim Regala, Staff Writer

Using their art to support an important cause, three local tattoo artists joined together to host a flash day fundraiser in support of relief efforts for the Australia bushfire crisis. Announcing the event on their Instagram pages, stick-and-poke artists River Miller (he/him), Alex Friesen (she/her), and Emily Braiuka (she/her) garnered a large response from their supporters, fully booking their six-hour session in just a matter of days. Together, they raised exactly $1,000 to support Indigenous communities affected by the catastrophes.

The three artists posted the event only a week before, revealing their flash designs for anyone to claim. Each piece was priced generously, ranging from $50 to $100. Eager clients could submit a full prepayment to claim a piece and guarantee a spot for the day, while walk-ins were also an option if there was any space available. Seeing the event within a few hours of being posted, I immediately claimed one of River’s pieces: a small and delicately shaded set of mountains.

In order to reduce the costs allotted to renting studio space, the event was hosted at the artists’ friend’s house, a quiet area in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. Walking into their home with my boyfriend (who was there for moral support and not at all as just my Uber driver), we were welcomed with friendly faces and a generally warm and cheerful vibe. The artists were also joined by other friends and owners of the house, whose presence made me feel more at ease as I anticipated my half-an-hour session of needle-stabbing. 

Despite my invitation as a client, the whole arrangement felt more like a social gathering than a business transaction. One of their friends kindly offered me frozen mangoes, while another went straight for my heart with Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Two couches and a foldable massage bed acted as the three tattoo stations, which made for a unique yet comfortable experience, far from your typical tattoo shop. All the while, they played a Spotify playlist comically titled “Sharin’ Aus-Born,” which featured songs from Australian bands — a fitting choice for the cause of the event.

In a matter of minutes, my beautiful mountains were stencilled onto the side of my rib and I was up on the bed ready to get tatted. River made me feel relaxed throughout the whole session, regularly checking in on how I was holding up and offering motivational support. Given that this was my first hand-poked tattoo —  and on a body part known for being extremely painful — I was pleasantly surprised by how tolerable the process was. While pain tolerance varies largely with every person, it was definitely the laid-back atmosphere and enjoyable conversations that made it an even easier experience. The 30 minutes went by quickly, and the time frame felt much shorter before my tattoo was finished.

River’s work is a beauty on its own, but knowing that this piece contributes to a much larger cause made it even more worthwhile. Even though the fundraiser is now over, these artists have a wide collection of flash pieces and are always open to book new clients. Be sure to check out more of their work through their Instagram handles: @slo.pok (River), @teenypokes (Alex), and @tomato.sauced (Emily).

What SFU Needs: A dollar store that actually sells things for a dollar(ish)

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Why buy two items for $50, when you can buy 40 for the same price? Illustration: Nicole Magas/The Peak

By: Jennifer Low, Peak Associate

All too often I find myself in need of a random niche item, only to realize that the nearest dollar store is at the bottom of the mountain. The SFU community provides several convenience stores, grocery stores, and retail shops — but not a cheap variety store. What gives? Where’s our dollar store?

What We Lack:

A store on campus that sells inexpensive items. Not SFU branded. Not super high quality. Just dirt cheap and easily accessible. Things like:

  1. Cheap school supplies. No store on campus sells poster boards, glue, tape, etc. for less than extortion prices. 
  2. Low-cost kitchen supplies. What do I do if I urgently need a colander at a moment’s notice? My dinner depends on it! 
  3. Inexpensive cleaning supplies. Some of us are OK with the off-brand selection. Let us have it!
  4. Cheap hair ties and other everyday items essential for classes, tests, and labs. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to function. 
  5. Those cheap, wonderful, dollar store decorations. Some student clubs are using lined pieces of paper to decorate their events. Let’s have the cheap holiday decorations to finally entice more than two students to attend a party.

The Vision:

Imagine walking to Cornerstone and seeing the bright neon lights of Student’s Frugal (SF) Dollar Store, a majestic wonderland where a plastic broom or a scented candle is only a dollar. Finally, broke students will have access to basic necessities that are actually affordable on a student budget. Whether it’s garden wire, glitter, fake flowers, or a kazoo, the SF Dollar Store is a student’s one-stop shop for all random, cheap item needs. Having a social event? No one does snacks or environmentally disastrous disposable plates and plastic foil decorations like the SF Dollar Store. Forgot you have a poster-project due tomorrow morning and can’t decide between saving your GPA or paying rent? The SF Dollar Store is here to help!  

Why We Need It:

Part of what makes a university a community is providing access to services that acknowledge all students’ needs. Dollar stores recognize that not everyone has the money to pay for high-end, sustainable products. By situating a dollar store within the heart of the UniverCity community, SFU can acknowledge and help mediate the economic struggle many of their students face. The bottom line is we are broke af, and not everything on campus needs to break our bank accounts. 

 

So SFU has a new president — what’s the big deal?

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joy johnson shot for royal society

By: Jessica Garcia, SFU Student

It’s no big secret that I’m something of a pessimist. Give me a sunny day, and I’ll point out the clouds in the distance. Introduce me to a stunning new fantasy series, and I’ll give you my five-point thesis on how the author is probably a mess. The world is full of open sewers waiting to plunge the overly-optimistic waist-deep into cesspools of disappointment. But you can’t watch your hopes and expectations plummet below the ground if you never held them that high to begin with, right?

I look at the appointment of a new president at SFU in a similar light. In the midst of the fanfare, the exposés, and the proverbial confetti and doves that greet Dr. Joy Johnson as she ascends to the mighty throne at the top of the mountain, I have to ask myself: why? Why is the appointment of a new president such a big deal? 

It’s not as though Petter is leaving in disgrace, or that Dr. Johnson dueled him to the death for his position in a long succession of ruthless blood contests. I have to believe, as my pessimism demands, that nothing fundamental will change at all for us peasants tending our fields of term papers with this shift in administration. 

It’s not that I believe that either Andrew Petter or Joy Johnson are bad people or bad administrators. Far from it. I have no doubt that Dr. Johnson will do her duty to the university admirably — which will likely mean that tuition will continue to rise, construction will stretch out in perpetuity, and the President’s Honour Roll reception will still consist of mediocre food, a pat on the back, and an ask that students pay for even more bloated university experiences. 

It’s simply how the university as an institution is currently built to function — namely as a business, with all its analogous clients and shareholders. And as part of the day-to-day bureaucratic functioning of the institution, it doesn’t really matter who is at the head, so long as all the bureaucrats down the line remain and continue to do their jobs. 

From reading Dr. Johnson’s introduction and listening to her priorities, nothing sticks out as alarming, but neither does anything stick out as ground-breaking either. I am as puzzled about what SFU’s commitment to “engagement” actually means when Dr. Johnson reaffirms it — as when Petter did. What does “enhanced learning environments” entail when, for the third year in a row, I’m taking classes amidst a cacophony of construction noises and chemical smells leaking from sites? Does a commitment to “equity, diversity, and inclusion” mean that the year-long debacle over finding the Rotunda groups permanent spaces is finally going to be resolved? Does Indigenization mean more Indigenous content in class syllabi that feels rushed and trite rather than actually meaningfully integrated? Will Dr. Johnson’s past success increasing research income for the institution mean financial relief for the international students who were hit with a 20% increase in tuition?

In the end, I don’t see how this change is that big of a deal. I can’t read the future, so I don’t know how Dr. Johnson’s tenure as SFU’s tenth president will play out. My gut says that any real change that comes out of this will be modest, and isn’t likely to impact the majority of students significantly, if at all. But I’m a pessimist. I can’t be disappointed if I don’t hold my expectations too high.

But I can also be pleasantly surprised if my low expectations are exceeded.

 

Peak Sports Reverse Mailbag: Favourite SFU Sports

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Sports
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Photo credit / Amazon

By: Dylan Webb, Sports Editor

Hello readers of The Peak sports section,

This week’s edition of the Mailbag is the first edition of the Reverse Mailbag, a new format which involves readers submitting answers to a sports-themed question. This week, we have three answers to our first question: “Which SFU Sports team is your favourite to watch and why?” Thanks so much to all of our readers for submitting their answers to our first Reverse Mailbag question. 

The question for the next Reverse Mailbag will be: “What is your favourite sport to play recreationally and why?” Now, onto the answers!

Stephen:

My favourite SFU Sports team to watch is definitely the SFU Hockey team. As somebody who played competitively through my junior hockey years, it’s great to be able to see a really high level of hockey played by high quality ex-junior players near campus. The atmosphere at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre is always awesome, the event production is top notch for the size of the program, and they even serve beer, wine, and coolers, which makes it even more fun to check out a game with a couple of friends. If you want the chance to take in some of the highest-level hockey being played in the Burnaby area, definitely check out an SFU Hockey game. 

Krista: 

The SFU Volleyball team is my favourite SFU Sports team to watch, mostly because of the exciting atmosphere that is found at most of their games. The stands are usually full of numerous SFU students that are really into the game, which makes for a fun place to unwind after a long day of classes and studying. There are usually some fun giveaways at many of the games, and I’ve met some of my best campus friends at the volleyball games. Best of all, the games are always played in the West Gym, so for those of us that are on campus in the evenings, it’s just a short walk to be able to watch NCAA-level volleyball. 

John: 

While I’m torn between choosing the SFU Football and Soccer teams, I’m going to have to go with the men’s soccer team this year given the exciting play-style they offered this past season. The Polisi brothers are extremely entertaining to watch due to their unbelievable ability to control the ball, as well as the character and passion they display on the pitch. The fact that they consistently draw at least 300–400 fans per match is a big part of the excitement of attending a game, and I really enjoy the chance to watch high-level soccer without having to leave campus. 

Connor: 

I believe that SFU Football has substantial crowd appeal because of its parallels to the era of Roman Gladiators. Dating back to 70 AD, individuals were engaging in combat within the confines of the Coliseum. Fast-forward to the 21st century, and the principle of the Coliseum is still ubiquitous, but the swords and spears have been swapped for suits of armour and precisely pressurized instruments of leather (the football). And of course, some things remain consistent from the day blood was first spilled in the Coliseum until now — the screaming fans and the players fighting to declare victory over their opponent through violence and aggression. All in all, I like SFU Football because it’s the modern day equivalent to the gladiatorial battles that took place during Roman times.

If you would like to participate in future editions of the Peak Sports Mailbag and be entered in a raffle for an end-of-semester prize, here’s what you can send to [email protected]: 

  • Sports-related questions that our weekly host will answer
  • Weekly theme ideas to guide our questions
  • Short (100–200 word) responses to our bi-weekly Reverse Mailbag (get paid $5) 

Or: sign up to host the Mailbag (and get paid)!

Thanks to all of you SFU sports fans for blowing up my inbox!

The next original Mailbag theme is: Kyudo

The kyudo Mailbag host is: Nicole Magas

Send in your questions to [email protected]. 

The current SFSS Board must be held accountable for its concert inflation

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Editor’s note: The author is active in student politics, and is currently advocating for a forensic audit of the 2019 Fall Kickoff event.

By: Corbett Gildersleve, SFU Student

Fall 2019’s Kickoff, for those who attended, was pretty fun. New artists were brought in, a new venue was tested, and there were even some food trucks. It also had a record-shattering deficit four to five times more than the average. The budget — which was poorly debated and hastily approved at the Board table, as previously reported by The Peak — was significantly higher than previous years. The event undersold tickets by almost half (1,200 down from a target of 2,500), leaving the SFSS in the red to the tune of $105,995. 

During one of their meetings last November, I asked the Board to conduct a forensic audit to investigate the event. Why? Because you don’t lose that much money, say “lessons learned,” and move on to the next project. An independent investigator conducting a forensic audit would be the only way for students to know what really happened to their money.

What is a forensic audit? It’s a focused investigation into spending to see if any financial mismanagement, fraud, or negligence occurred. Some members of the Board have said that the event was simply more expensive due to a different location. Looking at the budget, final report, and meeting minutes, there are too many questions and too much concerning behaviour to take their word at face value. A full forensic audit is necessary, both to keep the current (and outgoing) Board accountable and to prevent future SFSS events from squandering student funds. 

On November 29, the SFSS Board was presented with a two-page report on the concert. It contained a basic event and budget summary. It was both wholly inadequate and misleading. Three paragraphs of text were allocated for an event that took months to plan and cost over $178,000. It stated the deficit was $45,000. However, the SFSS also contributed an initial $60,000 in a 14-minute-long emergency meeting in August, bringing the actual total closer to $105,000. 

This figure doesn’t include board, admin, and staff costs. Calculating the true losses for this event is therefore much more difficult. With a budget they’d never seen before, the Board majority decided to shut down questions and rushed through a motion to add $60,000 of student money to a one-off event. I consider this negligence is reason enough to have a forensic auditor investigate. 

To put this into perspective, the SFSS will have spent more to cover the losses for the concert than they did last year for the whole of the communication office ($103,000), Women’s Centre ($93,000), Out on Campus ($73,000), or Surrey campus office ($55,000). That includes staff, events, and program costs. The SFSS will have spent more on this concert than they did on accessibility funding ($1,600), the Food Bank ($29,000), the Advocacy Committee ($12,000), Membership Engagement ($17,000), and student bursaries ($10,000) last year combined — with $30,000 left over. It really shows how warped the SFSS’s priorities have become that a one-day event is more important than a year’s worth of programs, events, and advocacy. 

So, why a forensic audit now? Why spend more time and money when the SFSS already has annual audits? In sum, the annual audit only looks at the finances of the SFSS as a whole, and provides summary information. The 2019–2020 annual audit will be the next Board’s burden to carry, and students won’t see it until next fall. Many of the Board members who worked on the concert now won’t be on the Board after April. 

Meanwhile, a forensic audit conducted this term would dig deep to verify what happened and why — it would look at who negotiated the prices, signed the cheques, and made the decisions to see if any policies, bylaws, or laws were broken. Students deserve to know how and why their money was mismanaged. The annual financial audit won’t bring justice; a forensic audit will.

The Board is charged with managing the fees you paid to them, and in this case, they did a poor job. You deserve to know why and what changes need to be made for this to never occur again. 

So, I ask all of you to call, email, and talk to Board members to demand they hire an independent investigator to audit this event.

 

SFU Hockey wins two straight against rival Spartans

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Sports
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SFU forward Kyle Bergh scored three goals in the first win of the week. — Photo credit / SFU Hockey

By: Michael Lenko, Peak Associate

The SFU Hockey team handed the Trinity Western University Spartans their first loss of the BCIHL (British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League) season in a dominant offensive performance at the Langley Events Centre. Two nights later, the Clan followed their strong road effort with a thrilling shootout win at home to defeat the Spartans in consecutive games. The two wins capped the most successful week of the BCIHL season for the Clan as they snapped the Spartans twelve-game win streak, ended their drive for an undefeated season, and cemented their own spot in second place in the standings heading into the final ten games of the season.  

In the Thursday night game at the Langley Events Centre, the Clan came flying out of the gate as Eric Callegari scored the first goal of the game on the powerplay. Though the Spartans responded three minutes later with a Spencer Gerth tally, SFU regained the lead once again on Kyle Bergh’s first goal of the night. Bergh added his second of the night on the powerplay shortly after to give the Clan the lead heading into the second period.

Just before the halfway mark of the second period, Bergh completed his hat-trick to extend the Clan lead to two. Mateo Coltellaro added his second of the season shortly after to allow the Clan to open up a big three goal lead on the Spartans. However, a late goal from Travis Verveda on the powerplay kept the Spartans within striking distance heading into the third. 

At the start of the third the Spartans began to create numerous offensive chances, but Clan goaltender Patrick Zubick was there to shut the door emphatically. Making a sprawling stop that is surely the current save of the year in the BCIHL, Zubick kicked off one of his best periods of the season. Zubick ensured the Clan maintained a comfortable lead throughout the remainder of the game by stopping numerous grade A scoring chances. Though the Spartans added one more goal, courtesy of Jordan Bogress, a Takato Cox goal for the Clan sealed the game with less than four minutes to go. While the Spartans outshot the Clan on the night 35–27, they could not manage to counter the Clan’s offensive output. SFU hung on to win 6–3 to hand the Spartans their first loss of the season. 

Both Bergh and Zubick were key factors in the positive result for the Clan. Bergh’s hat-trick put the Clan in a good spot in the early part of the game, and his third goal proved to be the game winner. Zubick was solid once again in net for the Clan as he stopped 32 shots in the winning effort. 

The rematch two days later made for a wild game at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre. Takato Cox scored on a partial breakaway to give the Clan an early lead for the second game in a row. Jacob Lacasse then scored his first career BCIHL goal with three minutes left in the frame to extend the Clan lead to two. SFU goaltender Andrew Henderson turned away all 18 of the Spartan shots he faced in the period. 

SFU continued to dominate offensively in the second period as Arjun Bahd scored a powerplay marker that was followed by a tally from Mac Colasimone just 30 seconds later. Henderson continued to stand tall and stopped all 16 shots he faced in the middle frame. 

 The third period consisted of an epic comeback by the Spartans to force the game to overtime and, eventually, a shootout. Elijah Vilio scored halfway through the period to reduce the deficit to three. Soon after, Brayden Brown scored to pull the Spartans within two goals. The third-period wildness peaked with under 20 seconds left in the game as both Travis Verveda and Jarret Fontaine scored to pull the Spartans level with the Clan and force overtime.

The extra frame was all about Clan goaltender Andrew Henderson as he made a number of remarkable saves to force a shootout. In the first shootout for both teams this season, Takato Cox scored on the Clan’s first attempt and Andrew Henderson stopped all three Spartan shooters to secure the win. 

The first star of the game was an easy decision as Andrew Henderson stopped an astounding 58 of 62 shots, many of which were from dangerous areas. Henderson now sits first in the BCHIL in both save percentage and goals against average heading into the final portion of the season. 

With consecutive wins against the Spartans, SFU now sits in second place in the BCIHL standings. The Clan have yet to lose in 2020 and are on a five game winning streak. 

The Week Ahead in SFU Sports: January 27 – Feb 2

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Sports
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The new SFU Athletics logo. — Photo credit / SFU Athletics

By: Dylan Webb, Sports Editor

After a long off-season that saw the team hire Tina Andreana as their new head coach, the SFU Softball team makes its first appearance of 2020 in The Week Ahead, alongside both basketball teams and the track team. Just the women’s basketball team will be in action at home this week. 

Women’s Basketball:

The SFU Women’s Basketball team will play the second half of their four-game homestand this weekend in the West Gym. After hosting Western Oregon on January 30, the team will then take on Concordia University on February 1. Tip off for both games is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball:

Continuing their four-game road trip, the men’s basketball team will head to Ellensburg, Washington to take on Central Washington University on January 30 before moving to Nampa, Idaho to take on Northwest Nazarene University on February 1. 

Softball:

The SFU Softball team is headed to Las Vegas, Nevada this week to kick off its 2020 season with a five-game tournament. Starting on January 31 and continuing until February 2, the tournament will feature opponents such as San Francisco State University, Minot State University, and the University of Texas. 

Track and Field:

A two-day meet for the SFU Track and Field team this week has the squad headed to Seattle for the University of Washington Invitational on January 31 and February 1. 

2010s at SFU: a decade in review

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News
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The SFSS will be offering emergency financial aid to students

Written by: Kim Regala, Staff Writer

As we say goodbye to the previous decade and welcome a new one, let’s take a look back at some of the crucial events that have taken place at SFU over the last ten years.

2010: Andrew Petter is elected as SFU President and Vice-Chancellor

The name Andrew Petter may be familiar to any SFU student who’s been attending the school in the past decade. Currently in his tenth year as President and Vice-Chancellor at SFU, Petter took the leadership in 2010, following the footsteps of Michael Stevenson who likewise held his position for ten years. Formerly the NDP cabinet minister, Petter expressed large plans for the university’s future when he got the job, including the expansion of the Surrey campus, the incorporation of new faculties — such as the faculty of environment and faculty of communication, art, and technology — as well as the development of the Woodward’s campus in Downtown Vancouver.

2011: Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) holds a 94-day lockout

In the summer of 2011, the SFSS’ Board of Directors locked out their unionized workers for 94 days, halting the bargaining process to reach a collective agreement with the Local 3888 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Barry O’Neill, president of CUPE BC at the time, explained that “The SFSS politicians want to lay staff off, cut wages by up to 40 per cent, and replace experienced staff members with untrained volunteers.” The move to lock these groups out of employment was led by former SFSS president Jeff McCann whose decision left many services unavailable to students, including the Women’s Centre and Out on Campus.

2012: CUPE and TSSU join forces in job action

After two long years of demanding increased wages, yet still having no collective agreement with SFU, members of the CUPE Local 3888 joined together with the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) to put immense pressure onto the university. A unanimous vote was reached in May to pass a motion to conduct a strike vote. The strike vote resulted in 90% of members voting in favour of taking job action. The two unions formed picket lines in front of SFU buildings, preventing any paid employees from entering their workplace. 

2013: Physical altercation creates conflict within SFSS Board members

Internal issues within the SFSS arose when environment representative Monique Ataei reported a case of physical assault by member services officer Moe Kopahi, urging for Kopahi’s resignation from the SFSS. The October incident was recounted in a Peak article, where Ataei recalled borrowing Kopahi’s phone to make a call. After changing his mind due to privacy reasons, Kopahi allegedly snatched his phone back from Ataei, striking her face. In the midst of the conflict, Ataei brought up concerns regarding safe working environments, indicating that she has personally felt scared in the office before. The incident was opened up a year later, reported in a later Peak article that it was “accidental in nature and did not involve any violation of SFSS policies.”

2014: Students vote “YES” for Student Union Building (SUB) plans to proceed

The SUB project was finally approved at the 2014 SFSS Annual General Meeting (AGM), where over 400 students showed up to vote. This had been an ongoing plan by the Build SFU project since 2012, with its construction estimated at a total cost of $65 million. There were 328 votes in favour of this special resolution and only 26 oppositional votes, signaling strong student support for the SUB. 

2015: . . . Or not? Students reject pursuit of loan for SUB and Stadium projects

Another round of voting was held at a Special General Meeting (SGM) in 2015, as students expressed their concerns regarding the lack of  accommodation for all SFU students in the previous meeting. This time, over 630 students came to the SGM, in which the final decision was to deny the pursuit of a loan for the SUB, as well as the Stadium projects planned by Build SFU. 

2016: Deepak Sharma resigns as SFSS president

It came as a huge shock to the SFSS when elected president Deepak Sharma was forced to resign from his role, only a month after the Board of Directors took office in May. The SFSS revealed that since they had confirmed Sharma’s failure to meet membership eligibility status, his position has since been left empty. This left former VP of student services Larissa Chen to take over the role of SFSS president until an official re-election was to be held in October. 

2017: SFU begins its journey to reconciliation 

A traditional witnessing ceremony was held in Convocation Mall, led by Coast Salish First Nations members, to commemorate the beginning of SFU’s long journey towards reconciliation. This event took place after receiving a final report from the SFU Aboriginal Reconciliation Council (ARC), outlining how SFU may direct its $9 million reconciliation fund for the years to come. The report emphasized the expansion of Indigenous spaces on campus, providing more support for Indigenous students, as well as developing a curriculum that offers Indigenous-related course material.

2018: Jas Randhawa is impeached

More trouble regarding the SFSS presidency came up in 2018, when former president Jas Randhawa was impeached from his position. At the time, Randhawa leaked a recording to The Peak of a meeting he had with the executive members of the SFSS Board of Directors. The recording revealed various accusations made against him, including allegations of physical assault, and failure to acknowledge and address complaints of sexual misconduct from other Board members. It also revealed immense pressure from within the SFSS for Randhawa to resign from his role, with certain directors even drafting him a resignation letter. His final fate was met, however, at the AGM where a two-thirds majority was reached in favour of his impeachment. 

2019: SFSS Board rejects motion to house Rotunda groups in new Student Union Building

A motion was brought forward regarding the inclusion of permanent spaces for SFPIRG, CJSF, SOCA, and Embark — independent student societies and a student club currently housed in the Rotunda —  in the new SUB. Unfortunately, the motion was then denied. The motion, which was initially proposed to the SFSS Board of Directors by SFSS president Giovanni HoSang, would have housed the Rotunda groups in the SUB. The SFSS Council has condemned this decision and threatened to put forth a referendum question for the upcoming SFSS election asking students if they would like to grant permanent space to Rotunda groups. 

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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