It’s not worth complaining about not getting to use the new SUB

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September 28, 2019

OPINIONS_SUB_Construction_September_2019_ZehDaruwalla-min — Instead of griping about what you won’t have, be thankful for the things you have now. Photo: Zeh Daruwalla/The Peak

By: Gene Cole, Peak Associate

The new Student Union Building (SUB) has been in construction for the entire time I’ve been a student at SFU, breaking ground in 2016 and continuing development ever since. Its delays have essentially become a meme to students, with new estimated dates seemingly dropping every few months — the most recent pushback being to Spring 2020. To many, this probably comes across as a big waste of money — especially to students like myself who will be graduating without getting to spend any time in the SUB.

This is definitely not to say we all need to accept or feel good about these delays — they add another $60 to your tuition each semester, the construction is an eyesore, and it’s certainly disappointing to not be able to enjoy something after being told over and over that it’ll be done soon. More immediate problems include the fact that many student groups located in the Rotunda were unexpectedly told in 2017 that there would not be permanent student group space in the SUB for them. Groups like SOCA and SFPIRG have been fighting hard the past few years to make sure they don’t lose their offices, a problem that’s still being worked on and made worse by yet another delay.

But the fact is, a piece of your tuition in any post-secondary institution goes to pay for toys and infrastructure that you don’t get to use. It sucks, but investments in lengthy building projects are a relatively natural part of an expanding university campus – and it’s maybe not the best hill to choose to die on.

While many students won’t get to use the fancy new SUB, they are already using the new features that past students have paid and waited for. Even during this round of building upgrades we’ve gotten more than plenty to play with: we have gorgeous new lecture halls across the AQ (including the Images Theatre); Harbour Centre got some desperately needed (and gender-neutral) bathrooms to replace its perpetually dirty and cramped ones; and we’ve seen the opening of the successful Study Public House, after its space had remained empty for ages.

Students now, as then, are just doing their part — paying for and waiting patiently for a building they may not see, but others will. Eventually, as comically long as this particular project has been, the school will get its new SUB. Students further down the line will get a new stadium — a similarly large project that I wouldn’t be surprised to see subject to just as many delays over the next several years. Along the way, SFU is going to get repairs and renovations to existing buildings, on top of tons of other services and rooms that individual students might not even notice or care about.

Yes, it feels bad to pay for future students’ toys, but that’s just the cycle of school construction.

If you want to be mad about the delays to the new SUB, don’t let it be because you don’t get to use the nice new facility. Paying for subsequent cohorts’ spaces is something we all need to do as students. Instead, be frustrated that we’ve had to pay for and put up with a project that has posed a risk to student groups, and has been more costly because of the unusually slow speed this construction has taken — those are the things that we shouldn’t have to put up with as students.

CONFESSIONALS: I convinced my professor to start the tapeworm diet

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EIC

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September 28, 2019

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Illustration of a closed envelope, with the text, “Confessionals” — ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang /The Peak

Written by Ana Staskevich, Peak Associate

Forgive me, SFU trash-panda gods, for I have sinned.

Disclaimer: I’m actually a PRETTY GOOD student with a decent enough GPA — well, I’m not on academic probation, at least. And I know that classes require a lot of effort. But sometimes they’re just way too hard and the professors . . . well, they don’t make things ANY easier!

Okay, I’ll just come out with it — I manipulated my professor into starting the tapeworm diet.

Look, I know that sounds insane. But what’s more insane is just how hard it is for me to dig this shady, underground matter back up after hiding it for half a year!

It all started last fall, when I entered my third year as a kinesiology major. (Are you feeling a bit more sympathetic now?) I took on my usual full course load, thinking things would be fine. Well, spoiler alert: by the midpoint of the semester, I swear my professors were co-conspiring to ruin me with project after project. On Week 7 of the semester alone, I stretched out so many assignments to meet the length requirement mark that you’d think I was directing another season of 13 Reasons Why.

I thought I had things somewhat under control. . . that is, until after exams, where I found out the final marks for one of my classes. I was just a hair away from a solid B+. Yet, when I so nicely asked my professor to bump it up to save my GPA, he flat-out refused. Imagine that: constructing a nice, thoughtful email in which I politely called him a kinesiology fraud who got his PhD out of a cereal box, and all I got back was “no — sent from my Samsung Fridge” in response.

So, I constructed a plan out of pure spite. I started coming to him under the ruse of research for my honours thesis that focused on diet and nutrition — specifically, the tapeworm diet. It was going to be titled “My Parasite and Me: WormFast Regime” and it was exactly what it sounds like. I hyped up my professor by providing “peer reviewed” benefits, like rapid weight loss, clearer skin, a new parasitic friendship, and ascension to a spiritual world.

Truth be told, a lot of these peer reviewed articles came from the blogs of various recondite cultists, but who am I to doubt their professionalism?

Anyway, somehow, this son of a bitch bought into it and decided to try it so I could have “data” for my faker-than-ever thesis. A week after this email exchange, I met up with him during his office hours and saw that he had actually bought tapeworm eggs and already ingested one, waiting for that nasty bitch to hatch. That’s when I knew I had to bounce . . . My work was complete.

I quickly changed majors to avoid ever having to see his face, but last I heard, he was a walking and talking zombie (a slim-thicc zombie). Allegedly, he keeps falling asleep during lectures, grading things late, forgetting the names of students and spacing out mid-conversation. In other words, not much of a change compared to when I had his classes. . .

I was told that he was taking a leave to undergo extensive surgery to get that demon worm removed, but I am just happy I won’t have to accidentally run into him in the line-up at Tim Hortons or something.

Now you may be wondering . . . if I had a chance to do it all over again, would I? The answer is YES! No one gets between me and my grades — he deserved it for not rounding up my 55% to a B+!

Quiz: Am I baby or am I just trying my best?

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EIC

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September 28, 2019

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Written by Kelly Chia, Staff Writer

“Baby.” A one-word concept that has swept Twitter like renewed wildfire. The innocence, the dreaming, the heartbreak, the meme-ing . . . when that adorable little photo of Kirby points to the blackboard, millions scream back “IM BABY” in solidarity.

But not everyone who’s baby understands that it’s come time to answer their calling. They know who they are in their bones, but their brains haven’t caught up. “Am I baby?” these emotional castaways query themselves. “Or am I just a broke, lazy bitch?”

If you don’t know who you are, then this quiz is here to coddle and guide you. Answer these questions to find out whether you really are baby, or if you’ll have to settle for one of THREE totally arbitrary consolation options designed to distract you from the fact that, wait a second, you actually have to be accountable for your own actions.

1. Have you done your readings this week?

a) I’d rather just ignore them and wing my thoughts in the tutorial!

b) I’ve already accepted that I will transcend my body and assume the form of an illiterate ghost this semester.

c) Of course! I’ve added extensive notes from various outside sources. I work so hard to earn gold stars — it’s not easy being me!

d) Miraculously, my books are actually a time machine. I’ll read a sentence, find myself detaching from this reality, and reawaken thirty seconds into the past, back when my eyes were still glaring at the start of the long, long run-on.

2. You have a paper due in two weeks! What are your ideas . . . do you have any?

a) What’s a paper? I’m a princess.

b) Time is too big a strain for me to spare a minute on trivial, mortal things like papers. Leave that for the spirited freshmen.

c) Don’t know why the TA even considers marking any other papers when they have a student like me — I’ve got my papers planned for the next five years, sweetie!

d) Sure, I have some ideas: I plan to exacerbate my stress levels until the very last day, where a decent paper will simply print itself from the slit between my brain’s two hemispheres. Works like a charm!

3. How do you feel about your major?

a) [Sonic voice] Heh, that’s… no good!

b) How do I feel? I don’t — the campus has been draining my emotions for years, and I am just a husk dredging my sweats to class. It’s less cathartic than it sounds.

c) I’m so passionate about the work I’m doing, and know that this is only the next stepping stone for something greater! Like Broadway.

d) I’m not sure. I’m just making ends meet in a blind crawl toward graduation.

4. How many hours of sleep do you get?

a) Enough to remain functional, but not nearly the 12+ hours I deserve.

b) [Wry chuckle] That’s cute. If I can get my numb, grubby hands on a nice bench at the bottom floor of WMC, I can get a few hours in.

c) I get a full night’s rest, and wake up refreshed for my 8:30 a.m. classes! Morning classes are great, guys, you get the whole day to pamper yourself! And I’m used to them after taking early-morning dance classes since I was five years old.

d) [Visibly shaking] That depends on how much time I devote to worshipping my eldritch horror of choice: the all-seeing fog that swallows SFU whole.

5. What’s your ideal professor?

a) Someone who is ready to create for me a world where student loans don’t exist and there are no financial obligations EVER.

b) Someone who can directly ascend me to my rightful place in the immaterial realm. Please.

c) Someone who realizes how much untapped potential I have! Seriously, where are those internship offers? I’m the star of the show here.

d) Someone who will fall for the façade and mystique of size-12 Times New Roman font, never noticing that it’s all just chicken scratch.

If you answered mostly “A’s”. . . You are BABY.

You’ve assumed the role of baby . . . you no longer wake up in a cold sweat thinking about your final papers, but in ignorant bliss of your responsibilities. I get it, work is nasty and scrolling through Twitter feeds yelling “mood” is . . . one hell of a mood. Be sure to take responsibility by dropping the phrase, “I’m soft uwu” in your papers to remind your professors.

If you answered mostly “B’s”. . . You are A TIRED GHOST POSSESSING A STUDENT’S BODY.

So you’re at the point in your education where you’ve become a shell. You’re just trying to get by, but the handy-dandy deadline demon doesn’t scare you anymore. But hey, it’ll be over one day. Even though summoning the motivation to care has become even harder than the ritual the summoned you back to the earthly plane, you’re not going to be in this money-sucking hellhole forever. And with luck, you’ll be able to keep clinging to your borrowed mortal shell long enough not to end up in the actual hellhole. Cheers!

If you answered mostly “C’s”. . . You are GLEE ICON RACHEL BERRY.

Where do you get that energy from? The rest of us wish we had enough perseverance to be just like you. You have so much unquenched motivation in you because you haven’t lost your focus, and that’s cool. You probably host a studyspo blog where you share your favourite supplies that the rest of us just follow enviously. Keep doing you!

If you answered mostly “D’s”. . . You are JUST TRYING YOUR BEST.

Hey, honestly . . . you’re a hot mess, but that’s okay! There’s a never-ending pile of work at your desk, and I promise you that one day, it’ll be gone. Sometimes, while pulling ideas out of your ass, you might accidentally pump out a mind-boggling academic thought! And if that’s not what being an academic is about, I don’t know what is.

A guide to lesser known SFU Sports Clubs

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Sports

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September 28, 2019

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W5 - Sports - Intro to Lesser Known Clubs — The Fencing Club is one of many sports clubs open to SFU students - Photo credit / SFU Fencing Facebook page

By: Lubaba Mahmud, Staff Writer

While SFU is widely known as Canada’s only university that has varsity sports competing at the NCAA level, the school also boasts a wide variety of alternative sports clubs for students looking for some athletic engagement beyond the usual football, volleyball, basketball, etc. Here’s a brief rundown of some of these clubs:

SFU Fencing Club

En garde! SFU Fencing is for those who want to be fit and have fun in the process too. This club has a development program for beginners, but members can also compete on the national team. Members can rent equipment including mask, jacket, pants, gloves and *drumroll* a sword! How cool is that?

SFU Quidditch Club

Calling all Potterheads! SFU’s Quidditch Club offers a fun mixture of sports that integrates rugby, dodgeball, and soccer. They host trivia nights and are planning a Quidditch Ball in the near future. From beginners to seasoned players whose injuries prevent them from playing other, more rigorous sports, everyone is welcome. The club competes with teams from the Vancouver Quidditch community, as well as against teams from other universities across Canada.

SFU Rowing Club

The SFU Rowing Club has progressed to become a competitive program, ranking among the country’s top university rowing programs and continues to develop elite athletes that compete on both the provincial and national levels. Based out of Burnaby Lake, the team has also recently begun to travel across the country to attend competitive tournaments. Since the club offers a Novice team for beginners with no experience and a Senior team for students with at least 1 year of rowing experience, everyone is welcome in the SFU Rowing Club.

SFU Kendo Club

Traditional Japanese Kendo is the sport of choice for the SFU Kendo Club. They also teach iaido, which is a non-fighting posture demonstration form of martial arts. Members compete in inter-university tournaments every semester as well as in an annual North American tournament.

SFU Esports Association

This club provides a social platform at SFU for online gamers. Games played include Super Smash Bros., CSGO, Fortnight, League of Legends, Apex legends, and Overwatch. They have a casual andcompetitive focus. The goal is to link people through online games and provide an outlet for meetups, such as through viewing parties for competitive events.

SFU Athletics Dance

The SFU Athletics Dance team combines jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical styles for performances at various athletic events. Being part of a team of hard-working dancers, having the chance to perform and improve the ability to choreograph as well as make new friends are some of the many things this club has to offer.

SFU Board Games Club

If outdoors athletics isn’t your scene, this is the club for you. Play board games such as Coup, Deception, and Red Dragon Inn, among many other favorites in this casual club.

SFU Grappling Club

Grappling refers to techniques, manoeuvres, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage. This is a self-defence and martial arts club which teaches non-striking techniques to members. They bring professional coaches on campus for weekly training.

SFU Cheerleading club

Go Team! Members cheer for our university’s teams during various athletic events like football games and the Terry Fox Run. They have two teams; a development team that invites people with no prior experience, as well as a competition team.

The Ultimate Frisbee Club

According to their website, the Ultimate Frisbee Club has “a friendly, but driven team atmosphere with a focus on sportsmanship.” Competitive men’s and women’s teams register for two to four tournaments each term excluding summer. Players of all skill levels are welcome.

SFU Ski and Snowboard Club

The SFU Ski and Snowboard Club offers membership to any student who enjoys outdoor winter sports. This club organises two trips for members each season to local mountains. They offer discounted tickets for these events.

Mx directly confronts racism, diaspora, and the audience at Vancouver Fringe

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Arts

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September 28, 2019

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W5_Mx_ChristacheRoss(Straight) — Mx stars Lili Robinson, who is also the show’s playwright. Image courtesy of Christache Ross / The Georgia Straight.

By: Ben McGuinness, Peak Associate

Winner of the 2019 Fringe New Play Prize, Mx is an intense and intimate play written and featuring Studio 58 graduate Lili Robinson. Having no qualms with confrontation or opaque autobiographical findings, it personifies the struggle between the black and white expectations placed on mixed-race main character Max (later called Mx, pronounced mix).

The play’s opening monologue includes an acknowledgement of the performance taking place on unceded territories. Here we establish that the “mother of diaspora,” Mz. Nancy (Alisha Davidson) is not speaking in front of the audience but to the audience. In fact, soon she is even talking about the audience (Note: Mz. Nancy alludes to Anansi, knower of stories, and trickster in West African and Caribbean folklore).

In her opening dialogue, Mz. Nancy openly confronts the audience about their complicity in colonialism, calls out Vancouver’s “colour blindness” towards race, bemoans people of colour being asked where they are “from,” and laughs at the idea of reparations. Her confident, saucy, and slightly nutty demeanor helps ease the tension, and the audience will remain a collective character of the play: they will be the gaze with which the protagonist contends as she comes face-to-face with questions about her identity.

Mz. Nancy draws a volunteer from the audience, who turns out to be Max (played by Robinson) — an anxious, mixed-race girl who is uncomfortable with Mz. Nancy’s confrontational monologue, especially as it is directed at her own heritage. But Mz. Nancy enlightens her to the idea of diaspora — or the shared heritage of those from African origins scattered around the world.

While Max warms up to Mz. Nancy’s ideology, another spirit (or demon) appears on stage to contend for her convictions as well. The demon — introduced as Samantha — is a saccharinely sweet white woman in a rustic dress who trods on stage and immediately pretends to be Max’s best friend. Rather than speaking about race or ancestry, Samantha feeds Max’s ego with compliments to her individuality.

Some pieces of exposition and thoughtwork are carried out by a talking map that Max is given. Were the play to expand, it would be interesting to see how these monologues might be decompressed to show Max exploring the map’s wisdom herself rather than it being explained.

Robinson’s writing is decidedly on-the-nose, not only for its lack of fourth wall, but also because it is not afraid of semiotics so strong it could be performance art. Mz. Nancy clearly beckons for Max to identify with her black heritage, while Samantha would like her to accept whiteness and the status quo while leaving the past unaddressed. The two dismiss each other, suggesting there isn’t room for both.

Mx addresses racism, Black erasure, and the complicity of false “colourblindness” — but leaving no stone unturned, it also confronts what can be the false promises of performative Black culture. While Samantha comes across as the foil in trying to lure Max away from the truth of her origins, Max must come to terms with the fact that Mz. Nancy is also manipulating her to claim her identity with romantic Pan-African ideology. Neither fully capture her truth.

As Max finds, the nature of diaspora is that the knowledge which was taken from her is lost, and she is more at ease accepting this than reveling in fiction. Yet when she finally dispels the two spirits from the stage, she asks the audience to take their ancestors with them as they leave.

Mx is brazen, intense, and loaded with things to say about blackness in Vancouver. The disregard for the fourth wall and the willingness to keep symbology and Robinson’s experiences right at the surface give it distinction, making it a Fringe-worthy, edgy affair.

At the time of publishing, Mx has finished its run at the Revue Stage on Granville Island. The play is likely to appear again outside of Fringe, where all are encouraged to meet the challenge of joining the audience and playing the gaze through the fourth wall.

SFU hockey opens pre-season with 5–3 win over defending champion Spartans

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Sports

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September 28, 2019

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W5 - Sports - Hockey — SFU scored five against a strong Spartan defence - Photo credit / Independent Sports News

By: Michael Lenko, Peak Associate

After a scheduling conflict prevented the Captain’s Cup tournament from taking place, the Clan opened the 2019–20 pre-season on the right foot with a 5–3 win over the defending BCIHL (British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League) champion Trinity Western University Spartans.

The Spartans opened up the scoring less than four minutes into the game on a redirected point shot that was pounced on by Josh Bruce, who was all alone in front of the net. They would continue to pour on the pressure throughout the first period, but new goaltender Patrick Zubick remained strong and turned away 16 of 17 first period shots, keeping the Clan within striking distance. This would prove vital as Christian Bosa would tap in a rebound off Jordan Dawson’s point shot to level the game with less than four minutes left in the frame.

The start of the second period was dominant for the Clan as they scored three goals before less than five minutes into the frame. Tallies from new recruits Ty Westgard, Jake Keremidschieff and Jordan Dawson would propel the Clan to a 4–1 lead after two periods. Halfway through the second marked the end of Zubick’s night in a scheduled swap for returning goaltender Michael Lenko. Neither team would be able to find the back of the net after the flurry of Clan goals at the start of the period.

The third period didn’t have any scoring until the midpoint mark of the period when Josh Bruce would collect two more goals to complete the hat-trick. That would be as close as the Spartans would get though, with Lenko shutting the door the rest of the way. Arjun Bahd would add an empty net goal to round out the scoring for the Clan on the night.

For the first game of the pre-season, and first together as a team with many new recruits, the Clan delivered an impressive performance. The Clan’s newest recruits delivered some of the most impressive play, accounting for four of five goals in the win. Despite their newness, the rookies’ seamless fit into the BCIHL thus far bodes well for the Clan.

The Clan will look to build off this impressive initial showing when they travel to Boston, in two weeks, for two pre-season matchups against NCAA Division 1 opponents College of the Holy Cross and Scared Heart University. Following these two out of conference matchups, the Clan will host Vancouver Island University on October 11 to open the 2019–20 BCIHL season.

SFU Sports: The week ahead

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Sports

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September 28, 2019

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W7 - Sports - SFU sports - the week ahead — Photo credit / SFU athletics

By: Dylan Webb, Sports Editor

Back to back home games for the Men’s and Women’s soccer teams is the most exciting part of the SFU athletics schedule this week. Here’s a brief breakdown of all the SFU sports action lined up for the week of September 29 to October 6.

Women’s Soccer:

The SFU Women’s Soccer team will play two games this week. On October 3, the team will play the first half of a back-to-back SFU soccer doubleheader with a 6 p.m. kickoff at Terry Fox Field. Following the game, the team will travel to Nampa, Idaho for a contest against Northwest Nazarene University on Oct 5 at 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer:

After cheering on the other SFU soccer team in the early game on October 3, the Men’s team will contest the second game of the doubleheader against the same opponent, Saint Martin’s University. Kickoff for the match is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. The team will then head to Washington State to take on Seattle Pacific University on October 5 at 7 p.m.

Football:

After hosting Azusa Pacific University for their second consecutive home game at Swangard Stadium, the Clan travels to Monmouth, Oregon to take on Western Oregon University. Kick off is at 1 p.m at McArthur Field on October 5. The SFU Football team will play all of their home games off-campus while the new stadium is constructed at Terry Fox Field.

Hockey:

After defeating the Trinity Western University Spartans 5–3 in their first game of the 2019–20 calendar, the Clan will now embark on a cross-continent road trip to Worcester, MA for their final two pre-season games, both against NCAA Division 1 competition. The SFU Hockey team’s regular season schedule begins October 11 at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.

Volleyball:

The SFU volleyball team will rack up travel miles this week as they pass through Washington on October 1 and Montana on October 5 on an early season road trip. The Clan split their two season opening games at home last weekend.

SFU football drops home opener to Hardrockers at Swangard Stadium

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Sports

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September 27, 2019

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W5 - Sports - Football — Quarterback Brandon Niksich drops back for a pass - Photo credit / SFU Athletics

By: Brandon Braich, Peak Associate

SFU football, looking for its first victory of the season after losing its first two games, fell 26–7 to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in its home opener in front of a crowd of 866 at Swangard Stadium.

After the teams exchanged early punts, the Hardrockers blocked the second Clan punt of the game, giving themselves great field position at the 50-yard line. Quarterback Toby Smith then connected on a short pass to running back Ahmad Lewis, who rumbled 37 yards down the field, setting up a 1st and Goal for South Dakota. Overall, Lewis had a strong night rushing the ball, finishing with 94 yards on 23 carries.

The Hardrockers capitalized on the opportunity two plays later when Smith connected with Ira Murphy on a shovel pass, allowing the big tight end to cruise into the end zone unassailed.

However, the Clan quickly regrouped, and appeared to answer back the very next drive, when freshman quarterback Brandon Niksich hit wide receiver Gavin Cobb for what looked to be an 80-yard touchdown. Niksich hit Cobb, who was playing his first game of the year, with a perfect pass on a wheel route down the field. However, as Cobb strolled into the end zone, he turned around and back-pedalled in, which drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct and brought the ball back to the 17-yard line.

The penalty proved extremely costly as the Clan not only failed to punch it in on their subsequent opportunities, but kicker David Eisenkraft also missed the ensuing field goal wide right.

While the Clan’s offence struggled throughout the first half, their defence kept them in the game by holding the score to 10–0 with two minutes left in the half. Though the Hardrockers seemed poised to extend their lead as they marched the ball down to the SFU 5-yard line, the Clan defence came up with a huge goal line stand and held South Dakota to only a field goal.

The momentum carried over as Niksich, with only 46 seconds left in the half, was able to lead a drive down the field which culminated in a successful Hail Mary attempt that was brought down by wide receiver Rysen John. The touchdown brought the Clan to within seven points going into the locker room.

To begin the second half, the Hardrockers looked to regain control as they methodically moved the ball down the field. During a critical fourth and one deep in Clan territory, SFU appeared to jump offside. However, it was ruled that they did not break the plane and no flag was thrown — much to the disagreement of the South Dakota coaching staff.

Perhaps thinking he had a free play, Toby Smith aired a deep ball that fell incomplete, leading to a turnover on downs and giving SFU all the momentum.

This momentum shift turned out to be short lived though as Niksich threw an interception on the very next play to Will Caroll, who strolled into the end zone from 17 yards out to make it 20–7.

The game seemed to be on the verge of slipping away from SFU for good after a wild snap on a punt led to South Dakota taking over at the Clan 25 yard line early in the fourth quarter. Yet, it was again the SFU defence that stepped up, with Matt Duda intercepting a Toby Smith pass on the very next play.

Following the turn over, running back Solomon Hines found a hole up the middle, breaking off a 38 yard run and bringing the crowd to its feet. Hines would finish with 89 yards on 20 carries. The Hardrocker defence tightened up though and didn’t not allow the Clan to advance any further. That would be the final opportunity for SFU to come back, as South Dakota would go on to extend their lead and take the game 26–7.

Making the second start of his career, Niksich finished with 259 yards passing including a touchdown and two interceptions. Cobb had an explosive first game, catching seven receptions for 107 yards. Defensively, Brendan Lowry lead the way with 11 tackles.

With the win, the Hardrockers improved their record to 1–2, while SFU fell to 0–3. The Clan’s next opportunity for their first win of 2019 will come against Azusa Pacific University as the team plays its first GNAC game of the season.

I dared to venture into the human traffic jam between MBC and AQ. YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

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News

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September 27, 2019

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Unsplash Iwona Castiello d'Antonio — Photo by Iwona Castiello d'Antonio / Unsplash

By: Paige Riding, News Writer

SFU students would be some of the first to perish in a zombie apocalypse, I think to myself while walking from the AQ to the Maggie Benston Centre. It’s not just because of the heavy backpacks and sleep deprivation slowing them down; our demise will stem from the construction-induced congestion causing literal human traffic jams on this very narrow walkway between construction sites. As I would find out later, and as SFU Reddit users noticed, the situation was far from ideal.

Humour me as I paint the picture of heading to class on a lovely weekday here at SFU: As I head through campus, I am enclosed by a sheer wall of Fall Kickoff promotional posters plastered across the future entrance of the Student Union Building on one side, and blue construction fences on the other, just in front of Freedom Square. Indeed, the narrow walkway is reminiscent of a mining tunnel with the caged lights hanging above. It’s a cozy environment hidden amongst all the concrete and melancholic students. This path is the only way to reach Convocation Mall, West Mall and other buildings at the Burnaby campus (besides cutting through the Dining Hall parking lot and around to the outer stairwell, but don’t tell anyone that doesn’t read our little paper that). Walking into the madness feels like entering the boss’s lair in a video game — but even more anxiety-inducing.

Much like the G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway that begins with 50 lanes and eventually ends in four, the pathway leaves little room for the flow of students during busy lunch hours. See also: me, a poor soul stuck in the Pauline Jewett residence building, having to venture to the other end of campus, while the Fall horde of students is huge. “How big is it?” some may ask. Well, it’s so big that such a condensed area results in slow-moving lines going both directions. It’s not about size, though. It’s how you use it. Included in these lines are phone-wielding students who refuse to look where they are going and those three or four people who try to walk more quickly in the middle of the walkway, resulting in them bashing everyone with their elbows. Just know that everyone hates you if you do these things.

The only noise louder than silently screaming students whose days were ruined by the human traffic jam is the deafening construction in the area tactfully labelled a “HIGH NOISE AREA.” I find myself wondering who a student should talk to to get compensated for missed class time. I’m asking for a friend who needs their tuition paid for.

It’s me. I’m the friend.

The stands that that hold up the construction fencing litter the already narrow walkway, and may be a tripping hazard. Weaving between pylons like a show pony and avoiding students stepping out from Maggie Benston is an extreme sport that I am losing at. By the time I make it out of the AQ, I am either sweaty from having to rush to Blusson after the traffic jam, drenched from the rain, or a nasty mixture of both. Combine that with being claustrophobic, and walking through the jail corridors of the AQ makes my 9:30 a.m. lecture a little less mandatory.

Reddit users have taken to the social media platform to share their memes and suggestions about the Great Freedom Square Traffic Jam of Fall 2019™. “At the very least they should put some rope up and separate foot traffic in both directions. It doesn’t help that students merge in both directions in the dead middle of the blob,” Reddit user TheTrevLife says.

User tabeh0udai adds that “the whole school is a safety risk. Current evacuation plan is to walk down the mountain.” It’s a fool-proof plan if you’re a billy goat. The construction that is inevitable across the Burnaby campus presents safety risks in terms of escape routes in the case of fires.

The SFU Risk and Emergency Planning website advises to learn the building’s escape plan. It fails to regard that these plans could be disrupted by 600 students all trying to merge into a narrow walkway to avoid burning alive.

With the soothing sounds of construction urging those walking along this path forward, the AQ walk seems, in my rather macabre inner monologue (with which I’ve had plenty of time to converse), more like a slow walk to the electric chair rather than a history class.

Next time: The alternate route.

Phum Viphurit, The Paper Kites, Mt. Joy: Westward Music Festival Round-Up

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Arts

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September 27, 2019

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Harrison Storm 03 — Harrison Storm, opener for the Paper Kites, performs at Westward Fest. Image courtesy of Kim Regala / The Peak.

Written by: Marco Ovies, Staff Writer

Photos by: Kim Regala, Peak Associate

Showcasing a wide variety of music genres and performance venues, Westward Music Festival is an annual event in the Vancouver music scene that should not be missed. The opportunity to explore numerous local venues is a unique experience that introduces attendees to the city’s vibrant music scene. Not only that, but this year’s lineup included local Vancouver acts (Yung Heazy, Club Sofa, Chase Your Words) alongside artists from all across the world (Phum Viphurit, Joji, The Paper Kites), which is a perfect example of Vancouver’s culturally diverse community. In its third year in 2019, Westward only has room to grow for next year’s festival. The Peak had the opportunity to attend Westward this year — read on for reviews of three shows included in the festival’s 2019 lineup.

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Phum Viphurit at The Imperial. Image courtesy of Kim Regala / The Peak.

Phum Viphurit at The Imperial, September 13

Phum Viphurit was the first concert of Westward I had the opportunity to go to, and to say it was a great show is an understatement. Local opening act Yung Heazy was not only original but incredibly entertaining to watch. He brought an energy to the venue that felt original and homey, presenting his bedroom pop music in a way that felt like you had been transported right into his bedroom (go figure). The band invited audience members on stage to perform alongside them, threw instruments into the audience, and, at one point, frontman Jordan Heaney took off his pants — truly making himself at home on stage. It was hard not to enjoy his goofy stage presence, and even harder not to love him as he was mingling with the audience after his set.

Headliner Phum Viphurit had a tough act to follow, but he did so flawlessly. You could never have guessed that he had just flown in from his hometown of Bangkok, Thailand and was experiencing a 12 hour time difference. His effortless mastery of the electric guitar was truly mesmerizing; the instrument could not seem any more natural for a musician. In terms of venue, The Imperial was perfect for this type of concert. The songs had people dancing with ample room to enjoy themselves and the music, rather than the pushing and shoving that comes with many concerts. Even Viphurit seemed to love the venue, as he and his band looked right at home on stage. Despite being the frontman, he was not one to hog the spotlight, as he gave each band member their moment to shine. Whether it was a drum solo, an incredible beatbox cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” or the band switching instruments mid-song without missing a beat, this concert was definitely one of the highlights of Westward.

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The Paper Kites at the Vogue Theatre. Image courtesy of Kim Regala / The Peak.

The Paper Kites at the Vogue Theatre, September 15

The Paper Kites put on another incredible show, and they were a perfect example of the expanse of genres available at Westward. They brought along singer-songwriter Harrison Storm from Australia to open, and his performance was equal parts intimate and captivating. The performer stepped up on stage with just a guitar and kick drum and started to play; there was nothing flashy about his performance, but it left the audience in hushed silence. His acoustic ballad “Feeling You” and his cover of “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey made him a fitting precursor to the Paper Kites.

The Paper Kites appeared on stage with acoustic instruments and dove head first into “Flashes,” which was the perfect opening song for their set. They started the song off with a sound reminiscent of their first album, Woodland, with a mix of acoustic guitars and gentle harmonies. Halfway through the song, the acoustic was switched out to an electric, synthesizers began to swell, and soft voices turned to powerful anthems. In just a few minutes the band had showcased their growth over the last 10 years — and with 10 years of experience, they were no strangers to acknowledging the crowd. Before each song was a quick anecdote of what the song meant to them and how it came into existence. There was a point in the concert where they performed “Bloom,” one of their most famous songs, and encouraged the audience to whistle along with them — that is, until the band stopped halfway through, informed us that we sucked at whistling, laughed, and then resumed the song as if nothing had happened. This carefree attitude that the Paper Kites exhibited made for an unforgettable performance.

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Jeremie Albino, opener for Mt. Joy, at the Vogue Theatre. Image courtesy of Kim Regala / The Peak.

Mt. Joy at the Vogue Theatre, September 15

The last concert of Westward was Mt. Joy, and they concluded the festival with a bang. Opening for the band was Jeremie Albino, a blues-influenced indie rocker who performed an intimate solo set. With just his voice and an electric guitar, he filled the room with jazzy chord progressions and raw energy. Despite lacking a band to accompany him, the set did not feel incomplete. Albino filled the room with his gruff vocals and gritty guitar, creating a full performance out of very little.

Following him, Mt. Joy was the perfect band to close off the concert, and they seemed to be the one that everyone had been waiting for. It felt like there was not a single person in the whole venue who didn’t know every single word to every single song; it was one of those special moments in a concert where the music seemed to unify everyone. At one point, a circle formed in the middle of the crowd where people put their arms around each other, screaming the words along with the band with emotion and purpose. It truly showed the ability that music has to connect people — even strangers.

Westward Music Festival will be returning next year from September 10–13, 2020 — be sure to grab your tickets as soon as they go on sale.