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You too will fall in love with Shakespeare at Bard on the Beach

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Arts
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Image courtesy of Bard on the Beach.

By: Gabrielle McLaren, Editor-in-Chief

I have a specific “theater buddy” friend. We go to shows together all of the time, and both of us are literature nerds who like Shakespeare. This worked out nicely for the 2019 season of Bard on the Beach, Vancouver’s annual, outdoor, summer Shakespeare festival. We gushed and gushed about this season’s production of Shakespeare in Love for the whole car ride after we saw it. We’ve also never laughed at a play, show, or movie more than we did at Vanier Park.  

We were surprised to learn from the program that 90% of the dialogue from the original 1998 Shakespeare in Love film was carried over to the play. However, having actors run around right in front of you, stealing manuscripts and kisses from each other, definitely makes the play more palpable and engaging than a film. This particular cast was also so, so good at using the stage they had; we saw people running up and down stairs, climbing onto balconies, jumping on and off, dueling here, smashing there — it was such a lively and engaging performance. The performance also included the cleverest staging of a play-within-a-play I’ve ever seen, featuring a rotating set piece that matched the characters’ costumes. The costumes (by Cory Sincennes) were also a hundred different kinds of Elizabethan gorgeous. I was especially drawn to the layers and colours they had, and to Viola’s dress. The actress playing the part, Ghazal Azarbad, was constantly dashing in and out of the dress for quick changes, even if the garment looked tediously complex to wear.  

Perhaps the highlight of the show was Charlie Gallant, playing the bard himself. The man was non-stop, totally capturing the mania of someone who isn’t just falling in love or losing themselves in a creative project, but doing both at once in an incredibly intrinsic way. I had trouble taking my eyes off of Gallant, even if I knew I was supposed to be looking elsewhere. That’s not anything against his costar Azarbad or the other cast members, such as the hilarious Kate Besworth (John Webster), Austin Eckert (a charming and long-suffering Kit Marlowe), Susinn McFarlen (a lovable and exasperated nurse), or Jennifer Lines (who played a mean Queen Elizabeth I). Even with the strength of the cast, I just couldn’t look away from Gallant, who was always completely absorbed in his role, rushing around and trying to get one of ten things done. Whether he was dueling to protect his pages or reciting poetry, Gallant made you fall in love with him, even if just the slightest bit. This made the show so much more alive and the story so much sadder at the end. 

In case you were still having doubts about attending this production, please also note that there is a dog in the play because, as Queen Elizabeth I herself says, “we like a dog.” According to the headshots online, we attended on the night where Kingsley was on, but hope to return to catch PorkChop on his night to perform. 

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Shakespeare in Love runs from June 12 — September 18 at Bard on the Beach in Vanier Park, on the BMO mainstage. Students are eligible for $26 tickets too. Warnings for the show include some sexually suggestive scenes featuring curtained beds and well-placed towels, and water-based haze to simulate fog. 

Your weekly SFU horoscopes: September 2–8

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Features
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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

Written by Zach Siddiqui, Humour Editor

Aries — March 21–April 19

This week you’ll be tested emotionally. You’ll meet your professors and know instantly that they all bluffed their way through grad school. Trust your gut instincts. Just set fire to their lecture halls. You won’t go to jail for arson, because SFU Security will ignore the loud, loud alarm, thinking it’s another fire drill. 

Taurus — April 20–May 20

There’s no point in writing you a horoscope. Thanks to your severe emotional inertia, nothing I could possibly tell you will change your stubborn, unproductive behaviour. Just skip ahead to planting yourself within the earth of the Student Union Building construction site. Good things come to those who wait. Like asphyxiation.

Gemini — May 21–June 20

You’re hated by all. Have been since 2015. So drop out of SFU, buy a fake passport, and fly your ass to Vanuatu. You won’t have a degree. But what you will have is 276,000 fresh people to confuse using your two dreamy personalities: McLovin’ and McCut-A-Bitch. It’s called self-care. 

Cancer — June 21–July 22

You messed up this week. No need to tell you what you did wrong. Your inner parking security officers — ahem, demons — are doing it for me. Just accept that you don’t deserve the forgiveness or salvation you so crave, and that the only appropriate atonement is for you to leave your soon-to-come rough case of pubic lice untreated. 

Leo — July 23–August 22

You’ll be the hottest one at The Study this week. And you won’t even be at The Study. But focus on friends this week. Breeze through SFU’s three campuses and collect a perfect squad of “besties.” Choose these hapless worshippers based on how well they obscure and offset your sunny borderline sociopathy.

Virgo — August 23–September 22

Everyone wants your advice this week. Give it to them. Tell Lincoln that running a depressing memes page online is 100% a personality. Tell Marina that skipping all her tutorials will prove to the TA that she’s independent and clearly too well-read to need review. Tell Hester that she can get her friends to spend time with her again by manipulating them all into dumping their partners. 

Libra — September 23–October 22

This week, remind a classmate that they matter to you. Then, balance the scales by reminding a different classmate that they mean nothing to you. Now that you feel like a total bitch, escape your current sadistic identity by redesigning your bedroom with more succulents in mind. (I say “now” . . . but you won’t get around to self-reinvention until Sunday.)

Scorpio — October 23–November 21

You’ll be late a lot this week. Don’t answer your favourite TA’s concerned questions about “what’s gotten into you this semester,” though. Just smile sadly, hold up your iPhone, and play for the class i think you think too much of me by EDEN. The album will last the whole hour, even if your teacher’s patience doesn’t.

Sagittarius — November 22–December 21

Your friends? Dramatic little hoes this week. Don’t hold a grudge. They’re trying. But they’re also trying your patience. So be diplomatic here. Identify the problem person and expose their embarrassing Taiwanese Chicken Nugget feeding fetish to the rest of your friends. Sacrifice the evil to save the squad. Then you can all ride to The Pint together with no regrets.

Capricorn — December 22–January 19

The student body doesn’t hate you this week, nor do you hate yourself. Shit. But you can fix that in two easy steps. First, be a diligent student and strategically highlight your course readings. Then, tell all your friends about your strategic highlighting. It’s like telling all your friends about your strategic voting in the federal elections, except even more insufferable.

Aquarius — January 20–February 18

You’ll be really tempted to stave off SFU’s obvious aura of loneliness and loserdom by starting a cult. You’d do amazing at it, babe — but don’t do it. It sounds all fun and fraternal de jure, but de facto, the SFSS is never going to get your cult’s room booking right. 

Pisces — February 19–March 20

You have so many different personal fantasies on the go that you really don’t have a sense of identity or self-awareness anymore. And I can’t help you with that. So go back and read the horoscopes I wrote for everyone else. Soak in those sloppy seconds, like you always do. You’ll identify with all 11 horoscopes, confusing you further. But at least you’ll have something nice, for once.

CONFESSIONALS: All along, I was the closeted capitalist

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

Hey, SFU. I’m going to start by saying that this is really hard for me to talk about. It’s something I’ve struggled with my entire life. But I’ve realized that you can’t just run away from your authentic self. Not even by running five different Instagrams, putting two of them on private, and filling the three others with a mix of resume-friendly content and intensely shirtless pics of your summer camping trip to Squamish.

So — nothing for it. I’m just going to say it.

I’m the closeted capitalist.

Wow, that feels good. Real good. Fuck. I feel liberated — something the rest of you suckers at this Hollywood cash cow of a university, sadly, will never understand. Not as long as you remain subjugated by our current, beautiful economic model.

It’s been hard to keep this under wraps. I lie awake at night, sweating at the chance that a roommate might find the copies of Wall Street Journal under my bed. When my friends see me hiking up Burnaby Mountain in full Patagonia gear, I claim I’m just ace at thrifting. I tell my classmates the vial of fluid on my gold chain necklace is something I bought at Granville Island to support local artists, but actually, it’s full of toxic chemical runoff from Silicon Valley’s ruthless tech production cycle.

But I’ve done it. I’ve fooled them all . . . My friends look into my eyes, and they miss the fantasies I entertain about employing them all to work several tiers below me at a fraudulent student-populated summer painting company. They follow me on Instagram accounts #2 and #4, but they don’t know about #1, the bio of which I just updated to “ENTREPRENEUR | FASHION | DM FOR BUSINESS INQUIRIES.”

The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, built his dead wife the Taj Mahal. I do it better; I build my ladies pyramid schemes. And I’ve gotten so good at it that I think I might, like . . . be 1% Egyptian or something. I’ve considered using ancestry.com to find out, but then the government might get my DNA, and I can only bribe the government so much to go harass other, poorer capitalists about their business instead of harassing me about mine.

So SFU . . . I’m sorry . . . but I just can’t relate to any of your struggles. I’m hotter, richer, and simply more beloved by God than you. And since capitalism’s inevitable, horrifying collapse isn’t coming any time within the next couple of years, it’s going to stay that way for as long as I’m stuck sitting beside you all in these oppressive liberal arts classes. I’ll be busy pretending to cry over our professor’s lecture on boring 16th-century British peasants who lost their farmlands to feudal lords and enclosures, when in truth, I shed my tears for your lack of faith in the gospel of the all-encompassing Kardashian empire.

Written by Zach Siddiqui, Humour Editor

Nurturing Resilience at the Women’s Centre

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News
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The Women's Centre at the Rotunda // Photo by Zeh Daruwalla

By: Jess Dela Cruz, News Writer

“One in five women experience sexual violence while attending a post-secondary Institution,” said Erica Van Driel, a Registered Clinical Counsellor at SFU Health & Counselling. She is also the Program Facilitator of Nurturing Resilience, a weekly support group for “SFU students of all genders who have experienced any form of sexualized violence at any time in their life.”

“Due to this overwhelming identification of students experiencing sexualized violence on campuses across the country, support groups such as Nurturing Resilience are often part of a larger network of support put in place for students. Support groups play a critical role in helping survivors heal, cope, and move forward,” said Van Driel.

The support group is organized in partnership with the SFSS Women’s Centre and the SFU Sexual Violence & Support Prevention Office (SVSPO). Van Driel describes a regular session as “beginning with an opportunity to connect and check-in over light refreshments and snacks, followed by a predetermined topic for discussion, such as self-care, identifying values, boundary-setting, healthy relationships, communication, dealing with triggers, and coping strategies.” 

Van Driel’s hope is that “students will feel less alone with their experiences and build resilience through learning skills such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and identifying values, strengths, and boundary-setting [. . .] by making connections with others.” 

According to a report from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, “women are less likely to report sexual assault and other forms of violence because of the stigma associated with being an individual who experienced sexual violence.” Van Driel notes that students who attend the group can share as much or as little as they are comfortable with. “The intention for this group is for it to become a supportive environment where safety and community are built through self-care, respect, skill development, and self-compassion,” she adds. 

The Nurturing Resilience support group will be meeting every every Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Women’s Centre TC 3014. The first meeting of the Fall will be held on Tuesday, September 17.

For more information about joining the group, please contact Erica Van Driel, Counsellor, at [email protected]

Students who wish to access other counselling and support services can call SFU’s Women’s Centre at 778-782-3870, SFU’s Health & Counselling Centre at 778-782-5781, or SFU’s Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Office at 778-782-7233. 

SFU hockey looks to ride revamped roster to BCIHL championship in 2019-2020

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Sports
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Freshly printed ticket's for the regular season home opener - Photo Credit / SFU Hockey Twitter

By: Dylan Webb – Sports Editor

Editor’s note: Dylan Webb is on the roster for the SFU men’s ice hockey team.

The SFU men’s ice hockey team kicked off their annual August training camp on Monday with a significantly different roster than the one that finished in fourth place in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) last season. While four pre-season games leave some time for roster spots and roles to be solidified, it’s clear that the club is looking to turn the page on a frustrating few seasons that have lacked playoff success despite periodic flashes of dominance. 

This week’s training camp was the first opportunity for a host of new recruits to come together with a core of returning veterans to begin building chemistry in preparation for a demanding pre-season schedule riddled with tough opponents. The Clan’s pre-season will begin with the annual Captain’s Cup tournament against local rivals TWU (Trinity Western University) and the USports affiliated UBC (University of British Columbia) Thunderbirds. It will culminate in a trip to Massachusetts to take on NCAA Division 1 opponents Holy Cross and Sacred Heart. Barring any unforeseen early season additions, the roster that will compete for playing time in these games has taken shape.

In goal, the Clan will be without veteran netminder and recent graduate Ryan Sandrin. Returning is second year goaltender Michael Lenko, alongside new recruits Andrew Henderson and BCIHL veteran Patrick Zubick. Transferring from Castlegar, Zubick is joining the Clan for his fourth BCIHL season and to complete his degree. This trio of netminders will look to solidify the crease for an SFU team that will need to strengthen its team defense. 

The defensive side of the puck was certainly the offseason recruiting focus for head coach Mark Coletta, as many key d-men recently graduated, including former captain and BCIHL all-time leader in games played Matthew Berry-Lamontagna. With only Matthew Holowko, Arjan Cheema, Domenic Masellis and Daniyal Nussipakynov returning, Coletta made it a primary goal of this offseason to fill out the back end. An extensive list of recruits that includes Matt Krawiec, Jake Keremidschieff, Jordan Dawson, Adamu Tanaka, Matt Brown and Colton Gerlib will join as SFU maintains its focus on solidifying its team defense heading into the regular season. 

The forward group will clearly benefit from the most continuity as the Clan looks to take their offensive production to new heights in 2019-2020. On the offensive side of things, returning forwards Nic Holowko, Cole Plotnikoff, Mathieu Jallabert, Mitch Ledyard, Mac Colasimone, Kyle Bergh, Arjun Badh and Eric Callegari will be joined by new recruits Ty Westgard, Justin Lee, Takato Cox and Christian Bosa. 

Once again, head coach Coletta returns as the winningest coach in BCIHL history for his ninth season at the helm. The holes on the coaching staff left by the departure of assistant coaches Jimmy Cammazola and Matt Grassi will surely be filled before the regular season as the roster revamp extends onto the bench as well. This as-of-yet solidified coaching staff is complemented by director of hockey operations and BCIHL league president Chris Munshaw. The team will continue to benefit from years of experience in the league while also looking outside the organization for coaching staff to complement its experienced core.

Asked about one or two areas where he expects the Clan to be stronger than last season in an interview with The Peak, coach Coletta pointed to team defense and depth as definite areas of improvement. “I think our improved depth will be much better this year, but it’s the team defense that I think will take the biggest step forward,” he said after day three of the team’s training camp. Further to this, Coletta discussed the necessity of “every player on the roster competing hard every day against their fellow teammates for ice time and opportunities” as a necessary ingredient in building a winning team. He noted that,“Friendly competition within a team, especially early in the season, breeds success” as the team prepared for its first game together.  

As the final days of summer fade away into the beginning of a new semester and hockey season, excitement and energy are palpable at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre where the team trains. With the Clan’s home opener set for Friday October 11th against the Vancouver Island University Mariners, two BCIHL rivals are preparing to square off for early season points that will certainly figure in playoff races that will shape up come February and March. Any day now, the quiet calmness of the Bill Copeland Sports Centre will be shattered by goal sirens and cheering fans as the SFU men’s ice hockey team begins their quest for the organization’s fourth BCIHL championship. 

SFU Women’s soccer maintains expectations for success despite transition phase

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Sports
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The nine new SFU women’s soccer recruits - Photo Credit / SFU Athletics

By: Sebastian Barreto

The SFU Women’s Soccer team will likely be in for a tough campaign with wholesale changes taking hold throughout the lineup.

Head coach Annie Hamel acknowledges that a season of patience and adjustment with a heavily changed team is inevitable but remains confident in her squad’s ability. After last season, six senior and cornerstone players graduated from the program, leaving large gaps to fill in Hamel’s squad: former captain Samantha Donald, Katelyn Erhardsen, Jenna-lee Baxter, Allyson Dickson, Christina Dickson, and Tanis Cuthbert. 

“It’s going to be challenging,” said Hamel. “We’ve already talked about being patient, we are back to teaching and coaching, whereas with the seniors it was more like management and cruise control.” There is plenty of talent in the squad, but a lack of game experience at the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) level may prove to be a harsh awakening for many unacquainted players.

Adding to SFU’s uncertainty is the absence of prolific striker Emma Pringle, the team’s leading goal scorer the last three seasons. Pringle, a maestro on the pitch, accumulated a tremendous 34 goals and eight assists since joining the team. SFU will be lacking considerable firepower at the top of the pitch without their formidable strike partnership in Pringle, who was lost for the season due to a torn ACL, and superstar Baxter, who graduated in 2018. These two led the entire conference in goals, shots, and shots-per-game last term, driving SFU to the semi-finals of the GNAC (Great Northwest Athletic Conference) playoffs. Pringle will be back in SFU colours for the 2020 season.  

On a brighter note, SFU welcomes nine recruits to their ranks in 2019. These players usher in a longer term period of excitement and optimism despite potential challenges this season, the largest being inexperience. Hamel, however, is aware of the risk of inexperience and is prophetic about patience with her new group. 

“I say this all the time,” Hamel declared while discussing her largely untested group.” There is no way to fast forward through it. You have to go through it, we are going to be young and we are going to make young mistakes. We are going to have to be extremely patient with their learning curve.” The recruits feature: one goalkeeper, Kelsey Fisher; defenders Doreen Anane-Bediakoh, Jenieva Musico, and Amanda Scott; midfielders Kiara Buono, Valerie Silva, and Giuliana Zaurrini; and forwards Savannah Bauder and Jazzi Paulson.

Coach Hamel expects a new formation to bring stability to the spine of the team and help new faces acclimate to life in the NCAA. “We have adjusted our system. So, we are going to be playing a 4-2-3-1. I think with the squad we have now, two is the best way to go.” The notable “two” which Hamel speaks of refers to two holding defensive midfield players shielding and protecting SFU’s four defenders. 

When asked about her team’s strengths, Hamel pointed to her defence and goalkeeper. Both had outstanding campaigns last season, conceding the third fewest goals in the conference, and will be looking to replicate that form this term. 

“I am really confident in our backline and our goalkeeper,” said Hamel. “I think our goalkeeper is the best in the conference, and I think she will be even better than last year. If we can keep the backline healthy and consistently playing, I think we will be very hard to break down.” 

Goalkeeper Nicole Anderson started 15 of 17 matches last season, recording five shutouts. She made several fabulous saves last campaign keeping SFU in games and giving her team chances to secure points. 

Coach Hamel also pointed to senior defender Carli Grosso as a leader on the pitch. Grosso, who was deployed as a centre back last year, is strong in the tackle and possesses aerial prowess. When asked about Grosso, Hamel said: “It is exceptional to see what she can do — the maturity she has about her game right now is actually really fun to watch. The confidence she has on the field right now is incredible and I say this because we have had two exhibition games already and she has been amazing.” 

Expect midfielder Hollis Roeske to be a leader on the pitch. Roeske is a dynamic and intelligent midfielder able to pick a pass. Additionally, centre-back Emma Lobo is expected to fill a key role with her elegant style of play.

When asked about her squad’s goals this season, Hamel focused on the team returning to the playoffs. SFU’s women’s soccer team has qualified for the playoffs two of the last three seasons and are now looking to make it three of four. Coach Hamel expects fan support to help her team to a successful season. 

“Everybody performs better at home if you have a crowd behind you right? We saw it yesterday [at an exhibition game], we had kind of a big crowd and some guys were cheering and the girls were starting to do things.” Hamel hopes this will be the case and acknowledges the SFU community has an important role to play in welcoming and spurring the team on this season. 

The SFU Women’s Soccer team will kick off their campaign September 14 against the California State San Marcos Cougars with their home opener at Terry Fox Field September 26 against Central Washington University.

Monday Music: Hot new singles edition

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Arts
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"Monday Music" in giant yellow block letters with a red background
Monday Music: your weekly themed playlist. Image courtesy of The Peak.

By: Andrea Renney, Arts Editor

In this edition of Monday Music, we’re showcasing four new songs from three of my favourite bands: NOFX, the Growlers, and Twin Peaks. While these tracks are all different from each other, they follow the musical styles and conventions that each group has established for itself. As August comes to a close, consider adding these new releases to your fall playlist as you start the new semester and cling to the last remaining days of summer.

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“Fish in a Gun Barrel” – NOFX

A NOFX song through and through: it features clever wordplay (“Does anyone know how loaded he was when he unloaded his gun?”), political commentary, and the inclusion of a horn instrument. A ska track, it’s reminiscent of other NOFX songs like “Eat the Meek” and “Kill All the White Man.” Written in June 2016, its release was delayed due to subsequent mass shootings in the United States (and after the band made insensitive jokes in 2018 about the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting). Finally released earlier this month, the song is even more relevant today. Unfortunately.

“Foghorn Town” and “Natural Affair” – The Growlers

The Growlers released two new singles in August: “Natural Affair” in early August and “Foghorn Town” a few weeks after. Both are totally in line with the sound cultivated by the Growlers for their 2016 album City Club: sparkling guitars, dreamy synths, and a level of shiny polish that wasn’t heard on their earlier records. Unfortunately, Brooks Nielsen’s vocals sound like they’ve lost a bit of their Brooks-ness, that indescribable raspy quality that makes the Growlers’ music so unique and dazzling. They remain catchy songs nonetheless, and they’ve got me curious to hear the band’s forthcoming record.

“Ferry Song” – Twin Peaks

There’s something about this song that strikes me as very radio-friendly, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. I liked “Ferry Song” as soon as I heard it — it’s got the vaguely Southern sound that Twin Peaks is known for (particularly in the intro), but the keyboards and horn section really elevate the song into something pleasantly different. As the second single released off the band’s upcoming fourth record Lookout Low, “Ferry Song” is exactly what I’d expect from a band that consistently releases quality modern rock and roll. Sidenote: catch Twin Peaks with Post Animal and Ohmme at Venue on November 9.

Here’s all this summer’s gondola gab

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News
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Courtesy of Tri-City News

By: Onosholema Ogoigbe, Peak Associate and Gurpreet Kambo, News Editor

Dreamy, postcard-like panoramic vistas of the horizon over Burnaby Mountain are one step closer to fruition. The SFU Gondola Project received notable approval and endorsements this summer that could indicate the project is finally getting off the ground.

The proposed gondola would transport people from the area near Production Way or Lake City Way SkyTrain stations up to Burnaby Mountain, though the precise route is still under negotiation. This project is being touted as a solution to congested transit routes between SFU and the rest of the Lower Mainland, though it has faced a number of roadblocks in recent years, lacking approval from governments. Recent support from the Burnaby City Council in May and the Metro Vancouver Mayor’s Council in July has meant that TransLink can begin public consultation and other project development. 

Gondola project moves forward to public consultation

The Metro Vancouver Mayor’s Council met on July 25 and approved the next major step in the SFU Gondola project. TransLink will now begin the official public consultation phase of the project, seeking input from members of the public, including the SFU Campus Community, Burnaby residents, and other stakeholders.

Three possible routes have been identified for the SFU Gondola, the most efficient of which only taking six minutes to travel from Production Way to SFU campus; this route, however, would pass directly over homes in Burnaby. As has been reported in other media outlets, this may be a concerning prospect for some of those residents. The second route would avoid traveling above residents by following a similar route to existing SFU bus routes, going up Gagliardi Way. The third option begins at Lake City Way SkyTrain station, rather than Production Way, passing over Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. 

Funding for the project is still being sought by TransLink from the federal government. According to TransLink, operation of the gondola would cost roughly the same amount as existing bus service to and from Burnaby Mountain.

SFU receives gondola endorsement from GSS

At their council meeting in August, the Graduate Student Society (GSS) voted to endorse the SFU gondola project. The motion for endorsement succeeded following a series of meetings between SFU and GSS councillors over the past few months.

The GSS was first approached in March by Andrew Petter, SFU president, and Joanne Curry, SFU’s Vice-President of External Relations. Petter and Curry provided GSS councillors with an information package about the gondola project that included an SFU brochure, summaries of relevant TransLink studies, news articles, and a map of proposed routes. According to Curry, “We would love to have the GSS, a very important part of our student body … support this project.” 

On July 11, Curry and Navjot Sanghera, SFU’s External Relations Coordinator, met with the GSS Council about the gondola project, presenting the university’s responses to various questions the GSS had previously posed in June; this was done as a prerequisite to gaining their endorsement. The questions covered a range of topics, including altered transit routes, safety concerns, and accessibility needs (see sidebar). The GSS required that both SFU and TransLink respond to the questions before their members would vote on a possible endorsement.

The approved motion for endorsement includes writing a letter of support, distributing information about the gondola project on the GSS’s online platforms and in their lounge, and mandating that their Director of External Relations advocate for the project to government officials and other officials.

Fast Facts about SFU’s Gondola

The below information comes from SFU’s responses to questions about the gondola posed by the GSS. 

Accessibility:

  • 3S gondola systems are known to be accessible forms of transit. TransLink cited the fact that they slow down at the stations for boarding and aligning with door levels to the ground as proof of this.                                                
  • TransLink has expressed interest in using smart glass or switchable window film/ gradient window film. This would help minimize the anxiety of riders who have fears of heights.

Construction:

  • SFU stated that the gondola has an 18-month construction window and “can be implemented quickly with little disruptions.”                                              
  • Five towers will be needed for the gondola, but they will be located next to existing roads and rights-of-way to limit disruptions to the conservation area and local residents. Trees will not be removed between the gondola towers.    
  •  SFU stated that the bus route 145 would be discontinued, and other bus routes would be unaffected, citing TransLink’s Burnaby Mountain Gondola Transit feasibility study. However, they added that the confirmation of affected routes would depend on consultation with the community by TransLink.

Costs:

  • Subject to the SFU Board of Governors approval, SFU is willing to consider contributing land and limited funding toward the project. SFU stated that the plan thus far includes using some existing resources to assist with public education and encouraging people to participate in the TransLink consultation.                                                                                              
  • Gondola fares would be included in TransLink’s fare network.

Consultation:

  • SFU External Relations, alongside SFU Camps Planning and the Office for Aboriginal Peoples, hosted a “campus masterplan discussion” with representatives from Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh and Kwikwetlem Nations present. SFU also presented to Chief and Council of Squamish Nation. Both meetings yielded positive feedback.                                          
  • A community consultation process handled by TransLink will listen to concerns raised by commuters and Burnaby residents.

Safety: 

  • 3S gondolas can survive 240 km/h winds and extremely cold weather, and have backup systems in case of a power failure. Aside from the presence of emergency intercoms, the gondola will have an attendant at each end who would be able to stop it in case of emergencies. TransLink will also develop safety and emergency evacuation plans.

The Peak Sports Mailbag

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Sports
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Photo Credit / Dean's Custom Mailboxes

By: Dylan Webb – Sports Editor

Dear readers of the Peak sports section,

My name is Dylan Webb and I’m the new sports section editor for the Peak. While I can’t possibly expect to replicate the success of my esteemed predecessor, Andrew Ringer, I will do my best to help SFU sports fans stay informed about the world of Clan athletics. I’m really excited to embed myself even deeper into the SFU sports community, which leads me to the birth of this column: The Peak Sports Mailbag. 

The goal for this column is pretty simple: to engage students from every corner of the SFU sports community. This idea came to mind as I was feeling slightly overwhelmed by the variety of sports that SFU students participate in. I’m positive there’s both curiosity and expertise on our campuses when it comes to SFU and non-SFU related sports.

If you would like to participate 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

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

Thanks to all of you sports fans in advance for blowing up my inbox. Let the Mailbag begin!

Next week’s theme is: Baseball

Send in your questions to [email protected].

Hong Kong students need to have a safe platform to express their views

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Opinions
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The Lennon Wall represents a place of solidarity and support for democracy in Hong Kong. Photo by: Zeh Daruwalla / The Peak

By: Tommy, SFU Alum

Where can we, Hongkongers, speak?

In early August, a group of Hong Kong students created a “Lennon Wall” of solidarity on the message board outside of the Bennett Library. They hoped to provide a platform for others to share their support and thoughts with the protestors in Hong Kong who are protesting against the amendments of the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance. However, messages on the board were repeatedly vandalized and ripped up until the SFSS erected a new wall outside of their offices where it could be protected. 

Similar incidents happened at the University of Queensland, Australia, ending with a violent altercation between pro-Hong Kong students and pro-China students. 

White terror (a feeling of fear produced by anonymous acts of political repression) and state terror make it more difficult day by day for people in Hong Kong to speak out for their democracy. It is important for Hong Kong students studying in Canada to have a place to peacefully protest on behalf of their homes.

China is able to exert its hegemony and oppression over people, even across oceans. The state seeks to generate blind Chinese ultranationalism and disinformation in order to manipulate its citizens and their emotions against people with different opinions. This traps Chinese expats in an ideological fantasy that embodies the oppressive policies of their government, abroad.

China also induces white terror through economic means that force corporations to obey the regime. Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation are recent examples of how transnational firms surrender to the demands of the Chinese government due to their business relations with China. Executives and employees are being fired or have resigned because of actions carried out during time-off or because of things said on personal social media. This subsequently triggers a massive personnel change that moves pro-government, pro-China employees into these positions, and signals to locals and expats alike that their livelihoods are on the line — should they speak out.

The Hong Kong government is, of course, just as culpable as they try to shut our mouths by generating state terror through the use of force and police brutality. Police have labeled protesters as cockroaches, have treated apprehended individuals in an inhumane manner, and have carelessly deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and bean bag rounds. These instances have resulted in multiple injuries, including the loss of an eye suffered by one woman who was shot point blank in the face by a bean bag. And this does not even begin to address the rumours of torture carried out by the Hong Kong police behind closed doors — rumours strengthened by the fact that the police have a history of this kind of behaviour.

As we Hongkongers struggle to speak, the Hong Kong government has given up trying to communicate back by disregarding the multiple appeals of protestors despite two months of protests. Perhaps the government is trying to create an illusion that they are an ineffective one, providing a seemingly lawful excuse for the Chinese government to intervene. 

There is clearly no easy way out. However we can, as students, make the effort to understand the situation a little better. We could take a look or even share our thoughts on the new Lennon Wall at the Maggie Benston Centre. It is a symbolic gesture, one meant to reflect on a place where the freedom to speak a diversity of opinions is shrinking, bit by bit.         

 

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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