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What If: The upcoming student union building suddenly disappeared

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Photo by Chris Ho / The Peak

Written by: Gene Cole

If anything plagues students’ eyes as they venture to Burnaby campus each week, it’s the endless amount of construction. It’s become so normal that we don’t think about it as we walk. We just accept that nothing will ever be finished and treat the hum of power tools and construction vehicles like the sounds of nature.

So with the student union building disappearing, we would finally rest — wait, never mind, they’re repairing something in the AQ. There returns the sound of construction workers earning their rent again, and all we have is a better view of the road where that one old construction project used to be. We’re a university campus, every building that’s finished or cancelled just lets another one roll in. For all we know the student union building will start anew somewhere else on the mountain.

At least without this building, we’ll finally have that building fee struck from our tuition. But being $50, and with most students not knowing what that was even for, many people won’t even notice or appreciate it being gone. We still have more than plenty of fees, and some similar fee is bound to replace it when another inevitable construction project comes along — sooner or later, the school or SFSS is going to feel the need to expand again.

Would it be a better world if the eternally in-progress building were to disappear? Probably for a semester or two. But this is post-secondary; paying for buildings that we only get to see open in our last year is just part of the job. We’ve waited this long for the SUB, we might as well bear through the last few months (ideally).

SFU women’s soccer extend unbeaten streak to six games

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Carmen Brown got her first goal of the season. (Photo courtesy of SFU Athletics)

By: Sebastian Barreto

The SFU women’s soccer team recorded a resounding 3–0 victory Saturday afternoon against Montana State University at Terry Fox Field.  

The first half of Saturday’s matinee game featured an abundance of chances for the Clan. MSU were under the cosh from the off as SFU fiercely drove through their defensive lines while finding vast space in the offensive third of the pitch. SFU created many genuine opportunities; however, they frustratingly failed to find the back of the net until a moment of pure madness.

With 10 seconds left in the first half, the crowd began counting down to half-time. SFU captain Samantha Donald picked up possession 30 yards from goal. The skipper put her laces through the ball and sent a looping strike towards MSU’s goal. Judging the bounce wonderfully, striker Emma Pringle rose and challenged MSU’s keeper Erinn Harder. The ball bounced over both players, clipped the bottom of the crossbar and fell into the net.

These scenes, playing out as the game clock displayed just three seconds remaining, sent the crowd into a hysterical state. Teammates surrounded captain Donald, hailing her ambitious effort. The senior had occupied a defensive midfield role throughout the game, breaking up play and shielding SFU’s defenders.

“Sam Donald is one of the best players in the conference. Tactically, there is nobody better than number 8,” coach Annie Hamel said of her captain’s importance to the squad after the game. “If you don’t know soccer, she will fly under the radar. If you understand soccer, you will see everything that she does on and off the ball.” Donald’s spectacular goal was her first of the season.

The second half saw SFU’s freshmen shine as Hamel rotated her entire squad for the second consecutive game.

“It’s an immense relief to be able to use your freshmen,” commented Hamel. “To give breaks and manage a season when you trust them. Not only the coaching staff trusts them, but the players on the field trust them. We’re getting to that place where we can use anybody and everybody.”

Danae Robillard produced an impressive display in the second half. Her best chance came when she hit the crossbar on a powerful strike. Robillard also picked her passes well and wasn’t fazed when defending.

If Robillard was great, then Teagan Mackay was superb. Mackay was deployed on the wings and she ripped through MSU’s defenders. Speed, strength, pressing the defensive line, and an eye for the goal: all of this made Mackay invaluable in the second half, accompanied by Emma Pringle, Katelyn Erhardsen and Jenna-Lee Baxter for a deadly SFU attack.

Mackay was crucial to the second goal, winning the ball up the pitch and firing a strike on goal that the goalkeeper parried away. The rebound fell directly to fellow striker Carmen Brown who tapped in her first goal, and Mackay’s fifth assist, of the season.

“What Teagan did today was extraordinary,” Hamel said, touching on Mackay’s campaign. “It has been a long time coming.”

SFU’s defence held firm for the duration of the match as Carli Grosso, Emma Lobo, and the rest of the squad steadied the ship. Many SFU moves started from the passing ability of SFU’s defenders. Goalkeeper Nicole Anderson was confident throughout, earning SFU’s second clean sheet in a week.

SFU added a third goal late on in fabulous fashion. Clair Bareilles sent Baxter through on goal with a perfect through ball. With defenders surrounding her, Baxter took the ball on the fly and shifted the ball onto her right foot before unleashing an absolute thunderbolt upon goal. It struck the bottom of the crossbar and flew in, shaking the frame of the MSU goal. That beautiful goal was Baxter’s eighth tally of the season.

After six games unbeaten, Coach Hamel is looking forward to what is to come, but she wants to keep the team grounded.

“We keep stepping on the gas pedal,” she concluded. “If we want to achieve what I think this team can do, it’s about being a professional, being focused, and taking care of business. Don’t let the blood get too hot or too cold. It’s all about keeping them level-headed.”

What’s next:

SFU’s next match is at Terry Fox Field against Saint Martin’s University. You can catch the game on Tuesday, October 16 at 5 p.m.

Peak Player of the Game: Teagan Mackay

Mackay was energetic all day, and her direct attacking play was integral to SFU recording another victorious result. She’s expected to continue building on these performances; keep an eye on her.

SFU hockey drop home opener to rival Trinity Western Spartans 4–1

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The Clan are now 1–2 on the season. (Photo courtesy of SFU Hockey)

By: Dylan Webb

The Simon Fraser University hockey team lost their home opener and the second game of their first three regular season games last night. At the Bill Copeland Sports Centre, they fell 4–1 to the Trinity Western University Spartans.  After defeating the Spartans in a thrilling 4–3 overtime win late in the preseason, with both teams dressing close to opening night line-ups, SFU simply could not repeat the effort and discipline that allowed them to overcome the defending league champs in September. The Clan are now 1–2 on the season.

The first period saw a significant amount of grinding in the neutral zone, with few high-quality chances traded either way, and the Spartans were the only team to strike, taking a 1–0 lead into the second period on a goal from Travis Verveda. The Spartans continued their usual grinding style in the second period, repeating the tone and outcome of the first to double their lead to 2–0 on a goal from Brandon Potomak heading into the third.

SFU briefly injected some enthusiasm into the Bill Copeland crowd and some energy into the legs of the Clan skaters with a powerplay goal from Darnel St. Pierre that momentarily cut the Spartan lead to one. However, the wheels fell off for the Clan halfway through the third period. Despite only allowing one goal on 10 powerplay attempts for the Spartans, the timing and nature of the Clan’s parade to the penalty box destroyed any momentum that may possibly have been brewing for a home team comeback.

One silver lining for the Clan is that, once again, the team outshot their opponents, and appear to have no problem getting the puck towards the net. The team will need to carry positives such as this and build on them with finish and a net-front presence if they want to turn around their BCIHL season.

In goal, Michael Lenko, making his first start at home as a member of the Clan, allowed four goals on 25 shots and took the loss despite earning second star honours. Having made all three starts for the Clan so far this season, Lenko now holds a 1–2 record in his BCIHL career.

Coach Mark Coletta acknowledged positives that the team could take from the game, but discipline and cohesiveness were the major area where the Clan “beat ourselves tonight,” he pointed out.

“We need to improve our discipline and come to the rink with a commitment to make sacrifices for each other if we are going to take advantage of our skill and speed this season,” he added.

With the loss, Simon Fraser now find themselves four points behind Trinity Western for top spot in the BCIHL standings. While it may seem early in the season to have an eye on the standings, the combination of relatively few teams being in the league and a condensed university hockey schedule (24 regular-season games) means that the two points up for grabs against rivals such as the Spartans are very important to the playoff race — which will surely shape up in the spring, regardless of when in the season the games occur.

For this reason, the Clan need to regroup quickly, build off the positives from the first two weeks of games, recalibrate their team discipline, and start playing more cohesively as a unit if they hope to stay in the race for playoff position.

What’s next:

The Clan will take advantage of a week free of league action to work on conditioning and team systems before heading to Vancouver Island to face off against the UVic Vikes on October 26, and then returning home the next day for the third of five games this season against one of their other main rivals, the Selkirk Saints.

Peak player of the game: Michael Lenko

While giving up four goals on 25 shots isn’t pretty to the stat sheet, it doesn’t show the saves that Lenko made. He consistently stopped quality chances, and was a big reason the scoreline wasn’t worse than it was.

Board Shorts

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Irene Lo / The Peak

Written by: Amneet Mann, News Editor

 

Finances regarding AMS Welcome Back BBQ settled

The Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) approved a total of  $13,388 to pay for the unsold tickets of the initial release of the Alma Mater Society (AMS) Welcome Back BBQ.

The money was approved in accordance with section 3.C of the agreement between the SFSS and AMS Events, which stated that the SFSS would accept any unsold tickets of the initial release of the event.

The SFSS Events Committee has a remaining budget of $36,797.85 for the rest of the board year.

 

Board discusses campus safety concerns

The discussion was prompted after a student posted on Facebook about an incident of classroom violence. Vice-president university relations Jackson Freedman introduced the discussion and asked the board how they feel the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) should respond to the situation.

“I feel like, if SFU is not stepping in, we should probably step in at this point,” said vice-president external relations Jasdeep Gill

SFSS CEO Martin Wyant noted that, if the board has the contact information of the students who witnessed the incident, the society should reach out them directly to offer support. “As a student society you are rightly concerned about this,” he said. “And if we need to advocate with the university or any particular group on how they can better support in circumstances like this, then that’s a very appropriate role to play.”

Wyant also noted that this incident could be combined with pre-existing concerns current and past SFSS boards have had regarding safety and security on campus and jointly presented to the university.

 

Board discusses accessibility and health and safety concerns

Vice-president student services Samer Rihani brought forward a concern raised during the last SFSS Accessibility Committee meeting regarding current protocol for students with accessibility needs in cases of emergency.

According to Rihani, if a student with accessibility needs is on the fifth or sixth floor of the AQ during a fire or other emergency, the current protocol for them would be to wait by the staircase and “hope that somebody gets you.” Rihani expressed concern over this policy, and motioned to invite SFU into a conversation regarding accessibility.

Wyant connected Rihani’s concern to other concerns brought forward by current and past board members, as well as other SFU students, such as the need for an updated accessibility map, lighting on campus, and the emergency plan in the case that the Kinder Morgan pipeline bursts.

“If that tank farm goes up, the health and safety concerns are large. You could strand thousands and thousands of people on this campus and the strategy right now is you shelter in place, which basically means you just stay and wait for instructions,” noted Wyant.

Wyant also relayed student concerns regarding how long it took to for the university to formulate a coherent response when smoke bombs were set off at this year’s AGM.

“There’s an accessibility conversation, and there’s also a broader issue with respect to health and safety on campus,” said Wyant. He suggested the board look into inviting SFU representatives into a bigger conversation about health and safety on campus with all SFU students.

 

SFSS works with FNSA to plan Pow Wow event

Vice-president student life Tawanda Masawi was appointed to work with the First Nations Student Association (FNSA) to provide SFSS support to the planning of the association’s Pow Wow event. The event is scheduled to be held on the weekend of February 22 to 24.

FNSA member Matt spoke on behalf of the association during the board meeting, stating that the event “would be helpful to build the cultural relationship between the SFSS and the FNSA.”

“Through Indigenous methods, the best way you can learn is to build a relationship with someone,” said Matt. “I know the FNSA wants to work with the SFSS trying to rebuild a lot of these relationships.” He noted that the event would help provide “first-hand cultural knowledge and understanding about both Indigenous students and the community” to the SFSS.

 

Board revisits Surrey space agreement

Freedman noted that a significant concern raised during the previous SFSS Council meeting was the fulfilment of the Surrey space agreement which was announced in March. The agreement aimed to expand available study space for students at SFU Surrey through actions such as leaving classrooms on Galleria 3 unlocked until midnight for students to occupy, and enhancing studying spaces with additional power outlets, seating, and overhead lighting.

The board discussed concerns that these actions were not being effectively executed. Applied sciences representative Kia Mirsalehi noted that there had been no significant work done towards the agreement’s commitment of a mobile cart holding project tools. At-large representative Mohammed Ali recounted his experience when security personnel told him that they would not open a classroom unless a class had previously been booked in that space.

The board agreed to meet with SFU to discuss the progress of the agreement’s implementation.

Mirsalehi also mentioned that SFU Burnaby students were currently not able to enter the Surrey campus after hours by themselves — they must contact security and ask for entrance.

 

Board discusses approach to hostile communications

Business representative Jessica Nguyen brought the discussion forward following a hostile interaction she had with a group over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

“I completely understand when clubs have concerns which are valid, but being rude and disrespectful and abusive is not fair and I think this has happened many times in the past,” Nguyen said.

“There has been unfortunately — over the years I’ve been here — this jump to being judgmental and hostile in some situations. And we’ve seen it with a number of clubs in particular,” said Wyant. Wyant continued that the current manner in which the SFSS deals with hostile groups is to invite them to meet with the SFSS and discuss the relationship between the society and the group.

“You don’t have to sit and take abuse as a person, as a member of the Simon Fraser Student Society, as anybody in life,” he reminded the directors. “Just because you ran for political office doesn’t mean that others are entitled to that approach.

 

SFSS plans fall lobbying trip

The society approved $1,535.55 to send Gill, FCAT representative Amrita Mohar, and environment representative Russell Dunsford on a fall lobbying trip to Victoria at the end of October. The trip is a follow-up to a prior trip done by Gill and Mohar which involved provincial budget consultations.

The board discussed sending SFSS campaign, policy, and research coordinator Sarah Edmunds to accompany the directors on the trip. Wyant noted that the idea of involving staff more heavily in lobbying was one that surfaced last year: “We came to the conclusion that we weren’t necessarily lobbying effectively as an organization, we were kind of riding the coattails of others,” he said.

 

Board approves up to $1,300 for pumpkin-carving event

Nguyen clarified that the budget was decided by budgeting $10 per pumpkin (with a total of 100 pumpkins), as well as pumpkin-carving kits, which would be safer than knives.

She noted that she wanted to “have the motion because the event is coming up real soon so I’d like to have it up to [$1,300] but I probably will not use all.”

SFU and UBC honour the lifework of the Aga Khan

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(Photo courtesy of Aga Khan Development Network)

Written by: Srijani Datta, Assistant News Editor

 

In a first-of-its-kind event, SFU and UBC are each conferring an honorary doctorate of laws degree to His Highness Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini Aga Khan in a joint ceremony.

The Aga Khan founded the Aga Khan Development Network, a global network of development aid agencies working through post-secondary institutions, hospitals, and school programs. This network is particularly active in underdeveloped and war-torn nations. The Aga Khan, who is the 49th hereditary Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims, founded this network as an expression of the social conscience of Islam.

The awards mark both universities’ recognition of the Aga Khan’s lifetime of philanthropy.  “His Highness has demonstrated an exemplary international commitment to address the needs of others,” said SFU president and vice-chancellor Andrew Petter to SFU News.

The award ceremony will also honour Aga Khan’s collaborative work with UBC and SFU. Petter expressed gratitude for the Aga Khan’s support provided to programs at both universities. “We are grateful for his generosity in promoting positive change in the lives of young people and in advancing the well-being of the communities we serve.” said Petter.

The Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations at the Aga Khan University worked with the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies at SFU to set up a world-renowned summer school on Muslim diversity called “Expressions of Diversity.” This program helps participating students understand Muslims in a diverse framework and larger context in a critical and historical manner.

“Expressions of Diversity opened up many windows into the historical heritage and contemporary relevance of Muslim peoples globally,” stated Derryl MacLean, founder of SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies. Maclean praised the program for its large role in making current research on Muslims and Islam accessible to all.

The Aga Khan also works with the Canadian government on projects increasing inclusive and sustainable development. His contributions through institutions like UBC have helped impact students from around the world.

For instance, UBC’s International Baccalaureate (IB) education team of faculty and adjunct faculty, in association with The Aga Khan Academies’ Teach Preparation Programme, offers mentorship to and assessment of interning teaching candidates seeking IB certification in Mombasa, Kenya.

“We applaud His Highness the Aga Khan’s outstanding humanitarian contributions,” said UBC president and vice-chancellor, professor Santa J. Ono.

The joint conferral ceremony by SFU and UBC is to be held on October 19 in Vancouver.

World News Beats

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Written by: Nathaniel Tok, Peak Associate

 

Secret service agent awarded medal of honor

Staff Sergeant Ronald J. Shurer II, a US Army Special Forces Medic, Secret Service agent, and cancer patient, has been awarded the US Military’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor.

Shurer II won the award for his actions in Afghanistan in April 2008 where he risked his life and sustained injuries to treat at least fourteen others –  four wounded US soldiers and ten Afghan commandos.

Shurer later joined the Secret Service in September 2009 and was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He is the 12th person to win the Medal of Honor for bravery in the current war in Afghanistan.

With files from NBC News and The Seattle Times.

 

Yemen cholera epidemic worsens

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Yemen’s cholera epidemic, which began in April 2017, is worsening.

Data shows a rate of around 10,000 new infections weekly. The first week of September alone saw almost 11,500 suspected reported cases. 1.2 million cases and 2,515 deaths have been reported since the epidemic began, with 30% of the cases comprising children.

The WHO is distributing vaccines in areas susceptible to disease outbreak, with 387,000 people receiving initial doses. The WHO hopes to distribute vaccines to other parts of Yemen in the future.

With files from Reuters.

 

Ex-South Korean President convicted for bribery and embezzlement

Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has been convicted of bribery and embezzlement, among other crimes. The court has sentenced Myung-bak to 15 years in prison, and fined him 13 billion won.

Lee Myung-bak is believed to have accepted a 6 billion won bribe from the electronics company Samsung in 2009. In exchange for the money, Myung-bak pardoned their chairman, Lee Kun-hee, who had been imprisoned on charges of financial wrongdoing and tax evasion.

Myung-bak called the charges against him politically motivated and denies them. He served his term as president from 2008 to 2013. His sentence makes him the fourth former South Korean president to be jailed.

With files from DW and The New York Times.

 

Scottish independence march sees tens of thousands of demonstrators

Edinburgh saw tens of thousands march for Scotland’s independence on Saturday. The campaigners paraded the Scottish flag through the streets before assembling at Holyrood Park near Scotland’s Parliament for a rally.

The march is believed to have resulted from Scotland’s desire to remain in the European Union, while the rest of the United Kingdom voted for and is struggling with how to handle Brexit. All Under One Banner, the group which organized the march, reported 100,000 participants while the City of Edinburgh Council claimed that 20,000 took part.

A smaller counter-protest was held by those who wanted to stay in the UK.

With files from Reuters and BBC News.

People who are mad at me for not being satisfied with my grades

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Photo courtesy of Study Breaks Magazine

Written by: Michelle Gomez, Staff Writer

We’ve all experienced the crushing disappointment of putting all your time into acing an assignment, only to get the class’s average grade. You feel relieved to have passed, but sigh over your unchanged GPA. What rubs in this feeling though is when someone gets annoyed at you because they got a worse mark. For some reason, anybody who got a mark better than them is not allowed to be upset by their own performance.

If I’m spending all week studying for a midterm and come out feeling like I pulled off an A, I should be free to feel disappointed at my unexpected B-.

Those of us who actually care about our grades have probably experienced this at some point in school. These grade-shaming dictators of emotion who can’t stand someone doing better than them need to stop, or at least study better. I don’t have to accept my mediocre grades as accomplishments just because they’re better than someone else’s underachieving standards. Sorry that I have higher aspirations in class than the bare minimum, I guess.

Grad Minutes

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Illustration by @Reslus

Written by: Youeal Abera, Staff Writer

 

The GSS partners with the SVSPO

Graduate student Council speaker Nathan Lodewyk announced that the Graduate Student Society (GSS) will partner with SFU’s Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Office (SVSPO) for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in January 2019.

The GSS and the SVSPO will be working together to create and run events directed towards teaching about what sexual violence looks like, as well as what resources are available for SFU faculty, staff, and students who have experienced it.

Lodewyk also noted that this collaboration between the GSS and the SVSPO may lead to a graduate research colloquium geared towards the distribution and presentation of research on sexual violence and its consequent effects.

 

GSS Open Access Award 2018 discussed

Anointing Momoh, GSS director of graduate services, announced that the number of GSS Open Access Awards (OAA) available this year has risen from ten to 35, worth $100 each, for 2018.

OOA is an annual prize presented by SFU to graduate students who have had work published in an open access journal. The award aims to give these publications more visibility and commend SFU graduate students’ contributions.

The deadline for this year’s OOA submissions is November 30.

 

SEI seeks graduate students’ feedback

GSS director of university relations Chantal Turpin reported that SFU’s Student Experience Initiative (SEI) is looking to hear from graduate students on how the graduate experience at SFU can be enhanced.

The SEI is a multi-year collaboration among the SFU community which aims to improve student experience at SFU in eight key areas, such as creating a healthier campus environment and improving communication with students. All SFU students are encouraged to share their perspective on how the project can improve student life at SFU.

 

SFU Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisory Group discussed

Turpin reported that the SFU Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion  (EDI) Group had their most recent gathering in September. The group aims to respect, celebrate, and include all cultures and demographics within SFU’s community and ensure equal accessibility of resources and services.

According to Turpin, concerns were raised during the group meeting regarding what first steps must be taken in order for the group to make substantial changes. The group meeting also identified one of its priorities to be ensuring collaboration among itself and other SFU groups such as the Aboriginal Reconciliation Council and the Student Experience Initiative.

Turpin noted that the EDI group will continue to work together in ascertaining how these concerns can be addressed.

UPDATED: SFU student alleges university did not provide adequate aid following campus violence incident

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In her post, Lee raised concerns regarding the lack of locks on SFU classroom doors. (Chris Ho / The Peak)

Written by: Amneet Mann, News Editor

 

Updated on October 13: This article has been edited since its original publication to include comments provided by SFU student Ashley Lee to The Peak.

 

A Facebook post detailing the campus violence incident which occured in Robert C. Brown Hall on Wednesday, October 3 alleges that the university did not assist the students who witnessed the event.

The post was created by SFU student Ashley Lee, who was in the room that the violent student eventually entered. At the time of publication, Lee’s post has gained approximately 2,500 Facebook reactions, over 1,400 shares, and over 700 comments. It has since been shared on the SFU subreddit.

In the post, Lee summarized the incident, which involved a student who became upset in his own class and then entered Lee’s classroom. The student began throwing tables and chairs at students, which left one student with blood running down her face and a concussion.

Between October 11 and October 13, The Peak corresponded with Lee about the incident. On October 13, Lee sent The Peak a more detailed account of her experience, noting that she had previously sent the information to a reporter from British Columbia Institute of Technology in an interview with them.

Lee wrote that her professor, Dr. Orion Kidder, had left their classroom to investigate when they heard someone screaming in another class. While Kidder attempted to talk the aggressive student down, he asked the students in Lee’s class to close and lock the doors, but the students were unable to do so as the door had no locks and it opened outwards, which made it possible for the violent student to enter Lee’s classroom.

“I have since discovered that there aren’t locks on any of the classroom doors at SFU (at least none that I have seen),” wrote Lee in her public post. Many of the classrooms at SFU, despite having locks, cannot be locked or unlocked without a key.

“Our prof told us to get out and run, which most of us did, except the girls who were hit with the chairs,” wrote Lee in the interview. “I was with the majority of the class who had to run up several flights of stairs to get out of RCB [to] where there was cell reception.” The students then flagged down a security officer who “smirked and didn’t think it was a big deal,” before attending to the situation.

According to Lee’s Facebook post, the class received a visit from a psychologist from SFU Health and Counselling and a security officer following the incident, upon request from Kidder.

“[They] basically told us the situation wasn’t that bad and we were all overreacting. They made us feel small and insignificant,” wrote Lee. During the interview, she spoke further to this, recalling that when the students asked the security officer to note issues like the lack of locks on the doors, “he didn’t even write anything down.”

Lee noted in her public post that since that visit, the students have not been contacted by the university. “It’s like they are trying to pretend it never happened.”

SFU has informed CBC News that “the student in question is no longer on campus,” and the RCMP has reported that the student has been apprehended under the Mental Health Act. An investigation into the matter is currently underway.

In an email interview with The Peak, Kidder wrote that Campus Security arrived at the scene after he had been talking to the violent student for several minutes. “Their priority appeared to be to secure the scene for the RCMP,” he noted.

Kidder noted that SFU had offered him counselling services that would not normally fall under his benefits package as an adjunct professor and a member of the TSSU, though they do fall under the benefits package of faculty.

Upon reaching out to Health and Counselling Services (HCS), The Peak was notified that communications around the incident are being managed directly by Tim Rahilly, SFU vice-provost and associate vice-president, students and international.

In an interview with The Peak, Rahilly confirmed that the university was aware of the incident. He noted that the university has been working with classroom instructors and department chair to have them provide information to the students who were affected by the incident.

“There were some classroom visits by staff from Health and Counselling and from Campus Security, but based on [student] feedback, we were concerned,” said Rahilly.

Rahilly mentioned that, since the university has noted the social media activity, it has begun reaching out to the affected students individually in an effort to match them with the support they need.

Rahilly responded to the portion of Lee’s post which commented that the student which sustained a concussion during the incident later took the bus home, saying that “it may not come as a surprise [ . . . ] that the university was not aware of the student who went home on the bus bleeding. That is not what we would want to occur.”

For students who have been affected by this incident, Rahilly noted HCS and My SSP as resources that could provide support.

Students are encouraged to visit HCS for in-person support. Students who indicate upon check-in that they were affected by the campus violence event will be given priority service, and HCS will attempt to connect them with support the same day.

For more immediate support, Rahilly noted that the My SSP app provides SFU students with 24/7 access to confidential mental support in various languages and platforms, such as telephone and messaging.

As of October 12, SFU has released a public statement on the incident. “I’m glad they are finally reaching out but it’s upsetting it took this long and required a bit of a fight, which has been even more draining on my mental health,” wrote Lee to The Peak.

“There is still a long way to go (we would like to know what safety measures are being taken and the girls who were injured should be apologized to and offered any help they may need) but we’re off to a good start,” she added.

The Peak has reached out to SFU Campus Security for an updated statement regarding the incident, but has not received a response as of this article’s publication date. More information will follow as this story develops.

With files from CBC News.

 

SFU volleyball sweep Northwest Nazarene University

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The Clan are now one game above .500 with nine games left. (Photo courtesy of SFU Athletics)

On Thursday night, the SFU volleyball team played a strong game against Northwest Nazarene University, winning in three sets. The Clan pulled away from the Nighthawks in all three sets after some tight play in the first two sets. The win puts the Clan one game above .500, and the team will be looking to keep the momentum going so they can make the postseason.

In the first set, SFU faced their only adversity of the night, going down 11–8 early. However, a 10–2 run allowed the Clan to get the set back under wrap and they cruised to a 25–19 win. Betsie de Beer had five kills in the set, and was a catalyst for the mini-comeback.

The second set started off close as well, but again, a run by SFU would allow the team to cruise to a set win. This time, a 9–2 run was what seperated the Clan from their opponent, during which de Beer had three kills. SFU would go on to win the set 25–16.

There was never a question of who would win during the third and final set, as SFU got off to a hot start and didn’t falter down the stretch to their victory. They won 25–17.

“I thought we did a good job of staying focused and executing our game plan,” said head coach Gina Schmidt after the game, via an email interview. “NNU ran a different offensive system than the first time we played them but our block and defense did a nice job of neutralizing their hitters.”

The Clan now have nine games left on the season, and currently sit fifth in the GNAC with a 6–5 conference record. As to how the team can still meet their goal of making the postseason, Schmidt kept it simple: “Win games. When it comes to qualifying for the NCAA tournament, winning percentage is one of the most important factors for the regional and national selection committees. We got contributions from everyone last night and we will continue to need the help of every player on our roster to reach our goals.”

What’s next:

SFU will next host Central Washington University on Saturday, October 13 at 7 p.m. The Wildcats are currently 8–3 in the GNAC, good for second place in the conference.

Peak player of the game: Betsie de Beer

De Beer had a fantastic evening, leading the Clan with 15 kills and 16 points. “Betsie did an excellent job of moving the ball around tonight. She took advantage of what the NNU defense was giving her and found ways to score,” said Schmidt on her performance.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society