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World News Beat

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By: Nathaniel Tok, Peak Associate

 

Last male northern white rhino dies

Sudan, the last male of his subspecies, has died at age 45 in Kenya. He was euthanized due to age-related diseases which affected his muscular-skeletal system and his skin. Scientists have stored his genetic material and are hoping that in vitro fertilization can keep his subspecies alive. His death leaves only two female northern white rhinos in the world. Previous attempts to get Sudan to produce offspring had failed, so Sudan was placed on Tinder where researchers hoped to raise funds for fertility treatment. The northern white rhino subspecies in Africa was decimated by hunters in the 1970s and 1980s.

With files from Reuters.

 

Fatality causes Uber to suspend self-driving car tests

Uber has stopped self-driving car tests in North America after a woman was hit by a self-driving car and killed in Tempe, Arizona. This is not the first self-driving car accident, but it is the first fatal one. Self-driving cars are believed to be able to help prevent road accidents and to be the future of driving. Many US states and automobile firms are investing heavily in the hopes of using the technology. Uber first started trials of the self-driving cars in Pittsburgh in 2016 and was also conducting trials in San Francisco and Toronto.

With files from BBC News.

 

Canada unveils new gun control bills

Canada’s federal Liberal government is introducing new gun control laws which could include increased background checks and screening. Another proposal would require gun vendors to keep records of gun inventory and sales. This legislation follows from a campaign promise to make guns harder to acquire. Crime in Canada is trending downward, but gun-related crimes are rising. Though gun-related crime rates are still lower in Canada compared to the US, they are higher than Europe and Australia. There were 2,465 crimes committed in Canada involving guns in 2016, a 30% increase from three years prior. Gun control is a controversial issue in Canada with a large rural population favouring the use of guns and gun control advocates arguing for tougher laws.

With files from BBC News and CBC News.

 

Chinese capital issues third smog warning

Beijing issued its third major smog warning this year as the central part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is scheduled to endure medium to heavy air pollution. The Beijing environmental protection bureau issued an orange alert, the second-highest level in a four-level system, which requires factories and heavy industry to reduce production by 30% to 50%. This restriction will affect over 700 firms in the capital. The highest warning level in the system has not been used this year. Beijing was recently recognized as the biggest reducer in average pollution from October to February among 28 northern Chinese cities.

With files from Channel NewsAsia.

Pacific Rim Uprising is an action-packed sequel that fires on all cylinders

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EIC
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(Image courtesy of Universal Pictures)

By: Jonathan Pabico

If you have to watch one action film before summer break begins, I highly recommend Steven S. DeKnight’s Pacific Rim Uprising. DeKnight ups the ante as director, surpassing the previous film, Pacific Rim, which was directed by Guillermo del Toro. This sequel is a breath of fresh air with its vibrant visuals, fast-paced perils, and thrilling spectacles. With cooler giant robots (Jaegers) and more deadly alien monsters (Kaiju), the film is a fitting new instalment to an enthralling franchise.

     The film’s stylized action scenes are relentless and pure fun from beginning to end. Backed by breathtaking visuals and elevated by a powerful soundtrack, these action scenes redefine colossal — especially during the film’s final fight. The movie’s fierce and frenetic bouts get better, and there is never a dull moment. Every Jaeger’s use of their unique weapons and sophisticated designs adds to the inventive quality of the movie’s action. With ruined cityscapes as an intense battleground, the film offers satisfying, but brutal grudge matches between the film’s Jaegers and Kaiju.

     However, DeKnight crafts this film as more than just destructive fights between giant robots and alien beasts. Behind the action extravaganzas are the underlying themes of corporate interests, militarism, the consequences of war, and the long-term impacts of loss, that drive the narrative. DeKnight also shapes Pacific Rim Uprising as a coming-of-age story by focusing on growth as the movie’s central theme. He offers an Ender’s Game appeal through the film’s teenage characters that strive to become the world’s future saviours.

     The movie’s only flaw is the absence of Charlie Hunnam, which creates a void in this sequel. However, John Boyega (best known for Star Wars: The Last Jedi) is superb as the film’s newest lead. Portraying Jake Pentecost — son of Stacker Pentecost from the first movie — Boyega’s performance is more than enough to compensate for Hunnam’s absence. He embodies DeKnight’s theme of growth by portraying his character as a rugged youngster, alienated from his family, but eventually becomes an aspiring Jaeger pilot in a war-torn world.

     Boyega also has great repartee with the film’s cast. He and Scott Eastwood have a comical, but mild rivalry as the film’s main Jaeger pilots. However, Boyega’s sibling-like relationship with newcomer Cailee Spaeny is more amusing and provides the story with energetic heart. If that’s not enough, Rinko Kikuchi is back as Mako. While Kikuchi’s role is minimal in this movie, she portrays a matured Mako, and her brief scenes with Boyega evoke a relatable family dynamic that humanizes them as more than just characters raised in a world of iconic robots and monsters. With believable characters and a commanding cast, Pacific Rim Uprising is a bold, entertaining sequel.

Best hikes in Vancouver

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Peak Web
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Rumour has it Garibaldi Lake is actually just Cool Blue Gatorade. Kelsey Nikl / The Peak

By: Andrew Ringer and Eva Zhu

 

Andrew’s hikes:

Garibaldi Lake

Difficulty: Intermediate

Time: Five hours

Camping: Yeee

Driving time from SFU Burnaby: 1.5 hours

No matter how blue you understand water to be, you will still be surprised when you see Garibaldi Lake. IT IS BLUE . . . or turquoise, depending on how good your colour game is. To reach this holy water basin, however, you are going to have to hike. This isn’t your average stroll to your spin class, but it isn’t as hard as walking up the Saywell Hall staircase either. Walk around the lake and take in the mountains, flowers, water, and Instagram picture opportunities. Definitely doable in a day, but I would recommend spending the night so that you can hike Black Tusk the next day.

Nothing but true meaning for as far as the eye can see. Kelsey Nikl / The Peak

Black Tusk

Difficulty: Peak difficulty

Time: 11 hours (from the parking lot)

Camping: Yeee

Driving time from SFU Burnaby: 1.5 hours

This hike is also in Garibaldi Park, and is the most exciting one the park has to offer, although it is also the most difficult. My girlfriend bought me hiking boots for this one, because I wanted to do it in New Balance sneakers and the idea embarrassed her. She was probably right, as per usual. However, this highlights the importance of holding out, because my hiking boots are sweeeet. The hike is not very difficult if you stop where the signs tell you to, but if you’re going to hike to the bottom of a volcano, you might as well hike to the top. Watch out for falling rocks, blistering winds, lava, and yuppies, but enjoy the beautiful views and actually accomplishing something for once.

Rest in pieces, pita bread. Kelsey Nikl / The Peak ​

Lindeman Lake

Difficulty: Intermediate

Time: Two hours

Camping: No

Driving time from SFU Burnaby: Two hours

In order to truly feel out in the wild, this hike may be for you, as it is relatively quiet compared to many in the Vancouver area. At around the one kilometre mark, you will see a rockslide from many years ago that buried the original blueprints for the SFU Burnaby campus, leading to a quick redraft and the school we have today. As you get to the lake, you will notice many more boulders that are perfect to sit on. DO NOT drop food, however, as you may find yourself trying to fish out pita bread from between the rocks as I did. The expiry date on the package isn’t until 2019, so go exploring and get a free snack.

2000 metres up never looked so good. Kelsey Nikl / The Peak

Quarry Rock

Difficulty: Weenie

Time: 1.5 hours

Camping: No

Driving time from SFU Burnaby: Half an hour

If you want a hike that you can carry your dog on, this is it. But also, if you want a hike that you carry your dog on, get a new dog. The hike is easy, it’s green, and it’s an Instagram machine. Once you reach the top, you have a clear view of Burnaby Mountain and the grey cathedral that rests upon it. Bring a pair of binoculars, and you may be able see a Guadalupe burrito being eaten by an SFU student across the water. Bring a Mason jar, and you may be able to fit in with the local town folk. The one issue for the hike is parking, but true adventurers will walk or bike.

 

Eva’s hikes:

Gear Jammer, Mel’s Trail, Trans Canada Trail, and Cardiac Trail

Difficulty: BPK 110  

Time: One hour

Camping: SFU residence townhouses

This hike is not for those looking for an easy walk between classes. On this hike, you’ll need to be in fairly good shape if you want to be able to descend the Gear Jammer — a jagged and rocky path that is not for the faint of heart — and still have enough in you to climb the rest of the hike. Mel’s trail is where you’ll start feeling the burn, but don’t give up, because the views on the Trans Canada Trail that leads back to SFU are breathtaking! Look down and you’ll see acres of trees, green as they can be. Look up and marvel at the beautiful blue sky. Look ahead and you’ll be greeted with a breathtaking view of Burrard Inlet.

Gear Jammer, Function Junction, Powerline Trail, Trans Canada Trail, and Port Moody

Difficulty: MATH 100

Time: Two hours

Camping: Shell House

Strap on your hiking boots and bring a water bottle for this scenic route, because it’s a wild ride from start to finish. Instead of turning up onto Mel’s Trail after descending the easier half of Gear Jammer, keep going and take up the challenge of the steeper half. Do remember to take it slow so an ambulance won’t be in your itinerary. Your hard work will pay off as soon as you set foot onto Function Junction, because it’s all smooth sailing from there. As you keep descending down the Trans Canada Trail, look around you at all the other people who have decided to make this popular trail part of their day. Don’t forget to take a look at the magnificent cityline while walking the trail!

Poplar Trail and Nicole’s Trail

Difficulty: Grad school

Time estimate: 1.5 hours

Camping: Hamilton Hall

Only those who are extremely fit and skilled at maneuvering their way across a path made of nothing more than some rocks will be able to take on this hike. If you can barely walk in a straight line without falling down, this hike definitely isn’t for you. This hike is neither an easy route or a scenic route, but once you make it to the bottom of Nicole’s Trail, you’ll feel like a million bucks. When descending this hike, remember to take it slow, because accidentally putting your foot in a puddle of water might ruin this amazing experience for you. Take extra care when walking (or crawling, if you have the aforementioned balance problem) on top of the log, because falling would not be in your best interests.

Cardiac Hill, Trans Canada Trail, and Hastings Street

Difficulty: PHYS 190 (astronomy)

Time estimate: Three hours

Camping: N35 night bus

If you have the better part of a day off, why not grab a few friends, a picnic basket, and a portable speaker and conquer this physically non-demanding, but long, hike! You’ll get off to a steep and grueling start on Cardiac Hill, working your heart to its max as you make your way to the Trans Canada Trail. Fear not, though, because the hard part is over. Now, take a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, and continue your way on the rest of the hike. When you get to Hastings Street, congratulations, you’ve made it! We suggest stuffing your face with some pasta with your friends before heading back up, and unless you’re really up for the challenge of hiking back, consider taking the bus back home.

SFU students take the Zero Waste Challenge

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Peak Web
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Image courtesy of The Peak

By: Jessie Harper and Kimberly Huynh

Jessie’s story

My journey with zero waste living began while I was living in downtown Vancouver in a 180-square-foot apartment. I had a bar fridge, a tiny piece of countertop, and a sink. I did all my cooking on a hot plat

e or in a toaster oven. I was also a full-time student working 30 hours a week to support myself and living mainly off of debt, as many of us do. I had to be creative with my grocery shopping because if I bought too much, I wouldn’t be able to eat it all before it went off, or worse, it wouldn’t even fit in my fridge. Buying less packaged food helped save valuable fridge space. Another main reason I started to reduce my garbage was because my place was just so small and stuffy. I would take the trash out three times a week so it wouldn’t smell, and each time I was amazed at the amount of trash one person accumulated. One day, I saw an ad on Facebook for Nada, a zero waste grocery pop-up shop. It was only a short walk from my work, so I went after a shift. Transitioning to a reduced-waste lifestyle didn’t happen overnight, but I haven’t looked back.

 

Kimberly’s story

Trying to generate zero waste as an SFU student is rather difficult and within 24 hours; I failed. But honestly, I kind of expected this.

I’m generally the type of person to think twice before trashing something. I’ll always ask myself if there’s a way that I can cut down on waste, or if I can recycle or compost what I do need to get rid of. That said, I’m that person who gives people the look whenever recyclable or compostable objects are thrown straight into the trash. I just never understood why people carelessly threw things into the garbage when they didn’t have to.

When I started the Zero Waste Challenge, I thought that I would generally have an easy time. I thought that I would at the very least last a whole 24 hours without generating waste, but boy, was I wrong.

 

Jessie’s story: Starting the challenge

This weekend was the first time I’ve pushed myself to try and generate no waste at all. The main challenging thing about zero waste is that it takes a lot of forethought, something I generally lack. Being prepared is the number one way you can avoid generating garbage, because most waste is created for our convenience. Take away coffee cups, plastic cutlery, plastic bags, you name it. What it really comes down to is saying ‘no’ to a lot of things, and substituting the essential things with sustainable, reusable options. I discovered the impact of carrying a water bottle, having a set of cutlery in your purse or car, saying ‘no thanks’ to a straw in your drink, and choosing to refill a container instead of buying prepackaged food . . .

 

Kimberly’s story: Off to a rough start

I think it’s worth pointing out that a rule that I had set for myself was that both trash and recyclable objects were considered waste, but compost wasn’t. This definitely made the challenge a lot harder than I had originally anticipated.

Within the first few hours of my day, I had used paper. And thus, failed the zero-waste challenge essentially as soon as it had begun.  

Paper is probably something that we overlook in our daily lives as students.

I’m sure that there are many students like me who prefer to work with paper rather than the computer. I enjoy taking notes by hand on looseleaf or writing on lecture slides that I print out before class. Also, when taking notes on readings and what-not, I prefer taking notes on paper or writing my notes out on the computer and then printing them out later. I do this because I feel that I work best with paper; I retain much more information when I’m writing things out rather than when I’m typing them out. For students with a paper preference, a zero waste lifestyle seems impossible. As a side note, another issue with taking notes by hand is that I go through tons of pens and highlighters!

Additionally, many SFU classes require students to use paper; for example many professors ask that students hand in a hard copy of their assignments. If you think about it, that’s a lot of paper. I’ve had a handful of courses which require papers that are up to 20 pages. Think about it: 20 pages x 150 students in the class = 3,000 pages. SO. MUCH. PAPER. I personally have a stack of all hard-copy papers that I’ve had to hand in throughout the years just sitting in my closet gathering dust. Sigh.

 

Jessie’s story: Friday

I work full-time at an office and take classes online. I usually bring oatmeal to work every morning for breakfast. My office has cutlery, dishes, and mugs so I don’t need to worry about bringing them from home. For lunch, I brought a meal in a Tupperware container, but forgot about scaps . . . My office doesn’t have a compost. So I put the scraps back in my Tupperware and took them home to compost.

Another thing I’d forgot to prepare for was coffee. Yes, my office has mugs, but they only supply individual creamers and sugar packets, and despite having spoons, most people use disposable coffee sticks. I sacrificed my morning coffee.

After work, my husband and I went grocery shopping. This was probably the biggest challenge of the weekend because I usually always make compromises for perishable food. It’s essentially impossible to buy some things like cheese, yogurt, and frozen fruits without plastic in a regular grocery store. We purchased a lot of vegetables using cotton produce bags instead of the store-supplied plastic ones. I just wash these with our laundry and reuse. We purchased milk in a glass bottle, ginger beer in glass bottles, steaks from the butcher section in compostable butcher paper, and some Diet Coke in recyclable cans. Even so, this shop did accumulate a bit of garbage. There was a tag on the asparagus, the sticker holding the steak papers together, and the twist ties on the bunches of herbs. While the rules of this challenge were to see how long I could go without generating waste, I wanted to keep going and see how the rest of the weekend went.

In terms of cooking at home, this weekend we only used food that would create no garbage. We do our best to purchase everything possible from stores that allow refills or bring your own container, such as Bulk Barn and The Soap Dispensary.

Because this challenge was so short-lived, I didn’t have to face long-term items creating waste. Items like makeup, clothing, and shower products, that are all made of or wrapped in plastic, are the most challenging to sacrifice and change for me. People who can go a month without throwing one thing away are in a whole different ball park and I admire them from afar, for now.

 

Kimberly’s story: Pesky paper

It’s safe to say that I’ve come to the conclusion that a zero waste lifestyle is not plausible for students because of our dependence on paper. So, how can we minimize the use of paper? I’ve done the following things:

  1. I print my notes double-sided when I can and make sure that two to four pages are printed per sheet. As a bonus, I don’t know if it’s just how my brain works, but I feel that I retain a lot more information when I have two pages of notes per sheet printed because I don’t have to flip around pages as much. Printing like this also saves money since the library charges $0.11/page, which adds up! I could have saved so many trees (and my own money) if assignments didn’t require being printed a certain way. Unfortunately, most of my classes require APA citation, which doesn’t allow for two-sided printing.
  2. I usually use recycled pieces of paper when I study, like the blank side of used paper. You could also do this with flashcards, or make your flashcards out of scrap paper.
  3. I love using a whiteboard to study because I’m not throwing away paper. I just have to erase and then write whatever! There is, of course, the waste that the dry-erase pens create when they run out of ink, though.
  4. I use a piece of paper until I no longer can! I have a bunch of paper by my printer that has only one side used, so I’ll save it so that I can print (eventually) on the other side.

Above all, I think the most important thing that students can do to minimize the amount of paper they use is to think before they print. Do you really need to print something out? I know that I admitted to being one of those students that likes to work with paper, but the least I can do is make the conscious effort to minimize my waste as much as possible.

I’m interested to see if SFU students 50 years from now could avoid the paper waste as profs finish the move towards digitalization.

 

Jessie’s story: Saturday

On Saturday afternoon we were invited to our friend’s birthday party in a nearby park, and my husband suggested we ride our bikes and pick up a Slurpee on the way there. The bike riding sounded very in line with my challenge, but the Slurpee? This time I thought ahead and brought a reusable tumbler with a straw and got my Slurpee in that. The guy at the counter couldn’t have cared less, and charged me for the smallest size despite my letting him know how large my cup was. I will admit, it was nice to tease my husband that I got more than he did, for less price and less waste.

Sometimes I’m scared to ask people to accommodate me, but generally when you tell them why, they are really understanding. For example, checking out at the grocery store, the cashier automatically started to put our steaks in a separate plastic bag. When I stopped her she seemed offended, but when I explained my challenge, she was very understanding. Later that night I went out for a drink with some friends for St. Patrick’s Day. I will admit, I stopped for McDonald’s on my way home, but my burger was wrapped in paper and came in a paper bag that I brought home to compost, so no garbage! It can be done.

 

Jessie’s story: Sunday

My challenge came to a screaming halt on Sunday afternoon at none other than Ikea. If someone (your mom) offers to drive you somewhere and buy you food, the answer, as a broke student, is generally yes. We had lunch in their cafeteria which didn’t come in the way of my challenge since they have dishes, cutlery, glasses, the works. If we put Ikea on a spectrum with other mega companies in terms of sustainability, Ikea is doing pretty dang well. They pack their furniture into flat boxes not just so it fits into your car better, but so they can ship more product in smaller spaces. Why pay to transport air? They are also converting over to all LED in their light fixtures which, compared to incandescent bulbs, use 85% less energy, designing functional home waste sorting systems, and always looking to use more sustainable packaging and materials for their products (like mushroom styrofoam). I purchased a few things for the house, as one does at Ikea, and though there was no devilish styrofoam, there was plastic wrap and that’s a wrap on my zero waste weekend.

I lasted 64 hours without generating waste (minus a few produce stickers). While this is an awesome personal accomplishment, it has only empowered me to go further and implement more. If anything, don’t feel overwhelmed by the want to make a change for the better. The more we do, the less goes in the landfill.

Peak Speak: What Grinds Your Gears?

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Peak Web
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On this week’s episode of Peak Speak, we ask students what grinds their gears. Filmed by Calvin Truong and Gigi Seifelnasr

New Music Friday

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Peak Web
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(Linda Shu / The Peak)

By: Lyz Boyd, Danielle Davie, Neil MacAlister, Courtney Miller, and Natasha Tar 

“In My Blood” – Shawn Mendes

Danielle Davie: Incredibly generic, but he does have a nice voice . . .

Neil MacAlister: Honestly, I can’t hate Shawn Mendes. For cookie-cutter pop, this isn’t bad.

Natasha Tar: It took a while to get started, but once it did, it wasn’t bad. Not the best song ever, but bearable.

Courtney Miller: I like that it’s not super monotonous, but like honestly, does anyone hate Shawn Mendes? It’s like OneRepublic . . . no one really hates ‘em, but no one super loves ‘em either. It’s fine.

Lyz Boyd: The chill opening makes me want to curl up on a rainy day with a book and my beautiful girlfriend, Courtney. Towards the end it gets super repetitive.

“Flames” – David Guetta, Sia

DD: The second generic pop song in a row. Yay.

NM: Sia could really benefit from experimenting more, her vocals never disappoint but the songs she jump on all sound the same.

NT: More of the same from Sia, whoop-dee-doo.

CM: Yeah, I mean, vocally Sia’s great, but nothing will top the best Guetta-Sia collab: “Titanium.” Also, this sounds like it was meant to exist in like the early ‘80s.

LB: It’s pretty generic, but I don’t hate it.

“Say Amen (Saturday Night)” – Panic! At The Disco

DD: This song sounds like it was meant to come out in 2013.

NM: Panic! have always stuck to a typical sound, but at least they used to be fun. They’re eternally stuck in the same boring pop phase as modern Fall Out Boy. It’s a shame.

NT: I like this! Makes me look forward to their upcoming concert.

CM: Panic! is fantastic. This is not their best song, but anything Brendon Urie does is an ace, because the many is so talented it just drips out of him 24/7. Fuck, that high note is a fucking experience.

LB: I agree with Courtney, definitely not their best, but as a big fan of recent Panic!, this song makes me want to scream, “OH, IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!”

“Pain and Pleasure” – Black Atlass

DD: I was trying to think of what song this sounds like, so I did some Googling. It turns out Black Atlass is signed to the Weeknd’s record label. Black Atlass sounds exactly like the Weeknd.

NM: I’m going to respectfully disagree here and say Black Atlass doesn’t sound anything like the Weeknd. He’s part of that whole Toronto R&B wave right now, and I’ve been enjoying his features. This song doesn’t do a ton for me but I feel like he has places to go.

NT: It’s so quiet that it’s as if they’re trying to hide the fact they’re making music. Sleep-inducing.

CM: This is only about two boring steps away from being boring elevator muzak, but the kind where you will murder whoever’s in the elevator with you because it’s so . . . boring.

LB: Really boring. I almost forgot I was listening to music.

“Malheur, malheur” – Maître Gims

DD: This is my favorite song on the playlist so far. It probably helps that I don’t know what he’s saying. It’s quite repetitive.

NM: This is enjoyable, pretty mellow. I feel like I compare most French artists to Stromae but they’ve got a similar thing going on.

NT: It sounds pretty, but it’s not very exciting.

CM: I mean it’s fine, but it’s a chill kind of fine.

LB: Not super exciting, but it can join Shawn Mendes on my theoretical rainy morning reading playlist.

“Lemon  (Drake Remix)” – N.E.R.D., Rihanna, Drake

DD: This song is bad. I only made it halfway through. Since when does Rihanna rap?

NM: There was no reason for Drake to hop on this, the original was already perfect, and Drizzy’s verse feels totally phoned in. Rihanna already bodied this track. I’m still waiting on her to make a rap album.

NT: This is burning hot garbage. Sorry Drake.

CM: This isn’t even hot trash, this is just trash. The Canadian Disappointment™ strikes again.

LB: This is terrible.

“Shotgun” – George Ezra

DD: Have you ever seen a video of George Ezra? He doesn’t look like his voice is actually coming out of his mouth. It’s nothing special, but it is refreshing, especially after the last track.

NM: I was really excited for this new George Ezra album. He took four years off between albums, and I was kind of expecting him to change his sound up a little after all that time off, but to be honest he doesn’t have to. This is really enjoyable.

NT: It has a good beat. I don’t think I’d listen to it again, though.

CM: I’d say this is a bop.

LB: George Ezra has such a solid voice. So far, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve heard from him and this is no exception.

“BAP” – Yizzy

DD: When I read the title I guessed that it wouldn’t be good. I was correct. Yet, for some reason I find British rappers amusing so I don’t hate it.

NM: Ooooh, this is sick, that Maniac production is raucous. Yizzy has been blowing up in the grime scene and I see why, there’s so much unbridled energy here. I’m stoked for his EP.

NT: Neil, I’m glad you can find something good in these songs. I really don’t know how you do it.

CM: Nope. OK, I’m gonna amend it to say that the flow is dynamite, but everything else is a pass.

LB: “LAFAYETTE!” But, you know, not good.

“Color Blind” – Diplo, Lil Xan

DD: The production is good, which isn’t a surprise because it is Diplo. This is my new favourite song on here. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. The synths are really cool, especially around 2:15.

NM: Lil Xan rubs me the wrong way. He’s had a couple of decent hits but I’ve been expecting more than what he’s been providing. It’s not a bad song but there’s better tracks on this EP.

NT: I think it’s fun! I’m not a huge fan of the vocals, but the main beat thing is good.

CM: Not as trash as other stuff, but I’m still tapping out.

LB: I’m not yet reaching for the skip button, but the beat is really generic.

“Kansas City” – The Mowgli’s

DD: It’s not terrible, but this is nothing new.

NM: This is so typical. Entirely formulaic pop anthem fare. People still haven’t moved past the Maroon 5/Hedley/etc. stage of pop music and it’s just so boring.

NT: The only thing I know about the Mowgli’s is that I mix them up with Mowgli, and I don’t like either of them.

CM: . . . The Mowgli’s found an extraneous apostrophe when they should’ve looked for a unique sound instead.

LB: I don’t hate it, but I used to genuinely like the Mowgli’s and I don’t think I can say that anymore. Any uniqueness their sound had seems to be completely gone.

“Coming Home” – Keith Urban, Julia Michaels

DD: When this started, it was not at all what I expected a Keith Urban song to sound like. Country generally isn’t my thing, but I kind of dig this song.

NM: There’s a lot to hate here. I don’t like country music at the best of times but this is just sad, and I have no idea what Urban thought he was doing with this instrumental.

NT: It started out like something out of Spongebob, and then it went trippy country. I’m confused.

CM: Keith, wtf are you doing, man? The guitar is pretty chill, as always, but the rest I’m not super into. The guitar line doesn’t fit the song well, even though on its own it’d sound cool-ish. Julia Michaels lifts this to something better, but still not great.

LB: I was expecting this to sound more like country and it’s totally throwing me off.

“Sultan-ı Yegah” –  Mor ve Ötesi

DD: Meh. This doesn’t do anything for me. It reminds me of an angsty middle school rock band.

NM: Fairly typical alt-rock, nothing too exciting. The guitar work is really, really generic.

NT: I don’t even remember the song lol.

CM: Yeah fairly generic alt-rock. Others do it better.

LB: Yup, it’s standard alt-rock, but it was a somewhat refreshing contrast to the other songs on this playlist.

Want to book a room? Too bad

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Peak Web
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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Written by Maxwell Gawlick, Peak Associate

I took me over three months to book a room through the SFSS. When I finally managed it, it was only barely worth it.

If you want to book a room for a study group one week, it’s easy enough. You have to head to the SFU Library’s “Book a study room” page, choose your campus, select a time slot, and enter a name for the group. Done!

However, there are plenty of drawbacks. Each time slot is limited to a two-hour maximum. You can’t book more than two weeks in advance. The rooms themselves close once the library or campus closes, so if your group runs late or campuses close unexpectedly — for example, with the snow we had a few weeks ago — your group is also cancelled.

I found that, for an evening gaming group, these drawbacks make the rooms impractical. I’m sure we’re not the only kind of student group that faces that impracticality.

After digging, I learned I could book a room through a club. I was told of Alternate Reality Club (ARC) and figured their gaming focus would be the best fit for my group. I had to wait until January for the SFSS to re-open and assess the request. Then, I didn’t hear back for about two weeks. Even then, it was only because I reached out to the ARC executives, who said they apparently were having trouble discussing things with the SFSS.

I later learned there was some miscommunication and telephone-tag between the SFSS and the ARC executives. Though I can’t blame this entirely on the SFSS, they were certainly partially responsible. The lack of proper communication from their corner, regarding a service that they offer students, was disappointing.

As January and February passed by, I still hadn’t received a definitive answer. I gave up and decided to try and book the room myself. I went to the Student Services Centre in Maggie Benston Centre (MBC) and was thoroughly disappointed. The rooms they offered me were the conference rooms in MBC behind Student Services. When I booked one of those, the SFSS forgot to send me email confirmation and I wasn’t sure if the room was even mine to use. Once again: miscommunication.

I’m happy to finally have a room, but it is not without its problems. There are only four of them, and the divider between the third and fourth is damaged, so there are really only three. The rooms are big and echoey, and there is no soundproofing, so noise from outside or from groups next door has proven to be too loud for my group to be able to speak at a reasonable volume. I can’t book more than three weeks in advance, and so I’m often forced to relocate our group’s activities anyway. Each time I do renew my booking, I have to re-submit all my paperwork.

I also had to drop a $60 security deposit which the SFSS won’t return until I no longer need the room. They also threaten to keep it if I forget to push the tables and chairs back into alignment or open the blinds. Otherwise, I could book rooms as if I weren’t a student or a club or a member of SFU, at exorbitant rates. The cheapest room I could find on Vancouver campus was a seminar room that went for $125 per hour, or $165 per day. As a poor student, these sorts of costs don’t work for me.

After pressing a little bit, I discovered there were dozens of unused rooms in the AQ and other buildings, as well as on other campuses, that can only be reserved by executives of clubs — hence why I was advised to go through them in the first place.

I was tempted to start my own club just to get a decent room. . . but there were holes in that plan. The group must have a minimum of ten members to start, which mine simply does not. I need to name a minimum of two executives to manage the group. I also can’t overlap with another club, as my request is reviewed by the SFSS — in my case, I figured I’d look too similar to ARC or other groups.

Plus, there seemed to be no end to the paperwork required; the SFU Clubs page says I need to submit a “new club proposal” and “include information such as Club Name, Club Mandate, Semester Vision, Proposed Activities, and indicate if there are any connections to third parties.” I’ll then have to book a “club intake meeting” if my request isn’t denied outright, where I have to successfully pitch my club, and then perhaps sit through an information session where I learn how to run my club. If I’m successful, the members have to individually confirm all the above info. So even if I met the initial requirements, it seems like an awful amount of work just to book a room.

I’m not the only person with these problems. For the two months we played in the Rotunda, we did so across from another group who were also unable to get a room.

SFU makes it unreasonably difficult to book a room as a student. You can’t get decent rooms, or book a room on a regular basis, unless you are a club executive. You’re constantly at risk of losing your room to another group, or not being able to hear yourself think when that group instead takes the room next to you.

Not only should SFU streamline the process to make it easier and more accessible to students, they should also work on their communication. Information about rooms needs to be readily available and students don’t have to go back and forth for a simple answer or confirmation.

Why you’re paying so much for textbooks: Part 2 ⁄ 2

By
Peak Web
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0
Image credit to Tiffany Chan, Staff Illustrator

By: Alexander Kenny, Peak Associate 

When students discuss the topic of textbook prices, it is almost unanimous amongst them that prices are too high. Last week, we discovered that textbook prices arose from a complex network of reasons. University bookstores were just the tip of the iceberg.

Students aren’t entirely wrong to assume that prices will never drop because the main players of the industry seek to make profits. However, when The Peak sat down with Mark McLaughlin, chief commercial services officer at SFU’s bookstore, solutions were a popular topic. As it turns out, SFU is at the centre of the effort to reduce cost. It’s possible that in pointing the finger of blame, SFU students are often shooting the messenger.

 

The potential of used textbooks

During our interview, McLaughlin mentioned that “we would prefer to sell used textbooks to students because they’re more affordable . . . [But] we can’t get our hands on enough used textbooks.” He noted, “The challenge is, the price we’re offering students . . . [for textbook buybacks] is less [than other selling platforms]. Also, sometimes, the professor doesn’t tell us what textbook is required the following semester. If we find out what textbook is required for the following semester too late, we don’t have a chance to buy them back. So we’re trying to work with professors to let us know, well in advance, what textbook is required.”

He then explained that selling more used textbooks would decrease the costs involved in shipping and returning textbooks, further lowering costs. In a system that McLaughlin describes as inefficient, he suggests some simple solutions tied to communication between professors and the bookstore, saying “We’re trying to work with professors to let us know as soon as they can. One of the things that’s going to drive down the price of textbooks is professors ordering early.”

 

Open-source textbooks

Looking to the future, and considering more universal solutions, McLaughlin says the bookstore has been pushing professors for the use of open-source textbooks, something that he encourages students to mention to professors as well. He points to the province, saying: “The BC province is the leader in Canada, in North America really, in promoting open-source textbooks. There’s a slew of them that are available through BCcampus that government has made available.”

Open-source textbooks are free, and considered to be of comparable quality and just as peer-reviewed as buyable books. He later explained that organizations such as BCcampus gather materials which have been released for free, either by their authors or by organizations that have purchased their copyrights, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

One such organization is BCcampus, an association funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, with administrative support from SFU. BCcampus amasses content and makes it publicly available at no charge to the province’s students, and even commissions authors when need be. According to McLaughlin, the SFSS has also worked with BCcampus.

Further, McLaughlin encourages students to request that their professors look into using open-source textbooks and “to be conscious of the prices students are paying, because sometimes professors aren’t aware of the actual cost. They don’t think about that, they think about learning material, but there are different options out there.” McLaughlin believes strongly that this is the approach that has to be taken to fix the textbook market. He also sees new players in the market playing a role, saying that “publishers have taken advantage of their monopoly, have driven up the prices, and they’re kind of paying for that position now. There’s a lot more disruption, [and] new players — Google, Amazon are into the textbook delivery and distribution . . . Publishers are scrambling and they’re realizing that textbooks are overpriced. It’s driving the used textbook market, and it’s driving [BCcampus].”

McLaughlin said that with the direction of the industry, “there’s tremendous opportunity for digital learning resources . . . which can be much cheaper.” He also noted that with the aforementioned options, the bookstore is also pushing for the use of custom course packs, to reduce the need for textbooks where only a few chapters are used in the entire book, something that has arisen in student discussions as a main reason for an unnecessary purchase of a book. McLaughlin commented that custom packs can be printed at the bookstore, which avoids many inefficiencies such as extra fees and shipping costs. He also noted that publishers have given the bookstore the copyright to do that, so it could be far more efficient.

 

Price-matching at the bookstore

The attempts to lower costs haven’t ended there, according to McLaughlin, who was pleased to say that SFU has begun matching the prices of new textbooks on Amazon.ca, if it’s in stock on Amazon. This is a clear step by the bookstore in an attempt to keep pace with the new players in the textbook distribution industry. McLaughlin said, “It’s hard to compete against Amazon or Google, but we’ve taken a stance this past semester.”

He also mentioned that the bookstore will be trying a new locker system, which will allow students to pick up their textbook orders 24/7 at a locker, instead of having to come within bookstore hours, in an attempt to further make the system more efficient.

 

Textbooks: there’s an app for that

If this isn’t enough, McLaughlin says that the SFU Bookstore has considered the possibility of creating an app to help make the used textbook market more efficient, and thinks the university can help make the process of buying and selling easier.

McLaughlin envisions an app that could match students who want to get rid of old textbooks with students looking for them, and facilitate payment through PayPal or credit cards- that way students wouldn’t have to arrange meetups and carry cash. The SFU bookstore would simply facilitate exchange and provide a safe drop-off point and pick-up point for students.

He sees this as possible, since it was SFU computing science and engineering students that were used to create the now-widespread SFU Vault app.

 

Digital education

McLaughlin believes that there are pros and cons to selling ebook copies of textbooks, saying that these ebooks “have to be more than PDF versions of textbooks, that’s where the whole digital resource world comes into play. An ebook would probably have embedded quizzes, animations, videos. Then there’s value added. Unfortunately, some publishers will sell an e-code, but they’ll bundle it with a textbook, so it’s just a way to drive up the price. So that’s not going to be successful in the long run.”

 

Cooperation as key

One of the biggest solutions that McLaughlin discussed, however, was a coalition that the bookstore is working to form with other institutions. He said that they’re trying to look at the digital learning resource model to come up with a unified model for the entire province, saying that “[when] we have purchasing power, then we can really drive down the price. Then we can say to these publishers, ‘if you want to play ball with us, here are the conditions that the province of BC, the institutions, are willing to play ball.’” Examples of these conditions include price cuts and price increases “capped to inflation.” McLaughlin describes pricing caps as crucial, so that prices cannot continue to rise at significantly higher than inflation rates.

He also mentioned the possibility of something like a “U-Pass model,” in which students would pay a subscription fee, as they do for transit, allowing students to access all their necessary course material at a fraction of the retail cost.

McLaughlin continued to stress the need to fix inefficiencies throughout the system, while explaining the initiatives that the bookstore is pushing in order to help fix them. He made it clear, though, that he sees the most permanent solutions being in digital learning resources, either a unified coalition of purchasing power, a subscription access model similar to the U-Pass system, and a shift towards professors using open-source materials, provided by organizations such as BCcampus.

Clearly, while the system appears imperfect, and students are skeptical of any possible solution, the SFU Bookstore and Mark McLaughlin are working on a variety of solutions to try and alleviate the problem. Despite what many think, McLaughlin and the bookstore might be one of the closest allies in the fight to fix the system that SFU students have.

Whether it’s students encouraging their professors and departments to look into open-source textbooks or professors liaising with the bookstore, McLaughlin stressed the need for the topic of textbooks to become a larger debate. He urges the need for the post-secondary community to take charge, saying: “If we don’t play a leadership role, the market will dictate where all this goes, and the market’s ugly . . . It’s complex, [there are] a lot of different players, [and there are] a lot of market forces and competitive forces at work.”

SASSY DRAG NAMES FOR YOUR SASSY SELF

By
Peak Web
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1

By:  Janis McMath, Rosie Grayson, Gabrielle McLaren, Alex Bloom

If drag culture hasn’t already consumed your soul, your sanity, and all your free time, consider hopping onto the glamorous bandwagon now. Drag is art meshed with blurring gender lines and has a community filled with beauty and inclusivity that you should become a part of ASAP.  Even if you aren’t a queen in this life, you may be in your next — so you should start planning your drag name NOW. Here are a few ridiculous drag name suggestions we, The United Committee of Kinda Experts in Drag (T.U.C.K.E.D.), have brainstormed for you.

Gloria Hole

For the queen who is a sweet suburban mom in the streets and an anonymous penis expert in the stalls of truck stops.  With a name like this, you’d literally be gagging!

Drag queens in The House Of Hole

Tess Tickles
For the queen that keeps getting stuck to your leg in the summer.

Anna Conda
For the queen who don’t want none unless you got buns, hun.

Chloe Mydia
For the queen that is most common among women 15 to 24 years old.

Cleo Torres
For the queen who is impossible to find.

Missy Onary Style
For the vanilla queen.

Tess-Toss Der’on
For the queen that knows all about regulating the male sex.

Estrogennifer
For the queen that knows all about regulating the female sex.

Sarah Vix
For the queen who provides the passage that literally gives us life, hunty.

Mistress O’Vary
For the queen who likes to cause pain.

Gina Cologist
For the queen that cares about the health of boobs.

“Insert Dick Joke”
For the meta queen.

Ashtray Simpson

For the queen who smells just as bad as you thought she would. We’re pretty sure this is Ashlee Simpson’s legal birth name, but now that she isn’t famous and isn’t married to Pete Wentz, you can rip off her name without a problem.
Drag queens in The House of Dumb Celebrity Name Puns

Yoko Oh NO Honey
For the queen who broke the band up.

Clit Eastwood
For the queen who can’t remember if she rubbed it out six times or only five.

Petty Labelle
For the queen who serves pies pies pies — and shade.

Scarlett Johannesburg
For the queen who is South Africa’s biggest city.

50 Scents
For the queen who you can find in da club, bottle full of essential oils.

Ringo Brownstarr
For the queen who is the drummer in the back.

Samuel Jackoff
For the queen who is tired of all these snakes on this motherfucking plane — but isn’t tired of charming his snake.

Vladmir Put-in My Ass
For the queen who meddled with the United States 2018 presidential erection.

Rude Paul
For the queen who unjustly excludes trans people from the community of drag.

Gal GaDon’t Come For Me
For the queen who suggests that you check your lipstick and your indestructible bracelets before you come for her.

Elijah Morning Wood
For the queen that finds that taking the ring to mordor is easier than peeing.

Robert Going Down On You Jr.
For the queen that knows how to make a man hard as iron.

Mariah I Don’t Care-y
For the queen that has only one thing she needs this Christmas: for you to understand how few fucks she gives.

Miss Direction

For the queen that doesn’t know where the fuck she’s going, how the fuck she’s going to get there, and what the fuck she’s going to do with her useless degree.

Drag queens in The House Of Unrelated Names

Nora Man Nora Woman
For the queen who’s aesthetic is the idea that gender is a construct.

Masculina Fragila
For the queen that has to aggressively state “no homo bro” to disguise the fact that he’s actually extremely curious about what it would be like to suck a dick.

Helen is Troy
For the queen that is the most beautiful woman AND man that ever lived.

Nefertitties
For the queen that wants to start a religious revolution with her holy bust.

Shay D.
For the queen who is full of insults.

Cal De Sack
For the queen with no filter and no exit.

June Julyaugust
For the queen of the summer.

American Crime uses packed visuals to describe nuanced storylines

By
Peak Web
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0
(Photo courtesy of ABC)

By: Zach Siddiqui

American Crime is a show that focuses on deconstructing and analyzing various social issues through esoteric lenses. The first season starts with the murder of a war veteran in California, and it uses the ongoing investigation and trial to explore gender, race, and class conflicts; the third season, set in North Carolina, explores immigration and poverty through the story of a Mexican immigrant who ends up trapped in a slavish labour job which essentially goes unpaid.

     Because each season operates as a self-contained story — although many of the actors return as new characters — you can pick a season and watch it standalone. For that reason, I started off watching the second season, which was haunting enough on its own.

     Set in Indianapolis, season 2 follows the story of Taylor Blaine, a financial-aid student at the exorbitantly ritzy Leyland School. After compromising photos of Taylor half-naked and blackout intoxicated at a notorious annual house party, the Captains’ Party, end up online, Leyland suspends him for failing to meet their public-facing standards. When pressed by his mother, Taylor reveals why he didn’t tell her sooner: he might have been sexually assaulted that night.

     The show does an excellent job exploring the issues that surround sexual violence against men. Much of the town is in disbelief that a high school boy could be targeted — especially by another high school boy. When Taylor’s queer sexuality is revealed, the additional layer of “you wanted it” pervades the case. Most frighteningly, you soon realize that everyone — the principal at Leland, the other students, the parents — is so out to protect their reputations in the midst of the allegations that they really couldn’t care less about what actually happened to Taylor.

     As details on what happened that night come out through investigation, it becomes clear that the case is not so open-shut. The show forces the audience to reassess their own understanding of what consent means. It manages to humanize both Taylor and Eric Tanner, the eventual accused, while condemning neither of them, yet it does so without ever once discounting the gravity of sexual violence or descending into a victim-blaming message. By the end of the season, the narration never confirms which boy was telling the truth, nor what happens to either of them going forward.

     Even while covering such heavy material, the show explores several side-plots and secondary themes. A miniature race war erupts at the public school Taylor transfers to, between the Black and Hispanic students. The LaCroix family, whose son Kevin helped host the Captains’ Party, are passionate in denouncing racism even as they discriminate against various other characters for other things, like Kevin’s girlfriend for being less rich or Taylor’s mother for her mental health struggles. Evy, Taylor’s girlfriend, finds herself used and denied agency by nearly every adult and every guy in her life.

     Yet, the overall minimalism of the show means that it can get away with covering so much ground. The show does nothing better than economy of storytelling, communicating high volumes of ideas in petite packages: single lines, single images, brief exchanges. The visuals of the show are experimental and beautiful, adding a coldly surreal element to the otherwise very grounded-in-reality narrative, and every shot means something.

The show was cancelled after its third season, but it’s still available on Netflix. If you want something psychological and insightful without being anvilicious, I very much recommend it.

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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