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Bringing colour and community to SFU Burnaby

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Peak Web
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Amal (left) chats with Federico of SFU Colour (right). Chris Ho / The Peak

By: Amal Abdullah

SFU Colour is a club dedicated to enhancing physical spaces with art and colour on Burnaby campus. Currently consisting of three club executives, it was launched as a club in January 2018, but has been running as an initiative since last September.

     SFU Colour’s ultimate goal is to help students and local artists create art pieces on campus, thereby making SFU a nicer place for the observer. In an interview with The Peak, co-president Federico Cerani said, “With art, the relationship between the observer and public space becomes closer.”

     Though they’re still a new club, they intend for their first pilot project to be a professional mural at the lower bus loop, also known as the SFU Transportation Centre Bay 2. In order to gain traction among students on campus, the club executives put together a petition last fall during Clubs Days, gaining approximately 200 signatures. “We put together a petition to show the university it’s not just two crazy people,” Cerani laughs. “There are people behind us and students support us. We’ve always wanted this to be work by the students for the students.” According to club executives, most people who hear about the project tell them it’s a great idea.

     However, they’re having difficulty putting their project together. “It’s such a revolutionary idea at SFU that there’s no proper channels of [going about] this. There’s no guideline to follow. We’re trying to [reach out to] main actors and groups on campus for their support [. . .]” According to SFU Colour, Student Engagement felt that the project wasn’t engaging enough for students, but SFU Health and Counselling Services was very supportive. “Students don’t have the best mental health, and if the colours they see are vibrant, it leads to better mental health.” said Cerani.

     So far, SFU Colour has had a few meetings, as well as some email correspondence, with SFU Facilities, which is the entity in charge of all building-related projects on campus. They have yet to approve their pilot project.

Federico Cerani, SFU Colour’s co-president. Chris Ho / The Peak

     Cerani feels that mural work makes a place look nicer. “You could have a rough neighbourhood, but if it’s nice to look at, you’ll want to go for a stroll,” he said. His goal is to replace the image of a prison that people have when they think of Burnaby campus, and he wants people to think about Arthur Erickson as the famous architect, and not just someone who supposedly designed prisons. Cerani thinks that Burnaby Mountain is very much isolated from the rest of Burnaby, and he feels that art could give students a more enjoyable time when they’re up on campus.

     For co-president Marielle Wall, SFU Colour is an avenue for marginalized voices to speak and express their objectives through art. Another idea that SFU Colour would like to launch is an open mural for students that anyone could paint at any time. It would be a constantly changing mural that would become new every day. To Cerani, that’s what real mural work is: it shows the feelings of the population, and it will change because the emotions and feelings of the population change.

     Want to join SFU Colour? Check out their SFSS Go page or like them on Facebook at SFU Colour.

Weinstein’s arrest was seven months too late

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Peak Web
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Photo courtesy of Steven Hirsch

Written by Winona Young, Staff Writer

On May 30 this year, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for charges of sexual assault and other criminal sex acts. Weinstein surrendered himself earlier that week to authorities, and is currently awaiting trial in the comfort of his own home after paying a bail of one million dollars.

The New York Times and other publications reported on the allegations against Weinstein in October of 2017 — but here we are, almost halfway through 2018, and only now is Weinstein being punished. Weinstein’s case is a crucial example of the long standing sexual abuse that is perpetuated by powerful men, especially Hollywood executives. However, despite the situation’s severity, we all witnessed that after months of accusations, Weinstein wasn’t in cuffs until less than two weeks ago. Why did it take so long for Weinstein to be indicted? And more importantly, what are the implications of Weinstein’s indictment having taken so long?

By failing to react swiftly to Weinstein’s actions and delaying his punishment, we risk doing more harm than the “good” of giving him the benefit of the doubt. We risk diminishing the voices of alleged victims of sexual abuse within Hollywood. For Weinstein’s arrest to come this late means that not enough was done to deal with this severe situation seriously.

Dozens and dozens of women have come forward with their accounts of sexual abuse at Weinstein’s hands. Stories range from as recent as a few years ago to a few decades ago. Regardless, victims of sexual assault often purposefully stay silent about their abuse for fear of being punished again. To blatantly admit that you are a victim of sexual abuse and assault, especially at the hands of an influential figure, such as Weinstein, is an act of bravery that should not be taken lightly — it is a call to action that sexual abusers must be punished. So, since October, at least 80 women have provided stories against Weinstein, which should have made the urgency for his arrest to grow stronger with each word.

The length of time it has taken for Weinstein to be arrested sends a message to his victims that their numerous accounts may as well have fallen on deaf ears. One may argue that the delay of an arrest may have no effects on survivors, but remember this: when they came forward with their stories, nothing happened to Weinstein at first. Weinstein’s agonizingly slow punishment sends the message that not even horrifying accounts of abuse are not enough to speed up the process of bringing him to justice.

Not only does Weinstein’s delayed arrest affect sexual abuse survivors, but it also affects his fellow sexual abusers. TIME recently provided a list of 122 public figures who had been accused of sexual assault and abuse since Weinstein was first called out. I would usually be disappointed but not surprised at the horrifying state of Hollywood’s attitude towards sexual abuse, but when I found that the article was published in January of this year, I just about lost it. I was so shaken and even more disgusted than I thought would be possible. The #MeToo movement is more important and relevant than ever, and Weinstein’s case undoubtedly helped illustrate the real horrors within Hollywood.

The delay of Weinstein’s punishment sends a message to other well-known sexual abusers that their punishment is a process that can be delayed too. It reinforces the notion to other sexual abusers that having over 80 women accuse you of sexual abuse and assault will warrant neither your immediate arrest nor your punishment. I fear that sexual abusers would think: “if Weinstein can assault that many people for so long, why can’t I?”

Despite Weinstein’s eventual arrest, he was released after paying a bail sum of one million dollars. If Weinstein’s — a serial sexual abuser — ability to wait for trial in the comfort of his own home wasn’t maddening enough, he gets to do so as a wealthy, white, powerful male. Weinstein not having to await trial in jail is not only insulting to all his victims, but to criminals of non-violent crimes. Due to Weinstein’s excessive wealth, he is able to temporarily walk free under steep bail prices while criminals who commit petty crimes, especially for those who fall under minority groups, are subject to the painfully unjust and unfair US criminal system.

Both Weinstein’s delayed arrest and swift return to freedom highlights the injustice and incompetence of law enforcement when dealing with his case. His case should stand as a shining example that a crime as severe as sexual assault and abuse is a situation that must be dealt with swift punishment and nothing less.

SFU professor weighs in on a zero-waste Vancouver

By
Peak Web
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(Chris Ho / The Peak)
By: Wendy Yu, SFU Student

 

In light of Vancouver’s recent vote to ban plastic straws and foam cups and containers by June 2019, The Peak reached out to two SFU professors who have already invested in the zero-waste vision to get their perspectives on Vancouver’s Zero Waste 2040 strategy. To achieve its goal of becoming a zero-waste metropolitan by the year 2040, the city of Vancouver is planning to implement a range of policies from recycling requirements on demolition permits to the Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy.

     “It just seems like a no-brainer to me that we move towards reusables,” said SFU sessional lecturer and co-founder of Lupii Café Daniel Papania in an interview with The Peak.

      Lupii Café is a zero-waste restaurant start-up with a mission to serve the community. It was founded by Daniel and his partner, Lisa Papania, who is also an SFU faculty lecturer and who shared his vision for a more sustainable economy. Lupii Café has beat Vancouver to the zero-waste punch since its opening in 2015, offering coffee on the go in reusable mason jars for refundable $2 deposits.

     Daniel acknowledged the misunderstandings about the costs of switching to reusables, such as having to buy a commercial dishwasher. However, he pointed out that the decision to go green is supported by research, citing a study on reusable and single-use coffee cups conducted by the government of Quebec. According to the study, it will cost less for restaurants to serve coffee in ceramic mugs than paper cups as long as the mugs get reused at least 45 times, assuming an average cost of $4.50 per mug.

     In light of Vancouver’s Zero Waste 2040 strategy, Daniel thinks that businesses should be more proactive in making more sustainable decisions now. He believes that it’s a good idea for businesses to be one or two steps ahead of regulation: “We notice [. . .] that businesses that try to be ahead of the legislation have an easier time adapting,” he said.

     In the true spirit of the café’s mission to bring people together, Daniel envisions a future where people sit down to have their morning coffee. He thinks that our culture is causing the need for disposables.

“I think it would be good to see [the ban on plastic straws and foam containers] in part of a bigger transition where people ask themselves if their behaviour is part of the problem.” – Daniel Papania, SFU lecturer and co-founder of Lupii Café

     Daniel espouses similar views when approaching the concept of a zero-waste Vancouver as an academic. He thinks that there should be less of an emphasis on econometric data in research and more of an emphasis on psychological and behavioral data. Daniel believes in a holistic approach to understanding consumption — one that includes more of a human element, saying that “I think we can make better decisions then if we’re just looking at dollars and cents.”

     Moving forward, Daniel believes that it will be valuable for businesses to offer transparency regarding their impact on the environment. “I think there’s a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs to help make the whole process of consumption, in which people consume products and services, more transparent.”

     When it comes to the feasibility of a zero-waste Vancouver, Daniel ended the interview on a positive note, stating, “People are more aware now than ever about their impact and everyday they’re becoming more and more aware of the impact of their decisions.”  

 

With files from CBC News.

 

Best ways to avoid social interaction on campus

By
Peak Web
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Illustrated by Marcus Blackstock

By: Nathaniel Tok

People think that university is a type of community — a place to make lifelong friends. Of course, that’s just naïve first-years talking. Everyone knows that making friends in university is pointless. The classrooms hold up to 300 people — even if you made a friend today, there’s no way to find that person tomorrow . . . that is, if you even remember what they look like.

Relationships in university are also unnatural. Every so often, I’m wandering down the halls thinking of which department or club is serving free coffee, and I see someone I vaguely recognize. That person sees me too, and then we just stare at each other, wondering if someone should initiate. Talk about awkward. What would be the point of interacting. anyway?

“Hey man, do I know you?”

“Ya, I think so but from where?”

“It was a science class I think… Right, I remember! CHEM 126, you spilled acid on my lab coat!”

See what I mean? The best thing to do is to avoid people. Don’t make friends, and definitely don’t be social. As my mum says, time spent hanging out with friends is time not spent studying. It’s even in our school’s name. SFU: Socially Failed University. That’s what you were thinking, right? Anyway, here are my top tips for avoiding social interactions.

Don’t go through the 9000-level AQ hallways

Who does this? It’s ridiculous! There are way too many people. Especially in the fall semesters when the first-years crowd outside the lecture halls eager to go in early. Don’t be stupid. Do what I do: go to the AQ basement, 1000-level, and walk those halls. They’re directly under the 3000 level, so you can use this method to get to where you’re going.

Carry a clipboard and walk quickly

People always think I’m a tour guide or something. I’ll be minding my own business, and then someone will come up to me and ask me where some random place is. (This even happens to me when I’m on vacation. Come on, I don’t even live here!) So what I do is this: if I have to walk through a busy place on campus, I carry a clipboard and walk quickly. People automatically think I’m in a hurry to get somewhere and stay out of my way. Of course, I’m just on my way to Starbucks because my caffeine fix is dying off.

Give off an angry vibe

We Canadians are a friendly people. So we have no idea what to do when we meet a person who is angry and we avoid them. Therefore, I pretend to be mad whenever I’m at SFU, or at least mildly irritated. It’s easier than you think. Just remember you’re paying to be on a mountain peak in the middle of nowhere.

Skip class

I saved my best advice for last. People can’t talk to you if you’re not there.

Introducing a hiker’s best friend

By
Peak Web
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Image courtesy of Greystone Books

By: Natasha Tar

I’m going to be honest: I know absolutely nothing about hiking and I haven’t been hiking in years. Picking up the thick paperback that is SFU alum Stephen Hui’s 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia was a bit intimidating, to say the least. However, as you turn the pages, you’ll come to realize that 105 Hikes is not only accessible but also welcoming.

     Inspired by the 1973 book 103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia by Mary and David Macaree, this guidebook begins with a powerful foreword by T’uy’t’tanat, a Coast Salish writer, weaver, and ethnobotanist. She reminds us to take care as we travel through the wild, and respect the places and trails we visit. From there, 105 Hikes delves into safety precautions, hiking ethics, and preparedness. Hui crafts a chart of all the hikes he describes, detailing their difficulty, elevations, and locations.

     Each of the book’s 105 hikes gets two pages which feature a gorgeous photograph taken by Hui, a map of the trail, and a few paragraphs on the route itself. The descriptions are informative, but as most guidebooks go, they’re fairly dry. Hui makes sure not to miss a detail, though, capturing everything from the Indigenous names of places to plant life to the history of the trails. I believe this book would be a must-have for an avid hiker, but I don’t think a couch potato like me would ever tackle the bigger hikes that make up most of the book. Nevertheless, I might bookmark a few of the easier hikes, and see if I can catch the same incredible views that Hui did.

     Want to learn more about Stephen Hui? See our feature on him.

     Want to borrow this book? Stop by the Peak office!

Weekly assignments and unnecessary stress are counterproductive for students during midterms

By
Peak Web
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Photo courtesy of SFU

Written by Alexander Kenny, Peak Associate

As midterm season approaches, students engage in the common struggle of managing their stress levels while keeping up with school, work, and extracurricular activities. SFU offers resources on managing stress related to school and work. BC’s provincial government also offers stress management resources and videos. In 2016, The Globe and Mail discussed a survey which found a 3–4% increase in students whose academic performance was affected by stress, depression, and/or anxiety. Many of SFU’s initiatives geared towards helping students with stress are hosted by or in conjunction with Health and Counselling, such as puppy therapy, kitten therapy, and yoga classes, amongst other small stress relief workshops. There are also individual counselling services offered Health and Counselling.

However, if SFU intends to help their students stay emotionally healthy through the most hectic stretches of the semester, the university should alter their approach regarding the academic and social routines on campus. Academically, the most prominent change that could realistically occur would be the suspension of weekly assignments during the semester’s busiest weeks. By no means should weekly homework cease fully, as it can be a crucial part of a course plan, but it isn’t necessary during weeks where students have exams.

From my experience, the completion of weekly homework is no great expectation for professors to have from students, except during midterm season — the few weeks in the middle of the semester in which most classes have midterms scheduled, where those tests seem to cluster together on top of the regular assignments. This occurs again in the final few weeks of the semester, when the largest assignments are due and students are preparing for final exams. During these weeks, additional homework provides only added stress. This problem is even worse in classes that have multiple midterms on the syllabus. How can students stay mentally well if they have to worry about four midterms and weekly assignments?

Between preparing for exams and attempting to stay on top of major assignments, working, and making time for extracurricular activities, weekly assignments are only providing the straw that may break the camel’s back. While managing major priorities, the weekly assignments are met with “Oh, right, that. I can probably squeeze that in sometime between studying for tomorrow’s exam and my shift at work. I’ll just go to sleep a couple of hours late.”

This aligns with the 2016 study presented by The Globe and Mail, which also found that university students are sleeping less, which greatly affects mental health. In the article, Janine Robb, the executive director of the Health & Wellness Centre at the University of Toronto, said, “It’s hard for students to see the importance of resting and taking time away. It’s counterintuitive to them when they feel they should be studying and doing an all-nighter.” This mentality is all too common, and these small weekly assignments only compound the issue. If we sleep at night, perhaps we’ll be able to do the homework without having a meltdown.

Students often face weekly assignments with exasperation and an attitude of, “No, I will not do this assignment with care, and I will not do it in a manner that allows me to absorb anything that I’d normally learn from it. I will complete it like an item on a laundry list just to get it done.” Due to this mentality, having these assignments on the syllabus is no longer efficient. It would be better for professors to add that extra 2% to one of the large assignments or exams that their students were already working on. Learning can just as easily be assessed by adding those couple of percentage points to a major paper as by stressing out students with random textbook questions.

In 2016, Huffington Post published an article which gathered a number of tips for new university students to manage the stress that comes with post-secondary life. It included study tips like those offered by SFU, as well as tips to manage stress through social interaction, such as “Don’t hide in your apartment or dorm. Make use of communal spaces” and “Attend parties/gatherings with other students.” This brings me to the other area where SFU could alter their approach: social events. While the occasional event aimed at helping students de-stress, such as puppy therapy, is all well and good, these events occur once or twice per semester on each campus, and last about 10 minutes for each student. They barely register as a break from the stress of everything.

For example, the President’s Winter Warm-up held in Convocation Mall, which offered music, snacks, hot chocolate, and an overall enjoyable social atmosphere for a couple of hours, opened the door for a break from the usually hectic routine of early to mid-December. This event should serve as a template for the university to host a greater number of similar events, especially during the most stressful times of the semester. These events could actually provide something to look forward to and break up the never ending cycle of school and work, a cycle which — from my experience — breeds further stress and anxiety.

While the university hosts small programs to help deal with the stress from school, if they want to help students cope better, they will need to change their approach. Instead of focusing on what can be done once students are already dealing with high levels of stress, the university should aim to help prevent students from entering overwhelming — seemingly endless — cycles of stress to begin with. While life itself is stressful, there are ways to manage it so that there is a healthy balance in one’s life. One of the biggest institutions involved in a student’s life should engage in a more proactive role in helping students strike that balance.

SFU students report incidents of serial harassment and trespassing

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Peak Web
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(Andres Chavarriaga / The Peak)
By: Srijani Datta, Assistant News Editor

 

On May 30, several SFU students took to the Facebook page “‘Must Knows’ for courses at SFU”, to spread awareness about a trespasser and alleged serial sexual harasser on the Burnaby campus.

     The initial post informed students about the trespasser’s presence on campus and described incidents of harassment where he followed female students to their car and to the library. On May 31, former SFU student senator and former SFSS applied sciences representative Jeffrey Leung made another post on the same social media page, acknowledging the initial post. Leung mentioned in the post that he had contacted Steven MacLean, Senior Director of SFU Campus Public Safety, to get his comments on the issue.

     “Campus Public Safety is actively investigating this matter, and it is correct that the individual has been issued a trespass notice and has been barred from all SFU campuses,” commented MacLean. He informed Leung that at present Campus Public Safety is working with its campus partners as well as police to protect the campus community. MacLean also recommended to community members that they contact Campus Security or the local police immediately should this individual or any others perpetrating similar behaviour be encountered at any SFU locations.

     When asked for his own comments on the issue, Leung wrote to The Peak, “Though I would caution students against accusing others in a way that could potentially cause harassment and public outcry, I am thankful that students spoke up to protect others from a harmful situation.”

     The posts on Facebook received considerable attention from students, many of whom shared their own incidents about being harassed by the same person. Some students recalled encounters from previous semesters, pointing out that the trespasser might have been around for some time now.

     Former SFU student Jashan Randhawa has compiled a list of incidents from SFU students. While encouraging students to make formal complaints, Randhawa has also called for responses from local politicians and security.

     Despite several students mentioning their own encounters on the social media post and expressing concerns about their safety, the university reported that only one official complaint regarding the suspect has been made to them.

     Responding to the growing concerns with security, a message from SFU’s Chief Safety Officer Mark LaLonde was sent out to the SFU community on Monday, June 4. The message explained that the perpetrator was located and escorted off campus after being given a notice for trespassing. LaLonde’s message further informed students about SFU’s liaison with the RCMP and other stakeholders, to ensure they are aware of the incident.

“Harassment of any type is not acceptable and SFU is deeply committed to providing members of the university community with a safe, supportive and respectful environment in which to live, learn and work.” – Mark LaLonde, Chief Safety Officer

     The university security office thanked the university community members for their vigilance and support. Students are also encouraged to use university resources like the Safe Walk Program and the new Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office.

With files from Global News.

 

SFU alum Stephen Hui reaches new peaks with book on hiking

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Peak Web
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Stephen Hui, photo courtesy of SFU Public Square

By: Winona Young 

Fast Facts

  • Name: Stephen Hui
  • Pronouns: He / him / his
  • Departmental affiliation: Geography Major (graduated in 2003)
  • Work experience: Former journalist, communication lead for Pembina Institute
  • Star and Chinese Zodiac sign: Scorpio, Year of the Sheep
  • Instagram handle: @stephenhui
  • Fun fact: Stephen once skipped a day of high school to hike around Burnaby Mountain with friends.

As I sat down to interview SFU alumni Stephen Hui from halfway across the world, us both waiting as the Skype screen began to load, both the distance and the differences between us seemed monumental. There was him, an SFU alum, an Actual Adult with a new book fresh off the press, and me, an SFU undergrad with no achievements anywhere near his. But as our talk went on and I listened to what almost seemed like a disembodied voice from my computer speakers, I learned a few things about Stephen Hui. He was eloquent and concise, with a good sense of humour to him. Sometimes he spoke in incomplete sentences. Most importantly, he’s a shining example of the success that an SFU student can achieve with just their words in tow.

Hui recently published his new book, 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia. Hui is a hiker, a former Peak news editor circa 2002, a photography enthusiast, and an environmentalist, whose success in a variety of fields began right at SFU.

 

Of publications and professions

Hui began by telling us what to know about his book, 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia:

“It’s a follow up to a longstanding guide, 103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia, [written by Mary and David Macaree], but it’s a completely new book, not a new edition,” he said. Hui explained that he started from scratch, and listed his favourite hikes in virtually all cardinal directions of Vancouver. Overall, his book is a collection of hikes, ranging widely from easy hikes to the more exercise-centric and hardcore sorts.

Writing a book had always been a dream of Hui’s, but Hui’s love for writing does not predate his passion for the environment. Hui currently works as the communications lead for the environmental non-profit think tank, Pembina Institute. The organisation focuses on climate change solutions, of which he stresses the importance.

“Climate change is one of those issues that’s all around us, and the truth is actually worse than the public actually understands, so there’s a lot that needs to be done,” he said.

Hui confessed that it was his passion for the environment that led him to SFU.

“I went to SFU for a geography degree, but ended up in journalism,” he said. “It’s nice after all these years to end up working at an environmental organization.”

Looking at the articles he’s published throughout his career, Hui thought his transition to writing his own book was a natural progression.

“Obviously the book is way bigger than anything I’ve tried to write,” Hui admitted. “So it was a different level of stress and procrastination, but it kinda makes sense in the whole journey.”

Hui’s writing career actually started at SFU, where he wrote photo-features and album reviews for The Peak, and worked as the news editor.

“The Peak was a ton of fun . . . it was a kind of a golden time,” he reflected.“It was before blogs had really taken off, while student were still reading print and people on campus read what was in the paper . . . and I made a lot of friends there, and some of them are still friends today.”

Hui went on to write for The Toronto Sun, The Georgia Straight, The Huffington Post, and later freelanced as a journalist writing for a variety of other publications. One highlight from Hui’s journalism career was issuing a challenge to Justin Trudeau (or, as Hui referred to him, “Justin from the Block”) and Green Leader Elizabeth May to hike the Baden-Powell Trail. When asked if Trudeau ever took him up on his challenge, Hui laughed in response. He provided an explanation for why he “challenged” Trudeau in the first place.

“When Trudeau was running for prime minister, he was pulling off the old tricks like his dad,” he explained. “Pictures in newspapers: canoeing, hiking . . . stuff to make him seem young and manly, and puerile, and I remember he hiked the Grouse Grind during the campaign, and I was making fun of that.”

Suffice it to say, Justin from the Block did not take up Stephen Hui’s challenge. This may have been for the best, because Hui had his hands full with his own hiking.

 

A “Hiking Expert”

Given the title and content of his book, it should be no surprise that Stephen Hui is all about hiking.

Hui’s passion for hiking began in high school, on a week-long backpacking trip organized by the school. Back then, Hui would buy disposable cameras and bring them on his trips. Photography and hiking, so far, have always been intertwined for him.

“I love catching a sweet landscape, you know, getting that right timing at sunset or sunrise,” Hui said. “Photography is about getting pictures you can’t normally see, or people can’t see . . . it’s always interesting.”

A pro-tip from Hui on landscape photography: focus on the framing, get the widest shot possible, and make sure there are no unnecessary elements in the photo. Take it from Hui’s Instagram. But, at the end of the day, practice makes perfect.

Aside from photography, Hui has many other favourites in the realm of hiking. Currently, his favourite hike covered in this book is Cheam Peak, over in Fraser Valley. One of his favourite trips of all time was going on a 10-day backpacking trip on the Sunshine Coast Trail, which spans a whole 178 km. When asked, Hui jokes that his favourite part about hiking is getting away from other people. He continued: “I actually like to hike with other people as well, [just] not in huge groups. Part of it is the solitude, getting away from the city, kinda reconnecting with nature, and breathing the fresh air.”

As for what a Stephen Hui hiking soundtrack would look like, Hui mentioned a wide range of artists that would make the list. His soundtrack included tracks from Counting Crows, Taylor Swift (“Bad Blood” in particular), aggressive nineties gangster rap, all the way to Ben Howard’s “Old Pine.”

 

SFU Student Life and Life In General

It being over a decade since his years as an undergraduate at SFU,  Hui had a lot to reminisce and reflect on. He certainly knew one way he’s grown since his undergrad years.

“Well, I realise how little I knew back then,” Hui said. “I remember being an undergrad . . . you know a ton of stuff, you think, right, but a lot of what you know comes from time and experience. I’ve learned so much since then, and in a lot of ways I’m the same and a lot of ways I’ve changed.”

We asked Hui if he had any words of wisdom to pass on, and his advice was refreshingly frank.

“Well one would be, don’t listen to me,” he said. “Older people have experience, people have different kinds of experience. . . but basically everyone’s faking it. . . I don’t know what I’m doing half the time, I’m flying by the seat of my pants.”

Later, he recommended that you do what you love, and that you speak in full sentences. Still, he assured me that while others may look like they have their whole life figured out, they probably don’t. “So, they’re no better than you,” he concluded. Hui continued this train of humility by bringing back the spotlight to himself. “What makes me a hiking expert, what is a hiking expert anyways?” he questioned. “It’s kind of a ridiculous thing .  . . I’m walking in the woods and enjoying [hiking], but I’ve done it enough that I get to talk about it,” he said. “It’s a little weird.”

Still, Hui’s book seems to demonstrate some expertise. 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia is available in bookstores now.

 

For a review of Stephen’s book, check out our Arts section!

Album Reviews

By
Peak Web
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By Neil MacAlister

Daytona by Pusha-T

Pusha-T is dominating the media right now, not because he just dropped the best album of the year, but because he’s embroiled in (and clearly winning) the most vicious rap beef the genre’s seen in years. It’s consisted largely of subtweets and veiled accusations, but the Drake/Pusha rivalry escalated from zero to 100 real quick.

     In the midst of this fascinating news cycle, let’s not forget about the most important thing here: Pusha-T really did just drop the best album of the year. Daytona is the first in GOOD Music’s five-album cycle of seven-track, Kanye-produced projects, and it’s glorious. Every beat immaculately conveys the luxurious lifestyle of “the only kingpin who ain’t sinkin’,” with Pusha exercising his hubris like Tony Montana without the overambition.

     Daytona excels in its brevity, with every coke rap and obscure reference carefully wrought and delivered through Pusha’s paradoxical blend of mania and composure. The samples weave in and out with profound dexterity, either complementing or juxtaposing Pusha as needed, with every aspect of the project tailor-made to reflect the lifestyle of a drug dealer-turned-mogul. To put things simply, Daytona is an audible luxury, and the synthesis of Kanye’s production with Pusha’s lyricism sounds even better than ever.

Testing by A$AP Rocky

Testing is receiving a lot of negative criticism, and there’s good reason for that. It’s an overly-ambitious attempt at art-rap, a project that liberally intersperses acoustic guitars, melodic distortion, and experimental genre-mashing in an attempt to elevate rap into some sort of high fashion. It’s certainly a flawed album, one which feels more inclined towards representing Rocky’s signature aesthetic than actually portraying his abilities as a rapper.

     Testing is also, however, exactly what I expected from A$AP Rocky in 2018, and it’s one of my favourite projects I’ve heard all year. There are moments of pure, unadulterated beauty that appear throughout the project, as Rocky uses his immaculate ear to craft mercurial, ever-changing soundscapes and interweave sounds, samples, and voices across artistically exciting tracks. The features appear and disappear as needed, with fantastic results. Kid Cudi’s hums revamp the already-stellar lead single “A$AP Forever,” FKA Twigs and French Montana sing their hearts out, Skepta and Rocky flex back and forth on “Praise da Lord,” and BlocBoy JB, Playboi Carti, Juicy J, Dev Hynes, and Mikky Ekko deliver excellent, minimalistic background assistance.

     Unfortunately for Rocky, the best moment on the album isn’t even his: Frank Ocean, in typical fashion, absolutely steals the show with his phenomenal contribution to “Purity.” Testing is frequently imperfect, but A$AP Rocky is so aesthetically gifted that a series of questionable artistic decisions nevertheless resulted in a truly beautiful album.

World News Beat

By
Peak Web
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By: Nathaniel Tok, Peak Associate

 

Tunisian boat sinks, killing scores of people

Over 48 people drowned as their boat sunk near Eastern Tunisia, with roughly 70 others being rescued by the coastguard. The boat was carrying around 180 people hailing from Tunisia and other African countries. Tunisian sea routes are becoming increasingly popular as a new route for migrants going toward Europe, and as a path to Sicily often taken by Africans and Tunisians in improvised boats. Around 660 people have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. Earlier this week, nine refugees died in a separate incident off the coast of the Turkish province Antalya.

With files from BBC News, Sky News, and Al Jazeera.

 

Macedonians protest over changes to country’s name

Thousands of Macedonians protested the call to change Macedonia’s name to something other than the “Republic of Macedonia.” Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has been in negotiations with Greece over the dispute of the country’s name as Greece has a province named Macedonia as well. This issue has prevented Macedonia from joining the European Union or NATO, as Greece has veto votes to both. To join the United Nations in 1993 with Greece’s approval, Macedonia officially called itself “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.” However, many countries continued to recognize “Macedonia” as the official name, thus leaving the issue unresolved. Many protesters were also angered at the poor economic situation that the country is facing and called for an early election.

With files from Reuters and SBS News.  

 

American military command changes name

The American military has changed the name of its Pacific Command to the US Indo-Pacific Command, highlighting India’s importance to the Department of Defence. The announcement was made by the US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis during a ceremony where the leadership of the command was changed. Previous agreements between the US and India hint that the country may be trying to develop stronger defence ties with India and to enter India’s defence industry in an attempt to counter China’s growing defense presence. The US is India’s second biggest supplier of military armaments. The Indo-Pacific Command runs US military activity in the Pacific region and has around 375,000 personnel working for it.

With files from Reuters.

 

Heatwave hits Southern Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department announced a new heatwave alert for Karachi, Pakistan, with temperatures expected to hit up to 44 degrees Celsius. Karachi’s government has told its citizens to stay indoors and take caution when performing outdoor activities. Medical services have also advised citizens to be careful during the heatwave, consuming plenty of water and avoiding exposure to direct sunlight. The heatwave arrives during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims will fast during the daytime. In 2015, a heatwave killed over 1200 people in Pakistan.

With files from Xinhua News.

 

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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