The Simon Fraser Student Society currently collects over $500 each semester on its behalf and on behalf of other affiliate organizations by Simon Fraser University from each full time student, and they’ll take even more starting in 2017. They’re about to have a by-election for their president, who will lead the discussions on how your money is spent. Have we got your attention yet?
The SFSS is spending your money. Please vote.
SFU’s exam season is still facing hurdles as the Burnaby campus has closed from 5 p.m. on for December 10. Vancouver and Surrey remain open, although students who have exams at those campuses who live on Burnaby Mountain are encouraged to contact their professors and reschedule.
Currently, there is a shuttle service for to get students to the 135 bus route as well as Production station.
The status for exams on December 11 are still up in the air. SFU has said they’ll make an announcement at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow morning alerting students if their exams will take place as scheduled.
This comes a day after hundreds of students were stranded at SFU due to the extreme weather during exam season. Social media has been full of both criticism and praise for how the university has been handling the situation.
https://twitter.com/KayTalks2Much/status/807664462811381760
Geez everyone,give @SFU a break!They don't control the weather,or exams,or if weather will change suddenly.They're doing the best they can!
— LMM (@starsinthenigh8) December 10, 2016
@SFU thanks for working so hard to keep us updated! I know your job must be really difficult atm, so it's greatly appreciated 😁
— Danny (@TheBoiWhoLived6) December 10, 2016
Appreciate frustration sounds a lot like "mutual break up." https://t.co/0vfYZfDyVf
— Ryan Steven (@RSteven_Y) December 10, 2016
For the fastest results, students are encouraged to check SFU’s Twitter account as well as Translink to find out if transit will be able to get students to and from the mountain.
With the first major snowfall in the greater Vancouver area in nearly three years happening on Monday, it was the first snow day for many of the undergraduate students at Simon Fraser University, as classes were cancelled.
While Burnaby Mountain was not safe to drive up during the day, the roads had cleared up in the evening, allowing anyone willing to brave the cold to come up and observe the sights of a snow-covered SFU in the moonlight. Those who made the trek would not have been disappointed.
The heaps of snow provided a different look for SFU, which usually can be a depressing sight for students during the winter months. However, it would not be a stretch to refer to the campus as a winter wonderland last night.
While it was reported that international students were making their first snowmen in residence, that didn’t stop several from appearing throughout the AQ as well, with one pictured here near the pond outside Robert C. Brown Hall.
The AQ pond even looked like it could have been frozen over, but it became very clear upon a quick test that it was still very much liquid.
Despite SFU’s grey, concrete aesthetic (which fools people into thinking it was designed as a prison) some parts of the school looked almost Narnia-like last night.
Even the Highland Pub looked ready to have a winter patio party, if it were ever open on Monday nights.
And with how breathtaking the view of the city can look from SFU…
…it’s pretty easy to fall in love with a snowy campus.
UPDATE: SFU has announced that all classes will be cancelled for Monday, December 5. Check on @peaksfu or your SFU connect email to stay informed for the rest of the week.
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The first snowfall of the year has thrown a wrench into the final week of classes, with a snow day being called due to “hazardous conditions on Burnaby Mountain” as stated in an email sent by Simon Fraser University this morning.
TransLink has also stopped service up the mountain until conditions improve, so it would be difficult for students to get to class if they weren’t cancelled.
The cancellation comes on the final day of classes, with exams starting on Wednesday. Some students have even received emails from professors telling them to keep their fingers crossed that the campus will be open for their finals later in the week.
If you live in residence or are on Burnaby Mountain today, send us or tweet us your best snow day photos to @peaksfu!
Welcome to the darkest timeline, friends.
With just over a month left in 2016, we move into that time of year when everyone looks back with nostalgia on the last 12 months. However, it seems for this year, when reflecting on the events of 2016, one shared thought comes to mind: what the fuck was 2016? Here is a recap of what the hell happened in the past 11 months . . .
#1: Racial tensions/protests: With over 800 fatal police shootings in the US according to The Washington Post, frustration, anger, and riots were common. Black Lives Matter protests were some of the most prominent, as they called for an end to police brutality. These conflicts highlighted the persisting racial tensions in the US despite being the self-proclaimed “land of the free.”
#2: Terror attacks: The bombing of a Brussels airport, the shooting at the Pulse nightclub, the Baghdad bombing, among several other terror attacks have left hundreds dead.
#3: Celebrity deaths: 2016 saw the passing of many big names in a variety of industries. David Bowie, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Leonard Cohen, Alan Rickman, Edgar Mitchell, and Gordie Howe are among those who passed away this year. May all these great talents rest in peace.
#4: The UK leaving the EU: The infamous Brexit. Many thought it wouldn’t happen, but by a margin of 3.8 percent, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. After generations of being part of the EU and other similar organizations that preceded the EU, the UK decided that 2016 was the year to put an end to this “cooperation.” #ThanksFarage
#5: Shooting of Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo: The story behind the meme. After an unattended child fell into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, officials decided to shoot and kill the gorilla named Harambe, in an attempt to protect the child. Public response quickly grew, and shamed the zoo for its actions. We then were forced to scroll through Harambe memes for what felt like an eternity. All around, a sad event.
#6: Zika outbreak: The aggressive spread of the Zika virus that saw an equally aggressive response from the World Health Organization and countries from around the world, including a mobilization of 220,000 soldiers from the Brazilian army to reduce the spread of the virus.
#7: Brock Turner: So many parts of this story just make you feel gross. Whether it be Turner’s father’s quote about “20 minutes of action,” or the fact that this convicted sex offender only spent three months in jail after sexually assaulting a woman . . . A lot of people can agree that this is a low point for 2016.
#8: North Korea being North Korea: In case you forgot about North Korea with all the other crazy headlines going on in the world, this is your friendly reminder that in early September they detonated their fifth — and reportedly largest — nuclear weapon in a test. Great.
#9: Samsung’s explosive new phone: Usually when everything starts going wrong and you want to escape it all, you can go home, lie down, and spend hours scrolling through social media to get your mind off things. Unfortunately, if you had the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, 2016 took that away from you by making your phone have the brand-new feature of catching on fire.
#10: Chicago Cubs win the World Series: Not as dark as other events this year, but ending their 108-year World Series drought after being down 3–1 to the Cleveland Indians certainly was a twist that not many were expecting. Guys, this is proof we’re in the darkest timeline.
#11: Trump becoming president: No discussion about 2016 would be complete without mention of “The Donald.” Back in 2015, ESPN gave him 12 to 1 odds of winning the entire election, so when president-elect Trump won the Republican nomination, he surprised many. He went on to shock many more when he defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: 2016 sucked. That is completely understandable. However, there is one event that occurred in 2016 that you may be happy about, considering the other events of this year.
If seeing all this makes you think “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore,” there is one glimmer of hope: Elon Musk held a press conference discussing his company’s intention to send people to Mars. The year is almost over — just hold on long enough to get your ticket to Mars.
Last Week: 10-6
Season: 104-71-2
The Kansas City-Denver game was fantastic last Sunday night and lived up to its prime-time billing. Both teams demonstrated that they are playoff contenders. The Jets and Panthers almost pulled off big time upsets last week but failed to get the job done in crunch time against the Patriots and Raiders. Thanksgiving saw Dallas improve to 10–1 while Detroit won a huge game against Minnesota to get to 7–4 despite trailing in the fourth quarter of every game this season. The best teams with losing records continue to be the Saints and Chargers. Any team eyeing a playoff position does not want to face these dangerous teams.
Byes: Cleveland and Tennessee
I keep picking against Dallas and they keep winning. This game looks like it could be ripe for an upset as any game on the road against a team with a good defence is a recipe for trouble. Nevertheless, I will not be burned again by going against what looks like destiny.
Prediction: Cowboys 27 Vikings 14
The Saints shredded one of the best defensive units in the league last week in the Rams to the tune of 49 points. The lions continue to win ugly but will be in tough this week against an offence firing on all cylinders. Look for Mark Ingram to light up the Lions defence with another monster game as the Saints go marching into the locker room with a .500 record for the first time this season.
Prediction: Saints 36 Lions 23
Since moving from Cleveland in 1996, the Ravens have been one of the best teams in football. Last season they were plagued by injuries and missed the playoffs for only the third time since 2000. Nevertheless, they are getting no respect despite being in first place in the gritty AFC North Division. The Dolphins are the trendy pick in this matchup on the strength of a six-game winning streak and the solid play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is playing the most inspired football of his career.
Do not buy the hype. The Fins are going to run smack into one of the best defensive units in the NFL. While the Ravens are limited offensively, they do have a big time weapon; kicker Justin Tucker. Tucker has not missed a kick all year and last week connected on three field goals, three of which were from 50 yards or more in the Ravens victory over the Bengals. The old axiom is football is a game of three phases; offence, defence, and special teams. The Ravens have the edge in two of the three departments, plus home field advantage.
Prediction: Ravens 23 Dolphins 21
The Rams got destroyed last week on the field and now are being pillared off of it. Former Rams legend and Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson was recently denied press passes for his guests by the team for reportedly criticizing them on his radio program. The story has garnered national media attention, big time criticism, and has been a huge distraction for a team that is not very good to begin with. Not a good week when travelling to New England to play the perennially tough Patriots. Even without the services of all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski, they should win by a healthy margin this week against the Rams.
Prediction: Patriots 34 Rams 13
The Broncos lost a gut wrenching overtime decision to Kansas City last week that was an incredibly tough defeat. With the Broncos leading 21–20, wide receiver Bennie Fowler scored on a long touchdown play with about three minutes remaining. If he had taken a knee at the one yard line, the Broncos could have drained the clock to next to nothing before giving the ball back to the Chiefs. Instead the Chiefs scored, got the two-point conversion, and the rest is history. Now the Broncos have a long trip to sunny Florida with all its distractions. They are playing a Jaguars team whose coach, Gus Bradley, is on the hot seat and hence is very motivated for a big win. Bradley is also an excellent defensive mind who will be able to devise a solid game plan to stop a limited Broncos offence. This matchup has trap game written all over it and I predict that the Broncos will fall in a shocking upset.
Prediction: Jaguars 24 Broncos 23
Not much to say about this matchup between two of the NFL’s doormats. Colin Kaepernick has played outstanding football as of late. The 49ers quarterback last week became the fifth player in NFL history to rush for over 100 yards and pass for over 250 yards in the same game. Meanwhile the Bears are down to third string quarterback Matt Barkley. Kaepernick will lead the 49ers to victory and will cost his organization a spot in the draft order as a result.
Prediction: 49ers 31 Bears 19
The Texans lost to a good Chargers team last week but the poor play of quarterback Brock Osweiler is the real cause for concern. Osweiler has not been productive despite having an elite receiving option in Deandre Hopkins and a speed threat in Will Fuller. The Packers meanwhile looked very good on offence last week against Philadelphia and finally put a stop to the bleeding on defence. Packers should win this one comfortably.
Prediction: Packers 27 Texans 17
I am not impressed by Eagles coach Doug Pederson’s acceptance of losing. Pederson explained that he thought the Eagles were right around where he thought they would be. Imagine being a player and your leader telling the team, “hey guys, I figured we would be mediocre so great hustle out there and don’t sweat it.” The Bengals meanwhile have been a tremendous disappointment, with rumours swirling that coach Marvin Lewis’ job may be at stake. I like the Bengals to take care of business at home provided kicker Mike Nugent can make an extra point or two.
Prediction: Bengals 20 Eagles 18
Atlanta looked like a dominant team capable of making the Super Bowl last week with their 38-19 drubbing of the Cardinals. Kansas City was buoyed last week by the return of stalwart defensive player Justin Houston. Houston had a tremendous game and will be zeroed in on stopping a prolific Falcons offence. Two teams I will rarely pick against at home are New Orleans and Atlanta. The Falcons soar to 8-4 and the Chiefs play like the Leafs to fall back to the pack.
Prediction: Falcons 29 Chiefs 26
Do you believe in famous sports curses? The curse of the Bambino and the curse of the Billy Goat are the two most notable coming from the world of baseball. The curse of the Flutie Flakes I submit should join the lexicon. The Bills have not made the Playoffs since the 1999 season where owner Ralph Wilson ordered coach Wade Phillips to bench starting quarterback Doug Flutie in favour of Rob Johnson. Johnson, who got a big contract to be the starter, was injured during the season before returning the final week of the season, playing well in a meaningless game. The Bills are the only team in NFL history to bench their starting quarterback for a playoff game, and the result was a desultory showing by Johnson and a stunning defeat on the final play of the game in what became known as the “Music City Miracle.” The cursed Bills will fall to an Oakland team that looks like a serious contender to win the AFC.
Prediction: Raiders 34 Bills 31
The Buccaneers played dominant defence last week, holding Seattle to just five points. The team also boasts one of the best receivers in football in Mike Evans. San Diego is a quality team that suffered several last second losses early in the year. I am buying Tampa Bay’s ascendance with a big time road win this week over the Chargers.
Prediction: Buccaneers 25 Chargers 21
This is not the year for Arizona. Reality has set in that this is just not the same team that went 13–3 a year ago. Washington has looked very good this season, almost beating the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving. The Washington offence has looked very impressive of late with Kirk Cousins looking like a true franchise quarterback. The Cardinals defence will not have an answer for Washington as they cascade further out of the playoff picture.
Prediction: Washington 37 Cardinals 26
This should be an entertaining star studded matchup between two teams, both of whom have legitimate playoff potential. Other than the Cowboys, the Giants may be the hottest team in football on the strength of their six-game winning streak. I see that grinding to a halt against a Pittsburgh team that still considers themselves Super Bowl contenders despite a tough start to the season. If you like receiver play, this is the game to watch, as the Steelers Antonio Brown and Giants Odell Beckham are two of the league’s finest. The Steelers will get a big play from veteran James Harrison on defence in the fourth quarter to win an exciting shootout.
Prediction: Steelers 38 Giants 35
Yes, Carolina went into Seattle and won last year. Yes the Seahawks got beat last week and managed to score only five points. However, Carolina is playing back-to-back road games on the west coast and will find it hard to win in Seattle yet again. The Panthers were crushed by last week’s loss to Oakland and will find it hard to step it up against one of the NFC’s finest.
Prediction: Seahawks 29 Panthers 23
I remember when Monday Night Football used to matter. The game was set up to match two of the league’s finest in a time slot which received the most ratings of any NFL telecast. That culture and pattern is long gone with the games now frequently pitting lousy teams against one another. This is another example of a dud matchup between mediocre and bad opponents. The Colts and Andrew Luck will find a way to win. This will keep alive their ultimate dream of winning the worst division in football, being nine-point underdogs and losing by 17 in the wild card round.
Prediction: Colts 17 Jets 14
After over a year of delays, the Evergreen Line is officially open today. This news should delight SFU students who live in Coquitlam and Port Moody.
The extension starts at new Burquitlam stop, going all the way to Lafarge Lake—Douglas with four stops in between. It will meet up with the already existing SkyTrain routes at Lougheed Town Centre.
TransLink has estimated that potentially 70,000 people could be using it daily within the next five years.
Construction on the project began back in 2013, with an original completion date scheduled in 2014. After a series of delays, the project is finally completed and has already begun transporting passengers.
While the Fall 2016 has mostly wrapped up for students, they will be able to fully take advantage of the new service during the Spring 2017 semester and onwards.
Recently, I made a short-lived decision to give the dating apps another go. I’d forgotten about one of the big things that drove me away last time: dick pics as a greeting. I’d like to say this is a “gay guy thing,” except I hear from friends on other apps that it’s not an exclusive phenomenon. When did it become OK to show your penis as a greeting on dating apps, with no warning?
I’m a gay man in university, I am sexually active, and I feel very little shame. Nonetheless, sending me a shot of your Mr. Willie is not going to get you anything but blocked.
I know male queer culture is known and commented on for its promiscuity. There are many factors that may tie into that: the fact that many still have to be closeted, which makes coming out akin to being a kid in a candy store; the relative anonymity of the Internet which lets people say things without fear of consequence; or the fact that sex has played a big part in the gay and civil rights movements.
But that doesn’t have to translate into a dick pic for a hello. Apps like Grindr, the biggest culprit, have a certain element of “this is what it is; people are on here to hook up” to it. Maybe how I use the app challenges the status quo a bit, but still, I question why it’s OK on these apps.
Jack’d did a great example almost two years ago about what it would look like if behaviour on gay dating apps were taken to real life. Grindr and apps like it are like modern-day versions of bathrooms from the early days of hiding your sexuality in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Guys would go in knowing they would find a hookup or glory hole. You don’t really go in blind or ignorant.
I’m no angel, so I’m sure there’s an NSA file somewhere with my pics in it too. I also appreciate that dating apps are like TV, in that if I don’t like what I’m seeing, I can always change the channel — or in this case, delete the app.
Nor am I coming from some moral high ground saying I don’t agree with hookups or being overtly physical. It may not be for me, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for others. Yet that also doesn’t excuse the pic as a greeting, or without request.
Feel free to send and share sexual pics — there are some relationships where that’s acceptable for everyone involved, and even some fetishes and kinks that rely on it, and that’s OK. What isn’t appropriate is using a dick to start a conversation with a stranger, no matter how “horned up” you may be. Instead, say “Hi,” comment on my profile, and above all, ask me before you send one.
In the end, my foray into the apps only lasted a couple weeks. Jack’d said, “Don’t be an #apphole” — unfortunately, there were still too many of those to avoid.
I believe you when you say you love Christmas. You love the lights on the trees, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and Starbucks starting to smell like eggnog. Even as the temperatures drop, you feel warmer on the inside knowing that another year is ending.
December becomes a stress-buster when you realize that you’ve survived yet another year. It’s also the time of inconsequential reflection on how you’ve grown, and a time to comfortably decide on your clichéd New Year’s resolutions. However, the real clichés are the days leading up to the holidays, stuffed fit to burst with decorations and celebrations.
The lights on a million Hastings Street avenues, stocking caps stuck on most stores, and music that sounds like it belongs in a hotel lobby — all appearing a month or more prior to Christmas. All of it makes me say “WYD?” to every Santa lover. Maybe that seems self-contradictory, but hear me out.
If the holidays are a month away, you might want to start thinking about it approximately two weeks before. Little delights are defined by their short-lived nature (unless you’re going to Los Cabos — then you can think about it all year, boo!). Initiating celebrations way before their time sucks the charm and excitement out of the upcoming occasion.
December for me started becoming a banal, mundane month every year, because the decorations are a constant reminder that life moves in preset patterns, whether or not you’re ready to move on to the next stage. With your surroundings covered in aggressively cheery hues of red, green, and gold, you feel constantly attacked and out of place for having gloomy days.
The environment demands that you feel ecstatic for an entire month, but it doesn’t really work that way. It’s just forced happiness, which raises questions about how our society celebrates. That brings me to one particular word I have for all you Santa lovers, accusatory though you might find it: authenticity.
Christmas is for families, for sitting by the fire while you drink some hot chocolate, for everything that is genuine. Yet our beloved malls take advantage of it to allure and manipulate us. They need you to give in to their consumerism and start contemplating what gifts you’re giving and getting two to three months before the occasion — all while forgetting that your mother would have appreciated you calling her twice a week to talk to her far more than she would a Tag Heuer watch this year.
In the glitz and glamour of what Christmas is portrayed to be, we ignore the real essence of why we celebrate it in the first place. We start to associate this festivity with materialist notions, and I’ve seen an overwhelming number of holiday interactions based around luxurious indulgence and nothing else.
The magnificent exhibition of lights in your front lawn, laid well in advance, becomes a more common way to communicate with your neighbours than simply knocking on their door. But there’s more to the holidays than that showiness.
I am a sorority girl.
I bet when most people read that sentence, they think I go out and party a lot, or that I spend all my time making girls’ lives miserable to pressure them into being a part of my organization. This is how movies depict sorority life, and they couldn’t be more wrong.
When one of my best friends approached me back in January about joining SFU’s newest sorority, Alpha Pi Phi, I was skeptical. It wasn’t a subject anyone had broached with me before, and the stereotypes that we are all familiar with began to play out in my mind; I thought to myself that this would be one of the last organizations that I would consider associating myself with. I am never one to judge based on assumptions, though, so I went to a rush (recruitment) event, despite my reservations.
When I first met the women who would eventually become my sisters, what struck me the most was how crazy, genuine, and down-to-earth they were. I bonded with one girl, who later became my mentor, over books and The Walking Dead, and found out that the sorority’s president enjoyed cracking groan-worthy puns just as much as I did. I was immediately comfortable around all of them, and felt that I didn’t need to be anyone other than myself.
That feeling has never gone away. I study with my sisters, volunteer with them, and more recently, I’ve taken on the leadership role of philanthropy chair for the organization. Yes, there are parties sometimes, but being as attached to Netflix as I am, I prefer staying at home and my sisters don’t judge me for it. Best of all, they are among my closest friends, and I know they’ll always have my back.
There are currently three active sororities at SFU: Kappa Beta Gamma, Delta Alpha Theta, and the one I’m part of, Alpha Pi Phi. There are also three fraternities: Phi Kappa Pi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and Omega Theta Delta. Two additional fraternities, Alpha Kappa Psi and Phi Delta Epsilon, are co-ed business-based organizations designed for members to develop their professional networking skills, with the latter more specifically catering toward people who hope to get into medical school.
The variety of organizations that comprise SFU’s Greek life makes for one of the most unique and all-encompassing experiences that a student could have at this university. It provides one with a means to grow professionally while developing amazing friendships. There are plenty of chances for someone to find their fit, just like how I have found mine.
So I am a sorority girl — a studious, Netflix-addicted, pun-loving sorority girl. I will continue to wear my Greek letters with pride, and I’ll forever be “Greekful” for all that sorority life has given me.
