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Indigenous advocates call for more efficient truth and reconciliation

By
Peak Web
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This is a photo of the 2021 Vancouver Art Gallery memorial for Indigenous children whose lives were taken at residential schools
PHOTO: Ted McGrath / Flickr

By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer

Content warning: mentions of residential schools, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and colonialism.

With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, advocates are bringing attention to the “minimal to no progress” made regarding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) 94 Calls to Action (CTAs). The CTAs were created for the Canadian government to acknowledge and educate on the history of the Canadian residential school system and implement policies to improve the lives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. These policies aim to “ensure, through thorough and honest education, that this never happens again.” 

The TRC was formed in 2008 following Canada’s largest class-action settlement. The settlement was to address the history of residential schools and the continuation of colonial violence against Indigenous Peoples. CBC News reported that “from 2008 to 2014, the TRC heard stories from thousands of residential school survivors.” These personal accounts informed the development of the 94 CTAs, specifically intended for “corporate, community, and classroom anti-racist training.”

The CTAs carry out the Commission’s two main goals: legacy and reconciliation. The legacy CTAs contain policies for educating the public on the history of residential schools and their lasting impact on Indigenous communities. The Reconciliation Education website highlights the “modern-day effects” of this cultural genocide, including overrepresentation in the child welfare system, limited education opportunities, and inequity of justice and health. 

In 2022, the BC Premier’s office released a statement identifying that they represent two-thirds of all children in provincial care despite making up less than 10% of the province’s child population. 

Settler-colonial laws imposed on Indigenous Peoples were structured for assimilation to European culture and meant to “extinguish their communities, cultures, and ways of life.” 1951 amendments to the Indian Act, for instance, allowed provincial jurisdiction over Indigenous child welfare. After amendments to the Act, provincial child welfare agencies began to remove Indigenous children from their homes and rehouse them in non-Indigenous families. The Sixties Scoop drastically increased the amount of Indigenous children in provincial child and family services. 

It wasn’t until 2020 that the Canadian federal government enacted legislation that allowed Indigenous Peoples the right to “exercise jurisdiction over child and family services.” Similarly, the reconciliation CTAs aim to “meaningfully and permanently dismantle the systemic racism that leads to worse health outcomes, premature death, and limited economic opportunities.”

The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health noted that “racist ideologies have fostered a social hierarchy in which Indigenous Peoples are denied resources while dominant groups maintain authority and power.” Safe drinking water is an example of this. While Canada has the “fourth largest resources of renewable fresh water in the world,” 27 reserves received long-term advisories to not consume, use, or boil water in 2022. 30% of Indigenous communities have “high risk” water systems, leaving more Indigenous Peoples susceptible to waterborne diseases.

Beyond 94, which is a CBC interactive site, monitors the progress made on the 94 CTAs. It shows that only 13 CTAs have been completed since the CTAs were created in 2015. 33 CTAs are currently in progress, while the remaining 48 have either not been started or are in proposal stages. “I think the urgency of it all has not adequately dawned on everyone,” said Marie Wilson, one of three TRC commissioners. Wilson shared her concern about the government’s slow rise to action in 2022, but the number of completed CTAs has not increased since.

“So why is it important to understand the history of genocide in Canada?” asks Dr. Pamela Palmater, Mi’kmaw lawyer and chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University. “Because it’s not history. Today’s racist government laws, policies, and actions have proven to be just as deadly for Indigenous Peoples as the genocidal acts of the past.” She states this from the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Things I hope to remember

By
Peak Web
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An illustration of a book with photos of different things including a group of people, a house, the sky, and a movie ticket.
ILLUSTRATION: Victoria Xi / The Peak

By: Kaja Antic, Staff Writer

Dear Kaja in 2029,

I hope you remembered to take your meds this morning. If you don’t have to take them anymore, congrats! If not, I hope Zoloft is still treating you well-ish. We just moved out of our childhood home and it’s been . . . an adjustment. I hope you still remember it, or at least remembered to change your address to wherever you live now. Mom’s place was getting too crowded, and being the only sibling who knows how to drive, you moved in with your dad, in the middle-of-nowhere, Langley. I hope you eventually get used to it, right now I’m struggling with how far it is from everything familiar. 

The neighbourhood around “the old house” is changing a lot right now. The SkyTrain construction just started, and the traffic makes driving on Fraser Highway hellish. I hope you remember the little things about the old house. How your brother (accidentally) slamming the front door on his way to school served as your alarm during your first two years of university. How our family dog, Harrison, would paw at your door in the morning to greet you or look sadly through the glass when you wouldn’t let him in and share a bite of your food.

I hope you remember your old bedroom. How it looked before you took that trip to Serbia, the bright-pink walls and the metal pendant lamp that you claimed was a fairy cage. It was hanging down so low, mom and dad would always hit their heads on it, until they got rid of it. Remember when you were five: after returning from overseas, you saw your brother’s furniture now taking up half your room and the pink walls painted beige. After seeing the crib in the room next door, you realized then how soon your baby sister would be joining you. 

The beige stayed for years, only changing once your presence left its four walls. The switch to your begrudging coexistence with your sister when she took his place at age three, and the big sister dream being realized when you finally got a bunk bed at nine. You had the top bunk, of course. Don’t forget how, at 10, you made forts with your sister, searching for every extra blanket in the house and drafting whole floor plans for the fleece-lined structure. You bring your friends over for the first time at 12, and all five of you crowd the top bunk. Looking back on it, it probably wasn’t the safest thing to do, but seventh-grade gossip was more important anyways. Entering teenage years saw our bed move to the lower bunk, as I was suddenly too tall for staying up top by 14. Unfortunately, that was the tallest we’d grow, unless a miracle occurs in the next five years. Remember all the Christmas light strings you strung together to surround the room in a variety of shades and colours — they brought warmth to the cold beige walls. That was one of most tedious thing to take down before your sister painted over the room you lived in for over a decade.

It’s not just your bedroom(s) that were important. I hope you remember going into mom’s and dad’s room after school one day in March 2020, collapsing on the bed and crying while muttering “I like girls.” Mom was confused, she thought we were just a really good ally. You both cried as you laid there, explaining your years-long inner conflict. At least coming out to your sister a few months later wasn’t as dramatic. A light joke being passed off, leading to the “you’re gay?” question, only for her to inform you that she knew from reading your journal. You chased her from your still-shared room to the living room, talked a bit more, then fell asleep on the couch watching YouTube. I can’t exactly remember what we watched, but I hope you remember the relief of finally being out to some of your family. 

The same living room, where you and your brother would take all your stuffed animals and lay them across the top of the couch, a proper audience for a movie night. Shame that tradition died down as you got older. The same room where Christmas mornings were spent, where you met 10-week-old Harrison on his first night home, where you played Just Dance with your siblings on the night that was meant to host your high school grad dance, where you opened your seventh birthday present — a stuffed tiger you creatively named “Tiger.” The same room where you spent one of the last nights living under the same roof as your siblings playing Wii Sports and Mario Party together. You lost every game handedly, but it was a nice way to wrap up your 19- and 15-year-long “living together” streaks. 

Remember the basement suite, especially. It fell into disrepair after Baba passed away. You’d come home from school, knock because you always forgot your key, and have Baba come rescue you. Remember the times you’d end up talking with her for hours, about school, your friends, or her upbringing in rural Yugoslavia, and the places she’d travel to once she immigrated to Canada. And of course, the times she’d make you do a fashion show after shopping. I hope you still remember her voice, lovingly mocking your Serbian, or how proud she was of you for continuing school during a pandemic. 

Now, you have to travel half an hour to visit “your mom’s place,” a sentence I would have never thought of five years ago. I hope you remember what it was like to live under the same roof as her. All the times you’d annoy her while she worked from home, the times you’d get a take out lunch and watch “anything funny” on the TV, and when you’d keep her company by talking about dinosaurs, cars, or hockey while she cooked. It’s hard right now not having her there constantly. I hope that gets easier with time.

I hope you remember the good times of our “moving-out-era.” It’s not perfect by any means, and honestly feels like everything is constantly falling apart, but there are good moments. Remember walking through your childhood home after the movers had left, all the memories from over the years flooding back. Remember picking up Harrison from the kennel a day later, dropping him off at mom’s and seeing him wander around his new home. Remember strategizing the most effective ways to get to campus, now that the directions from your old neighbourhood were all for naught. 

You still have a lot of growing to do, even past these five years. I hope wherever you live now feels like home, or at least as much as it can compared to the old house.

Thank you for doing your best.

Sincerely,

Kaja from 2024

Buy your orange shirt from Indigenous creators

By
Peak Web
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Illustration. Three orange shirts that say every child matters.
ILLUSTRATION: Angelina Tran / The Peak

By: Abigail Streifel, SFU Student

Content warning: mentions of residential schools.

As we head into late September, we’re hearing more and more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The statutory holiday, which falls on September 30 and coincides with Orange Shirt Day, honours Indigenous children and communities that were harmed by the residential school system.

The story of Orange Shirt Day’s creator, Phyllis Webstad, is now widely known: as a six-year-old Secwépemc girl, she, like many others, was forced into a residential school. There, her orange shirt was taken away — an action that exemplified the attack on identity and agency that over 150,000 Indigenous children faced in residential schools. It is thanks to Webstad’s activism that an orange shirt is associated with justice and remembrance for Indigenous children. However, the shirt — a powerful symbol to recognize the abuses perpetrated by the Canadian government — has been co-opted by companies looking to make a profit.

An orange shirt can be bought practically anywhere. They’re easily found at Walmart, London Drugs, and websites like Amazon and Etsy. But it’s important to consider where the designs for these shirts are coming from. Often, they’re original designs by Indigenous artists like Andy Everson that have been stolen by opportunistic vendors. The lack of recognition contributes to the attempted erasure of Indigenous Peoples that this holiday should be combatting. Indigenous artists deserve credit for their creations, as well as the profits that come from sales.

The reality is that proceeds from orange shirts often aren’t donated to Indigenous causes. This is inappropriate for a symbol that seeks to promote protection for Indigenous Peoples following centuries of systemic abuse and oppression. Without tangible benefits to Indigenous communities, the orange shirt is stripped of its significance. Instead of being a symbol for reconciliation, it’s become no more than another way for sellers to capitalize on oppression.

The best way for us to combat this is to purchase orange shirts from sources that are Indigenous-run or that document their donations to Indigenous causes. Fortunately, there are many places where an orange shirt can be ethically purchased. First, there is Victoria Orange Shirt Day, a campaign started by residential school survivor Eddy Charlie. Their website sells shirts designed by Bear Horne, as well as books to teach children about reconciliation. 

MAKE Vancouver has partnered with Urban Native Youth Association since 2021. Proceeds from their orange shirts are donated to the organization, which benefits Indigenous youth. This year, the shirts are designed by Heiltsuk artist KC Hall. Both adult and youth t-shirts can be found on MAKE Vancouver’s website. Indigenous Marketing Solutions is another Indigenous-owned initiative that supports the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Elder Council. Their orange shirts are designed by Indigenous artists from various nations: Clayton Gauthier, a Cree and Dakelh artist; Aiden Duncan, a Cree artist; and Stacia Goodman, from the We Wai Kai Nation. 

Each of these organizations clearly benefit Indigenous communities. There are many other Indigenous businesses like them, and any of them would be a fantastic choice to support. But support for Indigenous people shouldn’t just happen around the end of September. We should all be making an effort to uplift Indigenous communities year-round. This can be done in part by listening to Indigenous voices, educating ourselves, supporting Indigenous businesses and charities, and learning more about reconciliation.

The observance of this day should not be reduced to simply wearing an orange shirt. The intent behind an orange shirt matters far more than the item of clothing itself. It represents reconciliation and solemn acknowledgement of the damage caused by residential schools. Choosing to purchase a shirt from an Indigenous creator carries more significance than buying one arbitrarily from a supermarket.

SFU scientists contribute to new neutrino telescope

By
Peak Web
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This is a photo of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in the South Pole
PHOTO: Courtesy of Christopher Michel / Wikimedia Commons

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

A group of SFU scientists and other researchers across Canada have started building a new neutrino telescope. SFU physics professor Matthias Danninger and University of Alberta professor Carsten Krauss are leading the project, which was made possible through $15 million from the BC Knowledge Development Fund. 

Neutrino astronomy involves observing subatomic particles called “neutrinos.” A basic atom has three tiny subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, and electrons.) Neutrino particles are transmitted at near lightspeeds, allowing for the emission of the “high-energy neutrinos.” Observations of these particles can aid our understanding of “neutrino mass, topological defects, and supersymmetric dark matter.” A neutrino telescope is a type of telescope that emits “large arrays of optical sensors deployed in a transparent medium, such as water or ice.” Several neutrino telescopes operate around the world, including the leading IceCube Neutrino Observatory in the South Pole. 

Upon finishing the build of the neutrino telescope, it’ll be situated off the coast of Vancouver Island and placed 3000 metres deep into the Pacific Ocean. The telescope will help scientists better understand the movement of tectonic plates and climate change findings. It will also aid in research around marine life and biology, including migration patterns of whales who reside in BC’s waters.

In an interview with SFU, Danninger explained there is still much to learn about neutrino astronomy and that building the telescope will help further understand black holes. SFU’s researchers built part of the neutrino telescope in their lab atop the Burnaby campus, which includes precision calibration detectors. These detectors are “high power light emitters that shine strong lights hundreds of meters into the ocean to calibrate the optical properties of water.” 

Danninger and the SFU neutrino telescope team are working alongside Ocean Networks Canada, which is an ocean observation facility based out of Victoria, BC. The facility’s expertise is ocean infrastructure, so they will help the researchers with the placement of the telescope and overall data collection.

So far, funding for the project only covers “the installation of the first phase of the experiment.” The research team is hoping to receive further funding to cover the costs of the expansion of the telescope and the physical distance it covers. 

The project allows for many new educational opportunities, as numerous volunteers and staff are needed to help with the ongoing phases of the project. Danninger stated that the project will be “a fantastic training ground for undergraduates, for graduate students, and for postdocs.

“This experiment is very exciting for students, because it is new, it’s up and coming, and we are developing new technology,” he said. “We expect to see the unexpected.”

SFU Student Strike for Palestine holds general assembly

By
Peak Web
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This is a photo of convocation mall facing WAC Bennett Library
PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer

“SHAME!” shouted upward of 50 students gathered at convocation mall on September 13. SFU students gathered at the Burnaby campus for a general assembly to organize protests against SFU’s investment in the ongoing Palestinian genocide. The general assembly was held by the new group, SFU Student Strike for Palestine, which is part of a larger national strike movement.

The Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) of Canada is campaigning for students to unite in the national Student Strike for Palestine. SFU has shares in BAE systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, and CAE Inc. — three corporations that profit from supplying Israel with military arms and war-related products. SFU Student Strike informed The Peak that “four of 16 elected leadership members are non-SFU student RCP members,” while the rest are SFU students. The Peak was not able to independently verify this.

Speakers at the recent assembly emphasized the need for escalated protest such as a strike or walk-out. They noted that previous attempts to get SFU to divest, including a divestment petition, have been “non-disruptive to the normal functioning of the campus.” In June this year, the Faculty Association passed two Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) motions that would formally require SFU to boycott, divest, and sanction the previously mentioned companies. In September, SFU president Joy Johnson released a message on behalf of the university, maintaining that the institution will not take a public position on “partisan political matters and current events.”

During the assembly, students elected Anjan Momi to chair meetings on behalf of the group and elected other members to different committees to organize future assemblies and protests. The Student Strike noted, “Students and workers braved the rain and even shouted down a Zionist that tried disrupting us!” 

The group had advertised the assembly around the Burnaby and downtown campuses with posters and leaflets. Hundreds of posters were put up around convocation mall in Burnaby twice but were all taken down each time. They read, “Help build the student strike for Palestine.” The university stated that “there is a long-established policy governing the display of posters on campus, which is designed to prevent damage to university property. Any posters that do not conform to this policy are removed by facilities services.”

In an interview with The Peak, Leonardo Curiel, a member of the SFU Student Strike’s finance and outreach committees, described his experience with campus security when handing out leaflets for the assembly during Club’s Day. “Security started tailing us,” he said, explaining that he had left Club’s Day and was leafleting outside of the event. “They were trying to say, ‘Oh, well actually I don’t think you’re allowed to leaflet here.’” Curiel said they didn’t explain why. He added that when he started recording the interaction was when security started to call for backup. 

“They were threatening to call the cops on me for recording, even though it’s a public place, and it’s my right as a Canadian to do that.” Curiel said that the incident concluded with a campus public safety officer telling the group that they were allowed to continue distributing leaflets. “All that for nothing,” he said. Some Campus Public Safety (CPS) officers were seen watching the assembly from close by. 

SFU offered the following statement: “SFU respects the right to peaceful protest at its campuses. CPS attends the area around all gatherings on campus to ensure the safety of our SFU community, including event attendees, and also responds to calls for service as and when needed.” 

This is a developing story that The Peak will continue to cover.

I can’t keep my succulents alive for the life of me . . . or them

By
Peak Web
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Someone sitting next to a dying succulent. They are reading a self-help book that’s called “How to be a good plant parent”
ILLUSTRATION: Cliff Ebora / The Peak

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

The ultimate adulting is caring for a plant — and I don’t mean a fake fern to fill up space and contribute to the ambiance of your grown-up décor. This isn’t amateur hour . . . Plants make you seem like your life’s all put together whether you’re in your own place, or you’re still cramped in your parents’ basement. This new chapter of your life automatically grants permission for the most affluent, garden-growing extraordinaire you know (cough, cough, your mom) to give you your first precious plant child. Congratulations, it’s a succulent! 

Supposedly, succulent babies are easier to take care of, but I beg to differ. One minute it’s absolutely flourishing and you’re sitting in your one-plant garden oasis thinking, “hot damn, I’m a plant parent goddess, and I know my plant shit!” And by shit, you mean soil. While you ride your high horse into the garden, you suddenly find yourself discussing different types of soil and buying cute pots to plant, replant, and transplant. Wait, isn’t it all the same? Do you really know the different soils after all? Um, no. Before you know it, your firstborn succulent is withering away to pieces as its poor, little leaves crumble to the floor. Sound familiar? Succulent babies are just like raising a child, except they don’t cry out in the middle of the night. Instead, they grow into your worst moody teenage nightmare.

I named my succulent Little Succs, because he sucks at sucking up water to keep him alive. I’ve tried, I really have. I’ve given him light, space to grow, and water — but let’s not talk about the fact that I sometimes neglect him. Shh, I don’t want to be in the plant parent bad books. I’ve already had to have the sex talk with him since he seems to want to reproduce . . . miraculously, on his own. Don’t even get me started on how much he begs me for a haircut when he sheds his little succulent leaves every time I check in on him. Look, it’s as strenuous for me, as it is for him, OK? I know I’m not exactly going to win plant parent of the year, but I still love my Little Succs and will do everything to keep him alive . . . including returning him to my mom to take full-time guardianship.

In case you missed it: 2666 is a telling tale of unresolved violence

By
Peak Web
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The cover of Bolaño’s 2666 (written on the cover in red), which features a renaissance-styled painting of a woman surrounded by faded hands and faces.
Photo courtesy of @dreesreads on Instagram

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

Content warning: descriptions of femicide. 

Roberto Bolaño was a novelist, essayist, and poet who later proclaimed he should have been a detective instead. He was diagnosed with liver disease in 1992 and, knowing that his time was running out, began his final work. Despite his efforts, Bolaño passed away a year before the publication of this near-900-page novel, 2666. 

The writing in 2666 manages to keep the gripping qualities of a detective novel, from its ambiguous narrative to a sense of increasing dread. The truth is, however, that the novel is far from a detective story. 2666 transcends the crime thriller genre by taking certain qualities of it to instead tell a story resembling the overlooked and unresolved murders that took place in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City, from 1993 to 2005. At this time, nearly 400 unresolved cases of femicide (misogynistically-driven murders of women) took place.

The novel starts with three literary critics who are trying to track down a reclusive author, eventually ending up in the town of Santa Teresa. As their world views change after being exposed to the crimes taking place around them, the story transitions into the next part, which provides accounts of a different set of characters. Each part is loosely connected, but the narrative focuses on letting various characters paint the picture of a town overruled by corruption, institutional failures, and senseless killings. As the novel progresses, the detective story most audiences are used to begins to fade, almost as if Bolaño piqued our interest with a premise as a way to later show us a horrifying reality. 

The narrative is split into five parts, the lengthiest and most brutal being “The part about the crimes.” This is what sets 2666 apart from most detective stories, as it doesn’t focus on specifically tracking down a serial killer or force behind the killings. Instead, it provides accounts of confused law enforcement, parents or friends of victims, journalists, and other characters who have been deeply affected by the murders taking place. 

2666 is not a who-dunnit, the answer is clear. Santa Teresa is a place rampant with inadequate law enforcement that fails to properly look into the murders. The town’s corrupt government does not address what’s happening, the media ignores the cases, and there are the inescapable threats of the cartel — the power of this group goes completely unchecked. The antagonist is more abstract than just a character, but a corrupt city driven by misogynistic violence with no regard for the safety of its people. Most importantly, the femicides that have occurred have been a problem for years. As one reviewer puts it, “The story doesn’t begin with the murders — it arrives at them.” The beginning of the novel has nothing to do with the murders, but are slowly exposed to their horrifying nature. 

The violence in 2666 is intentionally not universal, but specific. It’s not supposed to feel familiar or conventional, but much more gruesome than what most are accustomed to reading about and even difficult to understand. This makes 2666 a devastating read. Through this narrative choice, Bolaño exposes readers to something that has been overlooked without focusing on a few central victims, but a collective voice of people who have suffered from the unresolved cases of femicide. An extensive amount of detail is provided on the direct victims of the violence, and perspective is given to those who are indirectly affected. 2666 is a haunting exposure of the violence that Latina, Indigenous, and Black women face all over the world, which is rooted in a misogynistic society filled with unchecked power.

A beginner’s guide to SFU sports, written by a beginner

By
Peak Web
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A group of girls huddle in a circle, each wearing a white uniform with red pinstripes and a red visor with a maple leaf on it.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Gordon Kalisch / Fasttracksports

By: Tam Nguyen, Staff Writer

I must admit, I’m not a dedicated sports fan. I don’t think I’ve ever watched any sports games before, except for the World Cup final in 2022 where Argentina scored two goals over France on penalties. Everything I know about tennis is from the movie Challengers. My knowledge of the Vancouver Canucks is that they play at Rogers Arena and their colours are blue and green. However, after hours of doing research and watching YouTube sports videos, I am ready to give you the best newbie-introduction to some of SFU’s sports teams.  

SFU’s athletics club, the Red Leafs, includes sports such as basketball, golf, and softball (women’s team only). The Red Leafs are the only Canadian member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), an organization that sponsors student-athletics programs for universities and colleges in North America. The NCAA has three divisions, with the Red Leafs currently competing in division two (NCAA-II). 

Now that we’ve gotten some of those details out of the way, here’s a little information on some Red Leafs teams. 

       1. Women’s basketball 

Two teams, with five members each on the court at a time, compete using one basketball. The goal of each team is to shoot the ball into the opposing team’s hoop while defending their own. Players use techniques like dribbling — bouncing the ball while moving — and passing to move the ball up and down the court. They also have various approaches to shooting the ball, with the most iconic being a slam dunk. Players have different positions and roles; one can be a guard or forward, or both. 

SFU’s women’s team has a total of 15 roster players and four members of the coaching staff, all led by head coach Bruce Langford. One of the team’s standout alum is Dani Langford, who was inducted into the Basketball BC Hall of Fame in 2023 with her “significant contributions to the sport over the course of her career.” She played as a point guard for the Red Leafs from 2000 to 2005 and is currently a physiotherapist for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. 

       2. Softball 

A popular variation of baseball, softball is different in the way the pitcher is only allowed to pitch the ball underhand, requiring them to swing their arm in a circular motion. A game is made up of two teams, each consisting of nine players, who compete using gear such as gloves, bats, a helmet, and a ball. Matches are usually played on a big field where bases and pitching rubbers are set up. There are a total of four bases that create a diamond from within, and the pitching rubbers mark the position where the pitcher must serve. The team that scores more runs (touches all four bases) is the winner. 

The most familiar positions for softball are the pitcher (responsible for throwing the ball), batters (responsible for hitting the ball), and catchers (responsible for catching the ball). Other positions include basemen, left fielders, right fielders, and center fielders. 

SFU women’s softball team has 22 roster players who are led by coach Stacy Fournier. A current star on the team is Megan Duclos, a junior center fielder. She was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s (NFCA) All-West Region Second Team. 

       3. Women’s golf 

This sport immediately makes me think of millionaires dressed in white polo shirts and navy hats, bargaining their company liquidation while hitting a golf ball into holes using a golf club. Out of the three sports in this article, golf is the only non-team sport (in the sense that players compete against one-another individually). This sport can be played both inside (mini-golf, golf simulators) or outside (on a course, on a range). Players will need golf balls, golf clubs, golf bags (to carry clubs), and ball markers to start playing. The winner is the player who completes all the holes with the least amount of strokes — the movement of the club to strike a ball. 

SFU’s men’s and women’s golf teams are both led by Coach Krysta Schaus. A standout on the women’s team is Meera Minhas, a current Red Leafs golfer who was named Player of The Year at the 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women’s Golf All-Conference Team. 

Chinatown screenings bring communities together

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Peak Web
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A black hanging sign with a big “M” in the middle and the words “Massy Arts Society” written on the bottom.
PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer

Dimmed neon signs, muted red lamp posts, the Millenium Gate, faded Chinese lettering on fenced panes of glass, and weathered buildings; these are all characteristics of a modern-day Chinatown. While the gnarled grips of gentrification have changed the physical pieces of Chinatown, part of this community’s rich culture remains buried under the rubble. Chinatown Today — an organization that aims to share Chinatown’s stories — is holding free movie nights on October 4 and November 8, showcasing films that provide opportunities for “building intercultural and intergenerational relationships.” These will be held at the Massy Arts Society, a quaint studio that hosts intimate nights of watching eye-opening and endearing films.

I got a chance to watch Julia Kwan’s Everything Will Be, which is a documentary-style film looking at denizens of Chinatown and exploring a moment in time when gentrification was beginning to plant its roots in the community. The film delves into the stories of people from all walks of life, young and old. From artists to business owners, to property developers and street vendors, Kwan takes a broad scope of the town’s society in all its complexity. For some, Chinatown is a home away from home, with many of its inhabitants coming from various parts of the Chinese diaspora. The film not only showcases the intricate and heartwarming culture of Chinatown, but also how new developments, gentrification, and neglect from the government has minimized the impact of a Chinatown that has met its full potential. 

Coincidentally, I met one of the people from the film: Ken Lum, an aspiring artist who aims to bring awareness and dialogue to Chinatown’s culture. The film shows Lum in his studio, with many of the area’s occupants coming to interact with his art. Whether it be neighbourhood kids or the trusted security guard, his work was and is an homage to the people and their stories. “My hope was to be able to bring dialogue and action in preserving and celebrating Chinatown heritage,” Lum told The Peak.

As many might say, what makes Chinatown Chinatown, is its rich culture, history, and cherished memories for those who frequent the abode. “Childhood memories of spending time with my family here, munching on the tasty food, pining over the cool exotic toys from Asia, and dodging the crowded streets on the weekend while my parents did their shopping,” Lum said on what makes Chinatown special for him. 

After the film, there was a short presentation by some of our very own SFU alumni. Firm Kongthong and Nick Cheung are working on a project they started during their studies, but are now able to fulfill to the fullest. Their project uses AI and predictive design to imagine a modern Chinatown in an idealized view. 

“The overarching purpose of the project will be to leverage the overall appeal of Vancouver’s Chinatown and its heritage by creating conversations within the community of Vancouver,” they said in their presentation. In a statement to The Peak, Cheung described their initial project and how they created an exhibition-style presentation showcasing the uncanny future of Chinatown’s gentrification. “The money within the red pockets would be replaced by eviction notices from the city of Vancouver to represent the growing cost of rent,” Cheung explained. “We both are trying to understand more about the Chinatown community from all age groups and their perspectives,” Kongthong mentioned as the project is in the research phase, transitioning from “a two-person perspective project into a community-based project created by two designers.” 

Avoiding gentrification and washing away rich culture is a keypoint for many, as it should be for most. “While I don’t think it’s entirely possible to bring back the same Chinatown as it was in the ‘80s when it was thriving, I think aiming for the communal hub essence should be a vital part when discussing the future of what Chinatown would or should be like,” Cheung said while discussing paths forward. Lum also urged everyone “to bring awareness to the value of preserving and celebrating Chinatown, and partnering with developers who share that same value.” 

Modernity will always clash with antiquity, but I believe that Chinatown will do just fine balancing both against all odds. Honouring the past, celebrating the present, and planning for an auspicious future is possible with the help of regular people and those in power working together to find a cohesive balance of then and now. 

Reserve a free ticket to see Chungking Express (1994) on October 4 and a short film showcase on November 4.

Tell us your favourite Month of Welcome event and we’ll determine what your Twitter account looks like

By
Peak Web
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A September calendar with the dates of SFU Month of Welcome events circled.
ILLUSTRATION: Victoria Lo / The Peak

By: Amrit Kamaal, Peak Associate

SFUReady 

You made sure to attend each stall to scoop up all the freebies. You had to sweet-talk for some of them, but you’re not above that. Of course, that sweetness is a front. You run a stan account on Twitter for, in your words, “a very underrated artist,” and you will defend their honour on the platform with everything you’ve got. When you’re not having one-sided beef with your fave’s rival, you’re working on a new fancam. Maybe it’s time to take your own advice and touch some grass because your page has more stolen insults than a group chat full of tweens learning to cuss. 

Username: GucciFloraArtistName

Bio: Spreading love and positivity insert laughing cat emoji
       3x noticed by my queen
       insert random lyric about how many bitches hate you

SFU Welcome Day

You romanticize university life a bit too much, taking an exaggerated breath in to “soak it all in.” You commute over two hours daily to whichever campus furthest from you purely to “study,” pretending you’re Rory Gilmore walking around in the cold with your Blenz coffee. Of course, your Twitter consists of dimly lit pictures and a poem based on a quote from your PSYC 100 lecture talking about “we’re so similar but different.” Your captions and bios consist of the most random emoji combos just because you like the colour. Maybe if you actually attended your English lectures, your poems about your hallway crush might actually get some recognition. 

Username: BloomingLilliesInMySoul

Bio: Another person’s place
       “The place where flowers come to grow”
       emoji combo of a goose, a bathtub, a poodle, and a white heart

SFU Clubs Days

If you claim you weren’t a band kid, an anime kid, or even both, you are lying to yourself. This is your favourite event because you can unintentionally wreak as much havoc as possible, constantly repeating phrases you’ve heard on TikTok over a million times in an attempt to be “humorous” with club leaders. You definitely own a flop meme page, constantly tweeting and retweeting overdone memes remixed with loud screams and CupcakKe songs. Unfortunately, it also impacts your social interactions in person because asking to study abroad at “Ellie and Mason’s house” isn’t the move that you think it is.

Username: FlopTropica69

Bio: WhAt i dO insert purple heart
       Not me in my flop era I—,

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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