An interview with Zoya Jiwa, the SFU student changing the fabric of our lives

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October 3, 2016

After being diagnosed with a life-altering illness, few people think about what they’re going to wear. But as Zoya Jiwa points out, illness can have a profound effect on what you can and cannot wear.

Jiwa has been living with lupus, an autoimmune disease, since her teenage years. Her disease and medication left her with side effects such as nausea, weight fluctuations, fatigue, and hair loss. After a long period of remission, her lupus flared up again, and this time her diagnosis showed brain involvement.

Flash forward to Jiwa at 22: along with managing her chronic illnesses and the flare-ups that are often part of the package, the fifth-year sociology student has launched a number of social initiatives to support others who are navigating health challenges.

One of her top projects is a style blog, As We Are. The website is meant to help those living with health conditions find stylish clothes that work for their body type and needs, but it is also devoted to telling the stories of people dealing with health conditions — everything ranging from autoimmune disease to mental health challenges — and how they are coping with their respective conditions with positivity, creativity, and style.

Her community involvement has won Jiwa awards such as the 2015 SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal and Prize and the 2016 YWCA Young Woman of Distinction Award. She has also stepped upon the TEDx stage three times to share her story.

The Peak sat down with the warm, vibrant woman to get to know more about her and the inspiration that keeps her going.

“[. . .] I would rather treat my body as my friend and learn to be with my body instead of fighting against it.”

Jiwa had already been living with her initial diagnosis of lupus for a few years before she received news of her brain involvement. When asked how she reacted to this diagnosis, Jiwa spoke to feelings of uncertainty, isolation, and frustration despite an extensive support system for which she was grateful. “I didn’t know how to communicate what I was feeling to others,” she recalled. “I just didn’t know what the future would hold.”

For Jiwa, community involvement was always something that had brightened her day. Her previous projects included two personal blogs, as well as Simply You, an eight-session community program for youth ages 11–16 to foster confidence and leadership skills. After her second flare-up, however, she turned to a more personal and journalistic form of community involvement through her blog As We Are.

Jiwa’s condition renders her body incredibly sensitive to different fabrics, lights, and even sounds, forcing her to be creative and innovative in dressing to accommodate her symptoms. Comfort is key. She remembers the moment of conception of As We Are with a laugh: “One morning I woke up and I was looking in my closet and discovered I had more pyjama pants than real pants.”

Recalling the sense of confidence and expression that clothes used to bring her, Jiwa stumbled upon a gap in popular perceptions of style: “There wasn’t anything that stood out [in terms of fashion] for someone like me or my friends. So I saw this opportunity to create a community of celebration and to share stories of creativity and resilience and hopefully bring awareness to these different health challenges that people in our community are navigating.”

Through her platform, Jiwa finds herself often addressing what she believes is non-productive dialogue around health conditions. She spoke about how her experiences interviewing for As We Are led her to the realization that a lot of these health conditions are not visible, and so it’s very difficult to tell what anyone else is going through from the outside. Additionally, Jiwa struggles with the encouragement patients of illnesses often receive that “you’re going to win this” and “just keep fighting.

“That doesn’t really resonate with me as I deal with a chronic illness,” Jiwa said, “because it’s likely something I’ll be managing throughout my life. And I would rather treat my body as my friend and learn to be with my body instead of fighting against it.”

Jiwa addresses another cultural perception around health conditions with the very name of her organization, As We Are. She talked about the idea that sufferers of illnesses can do the things they want after they get better. “The intention behind the name was to create a space where people can celebrate who they are, in this moment, not just waiting to get better,” Jiwa explained.

The stories of resilience and passion Jiwa encounters in her interviews led her to envision creating a positive, celebratory community for sufferers of health conditions: “I try to bring together the community because there are so many moments where I’m interviewing someone and see so many opportunities for connections.” To that end, Jiwa also hosts community events a few times a year for the As We Are community to come together and form support networks and friendships.

The stories of As We Are not only help others in the community feel connected and supported, but they also help Jiwa build upon her writings talents, focus, and creativity in the face of the toll lupus has taken on her cognitive capacities.

When she’s not working towards graduation from SFU with a degree in sociology and two certificate programs (sustainable community development and entrepreneurship and innovation), Jiwa spends time learning the ukulele, watercolour painting, hanging out with friends, and eagerly anticipating the new season of Gilmore Girls.

For her, it all ties into her main message of treating your body like a friend and embracing your best self today: “I think it’s important for us to take care of ourselves and find activities that bring meaning to our lives today, as we are.”

ISIL and universities: should SFU students be worried?

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October 3, 2016

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Chibok Secondary School, Nigeria, 276. Garissa University College, Kenya, 142. Peshawar school, Pakistan, 132.

These figures represent the number of student victims from terrorist attacks taking place in their own schools over the last few years. The rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the recent explosion in New York which left 29 people injured, make the US and Canada fear for random attacks in public spaces. But should Canadian students be worried about the risk of terrorism at their own universities?

Canada, along with many other countries, has been explicitly threatened by ISIL. According to Professor André Gerolymatos, director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies and a specialist on terrorism, Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan and the presence of “Canadian advisors in Syria” have made the country a target of ISIL.

Indeed, as of 2015, between 130 and 145 Canadian people left for Syria to fight with ISIL. Their potential return makes Canada fear “lone wolves”: people trained in Syria or Iraq, and then sent back to commit attacks against their home country. According to Gerolymatos, “this will become more prevalent, as ISIS loses ground in the Middle East.”

Given the terrorist tactic of spreading fear among the population, attacks would likely occur in symbolic places with the aim of hurting as many people as possible, Gerolymatos said. Hence, universities have become key targets as symbolic places of Western education and diversity, and emotionally charged because of the young age of potential victims.

Gerolymatos added that universities are also big targets because of the concentration of people, the isolation from big cities, and potential lack of security on campus.

Nevertheless, exchange as well as domestic students said they are not afraid of terrorism occurring at SFU. On the contrary, Emma, a student from England, and Mink, from the Netherlands, both said they feel more reassured than in Europe.

They explained several reasons, including the mistaken idea that Canada is not militarily involved in the fight against ISIL. Carrying a gun is also not as easy in Canada as in the US, where shootings have occurred in several schools in recent years. Entering Canada is more difficult than Europe, which is closer to the Middle East. More importantly, they mentioned, they consider Canada a welcoming, multicultural, and tolerant society, in which people cannot feel legitimately excluded to the point where they would want to attack it.

This perspective, according to Gerolymatos, reflects the gap between the visions of European and Canadian society. “There are people who are not happy, who are marginalized,” he said. “They’re not many — we’re not talking about thousands of people — but it only takes one.”

However, attacks remain very rare in Canada, and would be highly improbable on campus. Jason, a Canadian student, expressed views similar to his peers: “I don’t feel like students are a particular target. It doesn’t matter your age and who you are, so we’ll keep going out and having fun.”

Gerolymatos noted that Canada should “continue to promote a policy of multiculturalism and to be a welcoming society,” with the aim of not letting ISIL instill fear. “Eventually, they won’t be there. They’ll disappear.”

Vancouver welcomes new general manager of urban design

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October 3, 2016

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vancouver_web — Residents come together to hear Gil Kelley's vision for Vancouver

Eagerly awaiting their new chief planner, there was an air of excitement amongst the residents of Vancouver who sat in the audience of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre on the night of September 28.

“Most of my friends in the US suspect that my wife and I actually came here and took this job in advance of the election,” he joked as the crowd laughed and eased into their seats. “And in this case, I don’t mind if I prove them right.” This is Gil Kelley. He started just a few weeks ago as Vancouver’s new general manager of planning, urban design, and sustainability.

Having lived in the United States all his life, Kelley has worked in planning for Berkeley, San Francisco, and Portland. The City of Vancouver mentions that he has been revered for his accomplishments and ingenuity in the planning realm. With his long list of credentials, Kelley now plans to take on the daunting task of spearheading Vancouver’s current urban issues.

The theme of West Coast Cities ran throughout the evening. As a newcomer, Kelley was quick to draw on his experiences from our geographical siblings to the south at the event hosted by the Vancouver Urbanarium Society. He emphasized how much these cities can learn from each other, as they have mutual concerns over issues such as housing and affordability. They also share a similar civic energy, new city optimism, and environmental and social ethics in politics.

“I sense that there is a moment of time here to really take a big leap forward.”

– Gil Kelley, General manager of urban design

For a city that focuses so much on livability, Kelley pointed out that some of the processes can often add to the problem instead of take away from it, and how the old paradigm for how cities are formed isn’t sufficient for the 21st century.

“I think our four cities have the best chance of cracking that and developing a new paradigm,” he said. “I sense that there is a moment of time here to really take a big leap forward.”

He offered many different areas around the city where he would like to see development. His ideas include taking advantage of the Broadway corridor metro potential, bringing back the waterfront at the base of Granville and Cordova, and reimagining the Millennium Line.

With all his praise, Kelley also wasn’t short of highlighting the ways in which Vancouver’s incremental planning has lost its way over the years.

He found strengths in its leadership as an iconic city, a global model, and as a place where citizens hold the community responsible. However, the future of planning for Vancouver had no larger narrative, he said.

He explained how the planning function had shrunk, and that layering bylaws over the years has led to internal conflict and misdirection on where the city is going in the future. It’s also been affecting Vancouver’s ability to view itself as a whole community.

During the Q&A, Kelley talked about the important role of affordability for the youth of Vancouver. Two of the biggest concerns were the change in the economy and millennials being driven out of the city. These are priorities in his new role as chief planner.

And while the housing crisis isn’t an easy topic to grapple with, he knew one thing for sure: “We can’t just have the people who look like you and I age in place.”

Kelley managed to address nearly all the sticking points for the residents of Vancouver, many of whom congratulated him on it. He was thankful for the opportunity to address everyone, and reiterated how all of his hypotheticals would start to become real problem-solving initiatives as he eased into his job.

Vancouver’s new chief city planner is hopeful, and he wants to challenge the City of Vancouver to strive for the excellence he knows it’s capable of. “Can we continue on the path of livability, can we ramp up the path of sustainability, and can we really take on the question of social equity and inclusiveness? Because that’s the sweet spot.”

Olivia Aguiar, a leader on and off the pitch

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October 3, 2016

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olivia_web — Aguiar is the co-captain of the women’s soccer team, as well as president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

For Olivia Aguiar, soccer is more than a sport: it is a family affair. The Coquitlam native explained how her father’s European roots infused a religious-like soccer atmosphere in her home. “My dad’s love for soccer spread onto us, and my passion developed through him,” she said.

With this passion, Aguiar decided not to hang up her boots. “I got introduced to competitive at the age of nine, where it became more organized. As you get older, that’s when your skill set starts developing more. [. . .] I felt a big gap, though, from high school to university: just playing against American-type soccer makes a huge transition, but everything was bigger and better.”

Having been part of SFU’s first promotion to compete for the national championship, Aguiar experienced the challenges of adapting to a new level: “My first year was the first year we were eligible to compete in any form of national championship. We are academically a tough school ,and lay on top of that an NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] division competition of sports. It becomes this massive balancing act, but it’s great because I’m getting the best of both worlds.”

The captain’s armband was earned through a lot of hard work for Aguiar, who had to rehabilitate an ACL injury in her sophomore year. “I came in my first year with a damaged knee and I didn’t know how bad it actually was. By the end of my first season we found out that I had torn my ACL. I got a surgery and I redshirted my second year.”

Having gone through a long and frustrating process of rehabilitation before stepping again on a soccer field, Aguiar acknowledged the unconditional support in her entourage. “I am very fortunate to have support from my family, my friends, my professors to the athletic department. I’ve had no reason to not be successful. I am a product of my environment.”

“It has been incredible to go from 2012 to being in contention for the NCAA tournament.”

While many student athletes engage in studying the science of the body because of their history with injuries, Aguiar’s altruistic nature reveals itself in her choice of major. “I love working with people. I find the human body fascinating with the more I learn. When I was looking at programs to apply to, kinesiology seemed to take everything that I would like to pursue.”

Aguiar also summed up how she made her way to SFU. “[It was] based on a sentimental value, a lot of my cousins came here for various programs, academics, for me who wanted to go into kinesiology and soccer, for playing in an NCAA institution.”

The SFU women’s soccer team has arguably made the most remarkable progress of any team since the athletics department joined the NCAA. Starting with a winless season during her first year to securing a spot in the NCAA tournament, Aguiar reflected on that new era for the Clan’s women. “My freshman year was not successful in terms of statistics. We did not win a single game.

“It has been incredible to go from 2012 to being in contention for the NCAA tournament. It is unreal to flip a program like that. My coach deserves a lot of credit between recruiting and coaching.”

The co-captain of the team unpacked to The Peak the work habits established by head coach Annie Hamel through the last three years. “We train four days a week and we have two games. It is very demanding. I love our training sessions; they’re well-structured and organized. Each session has its own purpose.”

More optimistic than ever, Aguiar reviewed her team’s chances to lift the NCAA trophy. “I think we have the potential to do a lot of great things, as long as we keep executing our game plan and working hard. This is a matter of being disciplined and taking our coaching advice.”

Aguiar looks to establish a culture within SFU Athletics, and to extend her love for sports to her community. “I’m the president of the student athlete committee,” she said. “Our goal is to bring the student body together within athletics and on campus. We also take on fundraising for organizations. We have been able to grant a wish to a girl in the province who was suffering from a life-threatening disease.”

With her team spirit and fancy footwork, could our captain be the next Christine Sinclair? Aguiar isn’t shy about her future career path.

“When I was five, being a professional soccer player was the main goal,” she laughed. “It is a dream for any competitive athlete to play at a high level. I just think my dreams have changed over time; there are other things I’d like to pursue. I would still like to be involved in soccer, whether it’s coaching or something else.”

Fun Fact: Why did you choose your number?

“You always associate a number with a player. I love Luis Figo. That’s where my number seven comes from.”

SFU students run for Terry Fox

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EIC

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October 3, 2016

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SFU Surrey students gather for the annual Terry Fox run.

The sun was shining at SFU Surrey campus on September 30 for the seventh annual Terry Fox Walk/Run.

Friday was Terry Fox Day, and SFU Surrey joined the Burnaby and Vancouver campuses in running for the cure, with all funds raised going towards the Terry Fox Foundation.

Students, staff and faculty, and members of the community all came together to walk and run, with the route starting at the plaza outside of SFU Surrey and encompassing the perimetre of Holland Park by King George SkyTrain station. Various teams were organized together with different themes, from matching shirts to a Harry Potter-themed team.

Steve Dooley, the executive director at SFU’s Surrey campus, emphasized that this event was a great one to bring together various groups as one big community, as well as a chance to raise money for a great cause.

“At SFU Surrey, we are all part of one big community that is defined by this neighbourhood, and it gives us an opportunity to connect with the community in a very neighbourly way,” Dooley told The Peak. “It’s also great to help raise funds for such an amazing cause, especially since Terry was an SFU student who set a great example for our students as well as the community.”

After a warm welcome from Dooley, SFU student and former SFSS president Enoch Weng shared an inspiring story of someone in his life who reflected Terry’s courage: his brother Luke, who was diagnosed with cancer at 17, but is now cancer-free.

“Cancer sucks, but the people here [at the Terry Fox Run] rock because they are here to support the cause.” – Enoch Weng Former SFSS president

“I think of it this way: if [Terry] didn’t have cancer, there would be no Marathon of Hope,” Luke said. “Terry Fox is a hero to me, [. . .] he took his downfall and used it to help a lot of people.”

Enoch added, “Cancer sucks, but the people here [at the Terry Fox Run] rock because they are here to support the cause.”

Further, the Weng brothers hope that people take Terry’s example of persevering in the face of hardship. Luke compared it to the refining of a precious metal like silver: “Silver goes through intense heat [. . .] in the end, it turns into something so beautiful, so pure [. . .] and something like suffering inspires me. I can use it, I can turn it into something great. Don’t let the opportunity to help someone pass you by.”

This is the spirit and legacy of Terry Fox: despite his adversity, he worked hard to make a difference. To date, over $650 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research. With Friday’s event, SFU helped to play a critical part in the fight to find a cure for cancer.

Forget everything you believe about online courses

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EIC

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October 3, 2016

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I’ve never been one for classroom learning. I hate the concept of just sitting in a lecture hall that is either too hot or too cold, being talked at for what seems like forever. The worst is when the lecture content comes directly from the textbook that I had to buy for the class anyways. It just seems counterintuitive. That’s why online courses work for me: they cut out the middleman.

I’ve had some good professors, but it seems like I’ve had more bad ones. I’ve realized the professors I think are bad might actually be good, but I can’t learn from them. Their teaching style just doesn’t match my learning style. I would rather read about it in a textbook and take notes from that than have to pay attention to and take notes in a lecture.

Online courses are reading intensive, but that’s why I like them so much. I can just sit down, read, synthesize some information, and move on to the next thing. It makes the process of learning much more active, and there’s just something about being able to combine homework and lecture that makes learning feel that much more time-efficient.

Their teaching style just doesn’t match my learning style.

That’s not to say that every online class I’ve taken has had a desired or successful outcome, but in-person classes I’ve taken haven’t either. There isn’t going to be one kind of class delivery method that will always work out the way you anticipated — and that’s OK.

Just stop bashing the concept of an online class, saying that there isn’t any requirement to attend, so you won’t get any of the work done. Online courses have many requirements that force you stay caught up on classwork, and as a result, it doesn’t mean you are doing three months’ worth of coursework at the end of the semester.

I’ve taken online courses to fulfill degree requirements, and I’ve taken them because I’ve been interested in the course content. But I am also aware that I’m lucky to be able to mix in online course with my regular in-person ones — regardless of how I might be feeling about them. I am in a position where I don’t have to work full-time or raise a family. I am able to move to a new city to take classes. I can choose to either like online courses or hate them, but I also realize they are essential for people in different situations to get a post-secondary education.

My only complaints with online courses are that there aren’t more options for courses and that there is an additional $40-fee applied to distance courses to cover printing and delivery costs for the course. In theory, I think it should cost less since I will not be needing on-campus resources such as electricity.

Yet, even with these two drawbacks, if the option presents itself where I can choose between an in-person class and an online one, I’ll take the online one every time.

World News Beat

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EIC

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October 3, 2016

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CANADA – Canada negotiating an extradition treaty with China

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that Canada is negotiating an extradition treaty with China. The controversial treaty, which would allow China to pursue people living in Canada for crimes committed in China, comes with major ethical concerns considering China’s human rights record. One such issue is that China employs the death penalty, which is unconstitutional by Canadian standards. NDP leader Tom Mulcair has criticized the treaty for this, while Trudeau has stressed Canada’s “extremely high standards” during negotiations.

With files from CBC News

SWITZERLAND – Referendum increases government surveillance powers

In Switzerland, a new law has been approved democratically through a referendum, giving the Swiss government greater jurisdiction in its ability to monitor private communications. The Swiss government, when necessary, now has the ability to listen to phone conversations and read private emails. Switzerland has previously had very well-protected individual privacy, with people wary of surveillance after a government spying scandal was uncovered in the 1980s. However, fears have risen in light of terror attacks in its neighbouring country, France, causing 65.5 percent of voters to support giving up their privacy for increased security.

With files from BBC News

SYRIA – Difficult to maintain precarious Syria ceasefire

The ceasefire in war-torn Syria has been described as desperately needed by its people, many of whom are displaced and struggling to rebuild. However, the ceasefire is fragile, and reports have claimed it has already been broken after a United Nations aid convoy fell victim to an airstrike. Syria has blamed the United States for ending the ceasefire, whereas the United States points towards the airstrike as a showcase of Russia’s lack of commitment to bringing peace to Syria. Regardless, the collapse of the ceasefire may worsen the struggle of the people of Syria.

With files from CBC News and CNN

Mars: humanity’s next frontier?

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EIC

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October 3, 2016

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Over 44 years ago, astronaut Gene Cernan became the last person to ever set foot on an extraterrestrial surface. Ever since he departed the moon and the Apollo program ended, humanity has not gone beyond low Earth orbit.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to change that within the next two decades. On September 27, Musk held a press conference outlining SpaceX’s intentions of creating a human colony on Mars.

Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? No. As SFU engineering professor Dr. John Jones explained, “I think we have all the necessary technology right now. [. . .] Although we haven’t designed a Mars ship, we don’t need any particular breakthrough to do so.”

Musk’s hour-long presentation outlined exactly how SpaceX intended to reach and ultimately create a colony on a planet which at times lies 401 million km away from Earth. One major idea put forward was the need for “full reusability,” as a way of combatting the hurdle of expense.

To achieve this full reusability, SpaceX would build a launch system that was capable of taking off vertically, placing a spaceship into orbit, then returning to Earth, landing vertically on the same launch pad from which it had taken off earlier.

Once landed, the rocket has only completed a fraction of the job. From there, once loaded with a tanker filled with fuel for the spacecraft that is now in orbit around Earth, the rocket would once again take off to refuel the orbiting spacecraft. The tanker and rocket would then finally return to Earth, only to repeat this refuelling process three to five times until the spacecraft has been completely fuelled.

Once completed, the launch system and tanker would return to Earth, while the spacecraft embarks to the red planet at a coasting speed of 100,800 km/h.

All this achieved with a rocket capable of over 28 million pounds of thrust. Now, having completed the first leg of the journey, those on board the spacecraft would have only just begun facing the dangers of their one-way trip to Mars, knowing they will never step foot on their home planet again.

Dr. Jones noted that “the trickiest technological challenge” in planning a mission to Mars “is probably protecting the colonists from radiation during the six months that they’d be in transit.” Without proper shielding, the colonists would be exposed to extremely hazardous amounts of radiation, a challenge that SpaceX will undoubtedly need to solve before anyone heads off to their new home.

With the goal of manned missions to Mars set for 2026, one important question remains: what would you pay to call Mars home?

COMIC: Worst people in the world

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October 3, 2016

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Board Shorts

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October 3, 2016

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On Friday September 30, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) held their Annual General Meeting inviting all students to attend at the SFU Diamond Family Theatre. Roughly 25 students attended the meeting, where various motions were put forward by students during the open space discussion.

Grayson Barke, council representative for the Environmental Resource Student Union, expressed his concern for the proposed expansion of the tank farm below Burnaby Mountain, and the lack of information surrounding a plan for evacuation on the mountain in the event of an emergency.

Dylan Belvedere on behalf of the Mechatronic Systems Engineering Society (MSESS) expressed his motion to provide greater services for students on the Surrey and Vancouver campuses. He specifically stressed that students in MSESS, who attend most of their classes on the Surrey campus, do not have access to services such as the Women’s Centre and Out On Campus, despite the fact that these students pay the same student activity fee.

Another student, Darien Lechner, asked the board what the proposed plans were for the student levy following the cancellation of the stadium. The SFSS is currently involved in a tripartite agreement with SFU, and Scotiabank. As it stands, the allegation of the student levy cannot be changed until all three members of the agreement change its binding documentation.

Following the open space discussion the SFSS continued their proceedings with a brief review of the events and activities since May 2015. Vice president of finance, Hangue Kim and the independent auditor Tompkins, Wozny, Miller & Co also presented a review of the year’s financial report.

Did you know you can attend SFU Board of Directors meetings? Join the SFSS October 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Forum Chambers for the latest SFSS discussion and news.