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How to live like royalty at SFU

By
EIC
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0

Universities have long been a stronghold for the elite and prestigious. Having a degree makes it much easier for the common folk to relate to pure divinity. With the increase in international students’ fees, it seems likely that SFU will join the likes of Cambridge and Eton in acquiring illustrious attendees eager to splurge on their tuition.

But what are monarchical students to do when attending this school they must share with the plebeians? Sit in the same seats? Eat the same food? Study the same materials? What blasphemy!

Thankfully, yours truly has comprised a survival guide for how to properly live as royalty at SFU in preparation for when I decide to take over as Supreme Eternal Empress of Canada. These simple tips and tricks will help you find a balance between making the masses realize how philanthropic and prodigious you are, while keeping your hands clean of the dirty commoners.

 

1) Identify those worthy of being your servants

If you’re coming here from another country and left your personal attendants behind in an attempt to fit in better, make sure you at least learn from your mistake. Scout out servants based on how easily you can buy their loyalty.

2) Never return your library books on time

True royalty transcend the need for “deadlines.” The library should recognize your importance and hand over possession of all their book collection for free. Think of it as your personal bookshelf and storage space.

3) Never pay for tuition on time

Paying for that extra six percent on school fees like it’s no big deal is a great way to not-so-subtly flaunt your wealth to the student services admin. Timing shouldn’t matter for the elite.

4) Only wear SFU swag

I know it will be tough to downgrade from your regular quality of clothing, but wearing all SFU clothing will make those “spotted” photos all the more satisfying for the common folk back home. Additionally, it will signal to other SFU students that you are just like them, only richer.

5) Find the right throne for you

Many SFU classrooms contain only hard, uncomfortable seating. Make sure to contact your personal furniture procurer beforehand and have them install a throne for each classroom you’ll be using this semester. Put your citizens’ taxes to good use, and bear in mind that proper back support is essential — you’ll be sitting on it for several minutes a month, after all.

6) Buy off your TAs

The best way to get good grades is the age-old practice of bribing your TA. Remember that here, TAs are only one social notch above slaves, and with a donation of a small fraction of a royal jewel, you can sustain them for over 50 years. Philanthropy is important for future rulers.

7) Always get the guacamole

It may seem like just some mashed avocado and chopped cilantro, but it’s really so much more. Getting that dollop of guac at the burrito place represents prestige, represents pride, represents luxury. Whether you’re the long-lost Prince of Tuvalu or Queen Elizabeth signing up for continuing studies, this assertion of wealth is a must.

Anosh Irani’s prose makes for an emotional experience

By
EIC
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0
Anosh Irani's latest novel explores catharsis, belonging to marginalized communities, and what identity is.

I’ve been staring at a blank page for hours trying to figure out how to put words on the page to describe Anosh Irani’s latest novel, The Parcel. I am beginning to realize that, although it’s a novel, it isn’t about the words that appear on the page, but the feeling that those words create in the reader.

The Parcel is a novel of emotions. From the reactions of the characters to the hardships that they face daily in Bombay’s red light district, to the visceral emotional response that I had in the final pages. It isn’t rooted in plot, although that does help keep the story from turning into an expressionist experiment; it is rooted in emotional action, reaction, and inaction.

Never once, as I was being absorbed into the worlds of Madhu and the parcel, did I feel an urge to stop reading. I was pulled along by the nature of the characters who were always moving forward. I felt compelled to follow their example and move along with them.

Anosh Irani’s style is one of restrained profusion. He knows when to use five dollar words and when to drop them entirely, to be replaced by the language of the streets of the red light district. This is one of the standout features of this novel: it doesn’t stay tied to one singular, defining characteristic.

The Parcel weaves themes of family drama with romance, mystery, yearning, change, and erasure in a way that pays careful attention to each. The end is positive, but it is not happy. There is no final, joy-filled moment for any of the characters. It is an ending that almost prompted me to call my parents at an ungodly hour in the morning to tell them thank you and that I loved them. Reason stepped in before I pushed call, but the response was one that I doubt I will forget.

The weaving in and out of transgender and cisgender sex workers is done in a way that doesn’t vilify or deify either group, and instead works to portray the transgender hijra as victims to a lack of understanding, and the cisgender women victims of being born as the easily commodifiable gender.

Even though at its core it’s an emotional novel, it is also a novel about female power and how it can be wielded even when society rejects this as something that should be celebrated and accepted.

The Parcel functions in a third space, much like Madhu and the rest of the hijra of the red light district are members of the third gender; it is very real and present in this world, but also very transcendental and existing in many places all at once.

As the housing market falls apart, stakeholders build a plan

By
Peak Web
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Provincial and Federal governments start to create a stronger housing plan to help combat housing crisis

By: Maya Schofield

Rising housing prices in BC have become the topic of serious discussion across the province. On September 14, A diverse panel of housing operatives in British Columbia came together to discuss the province-wide housing crises at SFU’s Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue.

The attendees spent the day sharing and brainstorming methods that would create more social housing and reopen the market to renters and potential homeowners.

After roughly 30 years of being hands-off in the housing market, according to some reports, the provincial and federal governments are beginning to work with stakeholders and advocacy groups in order to create a thorough National Housing Strategy.  Discussions held at the housing crisis initiative centred on building and renovating new social housing sites, working with landlords, modernizing transportation, and generating housing for rural and urban indigenous communities.

The housing crisis in BC is a very unique one in Canada, and is pronounced in Greater Vancouver in particular.

The housing crisis in BC is a very unique one in Canada, and is pronounced in Greater Vancouver in particular. David Hutniak of LandLordBC explained that the real estate industry generates $10.6 billion in revenue yearly.

However, most British Columbians are not gaining much of this profit, as many are being pushed out of the housing market, the rental market, and social housing. The provincial and federal governments are trying to find a viable strategy to balance these conflicting realities.

BC Housing Minister, the Honourable Rich Coleman, opened up the conversation by stating that “housing strategies are not just about housing.” He cited the need for additional transportation to reach more rural areas, and for government on the provincial and federal levels to “think outside the box on housing [. . .] as housing is the connection to the people we serve.”

Coleman also noted that the $150M over two years that the new Liberal government has promised, in addition to provincial funds, will help deal with immediate issues in British Columbia, though he stressed that a long-term plan is essential. He went further by appealing to attendees, promoting “heart, humanity, and innovation” as the key tenets to dealing with issues pertaining to social housing, rental, and home ownership issues.

In keeping with this new culture of innovation, Kishone Tony Roy, chief executive officer of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, pushed the importance of transit near social and rental housing.

“The provincial government should be attentive about where they’re building transit lines, and to make sure they are near social housing,” he said. Roy further stressed that a modern transportation system would be a key component to the success of future social housing, as it would give tenants more opportunity to commute to work or education programs.

According to Hutniak of LandLordBC, the price ceiling in BC for rental homes is slated to rise another 2.9 percent this year, which is the government-controlled price limit. This means that we can expect to see the median cost of rent increase as British Columbians continue to look towards rental housing as an alternative to home ownership.  

Given this information, millennials should be looking forward to paying an extra $50 or so for the same ratty apartment (sometimes literally), and contentious roommates (usually literally).

An intrinsic theme of the discussions centred not only upon the pervasive housing inequities in BC, but also the effects of a lack of accessibility and affordability — now and in the future. “There are businesses in Surrey struggling to stay open because workers can’t afford to live in the area,” Hutniak said, bringing us back to Coleman’s opening comment that “housing strategies are not just about housing.”  

In the eyes of the panel members, the problem surrounding housing does not only implicate British Columbians in need of affordable housing. It has generated economic problems in the tertiary economy, as more people choose to move out of fiscally inaccessible neighbourhoods, leaving cafés devoid of baristas and local companies struggling to keep up with larger businesses.

The Government of BC is seeking to further partner with investors and the federal government to create a realistic and, more importantly, unique plan for the future. They hope to relay their unique strategies to the National Housing Strategy. The strategy should be put into effect next year, in hopes of inspiring gradual changes in the accessibility of housing.

Until then, a 450-square-foot apartment is called a “cozy bachelor pad” and a closet a “homey den,” so settle in.

ALBUM REVIEWS

By
Peak Web
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By: Max James Hill and Courtney Miller

Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Even for a Nick Cave album, Skeleton Tree is dark. Partially recorded after the tragic death of Cave’s son, the album is an unfettered glimpse into the singer’s grief and turmoil. But it’s also as beautifully realized and hauntingly poetic as any of the band’s records, and though it’s oftentimes heartbreaking, it never feels burdensome.

The Bad Seeds have always had a knack for album openers (“Into My Arms,” “The Mercy Seat,” et al.) and first track “Jesus Alone” is no exception, a solemn invitation set to Ennio Morricone strings. “Girl in Amber” is similarly melancholy, featuring one of the best vocal performances on the album.

But it’s the record’s centrepiece “I Need You” that stands out. Over a soaring synth background, Cave gives us the album’s thesis: “Nothing really matters / When the one you love is gone.” It’s one of the best songs the band’s ever done.

Skeleton Tree is not an easy listen, but it’s an essential one. – MJH

Wild World by Bastille

Bastille opens strongly on its sophomore album Wild World with “Good Grief,” which also happens to be the lead single. The thing I love about Bastille is the depth in their instrumentation and lyrics. It’s a beautiful combination that never disappoints — just like this album.

The news-type snippets throughout the album might throw off or even turn off some listeners, but everything the band does is for a reason. “Two Evils” has an eerie echo of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and really gives a majestic quality to the album.

The theme song for 2016 could be “Warmth,” with its reflections on current politics. “Blame” has a hard rock intro and keeps a low and foreboding feel throughout. Any university student can resonate with “Campus,” which is basically university life in a nutshell, with dependable Bastille twists.

Bastille may be classified as indie-pop, but the band branches into so many other genres that pretty much anyone can find something to like from them. This is an amazing record; play it anytime, anywhere. – CM

Big Mess by Grouplove

Grouplove opens “Welcome to Your Life” (and thus Big Mess) with a bubblegum pop intro, before gradually transitioning to a rockier style. The whole album goes back and forth like this, making it a bit of a stylistic rollercoaster. There’s the constant indie thread throughout the record, and I’m a big fan of indie, but it feels unfinished; like there’s something missing that would really cement it as a record to return to time and time again.

At times it almost seems purposefully immature, particularly on “Traumatized,” where the complaint is that the chores never end — despite naming only one chore. “Do You Love Someone” gets a little screechy at times, but for the most part it’s still an enjoyable song.

The opening riff to “Standing in the Sun” is the best part of that song, frankly. That’s how this record works. Some songs have really good parts but that’s all you get: a tease. – CM

Shit misogynists say

By
EIC
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0

“Mansplaining isn’t a real thing.”

Oh yes, please tell me all about how your personal experiences as a heterosexual, cisgender man are an accurate representation of how society treats everyone. Oops, I mean . . . I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt your interruption as you clearly have the authority over this topic since you’re the all-knowing man. Please, continue.

“I don’t date feminists.”

Well, good for you, feminists probably don’t want to date you either. That’s probably why you made up and/or are perpetually stuck in the “friend zone.”

“Don’t be crazy.”

Unfortunately, I don’t have the sufficient funds to recreate Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” music video. If I did, then you could call me crazy! Who cuts their cake like that? What a waste of perfectly good cake! Anything less than a full-blown reenactment of that music video probably isn’t crazy.

“Are you on your period or something?”

Maybe I am, punk.

Whatever you said is still offensive regardless of whether I may or may not be shedding copious amounts of blood and uterine lining — which is pretty badass in itself.

“Feminazis.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see the connection between genocide and advocacy for social, political, and economic equality for women. Maybe you should put down your Mountain Dew and think before you take out your sexual frustration by belittling people on the Internet.

“We don’t need feminism because we already have equality!”

Please excuse me while I put my eyeballs back into their sockets — they fell out because I rolled them with too much vigour. Perhaps current events aren’t your thing (in which case I don’t know why you’re reading a newspaper), but the news will certainly inform you of myriad equality issues that people everywhere face daily.

“You’re not like those other girls.”

A half-assed compliment that belittles my peers? Come on. You don’t know me, maybe I am like those “other girls” and maybe, just maybe, I am far worse. Maybe I’ve committed floorcest, maybe I’ve slept with more people than I can count on my fingers, maybe I haven’t done anything and I just watch trashy rom-coms. But what difference does it make?

“She’s been around,” “She’s used goods,” “Like throwing a hot dog down a hallway,” or anything else that alludes to a woman’s personhood being determined by her alleged sexual history.

She can do what she wants with her body, and that has nothing to do with your silly hot dog toss. Why are you throwing them around? It seems very wasteful and inconsiderate to those walking in the hallway being subjected to your flying wieners.

“Women aren’t funny.”
“Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

Humour is subjective and so is your shitty opinion.

 

 

SFU writer in residence Anosh Irani launches his latest novel

By
EIC
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0
Anosh Irani's latest novel explores catharsis, belonging to marginalized communities, and what identity is.

September 13 was SFU world literature’s writer in residence Anosh Irani’s book launch for The Parcel, hosted at the Vancouver Film School Café. It was a big turnout, with every seat in the café filled with close friends and family of Irani’s, as well as SFU staff and students.

Fellow BC-based author Aislinn Hunter gave a warm introduction for Irani, celebrating his newly completed novel. She sang Irani’s praises, noting that he as a novelist is a storyteller, and in being a storyteller Irani becomes a guide who takes the reader to a new world.

The world of The Parcel is the red-light district in Bombay, which Irani spent his childhood across from and which he returned to as an adult. The Parcel follows the story of a retired transgender sex worker. As Hunter said, “It’s not always an easy book to read,” as it deals with the brutal realities of sex trafficking and poverty in India.

Despite the dark subject matter, Irani still manages to wield prose that Hunter called “honey in the mouth.” Hunter, amongst other writers and critics are calling this a very important book; one that gives readers a special insight and reveals what a community needs to hear as Irani bridges the gap between worlds with The Parcel. “The world is a village,” said Hunter, and it is as important as ever to share the history of our diversity.

Following Hunter’s introduction, Irani took the stage and thanked his supporters, along with the teachers who encouraged him along the way. Irani has a new appreciation for his teachers, given that he’s now a teacher himself. “God help them,” he said with a laugh.

Irani then delved into his novel, explaining how he was searching for an entry point to begin his writing. He’d found the first point of entry when he interviewed a sex worker in a Bombay brothel, telling her that he had grown up not far from where she was now. She had looked at him, stunned, and said, “Do you think I get out of this place?”

This exchange jarred Irani, bringing him to the realization that we are often so consumed by our own realities that we forget the realities of others.

It was at this point in the evening that Irani treated the audience to a reading of an excerpt of The Parcel, where his vibrant prose filled the air and transported us to a place thousands of miles away. There is such clarity to the setting and to the protagonist, Madhu, that you cannot help but envision them right before your very eyes.  

Carefully crafted, The Parcel was an emotional odyssey for Irani, and to be finished this masterwork has left him with a strange feeling. Asked how he feels about his novel finally being finished, Irani told the audience, “I don’t know how I feel yet, it’s too soon.” Having put his heart and soul into this work, it’s difficult to imagine the surreal feeling that envelops an artist after their work has been completed.  

As for Irani’s future plans, he said that he will return his focus to his upcoming play Men in White, which debuts February 2017 at the Arts Club Theatre Company. As an established playwright and novelist, Irani enjoys alternating between the two artistic forms, because it gives him a refreshed mindset as he delves back into a familiar style.

Having spent six years working on The Parcel, it is time for Anosh Irani to return to the theatre.

SFU’s Academic Women discuss sexual violence policies

By
EIC
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0

In light of recent controversies surrounding sexual assault, SFU is working to develop better sexual assault policies.

Although the administration has been criticized for its alleged lack of response to sexual assault allegations, organizations at the school have been uniting to work towards this common goal. On September 13, SFU’s Academic Women organized a talk with the Ending Violence Association (EVA) to discuss how to create a proactive way to deal with sexual assault on campus.

The university has previously held a series of Town Halls to work on this goal, complete with an advisory committee.

The main speaker, Tracey Porteous, is the executive director of EVA BC. Porteous has been fighting to end gender-based violence for decades.

In her talk, Porteous argued that victims of sexual violence have the right to be outraged, as reports have shown that assaults are almost always premeditated.

When creating effective sexual assault policies, Porteous stressed the need for university leadership

When asked what sparked her passion for change on this issue, Porteous revealed that she too is a survivor of sexual assault.

EVA has been working with schools and groups all over the province to develop action plans to prevent sexual assault, as well as the policies and resources to effectively deal with the aftermath.

When creating effective sexual assault policies, Porteous stressed the need for unwavering leadership which, she argued, SFU administration has not provided.

SFU’s sexual assault policy reads: “All forms of sexual violence jeopardize the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of our students and our employees, as well as the safety of the community. Sexual violence violates our institutional values, in particular, the right of all individuals to be treated with dignity and respect. SFU will not condone or tolerate any form of sexual violence.”

Porteous argued that all members of the SFU community should be involved in the making of these policies, including Residence Life coordinators, all ResLife and Housing employees, as well as professors, security employees, and university president Andrew Petter. She recommended that “all Simon Fraser employees be cross-sector trained in responding to assault.” Porteous stated that it is “common to lack the literacy or language” when someone discloses an assault.

The EVA offers educational seminars to schools and organizations regarding consent, giving students the tools to stand up for each other and recognize when a situation is dangerous. 

Porteous stressed that just one of these solutions isn’t enough. It must be a comprehensive compilation of education, prevention, and leadership. She noted that SFU currently has the ear of its students and staff on this issue in a way it hasn’t ever before.

James Nizam’s work puts movement at the fore

By
EIC
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0
James Nizam's gallery show Ascensions of Time makes photographs move despite their static nature. you can see Frieze at the BAF Gallery until October 22.

James Nizam’s Ascensions of Time at the Burrard Arts Foundation Gallery is both superficially and conceptually engaging. By subverting our expectations in his photography, Nizam expands our conception of what the medium can convey.

Photography is normally seen as an artistic medium that uses light to capture an image of some space in a single moment. With this view, physical space is all that a photo captures; it cannot capture time in the same way that a film can. And so, maybe film can be said to have more expressive power than photography.

I personally have always preferred film to photography, in part because of the temporal limitation that photography has. In a film, you get a series of rapid frames that give the effect of elapsed time — or the movement of light. In a photo you have a single frame that can only capture a single moment with static light. But Nizam aims to question this distinction by showing us that time, through physical and metaphorical means, can be shown in a photograph.

He chooses architecture as the backdrop for his project. And what better subject than architecture, an archetypical symbol of physicality and space. But his photos aren’t straightforward pictures of rooms and buildings.

By projecting upside-down images of an apartment building on the walls and ceilings of a room, or taking the negative of a negative of a photo, Nizam disorients the viewer, even as the subject of the image is common and recognizable. In warping these images, he demonstrates that a photo of a room can be more than just a photo of a room.

Each photo looks highly constructed and aware of itself as being a photo. Of course it doesn’t seem natural for pictures of houses to be projected onto the walls of a room, and the projections of light are so deliberately positioned. Things like the juxtaposition of the outside of a house on the inside of a house feel unreal, and in a single image we can be inside and outside all at the same time.

In this way Nizam captures multiple moments in a single shot — film gets this for free.  But in film, movement in a “shot” is only an illusion. A film shot is really discrete photographs quickly flashing before our eyes. It is only the very small changes from frame to frame that create the appearance of continuity. But still, each individual frame is a static photograph.

It is only the succession of multiple frames that makes film dynamic — and what Nizam manages to do is make a single frame dynamic.

Think of a photo as an imprint or copy of the light in a room at a given moment. By projecting light onto the walls of a room, Nizam changes the composition of light in the room. Thus, in a sense, he changes the physical architecture of the room. But the image that is projected onto the walls is itself a photograph of light taken at an earlier time.

By projecting the light from this image onto the walls of the room, Nizam embeds the light from the earlier physical space into the light of the current physical space. The result is a single frame of physical space representing physical space from more than one moment. Thus through metaphorical means, Nizam subverts the common conception that a photograph can only capture a single moment in time. 

Yours Truly is taking the K-Pop dance world by storm

By
EIC
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0
Dance group Yours Truly has found fame on YouTube, but wouldn’t be where they are without SFU clubs.

Yours Truly is a five-piece team from the Lower Mainland with a deep love for dance. The core group consists of Kim, Theo, Stephanie, Kiki, and Frances. Together they take part in dance competitions and events, as well as covering dance choreographies from popular K-Pop songs and uploading them to YouTube. They have amassed over 7,000 followers on YouTube, with views rising over 1.5 million. The Peak reached out to the girls from SFU’s Hip-Hop Club.

The Peak: How did Yours Truly meet?

Theo: Steph and I met each other in [a] K-Pop dance class back in 2009, while the rest of us met each other through the SFU Hip-Hop Club. Frances attended our friend’s dance studio and was recruited for one of our covers. We ended up bringing her in for more covers and she became a permanent member!

Kim: We had started out as two friends who wanted to learn K-Pop dances for fun. We figured it would be fun to film what we learned and share our love for K-Pop with the rest of the Internet!

The Peak: Why K-Pop?

Theo: When it comes to K-Pop, the performances are always very inspiring to us because the idols are all multitalented. They can sing, dance, and even produce their own music and choreograph their own dances. Majority of these idols have been training since they were young and their hard work definitely pays off. We love not only K-Pop but we also find Korean culture very interesting. We love the fashion, food, and history of Korea.

The Peak: What are the competitions like for you?

Frances: For our competition in LA at KCON, it didn’t really feel like a competition because we were practicing on our usual schedule. I didn’t feel too pressured, because I still wanted to dance and enjoyed learning and practicing our sets. It wasn’t until it got closer to the date when I felt I had to really work on details like facial expressions and stamina, and then it felt more like a competition.

The Peak: What are some of your favourite dancers/groups and artists?

Kiki: I come from a dance background and started getting into K-Pop because of the fun dances which accompanied the songs. I fell in love with a boy group called SHINee back in 2010 because their choreographer at the time was my favourite dancer, Rino Nakasone. The fact that she got to work with SHINee made them my favourite K-Pop group as they made her choreography look so good!

As for Yours Truly as a team, we tend to gravitate towards complicated dances from K-Pop groups because we can showcase our ability this way. Some of our members are hardcore BTS A.R.M.Y. [fanclub members] and we make sure that we do a BTS cover every time a new single comes out.

The Peak: What is the group’s goal?

Stephanie: It started out just for fun, but now that we have grown so much, it’s motivated us to aim higher. This year we joined a few competitions, including the KBS K-Pop World Festival and managed to get second in the US Finals. We’re proud of what we’ve done, but next year we’re aiming for first so we can compete in the World Finals in Korea. Beyond that, we’re simply enjoying continuously growing our channel and producing bigger and better videos.

If you are interested in finding out more about Yours Truly, check out their YouTube, Facebook, and Patreon pages.

For anyone interested in checking out the SFU Hip-Hop Club, meetings are held every Tuesday, starting September 20 from 7 to 9 p.m in front of Bubble World in MBC. Single drop-in classes are $2, and entry for the whole semester is $10.

COMIC: Peers

By
EIC
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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