Larissa Chen to continue as interim SFSS president

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June 17, 2016

LARISSA_WEB — Larissa Chen will be handling the roles of President and VP Student Services for the time being.

Larissa Chen will be staying on as the interim president of the Simon Fraser Student Society for the summer semester.

As per a press release from the SFSS, Chen will be maintaining her role for the time being as the board’s bylaws require. Chen took over for Deepak Sharma on June 2, when bylaws forced him to resign for failing to meet membership eligibility requirements.

The board is not allowed to make any formal changes to its leadership structure until September, and it has not yet been decided what those changes might be.

For now, Chen is just cautiously optimistic about staying the course as interim president.

“I’m obviously nervous, but very well-supported. Our team is great, and they’ve done a very good job of being understanding,” she said. “I’m just excited, we have a lot of projects ahead of us, and now we can get started and really get rolling.”

She will still be responsible for her initial role on the Board of Directors, which is VP student services. She said that a lot of the presidential tasks will be delegated amongst the other members of the executive to help her maintain her increased workload.

“In terms of balancing both those roles, it’s been discussed before that VP Student Services is a great deal of operational services. However, there are these governance aspects where you can engage with students and get consultation and feedback with students, and I think that’s really great, which is why I applied for this role,” she said.

“Moving forward, I will still do the responsibilities the president is named to, but with a service focus and still making sure [both my roles] are being done well and that there is always someone taking care of any tasks.”

VP external relations Christine Dyson acknowledged that students might be feeling a little wary of the SFSS right now, but that they should still have faith in what this year’s Board of Directors can accomplish.

“I would say right now we do have a lot of — I don’t want to say negative — I would say news stories coming out and there are a lot of issues that have been developing, but I would say really focus on what the board is doing this year,” she said.

“We had our board plan, we worked on that, there’s some really good things coming out of that. Also, we’re working off of the strategic plan from last year, and that’s great because the society hasn’t had a strategic plan before, so this is the first year it’s really being implemented.”

Chen said that she understands that students are upset about what happened with Sharma, and said that the reason board members are not rushing any decisions is to make sure they make the best decision for both the Board and for students.

“I think that in terms of the Deepak situation, it’s fair for students to express their concerns, and I think it’s fair for them to be upset about it,” she said. “We will definitely be weighing out all the aspects and all the catalyzing effects of any option and all the options that are available to us.”

This means that the Board will take their time in deciding how to proceed come September instead of making any decisions or announcements to the public.

“At this point in time, we’re still trying to weigh out all our options,” said Dyson. “That’s why we’re going to wait a few weeks and make sure we suss it out properly, and then at that point in time we’ll have a formal release of what the plan will be going forward.”

SFU and ResLife have failed women on campus

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EIC

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June 17, 2016

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[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rovided you don’t live under a rock, you have most likely heard of the three rape allegations against one male SFU student that have recently come to light. According to news reports, the alleged rapist was permitted to live on Residence through the Fall and Spring semesters alongside his victims. Two of said victims have reportedly dropped out of university and have removed themselves from residence due to feeling so unsafe.

Overnight, this issue has provoked widespread concern among staff and students alike, with the dominant tone of response being anger and shock — and rightfully so. Upon questioning, both ResLife and SFU have hidden behind vague, PR-saturated statements. SFU spokesperson Kurt Heinrich claimed that SFU worked with the RCMP and “undertook measures to ensure the safety of the campus community,” as The Vancouver Sun reports.

One of the victims reportedly felt too unsafe to eat at the Dining Hall alone, or leave her room. When the victim and her parents pressured SFU to act on the allegations, he was merely moved to a different building — where no other female student was warned. How can this be framed as ensuring safety? As a female student at Simon Fraser who currently lives on SFU residence, I do not feel safe. I do not feel protected. ResLife and SFU have allowed a dangerous man to infiltrate our small, friendly residence community, with no warning whatsoever.

As a former employee of SFU ResLife, I have witnessed people evicted for “alleged drug use” and “excessive noise complaints.” Trivial reasons, justified with well-worded proclamations of keeping this community “safe.” I don’t know about you, but I would much rather live next to a stoner than a rapist, obviously.

As a female student who currently lives on SFU residence, I do not feel safe. I do not feel protected.

Ironically enough, I was reprimanded for (albeit, aggressively) questioning ResLife’s sexual assault policies in a training session. Their response was to quickly gloss over the topic, and the session continued. It seemed then, and is clear now, that they have very few answers. In fact, the organization is still grasping at straws on how to handle such a serious crime. When I asked current ResLife employees to comment on the situation, I was quickly given the business card of yet another media representative, and informed that they had strict instructions from their bosses to refuse to comment.

When moving into residence, you are required to sign a contract that explicitly states that you agree to “abide by all federal, provincial, and local government laws, regulations, and bylaws and all SFU rules, regulations, [and] policies,” or SFU may “terminate” your contract. SFU’s pathetic sexual assault policy states that any form of sexual violence will not be tolerated. Newsflash: rape is not only illegal and reprehensible, but explicitly against the contract that is so often wielded over residents’ heads for much less important issues.

The image SFU and ResLife desperately try to create is that of a safe campus. On residence and throughout SFU, I hear a lot from staff and administration about the “community”: that it is safe, healthy, and inclusive. Now, when I think of these ideals, I feel sick and betrayed. I can’t help but feel infuriated on behalf of those girls who were made to fear their own living space, while SFU and ResLife hid behind empty rhetoric.

In a “safe” community, two girls wouldn’t feel so at risk that they would decide to quit school, and an alleged rapist would not be permitted to share a bathroom with unknowing, unwarned residents.

With our ongoing, seemingly undeserved reputation of being a ‘progressive campus,’ I would have expected a much faster and adequate response from the administration. This obvious lack of diligence infuriates me. I’m angry for myself, for my peers, and for the victims. These actions have not only failed to protect the survivors, but all women residing on campus.

Kevin Morby brings the Media Club to its feet

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EIC

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June 17, 2016

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Kevin Morby — This man knows how to work a crowd, even if it is with bad puns.

An intimate night of music at the Media Club started with Jaye Bartell, a solo act featuring only Johnny Cash-style vocals and exquisite finger-picking skills on an acoustic guitar. Bartell’s voice was deep and soothing, despite also sounding melancholic.

He didn’t move around a lot, looking rather emotionless and a little nervous while he was playing. In between songs though, Bartell seemed to relax more and made small talk. His music is more folk than pop, but if that’s not your style, don’t fret — it grows on you as he plays. The crowd could tell there was talent in the house, as Bartell received plenty of applause at the end of his 30-minute set.

By the time Kevin Morby took the stage, clad in a beige blazer and bolo tie, the Media Club was packed. His type of pop is laced with rock and folk, with lots of percussion punctuating the songs. There’s a freshness to Morby’s music, and it’s hard to discern where it comes from. His sound is all at once comfortable, familiar, and yet new. It could be from the bluesy bass, the great rhythm, or toned down rock edge — but what I do know is that it was a great show.

Great musicality and a big sound helped Morby command the stage. The crowd emphatically followed the singer/guitarist’s lead, head-banging and dancing energetically to each song. People were standing on the furniture just to catch a glimpse over all the moving bodies.

He kept the crowd entertained between songs with various attempts at stand-up comedy. Let’s just say, it’s a good thing he’s more serious about music. A fan told him to name his next album “Pho!” (pronounced foe). To which Morby responded that it’s pronounced “fuh” but that it was a “fuh-nny” idea.

I think you can imagine the half-hearted applause and scattered groans which followed. However, his jokes did pass the time while he was tuning, and kept the audience engaged. It was even a little endearing to see him try so hard.

Morby played a new song, “Tiny Fires” to the great delight of the crowd. He also played fan favourites like “Miles, Miles, Miles” with his band, and did a few songs solo, including “Black Flowers.” It didn’t matter whether he had a band or not — every song was greeted with raucous approval by the audience.

For a Tuesday night, Vancouver partied pretty hard and it’s all thanks to the great talents of Bartell, Morby, and company. No one left the Media Club without a smile on their face and their blood pounding through their veins to the echo of the kickdrum.

dvsn makes performing live look effortless

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EIC

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June 17, 2016

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vancouver_dvsn-10 — The duo started their tour off on a high note.

On June 8, Canadian R&B duo and recent OVO signings dvsn played their first show of their debut tour at Fortune Sound Club, to support their debut album Sept. 5th. The duo consists of talented singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85, who’s become well-known for producing Drake hits such as “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and “One Dance.” Think of electronic/trap R&B, with a lot of sexual innuendos mixed in the lyrics.

The evening started with the in-house DJ. At the beginning, he was trying to get the crowd going to not much effect. But once the place started to fill up around 10 p.m., there was a lot more energy to it. Of course, with dvsn signed to OVO, founded by Drake, you knew there would be some Champagne Papi songs, with remixes of “All Me,” “Controlla,” and “Still Here.”

Once dvsn got on around 11 p.m., they opened with probably their most recognizable song in “Try/Effortless,” with a snippet of Drake’s “Fire and Desire” mixed in. After “With Me” and “Do it Well,” they went into “Too Deep” — the definitive crowd favourite of the night, which includes some super sexual lyrics that they are getting well-known for. Other highlights included “Hallucinations,” and a Prince tribute with a cover of “Purple Rain.” It wouldn’t be an OVO concert without some more Drake as well, so they played their part from “Faithful,” one of the better songs off Drake’s new album in my opinion.

It’s very rare that you can hear an entire artist’s catalogue in one concert, but dvsn managed to play all 10 songs off their only album in just over an hour. They hit multiple high notes perfectly, and they sounded exactly like the album, which is not something that you can say for most acts. I had also never been to a concert at Fortune before, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good the acoustics were. The bass was thumpin’ and you could perfectly hear the vocals.

In all, it was a great concert. If you’re a fan of R&B such as the Weeknd, I definitely recommend giving these guys a listen.

Levitation Vancouver is set to kick off festival season

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EIC

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June 16, 2016

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levitation vancouver — King Tuff preforming at Rickshaw during last year's festival.

Summer has arrived, which means music festival season is swinging into full gear.

Although there has been some disappointment with the cancellation of the Squamish Valley Music Festival, there are still plenty of other festivals to fill the emptiness.

Levitation Vancouver is back for its second year from June 16–19, featuring artists with an emphasis on psychedelic or experimental sounds. Having gone last year, I recommend this festival to anyone who has the means to attend.

The festival is spread out between the Commodore and select venues. Groups such as garage rock band together PANGEA start the festival off on Thursday night at the Cobalt respectively, for some shows you won’t want to miss.

Tycho’s chilled out electronic ambience will fill the Commodore on Friday, changing the atmosphere from the psychedelic glam pop/rock from of Montreal, and surf punk sounds of FIDLAR.

Beachy surf vibes mark the midway point of Friday with Allah-Las, their music steeped in a 1960s sound reminiscent of the Zombies or the Kinks. Vancouver-based punk group White Lung rounds out Friday’s schedule for Levitation.

Los Angeles experimental electronic master Flying Lotus headlines on Saturday, and is sure to have accompanying psychedelic visuals to set the tone. Californian band the Growlers are set to play beforehand, with a sound that bridges rock, country, surf, and pop into the umbrella of psychedelia.

Another highlight of Saturday will be Thee Oh Sees. John Dwyer always brings a great energetic live show, and since he’s touring with two drummers right now it’s sure to be an excellent set.

Night-time shows will take place at the Cobalt, Imperial, and Rickshaw Theatre after the headliners finish at the Commodore. You can expect to see some great acts, with bands like Montreal-based Suuns, electronic synthwave artist Com Truise, stoner-psych heavyweights Dead Meadow, and mutli-genre/jazz-fusion/electronic bassist Thundercat.

A nice aspect of this festival is that you don’t need to pay for the full weekend, or even a full day. Tickets for the different venues are sold separately, so if you’re only interested in seeing a band or two in the evening you won’t have to break the bank. Or, if you’ve been at the festival since 4 p.m., you don’t have to feel pressured to go see another handful of bands later on in the night.

Administration allegedly mishandled three sexual assault allegations

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EIC

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June 15, 2016

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Three sexual assaults have allegedly taken place at SFU Residence, with the university being accused of mishandling the accusations.

In the midst of rolling out community consultations for SFU’s new standalone sexual assault policy, reports have emerged that this past year that administration may have mishandled sexual assault allegations from three students against a male student in residence. The mishandling could implicate the top levels of administration including President Andrew Petter, VP Academic Jon Driver, and Associate VP Students Tim Rahilly.

What happened?

The first individual alleges she was raped by the male student in October of 2015 while living in residence, according to The Vancouver Sun. The second alleges a sexual assault happened during the Christmas Break outside of campus.

Both students withdrew from classes shortly thereafter. It was in February of this year that the mother of one of the individuals wrote to President Petter to bring his attention to the issue. However, it was not until April that the mother met with several members of the administration.

What was the administration’s response?

It was reported by the Sun that the male student was moved to another residence — according to some reports, to an even larger room. Kurt Heinrich, a spokesperson for the university, told The Peak that the university conducted a safety assessment “in conjunction with the RCMP.”

Heinrich emphasized that the male student in question was no longer on campus, but would not say whether that was due to university action or some other reason. It is unclear whether the student is still enrolled in the institution.

He would also not get into the specifics of any other measures taken by the university, despite saying to The Peak, “We’re doing our best [to be] as transparent as we can.”

Several friends of the survivors have claimed that the university has encouraged them to keep quiet about the allegations. They also claimed that they have been physically threatened by the accused student’s friends.

What are they saying now?

As of now, Petter, Driver, and Rahilly have all declined to comment.

The Peak questioned Heinrich about why the university’s legal counsel was present at the April meeting if not to protect the university from liability. Heinrich said “that wasn’t necessarily the case,” but wouldn’t say why Li-Jeen Broshko, the lawyer, was present.

Heinrich refused to comment on many aspects of the story, including two of the female individuals withdrawing from classes, citing privacy concerns and a wish to not interfere with the ongoing RCMP investigation.

Said the Teaching Staff and Support Union (TSSU) in a statement made available to The Peak, “The SFU Senior Administration needs to take responsibility for their decades of inaction and start being part of the solution rather than silently perpetuating injustice.”

The Peak will update the story as more information becomes available.