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My journey towards waste reduction

By
EIC
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This is the first article in a three-part series about Kendra’s journey through waste reduction.

 

Screen Shot 2016-06-03 at 3.25.36 PMYou see that? That Mason jar filled with garbage right there, boys and girls, is Lauren Singer’s garbage — after not one day, not one week, but two years. Singer’s made a name for herself as an online blogger, talking about how we all need to live waste-free. This is the Mason jar that perplexed me, motivated me, and pushed me to figure out how any of this was possible. As odd as it sounds, this jar sparked a lifestyle change for me.

Baby steps

Buying things is the first order of business, which seems a bit ironic considering the goal is to reduce consumption and waste. To reconcile this, I reminded myself that these things are an investment and not intended for short-term use.

At the bottom of this article, I have compiled a list of resources if reading about zero waste living inspires you as much as it did me. I spent a full day looking in all the wrong places for reusable items, and I don’t want anyone else to waste time walking all over the dang city on a wild goose chase for jars and organic soap bars. Learning about waste reduction, and how to get ahold of products to help you is so important. Creating a sense of accessibility is one of the goals of writing this piece, so I hope you take advantage of some of my research.

Other than making a few small changes, I signed up for a Car2Go because I thought everything would be difficult to carry around. But as I later found out, a $15-flat of Mason jars weighs less than a six- pack!

After a short time of researching, I am discovering there are countless resources for living a zero waste lifestyle right here in Vancouver. I have become more conscious of what I have control over and can change. I feel empowered, I feel less guilty about merely existing in this capitalist world, and I feel just plain ol’ good. Yes, it’s a slow start and impossible to change overnight, but it’s definitely something that can be incorporated into everyone’s lifestyle.

This consciousness has trickled into areas I had not expected. I began to cook vegan dishes to combat the copious number of cheeseburgers I consumed in the last month. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the taste and fullness factor — but real talk, I still eat cheeseburgers.

Alternative items

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All of these fine-looking products right here are helping me reduce waste, and it’s not costing me as much as I thought it would. I spent around $70 including some of the containers, which sounds pricey, but to refill costs very little. To fill the large glass spray bottle with all-purpose cleaner was only $2.44.  Once you invest in the refillable containers you’re ready to start saving money!

I carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. I have a plastic one, however, even BPA-free still leaches chemicals into your water. So for those about to purchase, please avoid plastic. There’s no such thing as a safe plastic.

Diva cups. Men, permission to skip this paragraph. When they work they’re pretty great! They use silicone, with no wasteful cotton and no worries about getting toxic shock syndrome. The trick is finding one that fits properly and being OK with, shall I say, knowing your vagina as more than an acquaintance.

Other than the obvious BYOB (bring your own bag) and water bottle, there are biodegradable toothbrushes, organic sandwich bags, dryer balls, Mason jar drink lids — and the list goes on. Just check out some of the many stores around Vancouver located in the links.

Say no to straws! If you absolutely need one they make reusable ones!

I know we are all poor students, but boycott dollar stores. Invest in a few good kitchen items and keep them forever. Cast iron pans are best. Bamboo and stainless steel are also good materials that will not have toxins if they are good quality.

After buying the necessities that will prevent you from using disposable versions, it is imperative to take a good, long, hard look at the various things you are buying. Don’t let your things own you.

Zero waste seems like a lot of work and I’m lazy

In the past, you might have found me sprawled out on my couch, indulging in bottomless Netflix and avoiding adulting.

As much fun as it is staying in Neverland with the Lost Boys, I found that going to a local farmers market was much more fun! With the draws of local, fresh, organic produce — not to mention locally brewed beer — in the most scenic areas of Vancouver, it becomes a social event rather than a humdrum chore. While it does require you to get off your couch, I promise, it’s highly rewarding.

Yes, this lifestyle takes effort. No, it’s not always easy. Yes, it’s worth it. Here’s why:

  1. Save money. With your own containers in tow, you can purchase multiple cleaning products and bulk foods for fractions of a dollar at the Soap Dispensary, Basic Refill, or the soon-to-be permanent Zero Waste Market.
  2. Save the environment! Every day we see terrible doomsday headlines in our newsfeeds that leave us feeling paralyzed and hopeless, but every once in a while great news pops up with local heroes and stats that show we are improving! Be part of the good statistics! Make sure you’re doing your part.
  3. Feel warm and fuzzy inside. It can be hard to get over our pessimistic attitudes towards going green, but reducing waste will actually make you feel good about yourself!
  4. Save yourself. You’ll be healthier eliminating pesticides and other harsh toxins from your life.

Overall, this lifestyle is my personal choice. I will not force it upon roommates, friends, or family. That being said, I find the little changes I’ve made tend to rub off on others. I have always believed we are all a lot more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for. When our environment calls upon us to live a certain way, we just do it. Although it may not be immediately obvious that our environment has changed with all the abundance of things, we can use our big ol’ brains to see that adaptation is required.

Combat haters

It’s easy to say that one person can’t change anything — that one person can’t fight capitalism, consumerism, or neo-liberalism. It’s also easy to succumb to this way of thinking.

Fight it.

Challenge yourself to do more than just press a button saying you support the environment. Yes, knowledge is power, as the old adage says, but actions speak louder than words. I wholeheartedly believe that one person can create change in the world. If my small actions around the home can affect others and change actions, then why can’t this formula be used in the world?

It’s a nice thought, and the world needs more of them.

Zero Waste Club: Green consumerism

When I attended this meeting, it felt like the first day of grade school. I had a burning self-consciousness about my plastic water bottle and my wrappers from a coffee shop sandwich I just ate. I was worried I would be judged, but I set that aside and what I saw was a friendly group of people coming together over a common concern.

Painstaking research went into the meeting where they went into great detail on the most environmentally friendly and healthiest alternatives to the common way of buying products. The toxicity of nearly everything in our lives is shocking and if you don’t care about saving money or the environment, you can be selfish and care about saving yourself from harmful agents.

Inefficiency is the secret word to get into the capitalist club. It is bred into every fiber of every mode of production. Planned obsolescence, which reportedly began with the light bulb, is where things are designed to break over a certain period of time. Why is this allowed?

France recently passed a law where a product must tell you how long it will last before you buy. Instead of wasting resources, we should be outright banning this ridiculous trend in the marketplace. Jacquie Rolston with Vancouver’s Zero Waste Club noted that it doesn’t just waste resources — it wastes people’s lives. So many of us work our whole lives away just to make something that will be used for less than a day and thrown out. “Somewhere, someone is paying for your cheap product,” Rolston said.

Everything is optional. Everything will be garbage — including you. If that’s not enough to make you feel awkward about our garbage situation, I don’t know what will.

Educate yourself! Like Zero Waste Club on Facebook to catch their next free meeting. https://www.facebook.com/zerowastevan/

Reflection time

Zero waste is a transition. It takes time. Do your best and keep curious about alternatives! After three weeks I can honestly say I am nowhere near zero waste, but I am proud of the changes I have made.

The reality is that almost everyone in some way, shape, or form is worried about the environment and our impact on it. So I am left with burning questions.

Why aren’t we all banding together and why are we not all demanding our government change things?

What is it about our political structure that is so hard to change? Why is it so hard to petition for new policies?

These are all questions I will be trying to find the answers to in the the rest of my Zero Waste Adventure. Stay tuned for part two!

 

Links to help you get started!

Blogs

www.zerowastehome.com

www.trashisfortossers.com

http://paredownhome.com

http://www.goingzerowaste.com

Local/ Online Shops

www.thesoapdispensary.com

http://secondnaturehome.ca

http://www.basicrefill.com

http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/ca/

https://ecofreako.ca

http://www.oldfaithfulshop.com

Recycle/Share

http://mattressrecycling.ca

https://www.freecycle.org

http://vancouvertoollibrary.com

Information

http://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/want-to-compost-but-don-t-have-a-backyard-.aspx

http://zerowastecanada.ca

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/clutter-stats/

http://350.org

http://www.cleanbinmovie.com

http://www.consumedthemovie.com

https://specwaste.wordpress.com

Deepak Sharma resigns as SFSS president

By
EIC
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3
Deepak Sharma (centre) has vacated his position, leaving VP Student Services Larissa Chen (right) as acting President.

Deepak Sharma is no longer the President of the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS).

The Peak has received confirmation that Sharma failed to meet membership eligibility status and has been forced to resign. His seat has since been “deemed vacant,” according to a press release from the SFSS.

This comes just over a month after the current Board of Directors took office on May 1. The SFSS elections had notably poor turnout, with one position on the board failing to even garner a single candidate.

Larissa Chen, VP Student Services, will be taking over the responsibilities of President for the time being as per the society’s bylaws.

“The SFSS just got exciting again, didn’t it? In a really bad circumstance,” she admitted.

The board learned at their May 19 meeting that Sharma’s eligibility status was in question. From that point on, Chen took over the responsibilities, and he was instructed to stay away from all Board duties. However, as an act of good faith, he was still publicly listed as the President of the SFSS, in the event that it was a clerical error that had nullified his eligibility.  

The position wasn’t officially vacated until the most recent board meeting yesterday. Now, the board must decide how to move forward.   

“We can either have a by-election, or we can have a [simple resolution]. Another option is to leave it as it is and for me to continue being interim president,” said Chen.

“Those are the next steps for board. I don’t want to comment on it now because I don’t want to say anything concrete and then for it to be an error.”

Former SFSS President Enoch Weng said it was a surprise to learn about Sharma’s resignation.

“A million things went through my head [when I heard]. Why? What were the reasons? Was it personal?” said Weng. “Then I learned that it was membership eligibility.”

“I honestly believe that he did his best, it’s just an unfortunate thing.” – Enoch Weng

While Weng and Chen both declined to comment on the specifics of membership eligibility, former board exec Kathleen Yang wrote in a Facebook post that “Failing to meet membership eligibility usually means that you were not considered enrolled in any SFU courses for two consecutive terms.”

This definition matches the one offered in the Board’s bylaws, which notes that membership in the SFSS “shall cease when a member fails to register for undergraduate courses at the University for two consecutive registrations.”

Weng said that he found the news to be a shock.

“I did do my transition with Deepak and I saw kind of what he did and the plans he wanted for this year,” he said. “I honestly believe that he did his best, it’s just an unfortunate thing.”

He did hope that students both take note of this situation, and hopes they aren’t too dramatically affected by it.

“It’s something that students should care about, because of the SFSS manages student fees and helps with student life,” he said. “Students won’t feel too much, because life goes on. In terms of the board, and how they’ll feel, there definitely will still be huge bumps because you don’t have a presidential figure.”

Sharma only ran against one opponent in the last SFSS election, and that was Darien Lechner. Sharma ultimately won with 63.2 percent of the vote, with a total of 1,870 votes. Lechner said that he finds this development disappointing, but hopes to see some good come out of it.

“I think that he should have done his due diligence at the time and made sure he would have been able to serve the full term,” he said. “I reach out to him, and whatever situation he’s going through he has my full condolences, but I see this as an opportunity for some positive things to occur.”  

The next board meeting is scheduled to take place on June 16. Chen said this is when the board hopes to discuss their next course of action.

She acknowledged that the situation has been something of a trial-by-fire for her.

“It has been a challenge — however, I find that my team is amazing. The execs have distributed the responsibilities and we’ve all been very proactive. The board is very responsive.

“Imagine what it’s like to just come into board, and for this to happen to the new members who have never experienced this. They’ve been so wonderful, they’ve been responsive and responsible, and they’ve done a very good job.”

She concluded by hoping that Sharma is not antagonized during this time.

“This is a very difficult situation to be in, and I think that it has impacted us and [Sharma] a great deal. In terms of moving forward, I think that one key thing I want to note is that I want the privacy and the confidential matters to be respected.

“I would hope that people would have enough respect to not pry for answers when they shouldn’t be.”

Deepak Sharma could not be reached for comment at time of publication.

The time I accidentally became a Tumblr porn star

By
EIC
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3

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]umblr is a huge website. According to Wikipedia, it hosts over 290 million blogs, with over 45 million new posts created daily. With such a huge site comes a huge diversity of people and interests, and like any community so complex, the world of Tumblr has a secret underbelly: porn.

I’ve been on Tumblr since the beginning of high school. With over 8,000 posts, my blog is full of images that reflect me. I find collecting these images useful as an artist and film student: anytime I need inspiration for colour or camera angles, I can turn to my blog. On the rare occasion I upload personal posts, they are usually random thoughts or pictures from my life — but on one fateful day, I posted something different.

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At the beginning of last year I grew my armpit hair out. To me, it was just another hairdo, but to almost everyone else, it was much more. My mother couldn’t understand why I would grow the hair out, and tried to coerce me into shaving it. Many friends, co-workers, and strangers thought it was gross, unnatural, or unfeminine. To me, it was truly just hair. It irked me that others felt they should get a say over my body, or that the image of a “natural” woman be hairless. I started to take pride in my armpit hair.

So, while at a public pool, I took a selfie in the mirror. I was proud of myself for going swimming with armpit hair. I wasn’t gonna let other people’s standards hold me back. I posted the picture on my personal blog with the caption: “Armpit hair pride. Gym swimming pride. Curves pride. Pride ride.”

As I was toweling off from my swim, I noticed I had a notification: a reblog. I sat down on the locker room bench, hair still dripping wet, to investigate. I was excited. My group of followers was small, and my posts didn’t get many reblogs. I clicked on to find that my selfie had been reblogged. “Even more exciting,” I thought at the time. Until I clicked the linking blog. . . I was blown away to see my picture on a fetish porn blog filled with hairy women.

Like I said, Tumblr is a huge site with hundreds of millions of blogs and tens of millions of daily posts. What might surprise you is that according to Wikipedia, “over 22 percent of all traffic in and out of Tumblr is classified as pornography,” and 16.5 percent of blogs on Tumblr exclusively contain porn. And now I was part of that percentage. My image was now porn. The notes continued to flood in, reblogs and likes from all sorts of porn blogs filled my notifications. As I scrolled through these sites, all the women started to blur into one single image. Just as my own blog was a collection of single images that collectively represent my aesthetic, these blogs seemed to encompass the owner’s sexuality.

It was weird to be one of those pieces. It was like I was just representational flesh. My armpit hair made me easily searchable and classifiable as a fetish that I never wanted to be a part of. I lost track of all the sites my image ended up on. I even received personal messages from people asking me to write back to them.

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Now, the story could end here: I accidentally ended up on a bunch of porn blogs, I felt what it was like to be objectified without my consent on the Internet, and I learned a little bit more about a fetish I didn’t know about before. The end — right? Well, the story is a little stickier than that.

I, myself, have my own personal porn blog. A blog where I do the exact same reblogging of people’s images to trace out the shape of my own sexuality, like the blogs that used my image. I wasn’t an innocent victim whose image was stolen from her and sexualized by evil porn bloggers. I understood why they used my post, and that as a public image they had every right to reblog it — but it still felt off to me.

It can be a confusing feeling to see both sides of a coin. Of the hundreds of images I had collected on my site — faces, bodies, intimate acts — I had no idea who any of them were, and no idea if any of them had consented to their images being posted on a porn blog. What if all these people, especially the women, felt the same way I did about my image being on porn blogs? Do they feel violated? Do they feel unsafe?

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I thought about closing my porn blog for a while. I thought about trying to delete my hairy armpit photo too, but neither seemed like the right answer. I pride myself on being pro-sex; that’s one of the reasons I created my porn blog in the first place. I want to be pro-sex just in the same way I want to be pro-armpit hair — spreading positivity where there isn’t enough.

I am not ashamed that people found my image sexual. I do not feel shame for myself or for them. The images on my blog are just that: images. They are not the people themselves. I never want to be seen just for my sexuality, but at the same time, I don’t want to demonize sexuality. It isn’t something to hide. It’s unsettling to think that something innocuous that you share with the world can become something else without you even knowing, let alone consenting; but maybe that’s the risk we take when we share things publicly in the Internet age. I want to advocate for a more open public perspective of sexuality, but with that comes risks. Not everyone would be OK with their image being spread on porn sites as I am, and not every image is as seemingly safe-for-work as mine. It’s a double-edged sword that we all have to hold carefully, and Tumblr is just one of those fighting grounds.

Bike to Work Week a success for SFU community

By
EIC
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0
Bike to Work Week was a success for SFU, with over 100 participants riding in

For the third year in a row, SFU took part in Bike to Work Week, convincing dedicated cyclists to trek up Burnaby Mountain, as well as the more inviting option of biking to Vancouver campus.

With folks attending the Vancouver campus on June 1 and Burnaby on June 2, the event seemed to have over 100 participants, according to the map of where cyclists were coming from.

The event was a joint project between the SFU Sustainability Office and Embark (formerly Sustainable SFU), putting together a “celebration station” for those taking the greener option to get to SFU.

That celebration station offered riders free Starbucks coffee, Timbits, some freebies from Bike Maps, and an entry into a raffle for a $50-Mountain Equipment Co-op gift card.

Amy Farahbakhsh, the program manager for Embark, acknowledged that there are some challenges to biking up Burnaby Mountain, but believes that if people learn about the rewards and the community that do it, they might find the challenge more appealing.

Those who biked in put a star on the map to show where they came from.
Those who biked in put a star on the map to show where they came from.

“I think by showing that there is a community that does it and it’s actually quite fun and doesn’t have to be a terrible, scary experience,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you cycle every day and all the way. There’s nothing wrong with cycling partway or taking the bus, or even taking the bus up and just cycling down.”

She did acknowledge that there were some problems that they are trying to tackle up here on the mountain to make it more user-friendly.

“There was a survey that we put out last year that found that bike storage is an issue on campus. People don’t feel comfortable leaving their bikes on racks, and there aren’t enough racks, so that’s something we’re looking to address.”

She also hopes to see a bigger social aspect come along for cyclists, in the form of a network or support system for those who are interested in cycling, but are intimidated by it. She acknowledged that having a buddy who can bike up with you can make it a lot more appealing.

Keeping her expectations realistic, Farahbakhsh would like to see 5 percent of the SFU community bike to work. Still, she was happy with everyone who came out for this year’s big event.  

She said even though they were expecting a good turnout at the Vancouver campus, there had been a steady stream of attendees at Burnaby.

“In the fall, it was pouring rain and even still we got five cyclists, so we’re happy with the turnout today.”

Racing towards space with the Tourist Company

By
EIC
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0
The band can relate to astronauts going off into the unknown.

The Tourist Company, from the Lower Mainland, released their second EP entitled Mercury on April 29, and hosted a release party at the Biltmore Cabaret on May 26. The new record follows the same space-theme as their 2014 release, Space Race. As lead singer Taylor Swindells put it, “I’ve been stuck in that metaphor for life in general for the last couple of years.”

Swindells identifies a lot with astronauts who are venturing off into the unknown, saying that it feels a lot like life as a musician: “You spend a lot of time away from home and a lot of time away from community, away from everything that supports you and makes you sane. . . You’re adventuring out into the unknown all the time. You’re often at risk on the road, and there’s lots of risk in performing and being vulnerable before an audience.”

The dense crowd at their release party loved the Tourist Company’s rock mixed with some pop — moving, grooving, and singing along like the audience wrote the songs themselves. The same themes of exploration and risk can be expected on their upcoming full-length record. After that, Swindells said that he’s “starting to think about what the next focus is and what it’ll be like.”

All the way from Winnipeg, Adam Hanney and Co. opened first for the Tourist Company. Despite Hanney coming off of an illness, their groovy guitar and bass made for fun rock. Vocals full of swagger, uplifting guitar solos, and a bassist/keyboardist who was ecstatic to be there made for a great start to the night.

A little closer to home, Victoria-based band Isobel Trigger dominated the stage next with harder, more seductive rock. With lots of bass, kick-drum, and stellar vocals, this foursome performed their hearts out and the crowd knew it. Everyone was pumped and ready for the main event after they left the stage.

There’s a majestic quality to the Tourist Company’s music, something that shines through because of the great songwriting. It feels like you’re actually witnessing space history, complete with that childlike wonder at the vastness of space, and the miracle of the stars.

Fellow band members Jillian Levey, Josué Quezada, and Brenon Parry contribute strong vocals and keys, precise bass, and rollicking drums respectively. The group knows how to manage the stage, bringing out light-up drums during “Mercury 1” and engaging the audience to clap and sing along. They even told the story of Douglas the crow, an unfortunate casualty of the band’s touring. “Weightless and Stranded” off their upcoming LP was dedicated to their “fallen comrade.”

“Irrepressible Future” off of their Space Race EP was a fan favourite, and so was “Shouldn’t Believe,” the track they closed on before their encore. “Mercury 1” is one of Swindells’ favourite tracks to perform, but the group favourite is probably “Now What,” because it’s so much fun to play.

Swindells said that the process of making Mercury — though largely the same as making Space Race — “was definitely taxing, but in a good way. Definitely a challenge to write.” It took almost a year to put together, “but we were really lucky to work with the team we had in the studio. . . They really captured the vision of where we wanted to go and took it to places we would never have been able to take it with our own knowledge and our own creativity.”

Catch Mercury and the Tourist Company’s amazing harmonies at their website.

COLUMN | LIST BITCH: Eight times Republicans made me shit myself

By
EIC
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0

List Bitch is a new web-exclusive column featuring feisty, unapologetic listicles on life. Click here for more, and check back each week for new content!

 

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n case you thought having Donald Trump as the prospective nominee is the scariest thing the Republican party has done this year, then think again. These guys are all fucking scary and we should all be afraid. Very afraid. And here’s why.

 1) The discussion of Donald Trump’s penis size during the Republican debates (drawn-out and disturbing). Clearly, Republicans need to stop reading Freud and get some real therapy — as if we need a bunch of dicks discussing dicks. That’s exactly why I don’t go to clubs any more.

2) Representative Todd Akin has been quoted saying, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Legitimate rape, guys. Opposed to what — fake rape? I don’t think I have ever read something that has made me feel quite as murderous as this. Akin should pray he never runs into an angry me on the street. Shit will go down.

3) Virginia’s gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli wanted to make oral and anal sex illegal. What’s next, dancing? Where’s Kevin Bacon when you need him?

4) Trump proposing to build a wall between the US and Mexico, then saying Mexico will pay for it. That’s like me getting a giant pet grizzly bear for my backyard and saying my neighbours should pay for the fence.

5) Republican Mike Huckabee wrote in his own book that Beyoncé’s music is “toxic mental poison.” If female empowerment and civil rights are “toxic mental poison,” then pass the Kool-Aid. Clearly Huckabee missed the boat on Lemonade or he’d be singing a different tune.

6) In case you weren’t already convinced of the party’s unequivocal hatred of women, Ben Carson had the audacity to publicly compare abortion to slavery. Trust me, you can’t make this shit up (I wish I was lying).

7) Not only are Republicans anti-choice, anti-gay, and seemingly anti-vagina, they are also anti-science. Several Republicans have publicly denied the existence of climate change.

Trump claimed global warming is a mere scam dreamed up by China, while Marco Rubio answers inquiries about climate change with the verbal equivalent of dog shit on your shoes: “I don’t have a plan to influence the weather.” I guess it doesn’t matter that these idiots are allowed to run for president, if there’s no world to live in anyway. Silver lining.  

8) I shit myself with relief that Canada doesn’t have to deal with any of this bullshit; instead we have the prime minister elbowing chests in Parliament while the media has a frenzy.

 

So basically, whether Donald Trump is the presidential candidate or not, America is going to be screwed by Republicans. In the words of Mexico’s former president Vicente Fox, “I am not going to pay for that fucking wall.”

Spring TV was a rollercoaster of emotion

By
EIC
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0
Even after its seventh season Modern Family is still going strong.

Elementary

Well, this season has been a whirlwind. Starting off with Holmes and Watson being fired from the NYPD and Morland Holmes appearing back in New York to deal with his son’s mess, we’ve been on a rollercoaster. Some nefarious things involving Morland cropped up. This resulted in Holmes and Watson being reinstated with Captain Gregson, and resurrecting the cold case on the death of Morland’s sweetheart.

A bunch of crap hit the fan: we got stories about Joan’s family, Sherlock attempted a relationship with the neuro-atypical Fiona, and Joan worked hard to spy on Morland.

The yarns spun together to form a picture of Morland’s less-than-legal business dealings. We saw the return of Moriarty’s shady organization, this time helmed by Joshua Vikner. The season finale ended with an off-screen confrontation between Vikner and Morland, leaving Vikner dead and Morland the new head of the organization. Next season should see how our duo brings down Moriarty’s crew.

Faking It

In the surprise turn of events that saw this season as the series finale, MTV’s Faking It did not disappoint. Karma and Amy were a mess for the first couple of episodes. Once they made up, the sibling bond between Amy and Lauren was set on the backburner. Shane was a mess as per usual, and Liam returned to his hook-up lifestyle after a brief turn with Judaism.

The show didn’t lose its laughter, mixing seriousness and humour together to make this dramedy unique. They introduced Noah, a trans man, into the fold. This led to a quick yet helpful tale about Noah and Shane falling for each other, that should help viewers understand the trials involved.

Amy made a great speech about how labels suck (hear, hear!) and the show ended on New Year’s Eve. Amy and Sabrina got together for real (that was a dramatic pairing), and two new couples appeared that evening: Liam and Lauren (WTF), and Karma and Felix.

Fresh off the Boat

This show makes 20 minutes fly right by because of how enjoyable it is to watch. The family dynamic between the Huangs and their constant struggle to fit in while still being themselves, are the reasons people keep coming back. They tell real stories. After all, the show is based off of the real Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name.

There is so much to relate to in this show, and the comedy consistently hits home. It also depicts diversity and critiques the underrepresentation of Asian-Americans in media. While the show is set in 1995, this critique still rings true for media today.

This season dealt with all of these issues and more: masculinity, parents projecting their own wishes onto their kids, and Santa Claus’ identity. The third season ended with the Huangs flying back to Taiwan for a wedding.

Modern Family

Most shows by the seventh season are petering out; they only seem to be watched by those who don’t know how not to keep watching. This is not the case for this hit mockumentary comedy.

Oh, so much happened this season. Haley and Andy finally got together after a few more hiccups (including a funny reunion with Haley’s ex, Dylan), Claire took over Jay’s closet business, and Cam and Mitch rented the upstairs of their home to a Christian rock band. Cam even helped replace their drummer, performing a song about how man should not lie with man.

All in all, it was another solid season, providing many laughs and a lot of relatability with its ridiculous family dynamics. The season ended with a funny miscommunication between family members, resulting in everyone leaving town and hoping the others will cover for their absences.

Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein is a thrilling new work for the Royal Ballet

By
EIC
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0
The Creature's depiction is a departure from Hollywood's green monster.

Hollywood has taken Frankenstein and turned it into a horror story featuring an iconic green monster with bolts sticking out the sides of his neck. But Mary Shelley’s original novel, as choreographer Liam Scarlett emphasizes, is more of a love story than anything else.

Broadcast live from the Royal Opera House in London to cinemas in 26 countries around the world, this new three-act ballet was co-commissioned by the San Francisco Ballet and the Royal Ballet, and will be seen in San Francisco in February 2017. At only 30 years old, Scarlett has not long transitioned from the role of dancer to choreographer, and he is the youngest artist to have a full-length work commissioned for the Royal Ballet.

Set in 18th century Geneva, the story begins in Victor Frankenstein’s youth, where he is a curious child already interested in science. His family adopts Elizabeth, an orphan, and over the years she and Victor become very close. They eventually fall in love, and realize that they have loved each other all along. Federico Bonelli and Laura Morera were both perfectly suited to these roles and share many tender moments onstage during their pas de deux scenes.

The most impressive set piece of this production is the anatomy theatre at the University of Ingolstadt where Victor is studying. Full of strange animals and body parts in glass cylinders, the room is spooky to begin with, but when Victor begins to sew together a cadaver and bring it back to life, it’s chilling. This stunning set also featured pyrotechnics and lightning projections to add to the drama.

Suddenly, the Creature (Steven McRae) begins to move on the operating table, and he flees out of the room to close the first act. In act two, the Creature is a constant threat and thoughts of him torment Victor. The Creature seeks revenge and begins to wreak bloody havoc on the Frankenstein family. Through it all, McRae’s performance was spot-on, with the perfect inquisitive yet evil stare as he slinked through the woods and spied on the family. Victor, tormented with guilt, pushes Elizabeth away, and they share a tense pas de deux full of vulnerability and restrained passion.

A work of art in the making for three years, this is a massive achievement for Scarlett and the entire creative team including composer Lowell Liebermann and all of the designers. I am sure this will become a classic production in the Royal Ballet repertoire.

If you haven’t had the chance to see a ballet or play at the cinema, I highly recommend it. Not only is it much cheaper than being at the theatre, you are treated to behind-the-scenes extras, there is no dress code, and you can snack to your heart’s content. I look forward to the next season of ballets broadcast from the Royal Opera House.  

Daniel Wesley is a stage performer through and through

By
EIC
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The White Rock native is a master at keeping the crowd engaged at his shows.

If you haven’t heard of Daniel Wesley before now, let me assure you that you’re missing out.

Wesley recently performed at the Commodore Ballroom in an anniversary event to mark his 10 years in the music business. In that time he’s released seven albums, and toured with Matthew Good across Canada in 2011. The Commodore show doubled as a live recording, and featured both an acoustic warm-up set and a rockin’ plugged-in performance that went into the wee hours of the morning. It was one large, crazy, and fun party — shame if you missed it.

Wesley’s childhood friend, Jeremy Allingham, opened the floor for the new father of two. Allingham’s whiskey-soaked voice perfectly complemented his easy-to-listen-to rock. Toe-tapping beats, coupled with an almost oldies-like vibe took Allingham’s walking basslines and confident voice to a whole other level. His big sound — consisting of two guitars, a bass, drums, and keys — was a great choice to kick off Wesley’s celebratory performance.

White Rock native Daniel Wesley delivered hit after hit, the crowd never ceasing to treat every track as a campfire singalong. The only exception was a new “little ditty” the songwriter had crafted specially for the show. Wesley’s laidback, beachside alternative rock — with a hint of reggae and ska — is excellent summer music to chill to. The Commodore’s speakers had the bass drum beating deep in my chest long after I’d left the Ballroom and navigated through the drunken Granville throng.

His vocals never wavered, but the true power behind his voice was elusive through the majority of his two sets. The times where he had to dig deep for his lower notes were the best, and his falsetto was flawless. Wesley’s songs have sultry basslines and lyrics that are built for audience repetition, like “Ooo Ohh” from Sing + Dance, which features multiple spots for ooh-ing. During “You Ain’t Shit”  from Outlaw, which is all about weed, the haze was strong over the crowd. The audience was at their loudest while yelling, “You ain’t shit unless you and me are together.”

The intent of the show was pure fun — no better shown than in his rendition of Ginuwine’s “Pony.” Despite not having any guys taking off their shirts, the crowd got rowdy and dancing anyway. The crowd followed Wesley’s lead and didn’t stop, even for a minute. Grooving to the music, waving hands to the beat, the audience engagement was top-notch.

There are some people who are great performers. They’re the acts you go to where you don’t really like their music, or you aren’t sure; but you come out of that venue sweaty and exhilarated, just because they are such excellent show people. Daniel Wesley is one such act, and you don’t want to miss him.

To tide you over, his latest album, I am Your Man was released in 2015. So far his next show is in Port Alberni, June 17 at Blue Marlin.

Town halls to be held regarding sexual assault and misconduct at SFU

By
EIC
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SFU will be having three concurrent town halls on May 31.

A series of town halls will be held to begin the process of developing a sexual misconduct and assault policy at SFU today.

All three will be taking place concurrently on May 31 from 2–4pm on all three campuses.

Dr. Jon Driver, VP Academic and Provost of SFU, will be overseeing the development of the policy. “We are hearing that there are questions of [how to address] sexual violence and misconduct — universities should respond to these concerns,” he said. “There should be a policy addressing that. A standalone policy signifies that the university takes these concerns seriously, and that those who are affected will know what to do and how to get help.”

Dr. Driver mentioned that university attention is being put on this subject because of the recent incidences of sexual assault that were covered in the media, some of which were on Burnaby Mountain.

Furthermore, the provincial government introduced a bill into the legislature at the end of April that would make it mandatory for post-secondary institutions to have a standalone sexual violence and misconduct policy. Because of that, according to Driver, there is “a growing discussion between students, advocacy groups, and university administrators what the right way to address sexual violence is.”

The Town Hall will be comprised of the following components: an introduction to the process, an overview of what policies SFU currently has in place, and an invitation for people to participate in a variety of ways. As drafts of the policy are made, SFU students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to provide input and feedback on them. Participants will also have the option to submit anonymous comments online.

An advisory group is also being formed that will provide feedback on the wording and development of the policy. The group will consist of individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise. Former Simon Fraser Student Society board member Kathleen Yang is one of the members of the advisory group. “The main purpose of the advisory group is to represent the needs of the community as a whole,” she said. “I, personally, am committed to updating students.”

Yang is hopeful about the possible outcomes of this process. “I hope we can take a survivor-centered approach, and that there’s enough presence in the Town Hall to convey to the university that we truly need this policy, as it affects the whole community. I hope we see a transformative message come out of this policy,” she said.

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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