Home Blog Page 908

Despite the bumps, EXO put on an excellent show

By
EIC
-
1
EXO’s first performance in Vancouver was filled with high energy from start to finish.

EXO is a Korean/Chinese boy band who began stealing teenaged girls’ hearts four years ago, in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O, Kai, Sehun, Chen, and Lay, each with their individual charm and strength, which has contributed to the group’s astounding success worldwide.

Since their debut, they’ve only grown in popularity, with tours across Asia and North America, making history as the first K-pop group to be featured in the Canadian Hot 100 as well as the first group from their entertainment company — SM Entertainment — to hold a concert on Canadian soil. The fact that they came to Vancouver for their EXO From EXOPLANET #2 — The EXO’luXion tour was a big surprise for a lot of K-pop fans, since Vancouver has often been snubbed by SM entertainment as a tour destination until now. Me and my fellow K-pop fanatics rejoiced and eagerly bought tickets, which were fairly pricey but also well worth it.

My experience before the concert was a nightmare. It had nothing to do with the boys themselves (let’s be real, they’re pretty perfect), but the organizers were completely incompetent. They didn’t sell tickets until a little over a month before the show, the arena layout was only revealed after tickets had gone on sale, photography was banned (though this didn’t stop anyone), and there was a lot of general confusion about what to expect.

The concert was delayed by almost an hour, security was tight and forced patrons to leave their belongings unattended at the door, and the stadium layout didn’t suit EXO’s usual set, leaving concert-goers watching from odd, sideways angles. All these things left a sour taste in my mouth, but luckily, once EXO came up on stage and screamed “VANCOUVER!” those negative emotions turned into pure excitement and pandemonium from the crowd, leaving me squealing like I’ve never squealed before.

EXO opened with “Overdose,” “History,” and “MAMA,” all classics from their earlier EPs, which definitely hit everyone in the stadium with a wave of nostalgia. Spirits were high, and my normally calm demeanor turned into a screaming machine for a good 10 minutes. However, the setlist after that was a bit odd.

It was a mixed bag of songs from their Christmas EP, their Japanese album, and their biggest hits, with a tear-jerking bittersweet video, a group striptease, and an EDM DJ set from Chanyeol, all in a matter of three hours. Albeit out-of-season, “Miracles in December,” featuring D.O., Chen, and Baekhyun, was enchanting. Chen is, in my opinion, the best singer of the group, however midway through the concert his voice became noticeably more nasally, and D.O., who is also a phenomenal vocalist, missed some high notes, likely due to illness.

Regardless, they all have velvety, incredible voices, and it was surreal to hear them live. Other notable tracks from that night were “Playboy,” “Call Me Baby,” “Love Me Right,” and “Unfair” — the last of which has been on repeat on my phone ever since the concert ended.

K-pop groups must be able to sing and dance simultaneously, and I will always applaud them for being able to achieve both without collapsing — not to mention the jetlag and K-pop’s notorious reputation for overworking their idols — but I’m going to be honest, EXO isn’t famous for their dancing ability. They do have a few phenomenal dancers like Sehun and Kai, but the rest of the group felt somewhat uncoordinated. To be fair, this may have been because the UBC Thunderbird Arena could not accommodate EXO’s usual extended stage, thus creating significant changes in choreography.

EXO really kept the energy going strong; Xiumin with his lighthearted dance breaks, Chanyeol with his charismatic hair-tousling, and adorable attempts at speaking English from Suho, the crowd went wild. Though some people in the mosh-pit got a little too wild, perhaps from scrambling over each other in excitement, or getting too close to the stage pyrotechnics, a few minor injuries affected the mood, but the boys managed to pull through and encouraged safety with their “One step back!” chant.

One thing I admire most about them is how much they care for their fans, and this concert was a prime example of that. They consistently showed concern for their fans’ safety with speeches that would melt anyone’s heart.

EXO’s first stage in Vancouver will hopefully not be their last, and despite the many mishaps surrounding the event, EXO managed to pull off an amazing, memorable show which will go down in K-pop history.

FOOD FIGHT: The Wallflower wilts under pressure

By
EIC
-
0
The wonderful ambiance gets lost in the restaurant’s short comings.

By reviewing restaurants in Metro-Vancouver, Food Fight is dedicated to highlighting the differences between vegan and omnivorous cuisines. Columnists  Yelin and Bartosz show that you can have the best of both worlds.

The Wallflower is a cozy nook on Main Street that has been open since January 2009, boasting comfort food and nostalgia for carnivores and vegans alike. They offer a delectable breakfast until 4 p.m. every day, as well as an extensive lunch and dinner that is accessible through late hours.

I would say the menu was 40 percent vegan friendly and 60 percent carnivore-oriented, a pretty up-and-coming change developed thanks to customer feedback. Although most of the food offered at The Wallflower is quite simple and recognizable, they have put their own spin on traditional dishes and introduced new creative choices as well.

Two of these more innovative dishes include a “vegan Thai tofu wrap” that consists of tofu, lettuce, sprouts, cilantro, carrots, peppers, vermicelli, and coconut curry sauce; and the Zomato famous “lightning fries” made from fries, chilli, jalapenos, tomato, olives, vegan cheesy sauce, and salsa.

As they were still serving breakfast food when my friends and I got there, I was able to order bumbleberry waffles at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. That’s right, friends — if a chewy waffle with warm mixed berries in syrup and the whipped cream on top in the middle of the afternoon sounds good to you, this is your spot. My two friends both ordered burgers (porto burger and canuck burger) and were more than satisfied with these, but they found the dryness and blandness of the fries they chose for their sides disappointing.

I regret to say that our first dining experience at The Wallflower was not very pleasant in terms of customer service. We walked in during Saturday brunch hours where every table was taken up and we had to wait a few minutes for a table to be cleaned and set for us. During this wait, we got kicked out of the store and into the rain because there ‘wasn’t enough room’ for us to stand indoors for 10 minutes. This is understandable in a way, because there isn’t enough walking room in the place to start off with, but it was still an unpleasant feeling to be kicked outside as a customer.

Our waiter was curt and did not come by enough to fill up our empty water glasses or ask if the food was alright. I also ordered a tea which I didn’t receive; I stayed quiet about it until they brought over the bill, showing they had charged me for the tea I never got.

The Wallflower has an innovative yet traditional menu, mediocre customer service, and an ambiance that is comfy and homey, but doesn’t meet the statement on their website: “A place where you can relax in the corner with a good book, catch up with friends, or meet new people in the neighbourhood.”

Maybe I simply came at the wrong time, but the ambiance was overshadowed by the busy-ness and I would not have stayed to read a book nor meet new people.

Alisha Roberts’ home career ends in style

By
EIC
-
0
Alisha Roberts takes the winning shot to defeat Montana State.

In their final home game of the season, the SFU Clan women’s basketball team survived a poor fourth quarter to defeat the MSU-Billings Yellowjackets 63–61. The Clan improved to 13–10 overall, and remain fourth place in the GNAC standings.

The Clan was led by Australia native Ellen Kett, who had 19 points and six assists. Her running and distribution speed kept the Yellowjackets on their heels all game, and she had many dazzling spin moves that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

However, this game was all about Alisha Roberts. This was the senior’s final home match, and she definitely rose to the occasion. Her strong clutch three’s and strong overall play in the first half of the game helped the Clan take a 34–26 lead going into the halftime break. Screen Shot 2016-02-19 at 9.31.41 PM

The second half started off with SFU going on a 8–0 run, and with their 16 point lead it appeared that this match was going to turn into a blowout. However, MSU-Billings showed why they were the third ranked GNAC squad: they slowly but steadily clawed themselves back into the game.

The fourth quarter was a disaster for the Clan, as they got thoroughly outplayed on both offense and defense. With 3:54 left in the game, the Yellowjackets took a 59–58 lead, and officially erased the 16-point deficit.

SFU rallied, though, and tied it up at 61 apiece with 2:12 left. Then, an ending worthy of a Hollywood movie took place. Alisha Roberts had the rock for the last play of the game, and with 0.5 seconds on the clock she was fouled on her way to the rim. The fate of the match was in the hands of the senior, as she had a chance to win the game from the free throw line.

“I was definitely nervous, my hands were shaking,” said Roberts after the game, “but you know, that’s the shot I take every single day in practice, my dad always tells me free throws win games, so when I stepped up to the line I knew that I was going to make those shots, I just had confidence in myself.”

She sunk both, and her final two shots at the West Gym lifted the Clan to a 63–61 victory.

When asked what she was going to miss the most about her team and SFU after the season ends, Roberts answered, “the community. We’re not only teammates, but we are friends off the court. We spend so much time together, it’s going to be tough not having that next year. And the SFU community, the people who come out for our games every week, turning out in the stands, it’s so fantastic to have that, and the kids who come and watch our games, it’s just awesome.”

Don’t be afraid of falling in love

By
EIC
-
0

Fear is often associated with our trepidation for the unknown. 

When we think about being afraid, roller coasters and horror movies often come to mind. But they are, in fact, not what society has deemed to be the scariest risk we take. Our greatest fear is much more common than that: love.

It’s a word that runs the media. TV, movies, and music are obsessed with love, eventually finding ‘The One,’ and the happily ever afters. Similarly, the heartbreak and pain of love is put on a pedestal. Rarely are we given a story or song that has nothing to do with being in love. This, in and of itself, is an issue. The more we glorify love and sensationalize what it means to be in love, the more we run a risk of detaching ourselves from the very idea.

Truth be told, the fear of falling in love is very real for many of us. For some, it’s the idea of having to commit to forever, while others are worried that they aren’t loving someone the right way. There are so many rules about how to be in love, and one doesn’t have to look far to find them. Articles titled along the lines of, “How to Ask a Girl/Guy Out,” “How Long Should You Wait Before Texting Back,” and “When to Say ‘I Love You’” are abundant online. If I had a nickel for every time some magazine tried to tell me how to be in a relationship, my tuition would be paid for.

These sorts of articles reinforce the notion that love has regulations and specific etiquette, when the reality is anything but.

When we want something badly, we really don’t want to screw it up. We begin stressing over the little things and, against better judgement, will turn to internet articles for advice. Falling in love is scary, and these well-intentioned articles are only trying to make it easier. Despite good intentions, though, they become deterrents for love-seekers, scaring us away from love by over-complicating the situation.

I was having a conversation with my best friend, who is single, and she admitted, “I don’t know how to invest in love. I can’t put myself out there without knowing what I’ll get in return.” Her thought brought to mind the risk associated with investing in the stock market — we simply don’t know whether our investments will be worth it or not. She didn’t want to risk falling for someone without knowing whether they’d be worth it in the long run. 

While I understand where she was coming from, I also know that love always comes with a degree of risk and uncertainty, and even if it goes sour, it is always a valuable experience. Losing out on love doesn’t mean you have lost everything; rather, it builds on who you are as a person, and you always gain something from it.

By and large, love is made out to be complicated, and multi-layered. But we’re doing ourselves a disservice by perpetuating that idea. Love is actually very easy if you let it be. And falling in love is not big deal: it’s only natural that we grow attached to others around us.

When it comes to expressing this very idea, too, we have a weird fixation on the timing with which we should say, “I love you.” Many have tried to sell the idea that there is a perfect time to be in love, and, thereby, to make those feelings known, but again this, is a false representation. Truth be told, there is no right time to drop the “L-bomb.” We need to stop letting over-sensationalized ideas like this ruin our relationships before they even start.

When I first met my current boyfriend, I was immediately drawn in by his shy smile and the warm manner in which he spoke to me.

Our first date was only after two short weeks of knowing each other and he asked me to be his girlfriend that same night. I was scared, but not necessarily scared of falling in love. I was scared that I was doing it all ‘wrong.’ Most people would say that we were moving too fast. That, because we had started dating so quickly, we wouldn’t last, and we couldn’t truly be ‘in love.’ It was just an infatuation. Yet I remember that, even if the relationship had moved so quickly, it felt right to me.

Despite not following typical ‘rules’ and ‘conventions’ of dating, we have been together for a year and a half now. After that date, everything fell into place — we fell into a rhythm of getting to know each other, trusting each other. I know that he’s got my back and I’ve got his. That’s my story. There is no cookie cutter key to loving anyone. Love is, afterall, a complex experience and can be felt in a million different ways. We all just need to let ourselves feel it.

So push that fear aside and let yourself fall head over heels for someone — however it may happen. You never know where you might land.

Matter branches out from happy tropical pop

By
EIC
-
0
St. Lucia draws their musical inspiration from global sources.

At first listen, St. Lucia seems like a band trying to recapture the synth-pop stylings of the ’80s. But after about 10 seconds, this proves to be anything but accurate. This is how Jean-Philip Grobler — the creative force behind the band — wants it to be.

While Grobler admits the group has 1980s synthpop influence, this genre is not his main inspiration from the period. “[It] was a decade where there was this feeling of there being no rules on the kinds of music you could make,” he told The Peak. “And it doesn’t feel like authors were necessarily restraining themselves or holding back. I like to make music that I feel is not limiting myself.”

Grobler’s ethos is made clear throughout the band’s latest release, Matter. “There are a lot of real instruments, obviously there’s a lot of synthesizers, and a lot of layering; and that approach comes from the ’80s.” But that is not the only inspiration that goes into creating their sound. Grobler, having grown up in Apartheid South Africa, has a different musical background to draw upon when creating music.

“When I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of variety in the music that was making it into South Africa; we basically were getting the poppiest of pop from all over the world, because anything kind of subversive would kind of be banned by the Apartheid government,” Grobler said. He grew up without a negative view of pop, he says: “I just loved pop music, I loved alternative music, and I loved a lot of different things.

“I also went to this boys’ choir school and going there, we did a lot of African music. I think that influenced me in a lot of ways, definitely rhythmically in a lot of ways, harmonically in a lot of different ways.

“That’s why the music that I make embodies a lot of those different things: embodies pop music but also embodies experimental nonlinear song formats.”

Matter fully embraces these two genres that Grobler describes. The album has the synth-heavy sound that is often associated with ’80s pop music, but this sound is filled out with African influences, creating something that is unique to pop music today.

While this mix of influences is where his sonic inspiration comes from, Grobler doesn’t go into writing a song or album with a specific influence in mind. “As I am writing, different stuff is inspiring me,” he says.

This ability to allow the writing process to unfold lets the St. Lucia sound grow. “For the first record, we were pigeonholed into like this electro-pop, tropical [sound]. People just called us this tropical pop band.” While he didn’t necessarily want to get away from that label, Grobler felt “that’s not all that we are. There’s more to us than just being a happy tropical pop thing.”

For Grobler, the song that captures this departure from this sound is “Rescue Me.” The song didn’t have that tropical, happy feeling, Grobler says: “it feels a little more epic.” The song is true to the St. Lucia sound, but has a feel that is different from their first album When the Night. It is a bigger sound that embraces the major chords and strong rhythms of African music that, as Grobler notes, serve as inspiration for their sound. 

Matter still captures the essence of St. Lucia, but shows an evolved sound. Overall, the album is strong; it captures the highly danceable and singable pop sound, but grounds it with a singer-songwriter background.

The sonic profile that is associated with St. Lucia didn’t come about until Grobler moved to Brooklyn. It was living in Williamsburg and being exposed to the hipster culture that allowed him to focus on creating this sound.

“When I first started St. Lucia, it was at a time around 2009–10 when people hadn’t come back around to pop music yet. Anything that was critically acclaimed was at least a little bit abrasive and alienating.

Trying to make pop music, Grobler says, “just felt like I was hitting a creative brick wall. I think that, almost as a reaction to that approach, I started going back to the music that I grew up with [. . .] the hipster movement in Brooklyn influenced me to go against that; instead of trying to be cool, I would just allow  influences [. . .] to come out.” 

This creative growth that Grobler underwent — and is still undergoing — has allowed St. Lucia to evolve from the “happy tropical pop thing” of When the Night to the bigger, sparser Matter.

St. Lucia will be preforming in Vancouver on March 1st at Venue Nightclub. 

Fresh Off the Boat uses character quirks for the better

By
EIC
-
0
Fresh Off the Boat explores race within the context of a sterotypical family.

Fresh Off the Boat is a rarity for a television show. It focuses on a Chinese family, and was picked up and renewed by a major network: ABC. It is also based off of Chef Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same title.

The show is centred on a Chinese family who move from the Chinatown area of Washington D.C. to suburban Orlando, Florida. The Huang family consists of father Louis, mother Jessica, son Eddie, his two little brothers Evan and Emery, and their wheelchair-bound grandmother. Since this is the only show of its kind on cable television, I wondered what kind of light it portrayed Chinese families in, and how heavily it played on stereotypes.

Overall, the show portrays a pretty stereotypical family. Louis moves his family to a different city to follow his idea of the American dream. Jessica puts great emphasis on academics and always wants her children to be the best of the best. Eddie is the slacker child who tries to be cool and sometimes succeeds at it, while his younger brothers are child prodigies who can make a lightbulb work using nothing more than a can of soda and a glass contraption. The honorary old Chinese relative is the grandmother, who sits in front of the television all day, and leads a secret off-camera life that escapes the family’s attention.

What prevents Fresh Off the Boat from being another forgettable cookie-cutter race sitcom are the refreshing quirks of each character. Ask yourselves: when was the last time a TV show starred an eleven year-old Chinese boy who loves hip-hop? The answer is never.

Contrary to stereotypes, the mom Jessica cares about things other than grades. She is probably a three on the tiger-mom scale. She is completely okay with Eddie experimenting in the love department and tries but fails to give him emotional and relationship advice.

I love that the writers didn’t introduce a token Chinese best friend for Jessica; that would have been boring and predictable. Her BFF is her exact opposite: a blonde woman named Honey who likes to jog and married an older man who has a teenage daughter who despises her step-mom.

Evan is the youngest child in the Huang family, and although he is only eight, he manages to charm the neighbourhood ladies and conducts neighbourhood meetings. Meanwhile, Emery is a ladykiller and a genius. It’s hilarious to see a ten-year-old boy getting 150 percent on a quiz and having a girl on each arm.

My personal favourite character, however, is Louis. He positively portrayed and is so perfectly westernised that it’s magical. He opens a steakhouse called “Cattleman’s Ranch,” hires all white people, and speaks fluent English. He usually plays the “good cop” and is the chill parent who lets his kids go to sleepovers and play ball, instead of forcing them to do homework 24/7. He encourages them to do their own thing. His laid-back attitude perfectly checks his wife’s paranoia, overprotectiveness, and her constant need to micromanage.

If I have yet to convince you to check out Fresh Off the Boat and follow the lives of a family of loveable misfits, then I haven’t done this show justice. I strongly urge you to watch this fantastic show, streaming on Shomi and airing on ABC.

CINEPHILIA: Who will win at the 88th Academy Awards?

By
EIC
-
0

If the itches on my back were the Hollywood elite, the Oscars would be their back scratcher; an awards show by Hollywood to please Hollywood. Exclusivity is a part of what makes an award prestigious, and even though the Academy gives Meryl Streep a participation medal every year, the Oscars try to keep up this appearance.

Much hoopla has been made with regards to the lack of racial diversity in this year’s slate of nominees, but I think this is less a product of the Academy’s racism than their closed-mindedness to certain kinds of films. Of course, there were outstanding performances from non-white actors and actresses in 2015, they just weren’t in a 12 Years A Slave, Selma, or Crash. Since the Oscars can’t be ultimately important, they have to pick films that pretend to be.

Despite my cynicism, the mastery of the show is that no matter how much I complain or condescend, I still can’t ignore the thing. I talk about it. I hate-watch it. I end up inadvertently doing a lot of back scratching. If you can get past the old boys’ club, the lame nominees, the politics of the industry that fuel the entire process, and the self-aggrandizing nature of the whole thing, this year’s best picture nominees range from good to quite strong films. They’re not the best pictures, but certainly not the worst either. In all of the major categories, these are my predictions for who will end up on stage come Sunday, February 28.

Best Actor In A Leading Role:

Who will win? Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

If DiCaprio doesn’t win this time around, the Internet might break. His role in The Revenant is fairly one-note, especially in comparison to his far more layered and dynamic performances in other films. In a year with very little to choose from, I suppose this is a better time than ever for an apology Oscar.

Who should win? None of the nominees

Best Actor In A Supporting Role:

Who will win? Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies

To steal scenes when you’re bouncing lines off Tom Hanks is no easy feat. In Spielberg’s cold-war drama, Mark Rylance, is a magnetic enigma, being both earnest and ambiguous. It’s a very good performance, and with the other hardware Rylance has been picking up before the Oscars, he will be hard to ignore.

Who should win? Sylvester Stallone – Creed

Best Actress In A Leading Role:

Who will win? Brie Larson – Room

The young Jacob Tremblay is such a revelation in Room that it’s easy to miss the other half of the film’s heart: Brie Larson as the mother of a child who has only known the contents of a 10-by-10 room for the entirety of his short five year life. Larson, whom I first saw in the indie gem Short Term 12, helps sell a film that could’ve easily felt false, schmaltzy, and manipulative.

Who should win? Cate Blanchett – Carol

Best Actress In A Supporting Role:

Who will win? Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl

Like Jessica Chastain in 2011, Alicia Vikander had a standout year, becoming a household name from being completely unknown. With roles in The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, Burnt, The Man From UNCLE, and Seventh Son, she was fantastic even when her films weren’t. Vikander’s best work was as the manipulative robot in Ex Machina, but sci-fi films aren’t the Oscars’ bag, so she’ll probably be given the award in The Danish Girl as the wife of the first person to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.

Who should win? Rooney Mara – Carol

Best Director:

Who will win? Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant

Even if you haven’t seen The Revenant you have probably still heard about how hard it was to make: its toll on the crew, the physical devotion of Leo’s performance, and Iñárritu’s choice to only use natural light. Unfortunately, self-masochism doesn’t always make for great direction.  The Revenant is a good film — even overwhelmingly beautiful at times — but there is a fundamental flaw with the film’s construction: the showmanship distracts from the storytelling, rather than being a nuanced expression of it. For a film that often tries to showcase natural beauty, The Revenant sometimes feels mechanical, the sight of the churning gears left unhidden. For the Academy, the gears are probably enough.

Who should win? George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Picture:

What will win?  Spotlight

Politically charged but not with the kind of unabashed self-importance that the Academy often gravitates towards, Spotlight is in every respect an unglamorous film. Centering on The Boston Globe’s investigative journalism group who unveiled the Catholic Church’s systematic cover up of sexual abuse cases, there are no speeches about the importance of “true” journalism in our digital age, no hagiographic knights in shining armor. It’s a movie about doing gritty work, about uncovering files, about digging deeper into archives and memories. The film doesn’t unfold like one long take, it wasn’t made over the course of 12 years, and it doesn’t continually remind you why it’s important. Spotlight is tightly made without making a big fuss.

What should win? Spotlight

Love them or hate them, the Academy Awards are their own kind of movie. Constructed narratives of villains, underdogs, and surprises are a part of the show. No matter how much I despise their choices and ethos, will I be watching the Oscars come Sunday? Of course. I wouldn’t miss them for anything.

Why I uninstalled Chitter

By
Peak Web
-
1

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t was a fateful Monday morning, only the third day of reading break — a week notorious for giving in to all your procrastination temptations — when I pressed the “uninstall” button. “Are you sure you want to delete Chitter?” prompted my phone screen, giving me one last opportunity to stop myself. I thought it over one last time, but only for a second, before I sighed, pressed “yes,” and watched the light blue ribbon twirl away, erasing the squirrel from my phone.

So what was it that finally drove me to uninstall the app that had proven so reliable in all those awkward moments — sitting alone during a lull in lecture or waiting in the doctor’s office?

I have to applaud the makers of Chitter: their app is the holy grail of technological diversions for college students. Chitter provides selective anonymity — perfect not only for those who need to vent or ask for advice in a safe environment, but also those who want to make their responses publicly known — peer validation, a sense of connection with the SFU student body, a never-ending stream of novelty, and even a chance at romantic connection (hello, ‘Chinder’).

And while some may scoff at the idea of a social media app actually creating real-life connections, it seems Chitter has been at least somewhat successful in actually doing so. The ‘Chitter fam’ denotes the new friendship between over a hundred diverse individuals from SFU thanks to the application; and yes, it has even brought together new couples. Additionally, the majority of the posts and comments I myself read on the app were incredibly positive and encouraging.

What led me to uninstall this brilliantly-executed app wasn’t what it couldn’t do, but rather what it was doing too much of. Chitter was simply too addictive, too effective at passing time, too thorough in its aim.

Chitter is the holy grail of technological diversions for college students.

The app quickly integrated itself into my nighttime routine. Right as it seemed that I was ready to call it a night, I’d tap on the little blue box and, before I’d know it, I’d have squirreled away (pun intended) over half an hour just scrolling through the feed. The never-ending posts, comments, and memes were like a stream of consciousness that hinted at no time boundaries or feelings of satiation. Save for a few original or thought-provoking outliers, each post was as mildly entertaining as the last, allowing me to take in one after another without any need to leave the screen for a pause.

And then I picked up the disturbing habit of scrolling through Chitter as I watched television.

It was only a few short years ago all my elders were warning me about the brain-to-goo transformation that watching too much television would have on me. And now I had started craving even more distraction just to follow the plot of a television show, conveniently provided by the neat, blue squirrel. I found myself on the edge of a whole new level of reduced attention span.

What made me reject Chitter as a consumer was clearly not dissatisfaction with the product itself. The app is beautifully designed to capture the hearts, imaginations, funny bones, and tiny attention spans of our student body. Rather, what made me uninstall Chitter was me shying away from this new level of technological immersion.

For today at least, I think I’ll force myself to pay attention to a television plot, thirty minutes at a time, and risk rejection as I let someone know I like them without any protective shroud of anonymity.

COLUMN | GUESS AGAIN, GRANDPA: Polyamory isn’t for me

By
EIC
-
0

[dropcap]I [/dropcap]always thought that the ‘swinging Sixties’ was in relation to swing dancing. As it turns out, I was pretty far off. The 1960s began to relax many taboo aspects of society like racism and sexism. But running alongside these new and free ideas of love and peace, new romantic and sexual practices arose.

The term ‘swinging,’ or ‘wife-swapping’ in the 1950s, became a rising alternative to the mainstream monogamous relationships of yore. In today’s society, the term ‘polyamory’ is used to describe the relationship that many people share, sometimes two people in a ‘primary’ unit. In this case, both of these people may disclose to their primaries any dates and sexual relations with other partners, setting mutually agreed upon terms and boundaries so as to prevent jealousy and infidelity. People in this type of polyamorous relationship, then, can take part in meaningful relations outside of their primary without having to break up with their primary partner with whom they have built a solid relationship.

Upon sharing this newfound knowledge with my grandpa, he just laughed and said to me, “Well, we didn’t call it the Swinging Sixties for nothing.”

My grandpa was a very traditional kind of guy. It was monogamy or nothing, fidelity over everything. My grandparents loved each other and remained in a monogamous relationship despite the new wave of alternatives. And for myself, I’m not going to argue with it, because the idea of polyamory is something I can’t see myself subscribing to.

Call me a conservative, but I like the idea of one love. I’m not going to tell my man to cut off all ties with the women he calls friends, nor will I stop being friends with guys that I’ve known for a long time. But this is where trust and communication comes in — something that I would find confusing in a polyamorous relationship.

Our grandparents’ generation made it pretty clear-cut. You either were in a monogamous relationship, or you were out experimenting in secret. But once the taboo was lifted, ‘swinging’ turned to polyamory, a growing trend. With the rise of these new arrangements, research and interest in them reached an all-time high in the 1970s, making it somewhat ‘normal.’

My grandparents, content with the monogamous relationship they had, did not jump on the polyamory bandwagon, which most likely influenced the choices that my parents made. This, in turn, has a deep impact on my relationships and how I go about them. However, with more and more millennials viewing monogamy as just one possible option, it has also begun to raise questions within me.

My grandpa had his questions about polyamory: “Are they unhappy and underwhelmed? Because usually those kinds of things can either be worked out, or end in divorce.”

And being unhappy and underwhelmed is exactly what many polyamorous couples avoid. As an article in Rolling Stone states, some people in these relationships try to have “one long-standing relationship” while also having a “willingness to openly acknowledge that the long standing relationship might not meet each partner’s  needs for all the time.” As explained in an MTV video about Tran and Caleb — a polyamorous couple living in Brooklyn — the ‘itch’ is usually seen in monogamous relationships as the signal to say goodbye. But for Tran and Caleb, it was a sign that they needed to shake things up.

So, Grandpa, it looks like we agree on something. Whether you’re committed to your one true love or are committed and still ready to mingle, it seems that neither of our generations have the answer. But then again, love is love. Who are we to judge?

Adopt your dog, don’t purchase it from a store

By
EIC
-
0

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he puppy mill industry is predicated on treating puppies like commodities, instead of living beings who deserve respect. With the high demand for certain breeds, dogs are treated with much more concern about profit than their well-being.

As a result, terrible living conditions and health problems arise. Since puppy mills are focused entirely on quantity over quality, they have little concern for the health of the breed, or the breed’s genetics. Consequently we are left with abused, sick dogs prone to several health conditions — from heart disease and parasites to lung problems.

In addition to physical health problems, the emotional trauma these dogs face is just as problematic. Separated from their mothers and siblings at a young age, dogs can become anxiety-ridden and scarred. All of this puts the idea of a cute puppy waiting for a proper home into question. What puppy mills deliver are frightened, stressed, disease-plagued dogs desperate for a way out.

Thankfully, the BC SPCA is stepping in with a proactive idea for a regulatory legislation of this industry. This will require breeders to follow exact standards for their treatment and living conditions of the dogs in their care. However, reputable breeders are not the problem. Under-the-radar puppy mills are the problem.

Currently, BC SPCA is only permitted by law to step in when there has been an outside complaint about unethical breeding on a specific puppy mill site. Then, and only then, are they able to obtain a warrant. Although this process has its merits, it does nothing to protect the majority of dogs being bred in puppy mills, and fails to set up a safe living situation for these animals.

If the BC SPCA’s new legislation passes, the organization will have the right to step in before the abuse begins, and require the breeders to adhere to stricter ethical standards. It will also allow for the SPCA to recommend criminal charges against abusive breeders, which seems more than fitting seeing as their actions clearly fit the bill.

According to the ASPCA, “responsible breeders would never sell a puppy through a pet store,” because responsible breeders screen potential buyers, and can’t ensure that the puppies go to good homes.

There is a chance that if you are purchasing from a pet store, you are buying a puppy originally from a puppy mill, and are directly supporting cruelty and suffering. On top of that, the cruelty is entirely unnecessary when there are beautiful dogs at shelters all over the province just waiting to be loved. Many pet store chains have become more aware of the issues with puppy mills, and have taken to sponsoring dogs and cats from local shelters. This, too, is a huge step forward.

Adopting is not only the more ethical alternative to pet stores and breeders, it’s also more affordable and just as rewarding. The fact of the matter is, if you are looking to come home with a new four-legged best friend, don’t buy — adopt!

1...907908909...1,448Page 908 of 1,448

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society