capitalism
Planned obsolescence sucks
June 16, 2021Do you know how your phone has somewhere between two to three years before it starts slowing down? Or how you have to replace light bulbs every few months or so? That’s planned obsolescence in action, and it’s a gross industrial strategy. What this means is that companies will design their products to break down in a certain amount of time so customers will be encouraged to buy their newest products. And it makes me want to scream. This is an age-old strategy. The oldest known case of planned obsolescence is the Phoebus cartel; from 1924 to 1930, several major…
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What Grinds Our Gears: Misleading prices
May 11, 2021Generally, I don’t mind spending a little bit more on food items that I enjoy, as long as I am aware of the monetary value of the product. Alas, it seems like grocery stores tend to do everything in their…
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Toxicity in online yoga communities and how my Master’s degree helped me break free
February 6, 2021I vividly remember the first time I went to a yoga class — the kind of yoga that contemporary pop culture treats as the image of youth, answer to good health, and the quick fix for all kinds of humanitarian…
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Holiday commercials are more sinister than sweet
December 11, 2020Every year after Halloween ends, they come flooding in: holiday commercials. Not just the ones that feature holiday music, deals, and colours — i’m talking about the commercials that act like a whole ass short film. Large companies spend thousands…
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Vancouver is a performative capitalist city
December 2, 2020Vancouver has recently started a campaign called the “Vancouver Plan” to encourage positive change for issues in the city. These efforts feel like a step in the right direction, but the city should be doing more than simply posting videos…
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We shouldn’t celebrate Black Friday
November 23, 2020Black Friday has never been a holiday for the people. From its conception to its frenetic present-day form, it has always been a way to encourage impulsive consumption. With the dramatic changes in our lifestyles ushered in by the COVID-19…
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Fossil fuel divestment is painful but necessary for universities
January 18, 2020Editor's Note: This piece has been updated to clarify SFU's actions in reducing the carbon footprint of its portfolio. For the second winter in a row, I am staring out of my window in Burnaby at more than a foot…
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Friendly customer service is not an invitation for physical contact
January 13, 2020Between the low pay and dealing with entitled Karens, many of us with experience in the service industry have harboured the secret fantasy of being hit by a bus on the way to work, just to avoid the torment. But…
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What Grinds Our Gears: How holiday gifting has turned into a capitalist chore
January 5, 2020I’ve noticed something alarming this past holiday season. People rushed to get last minute gifts. They didn’t know what to buy, and just settled for the most convenient item. Wash, rinse, repeat. It’s a loop where folks hurried to fulfill…
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Asking students to pay to volunteer is fundamentally unfair
November 3, 2019One of the benefits of being a university student is building relationships within the institution — especially for students with academic aspirations. However, as neoliberal austerity claws further into all facets of our lives, everyday living expenses, the rising costs…
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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.
For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]
Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.
For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]