Niveja Assalaarachchi
SFU professor highlights the danger BC faces from natural disasters
January 20, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer 2025 was one of the most destructive years on record for natural disasters. Though much of the damage to infrastructure and human lives was seen in the Global South, much of the economic cost was seen in Global North countries like Canada. The Peak interviewed Tim Takaro, a professor emeritus at SFU’s faculty of health sciences, to learn more about how the growing destruction of natural disasters specifically applies locally. In 2025, BC faced disasters like the flooding of the Fraser Valley and forest fires. Takaro explained that these disasters as a whole had afflicted…
Continue reading
Re: SFU’s Centre for Accessible Learning is not accessible
January 12, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer In 2021, The Peak featured an article detailing an SFU student’s attempt to get accommodations at the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL). The author recounted their experience facing a significant mental health condition and not…
Continue reading
Calls emerge for increased program funding for BC sex workers
January 5, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On December 16, 2025, 10 organizations — including sex worker-led groups, feminist organizations, and First Nations groups — released a statement marking the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers. In their statement, the…
Continue reading
Students express frustration over Canvas outage during finals season
January 5, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer From 11:00 p.m. on December 14 to 4:00 a.m. on December 15, 2025, SFU Canvas experienced a service outage that left students unable to upload assignments or access course materials. Students took to the r/simonfraser…
Continue reading
The coverage of Global South’s news is biased
December 20, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer A few months ago, two news stories caught my attention. On September 3, a funicular in Portugal’s capital Lisbon derailed, killing 16 people. This horrible tragedy, caused by a steel wire breaking, was reported across…
Continue reading
Metro Vancouver passes pared-down budget
December 20, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On October 31, the Metro Vancouver Regional District passed its budget for the 2026 fiscal year. It focuses on “drinking water, waste management, solid waste management, regional planning, regional parks, and more,” according to a…
Continue reading
Cultural appropriation isn’t quirky, it’s deeply problematic
December 20, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer What is a culture? Various things: customs, food, language, and among many other significant aspects — clothing. Clothing visually represents its people and is shaped by the environment it’s crafted and worn in, in addition…
Continue reading
SFYou: Dr. Shivaji Mukherjee
December 19, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi Editor’s note: In the printed version of this article, The Peak mistakenly noted that Mukherjee is an assistant professor at SFU. This is incorrect, as he is an associate professor at SFU, and the piece has been…
Continue reading
Art exhibition protests Canada’s oil industry on campus
December 19, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On November 6, the “Banks Off Campus Day of Action” art exhibition was held at the Student Union Building social stage to showcase George Rammell’s art. Rammell is a Gambier Island-based artist whose work focuses…
Continue reading
Student journalism’s role in our media cycle can’t be ignored
December 18, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer The media landscape we live in is diverse. From social media platforms, to traditional news sources like cable news, there are many different ways in which we can consume media. However another form stands: the…
Continue reading
