Niveja Assalaarachchi
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 to resources and trade with other cultures. For these reasons, cultural clothing speaks to the rich histories of humans. Yet, these same cultural expressions are being taken and repurposed in ways that strip them of their origins. As a South Asian, I often think about the colourful dresses that are found throughout the subcontinent. From the Osariya variant of the…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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SFU students struggle to pay tuition due to BC public workers’ strike
December 18, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer The BC General Employees Union (BCGEU), which represents over 95,000 workers in the province, began strike action in early September over wage and job condition disputes. Since then, mediation efforts between the provincial government and…
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Embark Sustainability expresses solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla
December 18, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On October 7, Embark Sustainability released a statement of solidarity for the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led convoy of activists from 47 countries aiming to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. The flotilla is the largest…
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The Mush Hole comes to Vancouver
December 18, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer Content warning: Mention of residential schools The Kaha:wi Dance Theatre (KDT) will, for the first time, bring their show The Mush Hole to Vancouver. The Toronto-based studio will be performing at Vancouver Cultch’s Historic Theatre…
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Halal restaurant recommendations in Metro Vancouver
November 11, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer October marks Islamic History Month in Canada, highlighting the many contributions of Muslim Canadians to society. One of the hallmarks of life for Muslims is the consumption of Halal (حلال) food. Roughly translating to “permissible”…
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UBC tenants group demands protections for housing on campus
November 11, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On October 9, the Vancouver Tenants Union’s UBC chapter (UBC-VTU) issued ten demands for the UBC Housing authority. The proposals call on UBC Housing to enact tenant protections, establish rent controls, and build equitable housing…
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Senate Spotlight: SFU’s new academic plan passed and School of Medicine opens for applications
November 11, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On October 6, the SFU Senate reviewed the final version of the 2025–30 academic plan and discussed the new School of Medicine. Reports from the chair and committees were also heard. The Peak attended the…
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