Opinions in Dialogue

An illustration of the Christmas market in downtown Vancouver. The illustration showcases a festive scene, with blurry subjects. The scene is set at night-time.
4 min 0 345

Opinions in Dialogue: Christmas markets

Peak Web January 13, 2026

By: Clara Xu, SFU Student, and Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer Christmas markets are a hallmark of the festive season. A staple in countries like Germany and Austria, these open-air holiday markets are, unfortunately, few and far between in Western Canada. While much smaller and not as extravagant as its European counterparts, Vancouver’s festive market tradition has been met with growing enthusiasm since the downtown debut at Jack Poole Plaza in 2010, leading to the opening of North Vancouver’s very own Shipyards Christmas Market at Lonsdale Quay in hopes of hosting a market that is more accessible to single parents and…

Continue reading Read more
A cell phone on the Instagram login screen.
7 min 0 1777

Opinions in Dialogue: Should we worry about performative activism?

Peak Web July 23, 2024

By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer, and Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor Content warning: brief mentions of death and police brutality. Performative activism refers to actions taken by someone to project a persona of allyship without true dedication to the cause in…

Continue reading Read more
Photo of a dancing lion
7 min 0 1977

Opinions in Dialogue: The commodification of Lunar New Year

Peak Web February 14, 2024

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer and Kelly Chia, Editor-in-Chief Content warning: mentions of racism.  With all the Christmas hype leaving our local malls, storefronts are now being swamped with limited-edition Lunar New Year promotions. Anything from red-and-gold advertisement schemes to…

Continue reading Read more
Close-up of an eye, with shimmery pink eye shadow and mascara
6 min 0 3580

Opinions in Dialogue: Unpacking beauty standards and its effects

Peak Web September 11, 2023

By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer and Gurneet Lohcham, SFU Student Perceptions of beauty tend to change depending on where you are. Notions of “ideal” and “desirable” features change over time, too. Media, pop culture, and even colonialism can play a…

Continue reading Read more
Photo of protestors blocking a road and holding signs against racism
6 min 0 3006

Opinions in Dialogue: Strategies for advocacy work

Peak Web September 5, 2023

By: Nushaiba Nanjiba, SFU Student and Michelle Young, Opinions Editor From climate change and gender inequality, to 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, there are countless issues that could use more of our attention. However, time is limited for all of us. Common forms…

Continue reading Read more
A hand is covered in all colours of paint imaginable. The paint is tightly layered, and looks complex.
6 min 0 2576

Opinions in Dialogue: The Ambiguity of Gender and Sexuality

Peak Web February 15, 2022

By: Ciara Reid, SFU Student;  Maya Beninsteso, Peak Associate Though gender is not inherently sexual, it does bear influence on the relationships we form — be they sexual or otherwise.  SFU Student Ciara Reid and Peak Associate Maya Beninteso discuss. CR:…

Continue reading Read more
A woman is looking wistfully at her phone screen. The room is dimly-lit, and curtains behind her filter out some of the bright lights of the city. The mood of the photograph is very isolating.
5 min 0 1662

Opinions in Dialogue: Reaching out and Checking in

Peak Web January 25, 2022

By: Maya Beninteso, Peak Associate; Kelly Chia, Staff Writer Over the pandemic, many of the methods we use to interact with one another have become formalized. With quarantine, distanced education, and work, we’ve had to adapt the language we use to…

Continue reading Read more
7 min 0 2203

Opinions in Dialogue: Why are pronouns so important?

Opinions March 22, 2021

by Madeleine Chan, Jacob Mattie, and introduction by Dev Petrovic Incorporating the introduction of personal pronouns on day-to-day occasions has become increasingly normalized. The sharing of pronouns is evident in group introductions, social media bios, and Zoom usernames — the…

Continue reading Read more
6 min 0 2727

Opinions in Dialogue: Should teens be sexualized on TV?

Opinions February 16, 2021

by Madeleine Chan, Brianna Condilenios, Kyla Dowling Countless teenage melodramas, like Riverdale, have littered our television networks and streaming services over the years, and their popularity doesn’t seem to be waning. However, this has only amplified existing concerns of how…

Continue reading Read more
6 min 0 2013

Opinions in Dialogue: Is SFU’s U-Pass system fair?

Opinions February 8, 2021

by Gurleen Aujla, SFU Student, Dev Petrovic, Staff Writer, Madeleine Chan, Opinions Editor Over the years, there’s been a lot of conversation from students about the equity of SFU’s U-Pass system. Specifically about whether students who don’t want the U-Pass, and…

Continue reading Read more