Barriers to Black Health

BARRIERS TO BLACK HEALTH

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Students voice concerns over UBC field trip to Israel

Empathetic solutions for the unhoused

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Rebecca Bair captures the convergence of light, shoulders, and hair

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HUMOUR

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Getting comfortable with the floor during Judo

Will we finally find out the spider’s Instagram handle?

NEWS

February 5, 2024

PRACTICAL PREVENTION

Public health shouldn’t be more focused on saving money than saving lives.

D R . KAR I NA Z E I LD E R · D O N O H A R M B C

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NEWS

News Editor Karissa Ketter · News Writers Eden Chipperfield and Olivia Sherman · news@the-peak.ca

ERASING CULTURE

UBC collaborates with Israeli university in archaeological field study Students express concern for UBC partnership with controversial Israeli university

PHOTO: PRERITA GARG / THE PEAK

O LIVIA S HERMAN · NE WS W RI TE R

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is leading an archaeological excavation in Israel during the summer of 2024, training students in field study methods and the history of the region. The program is in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), which has received criticism for its treatment of Palestinian students, militarization of its campus, and retaliation against anti-zionist protests and sentiments. The summer program is led by Gregg Gardener, a UBC professor and alumni of HUJI. The Peak received a tip from an archaeology student enrolled at UBC, who discovered this program while browsing UBC’s field study courses. “I genuinely love going to school here,” the source said in an interview. They stated they are “disappointed but not surprised” with UBC’s involvement with HUJI. “Given how much money and effort UBC has put into, at least on the surface, appearing to care about Indigenous rights and issues,” the student said it’s “egregious” how UBC is “failing to recognize the same systems of settler colonialism.” The student also noted how this “academic tourism” seems like “a really bad idea, that doesn’t seem safe for students, if nothing else. It’s an active warzone.”

While Hamas, the militant organization that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, killed over 1,200 civilians and kidnapped another 240 — the Israeli government’s retaliation against the October 7 attacks have been condemned worldwide as a genocide against the Palestinian people. Over 25,000 civilians have been killed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), with many more wounded or missing. Survivors of the recent conflict, reaching 117 days at time of writing, are subject to starvation, infection, and brutality from members of the IDF. On December 29, South African lawyers launched a case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) claiming the IDF is “genocidal in character” and that Israel’s actions breach the clauses of 1948’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Several more countries have since

defended South Africa’s claims in the ICJ, such as Bolivia, Colombia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Namibia, Pakistan, and Turkey. The ICJ ruled that Israel’s actions could amount to genocide, and issued measures to prevent such from happening. The court ruling did not officially call for a ceasefire.

One genocidal act being internationally reprimanded is the destruction and targeting of Palestinian cultural sites, the oldest of which dates back to 10,000 years ago. Nearly 200 sites deemed archaeologically, historically, and culturally significant have been destroyed since October 7. South Africa references these attacks in its lawsuit against Israel in the ICJ, stating “Israel has damaged and destroyed numerous centres of Palestinian learning and culture,” such as religious sites, museums, libraries, and other places of historical importance.

The 1954 Hague Convention, which Israel agreed to, was meant to protect these sites in times of war.

Our learning [is] coming at the expense of people’s lives and culture.

ANO NY M O U S U BC STU D E NT

“What is happening now is a war crime. It goes against the first Hague convention,” said Isber Sabrine, the president of Heritage for Peace, an international non-governmental organization that documents cultural heritage. “Israel is trying to erase the connection of the people with their land. It’s very clear and intentional. Gaza’s heritage is part of its people, its history, and their connection.”

This erasure took place far before October 7. Bilal Toprak, a faculty member of Duzce University in Turkey, has highlighted Israel’s intent to erase Palestinian heritage through an

archaeological lens, using “archaeology as a weapon of colonization, denial, and erasure.” Efforts to erase Palestine’s history spans from British colonial rule to the 1948 Nakba, to current date.

The anonymous student also emphasized the significance of the area, noting the many different intersections of cultures in the Bronze age, such as the Greeks, Mesopotamians, and Romans. “Palestine has some of the most interesting archaeological history in the world,” they said. “It’s the sites that aren’t being explored, it’s the sites that are being destroyed that we, as an institution, should be looking at.

HUJI as an institution has also been accused of excessive militarization of the campus and academic environment and anti-Palestinian sentiments. A prominent Palestinian professor at HUJI, Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, faced termination after she signed a petition campaigning for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The petition was published on October 26, and on October 28 the president of HUJI reprimanded her, stating in a public letter that “It is most appropriate that you consider leaving your job.”

UBC has also seen acts of anti-Palestinian sentiment on campus. Hillel BC is an organization for Jewish students across multiple campuses in BC, meant to promote religious, ethnic, and community belonging. However, stickers saying “I heart Hamas” were found across UBC’s campus. Hillel BC claimed in a social media statement that an “independent contractor” had put up these stickers, and said this contractor has since been fired. However, the stickers were originally falsely linked to UBC’s Social Justice Centre (SJC). Members of the SJC were subjected to bullying, harassment, and threats over these false accusations.

SJC claims Hillel BC has not apologized for the incident.

“It’s not just knowledge that’s lost, it’s these people’s ancestors and their ways of living. It’s just such a tragedy, and it really sucks that UBC’s actual archaeology program is partnering with a university that perpetrates this,” the anonymous student said. “Our learning [is] coming at the expense of people’s lives and culture.”

NEWS

February 5, 2024

ALL MY RELATIONS

I think reconciliation begins with greater awareness and understanding and appreciation mutually.

D R . M O RGAN R I TC H I E · S F U A R C H E O LO GY

TRICKY TREATMENTS

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OPINIONS

Opinions Editor Michelle Young · opinions@the-peak.ca

Medical Miseducation

Racial biases in healthcare can include ignoring a patient’s pain or symptoms — especially for women — and mistreating or misdiagnosing ailments.

February 5, 2024

BAD BYLAWS

These bylaws don’t consider the labour required to pack up on a daily basis.

OPINIONS

7

ARTS & CULTURE

February 5, 2024

INTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHY

When I “collaborate” with the sun, I am calling upon and collaborating with ancestors — those melanized before me.

R E BE C CA BAI R · IN T E R D IS C IP LIN A RY A RT IST

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SPORTS

Sports Editor Isabella Urbani · Sports Writer Kaja Antic · sports@the-peak.ca

JUST LIKE CLOCKWORK

Super Bowl LVIII predictions

I think we’ve seen this film before, and the Chiefs will like the ending

ILLUSTRATION: SONYA JANESHEWSKI / THE PEAK

KA JA ANTIC · SPORTS W RI TE R

For the fourth time in five seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl — and the San Francisco 49ers are there too.

The Chiefs and 49ers previously met four years ago during Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs overcame a 20–10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win 31–20. While this marks the 49ers first appearance back in the Super Bowl since 2020, Kansas City reached Super Bowl LV the following season in 2021, ultimately falling short to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Chiefs’ 2022 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game was the first in two years that Kansas City wasn’t headed to the Super Bowl. Last year, Kansas City won Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles, after scoring a field goal with eight seconds left in the game.

San Francisco’s Super Bowl history is not as recent or thorough as the Chiefs’. Before 2020, the 49ers had been to the Super Bowl once in the 21st century, losing 34–31 to the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 at Super Bowl XLVII. The 49ers had previously won five Super Bowl games from 1982–1995.

The Chiefs (11–6) led the four-team AFC West division this season, while the 49ers (12–5) led the west division of the league’s other conference, the National Football Conference (NFC). Playoff positions are assigned based on a team’s record in comparison to teams in their own division, as well as teams from the other three other divisions that round out their conference.

Since the 49ers were seeded first in the NFC, they received a bye to the second round of playoffs, otherwise known as the divisional round. The Chiefs, who finished third, had to compete against the sixth-seeded Miami Dolphins in a wildcard match to advance to the second round. Unsurprisingly,

the Chiefs made quick work of the Dolphins, winning 26–7. In the divisional round, the Chiefs defeated the second-seeded Buffalo Bills 27–24. They then defeated the AFC number one seed, the Baltimore Ravens, 17–10 to become the conference’s bid in the Super Bowl.

As well, you can’t mention the Chiefs without mentioning Travis Kelce. Aside from his highly publicized relationship with Taylor Swift, the Kansas City tight end is widely regarded as one of the best tight ends in NFL history, and the best currently playing.

On the other side, the 49ers beat the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers 24–21, after the Packers pulled off an upset against the higher-seeded Cowboys to make it to the divisional round. The close margins of victories continued for San Francisco the next game. The 49ers scored 27 unanswered points in the second half of the NFC Championship game to win 34–31 against the third-seeded Detroit Lions, after being down 24–7 at halftime.

Kelce and Mahomes are a record-setting pair, recently earning the playoff record for touchdowns for a quarterback-receiver combo. The pair have completed 16 touchdowns in their years playing together, beating the previous record of 15 set by storied pair Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.

This year’s Super Bowl, Super Bowl LVIII, is set for Sunday, February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas; it will be the first time a Super Bowl has been held in Nevada. The 49ers have the edge in offence, ranked second to the Chiefs’ ninth, while the latter ranks second in defence to the former’s eighth.

They are closely matched in passing — San Francisco in fourth and Kansas City in sixth — while their rankings differ greatly when it comes to rushes, with the 49ers third in the league, way above the Chiefs in 19th.

Despite the regular season achievements of the 49ers, I don’t believe they will come out on top. Their playoff history since the turn of the century has been lacklustre, and they narrowly achieved wins against the Lions and the Packers — both being three points.

The AFC champion Chiefs are in a much different position than their opponents, due to their recent successes. The key members of their roster are much more experienced compared to the 49ers. The Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has not just one, but two Super Bowl MVP awards under his belt, while 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is only in his second season in the NFL — his first as a starting quarterback.

Despite the regular season achievements of the 49ers, I don’t believe they will come out on top.

If you’ll indulge me, I believe the Chiefs have the upper hand on the 49ers for Super Bowl LVIII. The lights of the NFL championship are always bright, but the Chiefs have shown that it doesn’t blind them, and they have the reputation to prove it. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but if all the pieces fall right into place, the Kansas City Chiefs will be the winners of this year’s Super Bowl.

For now, we have to wait and let the players play, and I could be wrong but life goes on. But I consider myself somewhat of a mastermind, so I’m still a believer in the Chiefs until the final whistle blows on February 11.

SPORTS

February 5, 2024

THE GENTLE WAY

Trial Week review: Judo Spending the day as a white belt

All the athletic action from February 5–11

PHOTO: WILSON WONG / SFU ATHLETICS

I SA B EL L A URBA N I · SP O RTS EDI TO R

HOME Thursday, February 8: men’s basketball vs. Montana State Billings at West Gym at 7:00 p.m. · Lost earlier in the season 73–61 against Montana State

PHOTO: JOSHUA JAMIAS / UNSPLASH

KA JA ANTIC · SPORTS W RI TE R

The spring 2024 trial week had several appealing options — from dance to yoga, and various martial arts. It was a difficult choice to make personally, but I ended up going with judo.

Judo was created in 1882 by Japanese scholar Jigoro Kano after he had studied the ancient martial art jujutsu and decided there should be a defensive martial art with educational benefits. In the literal Japanese translation, “Judo” means the “gentle way.”

Organized Judo is also celebrating 100 years in Canada, after Shigetaka “Steve” Sasaki immigrated from Japan to Vancouver in 1922, opening the Tai Iku Dojo in 1924. Judo was the fourth martial art added to the Olympic Games after debuting in 1964.

The PEAK Judo Club runs out of the Lorne Davies Complex on Burnaby Mountain and offers programs for children and adults at varying levels of judo proficiency. The trial week was for the AIR program, which is for beginners aged 14+ and focuses on key aspects of judo: the art of falling safely, self-defence, working on one’s physical health, and executing the art’s moral principles.

This was the only technique I was semi-familiar with, as it reminded me of fighting with my siblings when we were younger.

When entering the class, I was given a judogi — the traditional uniform used in judo — and the beginning exercises began.

There were many different warm-up cycles of various exercises, including multiple somersault variations along with practicing the various fall techniques used in judo.

Since most of the techniques largely consisted of throws and grappling, the person on the receiving end, known as the uke, must be familiar with the breakfalls to ensure their safety.

These falls serve many purposes, with the mae ukemi (forward

breakfall) protecting the head, the ushiro ukemi (back breakfall) protecting the head and back, and the yoko ukemi (side breakfall) protecting the sides of one’s body — often the area landed on when the uke is thrown.

The next step in the class was to partner up, working on the first step of any technique — holding the judogi. There are different stances when participating in judo, but the basics of each stance are similar: one hand stays on the opponent’s collar, while the other grabs the extra fabric of the opposite sleeve.

After this, we worked on various ways to unbalance your opponent, known in the judo lexicon as kuzushi. These steps were all built for the main champion of the evening class: the throwing techniques, also known as nage waza.

One of these throws taught in the class is called o goshi, which is a major hip throw in judo. Classified under koshi waza (hip techniques), this move has the tori — the person performing the technique — positioning their hips below the uke’s, throwing them over one hip after grabbing the back of the uke’s judogi. In this exercise, it was my first time getting thrown in a martial arts setting, and honestly, it was pretty fun.

We were also taught various foot techniques — also known as ashi waza. These were harai tsurikomi ashi (lift pull foot sweep), deashi harai (front foot sweep) and kosoto gake (minor outer hook). The last techniques of the night revolved around grappling, known as katame waza. This involved pinning (osae waza), choking (shime waza), and joint lock (kansetsu waza) techniques. This was the only technique I was semi-familiar with, as it reminded me of fighting with my siblings when we were younger.

After this instruction was done, the class was organized on the mats in order of belt level, facing the senseis (instructors). I was part of the end, as I was wearing a white belt, usual for a beginner.

We were taught the proper way to kneel with your feet crossed behind you, and how to bow to senseis following instruction.

Overall, I would like to thank the PEAK Judo Club for hosting the session, and the leadership team for being patient with me as I learned how to do martial arts for the first time. It was a great experience and I recommend that SFU students and community members check out the group’s events and programs throughout the semester.

Friday, February 9: conference hockey team vs. UVIC at Bill Copeland Sports Centre at 7:00 p.m. · Lost 9–2 to UVIC last time they played Saturday, February 10: men’s basketball vs.

Seattle Pacific at West Gym at 7:00 p.m. · Lost earlier in the season 83–63 against Seattle Pacific Saturday, February 10: conference hockey team vs. Vancouver Island University Mariners at Bill Copeland Sports Centre at 7:00 p.m. · Lost 5–3 to Vancouver Island last time they played

AWAY Thursday, February 8: women’s basketball vs. Central Washington at 5:15 p.m. · The Wisotzki sisters, junior Sophia and senior Jessica, scored 52 of SFU’s 83 points in the team’s January 27 win against Seattle. · 0–1 against Central Washington this season Friday, February 9–Saturday, February 10: track and field at the University of Washington Husky Classic · First of two competitions this month hosted by the University of Washington Friday February 9–Saturday, February 10: track and field at Boston University’s David Hemery Valentine Invitational at 6:00 a.m. · Last invitational before the conference championships on Monday, February 19–Tuesday February 20 Saturday, February 10: women’s basketball vs. Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) at 4:15 p.m. · Lost by one point (61–60) to Northwest Nazarene last month

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HUMOUR

Humour Editor C Icart · humour@the-peak.ca

February 5, 2024

HUMOUR

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Business Manager Yuri Zhou · business@the-peak.ca

DIVERSIONS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

SFPIRG Fee Refund Spring 2024

SFU students who do not wish to be members of SFPIRG can receive a membership fee refund. Students who receive this refund will no longer be members of SFPIRG and will not be able to access the resources available.

Each semester we receive $3.00 from full-time undergraduate students and $1.50 from part-time undergraduate students. Following a successful graduate student referendum in Spring 2020, as of the Fall 2023 semester, we received $6.13 from full-time graduate students and $3.07 from part-time graduate students.

To Opt Out Fee Refund Week occurs between January 31 - February 8 Fee Refunds will be processed digitally in Spring 2024 for the protection of our communities Email admin@sfpirg.ca to opt out of membership and receive a fee refund no later than 11.59pm on Feb 15th