What we need to see in terms of broader changes would be policies to ensure adequate staffing including increased pay raises, better conditions of work in order to attract people to this sector.
JULIA SMITH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SFU HEALTH SCIENCES
FUTURE
Universities, like Simon Fraser University, are often the birthplace of ideas, such as innovations that leverage the power of clean technology.
HARJIT SAJJAN MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BREWING HISTORY
We noticed that nobody else, no other institutions, were acquiring material to document this, so we thought it was a good niche for us to get into.
MELANIE HARDBATTLE ACQUISITIONS AND OUTREACH ACTIVIST, SFU ARCHIVES
We want to be really authentic, we want our viewers to get to know not only us, but the communication members as well.
ARIANNE CERVANTES COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
as water shortage and pollution, are perceived as more important than illegal wildlife trade. “They have to invest resources to learn about the trade and learn about this issue before they can take action,” he mentioned. The task though, is monumental.
Sardari stressed the trade is not a new phenomenon. “We have the physical traditional marketplace, which I would say is historical. People have been trading for thousands of years.” The trade’s proliferation both in Iran and globally has been aided by the rise of digital marketplaces. The boom in global internet use and connectivity has led to its increased popularity, enabling it to grow in the digital sphere.
By Sardari’s account, traditional and geographical factors influence the trade, with falcons being of particular interest to buyers. “In Iran and in the Middle East, falconry is part of the tradition there. So birds of prey are one of the targets of the illegal trade and you would see them more frequently being traded.” Adding on, he highlighted the global popularity of reptiles and amphibians, some of which are endemic to Iran, making them very popular amongst buyers globally. Nonetheless, the continued trade of these animals is unsustainable.
To curb the trade, Sardari said that understanding its dynamics was key. He noted the need for evidence-based research into the values and motivations driving it. Such an approach, in his opinion, will open the doors for public education and spur behavioural change in communities. “Investing in and educating people so they can enforce legislation may be a good way, but we first need to understand the trade.”
When asked if regional support for this endeavour could be secured, Sardari cited Iran’s current geopolitical isolation as an obstacle. “Because Iran’s connections with other countries and conservation organizations are really limited, it’d be hard to do some work.” Undeterred, local conservationist groups like the Iranian Cheetah Society fight on. They protect Iran’s environment and wildlife, as well as raise awareness. He mentioned that such groups always need more support for resources and funding for their projects.
Sardari believes a vacuum of political will on the subject is due to government priorities rarely being aligned towards conservation. “Governments want to develop. They want to use their resources. It’s always this trade-off, this conflict, between development and sustainability.”
Safeguarding and protecting the rights of the people is an ongoing issue for the government of Iran. In the past years, the government has used lethal force on protestors and incarcerated peaceful activists. In September 2022, a young Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini died in a Tehran hospital following her arrest by the nation’s morality police; a unit of Iran’s police whose main objective is to enforce an Islamic dress code, mainly targeting women. Sardari opened a class presentation with a tribute to her. “It didn’t just affect me, it affected the whole Iranian community. It
affected the whole world, I’d say.” Since the death of Amini in September, there have been ongoing protests in Iran to end the “decades-long authoritarian rule of the country’s top clerics.”
“When I heard the news, I was devastated, I was sad. I had a mix of emotions. I was angry. She was an innocent young woman who died.” Sardari said that in recent years, the institution has been emboldened in its suppression, with its main targets being Iranian girls and women. According to Iran International, at least 402 protestors have been killed by security forces and 16,813 have been arrested since the protests began back in mid-September. The Volunteer Committee to FollowUp on the Situation of Detainees has been able to identify at least 1,600 prisoners including “969 ordinary citizens, 393 students, 145 civil activists, 42 journalists, 40 political activists, 38 women’s rights activists and 26 attorneys.”
Sardari added, “It’s a violation of human rights.
POURYA SARDARI“I was really surprised and happy to see all the Iranians and non-Iranians that came together in solidarity with what happened to Mahsa,” said Sardari of the worldwide protests that followed her death. “I was really happy to finally see the Iranian community coming together. I was happy to see unity in the community.”
Sardari mentioned that he himself hasn’t had a faceto-face interaction with the morality police but that his friends have to think about them. “It’s really stressful because I know from many of my friends who are mostly girls and women. They want to go out to have a peaceful evening with their friends, but they have to think about what to wear so that they don’t get arrested by the morality police.”
When asked about the ideological differences between Iran’s young population and the country’s theocratic leadership, Sardari said, “It’s not a gulf, it’s an ocean [ . . . ] With innovation, technology, the internet, people are more connected and share ideas with each other, so that’s why there’s this gap.”
Sardari added that the government seems to not want to accept the fact that the young generation is thinking differently and that they want different values in their lives. He concluded by saying that Iran’s young population is more accepting of diversity of thought, opinion, and expression.
Investing in and educating people so they can enforce legislation may be a good way, but we first need to understand the trade
In this profession, it’s not all about the wins and losses, but the journey. The comradery and relationships that have grown with not only myself, but with my staff [and] players as well.
RIGELL // SFU FOOTBALL HEAD COACH
The advice I give them is, you gotta try and make yourself better tomorrow than you were today.
ARIES — Mar 21–Apr 19
Look into the sky tonight when the whole town has their lights off and the ambience is cold, silent, and peaceful. Count how many stars you see with your vision, then make a wish for each one. Why do this? Because every one of those wishes will come true next year.
TAURUS — Apr 20–May 20
GEMINI — May 21–Jun 20
CANCER
— Jun 21–Jul 22
Cancer, you are invited to participate in the writing challenge! Get a notebook, decorate it any way you’d like, and write a quick little something every day about anything that’s on your mind. It’ll be cool to read later, so you won’t regret it!
LEO — Jul 23–Aug 22
You’re gonna open up a little more next year and find some opportunities to participate in, whether it’s joining a club or getting involved in the community. As a result, you’ll make lots of new friends!
VIRGO — Aug 23–Sept 22
You may have had a good year, a bad year, or something in between. Whatever it was, just know that 2023 is going to be better. Maybe you’ll win the lottery, get straight A’s, book a vacation, or adopt a pet. Something great will happen next year and it’s something to be excited for!
LIBRA — Sept 23–Oct 22
Black Friday just passed and you went shopping, feeling certain that you checked every single thing off your December shopping list. But wait . . . Oh no, you forgot to buy the chocolate countdown calendar! Sorry to break it to you, but now you’ll have to buy it at full price :’(
SAGITTARIUS — Nov 22–Dec 21
CAPRICORN — Dec 22–Jan 19
How many days of 2022 did you spend thinking too much about the past or future? For the next year, I challenge you to live in the moment and focus mainly on the present; it’s something we often take for granted. Have fun!
AQUARIUS — Jan 20–Feb 18
Are you really ready to step into a brand new year soon? Or do you want to stay in this year forever? If you want to stop time and be stuck in 2022, I wish you the best of luck in finding Peter Pan so he can take you to Neverland.
PISCES — Feb 19–Mar 20
Pisces, you need to save more memories. I’m serious! Start taking more pictures and videos of your daily life so you can live the moments again later. Go and make 2023 unforgettable :)
LOCATION #2: Stairs from West Mall down to the Lower Bus Loop DEMO: Garbage Bag Toboggans
We will be smoothing out snow that collects on the stairs so that instead of walking down icy steps, students can pretend they’re skiing down the side of a mountain. Snow will be transferred to the stairs from other areas of campus so that we can fill in any gaps and create a full ski mountain experience. Parking lots won’t be cleared for this though — they’ll actually be the last areas of campus to be cleared of snow because who cares. Plastic garbage bags (climate change who?) will be kept at the top of the stairs for students to sit on and slide down. We’re all about bringing more fun to campus! No broken legs or twisted ankles over here!
LOCATION
#3: Convocation Mall DEMO: Penguin Walking 101
The best and most effective method of avoiding injury when walking on snow and ice is actually learning how to walk like a penguin! We thought it’d be super fun and cool to demonstrate how to walk like a penguin instead of doing the work to remove the snow and salt walkways ourselves because this is obviously how resources are best used. Join us on Wednesday at 11:41 a.m. for a FREE and LIVE demo from SFU’s very own Joy Johnson showing you how to walk like a penguin on snow and ice! You’ll all look really funny doing it, which is great for our social media. Join JJ in your best SFU merch or dressed like a penguin for the demo of the year!
SUDOKU
