VOL. 171 ISSUE 7 JUNE 20, 2022
NEWS
FEAT URE S
ART S & C U LTU R E
H U MO U R
Vancouver’s accessible city planning
Navigating a degree with ADHD
Complex food histories: Hainanese chicken rice
Tips and tricks from good ol’ Peakie
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Language of Reconciliation It’s time to expand the Indigenous curriculum OPINIONS P.05
Volume 171, Issue 7 Waiting for postmort since 1965
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Maggie Benston Centre 2900 Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 (778) 782-5110
NEWS BC decriminalizes illicit drugs for three years
COVER Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson
OPINIONS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Young eic@the-peak.ca
It’s OK to like plushies
COPY EDITOR Nancy La copy@the-peak.ca
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FACT CHECKER Gurleen Aujla factchecker@the-peak.ca BUSINESS / ADVERTISING MANAGER Yuri Zhou business@the-peak.ca 778.782.3598
FEATURES
PROMOTIONS MANAGER Jaymee Salisi promotions@the-peak.ca
Dr. Marchbank talks Surrey Pride and women’s award
NEWS EDITOR Karissa Ketter news@the-peak.ca
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NEWS WRITERS Chloë Arneson and Pranjali J Mann OPINIONS EDITOR Luke Faulks opinions@the-peak.ca
ARTS & CULTURE
FEATURES EDITOR Meera Eragoda features@the-peak.ca
21st Talking Stick Festival showcases a dynamic programme of Indigenous arts & culture
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Gem Yelin Lee arts@the-peak.ca HUMOUR EDITOR Kelly Chia humour@the-peak.ca
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STAFF WRITERS Nercya Kalino, Yasmin Simsek, Isabella Urbani, and Olivia Visser PRODUCTION AND DESIGN EDITOR Josh Ralla production@the-peak.ca
HUMOUR
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITORS Megan Yung and Yining Zhou
We found love in a Google space
PHOTO EDITOR Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson photos@the-peak.ca
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All SFU students can contribute to The Peak and get paid for their work! Contact an editor or follow us on social media to find out when our weekly pitch meetings are.
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We acknowledge that The Peak’s office is located and our paper is produced, distributed, and read on the Unceded Coast Salish Territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Kwikwitlem (Coquitlam), Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) Peoples. Unceded means that this land was never surrendered, relinquished, or handed over in any way. We recognize that the unceded land that we occupy includes not only the SFU Burnaby campus, but extends to the land occupied by the Vancouver and Surrey campuses as well.
CONTRIBUTORS Roshi Chadha, Angela Shen, and Pamela Subia PEAK ASSOCIATES Amirul Anirban, Maya Beninteso, and Sara Wong
NEWS
June 20, 2022
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CLOSER TO HOME
Study finds Vancouver is within reach of implementing the 15-minute city model The design aims to integrate environmentalism, accessibility, and inclusion
CHLO Ë ARN E S ON // NE WS W RI TE R
A new study by SFU researchers finds that 79% of Vancouver residents have access to a grocery store within a 15-minute walking distance. The Peak interviewed Kate Hosford, PhD candidate in SFU’s faculty of health sciences, who recently published her work on the walking and cycling accessibility to grocery stores in the greater Vancouver area, to learn more about inclusive city design. Hosford explained that city planning encompasses more than shaping the physical features of a city — it can impact how residents interact with the space around them. She commented on the importance of a well-designed neighbourhood and the effects it can have on certain populations. “Designing cities so that people can access their daily needs by walking or cycling not only makes for a more inclusive city but is also beneficial from a health and environmental perspective.” The walkability of a given neighbourhood can improve the well-being of community members. “People who live in neighbourhoods with more destinations and recreational facilities have higher levels of transport-related physical activity and social connections — which [are] both important for our health,” Hosford said. A study published by Statistics Canada found many Canadians are not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity. They found neighbourhoods that are activity friendly can positively impact the fitness levels of residents. Improving accessibility to grocery stores involves changing the way residents interact with their communities by reducing
15-minute cities are created when grocery stores are within walking distance for all residents. the need for cars, and increasing walking and cycling. Hosford explained the importance of implementing “land use policies that support mixed-use higher density neighbourhoods.” This means designing buildings to be multi-purpose, such as high-rise living above a convenience store or office spaces connected to retail stores.
Designing cities so that people can access their daily needs by walking or cycling not only makes for a more inclusive city but is also beneficial from a health and environmental perspective K ATE HOSFORD PHD CA NDIDAT E, SF U HEA LT H SC IENC ES
“It will be important to work on preserving and creating affordable housing options so that lower income populations aren’t further displaced into outlying areas,” she said. This strategy is already being implemented in Paris. Hosford explained the Mayor of Paris’s goal to have “30% of the
PHOTO: Matt Wang / Unsplash
housing stock in the public domain by 2030.” This will “help retain low and middle income residents.” The City of Vancouver has recognized the need to set targets for increasing walkability within the city. They aim to have 90% of residents live within walking distance or bike ride of their daily needs by 2030 as part of their climate emergency action plan. By increasing spaces for walking, cycling, and transiting in the metro core, the City hopes to have “two-thirds of trips in Vancouver to be by active transportation and transit.” The action plan also recognizes that those who contribute the least to climate change are often the most impacted. The plan notes “climate justice will be a key part of our work, aiming to overcome historic discriminatory city legacies.” Hosford said, “People [who] are more dependent on the car, public transit, or delivery services for groceries” have unequal access to basic necessities and facilities. In the future, Hosford hopes to study whether spatially accessible grocery options are actually meeting residents’ needs. “It’s also important to talk to people to understand if the local grocery stores are serving their needs. The closest store might not be affordable, or it might not have culturally appropriate foods,” she said. You can learn more about the 15-minute city by visiting their website or by reading Kate Hosford’s research paper.
DECRIMINALIZING DRUGS
BC decriminalizes personal possession of certain illicit drugs The decision is an effort to destigmatize and address the overdose crisis
P RANJALI J MAN N / / NE WS W RI TE R
Health Canada declared a three year exemption for BC from criminal convictions in case of certain illicit drugs for personal use. The exemption trial will begin January 31, 2023 and last until January 31, 2026. The drugs will continue to be illegal, but their possession in small quantities of 2.5 grams or less will not result in any criminal charges in BC. This step comes as a measure to reduce stigma pertaining to use of drugs and increase accessibility for “life-saving support and services.” To understand this provincial recommendation, The Peak interviewed Dr. Alissa Greer, an assistant professor in the department of criminology at SFU and expert on drug policies. She said the drug overdose crisis “has been the result of our criminal drug laws and prohibition.” Welcoming this announcement, Greer said, “One of the ways that decriminalization is effective is that it can impact stigma. We won’t look at drug use or possession as a criminal issue; we have the potential to look at it as a social or health issue. So, in the long run this is certainly great.” However, Greer mentioned the importance of addressing the root cause of the overdose crisis. “The cause of the overdose crisis today has been the result of our drug laws and prohibition. Specifically, the illegal drug markets and the supply of drugs in that market — which are extremely unpredictable — because the market itself is unregulated. Because of this people can’t predict the toxicity and the potency of their drugs and that is more or less why people are overdosing.”
The BC decriminalization will begin in January 2023 for a three year period.
One of the ways that decriminalization is effective is that it can impact stigma. We won’t look at drug use or possession as a criminal issue; we have the potential to look at it as a social or health issue DR. AL I SSA G REER ASSISTA NT PROF ESSOR OF C RIM INOLOGY
She explained that decriminalization is just a small first step, but not enough in addressing the issue of a toxic drug supply. “Decriminalization is not a solution to the overdose crisis. Decriminalization will not make an impact on the supply of drugs, which is the reason why we have the overdose crisis. If anything, it might actually make the overdose crisis worse.”
PHOTO: Stephen Tam / Unsplash
She also noted the policy change won’t come into effect until January 2023 and only applies to a certain amount of drugs. Another concern with the announcement is the limit of “cumulative threshold of 2.5 grams.” She emphasized this was a “very small amount of drugs” and doesn’t decriminalize all possessions. The possessions limit of 2.5 grams may not be feasible for all individuals. “Maybe they live in a rural or remote community and have to buy larger amounts. Or some people share drugs, and some might be buying for themselves, or others,” said Greer. Greer emphasized the need to address the supply issue first, in order to tackle the overdose crisis. “People are overdosing because they have to rely on a toxic supply of drugs, and so expanding access to a safer and regulated supply is the only thing that can really address this crisis.” The same sentiment was echoed by Michael Crawford, president of BC Association of Social Workers. “Though we are so pleased the federal government has granted this exemption, it falls sorely short of what is needed. As it stands, this change is not enough — it’s our hope that discussion on the exemption limit continues and that a higher, more practical limit is set quickly: the federal government cannot afford to be performative when it comes to people’s lives.”
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OPINIONS
Opinions Editor Luke Faulks
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opinions@the-peak.ca
GATEKEEPING ADULTHOOD
Stop shaming people for liking kid stuff Hobbies don’t have an expiry date O LIVIA V I S SER // STAF F W RI TE R
I was browsing Instagram reels the other day when I came across a video of a young adult excitedly buying a weighted stuffed animal. The comments were littered with people mocking them simply for finding solace in a harmless object. “Life doesn’t get easier sweetheart. Might need to upgrade to a bottle of wine,” said one commenter. Sure, because substance use is a much preferable coping mechanism to owning Squishmallows and Tamagotchis. Another added, “She may want to consider working out and maybe getting a hobby.” Mind your business, bud.
I’ll bet there’s not a single reader that wouldn’t want to give this fella a hug. Gaming, like most hobbies, should be about having fun, not competing for a moral high ground.
Let’s be honest, no one believes the people who tell us they don’t enjoy stuffed animals, or at least find them cute. One UK study found that 25% of men respondents take a teddy bear with them on business trips, while 51% of British adults reported still owning their childhood plushie. There’s something to be said about the power of comfort and nostalgia. Studies, even. I don’t think we should be embarrassed about that.
Elitism permeates all hobbies. For readers, those who enjoy graphic novels often face backlash for perceived childishness. Historically, comic books have been associated with children or “uneducated” consumers due to their cheap cost and ease of distribution. This contributed to the presumption that comic books were a passing phase that would be abandoned in adulthood — but you don’t suddenly stop liking things once you turn 18 (unless I missed out on the memo).
“Childish” is an arbitrary term. And yet, we see it used on the regular to bully people with comforting interests outside of the mainstream. Social simulation games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon are often the subject of criticism from people with gatekeeping attitudes. I’m sure most people who call these games childish have fond memories of playing Pokémon on their GameBoy Advance.
For those that grew up reading comic books and graphic novels, their passion is sure to continue into adulthood. Something being different doesn't make it less enjoyable. Comic books grapple with some of the same mature and intense themes that traditional novels do, and they do so with impressively illustrated pages. Maus, Watchmen, and Persepolis stand out as graphic novels that were
PHOTO: Barrett Ward / Unsplash
groundbreaking for me. Are we really at a point in society where it’s shameful to make reading serious content more enjoyable? Judging people for enjoying certain hobbies also plays into toxic hustle culture — a notion that promotes relentless work and self-improvement at the expense of mental wellbeing. Adults are allowed to have fun — heck, adults need to have fun! Recent psychology studies have emphasized the importance of “play” for adults, suggesting that it provides a much-needed escape from relationship and work stress, on top of contributing to productivity and emotional improvement. It isn’t your place to decide what people are and aren’t allowed to find comfort in. There’s no such thing as an “adult hobby” — adults can and do have a variety of interests. Myself? I go to the gym, climb mountains, and also have an adorable pile of stuffed animals at home. I escape into the world of Animal Crossing for feel-good vibes. I’m not a child, I’m an adult who’s secure in my own interests.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
Tax the Church! The Catholic Church’s history does not affect their favour in the eyes of the government CHLO Ë ARN E S ON // NE WS W RI TE R
In Canada, we’ve created a subsidy for an institution that carried out a genocide on our soil. A subsidy for an institution that, when more and more evidence of that genocide is uncovered, has to be coerced into making an apology — an apology that’s not even made on the ground on which that evidence was found. That institution is the Catholic Church, and every year, Canadians lose out on taxable revenue from this political organization. We need to recognize the group’s role as a political, rather than charitable, institution and strip the organization of its tax-exempt status. Between the 1880s and 1996, over 150,000 Indigenous children were estimated to have been taken to attend residential schools. In 2021, archaeologists unearthed 200 unmarked graves at a former residential school in Kamloops. Since then, over 1,000 children’s bodies have been found in unmarked graves, some of them being as young as three years old. It has reanimated the debate around holding perpetrators responsible for this unimaginable crime. Let’s tax the groups responsible, starting with the Catholic Church. Other perpetrators of genocide through residential schools, including the Anglican, United, and Presbyterian churches, had issued apologies before 1996. Meanwhile, until April, the Catholic Church stood alone in its resistance to accepting responsibility. It wasn’t until this year that we see the Pope apologize for the residential school system in Canada. It’s not enough. So, let’s skip over the apology and tax them as an organization that’s standing in the way of progress on reconciliation. There’s a huge reservoir of untaxed money in Catholic organizations. In order to be considered exempt from paying taxes, these churches are considered charities in the eyes of the government. Except The Globe and Mail analyzed the finances of the Catholic Church and found they had a combined profit of $110 million after expenditures. Their assets, totaling $4.1 billion, inflate the Church’s potential taxable value to Canadians. The think-tank Charity Intelligence Canada considered this number to be an underestimation
Canada cannot support truth and reconciliation while allowing tax exemptions. when considering the accuracy of each church’s selfreporting on the value of their property. Case in point, the Archdiocese of Toronto was audited to reveal assets priced at $940 million, despite the organization reporting just $2. The assets and profits of these institutions have operated, since their inception, as completely tax exempt. Canadians get no financial remuneration for their presence. It’s not just my opinion. There are voices within Canada’s Indigenous community speaking out against the Church’s tax-exempt status. Iqaluit mayor Kenny Bell spoke against local tax exemptions for religious institutions across Iqaluit — religious institutions that are currently not required to pay taxes on the land they occupy. “This is a small symbolic step. The tax on them is not going to kill the church by any means. It’s not meant to. It’s meant to show that we want the apology. We want the church to acknowledge what they did and move forward,” Bell said. He’s right. Ending the Church’s special tax-exempt status could provide funds for the ongoing reconciliation effort. Other Canadian organizations that remain tax-exempt, from the Greater Vancouver Food Bank to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, operate as charities without the baggage of having carried out a genocide against Indigenous Peoples. A quick scroll down the Truth and Reconciliation
PHOTO: Angela Shen / The Peak
Commission’s Calls to Action reveal a laundry list of potential programs to fund to support Indigenous communities across the country. From supporting a broken foster care system, to bringing clean water to reserves, to bolstering Indigenous mental health care, there are any number of programs that could use the tax revenue from a multi-million dollar institution.
This is a small symbolic step. The tax on them is not going to kill the church by any means. It’s not meant to. It’s meant to show that we want the apology. We want the church to acknowledge what they did and move forward. KENNY BELL // MAYOR OF IQALUIT, NUNAVUT
Whether or not the Catholic Church steps in to pay reparations for genocide, residential schools, or sexual assault cases, it is time to recognize that their role in Canadian politics transcends that of a “charity,” Let’s tax the stuffing out of them.
OPINIONS
June 20, 2022
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POLITICAL CORNER
Canada’s medical system is failing us Why our healthcare isn’t as great as you’d think O LIVIA V I S SER // STAF F W RI TE R
Canadians like to boast about our country’s exceptional healthcare system. “It’s free!” they’ll exclaim. And while, it’s true that you can visit a Canadian emergency room without having to worry about racking up a semester’s worth of debt, there’s still work to be done to ensure equal access to routine and critical healthcare. The Canada Health Act (CHA) is the federal statute that guides provinces on the quality of health services and coverage. The Act aims to “facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.” It’s not as effective a safety net as you might think. The problem is that the CHA doesn’t specify what “reasonable access” means, leaving it mostly up to each province’s discretion. One study found Canada’s quality of healthcare services is unfairly distributed to people based on people’s “gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.” Class inequities in healthcare are exacerbated by historical marginalization. Indigenous communities, for instance, face some of the most significant barriers to receiving quality healthcare. 82% of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat do not have a family doctor. Surely, that should constitute a violation of what most Canadians consider to be “reasonable access.”
Canadians lack consistent “reasonable access” to healthcare.
It’s considered one of the most painful conditions in the world, yet it’s one of many chronic illnesses that aren’t properly cared for under our system.
The problem is that the Canadian Health Act doesn’t specify what “reasonable access” means, leaving this mostly up to each province’s discretion.
The CHA is not only failing to deliver equal access, it’s failing to support home and community care, as well as outpatient prescriptions. As such, delivering quality care lies largely in provincial, territorial, and municipal guidelines. That’s only the beginning of how the CHA is failing to address critical care.
Those with rare and under-researched chronic illnesses also suffer from substandard care in Canada. A BC woman in her 30s living with the genetic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was recently approved for medical assistance in dying, despite reportedly wanting to live. She commented that accessing “death care” was easier than navigating our poorly managed healthcare system.
For conditions that don’t present an immediate risk to one’s life, finding support is a lofty task. Canadians with endometriosis experience an average diagnosis delay of more than five years, despite it affecting roughly 1 in 10 people who have a uterus.
Mental health remains one of the least accessible services in Canada, despite the growing movement to normalize it. Federally, the cost of mental health services is only covered if they are deemed “medically necessary.” This means
PHOTO: Hush Naidoo / Unsplash
psychology services provided outside of a hospital will generally cost you out-of-pocket. In BC, outpatient psychology services are only covered by your provincial Medical Services Plan until you reach the age of 18. After that, you’re on your own. An adult autism diagnosis in BC is around $2,500, and the average cost of a single therapy appointment is at least $100. Many extended health plans provide a very limited amount of coverage for such services. The same can be said for dental care and physiotherapy. The CHA needs to be amended to define what “reasonable access” means, and ensure it actually is reasonable. Denmark offers “free and equal access to healthcare for all citizens,” leaving less room for interpretation. Their system includes a comprehensive list of patient rights, like a time limit on diagnosis and treatment. In hospitals, the limit is 30 days. If it can’t be met, patients are given the option to be treated privately or abroad for free. We need to stop dismissing people’s suffering by falling into the belief that our healthcare system is efficient enough. It’s not. This is a crisis that not enough people are talking about. Discussion may only be the beginning of real change, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle. Only once we amend the “reasonable access” clause can we start dispensing quality care to all Canadians.
CALL TO ACTION
Indigenous languages should be offered in high schools If we're serious about reconciliation, we should be doing more ISA BE L LA URBAN I // STAF F W RI TE R
If you’re a high school graduate in BC, you’ve probably taken a language course. Heck, if you’re like me, you’ve been taking a language class since elementary school. But in high school, when students are establish identities, why not learn some of the languages that were historically spoken on 95% of the unceded land settlers occupy? It’s time to make Indigenous languages an option for high school students. In BC alone, there are more than “30 different First Nation languages,” accounting for “60% of First Nations languages in Canada.” Incorporating Indigenous languages into school is a critical part of Indigenous peoples’ demands for reconciliation. It’s stated in the tenth of 94 Calls to Action on the journey of reconciliation. The power of language is made clearer by the residential school system’s desire to impose European languages. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages found that “although some children resisted and held on to their language, many thousands of others were unable to pass their languages on to their own children.” While this can never be made right, bringing Indigenous languages into the school system can allow Indigenous students who didn’t grow up in a household that spoke a native language the chance to experience a lost cultural touchstone. Adding Indigenous languages to our high school curriculum not only prevents them from fading away, but also allows settlers to show appreciation for the language first spoken on
Did the government bother to read the Calls to Action published in 2015? the land they are settled on — it’s a way of paying homage. Exposing students to Indigenous languages is a way to enhance awareness of the breadth of Indigenous culture in the province. It’s a way to help strengthen the relationship between British Columbians and the province’s cultural history. So if the government already has the stamp of approval from Indigenous peoples, why hasn’t anything been done yet? The province announced in March of 2022 that, starting the 2023–24 school year, all BC students will be required to take at least one Indigenous class before graduation. Courses like “Contemporary Indigenous Studies 12 and BC First Peoples 12,” in which students are exposed to Indigenous history and modern challenges, would now be required for graduation. Languages, however, still aren’t guaranteed in schools. The government should be taking the initiative to contact Indigenous knowledge holders to help assemble a curriculum that accurately depicts an Indigenous language local to the territory a school resides on — and pay them for it. And if a non-Indigenous person is teaching the course, there should be
PHOTO: Simon Fraser University Communications & Marketing / Flickr training programs put in place to help them better understand the language and support their class. Ensuring Indigenous peoples and teachers are at the forefront of an emerging languages program will help ensure its authenticity, and elevate Indigenous voices in education.
In high school, we should be learning about the languages spoken on this land long before it was colonized The government and ministry of education need to understand that language is an essential component of ensuring Indigenous cultural reinforcement and longevity. In high school, we should be learning about the languages spoken on this land long before it was colonized. To simply insist that Canadians learn a language that isn’t native to the region seems a little colonial, don’t you think?
FEATURES
The challenges of studying as a student with ADHD Adelina Streletskaya shares her studying approaches Written by Nercya Kalino We’ve all seen the lists of study tips that advocate for strict schedules and the Pomodoro Technique, but most of these tips are designed for neurotypical brains, meaning they don’t work for everyone. The Peak spoke to Adelina Streleskaya to get her perspective as a student who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a “neurodevelopmental disorder that causes various hyperactive and disruptive behaviours.” A behavioural neuroscience student in her second year, Streleskaya spoke about study tips, what diagnosis means to her, and some of the habits she has developed over time for her academics.
Once Streletskaya realized what was happening in her brain was not her fault, it changed the way she saw herself in academics.
Streletskaya explained she was medically diagnosed in September 2021 but first became aware of ADHD in the beginning of 2020. She recalled, “I would get random comments when I was younger from teachers saying that I would talk too much or that I wouldn’t pay attention.” This is an experience that some people may go through due to being unaware of the different ways the symptoms of ADHD can present. Additionally, while boys (or those socialized as boys) are more likely to display hyperactivity and impulsivity, girls (or those socialized as girls) are more likely to display symptoms internally, such as low selfesteem and inattentiveness. Thanks to TikTok, there has been a spotlight on women and girls being underdiagnosed with ADHD.
“It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me. My brain just functions differently.” The important thing is to be patient with yourself, she added.
Streletskaya explained she used to be a lot harder on herself for not understanding certain topics the same way her peers did. “I would get really confused as to why someone would be able to just go to a lecture and understand it right away but I wouldn’t be able to do that. Before my diagnosis, I was getting really frustrated with myself [ . . . ] but after the diagnosis it made a lot more sense and I started working on understanding it better and [having] self-compassion.
Now that she knows she has ADHD, Streletskaya has a different way of looking at her studies. She first dedicated time to research ADHD to learn more about the traits behind it. She realized teaching herself about the topic made it easier for her to be calmer with herself. Once she had a better understanding of what this meant, she changed her routine by giving herself more time with tasks and scheduling breaks to avoid being overwhelmed.
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Streletskaya explained she also takes medication for her ADHD. “I think my life changed quite a bit, especially when I started taking my medication,” she shared. “One thing that is misconstrued is that medication drastically changes something with people with ADHD and that suddenly your brain is going to be working a million miles an hour and that it’s going to solve all your problems, but medication is more like a band-aid,” she said.
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Instead of working against my ADHD, I started working with it.
From her perspective, there is still a lot of adjusting that one has to do, in addition to medication, to change the tendencies that would lead to old habits. “Instead of working against my ADHD, I started working with it,” Streletskaya expressed. She explained paying attention to routines is important and understanding she’s a morning person has been key. Now, instead of leaving her studying until the evening, she studies in the daytime. She also recommends having different study spots for different subjects and emphasized the necessity of tackling one thing at a time. She gave the example of the commonly recommended Pomodoro Technique, which alternates set studying times and breaks, as a method that did not work for her. “It just didn’t work for me because that 15 minute break would turn into three hours,” she said.
A D E L IN A STR E L E T S KAY A
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less work for someone to get the same understanding as I do. It gets very frustrating because it almost feels unfair and like they have an advantage,” she said. To an extent, when she reflects on how much others can handle doing in a day, she sometimes feels as if ADHD is a punishment.
Another way Streletskaya works with her ADHD is by understanding her symptoms and using them to her advantage. She explained she tends to talk a lot so she integrates this into her study routine by explaining what she’s learned to classmates or friends.
“By the time I plan and schedule and actually study, I don’t have energy for anything else,” she explained. Although comparison is a thought process familiar to most students, it is important to remember achievements. A way to do this is by writing down accomplishments and putting them somewhere visible. It is easier to believe that priorities are out of control, but it comes down to finding important tasks and investing time into that. For Streletskaya, that is her academics.
As contrary as it sounds, a routine is an important aspect of working with ADHD — even though ADHD makes it difficult to develop a routine. Medication may help, but for the most part, it’s about understanding how ADHD intertwines with lifestyle. It may be hard at first to let go of habits, but in order to progress with the help of medication, students should take time to observe and take note of the things that are difficult, and start making changes slowly.
Streletskaya suggested trying multiple ways to figure out what works for your study style with ADHD. She explained Google is the best place to start to find tips but SFU’s Centre for Accessible Learning is another option. She also suggested talking to other people who have ADHD and can validate your experience.
There are challenges in any journey that requires large life changes for a long term impact. For Streletskaya, comparing herself to others is one of those challenges. “It’s really hard to see someone who gets it right away and how it takes way
“Don’t be afraid to try anything and everything,” Streletskaya stressed.
ILLUSTRATIONS: Megan Yung / The Peak
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FEATURES
SFYou:
Dr. Jen Marchbank The professor who does it all invites you to Surrey Pride Festival 2022
Written by Yasmin Vejs Simsek
Editor’s note: The acronym LGBTQ will be used, as is used by the interviewee. This is not meant to diminish or neglect those identifying with IA2S+. Dr. Jen Marchbank is a professor and graduate chair in the department of gender, sexuality, and women’s studies (GSWS), but her commitments don’t stop there. As a deeply engaged activist for the LGBTQ community, she inspires people to create the change they want to see through innovative teaching practices. On May 26, she received the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Education, Training and Development. The award ceremony recognized 75 remarkable women in 14 different categories. The Peak spoke to Marchbank to find out more about her accomplishments and the upcoming Surrey Pride Festival she’s putting a lot of effort into planning. Marchbank credited her award to her work with NEVR, the Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships. Marchbank attended the awards ceremony with her wife, Sylvie Traphan, and was thrilled to hear an anonymous donor matched the fundraising. “They had a target of raising $125,000 in that night [ . . . ] and then an anonymous donor matched it, so they got a quarter of a million for purpose-built housing for women and their children in Burnaby.” Speaking about the award, Marchbank said, “One of the things I was recognised for was my
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innovative teaching practice and using things like podcasts, intergenerational oral history, and my research in LGBTQ and trans youth and elder abuse.” Marchbank received the award not just for her work at SFU but also the work she does outside of it. She explained that includes the advocacy she does with Youth For a Change, a Surrey-based organization she founded with Traphan in 2012 to educate and support queer youth, “training them to become social justice advocates themselves.” Of all the projects Marchbank has done, one of her favourites came through SFU. “I really liked the elder abuse project that I did with Dr. Gloria Gutman from gerontology, Claire Robson from GSWS, and our artistic director at that time, then PhD candidate Kelsey Blair. “What I liked so much about the LGBTQ elder one was the intergenerational aspect of it, the community level aspect,” Marchbank said. The project was created with both Youth For a Change and Quirk-e, a queer collective for elders that Marchbank and Traphan helped found. When they began this project, they didn’t realize that no Canadian material existed on the topic. In the end they created Canada’s first educational materials on elder abuse in the LGBTQ community through the creation of five posters in different languages with different cultures represented and three videos.
PHOTO: Simon Fraser University - Communications & Marketing / Flickr
They also toured with members of the collectives to every health authority in BC.
also on the Board, and it’s jokingly referred to as “the family business.”
“And it’s still going! Claire, Gloria, and I are still working as a team and the project’s been morphed into the Indigo Project,” said Marchbank.
There are many things to look forward to in Surrey that celebrate LGBTQ history and that Marchbank was heavily involved with. A three month long LGBTQ history exhibit, curated by Marchbank, just opened in the first week of June in the Museum of Surrey. Marchbank’s personal archive is now available through her donation to the Surrey Archives.
Surrey Pride This month however, Marchbank is busy with Surrey Pride. As secretary of the Surrey Pride Society, she is deeply involved in the festivities being held at and around SFU’s Surrey campus. She previously served as president and, under her leadership, they changed the name from Out in Surrey Rainbow Cultural Society to Surrey Pride Society. “I used to say after that, my favorite title is past president. I really like being a past president of Surrey Pride,” she joked. Marchbank’s journey with Surrey Pride started when she went to their AGM in 2011. Looking around the room, she realised that she and her wife were the only lesbians present. “So, I made a comment: ‘where are all the lesbians?’ Which got me noticed and elected,” she said. After a short hiatus, she is now back on the Board to help Surrey Pride get back on its feet after COVID-19 restrictions. Marchbank’s daughter, Jasmine Brodoer, and Traphan are
On June 23, SFU GSWS and Surrey Pride will host the Canadian premiere screening of Nelly Queen: the Life and Times of Jose Sarria, a documentary telling the story of the world’s first openly gay man to run for public office in 1961 San Francisco. The event will take place at SFU Surrey and registration is required. Surrey Pride Festival is happening on June 25 at Central City Mall Plaza in Surrey from 4:00–9:00 p.m. This year it’s being held both virtually and in-person with welcome in different languages to recognise Surrey’s diversity. In-person, there will be mobility accessible stages, ASL sign interpreters, and porta potties.
A full list of all the events at Surrey Pride 2022 and information on how to get tickets can be found on the Surrey Pride website.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Arts & Culture Editor Gem Yelin Lee
A globally loved dish and its complicated cultural history.
·
arts@the-peak.ca
PH OTO: Alpha / Flickr
Food for Thought: Hainanese Chicken Rice This Southeast Asian wonder is a story of migrant frugality and success WRIT TEN BY KELLY CHIA
If you told seven year old me that she was getting a treat, she would picture Hainanese chicken rice. At six dollars a pop in Singapore, the aromatic rice paired with succulent chicken and dipping sauces blew my mind. The dish may look innocuous, but together, the flavours were a symphony of comfort I would dream about constantly. Though it’s been over a decade since I’ve moved to Canada, I’m still in search of a restaurant that can stand up to the hawker stalls back home. Like the name suggests, Hainanese chicken rice stemmed from Wenchang chicken rice: a dish made on an island in Southern China called Hainan. Hainanese citizens migrated to what was then “British Malaya,” known as Malaysia and Singapore today. These were the countries I grew up in, and food has always been a major storyteller of migrant resilience. Before the 1960s, British occupation and influence had an effect on the economy and education system — my dad was born in the 1950s and would talk about the British boarding schools in Singapore. His father was one of the millions of Chinese migrants in the Malaya peninsulas who had come to Malaya for economic opportunities. Likewise, from the 1880s to 1940s, many Hainan immigrants made their way to Malaya to work in tin mines. Wenchang chicken rice became a part of their story and would grow to be an infamous dish worldwide. To my understanding, other Chinese groups like Cantonese and Hokkien people had emigrated earlier and established footholds in sectors like trade and agriculture. Because of this, Hainanese people struggled to find employment within these sectors and communicate in their dialect. Many migrants could only work in the service industry as cooks or domestic servants. Hainanese chicken rice was made at home, using the different local fowls and spices to adapt the original recipe from Wenchang chicken, a thinner fowl. A chef on Singapore’s Orchard Street, Liew Tian Heong, explained that chicken rice was a way to keep food on the table with the financial strife the Hainanese migrants endured. “They would make sure they got the most out of it by stretching out the flavour of the chicken — via the broth and the rice and so on — as much as possible.” Singapore heritage enthusiast Brian Wong writes that after World War II and the Japanese occupation, there was an economic slump in Malaya because
the British had left the region. This was when Hainanese chicken rice made its way from home kitchens to the many chicken rice stalls that started popping up in the region, because migrants were forced to find work as street hawkers — selling food as outdoor vendors. Their work would help establish hawker culture in Malaysia and Singapore. Although hawker culture generally prospered in the region of Malaya, Singapore is the nation awarded with the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Any Singaporean would be proud to talk about the mountains of delicious foods in the hawker centres. Here, you’ll find freshly made sugar cane juice, carrot cake, and of course, Hainanese chicken rice. From there, the homely dish of poached chicken and oily rice became infamous. What made chicken rice so special was the rice itself: fried in chicken fat, then boiled in chicken broth, ginger, lemongrass, and other fragrant spices. The yellow, flavorful rice is the most delectable part of this simple dish. Most notably, it became associated with Singapore. When Singapore and Malaysia split in 1965, both countries laid claim to the regional food, and still continue to. When I’ve encountered versions of this dish in Canada, I’ve almost exclusively heard it called “Singaporean chicken rice,” so it’s clear how much Singapore purports this as a national dish. But in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a Hainanese chicken rice restaurant has proudly been open since the 1930s, longer than when Singapore opened its first chicken rice stall in 1940 by Wong Yiguan. So who does this belong to? To this day, because I am both Malaysian and Singaporean, I admittedly feel conflicted about the debate. What I do know is that this dish, so iconic of the cuisine I grew up with, is about overcoming both British and Japanese occupations. It’s the dish of immigrants. Every bite of the succulent poached chicken tells the stories of the Hainanese migrants who made hawker culture prosper. For a 23 year old me, this dish is still a treat that has me grinning mouth-tomouth. Some of my favourite places to sit and have Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine is a restaurant in Coquitlam called Singapore Hawker — order up a plate of chicken rice, and taste it for yourself!
ARTS & CULTURE
June 20, 2022
11
TO ACT OR NOT TO ACT
Controller fearlessly dives into the humanrobot conundrum The eccentric play explores technology, ethics, and human action PA ME LA SUBI A // SF U STUD E NT
Controller was one of the plays included in rEvolver Festival 2022’s programme. Running from May 25–June 5 at The Cultch, this year’s festival explored themes such as gender diversity, minority experiences, and humantechnology interdependence. Displaying the deep and innovative quality of the local arts and culture scene, Controller overrode all expectations. This interactive piece was produced by the local arts collective, Theatre Conspiracy, and written by BC filmmaker, writer, director, and scientist Mily Mumford. They are also known for their acclaimed plays at the annual Fringe Festival.
Controller was part of rEvolver Festival 2022 at The Cultch.
PHOTO: Upintheair Theatre
made me deeply interested in the development of the plot. Many questions arose as to what these occupations are like in reality, and what ethical dilemmas they face.
or remotely bomb a group of people who could be civilians. Controller makes us think about how much more convoluted the world could get in the future with the growth of virtual reality technologies and virtually controlled war tactics.
The interactive aspect of Controller emotionally guided the audience to dissect human-technology interdependence and examine ethical concerns which have existed since early civilization. With the increasing presence of technology in the lives of individuals, these tensions become more apparent and difficult to ignore.
By the end of the play, when the characters sat down to drink wine and reflect upon what had happened and what was to come, one of them giggled and said, “Nihilism is so 2020.”
The play started by introducing the audience to four characters living in the United States. At different plot points, the lives of these characters were determined by a vote of applause from an external agent (the audience) who has the controller to their lives. We are introduced to the characters in 2016, where two of them are video game actors and the other two work for the US military missile control centre in New York. As a viewer, the occupations of the characters
Throughout the play, the audience is tasked with making decisions for the characters in a world of killer robots, virtual realities, deepfake scandals, and violence. Controller forces the viewer to make ethically difficult decisions: whether or not to protest against a videogame
By the end of the play, when the characters sat down to drink wine and reflect upon what had happened and what was to come, one of them giggled and said, “Nihilism is so 2020.” Nihilism is defined as “the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.” In other words, it encompasses a general indifference towards existence. This sentence was a shock to me as a part of a generation that is progressively falling into nihilism and doom mentality, but it also felt like a wake up call. After that statement, the audience has no more choices to make and the artist-audience division is replaced. This gave the audience a chance to feel relief and to reflect on the play’s message, which was loud and clear. We need to stop behaving as a spectator and start taking action for our communities and ourselves before someone (or something) else grabs the controller.
COME TOGETHER
Talking Stick Festival invites you to learn from Turtle Island’s groundbreaking artists Immerse yourself in Indigenous art SARA WON G // PEAK ASSO CI ATE
Talking Stick Festival (TSF) is about Indigenous artists coming together to present their work as a community. Since TSF’s introduction 21 years ago, it has been known as “North America’s premier Indigenous arts and culture festival.” This year’s TSF expands on that mission statement with events hosted in partnership with more local arts organizations. From a dance performance about herbal medicine to a documentary on breaking barriers in the theatre industry, the 2022 lineup exemplifies the diverse and multidisciplinary nature of Indigenous art. Here are four events you should put on your radar!
La Mitchin di Mitchif | June 19–21 | $18 | Scotiabank Dance Centre La Mitchin di Mitchif is a collaborative dance piece between local companies V’ni Dansi and Oga Po’geh (Santa Fe)-based Dancing Earth. Artistic directors Yvonne Chartrand and Rulan Tangen, of V’ni Dansi and Dancing Earth respectively, are dedicated to promoting Indigenous culture and traditions through their choreography. This contemporary work explores the ancestral plant knowledge of Métis peoples. After the June 19th performance of La Mitchin di Mitchif, guests are invited to stay after the show to engage in discussion with both dance companies. Tickets are available online via Showpass.
Medicine workshop | June 26, 11:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m. | Free | 108-237 East 4th Avenue Hosted by T’uy’t’tanat (Cease Wyss) — a self-proclaimed Indigenous “plant diva” — this tea blending workshop will introduce attendees to the medicinal uses of plants native to the Pacific Northwest Coast. Wyss has nearly 30
years experience as a herbalist, which they pour into their small business, Raven and Hummingbird Tea Co. I’ve had the pleasure of learning from Wyss in the past through an ethnobotany course at SFU. Their joy and passion for cultivating Indigenous plants is infectious. I also found their teaching style very approachable. If you don’t know a lot about plants but are curious to find out more, this is a great place to start. Space is limited for this workshop, so be sure to register by emailing info@vnidansi.ca.
sacred skin | Now until June 30 | Free | SFU Goldcorp This exhibition celebrates the work of seven Indigenous tattoo artists from across Turtle Island. Highlighting “the forms, aesthetics, meanings, and knowledge that they utilize,” sacred skin is an interactive way of documenting the artists’ cultural reclamation. Traditional tattooing in Indigenous communities suffered when the Canadian government enforced the Potlatch Ban in 1885. In an even more blatant example of cultural assimilation, Hovak Johnston, founder of the Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project, noted how “missionaries and residential schools taught that the markings were shameful.” sacred skin explores the work that has been done in recent years to revitalize this artistic practice. From Nlaka’pamux mark maker Dion Kaszas’ bold blackwork designs to Iñupiaq creative Holly Mititquq Nordlum’s intricate handpoke and skin stitch tattoos, it’s clear this resurging art form is in good hands.
TSF 2022 features tea workshops, tattoo exhibitions, and more! PHOTO: Talking Stick Festival
Stories that Transform Us | Now until July 3 | Free | Online
performers and storytellers. Stories that Transform Us is a 90 minute documentary commemorating the organization’s growth in pushing artistic boundaries. Created by current artistic director Corey Payette, the film includes short clips from some of Urban Ink’s previous productions, as well as conversations with Payette and past directors Marie Clements and Diane Roberts. You’ll also see Margo Kane, the founder and director of TSF, featured in this documentary. Stories that Transform Us is available to stream through Eventive.
For the past 20 years, Indigenous theatre company, Urban Ink, has been platforming diverse, underrepresented
For more information on TSF, visit their website or follow @ talkingstickfst on Instagram.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Arts & Culture Editor Gem Yelin Lee
·
arts@the-peak.ca
ARTSY ADVENTURES
Fill up your summer bucket list with visits to arts and culture sites around Vancouver!
PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak
Student discounts to artsy things around Metro Vancouver Snag great student deals on arts and culture experiences around the city
ROSHI C HADHA // S F U STUD E NT
Summer is the time of the year when students make room in their schedules to have fun and explore new interests. If you are a student wanting to explore more of the city’s art and culture scene while staying within your budget, you are at the right place.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra TD All Access Pass Who can afford to go to see the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) live on a student budget? With tickets normally ranging from $25–97, getting a decent seat can be an extravagant outing. To encourage more young people to attend the symphony, TD and VSO offer a program called TD All Access Pass, which gives students discounted tickets to VSO Regular Series concerts. TD All-Access Pass tickets are available two weeks before the performance dates for students to purchase two tickets at $20 each. To get approved for this pass, you need to be a full-time student or below the age of 35 and fill out a registration form which will be processed within 72 hours. For people who prefer to enjoy concerts in bigger groups, the VSO offers 15% off their adult price tickets for students with a group of 10 or more.
Bard on the Beach If you are someone interested in live theatre and the tales of Shakespeare, this is the place for you to visit
this summer. This year’s 33rd season is running from June 8–September 24 with different plays featured at different weeks. Their programming this year includes A MidSummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Harlem Duet. I had the opportunity to go and watch Romeo and Juliet with my friends and I still remember the live performance. I want to visit again with my friends as there are student group bookings which you can access after submitting an application form. There needs to be a minimum of 10 people in the group in order to apply the 15% discount, making tickets $23 each. Tickets at regular price range from $27–$80 so this is a bargain! Enjoy live theatre under Bard’s iconic tents with your friends!
list. With changing exhibits throughout the year, these are discounts to use again and again.
If you are a student wanting to explore more of the city’s art and culture scene while staying within your budget, you are at the right place
Vancouver Art Gallery This is an amazing place to check off your list if you are interested in multiple floors of art exhibits! The Vancouver Art Gallery is considered “one of North America’s most respected and innovative visual arts institutions.” They offer $6 off on their ticket prices for students, making your ticket $18 rather than the regular adult price of $24. Don’t forget to bring your student ID on the day of your visit in order for them to confirm your student status. Of course, if you want to plan ahead and go on a Tuesday after 5:00 p.m., you can enter the gallery by donation. I’ve heard so much about this place but haven’t had the chance to visit yet. I’m hoping to catch installations such as The Imitation Game: Visual Culture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence or Kids Take Over and check these off my summer bucket
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden Are you someone who loves to take pleasant nature walks while enjoying the smell of fresh flowers and exploring cultural artifacts? If yes, this is a place for you. The garden is open Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. with special student tickets costing only $12 in comparison to regular $16. To get this student discount, you just need to flash your student ID card! What makes me excited to visit this place is that it’s a culturally significant garden that hosts many events and educational exhibitions such as Intangible Thread - Part 2, an exhibition that involve 19 artworks that present “new possibilities and connection between two different cultures and two different regions.”
HUMOUR
June 20, 2022
A Google Doc Love Story
Maya Beninteso PEAK ASSOCIATE AND WANNABE SCREENWRITER
Wattpad could never
Julie, Romero, Urie
Once upon a group project, two unsuspecting psychology students were placed in a group, where they encountered the usual group tension and, surprisingly, love. T’was not a meeting that involved bumping into each other (cutely) in the maze we SFU’ers call the Academic Quad-struggle. No. T’was the sending of Tinder-esque flirty lines that, quite candidly, woo’d our beloved don’t-ask-what-year psychology student, Julie. Call it what you want, but this, my dear readers, is the story of the union of two souls. On Google Docs. Julie: Hey!!! We should probably get started on the project. It’s due in five days lol. Urie: Alright, alright. Fine. I just function better under pressure.
Romero: We’re psychology majors, this is a safe space. Julie:
Ah, already starting with the psychoanalyzing, I see.
Romero: Always. Julie:
This is the most intimacy I have felt in my 22 years of life.
Romero: There is something about being the only two people on a Google Doc especially — Romero proceeds to delete his last sentence. Julie:
Hey, why did you delete that?
Romero: No, no, forget it.
Julie: Well, actually that’s a lie your brain tells you to enable you to procrastinate. I’m sure you could come up with better quality work if you started working on it early.
Julie:
Urie: You must have a LOT of friends.
Julie is hyperventilating at this point, trying to wrap her brain around how this man even knows she exists. Was it in tutorial with her messy bun and sweater? WOW. She had been perceived. A novelty, might she add, for SFU.
*Romero has entered the Doc* Romero: Hello fellow group members, what’s up? Julie:
Urie’s ego, apparently.
Romero: Let’s just finish the project and be done with this. Romero’s assertiveness and drive to finish the project washed away the overwhelming symptoms of burnout. Julie could finally feel something again, beyond feeling like she should switch her major . . . for the third time. Romero: What are we thinking in terms of topics? Julie:
What about Freud’s role in establishing psychoanalysis? Or what about —
Romero: That’s a great idea. Let’s go with that. Urie: Julie:
I think I’ve had enough for today. I’m going to bed. But it’s 10:00 p.m. . . . And we’ve barely done anything! *Urie has left the Doc*
Julie:
How helpful. You would think I would be used to getting ghosted at this point.
Romero: Same. Something about Romero’s Google Doc icon in the upper right-hand corner of her crusty, dying laptop’s screen made Julie nervous. It was almost . . . intimate. Like a notable amount of eye contact. Her breathing quivered as if she had climbed the fifty flights of stairs after getting off the 145 bus to SFU. She should probably do something about that (but she never will). Julie:
I’m going to be honest.
Type here to chat . . .
13
No, now I HAVE to know.
Romero: Fine. It’s just that it’s especially intimate when I’m in a Google Doc with the prettiest girl I have ever seen.
Romero: Unrelated, but have you seen a doctor lately? Julie:
Funny you mention that, because I probably should. You see, when I walk up the stairs —
Romero: Because I think you’re in need of some Vitamin Me. Julie:
Has that ever worked for you?
Romero: I don’t know, you tell me. Julie:
Wooow. Okay, maybe a little.
Romero: I don’t have another pick-up line, but I can pick you up at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow. Julie found herself blushing, swept off of her feet over a Google Doc conversation. Would this become known as the Google-Doc-deception-totherapy pipeline? Julie had doubts, but she couldn’t help but feel he might be different. This project might be the project of her heart. Julie:
I’m a little hesitant.
Romero: I can’t promise you that we will love each other. I can’t promise you that neither of us will get hurt. But what’s a project to true love? I would love the privilege of your company for one dinner. That’s all. If you want nothing to do with me after this project, no hard feelings. We can go back to stolen glances in a crowded lecture hall. But what if this turns into something? It could be our Google Doc love story, Julie, just say yes.
14
HUMOUR
Humour Editor Kelly Chia
·
humour@the-peak.ca
Dear Peakie: She's got style, she's got Glee, she has no grace An SFU advice column by cool students, for theatre kids
Dear Peakie,
Dear Peakie,
Dear Peakie,
I want to have a cool new aesthetic but I don’t know where to start! I’ve been scrolling through colour palettes, Pinterest boards, and everything you can think of to find my look, but it’s not working. GIVE me a new aesthetic!
This is a secret I’m entrusting only to you (and your intrepid readers). This is my strictest confession. The other day, I *gulps* hummed the tune of Wicked’s Popular. I learned the moves of Footloose. I even, and I shudder to admit this, watched three seasons of Glee in one week. What’s HAPPENING to me? Is there a solution?!
I have no idea how to make friends as an adult. Especially in pandemic times. Is exchanging a text or Discord handle still hip? Can I invite them to pottery for our second outing? What's the protocol these days?
From: Sylvia the Styleless
From: Friendless in Vancouver
From: Lost in La La Land
Dear Sylvia the Styleless, Ohoho! You’ve come to the right Peakie. Here’s the thing: we often want to dress in a new aesthetic but don’t really have the budget for our ideal style. Based on this conversation and your vibes, your style is the salacious “discotheque garbage bag!” So I suggest incorporating some money pieces from your aesthetic. Try a cute garbage bag handle for your accessory this week, or maybe even stick some glitter on your shirts to charm your professors and classmates during class presentation. Love, Peakie
Dear Friendless in Vancouver,
Oh no. Oh dear. I’m afraid you’ve contracted the most concerning disease of our lifetime: theatrekiditis. I’m happy to tell you that it does get better. After about four years. Until then, stay wary of Matthew Morrison. He will be your mortal enemy during these harsh and troubling times.
Well, you know what they say! You make friends where you see people most. Try starting a musical number while you’re on the SkyTrain during rush hour! You would be surprised at how many people would be willing to do a fully choreographed dance sequence with you. Or, steal into a cat café and ogle at the beautiful friends there (except if you are allergic). Maybe you’ll meet a pal! Be the main character, Friendless in Vancouver.
Love, Peakie
Love, Peakie
Dear Lost in La La Land,
Kelly Chia // Humour Editor and Peakie-of-the-Century
Authentic ramen connoisseur:
Recipes from dormitory expert, Guy Ramsey Written by Yasmin Vejs Simsek It was the year 2011 and I had just come back from a trip to Japan, and all I wanted was a smooth ramen throwback to take me back to the cherry blossoms of Tokyo. Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish, for those of you who haven’t been lucky enough to go to Japan, like myself. My favorite restaurant for ramen was this authentic cute little place with paintings of geishas adorning the walls and steaming bowls of hot ramen being served in artisanal Japanese bowls. So, longing for my favorite place in the world, I dug up this soup-er (see what I did there?) flavourful spaghetti recipe from my grandmother’s old cookbook, and have adapted it into an authentic collegiate meal for champions. This recipe has been in my family for generations. My great-great-greatgreat-great grandmother used to make it for Edgar Allan Poe, and he
PHOTO: Markus Winkler / Unsplash
loved it so much he wrote a poem for her — yes, To Helen is about her! I think, nay, KNOW, they would approve my twist to it though, even if they didn’t have hot sauce and instant ramen in the 1800s. I have perfected this recipe, so of course you won’t be able to make the perfect ramen in the first go, but after 40–45 tries, you should be getting closer. I always make this for myself if I am having a rainy day and I need a little pick-me up. Like that time my Xbox glitched and it hadn’t even saved my game of FIFA! Or like the time I checked my bank account and hadn’t been transferred the $5,000 promised for my summer vacation to Cuba. I had to use my emergency credit card. All while actually writing a paper about Freud’s homoerotic tendencies. Ugh, relatable, I know. I’ll get ‘em next time, champs, with the best ramen in the world.
HOW TO MAKE DELICIOUS, STEAMING, TASTY RAMEN SPAGHETTI: This gourmet ramen dish is so fluffy, squiggly, salty, mahogany (I used my essay writing skills, can you tell?) with notes of burned truffle. And best of all, it’s super simple to make and you can basically make it with things you already have in your kitchen. First of all, you need galangal. Who doesn’t have that in their cupboard? If you just ran out of galangal, you can substitute for ginger, but I will suggest running to the shop, it really is the best option. Other than that, you just need tapioca flour, spirulina, hot sauce, quail eggs, remoulade, three types of soy sauce and muscovado sugar — NOT BROWN SUGAR — and they’re all staples in most of our homes, right?
Oh, you want more of the recipe? Like and subscribe for part 2/7 on my ramen journey. It’s only the low, low cost of ten Maruchan packets a day! If you make this ramen, make sure to tag me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc. My handle is @EverybodyLovesRamend123. Remember to follow and leave a comment to let me know how much you liked it. Love, Guy Ramsey
HUMOUR
June6, 20, 2022 May 2022
Your Weekly Horoscopes What destiny depends on 12-sided die?
June 20–26 Kelly Chia
Humour Editor and Perpetual Elf Ranger
ARIES — Mar 21–Apr 19
LIBRA — Sept 23–Oct 22
When I rolled a die for the kind of week you were going to
Six isn’t bad, Libra. It’s the perfect balance between
have (an EXTREMELY reliable predictor for astrology), you
something mediocre and something extreme. Hey, aren’t
got a 10/12! In this arbitrary universe and our limited time
you all about balancing? Maybe you and that scale of yours
together, a ten means you get ten extra minutes in your
can have a chat this week about trying something fun. I
midterm exam to do what you gotta do. Use it well, young one.
suggest diving into a water park and flinging your arms up.
TAURUS — Apr 20 –May 20
SCORPIO — Oct 23–Nov 21
Oh my god . . . Taurus. Where’s the rage, bud? A two?! Yeah,
Four, huh? This week, Scorpio, you may have signed up
the pollen has been looking at you wrong lately. I think you
for a group presentation begrudgingly. I’m here to tell
should sneeze on a tree, just to show the tree what it makes
you that it’ll be okay, despite all odds. You’ll eventually
everyone feel. It’ll be good for your fortune, I promise.
be able to celebrate this hard event like all SFU students do — with a Tim Horton’s. Rooting for you.
GEMINI — May 21–Jun 20
SAGITTARIUS — Nov 22–Dec 21
As I suspected, Gemini, you are trying to wring out the last
Um, you rolled a one? Sorry Sagittarius, I think it’s time to accept
of that Gemini charm before Leo steals all of it. A perfect
that you will straight up not have a good time this week. Your
12/12! It’s time to develop your philosophy into a lifestyle
Spotify will constantly pause while playing your music. Try finding a
book. Maybe think of imparting this godly advice to your
prophetic protagonist-defining item! I suggest: a ring, a tome, or a
descendants. Really. You’re perfect.
REALLY nice stick. That will give ya some extra luck!
CANCER — Jun 21–Jul 22
CAPRICORN — Dec 22–Jan 19
The magical die has decided you are an eight. But you know
The ever serious Capricorn, I have rolled a five for your
what, Cancer? You are a 10/10 friend in my heart. This week,
misdemeanors. I know what this means! You have to push
focus less on numbers and more on you. You’ve got a stand-up
your luck and put on a musical. Just try! I know you have it in
smile, old pal!
you to be a theatre kid, bud, I can sense it.
LEO — Jul 23–Aug 22
AQUARIUS — Jan 20 –Feb 18
Find it in your lion-hearted soul to be humble this week, Leo.
Hi Aquarius, I was able to divine your fate through this
Why, you rolled the lucky number nine. On your walk today,
random die this week, as I’ve done with the others. A three is
look for nine dogs. It’ll be like playing “I Spy,” except with
not as bad as it sounds. Triangles are often symbols for unity!
every puppy, you experience more delight! SO LUCKY!
Confide in your friends this week. Maybe friendship was the answer all along.
VIRGO — Aug 23–Sept 22
PISCES — Feb 19–Mar 20
You find yourself striving towards perfection, and at an 11,
Finally, Pisces. I always feel bad that you come last in our
you’re almost there! Hey, take a breather this week. Maybe
horoscopes, but maybe it’s worth it for LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN.
the character development you need is, well, rest.
I feel confident that you’ll achieve what you want to! Carry a map with you, and you’ll find a surly wizard to entrust your wicked fate. I CAN’T wait to see what you do.
15
16
DIVERSIONS
Business Manager Yuri Zhou
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business@the-peak.ca
CROSSWORD Across 1. Midler or Davis 6. Blemish 10. Log float 14. Animals' homes 15. ____ vault 16. Beige 17. Garret 18. Colony insects 19. MGM's symbol 20. Fill again 22. President Calvin ____ 24. Wind direction (abbr.) 25. Vatican leader 27. Go bad
28. Registers 30. Compass pt. 33. Musical symbol 37. Vow 38. Make happy 40. Cowboys' ropes 42. Part of ETA 44. Oak nut 45. Double agent 47. Cheeky 48. ____ Moines, Iowa 49. Breakfast food 52. Twosome 53. Church word
54. ____ Ryan of "Sleepless in Seattle" 57. College term 61. Ranting speech 63. Purple fruit 64. Assert 66. Homer Simpson's wife 67. Scandinavian capital 68. Flooring square 69. Zodiac sign 70. Adolescent 71. She, to Pierre 72. Rent
26. Blood component 29. Hebrew greeting 30. Hand gesture 31. "A ____ Is Born" 32. Bruise 33. Attired 34. Shoe fastener 35. Love god 36. Evergreen tree 39. Cup edge 41. Cattle breed 43. Rented again 46. Enjoying continual success (3 wds.) 50. Spin
51. Zoo resident 52. Evil spirit 54. Diva ____ Callas 55. Margins 56. Gaggle members 57. Blot 58. Besides 59. Army mascot 60. Corrupt 62. Seldom seen 65. Miniature
Down 1. Sound loudly 2. Consumed 3. Name 4. Threesome 5. Flee 6. Health resort 7. Vanity 8. Female voice 9. Vacation spot 10. Ignited again 11. Sour 12. Pond amphibian 13. Melody 21. "____ disturb" (2 wds.) 23. Defeated candidate
SUDOKU
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