New Blood: SFSS candidates answer the tough questions

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FIRST PEEK

March 10, 2014 · Volume 146, Issue 9

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CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013

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FIRST PEEK

Bright eyed, bushy tailed, and more excited than ever, I entered into my first semester at SFU last fall. “You’ll just be a number to them,” I was told about transitioning to university. But that seemed fair because, to me, “they” represented an elusive and faceless entity.

I was eager to begin my postsecondary career, and I couldn’t have imagined that my health had the potential to derail my entire semester. I found myself trying to navigate a system with which I was wholly unfamiliar, desperately trying, between fevered T-3 naps, to be excused from my midterms and assignments.

My illness started as a cold that just hung on. A month or so into being sick, I decided that it might be something to check out with my doctor. When I did, “Infectious mononucleosis” wasn’t something I was expecting to hear. All I knew of “mono” was that it could put people out

March 10, 2014

of commission for months on end and that it was heavily stigmatized as the “kissing disease.”

I braced myself for the jokes and the sneers. The reactions I got from people didn’t disappoint: a knowing look and then something like “I can guess how that happened.” The reality of the situation is that I could have gotten mono by drinking out of the wrong cup, but that’s never the first assumption.

Instead of the months of illness I feared, I was only intensely sick for about three weeks. Those three weeks just happened to coincide with most of my midterms and assignments. The day it hit me the worst, in fact, was the day of my first exam at SFU. I emailed my prof and then, with no response, I decided to go to student services to figure out what the correct procedure was for absence due to illness.

I found it difficult to get the information I needed and I had no idea what resources were available to me. I didn’t know that there was an official certificate of illness, or that you could

NOMINATION CALL

FOR CONVOCATION SENATORS

SFU has issued an official nomination call to all alumni, honorary degree recipients and SFU founders for four Convocation Senators for term of office from June 1, 2014 to May 31, 2017. Senate is responsible for the academic governance of the University and is therefore concerned with all important matters that bear on teaching and research at the university.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit a nomination form by March 31, 2014. For more details and a copy of the nomination form, please visit www.sfu.ca/ students/elections/convo.html or call 778782-3168.

withdraw from courses under extenuating circumstances with no academic penalty. I felt beaten by the system and nearly ready to give up, preparing myself to accept failing grades across the board.

At my worst, my family encouraged me to drop out so I could just focus on getting better. While that option would have alleviated any immediate pressures, I found myself in panic over the thought of wasting all of the time, effort and money I had put into school so far. Dropping out of my first semester would have felt like a false start. Though the situation was beyond my control, I would have felt like I had failed.

It was the incredible understanding and support that my professors showed me that convinced me I could salvage my semester. I received personalized emails and was offered generous accommodations that inspired me to dive right back into my schooling. I had the chance to submit assignments later and take exams later or with different weighting. As I recovered, I managed to make up everything that I had missed.

After the experience, I felt SFU might not be the large unfeeling institution I had previously thought it to be. The caring individuals that I encountered during that time and ever since have shifted my perspective entirely.

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NEWS

March 10, 2014

When Phi Delta Epsilon’s (PDE) president, Jordan Yao, received a call about potentially developing SFU’s first Dance Marathon — and, in doing so, being the first Canadian university to participate — he immediately accepted.

On Mar. 1, SFU students gathered to dance for six hours, raising money for BC Children’s Charity. The day’s goal was to raise $10,000 — 10 times the chapter’s annual goal.

“This is a big increase, but we know that universities in the States raise as much as two million dollars!” Gurleen Gill, Dance Marathon event co-chair

news editor email / phone

and senior member of the Phi Delta Epsilon Canada Beta chapter, explained on the Children’s Miracle Network blog.

Yao told The Peak that he saw how “huge this event was in the United States,” where most of the Phi Delta Epsilon chapters either participated in or hosted their own dance marathons.

The trend began in 1991, when students at Indiana University founded Dance Marathon in the memory of a fellow student. The program is now

Leah Bjornson associate news editor news@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

an international phenomenon, and has raised over $62 million in the US. While the day was filled with smiling faces, Blake Hudie, dance relation chair, remarked that they were extremely fortunate that everything came together. He explained that “the timing was not in [our] favor as [we] were faced with the difficulty of competing with other charities like Balding for Dollars and Relay For Life.”

Despite midterms, many students arrived at 11 a.m. to dance the day away. The turnout included members of UNICEF, Alpha Kappa Psi, the SFSS Power Rangers, and elementary and university students.

“I think this is a really great opportunity [ . . . ] for the greater community to come together as a whole for such a worthy cause,” said Kelly Furey, public relations chair, Kappa Beta Gamma. “I think it should be

Melissa Roach

[ . . . ] executed annually and on a bigger scale.”

According to Valeriya Zaborska, PDE’s activity chair, the team’s creativity and ability to think on their feet was what “drove the event’s success.” While the team mentioned a few hiccups here and there, such as difficulties with booking equipment or the use of Simon Fraser Elementary’s gym rather than a space at the university, everyone was content with the cozy environment.

Close to the end of the event, the fraternity revealed the final fundraising figure to the audience; it read $10,707.84.

Zaborska had a few last words of inspiration for The Peak at the end of the day: “If you’re looking to take initiative and develop something new at SFU, take a chance. Split up the responsibilities, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll learn and know where to improve on and make the future one much better.”

NEWS

In a conference on Feb. 27, Living Wage SFU called for Simon Fraser to become the first living wage university in Canada, following the example of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

Living wage refers to the salary that one would have to make to earn a “decent living” according to Marjorie Griffin Cohen, a professor of political science at SFU, and the only faculty member currently a part of Living Wage SFU. To become a living wage university by Metro Vancouver standards, SFU would have to pay all workers $19.62 per hour; this would also apply to jobs that are outsourced to other companies.

According to Adrienne Montani, provincial coordinator at First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition and leader of the living wage movement in BC, the province’s $10.25 minimum wage does not allow workers to get out of poverty, never mind make a decent living. “We’re not trying to get people at the poverty line; we’re trying to get them above it,” she said.

Also in attendance at the conference was Jane Willis, a professor from QMUL, the first living wage university in England. Willis stated that living wages for the workers at QMUL have resulted in increased productivity and less turnover as job satisfaction is higher.

Previously, despite similar arguments, the board of governors decided not to pursue becoming a living wage university, citing financial inability. As stated in an email from Judith Osborne, vice president legal affairs and university secretary, “the board felt it would not be appropriate for one publiclyfunded university to pursue this policy in isolation from others.”

“The costs of adopting such a policy would [ . . . ] require offsetting cuts, thereby weakening the university’s position to meet its educational objectives and placing it at a competitive disadvantage relative to other institutions,” stated Osborne.

March 10, 2014

She suggested that the matter was more one of provincial policy, for which the government would need to provide the funding.

SFSS board members also had mixed reactions to the idea, as discussed at their Feb. 19 board of directors meeting. Some, like ERO Chardaye Bueckert, were in favour, while others, including business representative Brandon Chapman, shared concerns about the financial implications. He stated, “We need to be careful, [ . . . ] we have a university that can’t make ends meet in many areas.”

Shahaa Kakar, of Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) and a member of Living Wage SFU, does not believe cost is the problem. “They [university administration] had done some preliminary costings, and they basically told us that [. . .] they estimated it would cost them less than half a per cent of their annual operating budget to become a living wage employer.”

Member services officer Moe Kopahi reminded the SFSS board,

however, that “it’s more complex than we think. It’s not a simple math of percentage increase.”

The board of governors stated that part of the problem is that they are unable to raise student tuition fees. Julia Lane, of the GSS, elaborated, “The university is still bound by the provincial mandate to cap tuition increases for domestic students by no more than two per cent per year. So I don’t think tuition fees would be a logical place to look for the necessary increases.”

However, both Cohen and Kakar agree that it should not be necessary to raise tuition fees to make SFU living wage.

“The living wage campaign would not endorse raising tuition fees,” said Cohen via email. “That would be improving the situation of one vulnerable group at the expense of another and that is never the way people who advance this issue find acceptable.”

Kakar believes it is more of an “issue of political will.” She told the conference that it was necessary to raise public awareness, as the university allegedly told her that it was not a priority, and that it would not be dealt with until the community makes it known that it is a priority.

“But we’re a handful of people,” she stated. “We won’t be taken seriously by the university

unless we can really show that there is a large amount of political will to make this happen.”

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The Faculty of Applied Sciences Student Union (FASSU) brought a proposal to board last week, asking to put to referendum the question of recognizing them as the official student union of their faculty.

Despite the fact that the constitution was reviewed

by CPR and Antonio Daling, SFSS student organizer, the board members had several reservations about passing it. Board members brought up issues such as inconsistencies in wording and the question of who would administer a proposed student development fund, which FASSU would create to “support students in extracurricular activities.”

After much discussion, board decided not the pass the motion to put the question to referendum, ruling that the proposal needed more preparation.

6 NEWS

March 10, 2014

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NEWS

An interview with professional bus driver Dianne McKenzie has revealed funding problems within TransLink; McKenzie told The Peak she feels “good working for such a successful transportation company,” but is “worried about the future.”

McKenzie, driver for the Coast Mountain Bus Company — a subsidiary of TransLink — and Port Coquitlam Transit Centre job steward says TransLink recently implemented new efficiency measures. These include reduced driver “down time,” as TransLink described it, as well as route time changes with shortened connection times.

McKenzie cited these measures as well as issues with TransLink’s governance, as two central problems with the way TransLink is currently being run.

The route times optimization allows “less and less time between runs,” McKenzie said, which not only reduces breaks, but makes it harder for passengers to make their connections.

However, TransLink frames this differently. In its 2014 Base Plan, TransLink explained that these changes were focused on reallocating 56,000 hours from underutilized routes to areas of otherwise underserved high demand routes.

The Plan stated, “This enabled TransLink to increase bus boardings per service hour by by 3.4 per cent while at the same time reducing the cost per boarded passenger by 2.2 per cent.”

McKenzie said she feels “treated inhumanely” with this reduced down time, which does not give drivers time to even “stretch” or sit down to eat a meal. “We are not machines,” she said.

The 2014 Base Plan, which includes these efficiency measures, outlines long-term, sustainable transportation strategies to match the demand from the million new residents expected in the Metro Vancouver region between now and 2045.

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March 10, 2014

TransLink’s ridership has significantly increased over the last few years. In 2011, TransLink set their 10th annual ridership record in a row; however, the numbers fell during the first six months of 2013, according to a study by the American Public Transit Association.

This decrease in commuters raises the question of funding. In a statement, TransLink explained, “Current funding sources are not keeping pace, and there is a reason to believe that simply keeping pace is not good enough.”

For SFU director of city program Gordon Price, the only answer to the referendum question is a yes vote for more funding, but commuters shouldn’t be too quick to blame the organization for the lack thereof.

“It shouldn’t be about TransLink. We’ve been having a pretty good hate on, we’ve all contributed to that. Oddly enough,

some can make a good case that it’s a good organization, as its authorizing legislation is admired around the world,” Price told Burnaby Now. Despite her criticism, McKenzie insisted that she is not trying to bash the company, but merely point out the problems with its current system. “As bus drivers, we empathize with our

users,” she said. “We hear their concerns daily and often it’s not very nice.”

She hopes to at least help others understand “why some drivers are not too happy, why they can’t wait for [. . .] any number of seemingly small actions on the part of the passengers.” Drivers, she said, “now really don’t have the time.”

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12 ELECTION GUIDE

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16 ELECTION GUIDE

March 10, 2014

IT’S PEAK ELECTION SEASON ONCE AGAIN! DID YOU KNOW THAT THE PEAK IS MADE BY REAL LIVE STUDENTS JUST LIKE YOU? The editors are chosen in elections held once per semester and if you’ve paid your student fees this semester, you’re eligible to run!

To apply, simply fill out the appropriate form at the-peak. ca or visit the Peak offices at MBC 2900.

“The Peak pays editors? That’s enough money to pay for both rent and heat!”

WEEKLY STIPENDS COORDINATING EDITOR $255 PRODUCTION EDITOR NEWS EDITOR $255 COPY EDITOR ASSC NEWS EDITOR $190 PHOTO EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR $255 WEB PRODUCER FEATURES EDITOR $255 PHOTO EDITOR ARTS EDITOR $255 LAYOUT ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR $255 PROOFREADER HUMOUR EDITOR $190 CONTRIBUTOR

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EDITOR applications are due at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, and SUPPORT applications (that is, applications for Layout Assistant and Proofreader) are due at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26. The voting period lasts one week in both cases.

If you’ve contributed to The Peak at least twice this semester, you’re eligible to vote, and you’ll be contacted by the electoral officers with your ballot once the voting period has begun.

ELECTION GUIDE

March 10, 2014

Tell stories that ma!er.

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OPINIONS

Loretta Saunders was a 26-year old Inuk woman. She was a criminology major brave enough to work on a thesis about missing and murdered Aboriginal women. She was a daughter, and a soon-to-be mother. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a radiant smile.

She was recently killed in New Brunswick, and found on the side of the highway. Darryl Leroux, her thesis advisor, wrote in a public statement to CBC that “she was aware of being a product of a Canadian society intent on destroying and eliminating indigenous peoples.”

The fact that you may have heard her story already means that demand for inquiry into the missing mothers and daughters across our country is finally being acknowledged by big media and policy-makers.

For years, human-rights advocates and First Nations groups have been calling on our

government to acknowledge the ways in which colonialism has led to sexual and aggravated violence towards indigenous groups in Canada.

Estimates vary, but Amnesty International estimates that Aboriginal women in Canada are at least five to seventimes more likely than non-Aboriginal women to be murdered or go missing. The Canadian federal government has been mostly silent on this issue.

Loretta Saunders’s death may have finally broken the silence and garnered enough international attention to our missing sisters that the federal government will finally have to act.

The United Nations, the premiers of all 13 provinces and territories, and both opposition parties in Ottawa have all called on the federal government to launch a national inquiry on missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

March 10, 2014

Even if this does occur, a federal inquiry is not nearly enough to prevent this kind of violence.

Together, you and I have to work on decolonizing our language, our ways of living, our concept of “other,” and work together to build a healthy environment where indigenous communities are not continually marginalized and segregated.

We need to see the social and economic implications of the choices we all make, including environmental and land rights, as we learn at SFU, an institution located on unceded Coast Salish territory.

There are countless beautiful humans working on these issues already, but our culture needs to change fundamentally in order to make a difference in our rates of violence. We need to call people out on sexism and racism, and speak up in our own circles to demand justice for those that have already passed.

We need to be brave. We need to acknowledge our own privilege, and stop running away from traumatic stories. We need to work on healing our culture so that we stop losing the folks we love.

We need to be a little bit more like Loretta Saunders, and we need to honour her story by sharing it.

opinions editor email / phone

Joel MacKenzie opinions@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

Fellow Conservatives, rejoice!

Justin Trudeau has handed the Conservative Party another key to victory. And no, I’m not talking about his illtimed joke about the situation developing between Russia and Ukraine.

I’m talking about his unwillingness to join with Tom Mulcair and the NDP to run as a united party in the next election. If this were to happen, it would ensure the defeat of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives.

Let’s look at the facts. Following the fragmentation of the Progressive Conservative Party in the early 1990’s, Canada entered a period of domination by the Liberal Party, at the time led by Jean Chrétien.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, there was never a serious threat to the government from the right-wing parties struggling for power amongst themselves.

It was not until the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives united as the Conservative Party that they became a threat to the Liberals’ hold on power, reducing the Liberals to a minority government in the 2004 election, the first in which they ran as a united party.

The subsequent election in 2006 led to the Conservatives gaining their first victory in close to 20 years, despite being in the form of a minority government. Five years later, the Conservatives achieved a majority government, which we enjoy today.

At the time of the 2011 election, there were already some among the Liberals and New Democrats who proposed running as a coalition of the left. The Liberal leadership rejected the proposal, believing they did not need the New Democrats to defeat Stephen Harper. They made Canadian history that year as, for the first time since

Canadian Confederation, Liberals formed neither the government nor the opposition.

If they had run as a coalition, the current situation in Canada would be very different.

Out of the 167 seats won

by Conservatives, 45 were won with a minority of the vote, the remainder of the vote split between the two left-wing parties. Of those 45 seats, six are cabinet ministers, including both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Assuming all Canadians who voted made the same decisions, the coalition would have won 182 seats, with Conservatives only winning 121. Stephen Harper would be the Leader of the Opposition, and given Liberal power before the election, Michael Ignatieff would be the Prime Minister.

Both the Liberals and the NDP plan on courting the Canadian middle class and the province of Quebec in the buildup to next year’s election. With Quebec having played such a key role in the NDP’s surge to Official Opposition status, they will likely have to fight to keep the province. It was largely ignored by the Conservatives in the last election, but could become a battleground and the focus of large scale efforts by the two left-wing parties.

As next year’s election moves ever closer, the parties that seem bent on defeating Stephen Harper move farther and farther apart. Both Mulcair and Trudeau want to see the Conservatives defeated.

But each wants to take responsibility for that victory, and that could be their downfall.

You can follow Dustin Simmonds

OPINIONS

A guy finds out a college peer is a porn star. He tells his fraternity; the news goes viral. Within a couple days, the entire campus knows; a month later, multiple newspaper articles, some national, about her have cropped up. The young woman’s life is changed. She’s glared at and talked about. She’s no longer just another student at Duke University, she is defined by her work as a porn star.

This was the reality for Belle Knox, the actress who first revealed her story anonymously and recently revealed her stage name.

Beyond insulting her, peers of Knox demanded she drop out, or

March 10, 2014

that the university expel her. They equated a person’s profession with their right to attain education.

Civilization has not progressed as much as we would like to think if a culture as enlightened as students at a prestigious American university can, and have, reduced themselves to hate-filled, trash-talking animals at the idea of a porn star studying towards a degree. This isn’t far from using racism or sexism to justify denying the right to an education.

To pay for their education, a person can do whatever they want. Many might be tempted to say that Knox has no one else to blame but herself, but this woman is being shamed for an inherently wrong sexual paradigm that our culture as a whole is responsible for perpetuating.

Millions of people buy into the porn industry, supplying the demand for porn sites and videos.

So, why does one’s recreational

Now, I’ve given Fallon his fair share of flack over the years. As Tracy Morgan once famously complained, he pretty much ruined every SNL sketch he was in by laughing uncontrollably at every joke. The only difference now is that giggle fits and character breaks actually make for entertaining late night talk show antics. Imagine that!

As soon as Fallon found his way into the Late Night slot, it became plainly obvious that this is where he was meant to

be: his magnetic energy and baby-faced charm is a perfect fit for talk show interviews, cutesy monologues, and insta-viral Justin Timberlake sketches. It’s this same quality that makes him an infinitely better host than Jay Leno.

Fallon is no Johnny Carson, that’s for sure, but after a couple weeks in the chair, The Tonight Show is already the funniest (and most watchable) it’s been in years, and we’ve got Jimmy Fallon to thank for that.

Seriously, Jimmy Kimmel?

Grilling Rob Ford on his many media screw-ups while he’s a guest on your show is pretty much the dictionary definition of shooting fish in a barrell. After 11 years on the late night circuit, you’d think Kimmel would have something better up his sleeve. But no! He spent 45 minutes ridiculing a man who does more than a good enough job of ridiculing himself — not unlike his infamous Kanye West sketch, which was about as clever.

To top it off, Kimmel pretty much broke the Internet when he posted a fake viral video of a girl twerking her way into a living room table, sucking all the fun out of home video hijinks forever and ensuring that no media outlet — or any of his viewers — will ever trust him again.

And the countless other video pranks that he’s pulled have never been as funny or “edgy” as he thinks they are.

Way to go, Jimmy Kimmel.

Kanye was right: Sarah Silverman is funnier than you.

voyeurism inspire no sense of guilt or depravity, while knowing someone who actually works in the

Recently, Port Metro Vancouver purposed opening a coal terminal at the Fraser Surrey Docks. Since then, concerned citizens from all over the lower mainland have joined to raise awareness of the potential hazards linked to this project. Their cautions are justified: as it stands, the threat of immediate and long-term pollution from the project is very large.

While some have made great arguments for the $15 million investment, local residents, predominantly from Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Delta, and Richmond are asking to see a comprehensive assessment of the possible longterm health and environmental implications that would follow the resumed activity at the docks.

They are rightly cautious about the abundance of coal dust and diesel emissions that come with coal transportation, considering there has not yet been a comprehensive study to identify potential health risks of the project.

industry provokes an onslaught of acrid name-calling and belligerent threats? Why are the performers

Robin Silvester, president and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver, claims he is satisfied with the current Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which states that dust will not pose a health risk.

But many officials, such as Dr. Paul Van Buynder of Fraser Health and Dr. Patricia Daly of Vancouver Health, believe otherwise. They say, in a letter to the docking company, that Silvester’s report “does not meet even the most basic requirements of a health impact assessment.”

This project is not the right way to grow the economy. Supporters of the project argue that the docks could allow for both an increase in local jobs and economic growth in the area. Jeopardizing both the longterm health and the comfort of the surrounding communities, however, will not balance what we gain from the Surrey coal docks.

Even if the initial reactivation has minimal impacts, as the demand for Canadian coal goes up, so will the amount of fugitive dust, diesel, and noise along the Fraser River. In 2013, in fact, coal shipments increased by 17 per cent, up to 38.2 million

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criminalized while the ardent customers walk free?

People think they know Knox or “her kind” because they hastily flatten her into just another faceless stereotype. There is a good chance that the vast majority of her insulters have never had a conversation with the woman. There is a difference between prejudice and immorality, and one’s personal moral compass should not dictate another person’s decisions and actions.

Knox is not, as she alleges her peers called her, “a slut who needs to learn the consequences of her actions,” or “a little girl who does not understand her actions.” She’s not stupid, crazy, sick, or naive.

She’s simply an individual with a life, hopes and dreams.

She’s an undergraduate of women’s studies and sociology, with aspirations to be a lawyer. No matter how much her peers want it to, working as a porn star does not define her as a person.

tonnes, according to several local news sites.

The communities situated along the Fraser River are home to many families who shouldn’t be forced to live in such industrial areas — it’s not hard to understand why some are considering leaving.

The call for a public, comprehensive report remains crucial to families across the Metro Vancouver area, and that call is perfectly justified.

As many organizations, such as the British Columbian Nurses Union, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, multiple MLAs, and school boards, lend support to those fighting Port Metro Vancouver, it is hard to anticipate how the project will end.

Certainly, no matter where we mine for coal or where we choose to transfer it, there will always be pollution. However, we can at least control how close that pollution is to such a huge population.

Moving the docks further from the city will address health concerns and improve the day-to-day life of thousands of people. Facilities such as coal transfer docks belong in sparsely or unpopulated areas of the country to minimize discomfort and inconvenience.

Canada should invest in its people first, and its resources second.

This proposed project stands for the exact opposite.

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ARTS

arts editor email / phone

March 10, 2014

Sometimes art and life imitate each other a little too well. During the research process for his new show, Whose Life is it Anyway?

James Sanders fell ill and had to spend some time in the hospital. Since the play’s protagonist, a sculptor who has become paralysed, spends the whole show in a hospital bed, this experience provided actor Bob Frazer with a real life research opportunity.

Having been good friends with Sanders since their SFU theatre school days, Frazer was at the hospital almost daily, observing the environment and forming relationships with doctors and nurses.

Sanders, artistic director of Realwheels Theatre, stumbled upon this play in his third semester of theatre school, after his own spinal injury. “As an able-bodied

actor it’s difficult enough to get work. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue on that path, and I wanted to see what was out there.”

He saw the film version starring Richard Dryfus: “I was 21 years old and was a bit too young to play the character, so I waited.”

After producing Spine during the Cultural Olympiad in 2010, Sanders thought the time was right to begin work on Whose Life is it Anyway? “I succumbed to health issues in August 2011, and they’re still not resolved. I had thought I was going to be performing the role, but we decided that we’d cast another actor and share the role, and now I’m not able to perform at all.”

He cast Frazer, who had directed Spine and also worked on another of his shows, Skydive. They worked closely to shape the role, and Sanders is glad Frazer has taken it on as he can incorporate his personal knowledge of Sanders into his performance.

“We’ve been friends for 25 years,” said Sanders, “we met in theatre school before my injury, in the fall of ’89. Both of our families have gotten to know each other really well.”

A proud alumnus of SFU, Sanders also cherishes the memory of meeting his wife at convocation. “I was the valedictorian for Arts in the morning, and Barb Wiesler was the valedictorian for the Sciences in the afternoon. We met at the reception at the Diamond Alumni Centre and got a married a year later in the same spot.” That was in 1998, and they are still happily married with a son.

“The program at SFU really encouraged students to create their own work and identity,” said Sanders, “I didn’t wait around for people to hire me.” He explained that it’s difficult with a disability to get work in mainstream theatre or television. To overcome this, he started his own theatre company which embraces disability and presents it as a normal part of life.

Sanders said his goal is to show “disability not as an issue, but as part of the landscape where other issues can be discussed.” In this way, he said it’s up to the audience to make up their own minds.

In Whose Life is it Anyway? the issue is whether or not someone should have the right to choose to end their own life, but instead of presenting a case for

one side or the other, Sanders said he hopes the play will allow audiences to start a dialogue with family and friends.

“I hope they leave feeling like they’ve seen a great piece of theatre, feeling good about their night in the theatre, and coming away talking — opening up the discussion for things they maybe haven’t been able to address,” he said.

With a sparse set of just a hospital bed and the story’s protagonist, Ken Harrison, on stage the entire time, the show is an intense study of one man’s struggle. “He’ll be on stage all the time — from when you walk in until the last scene,” said Sanders. “It’s a fast moving show with no breaks between scenes.”

The common thread running through all of his works is the desire to subconsciously change the public’s perception of disability. “I want to bring the audience closer to understanding the disability experience, so that they see it as not something foreign, but natural. I want to bring society into a place of acceptance.”

Would you want someone to tell your story after you’re gone? And if so, who could be trusted with this task?

Alon Nashman and Paul Thompson took on the

responsibility of bringing the life of John Hirsch to the stage, paying tribute to this Canadian theatre legend. After an enormously successful premiere at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 2012, Hirsch has made its way west to the Firehall Arts Centre.

If you weren’t aware of John Hirsch prior to seeing this play, you will certainly know him by the end of it. Nashman plays himself and Hirsch among other characters in this riveting 90-minute performance. Coming in through

the back door and walking down the aisle to the stage as he casually addresses the audience, Nashman makes it clear that this is an unconventional show, fitting for an unconventional man.

A Holocaust survivor who was orphaned at age 13, Hirsch was a Hungarian refugee who landed in Canada in 1947. He ended up in Winnipeg, and quickly became involved in the world of theatre, co-creating the Manitoba Theatre Centre.

His fierce determination and strong opinions drove him to succeed as he became a major player in the formative years of the Canada Council, served as artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, became the head of CBC Drama, and directed on and off Broadway as well as at Lincoln Centre.

Heavily researched and delicately constructed, Hirsch does not run chronologically, but jumps from his time in Hungary, to the CBC, to Stratford, and to New York. Along the way, Nashman interjects with his own narration, songs, and comments pulling us in and out of the action. While this may sound awkward,

it works very well and allows for the play to develop effortlessly while adding some much needed comic relief.

My favourite scene involves Nashman and Hirsch getting into a fight about the way Nashman is telling Hirsch’s story, after which Hirsch storms out of the theatre. “The star of the show just walked out on me,” says Nashman, excusing himself, and from the hall we hear him arguing with Hirsch.

Keeping these roles straight can’t be a small feat for Nashman, but he never falters, and his Hirsch accent and demeanours are flawless. The relationship these two had seems fraught with tension and, as Nashman explains, their first encounter with each other did not go smoothly.

Nashman first met Hirsch when he played Caliban in a production of The Tempest which Hirsch was directing at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Their rehearsals included constructive criticisms such as: “That Sorcerer part was good, but the rest was shit.”

Hirsch is portrayed as an uncompromising, harsh man, but at the same time we get the sense

Daryn Wright arts@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

Having been a fan of The Perms since 2010’s inventive pop-rock album, Keeps You Up When You’re Down, and continuing to follow their music with 2012’s Sofia Nights, I’m glad they’ve released a few songs for us to enjoy while they work on their next fulllength album. The Aberdeen EP is four songs of catchy, energetic pop-rock goodness that will leave you wanting more.

An alt-rock trio from Winnipeg, The Perms, made up of Shane Smith (bass/vocals), Chad Smith (guitar/vocals), and John Huver (drums), formed in 1998.

They’ve released five full-length albums and this EP proves they continue to mature and evolve.

With a stirring, punk-rock vibe and fast-paced, energetic guitar and drums, “It’s Mania” has an apt title as the song feverishly propels forward. The edgier sound of this track is a nice contrast to some of their other songs.

Sounding a bit like Weezer or Blink-182, the band delivers an anthemic, emotional headnodder with “Aberdeen.” Beginning slowly, the song builds into something that I can picture a crowd jumping up and down to.

Similarly, “The Parent Thing” is an aggressive drum-heavy track full of building melodies and strong lyrics.

“Walk Away” is the most radio-friendly, with its balanced melody and relatable lyrics: “I’m not ok, walk away.” The Aberdeen EP is just a taste of what The Perms have to offer, but it demonstrates their ability to write consistently catchy songs with strong melodies that are not your average pop/rock fare.

Their sound is distinct, and they deserve a listen.

that he deserved respect and could afford to be a bit crass.

Nashman’s performance is a triumph as he presents a nuanced, emotional portrait of this theatrical giant. I left the theatre feeling as though Hirsch was in the room, and I am sure he is somewhere cursing Nashman and Thompson, shouting corrections, and feeling proud of his life’s achievements.

ARTS

When it comes to the shoegaze genre, people seem to either love or hate it. Admittedly, this genre and I have had our differences over the years (and it’s still near the bottom on my list of favourites), but then acts like Fantasy Prom come along and cause me to feel instantly guilty for not being more open-minded.

The most recent in a string of singles/EPs that started last September, Swirl stands out as Fantasy Prom’s best release yet. The five-track album starts out loud and heavy with “Like I Care” (previously released as a single) and “Ugly Turn,” a potent duo that will have you cranking the volume, lowering it because you don’t want to disturb anyone else, and then ultimately deciding to leave it blasting. Neither of the tracks shy away from Fantasy Prom’s obvious influences like My Bloody Valentine, but this doesn’t make the songs any less genuine or amazing.

The momentum built up by the first shorter tracks wobbles substantively at the halfway mark with “Swirl.”

When the album is named after one of its tracks, the listener is usually on alert for something special — which sadly isn’t the case. A threeminute repeat static fest that would have served better as a short intermission, it’s the only track I found myself skipping over on a regular basis.

The last two songs on the EP, “Vulnerable” and “Sparks Made Us,” embody the perfect shoegaze characteristics in a perfect balance, with longer running times and just the right amount of heaviness.

At just over 20 minutes, the EP does what it’s supposed to do: gives people a taste of what Fantasy Prom has to offer and leaves them clambering for the next offering.

If you find yourself enjoying Swirl, definitely check out some of their previous releases on Bandcamp.

March 10, 2014

Sometimes, on the bus ride up to SFU, you see a coyote, bear, or deer looking awfully shocked that another bus is coming up the mountain. You barely look up from the readings you had an entire week with, and seconds later when you try to glance up again because you just saw a bear, it’s gone.

But what if there wasn’t time to brush off this sort of encounter with nature? What if bears, coyotes, and deer casually roamed amongst us all the time?

Because of intense urban expansion, Vancouver is in the process of purging itself of all natural wildlife. With its most recent exhibition, Rewilding Vancouver, the Museum of Vancouver is hosting the first major museum show in Canada to explore what an urban center would feel like through the lens of historical ecology.

Through the exhibit, curator J.N. MacKinnon explores “the incredibly abundant natural world of the past and how that might inspire us to rewild the world.”

Rewilding Vancouver quite literally places nature right in the middle of the bustling city and its quaint neighbourhoods.

The exhibit comprises 12 tableaus, each pictured as “a shop front window display designed to tell a story — [it’s] a familiar scene from Vancouver, but with nature bursting through in challenging ways. It’s like a classic natural history museum — there are a lot of taxidermies — but

more playful, with wild nature and human culture all mixed together,” says MacKinnon.

These displays are accompanied by videos, 3D models, and soundscapes which really bring the wilderness to the audience, challenging viewers to imagine whether or not the sound of howling wolves would be natural in the midst of city traffic.

Several installations require a moment of contemplation and perspective; one depicts a dining room with a stuffed beaver on the table. The exhibit aims

to spark discussion about what it means to live in one of the world’s “greenest cities.”

Sure, we have bike-lanes and energy-efficient buildings, but MacKinnon believes Vancouverites are so interested in being green because of our access to nature; we’re surrounded by snow-capped mountains and greenery, which should not be forgotten.

“I think of the theme of this exhibition as three ‘R’s: remember, reconnect, rewild. We need to remember nature as it was in

21

order to set a higher bar for what nature could be in the future.

We need to reconnect to nature in order to make it meaningful and valuable in our lives. And finally, we need to realize that we really can make a wilder city,” says MacKinnon.

Rewilding Vancouver urges viewers to consider what used to be familiar and how that has changed. For instance, Vancouver’s waters used to be filled with the hauntingly beautiful sounds of hundreds of whales.

MacKinnon says, “If you aren’t aware that whales lived here in the past, then the absence of the whales seems normal. When you are aware, then the absence of whales will seem abnormal — and you might start asking whether we could bring them back and how.”

Wildlife certainly does come back in the experience of Rewilding Vancouver. As you walk through, your perception of what is natural to Vancouver shifts. Ravens, coyotes, and black-tailed deer begin to settle into the city’s infrastructure; leaving the exhibit, you pass projections which ask what it would be like if streams were running through our neighbourhoods.

22 ARTS

March 10, 2014

Artist: Sprïng Album: Celebrations

P: What can aspiring travel

The Peak caught up with seasoned travel writer and Burnaby resident Robin Esrock about his new book, wanderlust, and his upcoming “Adventure Travel Journalism Bootcamp” to take place on March 15 at SFU Vancouver.

writers expect to learn from the “Adventure Travel Journalism Bootcamp?”

Esrock: There will be three working journalists spilling the beans on the reality of the print, broadcast, photography, blogging and social media travel industry. Together with Darryl Leniuk and Jeff Topham, we’ll talk about developing your niche, generating ideas, pitching editors, producing publishable content, press trips, and how to build a sustainable career.

It’s a vast subject that requires far more than an afternoon, but our bootcamp will definitely provide some real-world context for a very dreamy profession. It’s a tough business to get into, but the perks are tremendous.

Vancouver is an elephant graveyard of sorts when it comes to musical groups.

But the high mortality rate for bands is by no means a concern; in fact, the evershifting community is to thank for some of the most prominent, creative band lineups currently dominating the scene.

Such is the story of Sprïng, with two of their four members coming from dearly departed noise-rockers the SSRIs. Our time to grieve is over people; there’s new music to gorge upon.

To say Celebrations is eclectic would be both an understatement and a copout. It’s a total genre-bender, with freak-out rock tracks immediately followed by sleepy summer numbers. For a more upbeat track, check out “Secrets” or “Pax Calx”; if you’re interested in something mellow, “Paradise” or “Loretta” have you covered.

The diverse sounds of the album come largely from the way it was recorded — the band has an in-home studio, meaning they could get as serious/silly as they wanted and experiment with whatever was on hand.

The gamble doesn’t always pay off though, as some tracks like “Show Don’t…” miss the mark completely, coming across more like instrumentals from a horror film than something you’d find on a rock album like Celebrations. Then again, maybe that’s the point?

It’s not the easiest listen the first time through, but Celebrations is a mighty fine debut and will undoubtedly help music fans Sprïng into the warming weather outside.

DIVERSIONS / ETC

March 10, 2014

23

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21: FRIDAY

24

SPORTS

The smell of roasted duck wafted over the Burnaby campus after the Clan lacrosse squad finished off long-time rival and Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL) powerhouse #12 University of Oregon Ducks, tripling them 15–5.

The Ducks, normally a top contender in the PNCLL and Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), couldn’t hold it together against the consistency and speed of the Clan, hungry for a big win at home. And after shoveling a foot of snow off the field for seven hours so they could practice and play on their home field, the win was even sweeter.

The Clan dominated everything right from the get-go, controlling offensive possessions, loose balls, shots and defensive stands; the Ducks only beat the Clan in face offs, winning 57 per cent.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC has finally embarked on its fourth season in Major League Soccer (MLS), after enduring a whirlwind of an offseason.

An inevitable change in head coach saw Carl Robinson take the helm. So far, Robinson has rebuilt his squad with a wealth of youth, local talent, and experienced signings to come away from pre-season with an impressive 4–1–1 record.

The new boss promises an attacking brand of football with lots of speed up front in 2014. Darren Mattocks, Kekuta Manneh, and Erik Hurtado have already proven to be potent on offence, with contributions to wins over San Jose and Portmore during the Rose City invitational competition.

The new coach is already reaping the rewards of multiple

March 10, 2014

SFU, meanwhile, came out firing early, going up 3–0 in the first seven minutes, though the Ducks managed to fight back, evening the score at three by the end of the first quarter. But that’s as close as they would get, as the Clan outshot the Ducks 33–24 over the game, and their offence just kept rolling.

SFU made it 6–4 at the half and then went on a dominant 9–1 run in the second half, keeping the Ducks scoreless for the entire third quarter. The 15–5 loss gave the Ducks, who haven’t had any success against ranked opponents, their worst loss of the season and gave SFU a boost of confidence heading into the season’s second half.

The usual suspects led the way for SFU offensively. Tyler Kirkby continued his strong season with four goals and one assist, while Sam Clare and Lyndon Knuttila tallied four goals apiece.

Five Clan players recorded assists to get themselves on the score sheet as well.

The MVP of the game however, was senior goaltender Darren Zwack who stood as solid as the

signings from a variety of national backgrounds as well. On January 27, Iranian international Steven Beitashour filled the first void in the squad at the right back position following the departure of Y.P Lee. The 27-year old has made 87 appearances in MLS thus far, including a full 90 minutes played in the 2012 All-Star match that was won against Chelsea.

Jordan Harvey, meanwhile, has scored goals at will from the left

walls of the AQ, backing an already rock solid defence by stopping 19 of 24 shots for a season high .792 save percentage, one of his career bests. His season save percentage, now an impressive .697, earned a boost as well.

But most importantly, this was the first time in four years the Clan have beaten the Ducks. With the

back position in preseason. Fans could see the American, who joined the Caps in 2011, exchange duties with homegrown defender Sam Adekugbe, who was strong in his home debut at the end of the 2013 season.

Robinson will also be glad to deploy his 3rd overall MLS Super Draft pick, centre back Christian Dean, who is known for his size, strength, and strong left foot.

In net, recently signed Paolo Tornaghi comes in to replace Joe

sports editor email / phone

Adam Ovenell-Carter sports@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

win the Clan improve their record to 3–0 in their division and 4–1 on the season, claiming sole possession of first place in the PNCLL and moving up two spots in the MCLA rankings to #12, while Oregon drops to #15.

The Clan play in Washington this Friday, March 17, against the University of Utah Utes before hitting the road for almost the rest of

the month, but the schedule only gets tougher from here.

Upcoming games against ranked opponents include #3 Arizona State, #23 Arizona, and #25 Oregon State. But with the season the Clan have had so far, there’s no reason the winning can’t continue through to the PNCLL Championships at season’s end.

Cannon. The 25-year old started his career with the Inter Milan youth academy and represented Italy at every level from U-16 to U-20.

While the Caps have not found a true replacement for departed superstar Camilo, it should be noted that they are now a stronger goal scoring threat from midfield. The Whitecaps lineup has been bolstered by some South American flair after picking up the Uruguayan

duo of Sebastián Fernández and Nicolás Mezquida.

Fernández won the 2013 Peruvian Primera División championship with Universitario de Deportes as a striker/midfielder.

Mezquida represented Uruguay at the 2009 U-17 World Cup where he was first spotted by Carl Robinson. Both players have already found the back of the net in pre-season.

To top things off, Vancouver has acquired Argentine Young Designated player Matias Laba from Toronto FC on loan. The 22-year old defending midfielder has made 88 appearances in the Primera Division of Argentina, and after just 16 appearances for Toronto was named #21 in the leagues top 24 players under 24 list.

Through tumultuous change, what remains is the presence of established veterans in virtually all positions on the pitch: Andy O’Brien and Jay Demerit in defence, Nigel Reo Coker in midfield, and Kenny Miller up front.

Fans will witness the most explosive, gritty, and determined side yet, with every player motivated to silence the skeptics.

SPORTS

March 10, 2014

25

NCAA this season. He will likely have to face Lazaro again at the championships as the West Region champion is the number one seed heading into the event.

The Clan basketball teams have wrapped up their regular seasons, and with the season’s end come the Great Northwest Athletic Conference awards. This year, Erin Chambers headlines the Clan women’s nominees, following an all-star season which saw the junior take control of the team’s offence and lead the team and the conference in scoring.

The 6’1” guard/forward combo averaged 22.7 points per game this season, the eighth best scoring average in all of the NCAA Division II. The team’s co-captain was unanimously selected by all GNAC coaches to the first all-star team, one of only three women to earn this honour this season.

However, Chambers remains modest about the accomplishment.

“It is an awesome accomplishment and I feel very honoured to be named to the all-star team of such a competitive league,” said Chambers, who also took the time to acknowledge her teammates’ support this season.

One of those teammates, Katie Lowen, earned honourable mention for the all-star awards, as the junior was second for the Clan in points, first in three-point field goal percentage and second in steals.

The women’s program also received GNAC all-academic honours as three athletes were named to the 2013-14 team. Lowen and Kia Van Laare are repeat honourees from last season, while senior Chelsea Reist is a first time honouree. To be eligible, student-athletes must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 (cumulative) and be in at least their second year of competition at their current university.

On the men’s side, Sango Niang was named to the GNAC second all-star team, his first conference honour after transferring to the Clan for the 2013-14 season. Niang started in 23 of 24 games, helping the men’s program earn their

highest overall win total since moving to the NCAA. He’s also only the second Clan man to be named to a GNAC allstar team, following Justin Brown’s nomination in 2011-12. Niang averaged 16.3 points and 5.6 assists per game in his first NCAA season, and was eighth in the conference in point average and third in assists.

“I tried to just play aggressive all season, get my teammates involved and ultimately, tried to win games,” explained the junior. Now, with his season over, his attention turns to preparation for the 201415 season, where the Clan will look to continue improving in the conference standings.

Clan wrestler Skylor Davis will return to the NCAA National Championships in his senior season, as the sole SFU athlete to qualify for the event.

Davis finished second in the 125-pound weight class at the NCAA West Regional Championships, punching his ticket to his final NCAA Championship.

He entered the regionals ranked second overall, and finished in the same position after falling in the final 9–6 by decision to California Baptist’s Bryden Lazaro.

Davis will be looking to better his third-place finish from 2013 where he fell in the national semi-final, but still left on a high note as the Clan’s first NCAA AllAmerican in wrestling.

Davis, still ranked second in the nation in his weight class, has been focusing his efforts towards his final appearance in the

Davis’ coach, Justin Abdou, explained that there were several calls that favoured Lazaro in the West Region final, but that Davis had an excellent show against the top 125-pound wrestler in the country.

Davis has earned over 40 wins in his senior season, many of which have been won by fal l and in very fast times. Davis has been a dominant athlete for SFU since joining the Clan in 2010, and will look to close his career on top of the NCAA Division II championships beginning March 14, in Cleveland, OH.

26

HUMOUR

March 10, 2014

While seemingly having a grasp on basic manners, Parker’s request for a chocolate cookie was met with more resistance than he had anticipated.

BURNABY — A local 5-year old boy is on the verge of not receiving the cookie that he’s been looking forward to all day after reportedly freezing up on what “the magic word” is.

According to witnesses, little Johnny Parker had been waiting politely in line at Nelson Elementary’s annual cookie sale for almost 10 minutes before blowing his transaction at the very last moment.

“He seemed like a really considerate, good little boy,” explained Mrs. Linda Turner, an organizer of the sale and also Brian’s mom. “He had proper posture and didn’t raise his voice, but then when he got to the front of the line it all fell apart.”

“He said ‘may I have a cookie’, which I thought was a pretty good way of putting it,” Parker’s friend Stevie Harris told The Peak. “But then they came back at him with ‘what’s the magic word’ and I could tell right away that he was rattled.”

It was at this point that witnesses say Parker went completely silent and just stared intently at the wall crinkling his face and clutching his forehead.

“They totally blindsided him and it was ugly to watch,” Harris explained as he watched his friend continue to struggle. “It was a suckerpunch, no doubt about it.”

After a couple seconds, Parker was told that unless he came up with the “magic word” he would not get his cookie despite being willing to pay full price for it.

Organizers say they gave him more than his fair chance and even started to mouth the first syllable “pl…” but that he was still drawing a blank.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me, I know this one,” Parker complained, looking to the sky. “I just said it when I borrowed a skipping rope this morning . . . gah what is it?”

While the sale’s organizers have come out on record stating that the cookie will be available whenever Parker is willing to come by and ask for it properly, at press time the “magic word” was still eluding the boy and most are predicting that the situation could continue well into recess.

humour editor email / phone

Brad McLeod humour@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

HUMOUR

COQUITLAM — Although he currently resides in a cave a few miles away from civilization, a local man claims that he is still very much on top of all major news and is actually quite well informed.

Thomas Gormley, a 55-year old retiree says he is upset by the almost non-stop condescension he receives when it comes to current issues just because he chooses to live in a cave.

“It’s ridiculous, everyone always thinks that just because I live in a cave I won’t understand their discussions on things like sports or politics but that’s completely untrue,” Gormley told The Peak. “I actually know a lot more than most people even as a cave-dweller.”

March 10, 2014

Gormley explained that his cave was hooked up with wifi and a cable connection and that he actually spends most of his time researching and absorbing current affairs.

“There’s not much else to do when you live in a cave,” Gormley said. “I’m pretty much always just reading news and trying to avoid bats.”

While Gormley says he understands where some of the misconceptions about his lifestyle come from, he believes that the stigma against cave-folk like himself needs to stop.

“Yeah, I get it, caves aren’t very modern or hip places to live and I understand that most don’t come equipped with internet connections but still, you are allowed to leave where you live occasionally,” he stated. “If you live in an apartment I’ll accept that you may have knowledge beyond white walls and lighting fixtures.”

“Just because your primary address is a cave, there’s nothing stopping you from going

27

into the city every now and then and picking up a newspaper,” he continued.

“There’s not much else to do when you live in a cave, I pretty much just read news and try to avoid bats.”

Thomas Gormley, cave-dweller “People just want to label you though, I mean, I was born in a barn so I get a lot of shit for that too . . . but just like with the cave thing, it was an orderly barn that made me into a very neat and anal person, which is actually what most barn-babies are like!”

Gormley admits that the chances of stereotypes against people like himself going away entirely is very unlikely but he remains adamant about changing society’s perceptions.

“I just want people to have more accurate prejudices,” he said in conclusion. “Instead of just labeling me as uniformed, think a little more and label me

as mentally insane, I mean I live in a cave for godsake and all you want to tell me is that I won’t know who Putin is? That’s ridiculous.”

28 LAST WORD

little over two years ago, I had my first panic attack.

In retrospect, it was a pretty normal night — I was in bed with my (now ex) girlfriend, watching Parks and Recreation and eating junk food.

This was right before I began university, and a dead end barista job was pretty much my only responsibility.

I spent most of my days watching movies, drinking with my friends, and playing video games. I had no concrete plans for my future, and little to no passion for anything.

My anxiety changed all that. That night, my heart went into overdrive, my body started shaking uncontrollably, and my vision blurred. I laid on the bathroom floor for what seemed like hours, trying to catch my breath.

I can still remember the feeling of the cold tile on my cheek.

I was sure that I was having a stroke, a brain aneurysm, a seizure — something like that. I’ve always been a hypochondriac, and that night, it felt like all my fears had finally been confirmed. I stuck my finger down my throat until I threw up, just to make sure I hadn’t accidentally swallowed something poisonous.

Things didn’t get much better from there.

The next six months were a blur of sleepless nights, sick days, and empty beer bottles. Never the most social person, I retreated even deeper into my shell. I didn’t call anyone, and I barely ever went outside. I self-medicated with alcohol and chamomile tea. On the off chance someone tried to contact me, I pretended I wasn’t there. My girlfriend and I grew more and more distant, and my growing isolation only made me more anxious, more afraid.

For months and months afterward, I struggled to keep my head above water. I would start to feel my hands shake, a chill would go down my spine, and instantly I’d be transported back to that night, lying on the bathroom floor.

But somewhere along the way — whether it was the pills, a gradual increase in confidence, or plain old time — I got stronger. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I started stepping outside of my comfort zone. It was scary, and more than once I felt like I was making a huge mistake.

Two years later, I’m in university, I’ve met someone new, and I’m doing the best work of my life. If I met the kid I was two years ago, I wouldn’t recognize him.

features editor email / phone

Max Hill features@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

People with mental illness are too often told to “suck it up” or “think positively,” as though depression or anxiety are conditions that can be cured by sheer willpower. This, of course, is not true — it takes time, a steady support system, and often the help of a doctor or a medical professional.

But I’d be lying if I said that my anxiety hasn’t made my life better than it was before. I know that in no small part, the person that I am today is a result of the struggles and challenges that my mental illness has presented me.

Once I had the strength to start broadening my horizons, I did so; the thought of being holed up in my room for the rest of my life was even more terrifying than coming out of my carefully constructed shell. I applied to SFU, and got an entrance scholarship.

I started writing for the student newspaper, and rediscovered a passion for writing and journalism. I ended an unhealthy relationship and I made new connections.

This meant stepping out of my comfort zone almost daily — most of the time, it sucked. But it didn’t suck half as much as standing still and waiting for my situation to get better on its own.

I told my doctor about what I was going through, even though I was terrified and ashamed of admitting it, and he wrote me a prescription.

It took a lot more than willpower to put my life in the right direction, but having the courage to admit that I had a problem is one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made.

Now, I think of myself as a better, more courageous person, because I know that if my anxiety threatens to take over my life again,

I’ll have the tools necessary to beat it.

After all, I’ve done it before.

I’m not arguing that all other people in similar predicaments should take the same approach as me; different strategies work for different people. The important thing is to find what works for you, and to follow through. If watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer calms your nerves, do that. If exercise and healthy food make the world seem a little less dim, more power to you.

People forget that mental ill-

March 10, 2014

ness, at the end of the day, is a lot like most physical illness. It’s not easy to fix, and it’s impossible to beat it all by yourself. But that doesn’t make you powerless — if you’re willing to ask for help and to find out which strategies suit you best, you have a much better chance at controlling your illness, rather than letting it control you.

If I met my former self two years ago, worrying he’d be this way forever, I would tell him the same thing I’m saying here: your life isn’t over.

It’s just beginning.