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3 PEAK SPEAK

P. 8

Q. Are memes about Harambe the gorilla funny or cruel?

Like it or not, I'm a Pisces for life.

I was born on February 25. My mother tells me I was smiling. If that’s the case, it was probably only because I was too young and naïve to realize the odoriferous truth: I was a Pisces.

For those who evaded the misfortune of being born under this subpar cosmic arrangement, I’ll break it down. We’re dead last on the zodiac cycle, probably because nobody cares about us. Our symbol resembles a gigantic “H,” which shows that the twin fish clearly can’t spell, so there goes any career opportunity I might have had in the arts.

The most confusing factor of being a Pisces is this: you know how everyone allegedly hates Geminis for being two-faced? We’re like that too, but at least Geminis have pretty faces; we’re stuck with ugly fish faces.

I like to believe that I’m not really as aromatically repulsive as real fish, but this dual existence is probably the one way in which I feel a genuine rapport with my sign. See, I’m a person of contradictions.

Now, I embrace that; growing up, doing so wasn’t quite as natural a process.

I grew up in a vaguely conservative, but still fairly progressive,

Afghan household with a loving family and well-defined Eastern values.

The environment elsewhere was most definitely not that. I felt consistently out of touch with the people with whom I shared classrooms.

I didn’t recognize their artists or find their jokes funny; I didn’t know how to deal with them and remain true to myself.

But the older I got, the more I realized my knowledge of even my mother culture was lacking.

Nuances of etiquette escaped me at every family function; switching languages caused words to jumble together into a tapestry of miscommunication.

There was no place where I felt anything besides inadequacy. Progress in one area seemed to lead to regression in another; the happier I was outside my home, the less happy I was within, and vice versa. Knowing that I was far from

the only person to experience such a situation, I couldn’t understand what rendered me so incapable of resolving it.

There wasn’t any earth-shattering event which reinvented my perspective; the pressure rose and a dam just broke. Nobody controls what they’re born with — not birthdays, not bodies, not blood.

But we can make it all work for us, because it’s usually a sweeter deal than we think.

I saw my identity as the site of some fairytale struggle between the different aspects of my heritage, my personality, my likes and dislikes. But perhaps this wasn’t a war in which one side had to be victorious. Thesis and antithesis could synthesize; two fish could synchronizedswim their way to happiness.

Don’t worry so much about how people perceive your hurricanes of emotion. Learn about your roots instead of expecting the information to magically appear. I’ve been blessed with wonderful friends and family, and I finally feel like I’m on the road to being part of both the Canadian community I was born in and the Afghan heritage I’m linked to.

I might complain about literally every aspect of my life, but ultimately, I’ve accepted the different facets of myself. Including the part with a bizarre vendetta against tuna and marine life.

4 News

Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor

news@the-peak.ca

CONSTRUCTION CONTROVERSY

Build SFU stadium cancellation causes controversy for SFSS

Photo courtesy of the SFSS The original blueprint released by the SFSS before the stadium project was cancelled.

Student athletes aren't letting project go down without a fight

What was originally a simple press release has become the biggest issue to date for this year’s Simon Fraser Student Society Board of Directors, and classes have only just begun.

Since the news broke of the Build SFU stadium being cancelled, student athletes have swarmed Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) board meetings, the transparency of the board of directors has been called into question, university officials have accused the SFSS of reporting misinformation, and calls have been made for Build SFU GM Marc Fontaine to be removed from the project.

All of this started with the decision at the August 11 board meeting to terminate the project.

Upon receiving the estimates on how much it was going to cost to build the stadium, the SFSS decided to scrap the project because it was deemed to be unfeasible. According to Arr Farah, VP university relations for the SFSS, the cost was going to come in at around $30 million.

“Our budget was only [$]10 million — that’s all students approved,” Farah told The Peak on

before just outright cancelling it.

Aguiar also accused the SFSS of “[using student athletes] as a fulcrum to pass the Build projects, to only take the stadium away."

Yewchin and company are lookNathan Ross ing for both a solution to the staWeb News Editor dium conundrum and answers as to how the situation became so dire August 16. “So it was safe to say so quickly. They have been left feelwe just couldn’t afford this project ing unimpressed with the SFSS’s anymore.” efforts.

Ryan Yewchin, a former SFU “One of the frustrations with the wrestler and a part of the Stu- last meeting was that the SFSS was dent Athlete Advisory Committee able to say ‘That’s conjecture, that’s (SAAC), brought forward his con- not true, you’ve been misinformed,’ cerns on August 24 over the proj- even though they wouldn’t go on ect’s cancellation and how it was the record,” Yewchin said. “We being handled by the SFSS. He was don’t know what the SFSS has discussed, we don’t know what they know, we don’t know what they don’t know, so by far the biggest issue with this has been trying to get Theresa Hanson information from Senior director of athletics and recreation the SFSS to the membership.” told by SFSS executives that he “was This theme was echoed in a letquite frankly the only student who ter from Tim Rahilly addressed to had expressed any displeasure.”

Larissa Chen on August 25. Rahilly, The next day, Yewchin and the associate VP students for SFU, over 70 other student athletes and told Chen that she and Farah had SAAC members showed up to the reported misinformation to students SFSS board meeting to protest this. about the stadium project. He added They came with a letter from SAAC that his offers of support had not president Olivia Aguiar asking why been interpreted as he intended and, the SFSS wasn’t willing to compro- perhaps most importantly, that SFU mise and negotiate for the stadium still believes in building the stadium.

“I think our students and our community deserves better.”

“I can think of three or four decision points during the SUB [Student Union Building] discussion where the project could have failed.

What saved that project was a mutual willingness to engage in problem solving,” Rahilly wrote. “Please know that the University remains committed to the Stadium portion of the project. I personally believe there is a way forward achieve [sic] the vision outlined when students voted on this.”

It isn’t just SAAC that is upset with the SFSS, as SFU Athletics are not pleased with how the situation is unfolding. Theresa Hanson, senior director of athletics and recreation at SFU, said in an interview with The Peak that she’s very disappointed with the SFSS’s decision.

“I’m actually really disappointed for our student athletes, for the student clubs, for the student population in general. I’m saddened by the decision that was made by the SFSS,” she said. “SFU students deserve better.”

She said that she was “not in the loop at all” with the project’s progress or lack thereof, and there were no warning signs that the stadium was going to be cancelled. She found out that it had been cancelled via Twitter, further fuelling the claims that the SFSS hasn’t been communicative during this entire process.

“I’m not convinced that the SFSS has been as upfront with all the information to the students, not just the student athletes. [The] decision

came at a time in the summer when there were no students around,” she said. “[It is] really important for the SFSS to see that students actually care about this project.

“My understanding is that the university is very committed to wanting the stadium to happen, and to continue to make it happen. As I said earlier, I think our students and our community deserves better.”

Despite campaign promises from board executives to be open and communicative about what’s happening with Build SFU, the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the project haven’t been used since January. Keeping students updated through these means were part of Farah’s campaign, and in the meeting, he was called out for failing to follow through.

On top of that, much of the information from board meetings has been discussed during incamera sessions, meaning there was no way for any outside parties to know what is happening.

The most recent meeting between SAAC and SFSS officials saw students call for the removal of Marc Fontaine, the current general manager of Build SFU who has been involved with the project since its inception.

Fontaine responded to this by saying, “If board wants to replace me, that is their decision.

But I don't feel that they should.”

He said that the SFSS and Build SFU are both teams, and that the responsibility for any successes or failures doesn’t fall on one person.

However, Fontaine was criticized for failing to address the concerns of the student athletes, who asked repeatedly why the SFSS felt it was capable of taking on such a project. Fontaine’s response was that the SUB is coming along nicely, but many involved feel angered at the apparent prioritization of the SUB over the stadium.

It is too early to tell what exactly will happen with the stadium, and what the next steps will be moving forward. It could be that the stadium will be revived and altered to fit a smaller budget, or that the current project will be thrown away entirely and work will begin on plans for a completely new stadium.

As for right now, though, the impression from the SFSS is still that the stadium project will remain terminated. Students will have to wait and see if that decision is ultimately the final one.

With files from Nick Bondi

News BOARD SHORTS Stadium cancellation After hearing about the stadium cancellation, over 70 student athletes attended the SFSS board meeting to express their frustration. A letter from Student Athlete Advisory Committee president Olivia Aguiar was read by spokesperson for the group and football player Ante Litre. The letter criticized what Aguiar called the SFSS’s lack of transparency and information given to the SFU Athletics students leading up to their decision to cancel the project.

SFSS staff update Antonio Daling made his final announcement as student organizer for the SFSS. He has served the SFSS for 10 years. Adrienne Marino and Pierre Cassidy will be sharing his duties and office hours, and will become a point of contact for the Fall Kickoff.

SFSS approved support of community consultation to shape a new sexual violence policy The Women’s Centre, Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group, and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Student Union have organized a series of events. These events include discussion of sexual violence policy, sexual violence workshops, and film screenings for the upcoming semester.

These talks will take place from September 13–28. The SFSS expressed their support of these events.

SFSS approved a budget up to $4,200 for Fall Kickoff Week Project leads are also approved for the upcoming Fall Kickoff celebrations: Mudi Bwakura will be project lead, with Blossom Malhan as alternate.

Did you know you can attend board of directors meetings? Join the SFSS September 9 at 2:30 p.m. in Forum Chambers for the latest SFSS discussion and news.

Ashley Fraser Print News Editor

September 6, 2016

5

BIG DATA

SFU to build $8.35M data research hub

producing educational tools for students, and better understanding how organisms function through computational neurobiology — all of which rely on dependable computing infrastructure.

SFU isn’t smashing atoms together just yet, but this investment certainly supports the Big Data Initiative approved by the SFU Board of Governors in March. The

The project aims to have 62 million gigabytes of consistent data across four universities

Ashley Fraser Print News Editor The technology that we rely on as students could not exist without the innovation and data storage capacity required for big data projects.

While computers may be faster, smaller, and more intelligent than ever, data storage is integral to expand the groundbreaking research that can come from high-powered, reliable computing technology.

SFU has received over $8 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Major Science Initiatives program, and provincial research and development organizations. This funding will help to build a data storage hub.

This sponsorship means that major computer research projects can now be directly conducted right from SFU’s Burnaby campus.

By 2017, according to SFU News, the project conducted by Compute Canada is intended to have approximately 62 petabytes (that’s 62 million gigabytes) of consistent data through four storage platforms from SFU, University of Victoria, University of Waterloo, and University of Toronto.

What is data storage and what does this mean for SFU research capabilities?

According to CFI, a program created by the Government of Canada in 1997, comprehensive data storage is an integral part of maintaining fundamental research and investment across sectors. While this funding is fairly recent, the foundation has invested roughly $360 million in Canada over the last 16 years. The capabilities of data research are abundant and allow for SFU, as one of Canada’s top research universities, to directly aid the growing number of researchers in the field. A report from Compute Canada confirmed that the number of advanced computer researchers has more than doubled in the last five years.

What research will SFU be capable of producing?

Data research popularity has further garnered attention across

media in its abilities to decipher particle physics’ greatest questions, such as the discovery of the particle Higgs boson in 2013 by CERN or continued discoveries in human genome testing. In 2015, Forbes released a list of the top 13 computer research topics, including artificial intelligence research,

25,000 CPU cores, and 15 million gigabytes of storage disks at SFU Burnaby. In plain terms, the new cyberinfrastructure has the storage of about 12,500 regular dual processor computers. That’s some big data.

Compute Canada’s involvement with the data storage investment at SFU will involve work with companies such as IBM, Scalar, and DDN to build the most up to date form of cyberinfrastructure storage. This funding also provides increased data security within Canada: Compute Canada’s chief technology officer, Dr. Greg Newby, said in a press release that data hubs like this one are “a great solution to address the data explosion we are currently experiencing in Canada and globally.”

With this project, SFU is taking another big step into the 21st century.

Infrastructure is being built to hold approximately 25,000 CPU cores and 15 million gigabytes of storage disks at SFU. initiative aims to expand and support big data research across the university.

Through the funding received from the CFI, the Ontario Research Fund, and the BC Knowledge Development Fund, reliable infrastructure is now being built to hold approximately 1,000 GPU devices, ADVERTISEMENT

The Rosemary Brown Annual Memorial Conference

Dialogue on Campus Sexual Assault: Support, Prevention, Education Sponsored by: SFU’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and the Rosemary Brown Award for Women Committee

September 10, 2016 8:30 am – 1:00 pm Simon Fraser University Harbour Centre, Room 1700 Vancouver, BC Sexual assault remains a persistent problem on college and university campuses across Canada. Please join us to discuss how we can work together to develop effective responses, support survivors, and create positive change in the communities in which we live, learn, and work.

For additional information, check our website at sfu.ca/gsws

6 News

Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor

news@the-peak.ca

SATELLITE SIGNALS

Harbour Centre

Woodward's

The summer semester is often much quieter than the fall and spring semesters. But if you decided to tune out while away on summer holidays, you missed out on some pretty important news stories.

For starters, the man elected to serve as the president for the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) at the end of the spring semester barely made it a month before resigning on June 3. Deepak Sharma failed to meet eligibility status, and the president seat has been vacant ever since.

Larissa Chen, VP student services, has been filling in as the interim president in the meantime. She has already said that she won’t be continuing on as president, which means that students will participate in a byelection to fill the position (and

the vacant environment student representative position) that will take up the first four weeks of the fall semester.

That hasn’t stopped the SFSS from making some big decisions, with the most recent being to scrap the stadium portion of Build SFU. Upon getting the estimates back and realizing they were three times as much as the allotted funds for the project, the SFSS decided the project wasn’t feasible and cancelled it within a week.

This move has not sat well with many student athletes, as well as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and those students who are invested in the Build SFU project. The last board meeting of the semester was stormed by upset members of all these parties, and meetings have been held with the SFSS and

SAAC to determine if the whole project will remain cancelled or if a stadium can still be salvaged.

While those battles have been going on concerning the student side of the politics of SFU, the administration has been forced to deal with the alleged mishandling

of multiple sexual assault accusations that took place on campus over the past school year.

After a column by Daphne Bramham appeared in The Vancouver Sun which broke the news, SFU administration went on the defensive, with SFU faculty calling for them to be held accountable for not being transparent throughout the accusations and investigations.

All of this took place while the campus is formulating its sexual violence and misconduct policy.

They have held town halls and are actively encouraging feedback on their progress. Many concerned students and staff are waiting to see what this policy will end up becoming.

It wasn’t all bad news, though.

Two recent graduates made some big noise for creating a virtual reality game for cancer patients, inspired by their own experiences with health issues. SFU engineers built a bionic arm for the upcoming first-ever “cyborg Olympics.”

The school’s athletics department also hired Steve Hanson to be the next men’s basketball coach, on the heels of Virgil Hill’s resignation last spring.

Time will tell if the upcoming semester will be as noteworthy.

Surrey

Ashley Fraser Print News Editor

Opinions

Jessica Pickering Peak Associate As an SFU tour guide, I give every potential student I meet this piece of advice: join a club. It’s the first tip I got as a new undergraduate, and I firmly believe in it — despite how naïve that may sound to anyone who’s dealt with the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS).

You may be familiar with the failings the SFSS suffered over the summer, but not everyone realizes how consistently they botch even their organization’s most basic functions. As a longstanding executive of the SFU Choir, I’ve seen countless examples of their blunders. One must ask how an organization meant to help clubs continually makes it harder for them to exist.

As six former presidents of the choir can attest, the SFSS has made several, and often reoccurring, mistakes that hindered club experience.

“I have watched dozens of events unfold where the SFSS

[. . .] have caused us problems that range from minor annoyances and inconveniences, to major issues that inhibit our operation and our growth,” wrote former president Jennifer Pollock in a compiled letter to SFSS executives.

They don’t update clubs’ contact information in their records. Processes like approving room bookings stall for weeks,

I recently had the fortune to check out a gay club in Vancouver, called the Junction.

Going in, I assumed that it’d be like any other Vancouver club, besides a slightly different clientele. However, as I received a stamp on the arm from the topless man at the coat check, it dawned on me that this place was unique.

It wasn’t just the nearly seven-foot-tall drag queens, or the half-naked men on the dance floor sucking face with a passion I wanted to take notes on; it was the utter

Zach Siddiqui / Opinions Editor

opinions@the-peak.ca

despite the actual work taking minutes. Once that’s completed, further complications appear: you’re only given the space for half the semester until you make yourself a big enough nuisance that they’re suddenly magically able to give it to you for the full term, or the SFSS neglects to inform you that an exam study session is occurring during your practice time.

We at the choir hoped the upcoming Student Union Building, supposedly a space for clubs, would solve some problems.

When the SFSS was collecting student input, we requested rehearsal space (which requires a room for 120-plus students). Imagine our disappointment upon discovering that our designated rehearsal area won’t seat half of that. We’ll never be able to use it.

joy on people’s faces. It was seeing everyone be who they were without compromise.

Young, old, straight, gay — the binaries disappeared and partying hard was all that mattered. Security personnel seemed almost ornamental: the space’s safety never felt compromised.

Gay clubs are a beautiful microcosm of love and passion that other nightclubs could stand to emulate more. Not to mention, the one place where you're guaranteed not to get dry humped without consent.

Looking to spend your hard-earned pay cheque on watered down booze and a night you’ll probably forget?

Grab some comfortable kicks and a shirt you don't mind staining with sweat: it’s time you hit the club.

You’re only one arm-anda-leg cab ride away, if you can get past the velvet rope and the self-hating bouncer.

It’s smooth sailing after that, and all that’s left to do is fork over an overpriced cover charge and coat check fee to get into a club that couldn’t

7

Every semester, we face the same issues from an organization that should be helping us, not wasting our time and money. Yet despite all the problems my club and I have faced, I still believe getting involved on campus is a worthwhile endeavour.

Initially, coming to a school with over 30,000 students can be more than a little intimidating.

Even if you make friends in lecture, there’s no guarantee you’ll see them next semester, and that can make a 500-person class feel utterly lonely. Getting involved can change that. The best proof I have is personal experience.

I started getting involved in my first year, and since then, I’ve felt like part of a community. Joining a club means meeting people who share your interests. I’ve gained some of my best friends through clubs.

I’ve had a lot of benefits academically and professionally, as well. Some of the best courses of my degree were suggestions from clubmates, and I’ve gained over three years’ worth of enjoyable job experience by being part of the choir’s executive team — experience that has led to multiple career opportunities.

I can’t say university has been the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but knowing I had friends waiting for me every Thursday night helped me get through even the most stressful midterm seasons. Joining a club made SFU more than just a school to me: I’ve had experiences I never would have encountered otherwise.

It hasn’t always been ideal, but goddamn, it’s been worth it.

reach maximum occupancy if it tried. But, hey, you’ve thrown $100 down the drain without even trying — you might as well go all the way.

Start bumping and grinding to a mix that your 10-year-old cousin on Froot Loops could have mastered better.

To conclude your night of dancing (or a poor excuse of drunken shuffling, whatever), try procuring transportation back home. Have fun forgetting that it’s the taxis with the lights on that are available.

Justin Stevens

8

Opinions

You’ve likely seen your fair share of memes involving Harambe the gorilla: images that relegate his death to a glamorous source of amusement.

These memes, and those who create and share them, make light of what happened to Harambe simply to have fun at the expense of his death.

It’s wrong, and it exacerbates the zoo staff’s grief.

The story began when a child got into Harambe’s enclosure and encountered the gorilla. For the sake of guaranteeing the child’s safety, Cincinnati Zoo staff put down Harambe before he could do any harm to the child. Anaesthetic agents weren’t an optimal response, as staff were unsure if the drugs would activate in time.

The death of Harambe was deemed unfortunate — but the Internet saw it as an opportunity to make a new meme.

The memes initially spread as criticism of the child’s family, whom many found irresponsible for not watching their kid properly. However, these critiques

were soon corrupted by people embedding meaningless, offensive phrases into them and drawing attention away from what happened to Harambe; people trying to be witty to gain attention.

Some use “dicks out for Harambe.” Others praise Harambe because “he died for our sins,” and isn’t a regular gorilla. A few have even ignited racial controversies, by comparing retired Australian Aboriginal football player Adam Goodes to the gorilla, reinforcing racist stereotypes of his community.

Ultimately, Harambe was just an ordinary animal whose innocent life was taken because someone couldn’t keep an eye on their child.

Unfortunately, people have been blindly sharing memes without actually thinking about the significance of what happened. People bombarded the Cincinnati Zoo through social media with these memes and jokes until zoo director Thane Maynard had to address the problem.

“We are not amused […] Our zoo family is still healing,” Maynard

Zach Siddiqui / News Editor

opinions@the-peak.ca

told the Associated Press. “[T]he constant mention of Harambe makes moving forward more difficult for us.” The zoo’s social media accounts closed in August because of these jokes.

These jokes continue to resurrect talk of the incident, adding to the guilt that the zoo staff suffer.

It revolves around dragging out pointless discussion of an animal’s death for an unreasonable amount ADVERTISEMENT

of time. Would anyone do that to their own pets?

If not for the risk he posed to a child’s well-being, Harambe could have lived a happy life. While I believe that the zoo did what was best in the interest of saving their patron’s life, if the child was properly supervised and the barriers were more inaccessible to visitors, this situation wouldn’t have been created in the first place.

These memes were never funny in the first place, but absurdly enough, they have survived and grown. Yes, everything can be a meme, but there should be a basic boundary drawn in popular social media: we shouldn’t promote and glorify the pain of animals.

This meme has contributed nothing of value to anyone, and it hurts people’s feelings. The best thing we can do is stop sharing it.

Our students made this building possible!

Thanks to Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), our students voted and gave the thumbs up to build a brand new Student Union Building (SUB).

This commitment of $55 million is an epic gesture, and one that’s going to impact students for years to come.

With over 100K square feet of space devoted to studying, unwinding and connecting, all students are going to find their time at Burnaby’s campus pretty sweet. From study and club space to a community kitchen, there’s going to be endless possibilities to create awesome memories at SFU in a state of the art building. (Good luck keeping the administration out of the napping room!)

A big thanks to the engaged student leadership who made this happen, and a shout-out to everyone involved in the collaboration with the university.

You’ll want to check out the new home of SFSS programs and services in the fall of 2018.

pt. 8 for a

Join us on Thursday, Se

Proud sponsor of the Welcome Week SUB BBQ

special SUB BBQ in the AQ at noon.

10

Opinions

Remember that Christmas holiday Justin Trudeau took with his family in the Caribbean? Cute photos, nice weather, tabloid coverage, et al.? If the answer is “no,” that’s OK, because it’s not actually as big a story as you might think — unless you’re a Conservative MP, that is.

See, the recent gossip is that some of the Trudeaus’ travel companions had their names redacted from the flight manifest. As it turns out, the Trudeaus were joined by nanny Marian Pueyo, as well as Sophie Grégoire Trudeau’s parents, Jean Grégoire and Estelle Blais.

Controversy surrounding the new prime ministerial clan has already blossomed over the discovery that the public’s taxes are paying for things like nannies for Justin and Sophie’s children, and the extra security plus specialized flights required for their vacations. The redaction, followed by such a seemingly innocuous revelation, has set many political figures on edge.

Some, such as MP Blaine Calkins in

an interview with CBC, have gone so far as to say that it “smacks of a coverup.”

I understand the frustration.

A lack of transparency is bad enough; an unnecessary lack is even more so. But this fuss is about minutia that Trudeau’s opponents are taking advantage of: championing “honesty” not because of any serious breach, but because they want an excuse to criticize the prime minister. It’s time to put down the “controversy” surrounding this undying adventure.

It’s not like Trudeau personally dived into the records and illegally destroyed information; the redactions were a decision made by national security, and I assume he has every reason to trust them to do their jobs correctly. That their judgment slipped in this case is hardly a bad reflection on him.

As for Trudeau overspending on his holidays? He doesn’t have much choice. Canada’s prime minister isn’t allowed to take ordinary

Zach Siddiqui / News Editor

opinions@the-peak.ca

commercial flights when he travels, because of the security risks. Sure, maybe losing out on exotic vacation destinations is a first world problem, but punishing his family for his job still seems unreasonable.

Besides, Trudeau actually did personally pay out quite a bit for that trip. While taxpayer dollars cover some expenses, the PM and pals still pay the equivalent to economy-class fare. Relax, guys — he’s not using you to gallivant across the land for free.

As for non-family member Pueyo? Of course the government

paid her travel costs: she’s their employee, and it’s totally legal for them to do that for a residential staff member. Frankly, why would anyone see a job that requires you to pay enough money for a Caribbean visit as anything but counterproductive?

Who would willingly take a job like that?

None of this is new procedure, either: Harper was doing it too. His New York weekend with his family in 2011 for baseball and Broadway expended $45,000 in taxpayer money.

There's definitely merit to arguing against this, and critically analyzing your country’s leadership is important. But if you’re fighting for better allocation of your money and better transparency, stop blaming the guy who’s been in office for under a year. Political issues like this typically don’t trace back to just one person, and the problems people have come from long-standing policies and institutions.

That’s what we should focus our energies on challenging — not the three people you didn’t know were flying with Trudeau’s family.

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14 Arts

Take a second to picture a world where the distribution of selfpublished content could have you arrested. Now, imagine a group of rebellious skateboarding anarchists taking the fight to a corrupt government and its crooked politicians through the illegal circulation of zines — a war on censorship fought with blood, sweat, and ink. Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?

Well, it isn’t. And by God, is it frustrating.

Pierre Maurel’s Blackbird is a collection of a six-issue zine series originally published in France in 2008, and one that wasn’t really worth collecting in the first place.

I could honestly throw every insult I could at this story — even the kitchen sink just for good measure. Instead, I will simply say that Blackbird is about as captivating as Ferris Bueller’s teacher reading a syllabus, and that this story somehow manages to have slower pace than two sloths making love on their honeymoon.

As for the characters themselves, I am almost speechless.

To be fair, a story that has no names for its characters may

sound groundbreaking, and even a little inventive. Ultimately, though, it just leads to total disinvestment from the characters and their journey. It also leads to further frustration given that the character designs are so underwhelming, making it hard to know who is who at the best of times.

Arguably, though, the most infuriating element of Blackbird is that we’re never given enough information on any of the characters to feel invested in their cause. There isn’t any sort of character exploration to see what drives them to anarchistic action. Hell, we never even get to find out why they’re passionate about making zines or what their illegal publication is even about.

Blackbird had everything going for it as a graphic novel and yet found a way to underdeliver in virtually every way imaginable. It stands as not only a monument to lazy storytelling but as a marriage between all that is pretentious and dull.

Given the choice between reading Blackbird or doing classroom readings, I would unequivocally suggest the latter.

Jess Whitesel / Arts Editor

arts@the-peak.ca

Politics in the United States have been rather extreme lately, and it is because mind-controlling space ants have eaten the brains of members of Congress. At least according to BrainDead, a show which premiered in mid-June of this year.

BrainDead, a political science fiction horror dramedy created by Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), follows Laurel Healy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an aspiring documentarian, forced to work for her brother, Democratic Senator Luke (Danny Pino) in Washington, DC to fund her film. The show also follows Republican Senator Raymond “Red�

Wheatus (Tony Shalhoub), who is initially incompetent but, after being

infested by the space bugs, is focused, driven, and serves as the primary antagonist from then on.

Things grow even more complicated when Laurel begins a relationship with Gareth Ritter (Aaron Tveit), Red’s chief of staff. The characters also include Rochelle Daudier (Nikki M. James) and Gustav Triplett (Johnny Ray Gill), two scientists investigating the string of head explosions caused by the space bugs.

The show is, at its heart, optimistic. It criticizes extremism on both sides, advocating bipartisanship and cooperation. Both party heads are depicted as satirically extreme after being infested with the bugs: Red is constantly calling for war and

encouraging citizens to take up arms, while his Democratic counterpart is shown as caring more for the welfare of cute animals than people.

BrainDead is able to maintain a light-hearted tone despite its horrifying subject matter of politics and insect invasions. Yes, there are brain explosions and paranoia, not to mention the threat of a costly and unnecessary war, but the space bugs also seem to all really enjoy listening to “You Might Think� by the Cars, and every episode begins with a musical recap sung by singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton.

The show’s relevance, in addition to its frequent use of clips, quotes, and homages to the current American election make BrainDead one of the best political satires on television today.

BrainDead airs its season finale on September 11, on Global TV and GlobalTV.com

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Arts

Don’t believe anyone who tells you Channel Orange is better than Blonde. Where the former was bombastic and groovy, Frank Ocean’s latest is quiet and melancholy, more of a bedroom record than a dancehall one.

As it turns out, it’s a good look for Ocean. Blonde’s subtle charm and layered musicality reveal themselves on multiple listens. It’s the most experimental album the singer has ever released, but it’s also the most nakedly emotional, trading the upfront politicality of records like Lemonade and To Pimp a Butterfly for smaller, more intimate stories of love and loss. Standout tracks like “Ivy” and “Solo” show a side of Ocean that we’ve rarely seen, and recall some of the best moments from his previous records, like “Novacane” and “Bad Religion.”

Blonde may not have been the album that fans anticipated, but in a way it’s the one we needed: a beautiful and understated masterpiece in miniature. It was worth the wait. – MJH

The latest album from artist SonReal is nothing short of a stimulating ride for the senses. At just five songs with a 15-minute runtime, the Vernon native makes the most of his time on the mic with an EP that’s short, sweet, and delightfully entertaining.

The Name starts guns blazing with “Can I Get a Witness,” a jovial diddy that hypnotizes with an addictive singalong chorus. Jazzy tracks “No Warm Up” and “Hot Air Balloon” dabble in a CeeLo Green-esque style, but still remain distinctive.

The album is not without its hang-ups, though. SonReal loses gas midway through with a love song that neither dazzles nor bores. It also concludes with “Soho,” a stylistically jarring track that doesn’t belong — even as a bonus track.

But at $4.99, it’s definitely worth the purchase and the listen. – JS

Young the Giant’s alt-indie rock is back for another round on their third album Home of the Strange.

“Amerika” is a strong opener, simultaneously showcasing the talent we’ve come to love and stating that there are still many great things to come from this band.

My favourite track is “Something to Believe In.” Sameer Gadhia’s vocal range is elegantly showcased in an anthem about the struggle of finding anything to become invested in. In combination with the poignant guitar harmonics, it’s everything you want in a song: talent, rhythm, and meaning.

“Silvertongue” is a close second because it’s a little different than their usual style — a little less rock and a little more R&B — but is amazing nevertheless. And if you want something a little sultrier that builds back to an uptempo track, “Elsewhere” is your song.

Overall, Young the Giant has a beautifully crafted tune for any mood, and turning Home of the Strange up anywhere is a good call. – CM

September 6, 2016

Reading good novels can be challenging. At points they may be tough to get through, even if they are still gripping and engaging.

Those points eventually make the ending that much more meaningful and poignant. Such is the case with Nathan Hill’s The Nix. Your average familial and political novel has all the hallmarks of real life. There are struggles with identity, mental illness, belonging, friendship, coming of age, and what it means to love and be loved by others. Yet, through these struggles, there is an underpinning of tragicomedy. In The Nix, characters Pwnage and Guy Periwinkle provide a sense of comic relief from the drama-filled lives of dual protagonists Faye and Samuel AndresenAnderson, a mother and her son.

It is this mastery of understanding real life that makes Nathan Hill an author who is sure to go far in his career. His writing comes across with the casual grace of an astute observer of the human condition.

This is seen most clearly with how familiar the events in the book feel.

Although mainly set in Chicago in 1968 and 2011, there is a clear relation to the America of right now.

Though the novel is a complex political drama that spans decades, it is the journey of selfdiscovery and familial understanding that makes The Nix a powerful statement from this new writer.

It doesn’t have a fairytale ending, or a needlessly destructive one — though by definition the end is “happy,” it does not feel like a classic happy ending. Like real life, it is full of meaning yet lacks closure.

The characters continue on past the stopping point of the novel; there will be more successes and failures in their lives, save for the parts of their lives that became entangled with the political end.

The first page of the book is a passage from Inspired Utterances of the Buddha : a famous tale that focuses on blind men describing an elephant to a king.

Each man feels different parts of the animal, create different meanings from each part, and defend their descriptions to the end. The Nix is the elephant, and we as readers are the blind men grasping onto whatever meanings we draw from the novel’s 620 pages. This is what makes Hill a great author: he gave us an elephant, and we can take away whatever meaning we choose from it.

15

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Your contribution also helps provide jobs and experience for other SFU students, maintain an archive of SFU history through the eyes of students, maintain a computer lab and web site, and support student journalism across Canada.

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Sports

Nick Bondi / Sports Editor

September 6, 2016 sports@the-peak.ca

Alexa Tarrayo / The Peak

There’s no getting around it: last season was a tough one for SFU football.

The team suffered a winless season, their worst showing in the NCAA era.

However, senior running back Ante Litre is determined to help lead the Clan to victories this season.

“I want to lead the team to a few victories,” said Litre, who is a health sciences major. “Whatever that role entails, I’m ready to take it, [whether] that’s making a few special teams, tackles, or whatever the case is. I love winning, and that’s the most important thing when you’re playing football. Applying yourself to the team is what you gotta do.

“If you set team objectives, [and] you have all 11 guys on the field working towards the same objective, there’s nothing more important,” he continued. “Individual statistics will follow, but I try not to think about that.

It’s always team first.”

Litre started playing football a year before high school, following the influence of his older brother.

“My dad came to Canada from Croatia when he was 28, my mom came here when she was three. We didn’t have any idea about football, we never watched it in the house growing up.

So when my brother got into Grade 8, there was a letter sent out to all the newcomers to the school talking about

the football team and how we would love to have your sons come out.

“From then on, that’s when the whole addiction to football in the family started. We watched my brother play that first year and [said] wow, this is an incredible sport.”

Litre then joined SFU out of high school in 2012, and needless to say, there have been some changes.

“My first year when I came to SFU in 2012, I came in a recruiting class that was almost 45 people-plus. The roster size was about 120. We had so many guys on the team that there were guys splitting lockers. Now, I got two lockers. [Laughs] “When that roster size was that big, that made practices different.

Because now all of a sudden everyone redshirting was on a scout team, and they were [playing against] the starting offence, so you had those reps against the first team for a full year. That’s an advantage you get with a 100-plus roster. But on the flip side, you get less coaching. Now, having this better number, I think we’re finding a happy medium.”

Moving into his senior season, Litre’s team has some positives. A big one is the return of head coach Kelly Bates and his coaching staff, the first time in a long time that

the players have had coaching continuity heading into a season.

“Having a set of coaches who [know their] players, we’re able to hit this season running as opposed to try and figure out who everyone is,” said Litre. “That was the biggest thing. A lot of times when a new coaching staff came in, a lot of guys looked at it as a fresh start.

“Now, the coach has seen everybody, he knows who everybody is, and we’re able to plan for certain guys. The coaches have done a good job taking care of their guys, and it’s been going good.”

The other is that Litre has had time to adjust to the running back position.

Formerly the fullback for the Clan, Litre was put into the position last season after injury, and quickly became a revelation; so much so that he will likely be the starting running back this year. It’s a position he didn’t think he would find himself in when he was first recruited to SFU. “When I first came in, I thought I was going to be a linebacker for the next five years. In the spring camp, I was getting some first team reps at linebacker. And then halfway through camp, the head coach kind of caught me off guard, he comes up to me and says we have a need at fullback. And I just wanted to be on the field, whether it was special teams or whatever I could do for the team to help move it forward.

So I said I would move to fullback if that’s what the team needed.”

After his SFU career is done, Litre’s dream is to go play professional football or to become an athletics director at a university. If he ends up

being drafted, he’ll be following in the footsteps of someone he went to SFU with: Michael Couture.

“We’re all so proud of him for everything he’s accomplished, along with every other CFL alumni that’s been through here,” he said. “A lot of times our CFL alumni come back and they train with us in the weight room and stuff. [. . .] Having that in your face all the time, it’s definitely a goal you want to strive towards.”

For someone whose passion and dedication to the game is very evident, the team’s disappointing last season was for Litre the “most heartbreaking thing I’ve done.” However, Litre and the team are determined that it will push them towards success.

“As a group, we’ve all been through so much with the three head coaches, there’s nothing more we wanted to do than win. And we came short so many times, it took such an emotional toll on everyone. It left a scar on us through all of the off season.

Watching an old game or something, [you’d] get super frustrated. All you want to do is get that first win.”

As the season enters its early stages, Litre and SFU will be looking to put the past behind them.

17

The Clan won their first competitive game of the season Thursday, beating California State San Bernardino 3–0.

SFU’s goals were scored by Pascal Schmidt, Adam Jones, and Mamadi Camara, who also added an assist. SFU was dominant defensively, not allowing the Coyotes a single shot on target the entire game. The team’s next game is against Notre Dame de Namur University in Bellingham, Washington.

It’s now September, and the two SFU football alumni who were drafted into the CFL have taken quite different paths. Quinn Horton, drafted by the Calgary Stampeders 68th overall, signed for the Okanagan Sun of the BC football conference. Meanwhile, Michael Couture has had a promising start to his CFL career. The 10th overall pick has started all nine games on the offensive line for the 5–4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Both men’s and women’s cross country have been ranked high in the annual GNAC preseason coaches poll. The men’s team was picked to finish second in the conference, behind sixtime defending champions Alaska Anchorage. Meanwhile, the women have been picked to finish third in the conference. The team’s first meet is September 10, at the Ash Creek Invitational.

18

Sports

Nick Bondi / Sports Editor

sports@the-peak.ca

SEASON PREVIEW

For the first time in a long time, SFU football has some stability, at least in the coaching department. Head coach Kelly Bates has returned for a second season in charge, and is looking to avoid last year’s winless campaign. Perhaps the only silver lining one could take from last year’s record is the fact that in five of the nine games the Clan played, they were either leading or tied at halftime.

According to Bates, turning those halftime ties and leads into wins is “a process that happens both on and off the field. On the field, we’ve got to control the measurements of the game that help you have success. Ball control, taking care of the ball, time of possession on offence, no stupid penalties. [. . .] On defence, you need to take away balls, you need to stop drives, you need to not extend drives with bad penalties.

“Those are the things that come with attention to detail. And I do believe we will get better at that. But at the same time off the field, you need to put in place a recruiting class that allows you to build your team, and we’re not quite there yet.

Bates further explained that “We are a very young team. And we’re going to pay the price right now in terms of mistakes and being young and not having that experience. But it’s going to pay off down the road.”

SFU’s men’s soccer team has arguably been the most successful program since the school switched to the NCAA. An undefeated season in 2011 and two trips to the final four in 2012 and 2013 has meant that expectations for the team are always sky-high. Despite not making it to the postseason last year, the team maintained an amazing defensive record at home, not conceding at Terry Fox Field in the fall or the spring when they played two professional sides in Toronto FC II and Whitecaps FC II. This year, things are no different. Expectations are once

The Clan brought a large 36-player recruiting class this season. Miles Richardson was one of those players, a transfer from Division I school Eastern Washington — Richardson will be the team’s starting quarterback, replacing Ryan Stanford, who has graduated.

“To me, he shows the characteristics I want in a quarterback,” said Bates. “First and foremost, he’s a hard worker. He doesn’t take any shortcuts. He knows what he wants from the players around him and he demands it, and there seems to be a respect factor there that helps him get that. He’s got a very young receiving core to work with, for the most part, and he’s given those guys great direction.”

Defensively, SFU will be led by the Herdman twins, Jordan and Justin. Jordan was last season’s GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Justin was no slouch either, recording just over nine tackles a game.

“I’m not expecting greatness, I’m expecting them to be them,” said Bates. “If that happens to be great, that’s outstanding. They’re two tremendous people off the field, and I think that adds to what type of people they are on the field.

All I’m expecting from them is 100 percent effort, and I’m going to get that, and the result will yield itself based on that effort.”

The schedule for the Clan will be extremely tough at the start. After playing Idaho State, a Division I program away from home, the Clan is on the road again the following week in Texas, before coming home to play Humboldt State — the conference champion that beat them 57–0 last year.

“It is what it is,” Bates said about the schedule. “You accept it, and create a plan, and that’s what our guys will do. One game at a time, one practice at a time.”

One particular game that has Bates excited, and might get students excited as well, is the homecoming game on October 1. It will be at Terry

Fox Field, the first time the team will play there since 2013.

“We’re going to have some very interesting marketing ploys to what we do this year,” explained Bates. “We’re going to go ahead and copy the CFL ‘kick for a million’ and have a ‘kick for tuition.’ And we’ll do that multiple times at every game, so we’ll do it up here, and we’ll do it at Swangard. I think it’s a great way to engage students, the community, and great way to put some people in the seats.”

SFU plays their first home game September 17 at 6 p.m. at Swangard Stadium.

again stratospheric, with the team going for something that has eluded them in the past: a national championship. “[The] message consistently with the players [is] that they’re here to win a national championship,” said head coach Clint Schneider.

“Anything else is not good enough.

It’s just not. Of course we’d love to win the GNAC championship, that’s great. We want to be in the national championship, that’s great. But we want to win a national championship.

After a tough non-conference schedule — including NCAA

Division II finalists Cal Poly Pomona, who are ranked fourth nationally — the Clan will not be eased back into conference play. Their first game in conference is against Seattle Pacific at home on September 22. Seattle Pacific is a long-time SFU rival, twotime defending GNAC champ, and ranked 11th nationally.

“We know what they’re about, they know what we’re about,” remarked Schneider. “When it comes to rivalry games like that, it’s not easy. [. . .] Generally those games are one-goal games, they’re tight, and both teams want to win those games."

Another key to start the season will be to avoid the sluggish start the team experienced last year, where the team only won one of their first six competitive games.

“I think we learned some lessons from last year and implemented them this year, [those] being a bit more prepared for the guys to come in for the first game. Pushing them a little bit harder than we did last year.

And I think that if we just look at the results, last year we lost 1–0 to UBC, this year we tied them. We’re further ahead than we were last year.”

The team is bolstered this year by a number of high-profile recruits and returning players. One such recruit is Freddie Gard, who joins the Clan from the Southend United U-18 team, which plays in the third tier of English soccer. He’ll join another former Southend United player, Robert Hyams, on the team.

“Robert’s the one who told us about Freddie,” explained Schneider. “Robbie put his

reputation on the line to say Freddie was going to be good enough to play here. [. . . He] is every bit as good as I thought he would be. I just had a conversation with him, I still think he has more in him, and he’s still adjusting to college soccer, because it’s different. But he has the potential to be very special for us.”

The quest for the elusive national championship continues on September 10 against Notre Dame de Namur University.

Sports

Last season the SFU women’s soccer team showed remarkable improvement. After ending the 2014 season 2–16, the team roared back with a 7–6–2 record in 2015.

However, it was how last season ended that has the team fired up for this year. The team needed a win in their final game against Western Oregon to finish in the top four, in order to qualify for the playoffs being held here at SFU; they ended up losing 2–1 in overtime.

“They don’t ever want to feel that way again,” said head coach Annie Hamel, referring to how last season ended. “I think that heartbreak fuels you for nine months, that you have to wait for that chance again, the chance to do better and to reach goals that you set out to reach.

“For the last nine months they've been preparing and thinking about that, and you don’t forget that type of pain. It’s been a good motivator, especially in the off season, and it’s shown because the kids have come out more prepared than ever before for preseason.”

The Clan is a young team this year, as there is a total of 12 freshmen and sophomores to start the season. Despite this, Hamel is convinced that last year’s experience will help the team grow even more.

“Our freshmen last year weren’t true freshmen in the sense that they got minutes here and there,” she explained. “They were starters, so there’s a lot of experience there even though they’re young. Even the growth they’ve made in the spring is incredible. They’ve all improved so much from last year to this year.”

SFU will be led this year offensively by Christina Dickson, last year’s unanimous pick for GNAC Freshman of the Year. However, she’ll have more help this year with the addition of Emma Pringle, whom Hamel called a “true number nine,” and Monpreet Heer. Both players are expected to score goals and help compliment the offence.

Hamel and her team will not have an easy start to conference play. Their first home game after four on the road will be against Division II semifinalist and conference champion, Western Washington. Last season, SFU lost 9–0 over both games, including a 5–0 thrashing at home which saw them concede all five goals in the space of the first 15 minutes.

September 6, 2016

“The first area of business with that is not soccer, it’s mental,” said Hamel. “I think our team has given Western [Washington] a little too much respect in the past, and it’s almost like you don’t believe you’re going to win the game. The games that we play before that are going to serve confidence to see that we are a quality team, and they’re going to learn who they are as they lead up to that.

“At the end of the day there’s nothing they’re going to see with Western that they will not have seen the previous four games,” she continued. “It’s really a mental thing with Western. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a good side, but I actually think once [we] start believing in [our]selves [we] are going to be very difficult to stop.”

With over nine months of preparation and plenty of motivation, SFU will be looking to improve on a promising 2015 campaign.

19

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22 Humour

Janis McMath / Humour Editor

humour@the-peak.ca

h

An SFU committee tasked with determining an alternative mass transit option has forced the school to rethink its current bus strategy because of the cost of fuel, shitty Compass Card U-Passes, and unpredictability under inclement weather.

After reviewing many proposals, the committee finally settled on the next generation of commuting options for the Simon Fraser community. The committee surprised the audience, as the press release was originally supposed to announce a new proposal aimed at increasing community participation in the planning process.

Notable rejects stood out as the committee announced its decision late Thursday evening. Using existing roads and transit infrastructure to create San Francisco-style trolley cars was cited as “pretty lame” by a committee representative, while the oft-mentioned gondola proposal was rejected by the representative for being, in their words, “stupid. Let's be honest with ourselves.

A gondola?”

While many proposals failed to meet the committee’s strict criteria outlined at the beginning of the exploration process, the winning proposal has been met with controversy, given that it was proposed an hour before the announcement.

SFU president Andrew Petter announced the winning proposal as “the best thing I've come up with today. It wins.” The project, which has been projected for a 15-year completion time and a cost of $1.8 billion, was described by the committee as a “badass giant walking robot with like lasers or whatever.”

The robot will be able to ferry close to 25 students up to the university every half hour. “Picture it.

You're a new student. SFU. You're all like, ‘holy shit!’ That's what I want for this community,” a jubilant Petter exclaimed during the five-minute presentation. He continued on, explaining how the project is part of a larger strategy to attract “those anime kids. Gee whiz, they're rich.”

The project has been met with controversy, with one critic calling it “the most outrageous thing I have ever goddamn heard of, and that includes that crazy gondola idea the drunk guy said at that one meeting.”

In a bizarre turn of events, the committee attempted to appeal its own decision, to which Petter replied dismissively, “I run this town.” Planning will move ahead as funds will need to be raised immediately to start construction.

The president additionally announced that an online contest open to SFU community members will be held to name the first of the two vehicles, so expect another email spam fest asking for your participation to some survey or whatever. “The winner gets like, an iPad Mini or whatever piece of shit consumer electronic toy is in vogue at the moment,” Petter stated. He continued to explain that “iPad minis are the worst. Not a phone, or a real iPad. What are these kids doing with their lives?”

The bid for the service contract was narrowed down to two finalists.

“It’s between Chartwells and TransLink. Hold up. Chartwells wins,” Petter announced, stifling giggles as he cited their excellent service and quality track record. Construction is expected to begin by 2030.

Humour

September 6, 2016

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24 Last Word

Tamara Connor / Features Editor

features@the-peak.ca