first peek
I remember that it was an early Saturday morning, but not what set the conversation off. I probably made a silly joke at somebody’s expense. One girl turned to me and told me that what I said triggered her. I was incredibly alarmed and apologetic for a few seconds, until I realized that she wasn’t, in fact, triggered — as in, having a flashback to a traumatic episode, or feeling overwhelmed by sudden panic, or experiencing an urge to once again engage in a past detrimental behaviour. She just thought she’d pulled the perfect comeback in our verbal repartee. I told her she shouldn’t throw that word around. She didn’t get it. So I explained the word “triggered,” and how it wasn’t the best choice for casual conversation, because it alludes to a genuine negative reaction from people with PTSD and anxiety disorders. I pointed out that her sarcastic use was very much like that of the people on the Internet who use it ironically to refer to pointless issues which, intentionally or not, makes a mockery of a very real phenomenon. Her irked response was that well, she didn’t know, so that made
it OK, and she’d keep saying it, too, because what did it matter, if her intention wasn’t to hurt anyone? Personally, I feel like it matters to people who don’t have the luxury of choosing what does and doesn’t hurt. I’ve never needed content warnings, so I won’t claim to speak for people who do. But I’m sick of seeing people co-opt others’ pain so they can pepper their speech with “trendy” and “edgy” words. More broadly, I’m sick of people using words they don’t understand.
I’ve watched friends insult politicians and criminals and anyone else they don’t like with the term “cocksucker,” as if performing oral sex is shameful, or being attracted to guys is insulting. I’ve tried to tell people that changing the last couple of letters of the N-word doesn’t transform it into this magical new word of allyship just because they
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see it done in media, and I’ve been brushed off. It might be unreasonable for me to have such a visceral response to this. I understand that it’s not always an intentional thing, and I know I’ve been guilty of verbal faux pas in the past myself. But while I don’t want to take any sort of high ground, I do think it’s important to point these things out. But often, people don’t just brush their actions away — they get offended. It makes sense: even when the intention isn’t to condemn someone morally, it’s easy for the other person to feel like they’re being called out, and I get that. Alternatively, they might bristle against the idea of being “educated,” because the way our education system works here implies a clear power relationship. Either way, people start to make a point of intentionally labelling themselves “anti-PC,” like it’s woke, like it’s enlightened to feel free to say the R-word freely or to jokingly call Muslims terrorists. But if you do that, you’re just trivializing what the targets of those words have undergone for your own self-satisfaction. So do your homework. Don’t toss around slurs like they don’t matter. You can fire blanks in a crowd all you want and say that it’s fine, nobody’s getting hurt, but that doesn’t excuse the fear you put people through.
4 News
Ashley Fraser / Print News Editor
news@the-peak.ca
News
Undergraduate students vote yes to Embark levy increase
November 21, 2016
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6 Opinions
Tatum Miller Peak Associate Right-wing political movements are gaining momentum worldwide, with the public expressing their opinions on the most recent political phenomena, such as Brexit, or the new, very Republican government in America. We’re due to see how this plays out in Canada, and to pray that the sort of insidious hateful thought seen in these movements doesn’t take hold here too; our right wing doesn’t need to look like the one seen elsewhere. One clear revelation of these events is that people are dissatisfied with globalism and liberal elitism. Nationalism is gaining ground, and erosion of economic sovereignty and culture was seen as such a threat that the United States turned to a dangerously unqualified candidate as their champion. Right-wing America has
scapegoated illegal Mexican immigrants, radical Islam, and Washington insiders, among other things. Canada doesn’t have the same issue with illegal immigration that America does, so our political fodder for the right wing won’t focus on Mexican immigrants taking away low-paying jobs, but rather, the obscenely wealthy who buy up real estate and drive up prices, without interest in working in Canada. Still, immigration is a hot topic in Canadian politics. The Conservative Party leadership race in progress has MP Kellie Leitch calling for anti-Canadian values screening for immigrants — an alarming sentiment, to be sure. This campaign season may have rejuvenated the racist underbelly of the United States, but that doesn’t have to be the case here.
Excusing it as “personal preference” is just another way to let hatred sneak by Zach Siddiqui Opinions Editor “Kiss me,” you say feverishly, hands ghosting over skin, heartbeat quickening, glazed eyes rolling back into your head like that one movie with the Ouija board. As the latest dating app launches on your iPhone 7, you find sweet nirvana when the moist heat of Thinly Veiled Sexual Racism’s embrace envelops you, continuing to validate and enable your self-excused racist ways. Going on dating applications and websites with predetermined racial “preferences” is not a new phenomenon, per se, but it’s definitely one that’s grown more apparent to the public. Among others, Grindr and Scruff have gotten flak for offering the option to filter your love matches by race.
“I think it’s good and right to see [. . .] our biases challenged [. . .] but when it comes to the very personal choice of who you’re partnered with it’s something we leave to our members,” Eric Silverberg, one of Scruff’s founders, told BuzzFeed. Silverberg, you had all the gross bigots in the world at “but.” “But” just isn’t a word that should come into play when discussing discrimination. There aren’t extenuating circumstances that suddenly justify baseless prejudice, and if there are, your problematic preconceived beauty standards most certainly aren’t among them. Unfortunately, when matchup platforms code in the option to sort by ethnicity, they
The unelected, life-tenured upper house of Canada has been the subject of recent expense scandal, and many Canadians hold the Senate — and our current politics in general — in disdain, placing the government body in the crosshairs. Trudeau’s new “independent” appointment process may not be enough to quell Canadians’ Senate resentment. While the US continues to deny climate change, they won’t be making any meaningful strides toward climate action. Canada’s right, like Brad Wall in Saskatchewan, will take advantage of this, and claim now is not the right time for action. Our next election will certainly see discourse regarding the Liberal’s climate plan. They are spending $2.65 billion in other countries to develop clean energy, and implementing a carbon tax in Canada. Political opposition could take advantage of this foreign spending through nationalist economic policies calling for increased spending at home.
give their tacit approval to such behaviour. Not only do they send a message that sexual racism is acceptable, but they set a precedent that it’s somehow wrong to question it. Fortunately, precedent sometimes tends to be another way of saying “outdated societal ideas,” which are the most fun to crush. Filtering out specific ethnic identities reinforces a racial hierarchy and implies that your appearance and heritage, by default, make you less attractive. Even as we downplay this egregious insult by claiming that “everyone just has a type,” we’re basically saying that all people of a given race look the same, and are therefore equally aesthetically pleasing or unpleasing — which is not a novel form of discrimination, but it’s one that doesn’t seem to die. Anyway, let’s say for a second that the people running these apps are just trying to be
Zach Siddiqui / Opinions Editor
opinions@the-peak.ca
I like to believe the negative energy that’s engendered conservative campaigns elsewhere doesn’t exist in Canada. It isn’t lying in wait for a firebrand to ignite into an inferno, and I hope I’m not proven wrong. I hope anti-establishmentism and nationalism’s energy in Canada will result in
accepting and accommodate all of their users, including the ethically repulsive ones. Fine, whatever, give them a choice. But in many apps, racial filters aren’t treated as just an option — they’re a reward.
For instance, Grindr makes a point of only permitting you access to the feature if you’re paying money for it. Doing that paints the idea of exclusion not as an immutable aspect of life, but as something desirable, something worth paying a price for. I don’t care how desperate you are to turn a profit, revenue
a viable alternative for voters who don’t agree with the direction of the Liberals’ policy, or with liberal elitism overall, without resorting to hateful rhetoric. I believe that in a Canadian fashion of compromise and respect, politicians and media personalities can address the dissatisfaction that is dividing nations right now, and keep Canada great.
gained from promoting bigotry isn’t a reason to celebrate. Dating apps shouldn’t accept this. You don’t want to micromanage your users? Fine. But I bet you don’t want to be known as a space rife with prejudice and hate, either. Do you really want to promote profile biographies like “Vanilla or spice, no chocolate nor rice,” “Asians, prease reave me arone,” or even “If you’re black and we matched — it was probably a mistake”? Do you want those splattered across your corner of cyberspace? It’s a testament to the gross attitudes of the user base. If you can’t change those attitudes, that means you fight to protect people from them — not that you cater to them.
Opinions
The Vancouver housing market, as many desperate renters and potential homeowners hope, might turn out to be one pleasant bubble fuelled largely by foreign speculation. As things stand now, though, it looks more like an annoying zit plaguing beautiful BC, and she doesn’t want to wait it out. Following August’s 15 percent foreign home buyers plan, the city is planning to impose a one percent tax on vacant homes, as well as a maximum fine of $10,000 on anybody caught misreporting occupancy status or where their principle home is. Before delving into details, let’s assess the issue through some stats. According to census data, the non-resident occupancy rate (measuring the percentage of homes either vacant or occupied by non-residents) stood at 3.5 percent in 2001. That figure almost doubled by 2011, and is still increasing. Similarly, the number of homes occupied across Metro Vancouver by nonresidents grew from about 27,564 in 2001 to about 58,229 in 2011. Put bluntly, those numbers have been on the rise for over a decade. While it would’ve been helpful for lawmakers to place greater importance on this issue before it grew so dire, looming exams and elections seem to draw the best from students and public servants, respectively. In any case, the 15 percent foreign buyers tax from earlier this year and the new one percent tax appear to be “band-aid” solutions, applied to a deep wound that really requires surgery. Having said that, we do need to start somewhere. Housing shouldn’t be like company stocks, or bullion — a field of speculation, where you buy or sell based on whether the market’s ripe or sinking. Nevertheless, it’s turned out to be just that, more so in historically populous areas like Toronto and Vancouver than, say, towns in the Prairies. With the demographic shifts of the new century — where people living in rural locales, especially those entering the middle
November 21, 2016
class, are looking to move to the big cities — the influx of people is not going to flatten out. Our public policy experts and city planners will eventually have to grapple with the same housing issues that their counterparts in San Francisco, Tokyo, or Mumbai deal with. Given the circumstances, this is the perfect time to see the emergence of affordable housing as a human right, in an official way. More importantly, any housing policy must be targeted towards the concerns of the people actually living in the city. The flat one percent tax does have potential to add volume to the market, as it attempts to disincentivize keeping a second home vacant. However, one percent annually seems like too little, while the daily fine rate for loophole seekers is absurd. Instead, a progressive tax rate would yield better results. The ostensible crackdown on Airbnb also won’t solve the issue. On average, only about 13 percent of the homes occupied by non-residents are occupied by temporary (e.g. Airbnb) or foreign residents. The mechanics of reporting and verifying the status of homes and the business of catching offenders is going to cost the public exchequer anywhere from $2–2.5 million in the coming years, and there needs to be more clarity on that. Additionally, while there are some provisions laid out for exemptions, such as those for snowbirds and part-time residents, there need to be additional exemptions to account for other situations, such as deceased owner, owner in residential care, change in ownership, and the like, to avoid legal hardships for individuals. While the strategies against the housing crisis aren’t perfect right now, they’re the beginning of countermeasures that could really be effective. The priority should be continuing to refine this response, and to learn from this experience: the sooner we address Vancouver’s problems, the better.
Please visit the website for more information: www.talk.go.kr Contact information: Consulate General of the Republic of Korea 604-681-9581 vanedu@mofa.go.kr
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10 Arts
Jessica Whitesel / Arts Editor
arts@the-peak.ca
Arts
This has been a big year for Torontobased punk band PUP. Their second album — The Dream is Over — was released in May, and made the shortlist for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. If that already wasn’t enough for one year, the band has also spent the majority of 2016 touring North America, Australia, and Europe. The Peak spoke with guitarist Steve Sladkowski ahead of their Vancouver show, and he credited the band’s success to a mix of hard work, community, dumb luck, and determination: “I think we went all in from the beginning. We were gonna do whatever we needed to. When all of us were working, we were still playing three to five times a week. When it came time to go on tour and take that leap and quit our jobs, we were all willing to do it.” Saying “yes” to any opportunity that comes up is one explanation for the band’s exhaustive tour schedule. “I guess part of the reason we spend so much time on tour is that we just wanted to do whatever sounded cool,” Sladkowski said, laughing. “Cool things just kept coming up and so we didn’t say no. That might’ve affected us a little bit in terms of burning us out a little bit, but this is what the four of us dreamed about when we started playing at 12, 15 years old.” Building a following in the United States is another reason Sladkowski thinks PUP has reached its current
Nothing will ever give you goosebumps quite like hearing “Hedwig’s Theme” while the Warner Bros. logo comes into view. While much different from the original series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them definitely deserves the classic Harry Potter intro. Fantastic Beasts, as you probably already know, follows Newt Scamander who has travelled to New York City with a nearly complete draft of the book that will make him famous. Once there, he runs into some
November 21, 2016
level of success: “We were very lucky to very early on focus ourselves on trying to build a following not only in Canada, but in the United States. We were also lucky to pair up with an American record label in Los Angeles called SideOneDummy Records.”
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On the topic of the United States, it's no secret that the recent presidential election results are on everybody's mind. As someone
who was touring the United States for much of this year leading up to election night, Sladkowski said he “wasn’t expecting it. But on the Monday before the election, we were driving through Pennsylvania, which was one of the states that swung for Trump. We probably went about 200 kilometres without seeing a Hillary Clinton sign. “We only saw Trump signs, and there were a lot of hand-painted, home-made signs. We saw signs that said ‘Pray Before You Vote’ and that sort of thing. So, in terms of a visual sight test, that
was when I sort of had this feeling in the back of my mind, like, 'Something is going on here . . .'” Sladowski was also able to observe the reactions of fellow Canadians towards Trump’s win. “There’s this smugness, this belief that somehow the decision-making in our country and the political zeitgeist of the country are not connected to the United States, rather than having empathy. “But Toronto elected Rob Ford, and I saw signs in the suburbs of Toronto on the way back home that said ‘Canadians for Trump.’ This is not something that is contained just within the United States. It’s more important than ever to try and be open and empathetic and have conversations while also not
losing sight of the fact that you have to stand up to hatred and bigotry and all that shit.” Sladkowski has his sights set on more new adventures, too: “We all really want to go tour Japan and South America and stuff and get culture shock. We would love to play in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. So those are all things that are on the wish list right now.” After a whirlwind of a year, Sladkowski is ready for some downtime. “I think first and foremost we are all ready for some time off and a little bit of rest and relaxation over the holidays.” However, the downtime will be somewhat short-lived: PUP heads back to Europe and the UK in early 2017.
trouble when he reveals his magic to a muggle (or no-maj, as the Americans say), is taken into custody by a member of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and has to stay in an apartment with both the muggle and a witch who can read minds. The movie starts with a cold open, which can lead to a bit of confusion in the beginning. It seems like this is done so the audience can experience the plot as if they are Jacob Kowalski, the no-maj whom Newt meets
on his first day. Without the aid of a pre-existing book, viewers may find it helpful to familiarize themselves with the characters on IMDb first. Also, be on the lookout for a small Quidditch joke at the beginning of the movie (I wouldn’t have caught it without the members of the SFU Quidditch team sitting next to me laughing). The screening I attended was standard IMAX and some of the scenes were a bit blurry. It became obvious that the film had been shot for 3D and certain shots did not work as a normal movie. I highly recommend seeing the film in 3D, or IMAX 3D if possible. The highlight of the movie is by far the graphics. All of Newt’s fantastic beasts are gorgeously animated. Be prepared for the niffler to melt
your goddamn heart. Also, Newt’s mating dance with the erumpent is one of the best comedic moments of the film, followed closely by the group encounter with a baby occamy. Kudos to all the writers and special effects artists who were able to give so much character to the beasts. Newt’s pets truly are the stars of the movie. The storyline as a whole though was good. Slight references from the original series (such as a mention of Albus Dumbledore, one of Newt’s school teachers) help tie in this new series. According to J.K. Rowling’s Twitter, we can expect five Fantastic Beasts movies over the years. While this first movie definitely leaves a lot of questions unanswered (is soccer the no-maj Quidditch?), it’s hard to see how
Rowling expects to drag out this storyline for four more movies. For now, fans can wonder what the future holds for Newt, the American witch sisters Tina and Queenie Goldstein, and most importantly, Jacob Kowalski — the muggle caught up in the magical affair. What is for sure is that Eddie Redmayne was perfectly cast, and Dan Fogler was a great addition as Kowalski (if not a little strange for those of us who know him as Hutch from the 2009 Star Wars parody Fanboys). Overall, the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie will definitely be a hit. With the same comedy, drama, and heart we’ve all come to expect from the Harry Potter world, Fantastic Beasts is a solid addition to the franchise we all love.
12 Sports
Preethi Bokka Peak Associate
Nick Bondi / Sports Editor
sports@the-peak.ca
Sports
Austin Cozicar Peak Associate
Brett Nelson SFU Student
November 21, 2016
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14 Humour
Janis McMath / Humour Editor
humour@the-peak.ca
Humour
November 21, 2016
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How to be an SFU gold digger Joining them in holy matri-money
16 Diversions
Across
Down
Maia Odegaard / Business Manager
maia@the-peak.ca