Swimming the way

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January 28, 2013 · Volume 143, Issue 4

FIRST PEEK

Depending on how many beers you’ve ordered at any given pub, you might notice that some pubs serve different brews in different glassware. I’m not talking about size. I understand that if you order a sleeve, it’s going to be smaller than a pint. The different glassware used for specific beer serves different purposes.

Yeah, it’s true; it’s not all just marketing. Different types of brews will react differently to different types of glassware. That spells out a lot of variables for someone stuck in math nine, so let me break it down for you.

When you pour a brew into a glass, you want to pour it so it doesn’t just hit the bottom and foam up (unless you’re pouring a Guinness out of a can). You generally want to let the beer slide down the inside of the glass and

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January 28, 2013

probably being served in a pilsner glass or a pint glass. Some restaurants are starting to carry weizen glassware (like a slim Coke-glass) for macro-brew wheat beers, like a Rickard’s or Keith’s White.

I have always loved the goblet, because it always makes people wonder why I’m drinking out of it. They’re the ones that look like the bro-version of a wine glass, and are meant mainly for Belgian strong ales and IPAs (India Pale Ales). They’re built to generally have around an inch of head, post-pour. They are also built wider at the mouth for deep sips to hit you with lots of flavor at once. Not only that, but they look pretty damn awesome too. You could totally salute the rock gods in style while listening to Dragonforce with one of these suckers.

In Belgium, some breweries actually engineer glassware just for their specific brews. Most craft beer pubs will do the right thing and serve your beer in an appropriate glass.

Next time you’re out for a brew, see what they serve it in and maybe you’ll finally know why some beers are served in differently shaped glasses than the rest.

let it foam up naturally, tilting the glass on its side to achieve minimum head.

There are 10 general glass types that a beer can be served in, each serving its own purpose. When a beer is poured into a glass, the amount of head (or foam) that is created releases certain aromas and has minor chemical reactions that allow for better taste, smell, and texture of a beer. These micro-changes can affect the way that a beer tastes overall.

The 10 types are: flute glass, goblet, mug (or stein), pilsner glass, pint glass, snifter, stange, tulip, weizen glass (weizens are wheat beers), and an oversized wine glass. I don’t have space to describe them all, but their purpose is easily googled.

You might be overwhelmed, wondering what you normally drink out of at a pub. If you order an econo-beer, you’re

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NEWS

KAMLOOPS (CUP) — The Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union ( TRUSU) is planning to add a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) collective to the union after its annual general meeting on Jan. 24. 50 votes endorsing the creation of a LGBTQ collective are needed to secure its formation.

The only way to create a new advocacy representative on the council within TRUSU bylaws is through the annual general meeting, said TRUSU president Dustin McIntyre. “That’s why we didn’t do it when we first got into office. We had to wait and create the proper paper work.”

The formation of the LGBTQ collective has been a priority for TRUSU since last year.

“Right now, not having the LGBTQ collective is silencing a community that should have a

January 28, 2013

news editor email / phone

Alison Roach associate news editor news@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

Amara Janssens

voice,” said Alexandra Moulton, head of the women’s collective.

A pride collective “will make room for all people with different gender and sexual constructions to have a space for advocacy,” she added.

A club is like a social gathering, whereas a collective is a more structured, hands-on approach to talk about issues, said Katie Hutfluss, a council member since April 2012 and one of the main organizers of last year’s pride parade. “This is where people learn about themselves, and we want to be that support group and tell them that being gay is okay,” she said.

“One of the biggest things that I have found is although more and more people are

coming out, a lot of people are still very scared,” said pride club member Corey Keith. “They are afraid of being discriminated against.”

He continued: “Having a collective allows for the creation of a safe space and a community that can share experience and information at a higher level . .

. It’s not just about putting on a fun event, it is also about creating safety and awareness.”

An estimated 350 people participated in the Kamloops pride parade in April 2012. “The response to the pride parade is a testament to why we need a pride collective,” Moulton said.

“I’m really excited for it

because I think it is something that we need on this campus and as well as in Kamloops as a community,” McIntyre said.

“My fingers are really crossed that it goes through.” TRUSU also hopes to add a graduate students collective to the union following this year’s AGM.

NEWS

Last Monday, the BC Labour Relations Board (LRB) ruled that SFU is guilty of bargaining in bad faith with local union CUPE 3338. The union includes clerical workers, support staff, library workers, cleaning staff, and food and beverage service workers at SFSS services.

CUPE 3338 first filed the claim against SFU with the BC Labour Relations Board last fall.

Back in October of 2010, CUPE 3338 and SFU signed a protocol agreement which restricted the parties from putting any new proposals on the bargaining table from that time on. In the proposals exchanged after that agreement, neither party mentioned changes to the University Pension Plan. However, in November of last year during mediations, the university put proposed amendments to the Pension Plan on the table for bargaining.

Also problematic is the fact that the Pension Plan is not administered within CUPE 3338’s collective agreement, but with a separate committee — the Employee’s Joint Pension Committee (EJPC) — that has a representative from each union and association on campus. The Pension Plan itself is in financial crisis, and is now reportedly more than $64.5 in the red.

In an attempt to fix these issues, university representative Dario Nonis stated in an email to the EJPC that the university “would not be considering matters of compensation such as a salary increase in isolation from the pension issue. The pension problem has to be addressed first.”

After receiving legal opinion, CUPE 3338 stated in a Dec. 6, 2012 letter to President Petter that “the Union cannot unilaterally negotiate amendments to the Pension Plan, or withdraw its members from the Pension

January 28, 2013

Plan, without the consent of the other bargaining agent members of the Pension Plan.”

This left the two parties at an impasse, with the university’s offers to CUPE3338 all addressing changes to the Pension Plan, and CUPE 3338 unable to respond to these changes. In

their official decision, the LRB found the university’s attempt to keep the Pension Plan on the bargaining table a breach of the Labour Relations Code.

In an interview with The Peak, CUPE 3338 business agent John Bannister stated that the union is prepared to deal with the pension issue, but after bargaining issues have been resolved.

Bannister went on to say that CUPE 3338 sent a final offer to the employer before the Christmas break that the union is hoping to get a response too now that the decision has been made by the LRB to find SFU guilty of bad faith bargaining.

“We’re anxious to get on with the settlement so we can get on to deal with the pension issues,” said Bannister, “that’s

where our aim in this is.”

This sentiment was echoed

by CUPE BC universities coordinator Tracy Mathieson, who said in a statement: “In light of this decision, we look forward to getting back to the bargain-

ing table — this time for a contract. Our calendars are open and we are ready to meet.”

When contacted by The Peak, officials for the university declined to comment on the situation, given that no collective

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agreement has been reached.

However, a labour update on the official SFU website acknowledged the LRB’s judgment and stated: “The University is currently studying the decision to determine how best to respond.”

While the university did come to a tentative agreement with the Teaching Support Staff Union ( TSSU) at the close of last semester, CUPE 3338 has now gone nearing three years without an agreement. The collective agreement currently in effect expired on Mar. 31, 2010.

Though many universities in the province were in bargaining with their respective unions this past fall, SFU is the only university in the that has had the ruling of bad faith bargaining charged against it.

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NEWS

January 28, 2013

RESEARCH NEWS

SFU researcher looks to cell processes to treat cancer Stopping cell “selfeating” may make cancer treatment more effective

Kristina Charania Peak Associate Lab research conducted by SFU associate professor Sharon Gorski suggests that cancer therapies can become more effective through the inhibition of a Pac-Man-like mechanism in eukaryotic (non-bacterial) cells. “A cell can consume parts of itself to help it survive until conditions are more favourable,” Gorski said in an interview with The Peak.

Autophagy — which literally means “self-eating” — is a basic mechanism that breaks down unwanted or unusable products generated in active cells.

Vesicles act as waste containers that envelop parts of the cell’s interior cytoplasm or whole organelles during vesicle formation. These vesicles fuse with the cell’s lysosome, which provides enzymes for the breakdown of each vesicle’s contents.

“Autophagy is not simply just a degradation mechanism.

It should more accurately be thought of as recycling,” Gorski explained.

The processed products are then released through pores in the lysosome and refuel the cell with necessary nutrients or participate in other cellular activities. This preserves the cell’s catabolic levels for homeostatic maintenance and allows the cell to adapt to self-stress or other environmental impositions.

Gorski’s current project examines the role of autophagy

Autophagy is a type of cell recycling that can allow cells to become resistant to chemotherapy. inhibition in chemotherapy treatment. The chemotherapy analyses focus on aggressive, treatment-resistant triple negative breast cancer, which has fewer treatment options than other types of cancer. In response to radiation, cells turn up autophagy in order to help the cell adapt, survive, and cope with the extra stress. By observing breast cancer cell lines that are resistant or sensitive to chemotherapy, Gorski

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found that autophagy inhibition greatly increases the success of anti-cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

“A lot of the time, a tumour will not respond to treatment or they will initially respond and then become resistant.

That poses a very significant clinical problem,” says Gorski. “[Autophagy inhibitor during chemotherapy] could be a particularly promising approach to treat this form of cancer.”

In collaboration with SFU chemistry professor Robert Young and SFU molecular biology and biochemistry professor Steven Jones, Gorski is also testing proteins with the potential to halt autophagy in order to find the best inhibitor for the process.

Appointed as an SFU associate professor in the Faculty of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in 2008, Gorski began researching autophagy mechanisms as part of her

post-doctoral and PhD studies.

She completed her bachelors of science degree in biology with honours at SFU and earned her master’s degree in genetics and PhD in developmental biology at UBC and Washington University School of Medicine, respectively.

“Our hope is that we can make a contribution to society that will help people in the long run.”

Sharon Gorski During her initial lab studies, scientific literature on autophagy was scarce. After years of attending conferences and directing research, Gorski now conducts her research at a lab in the BC Cancer Research

Yale Rosen / Flickr

Center. “I found [autophagy] very interesting and exciting,” Gorski notes. “And, most importantly, I saw that there was a lot of potential to further explore the process, particularly in the areas of cancer and human health.”

The senior scientist recently explained her findings at the third segment of Cafe Scientifique, entitled “Dining in: investigating cellular self-digestion for cancer therapy.” This informal discussion forum is hosted by SFU, co-sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and intends to raise awareness of public health problems while linking them to research conducted by local researchers.

“It’s important that the public understands what we’re doing and why we’re trying to do it,” Gorski concludes. “Our hope is that we can make a contribution to society that will help people in the long run.”

NEWS

January 28, 2013

marriage between a man and a woman.� Students are expected to follow these expectations both on and off the TWU campus.

Trinity Western University’s proposed law school has come under heavy criticism from the Council of Canadian Law Deans (CCLD), who argue the school discriminates against homosexuals and is therefore “fundamentally at odds with the core values of all Canadian law schools,� according to Bill Flanagan, president of the CCLD, as quoted by The Vancouver Sun. At issue is the Christian university’s “community covenant,� which all faculty and students must sign. Along with stipulations that students “cultivate Christian virtues� and “support other members of the community,� they are also obligated to abstain from lying, stealing, and “sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of

In response to TWU’s plan to create the law school on its Langley campus, the CCLD sent a letter to the Federation of Canadian Law Societies (FCLS), whose National Committee on Accreditation is involved with the administration of Canadian law societies. Bill Flanagan, president of the council and dean of law at Queen’s University, said in an interview with The Toronto Star, “In our view, this is a covenant that clearly contemplates discrimination on the basis of sexual

orientation . . . and it permits disciplinary measures against gay and lesbian students up to and including expulsion.�

This is not the first time that the university’s policies have been questioned. In 2001, the British Columbia College of Teachers rejected TWU’s application for certification of its teachers training program because its covenant was not congruent with the BCCT’s anti-discrimination policy. This rejection was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada, who found that “the Council of the B.C. College of Teachers . . . erroneously concluded that equality of rights on the basis of sexual orientation trump freedom of religion and association. They do not.�

Twelve years later, Trinity’s proposal presents a similar challenge. Despite being “consistent with federal and provincial law�, the Covenant’s interdiction of homosexual relationships still faces fierce opposition. “The covenant is deplorable,� stated Dr. Sam Black, an associate professor of philosophy at Simon Fraser

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press statement clarifying the issue: “There is no anti-gay or discriminatory language in TWU’s Community Covenant.�

Furthermore, the release insists that the law school would be a huge asset to BC and to Canada, addressing areas of real need in Canadian law school education at no cost to taxpayers.

SFU’s Dr. Brook Pearson, a professor of humanities at SFU, provides a voice of moderation: “My initial knee-jerk reaction was to be angry and upset . . . but then I took a step back and I thought, there is no such thing as a Christian lawyer. There are lawyers who are Christians.

They still have to go through the same process to become accredited.�  “The issue is a storm in a tea kettle,� he continued. “And the fact that it is a storm in a tea Despite similar criticism, kettle is the issue. The place of Trinity Western claims that it religion is not something we’re should not be judged on one allowed to talk about.�

A decision on TWU’s proclause alone. TWU, which just received its seventh consecu- posal is expected within 6–12 Build SFU back! This is exand ifinvitation accepted the tive A+ rating for its Quality of ismonths, university will welcome its first Teaching and Learning from tended to students, students in fall 2015.

The Globe and Mail, released a law staff, faculty and all other members of University. “This is because the restriction on gay sex is both highly intrusive and discriminatory while also having no conceivable pedagogic rationale.�

the SFU community. Please join us during these 3 days.

,19,7$7,21 The student union building and stadium project needs your help in choosing an architect!

On Wednesday, January 30th, three architectural firms will make presentations and answer questions.

Everyone is welcome. Student feedback is critical in choosing the best architect, so please join us.

Snacks and refreshments will be served.

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NEWS

SFU’s Philosophers’ Cafe celebrates its 15th anniversary this Feb. 28, and has been awarded for Best Practices in Higher Education by the two-day World Universities Forum held on Jan. 10–11. The Best Practices award recognizes the most significant higher education practices of the year, and may go to post-secondary institutions for accomplishments in research projects, student services, and innovative curricula.

This year’s World Universities Forum was attended by 25 institutions from around the world. Previous Best Practices Awards have been presented to Plymouth University for their Centre for Advanced Inquiry in the Integrative Arts, and the University of the Free State in South Africa for the most significant practices implemented in that year, facing problems of racial division, student failure, and academic stagnation.

SFU Philosophers’ Cafe was founded in 1992 by Yosef Wosk, with the goal of bringing diverse groups of people for the Vancouver community together for stimulating conversations on a huge variety of topics ranging from social issues. Since then, over 70,000 people have attended Philosophers’ Cafe.

The program is a part of SFU’s Continuing Studies program, and cafes take place throughout the Metro Vancouver area with talks in venues located in municipalities from downtown Vancouver out to Maple Ridge. Philosophers’ Cafe has even invaded cyberspace, with groups of over a thousand online participants coming together on online platform Second Life, hosted out of North Vancouver.

Cafes take place wherever there is room for a conversation, including churches, community centres, libraries, and the traditional coffee shop.

Current director Michael Filimowicz has been leading the

January 28, 2013

program for the past two years.

Filimowicz is a SFU lecturer in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, specializing in media arts.

While philosophers’ cafes may seem archaic to some, Filimowicz has found plenty of support in the community.

“As much as people always talk about that we’re in this age of social media and online profiles and media-wikitweets — Tweet-leaks, leakytweets, whatever — there’s no

substitute for talking face to face,” said Filimowicz. “People like this experience of having serious conversations or stimulating conversations in an actual space with other real people.”

Philosophers’ Cafe also functions as part of SFU’s overall goal of engagement. “[Philosophers’ Cafe is] probably the university’s flagship program for community engagement, as part of the university’s overall goal of engaging Vancouver,” said Filimowicz. He went on to say that one way to better engage to community is to have more SFU faculty be part of the program.

In his time as director, Filimowicz has focused heavily on expanding the program by recruiting more SFU experts as moderators. “When I started directing the program two years

ago, most of the moderators were non-SFU, and now most of the moderators are SFU related people,” said Filimowicz.

SFU moderators include faculty, grad students, alumni, or retired faculty.

Since Filimowicz has been directing the program, somewhere around 60 new

SFU-related experts have come on board the program as moderators. Philosophers’ cafes are popular in cities around the world, but Filimowicz hailed his program as unique in that it’s backed by a post-secondary education in a way others cafes are not.

“There’s a very strong commitment at all levels — from the president’s commitment to community engagement, Jon Driver VPA’s commitment with getting faculty involved with community engagement, and supporting this as something that the university pays for,” said Filimowicz.

“Everyone recognizes that the program generates a lot of good will out in the community and is important in terms of the overall goal in engaging the general public. There’s plenty of support.”

NEWS

On Jan. 14, 2013 more than 4,500 protestors amassed outside the Sheraton Wall Centre to protest the eight day long hearings of Enbridge. Previous hearings throughout the province were held with full public access, but Vancouver and Victoria’s hearings have barred direct public access.

The hearings are instead being broadcasted online through the panel’s website. After breaking the public -barred access during a Vancouver hearing on Jan. 15, six protestors, organized by Defend our Coast and supplemented with Idle No More participants, were arrested.

Rallies were held all over British Columbia, led by Aboriginal

January 28, 2013

leaders and members of the opposition from both Ottawa and BC. “We are concerned about the project because of the risks that come along with it and the limited amount of benefits,” says Terry Teegee of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council during the rally in Prince George: “Our aboriginal rights, our human rights, and our rights as citizens of Canada, we have to stand up for that, it’s much more than just a project, we have to stand up for mother earth. . . .”

A major concern is the potential risk of an oil spill. Former BC Minister of Environment, David Anderson, stated, “it’s always been the same code, the coast is too fragile and the technology is inadequate to make this a safe proposition. Nothing has changed, except that with climate change getting more severe, the level of risk is getting higher.”

Tom Gunton a registered professional planner specializing in resource and environmental policy and professor at SFU stated that regardless of whoever

operates the pipeline, a significant number of spills are an inevitable part of the pipeline transport system. Gunton explained that Enbridge has on average 70 spills per year, and the addition of the Northern Gateway pipeline could generate at least 11 further spills per year.

However, according to Enbridge’s website, “Spills are not inevitable and Northern Gateway has placed high priority on both the assessment of risks and the measures required to mitigate those risks, as well as response

capabilities and the equipment and logistics support a rapid response would require.”

Enbridge’s “Marine assessment and our first response plan” states that Enbridge will “employ the highest worldwide safety and navigational standards” to prevent a spill. Additionally, Northern Gateway is participating in a voluntary assessment, the TERMPOL review process, (a set of extensive guidelines, which are to be considered when analyzing vessel safety and the risks associated with vessel maneuvers and operations).

“Enbridge has stated that as a company it will not accept liability for risks that come with pipeline and oil spills,” Gunton states, “So my question to the public is, if Enbridge thinks the pipeline is so safe, why won’t they accept the responsibility for damages? If there are alternatives with no tanker spills and no risk, why even consider the pipeline?”

Long-term economic benefits are also widely debated.

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Enbridge claims economic development in BC and Canada will be a direct benefit of the pipeline, projecting new jobs and a combined tax revenue to local, provincial and national government of around $2.6 billion. They also intend to expand further fuel trade to China.

However, Gunton refutes this, stating that the project will only generate 80 direct jobs and 500 permanent ones. Additionally, 8,000–9,000 jobs currently held in BC will be negatively affected.

Enbridge proposed the Northern Gateway Pipeline on May 27, 2012 to the National Energy Board. The project includes two 1,172 km pipes between Bruderheim AB and Kitimat Marine Terminal in BC. One pipe, 30 inches in diameter, will carry on average 525,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Kitimat, the other 20-inches diameter pipe will carry back 193,000 barrels of condensate per day to Bruderheim. The pipes will be buried on average one meter below ground, except in water crossings.

T SFU! A S T N E D U T S 0 0 ,0 5 2 R E V O REPRESENT

BECOME AN !

R O T C E R I D SFSS

Notice of 2013 General Election Nominations: From Monday, February 11th at 8:30am to Monday, February 24th at 12:00pm Campaign Period: From Monday, February 24th at 12:00pm to Monday, March 11th at 11:59pm Online voting takes place from March 12th to March 14th Positions Available: Executive Officers - President, Treasurer, Member Services Officer, Internal Relations Officer, External Relations Officer, University Relations Officer Faculty representatives - Applied Sciences, Arts & Social Sciences, Business Administration, Communication, Art & Technology, Education, Environment, Health Sciences, Science, Two (2) At-Large Representatives

Students who wish to become candidates should pick up and submit nomination forms at the SFSS General Office (MBC 2250). Nomination forms will also be available online during the nomination period. Campaign budgets may not exceed $50.

In accordance with by-law 17, petitions for referenda must be received by the Independent Electoral Commission by Thursday, February 13th at 4 pm.

All petitions for referenda must be submitted to the Board of Directors. To submit a petition, contact Lorenz Yeung, SFSS President: pres@sfss.ca.

Election Rules and Regulations The general election and referenda are governed by the Society Constitution, By-Laws, and the Electoral and Referenda Policy (R-17). These documents are available via http:// elections.sfss.ca.

For more information, please contact Chief Electoral Officer Avery Kwong at ceo@sfss.ca or visit http://elections.sfss.ca

OPINIONS

“Nobody can be proper and etiquettely all the time, I don’t care who you are,” says June Shannon, mother of the outspoken and opinionated Alana Thompson, star of TLC’s Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Living in small town McIntyre, Georgia, Honey Boo Boo and her family are chronicled in their day-to-day lives with some of their time spent planning for and attending beauty pageants that Alana participates in.

Unlike their Toddlers & Tiaras counterparts (the show that first introduced us to Honey Boo Boo), the show displays a

January 28, 2013

strong family unit and parental practices that are lacking in other reality television shows and society as a whole.

Many children today live a sedentary lifestyle. Leisure activities revolve around sitting in front of screens and are, for the most part, indoors. This is vastly different from previous generations, who could be found outdoors and actively sporting grass stains and bruises. Honey Boo Boo and her family, on the other hand, can consistently be seen partaking in activities outside of the house; they can be found

swimming in lakes, jumping in mud, and running around their yard. This is very different from the children of comparable TV shows, such as Toddlers & Tiaras, whose lives are shown to be indoors, for the most part, either at the pageants they attend or inside their bedrooms.

These children’s disconnection from nature parallels most children of the present generation; they aren’t given the chance by their parents to explore and use their imaginations to create their own fun.

The family also exhibits a genuine closeness, with Shannon involving her children in the majority her daily undertakings.

The family adopts budgeting in order to support Honey Boo Boo’s pageants, and uses coupons and auctions as a means of saving money. The whole family clips coupons together, and also go to auctions as an entire family unit. Through activities such as these, not only is Shannon instilling in her children the value

opinions editor email / phone

Rachel Braeuer opinions@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

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I don’t get the hate-on people have for Ms. Swift. They say she “changes boyfriends like she changes shirts.” So what? Why do any of us care how many stupid celebrity boyfriends she has? Are we upset that she might have had sex with them all? Is that it? She’s 23 years old, what do you want, her to be married and have a kid already?

Screw that, I say you go, girl!

You have 500 boyfriends a month. I don’t give a shit.

And to the “all your songs are about break ups” naysayers: when a relationship sucks, sometimes the best part is the break up. Tay-tay gets that and immortalizes it in song.

Maybe you don’t get this right now, but just wait, you’ll have a good break up and then you’ll be singing her praises.

Why am I still hearing about this twit? And why does everyone act like she’s some poor helpless victim: “Oh noes, Selena and Justin are splitsville!” Who cares? That doesn’t suddenly make her interesting.

The only thing remotely cool about this chick is that she has six dogs. That’s not even cool, it just means her house probably smells like an SPCA. Disney channel stars don’t count as real stars. The fact that she

and her dumb boyfriend get way more attention than actual talented Canadian actors and musicians makes me want to give up on life, but I digress.

Selena needs to take Taylor’s advice and never ever ever get back together with abortiongone-wrong-Bieber and focus on writing songs that don’t compare feelings of ardor to songs about feelings of ardor (it’s not meta, it’s just stupid and lazy).

of money and budgeting strategies, but she is also getting them actively involved in helping to manage the household.

This can be further extended to the family’s eating habits. I will not pretend to find their eating habits healthy (they are regularly seen eating copious amounts of junk food), but Shannon does make her children help with cooking dinners. I am a firm believer that “a family that eats together, stays together,” and this practice is alive and well in the show.

Many families in contemporary

society operate on hectic schedules and do not eat together as a family unit. Honey Boo Boo and her family are always seen eating together at the same time in the same room of the house, and I do believe this exemplifies the importance of making time for family, not normally seen on other reality shows.

A final admirable quality Shannon’s refusal to pressure her children into living up to some ideal standard of appearance or behaviour. Media puts a lot of pressure on young girls and women to appear physically polished and refined.

Honey Boo Boo can be seen subverting this expectation, proudly grabbing at her stomach and loudly expressing her opinions with no regard to how she might be judged. All the while she is wholly supported by her mother’s opinion that “we like to be ourselves, you like us or you don’t like us, we just don’t care.”

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Were you not already embroiled in the controversy surrounding Zero Dark Thirty, a political thriller based on the search for and assassination of Osama bin Laden, you may have picked up the impression that it is a finely made film, but one that either implicitly or explicitly condones or even valorizes the US government’s use of torture.

This is an understandable impression for the layman to have, but its widespread acceptance by those who have not even seen the film is fearful. For not only is such a position not founded in actually watching

the film — a prerequisite to all rational opinions of art — it is also founded in media pieces that have propagated the claim without having seen the film themselves.

The false-starting gun was fired by Glenn Greenwald in a Dec. 10 article in The Guardian.

Having no experience with the film except for reading reviews of it, he concluded that the film glorifies torture by portraying it as having been essential to finding bin Laden.

Backlash was immediate.

Greenwald defended his piece by condemning an alleged “blackout on discussing film reviews that appear in major media outlets prior to the film’s opening.

“If writers at major media

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January 28, 2013

outlets who review the film all say the film shows torture being helpful in finding bin Laden,” said Greenwald, “then people are going to talk about that.”

In fact the film did have defenders who denied any torture glorification, but Greenwald apparently decided that he could accept the perceived majority impression as the true one. When publicly commentating on reactions to art one hasn’t seen, any dissent whatsoever must be fully acknowledged, but Greenwald’s underresearched opinion was taken as legitimate as often as it was taken to task.

Since then, many pieces have surfaced condemning the film for a myriad of faults, without having seen the film — often apparently inventing its plot as they go along. One such piece in The Huffington Post, “Why I Won’t Be Watching Zero Dark Thirty”, baselessly states that the film portrays Muslims in a negative and stereotypical light. That a Huffington Post piece could

say the film “capitalize[s] on an already tense environment of suspicion and fear” without the author having seen the film and without a single supporting quotation should be a scandalous breach of integrity. Instead, it has blended into a sea of similar pieces and passed by unnoticed.

Such behavior normalizes biases and ignorance in discussions of art, as if rational consideration of the evidence is unnecessary if someone else has done it for you. It only leads to imposed narratives and confirmation bias; it came as no surprise that when Greenwald did see the film, he did not see

the complex allegory that most critics did, but a “cartoon,” one undeserving even of the word “art.”

But art it is, and if more commentators — prosecutors and defendants alike — read the film closely, they would notice a scene that explicitly marks the torture as unnecessary: the intelligence was simply buried in the files all along. Instead, they change course, denouncing director Kathryn Bigelow for evading criticism (she isn’t) and claiming that the film was approved or even funded by the CIA (it wasn’t).

Sadly, condemnatory hearsay comes with the territory of Oscar season. But the discourse around Zero Dark Thirty has ruined a rare opportunity to discuss a movie that actually approaches modern political issues with intelligence and gravitas. Instead of soberly weighing available facts, responses to the film have been driven by passion alone. And while passion ought to fuel discussions of politics and art, it should never touch the steering wheel.

OPINIONS

The Sheaf (SASKATOON) —The NHL is back in business. Whoa, calm down! Is the excitement actually seeping out of every pore of your body, or are you nonchalantly shrugging your shoulders at the announcement like I am?

The absence of this single sport from TV hasn’t been as terrible as some make it out to be.

In fact, I think the NHL’s absence has been wholly positive.

Those who claim to miss hockey on TV should reevaluate their priorities in life.

It is just a game, people. Go

January 28, 2013

play the game if you miss it that much — and you don’t have to go to Russia to do it. We have the technology right here in Canada, whether the pros are playing or not.

I’m more of an arts person myself, though I’ve played pretty well every sport. Much of my disdain for sports has to do with the fact that my own father spent night after night with his butt parked in front of the TV, watching whatever game might be on when I was just a young lad.

In some cases — perhaps in most — fathers may be able to get their sons obsessed with sports on TV too, but I guess I was a tough nut to crack. There are other things I would have liked to have done with my dad, but didn’t

get to because the game was on.

Let this be a note to all parents: not every child likes or wants to have anything to do with sports.

Encouraging them to watch or play something they have no interest in won’t help anybody.

Some parents push ballet, others drama or football. I wonder if the best thing one could do as a parent would be to expose your child to anything and everything and then see where they find their niche in the world of sports, the arts or the great outdoors. If your daughter wants to be a quarterback and your son wants to be a dancer, let them thrive.

I’ve digressed, but the absence of one activity gives invitation to others.

What have those who’ve typically spent hours in front of the TV done in lieu of watching NHL games? Perhaps there have been more date nights or more time at the rink actually playing the

freakin’ game.

Perhaps the dad with the kid who likes theatre took him or her to a show or two, and realized how great bonding can be when it’s over something mutually enjoyed.

The lockout hasn’t been bad for fans so much as it has been bad for the hockey industry.

Perhaps that’s the real problem: hockey has become a business and the true essence of the game has been lost as a result.

Instead of leaving fans with nothing to watch, the loss of

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the NHL this winter has allowed smaller leagues to gain high-status media attention.

If you’ve truly missed hockey, I’m sorry about the lockout. I’m sorry that you haven’t been able to yell at your TV or share a beer with your TV-watching companion. I’m especially sorry to those who like hockey because it’s their favourite game and pastime. I may not be a fan, but I can appreciate a winter night on the rink, skating and tossing a puck around just like a true hockey junky.

But I hope that those who have traditionally spent a lot of time in front of the TV obsessed with the NHL have invested that time into other aspects of life, areas that have most likely been neglected during previous hockey seasons.

So, major league hockey is back — though I’m not sure it needs to be.

14 OPINIONS

Strip clubs and the women who work at them have long been the target of groups preaching women’s rights and/or equality. In the past week, this controversy has struck locally. Students from Dr. Charles Best Secondary School’s Social Justice 12 class are pushing for the closure of New Westminster’s Paramount Gentlemen’s Club, justifying their petition by arguing that the Paramount encourages objectification of women.

Though I cannot deny the existence of objectification at strip clubs, I can quite firmly state that they are not the root cause. Strip clubs are a controlled place for us to delve into fantasy and appreciate the human body. I have to agree with Garbage, the 90s altrock band, whose song “Sex is not the Enemy” chants: “The institution curses curiosity/ It’s our conviction/ Sex is not the enemy/A revolution/ Is the solution.” The ability to enjoy sex and take pleasure in the sight of someone else’s body is completely natural and predates the concept of objectification. There is nothing wrong with a woman who takes pride in her body and sexuality, whether in private or on a stage. The real enemy is in how we are educated.

While I am in complete support of young adults advocating for worthwhile causes, I believe that the students at Dr. Charles Best are misguided. Truly fighting objectification would be seeking to modify the way we are taught to perceive of the human body. Objectification

is not surprising in a culture that associates sex with shame and dehumanization. Instead of making sexuality and nudity taboo, we should encourage dialogue to stress important concepts like respect and consent.

Shutting down a single strip club is not going to solve anything. Closing down The Paramount will only cause harm for those working there.

Steven Mountford, owner of the Paramount Gentlemen’s Club, has expressed that the campaign to close his business does not take into account that his employees are people, too. The dancers at the Paramount are adults who are working for a living, just the same as anyone else. If we consider all

January 28, 2013

the reasons we have had for working where we do, they tend to look alike: some women are working through school, some truly enjoy what they do, some are just really good at it, and some are only doing it to support themselves.

Regardless of the reason, they have chosen this career. It is hypocritical to claim one is striving for women’s rights while at the same time removing choices of how to use one’s body and which professions are appropriate.

The Paramount is a location that permits women to perform as a means to live in a safe environment. Mountford explained what the dancers do is legal “as a profession in Canada and is included in the list of occupations

for immigration.” He is worried that the protesting students have “linked human trafficking and prostitution to [their] cause” and

are drawing hasty conclusions that could have serious consequences for those who find employment at The Paramount.

None of the involved students or

the teacher at the school have tried to contact him.

The Paramount is not the enemy. This all comes back to my belief that we need to change how we educate about sex. These passionate young minds are attacking an honest business and threatening the livelihood of many employees, not just the dancers, because they deal in appreciation for the human body. It is time to stop telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. Objectification will always be an issue if we do not properly educate our young, and encouraging them to attack an effect rather than its cause helps no one.

OPINIONS

Dear editor, I had to read Jan. 21’s “Student are apathetic and that’s OK” several times before I was confident that it wasn’t a hoax. While I suspect that this article, like a lot of “right wing” writing, is intentionally provocative and controversial, I will give it the benefit of a response. I believe the arrogance displayed here necessitates it. I know there are many others that share my feelings.

To begin, I’d like to dispel any notion that the opinions expressed in this piece can reasonably be associated with a rational, politically “right” mindset. That a legitimate conservative agenda would involve the celebration of apathy is laughable.

Activism was a founding principle of modern conservative politics. I’d like to see the author try to tell the innumerable conservative citizens’ groups and committees that work tirelessly to promote their ideas that “there are no illusions about how pointless protesting is.”

Instead, the ideas and arguments presented in this article smack of the aimless, aggressive nonsense we already get enough of courtesy of Fox News and Glenn Beck.

When I’m looking for my fix of dismissive arrogance and underlying hostility, I’ll tune into Kevin O’Leary, thank you very much.

The columnist writes about the way we’ve mythologized the “radical past” of SFU, and to some extent, I would agree. What about the past isn’t mythologized?

Mythology is a powerful force on any university campus. Certainly, our “radical past” is viewed in a romantic light by some, but the fact remains that the period in question was a truly defining time for our young institution. Like it or not, the messy formative years of SFU were instrumental in shaping its current configuration. The “apathetic campus” Onderwater celebrates is itself a notorious myth, one that many people here are working to reject.

“The Montreal protests seem more like something out of Egypt or the Middle East, rather than something that could actually happen

January 28, 2013

at a university campus in Canada.” I will side-step the issue of a vaguely racist undertone in this statement in the interest of saving space.

Onderwater claims that students no longer need to be radical, since we have it so good now. Tuition and cost of living are soaring, but hey, student loans are easy to get and part-time jobs abound. No need to complain! This is the threadbare argument used by individuals who don’t face significant boundaries in attaining the education and experience they need to continue their comfortable, middle-class lifestyle. It is rare to hear it coming from single parents, refugees, the differentlyabled, victims of violence, or people representing racial and gender minorities for whom the process of applying, paying for, and excelling in post-secondary education (a process that is seemingly effortless for so many others) can be challenging and even prohibitive. I know, what a bleeding heart, you must be saying.

Onderwater attributes what he perceives to be a rightward shift at SFU to the eminence of the business program: “SFU is all about training future capitalists in the ways of making lots of money.” I know there are business students out there who are shuddering at the thought of being characterized as a bunch of selfcentered, money-hungry automatons, patiently putting in their four years on the degree factory conveyor belt so they can get out there and start earning at other peoples’ expense.

Onderwater then launches an all-out attack on the “Rotunda Four,” claiming that groups like SFPIRG and the Women’s Centre are relics of a bygone age. This is where my gears really start to grind. Personally, I find it completely disheartening to hear someone malign the core group of people on campus who are actually interested in something other than department socials, intramural sports, and networking wine parties.

The continued work of groups in the Rotunda Four, and elsewhere, as well as our very active labour unions, shows that the spirit of activism is very

much alive at SFU. There are people here who continue to strive for a safer, more accessible, affordable, and tolerant place to learn. This kind of unprovoked, unsubstantiated attack, primarily directed at women and racial and gender minorities is what poisons politics and turns many conservative and otherwiseoriented people away from productive involvement.

This article provides us with a rather grim portrayal of conservatism indeed. Well, what do you think, my friends on the right side of the spectrum: is it fair to say that you’re all lazy, business-oriented, and thriving in an atmosphere where no one gives a shit about anything? Tell me this is just an unfortunate and unproductive characterization. Tell me you don’t really believe in blindly, naively attacking political involvement.

Tell me you don’t instinctively resent the funding of student groups because of some misguided attempt at replicating the “anti-big government” debate here, at a governmentsubsidized institution. We also happen to be paying for The Peak, which this week, unfortunately, served as a platform for dispiriting, ineffectual rhetoric. “Write Wing” indeed.

Sincerely, Travis Freeland Graduate Student Department of Archaeology

Dear editor, We are young and small, but we do an exceptional job at “engaging the world”.

Our students travel the world, studying, volunteering, or working, as ambassadors of SFU and of Canada.

Our professors, among the best in their respective fields, come from every corner of the globe, from Norway to Portugal. Our Human Security Report is cited by academics and policy advisors across the globe. Together, with the exceptional staff, we have built an interdisciplinary research and teaching centre of international studies — one of the few in the world.

We, the School of International Studies, are perhaps doing the best job in fulfilling the university’s mandate of “engaging the world.” Indeed, in today’s globalized economy, employers seek for candidates with global perspective and experience.

It explains partly why the School’s programs are highly demanded by the students: currently there are only 207 declared majors admitted with 258 additional students that wish to enter the programs.

This is why it is hard for us to understand the lack of the support from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Since 2006, the number of students has increased over 2000%. Yet, the School has fewer faculty members in

15

2013 than in 2006.

Concretely, it means that less classes are offered; that our students are burdened with more loans in prolonging their studies; and that the faculty have less time to engage with undergraduate and graduate students, or to publish cutting-edge research that gets cited widely and worldly by their colleagues.

To continue engaging the world, by attracting the brightest of minds and sharing the international perspective, the School of International Studies needs the university’s support to hire one more tenure-track assistant professor. For us, one more professor would mean four more classes offered per year for 120 more students!

We will be holding a Townhall meeting on Feb. 6 in AQ3181 at 6 p.m. International Studies students: please come out to air your concerns about the program.

All SFU students: please join us to support our cause.

One more faculty, to engage the world, together.

Sincerely, Kyaelim Kwon Departmental Committee Representative International Studies Student Association

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If you can read this, consider yourself lucky. Jeffrey Moore couldn’t have when he was eight years old. Finn Long is just four years old, but it’s doubtful he could read it out loud to you, even if he had the ability to read.

What these two have in common is that both experienced barriers to learning, and sadly they seem to be representative of BC’s education systems. At SFU, we talk a lot about engagement, but how engaged can we possibly be if intelligent and capable people from our communities face such a host of barriers to access this so-called “public education”?

The logical first step to getting into university is getting your high school diploma, but cases like Moore and Long’s are emblematic of how difficult that can be. Moore’s parents were told 17 years ago that his North Vancouver elementary school wouldn’t be able to support his needs. Instead, the school suggested he go to a private school, paid for entirely out of pocket. Long was diagnosed with autism and waited 920 days for treatment in Surrey, a city that supposedly has a “no wait list policy.”

He is four years old and he still can’t speak, but videos of him show that he’s a happy and intelligent little boy. Despite the money the government claims to be throwing at services, stories like Long’s and Moore’s let us infer that these efforts are not working. In theory, the ad-

equate support for kids who experience barriers to learning is there; in praxis, however, this is often not the case. More importantly, do you want the diagnosis — and the stigma that comes with it — that is necessary in order to access this extra support?

There is a distinct difference between the kind of support that elementary and secondary schools must provide for students with a legitimate disability, and that found in post-secondary school — the difference of a right versus a privilege. Despite the various forms of funding that are made available to students, post-secondary as a whole is still legally a privilege in Canada whereas a grade 12 education is a right. This legal difference affects the way the education system must operate to address the different needs of students with disabilities, and is part of the reason the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) exists. Where the focus in post secondary becomes providing disabled students with the resources to equally access an education, primary and secondary institutions work around success-based mandates.

An IEP acknowledges that not all students can define success in the same way. In theory,

a team of teachers, support workers, counsellors, and family would work together to define what success means for that individual and then proceed based on that plan, rather than on the general standards set out by the ministry. The good news is that students who might have otherwise failed are now able to succeed on a scale that is fair to them. The bad news is that this scale can’t always translate into the qualifications necessary for achieving a grade 12-equivalency diploma; while some students may graduate, they do not graduate with the same credentials as everyone else.

The counter argument is that without the IEPs, these students probably wouldn’t have succeeded to the degree that they had. While this may be true, questions over the effectiveness of IEPs in general abound. Tiffany Lodoen has a Master’s degree in counselling and has worked in the Alberta school system, both in the public and private sectors. While completing her undergraduate degree in education, she recalls having only one class on how to write an IPP [Alberta’s IEP], and this class was so large that her professor made writing one IPP into a group project. To her surprise, after becoming a teacher, she was responsible for completing nine IPPs by herself in her first month of teaching, something that her education had left her wanting.

This isn’t to say that in-

dividual-based assessment programs don’t work. “I have seen the IPP program work extremely well with children who have very high needs,” says Lodoen. “[But only] when implemented by teachers who know how to set appropriate goals, how to measure those goals, and who are able to access the resources needed to set the child up for success.” Emphasis here needs to be placed on providing teachers with the resources necessary to implement these plans.

After completing her BA and PDP at UBC, Joanna Martinez went on to do her practicum in a classroom containing five ESL students, one extreme student, two students with ADHD/ADD, and two unlabelled students.

She was not provided with an educational assistant (EA) because the one extreme student had not been labelled extreme enough. Unfortunately, there were no job openings available for her in the public system upon her completion. Instead, she took her current position as the director of education at a local Sylvan Learning Centre. “Students with learning disabilities can learn to work around that disability in a lot of circumstances, and be just as successful as a ‘normal’ student,” she says of her experience. She feels that, when it comes down to it, the question is one of providing alternatives and ample resources.

Martinez is not the only ed-

ucator hesitating to label ability levels in the name of acquiring funding and resources. In fact, there is a movement in the education field towards response to intervention (RTI) — a theory that seeks to provide a host of resources to struggling students before finding a diagnosis, rather than relying on a diagnosis.

This theory moves away from the medicalization of disabilities and towards the normalization of them; not surprisingly, it has proven wildly successful in all available test data. However, in a system so poorly funded that it can’t afford to hire welltrained teachers — and that informs parents of children with disabilities they’d be better off footing the bill for themselves — it’s questionable whether students would really be given fair access to the resources they might require.

Many students have had to simply deal with their disabilities, regardless of IEP’s or RTI’s. “[My dyslexia] was never diagnosed and I never got tested because I wasn’t disruptive in class,” says Douglas College student Jenelle Davies. “They just thought I was lazy.” When she got to university, she attempted to go about the process of getting help from the disabilities centre on campus. The response she got was less than helpful. “Since I was never formally diagnosed in

high school, the college said I needed to pay $2,000 to a psychologist to do all the testing,” she remembers. Until then she could receive no formal assistance, and while they did indicate that they could try to reimburse her the fee paid, there was no 100 per cent guarantee they would be able to.

Kate Macklem has dropped out of university twice now, and only discovered she had a learning disability a year after leaving the second time. “The first time, I dropped out because forcing myself to write papers made me incapable of sleeping for two weeks,” she says. The second time she was physicaly unable to sit still for the length of the class. She quipped that she didn’t even consider that ADHD could have been a cause — and why would she? She otherwise achieved well, and her professors were usually good about giving her extensions.

What was shocking, however, was that Macklem wasn’t aware that her university even had a disabilities centre or that there were services available to people like her.

How does a university’s disabilities centre work, then? If there is a move away from labelling at the primary and secondary levels, then why would education at the tertiary level require a doctor’s note of sorts

to access its resources? It comes down to legal definitions and responsibilities on the school’s behalf.

“The reality is that there is a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, there are rights and there are university policies,” explains Mitchell Stoddard, director of SFU’s Centre for Students with Disabilities. “[In this document], there are protected classes of individuals, of which disabilities is one.” Institutions like SFU need to ensure that there is no discrimination against these individuals; groups within the institution like the centre ensure that these legal requirements are met.

Moreover, without these documents, the centre wouldn’t have the authority to give students with disabilities any resources. The legal position of those with disabilities as a “classified group of individuals” means that the centre must first have some form of vetted documentation before they can offer any assistance. SFU, like all Canadian universities, is working on an access-based mandate.

Because universities focus on access rather than success, the responsibility to prove need is placed on the individual and not the school; once need is established, however, it becomes the university’s responsibility to accommodate them however possible.

Once the legal threshold is surpassed, the centre can and does provide a fantastic array of confidential services to stu-

dents, including granting extra time to write exams or the ability to write exams away from peers, note-taking services, and providing alternatively formatted learning materials.

The centre also acknowledges the effects of mental health on academic success, offering services to those with certain anxiety disorders, depression, and a myriad of other mental health impairments.

Individuals don’t have to have a diagnosed disability to come in and see someone at the centre. “[University is a] common time for people to first experience mental health problems,” says Stoddard. He goes on to explain that the rites of passage associated with coming to university can trigger previously dormant mental health issues. Anyone who is experiencing difficulties with their education at SFU that they hadn’t before should consider making use of SFU’s resources. “A student can approach us to talk about their condition or their concerns, and we’re not going to be reporting to anyone who they are,” Stoddard assures. “We don’t inform other bodies within the institution of whether or not someone is registered with us. Students need to know we’re a confidential service to the degree possible.”

While the process of getting diagnosed with a disability may seem costly and daunting, the benefits of being identified with this classified group seem to

outweigh the cons. Logistically, what is a large fee for the individual translates into a much larger cost for the institution, something that SFU — unlike many other institutions — is actually willing to invest in.

There is a dissonance between institutional mandates regarding disabilities and education that confuses this issue. While the necessity to label and diagnose is often expensive and cumbersome, without naming these groups, we cannot grant them specific protected rights.

Revisiting the notion of tertiary education as a right and not a privilege might offer a source of unity for the two educational sectors.

That fact that families like the Moores and the Longs are receiving attention for their struggles with disabilities is indicative of the positive shifts that seem to be occurring in terms of the growing acceptance and support of disabilities in a wide context. In terms of education, it is clear that the systems we currently have in place have a long way to go before they can be considered wholly beneficial to the groups that make use of them. We can only hope that a more informed public will bring greater support for initiatives like RTI that would give young students in Canada more opportunities to grow.

18 FEATURES

January 28, 2013

FEATURES

January 28, 2013

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ARTS

Food carts haven’t always had the best reputation. Fast food chains, restaurants, pubs, and in dire enough circumstances even the grocery store have all seemed the better choice over the greasy options offered at these mobile street units. But that image has changed drastically in recent years. Food carts and the culture of street food have become respectable culinary opponents to the traditional restaurant. They have become quest objects in and of themselves, particularly in Vancouver, where people keep track of their locations in order to quickly sate their fervent appetites. I know this, for I myself have spent time hunting and tracking down Vancouver’s best and brightest options in the food

arts editor email / phone

January 28, 2013

truck race.

The downtown core is the chosen hunting ground, for the sheer number of trucks huddled along Howe on any given day is well known and internet-proven.

Grabbing a hapless friend, I began my journey at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Rumoured to lurk nearby was the legendary Pig on the Street truck, a vehicle known for its delicious and creative crafting of bacon treats. I arrived at the stone steps of the gallery only to find that I had a problem: the food truck was not there.

How to learn from my mistake: know that different food trucks occupy different spaces on different days. A truck on Robson and Howe on Tuesday can declare its territory in Gastown on Thursdays and alternate Mondays.

Before you track down a specific truck, make sure you know where it is.

Alas, I had to drown my sorrows in grilled cheese. Down the street was Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck, a pale green steel-plated

food receptacle with some of the friendliest staff I’ve ever met.

More diner than truck, it specializes in customizable grilled cheese (you choose the bread, cheese, and any extra fixings) as well as daily specialities. The sandwiches are then fried up and served in bright red paper cones on a bed of chips and dill pickles.

The sandwiches are crispy and melty, and will satisfy even the most hearty of appetites. Mom’s also offers a dessert option in the form of candied apples, walnuts and cinnamon mascarpone cheese served on brioche for those desiring more dairy.

With appetites merely whetted, my companion and I trundled down the street in search of more food. Two blocks away we stop by a cart covered in a painted mural of Godzilla stomping a burger-wielding samurai. Mogu Japanese Street Eats specializes in Japanese style sandwiches, and I chose to opt for the Chicken Karrage, a sweet and spicy option.

The proprietor, seeing us shiver

Daryn Wright arts@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

in the cold as we waited, offered us free hot green tea with a smile.

The sauce was sweet, gingery, delicious, and just spicy enough to warm the lips and throat. The frying process was an intriguing cross between tempura and Kentucky-fried. The meat itself, however, was much too greasy, and I did not finish it.

Next we find Feastro, the Rolling Beastro getting ready to shut down (most food trucks are only in business from around 11–3 p.m.) and place our order. This

particular venue is famous for its penchant for local ingredients and fresh toppings, and has one of the best fish soft tacos in town.

I ordered the local red snapper, which is fried in chickpea batter and served with tomato chutney, cabbage, tikka masala yogurt, and hand-cut salsa. It was extremely light and crisp, and utterly delicious. I’m not a fan of star anise (which was in the chutney) but it was not overpowering and worked well with the other ingredients.

Mission accomplished sans bacon, we stumble to the Skytrain pondering the simple joy of a full stomach. Food trucks have indeed become a big player in the food scene, bringing not only delicious food and friendly service to the street but also a sense of novelty. As there is more effort involved in locating them, there is a sense of pride that comes with having successfully found and eaten at a mobile food cart. And that right there is what will keep the trucks rolling.

ARTS

Dine Out Vancouver is continuing to run until Feb. 3, so if you haven’t made any reservations, there’s still some time. Go check out a restaurant you’ve never been to before and try the dishes offered on the special menu. Participating restaurants include Banana Leaf, Bitter Tasting Room, Boneta, and L’Abbatoir, among many, many more.

January 28, 2013

Choke is playing at the Biltmore Cabaret on Friday, Feb. 1. This group combines jazz, punk, and metal, and in 2004 they produced their sixth fulllength album with Paul Forgues of Nine Inch Nails fame. The Biltmore’s red velvet booth seats and open floor in front of the stage is well suited to the hearty sounds of Choke.

Go enjoy some cheap beer and get your mosh pit on.

As part of the PuSh Festival, King Lear is running from Feb. 1–2. This performance will be unlike any you’ve seen before though. The fusion of Eastern and Western theatrical forms are manifested in the solo-performance created by Taiwan’s Contemporary Legend Theatre.

Combining Peking Opera techniques with Shakespeare’s timehonored story of power and corruption, this version of King Lear is sure to be memorable.

Backed by a nine-person instrumental ensemble, the atmosphere is that of traditional and contemporary Chinese music.

Whether you hate Shakespeare or love the bard, this is one you should not miss out on.

This is one for the nerds amongst us: Dungeons and Dragons Live on Stage at the Rio Theatre is happening on Jan. 30. The improvisational show happens every last Wednesday of the month, and features some of Vancouver’s best comedic performers playing out the characters of The Dungeon Master, Benoit the Anointed, and Edda, the Elf Barbarian, amongst others.

It’s 19+ and licensed, so enjoy a few drinks and an evening of make-believe.

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Need a little something to brighten your gloomy winter day? Stop by the Flower Factory, located at 3604 Main St. This boutique floral shop has a rustic storefront, and as soon as you walk in, it’s evident that each arrangement has been thoughtfully put together. Winner of the Best of Vancouver award for 2012, the shop carries your standard roses among a plethora of other unique greenery. Consider picking up an air plant, which requires very little care, but easily adds a bit of verdant life to the dark winter months.

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22 ARTS

Newly-opened Nosh is a casual nook in Kitsilano focusing on rotisserie, and it provides both sit-down and take-out options.

Their opening coincided with Dine Out Vancouver, so we tried out their $18 three-course Dine Out Menu.

For appetizers, the options are the roasted parsnip and apple soup — a definite winner — and the root and gourd salad with caramelized butternut squash, salt roasted beets, toasted walnuts, greens, and citrus dressing. The latter sounds decadent, but be warned: all you really get is a tiny plate of semi-wilted greens with some cubes of beets that were a little too crunchy for my liking.

The entree provided three options: winter ragu-braised short rib pappardelle with crispy kale (a solid and filling pasta dish), lemon and herb white bean fritter with braised winter greens, cauliflower and truffle puree (which I did not try and thus cannot comment on), and — my favorite — the rotisserie pork shoulder with apricots, sage, pine nuts, root vegetable, and mustard jus. The last option wins the seal of approval hands-down, with perfectly tender meat and a decadent arrangement.

January 28, 2013

Of course, what is a multicourse meal without dessert?

The dessert choices were cinnamon orange rice pudding and spiced apple hand pie. I have never been a fan of the former, but as far as rice puddings go, this multi-layered number was quite refreshing and tasty. The

apple pie was solid, though if you want to get really technical about it, I would label it more of an apple turnover than anything else — but I digress.

The first two courses were filling enough that a rich dessert would not have been stomached well.

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PAT’S PUB & BREWHOUSE, 403 E. HASTINGS ST.

The regular menu provides a variety of sandwiches and slow cooked meals — not to mention their signature whole rotisserie chickens. They have a variety of soups and salads, including a gold quinoa salad, a butternut squash soup, and a country rotisserie chicken soup — all of which range from

$4–$10, depending on what size you get. Their sandwiches all fall under the $10 mark, and include short rib, grilled vegetable, and, of course, a rotisserie chicken club. Other meats include the duck confit, braised short rib, and rotisserie pork shoulder which, if the Dine Out menu was any indication, is a solid choice. Of course, they also have a variety of sides, mostly potato-based, and some desserts (including their chocolate praline brownies, which come at $2 each). They also have wine and beer on tap, but no bar. The hours are 11:30–9 Monday to Saturday, and 4–8 p.m. on Sundays, so it’s more of a take-out or early dinner kind of place than anything else.

The environment, should you choose to sit down, is intimate and relaxed; the owner often brings drinks and meals to the tables himself, but there is nothing particularly special that would draw a crowd. The

food, too, is filling and of good quality, but not exceptional.

Considering that it’s on the way to UBC — and thus quite a ways away for the majority of SFU

students — it’s not worth the trek; but if you happen to be in the area and craving some rotisserie, I would recommend popping in for a visit.

Nosh is located at 2585 West Broadway.

ARTS

If you’ve not already heard, the Waldorf Hotel has been sold to Solterra Group Properties, and the existing lease with Waldorf Productions Inc. — the group that renovated the hotel and turned it into a cultural hub over the last couple of years — has lapsed.

Though the family that owned the hotel could have made it a lease condition for Waldorf Productions Inc. to continue with the new owner, they did not. It’s unclear exactly why.

Ever since the announcement was made that the hotel had been sold, a massive amount of public support has emerged, manifested in the event “The Waldorf Love In”, which took place on Jan. 13.

Gen Why Media, a group committed to innovative civic engagement, has also been backing Waldorf Productions Inc. in their fight by launching the #savethewaldorf campaign.

Soon after the announcement was made, a twist in the story emerged. News broke that a member of Waldorf Productions Inc. had at one point approached an architect and urban planner about revamping the area — including the hotel itself. Though at first this seemed to contradict to the pro-arts stance the lessees of the hotel took on the area, suggesting that they may have contributed to their own demise.

Waldorf Productions Inc. later clarified in The Georgia Straight that the intention was to investigate opportunities and the possibility of “a mix of residential, affordable housing, mixed artistlive work, industrial studios, and commercial-retail,” which would have helped the area thrive.

Buyer Solterra has said they have no intention of demolishing the tiki-themed landmark hotel built in 1947, but some refuse to accept this statement as rumours that the company is set to build a series of condominiums run rampant. A simple visit to Solterra’s website will prove that condos are not their only business: their definite plans remain a mystery, and rezoning is not going to be easy.

Trish French, retired assistant director of planning for the City of Vancouver, pointed out that “the existing MC-2 mixed use

January 28, 2013

Spins&Needles

The sun sets on the Waldorf. zoning on the Waldorf site, and along the north side of Hastings from Clark to Semlin, does not permit the development of condos.” To add to this, she says that though development may occur in the future, Solterra “may be reasonable landlords for the Waldorf folks.” So why the backlash if Solterra may end up keeping the Waldorf intact?

In the past year, Waldorf Productions Inc. has done a stellar job of bringing life back to the East Hastings Community; more than likely raising the area’s profile and

23

value. But what is really at risk here: a business or a hit to the arts scene? Or both? There is only a handful of “hip” venues left in Vancouver that host and cater to a younger, alternative crowd, including Raw Canvas, The Media Club, The Cultch and The Rio Theatre (which had its own share of operational difficulties early in 2012). The city has put in a minimal effort to preserve and nurture the arts scene, and the selling of the Waldorf is just a symptom of this greater problem.

Though buskers have become more prominent, having an influence on the city’s participation in the Vancouver International Busker Festival and the Make Music Festival last June, it’s not easy to forget the fallen. The Waldorf has become just another arts venue threatened by unwanted development, standing alongside the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, W2 Community Media Arts Society, the Ridge Theatre and Granville 7 theatres.

Though some argue that Waldorf Productions Inc. may

not have been the best operator of business for some time, this doesn’t make what is happening right. In an interview with The Province, published on Jan. 15,

literary-music event promoter Jules Moore said, “the building is important, but it’s just a skeleton without these guys [Waldorf Productions].” This statement is hard to argue with. Prior

to Waldorf Productions Inc. leasing the hotel, the area had a less-than-positive image associated with it. The creative force behind the lessees breathed life into an area of town that would’ve otherwise continued to suffer and be avoided. Their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by the community, which has been rallying in support.

What’s most disheartening is that when budgets need to be cut, arts programming is usually the first to suffer — in schools and in the community.

So where does it end and when should the rallying stop? There are no guarantees in this situation — especially when Solterra has not clearly stated their intent with the building or area. Perhaps with enough persuasion, Solterra can be convinced to consider leasing to Waldorf Productions Inc. The city is made up of the people who live in it, not merely the buildings that scatter its skyline. We should speak up about what is important to us. If we don’t, who will?

24 ARTS

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: once upon a time two children enter the cold, dark woods, only to experience tragedy when their mother is mysteriously taken from them.

After much wandering, they come across a small cottage. It looks abandoned, but in reality it’s not, and neither are the surrounding woods. No, not ringing any bells?

I’m a sucker for a good ghost story, and one seemed to present itself in Andres Muschietti’s Mama . The story itself deals with Victoria and Lily, two sisters who are found in an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods five years after they went missing from their home. After their rescue (and time at a special clinic) they are taken home by their uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of Game of Thrones fame) and his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain from Zero Dark Thirty). As they all learn to make a new family together, strange things begin to happen around the house, rapidly escalating in both violence and scope. Something, it seems, has followed the girls home from the woods.

The film’s high points are incredible, but these high points take up little screen time. One of the most disturbing moments of the film takes place when the girls are initially found, and it becomes clear that something mysterious has happened to them and they are no longer normal. They skitter around the cabin on all fours, darting from shadow to shadow, seemingly incapable of speech. The only word they do know, which they repeat over and over, is “Mama.”

The less-than-applauseworthy moments, however, stick

January 28, 2013

out sorely. The movie makes efforts to drive home the fact

that Annabel is edgy and alternative. One of these scenes is during the first meeting of Annabel with the girls’ shrink. She’s

hostile to him for no real reason, and the occasion doesn’t call for it since he is advising on proper care of these two obviously emotionally damaged young girls. This happens again later in the movie when she is discussing visitation rights to the girl’s aunt. The situation is an unhappy and uncomfortable one for all of the characters but yet again she is pointlessly aggressive to a woman whose sister has died and has done nothing to warrant it other then put in a bid for custody when the girls were found (which isn’t so unreasonable, given that these are her sister’s kids). The movie also has a scene in which Annabel is playing with her band, which serves no point other

than to drive home the fact that yes, she does play bass in a real band. It does nothing to

advance the plot, as if the audience would not believe such assertions about her character otherwise. It got to the point where every time the character

did anything that was meant to advance this characterization (like acting like a pointless prick) my cousin and I would laugh to each other and say something to the effect of: “It’s okay. She’s in a rock band.”

The heavy-handed “telling, not showing” became ingratiating, and made it difficult for us to fully immerse ourselves in the world of the film.

While the film was certainly very creepy, it wasn’t wholly realized. If you are in the market for a ghost story with disturbed children, atmospheric dark houses, and a terrible mystery in the woods, then I would recommend this one, but if you’re looking for the next Shining , you’d best look elsewhere.

SPORTS

sports editor email / phone

January 28, 2013

The Simon Fraser women’s basketball team were second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference heading into a couple of games last week. They started at home against the Seattle Pacific Falcons, and then went on the road to duel the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders.

The beginning of the game was furious, with 10 points scored within the first two minutes, leaving the teams tied at five. The Falcons went on a 9–3 run to take the lead 14–8. The Clan snapped into it after that; filling the net before the half.

They were up by a comfortable 14 points heading into the

locker room.

SFU continued to play well and increase their lead throughout the second half. They ended up winning the game 83–63.

Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe led the Clan with 20 points. Kia Van Laare was deadly from beyond the arc. “Shooting is a very mental skill, and I find that when I stay calm on the floor and really focus I can play my best, which worked out well tonight,” she said after nailing all four shots she took from the outside.

She added another point on free throw to bring her total to 13 in the game. Erin Chambers chipped in 15 points to help Clan tame the Falcons.

The Clan hit the road later in the week to battle a GNAC rival, the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders. The first half was very close; both teams had the lead at least once in the first 10 minutes. After a defensive rebound by Raincock-Ekunwe, Katie Lowen finished the play at

the other end with a jump shot giving the Clan a six point lead.

That lead was quickly erased by an 8–0 run by the Crusaders, giving them the lead. The half finished with the Clan enjoying a slim one-point advantage, 34–33.

Half way through the second half it looked like the game was going to be a battle to the bitter end, but the momentum changed. Unfortunately for the Clan it was the home-side that responded. The game was tied at 47, when NNU went on another run, this time putting up 10 to the Clan’s one. SFU fell short on the comeback falling 60–59, and losing their second conference game of the season dropping them to 6–2.

Raincock-Ekunwe kept with her trend, getting a double-double with 17 points and 19 rebounds.

This game also reflected on the standings, as NNU moved into second place in the GNAC standings over SFU.

Conference wins are important, so the fact that the men’s basketball team remained winless in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference heading into last week’s games was cause for concern.

Luckily for the Clan, they had two opportunities to break the goose egg. They took on the Western Oregon Wolves in Monmouth, Oregon, then hosted the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks in the West Gym. The Wolves are only two spots ahead of the Clan in the conference but they played like a much

better team. They opened with a 12–4 run in the first five minutes and didn’t look back from there.

They drove their lead to 24 points by halftime, not allowing the Clan any space to breath. Anto Olah led the Clan with just five points, and SFU went into the locker room looking for answers. “We didn’t come out with any energy or urgency and it showed in the first half,” said assistant coach Chris Cline in a press release. The Clan did show some fight in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.

They lost the game 78–60. “We have 11 games left and each one is very important from here on out,” finished Cline.

After returning home, the Clan were ready to host the third place Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks.

Once again, the Clan came out

slow, falling back by as many as 10 points before mounting a first half comeback. Four minutes into the half, the Nanooks were up 14–4, but the Clan closed the margin to just one. SFU lost focus, and fell back by eight, but managed to pull through to take a 34–32 lead into the half, mostly due to the Clan’s 12 more points off the bench.

SFU refused to give up the lead, and outplayed the Nanooks in the second half. The Clan dominated the points of the bench in this half as well, 23–6. Ibrahim Appiah chipped in 11 points and four rebounds over the 12 minutes he played in the second half.

The game finished with SFU on top, 68–54. The Clan finally secured their first GNAC victory of the season.

Bryan Scott sports@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

25

26 SPORTS

Meet Courtney Triano, a fifthyear senior from Tsawwassen This breaststroker races in the 100- and 200-metre distances and has been shaving seconds off her time throughout the last five years. Don’t let that throw you off though; Courtney wasn’t recruited to SFU for her speed in the pool. In the summer of 2008 Courtney was contacted by the head coach, Liam Donnelly. He asked if Courtney was considering SFU. When she responded that she had already applied and been accepted to school, coach Donnelly immediately told her she wasn’t fast enough to make the team, but gave her some times to meet. By the fall, Courtney had clocked in at the specified times and secured a spot on the swim team. However, Triano’s work had only just begun, as she would spend her first year on the verge of being cut from the team. After a year of hard work, coach Donnelly made Courtney the team captain.

While Triano was grinding out her first years on the swim team, she also found her way into the position as president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. The organization is aimed at bridging the gap between administrative personnel and the student-athlete body, organizing community initiatives, and building a positive image for collegiate athlete.

Courtney’s stint as the president of SAAC coincided with the time when SFU unveiled the idea of joining the NCAA. When she was asked about how the switch affected her, Courtney said, “In meetings, administration would talk about how SFU was thinking about moving into the NCAA. The SAAC went out and got petitions of support signed by our fellow athletes, professors, and many others.

Looking beyond my time here and to SFU’s future, being in the NCAA is going to be a really good thing.”

Being involved with SAAC has given Courtney more than just a chance to engage the

January 28, 2013

Triano is a member of the SFU swim team but the pool is not the only place she left her mark. community, it also helped her make many of her best friends.

Courtney said, “I met a lot my best friends from other teams; who I may not have met if I had not been involved with SAAC.”

If the extra workload from their sport is to be considered a burden, the travelling that student-athletes do could easily be considered their reward. When asked which trip has been the most memorable, Courtney quickly recalled some training camps in warmer climates but her trip to the North Pole stood out the most. When the

women’s team went to Fairbanks, Alaska for a competition, they could not find a hotel in the city due to a convention being held the same weekend.

So, they were forced to find boarding in the nearest city, which happened to be North Pole, Alaska, a town with a yearround Christmas theme. Courtney Said, “On the plane ride up, I happened to have been seated away from the team and beside some people who lived in North Pole. One guy drew me a map, one lady gave me a list of all the places we had to see. So, as we got off the plane and the team was ready to sleep, I dragged them all over the North Pole.”

However, it’s not all travel and practice for her. As she wraps up her time at SFU, Triano looks to her own future and sees herself in the role of an educator. Courtney is an English major with a minor in world

literature who has recently applied to the Professional Development Program at SFU. After that, Courtney plans to teach high school. As a future educator, Triano places a high value on the role of education, saying, “Academics are a huge part, if you aren’t eligible in school, you can’t compete as an student-athlete. There is a reason we are called student-athletes and not athlete-students; academics come first.”

For many people, the desire to create a legacy to be

Mark Burnham / The Peak

remembered by drives them to do things they normally wouldn’t, such as volunteering, joining a club, or even spray painting “class of 2013” on anything they can reach. The legacy Triano wants is one of hard work and determination. “I’m not the fastest swimmer on the team. I’m not even close,” said Triano. “I do work hard though, and that is why I am still on the team.” For that attitude, Triano was given the Terry Fox Most Inspirational Athlete Award last year, an award that Courtney holds as her personal favorite.

“Being given the . . . award has been one of the biggest distinctions I’ve received while at SFU. My dad knew Terry Fox because they played basketball together while they were at SFU. When I think about everything he has done, I feel honoured to have been given an award under his name,” said Triano.

SPORTS

January 28, 2013

27

In the Jan. 21 issue of The Peak, the article titled “National Champs!” was written by Clay J. Gray, not Bryan Scott.

Get ready to make a difference in Canada’s public service.

Early in the second period Ball was at it again. The defenseman grabbed the puck behind his own net, flew through centre ice and found Milner, who sniped it top shelf. SFU added three more goals in the frame by Hoe, Ben La Vare, and Jono Ceci.

All three goals were generated

by SFU’s down-low pressure, as their relentless fore-check

outmuscled Victoria’s defense, leading to easy, tap-in goals.

Simon Fraser goalie Graeme Gordon had a solid night, turning away 31 of 33 shots. The only blemishes came in the third period. After a breakaway goal

by SFU’s Brenden Silvester and another tap-in for Christopher Hoe, Victoria finally got on the board. The Vikes’ Shawn Meuller forced a turnover at SFU’s blue line and fired a shot that not very many goaltenders could save.

SFU responded to the missed shutout opportunity by adding three more goals, and Victoria found another to bring the final score to 11–2 for the home team.

SFU won this game by moving through the neutral zone with ease and setting up their offense down low in Victoria’s zone. With their next three games coming on the road against Trinity Western University, Eastern Washington, and Selkirk College, SFU will look to build on their strong performance from Saturday night.

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5810

The Simon Fraser University men’s hockey team (11–3–0) returned home to the Bill Copeland Sports Centre Saturday and went back to their winning ways against the University of Victoria Vikes (6–9–0). SFU dominated from the first puck drop until the final whistle en route to an 11–2 victory.

SFU’s first goal was a sign of things to come. At the 10-minute mark of the first period, Mike Ball skated the puck from his own end of the rink all the way into the offensive zone and found number 89 Nick Sandor on the left wing. Sandor finished the great play off by going hard to the net and roofing the puck over Vikes goalie Sunny Gill. SFU continued to apply pressure

throughout the period, and eventually netted another goal with 3:28 to go in the first. Captain Christopher Hoe tapped in the puck at the goalmouth after a great passing play with Ball and Trevor Milner. Ball was all over the ice early, and his efforts resulted in a four-point night.

28 SPORTS

SACKVILLE (CUP) — The walking distance between Evans, Georgia and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) head offices in Ottawa is roughly 1,679-kilometres. On Nov. 29, 2012, the foot of Simon Fraser University men’s soccer player Carlo Basso sent a shockwave this distance in just a matter of a few seconds.

That moment was the lone goal scored by SFU in a 3–1 semi-final loss to Saginaw Valley State at the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division II Men’s Soccer championship, held in Evans this fall. As the first Canadian school in the NCAA, SFU’s success this year in men’s soccer and other sports has raised questions about what other Canadian schools could make similar jumps in the coming years.

With an overall membership listed on their website as 1,273, the NCAA easily outnumbers the CIS in size. CIS presidentelect Gordon Grace admitted during a phone interview, “If you’re talking about football we [the CIS] would never have a chance.” He did go on to mention that in some sports, CIS schools would be able to compete with some of the top NCAA schools.

Both organizations have produced their fair share of top talent. Several professional hockey players’ paths to the National Hockey League have gone through the CIS and NCAA. NHL goaltender Ryan Miller won the 2001 Hobey Baker Award (the top honour for a NCAA men’s hockey player) during his time at Michigan State University.

2002 Olympic Gold Medalist Paul Kariya accomplished the same feat as a member of the University of Maine back in 1993.

Before NHL head coach Mike Babcock made headlines as a Stanley Cup winner and Olympic gold medal-winning coach, he won the 1993–94 University Cup with the University

January 28, 2013

SFU’s men’s soccer team helped the school embark on their journey into a new era and develop their own NCAA tradition. of Lethbridge.

For on-ice talent, the CIS has taken on the role of developing players that might still be rough around the edges after stints in Major Junior Hockey.

Players like current Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward (University of Prince Edward Island) and Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Jody Shelly (Dalhousie) have enjoyed successful careers so far in the NHL, even after taking the CIS route.

On the amateur sport side, Canada’s only gold medalist from the 2012 Olympic Games, trampolinist Rosie MacLennan found success while going to the University of Toronto. Another Canadian Olympian, high jumper Derek Drouin, won a bronze medal after a 36-year drought. Before London, Drouin’s claim to fame was as a three-time NCAA Division One champion, competing for Indiana University.

Despite the size difference, Grace conceded that “a lot of CIS university’s could do it if they chose to do it.” Despite

this the University of British Columbia declined to make the jump to the NCAA back in 2011. The decision was made back then by current UBC president Stephen Troop citing his school’s “proud history within the CIS” in an article filed by The Ubyssey.

The one main attraction of being associated with the NCAA as opposed to the CIS is the dollar sign attached to memebership. Andrew Bucholtz, editor of Yahoo! Sports Canada’s 55-Yard Line Canadian football blog and a devout follower of university football weighed in on the topic by email. “A non-successful Division III team really doesn’t do much for a school, but even a bad Division I FBS [Football Bowl Subdivision] power-conference team still can draw tons of fans, big television games, and plenty of money.”

When comparing dollar signs between organizations, the results are staggering. ESPN announced last summer that they would shell out $80 million each year between 2015–2026

for broadcast rights to the Rose Bowl, one of the NCAA’s premier football games.

Grace bluntly admitted that this would simply not happen in Canada. “We know we have to get better, but at the same time, we have to be realistic about who our competition is,” he commented. He elaborated that instead of constantly comparing schools in the CIS to those of similar stature in the NCAA, the focus should be on developing the product with a focus on Canada.

Grace made it clear that he is committed to the CIS brand.

He mentioned that schools in Canada “at times . . . undersell

Mark Birtch / The Peak

the opportunities in the CIS.” Both the CIS and NCAA have sustainable legacies with several success stories on either side. However, some schools in the CIS may feel like a large fish in a small pond.

Despite this, Bucholtz expects that the case of SFU will be an isolated one. “[The] CIS has shifted enough to address most of the concerns of other schools that were thinking about following suit, though, so it seems likely Simon Fraser’s going to be the only Canadian school in the NCAA for a while.”

For most athletes, the choice can often come down to some large variables, such as money, playing time or academics.

Grace fully encouraged any Canadian who may have an opportunity to play football at an school like Alabama, or basketball at a school like Duke, to take it.

Ultimately, Grace placed the decision in the hands of the student-athlete.

“What’s the best fit for you,” he stated.

HUMOUR

January 28, 2013

has been letting out a continuous stream of inaudible farts all week. Sorry about that.

ZEVEN – German scientists of the Spachinstitut Von Zeven (The Zeven Institute of Language) made headlines earlier this week after announcing their recent discovery of a previously unknown way of pronouncing the word “Quinoa”.

Quinoa, which has been on the collective palates and vocabularies of the western world since Oprah ate some in 2006 or something, has experienced a massive popularity boom in the last few years and has found its way into all manner of food it was never meant to be in, ranging from smoothies to bubblegum.

Originally the staple crop of the various Andean mountain peoples, they can no longer afford to buy the crop that has represented the majority of their diet since the time they settled the region. Now they are reduced to picking the crop to sell

to hungry North Americans. But while North American tongues love grain’s slightly bitter and earthy flavours, they still struggle with the pronounciation of it.

Against every logical conclusion, the word Quinoa is pronounced “keen-wa” instead of the much more sensible “kwinoa”.

The alternate pronounciation completely by accident in one of the German language labs when head researcher Fritz Vensel asked his research assistant Klara Viffenstein for a “kleenex” with a mouth full of schnitzel and through his greasy, meat-flecked articulation, the assistant misheard bringing him a bowl of the popular chenopod pseudograin instead .

Described as a mixture of the two original pronounciations with a healthy dose of umlauts sprinkled in, the new technical pronouncation of quinoa is / knooèwyä/.

Although the new pronounciation has yet to be rolled out for the public usage, reports are already coming in from Seattle, Vancouver and notably Portland of people derisively turning their noses up on others for

mispronouncing the word.

Screen printing shop owner and generally intolerable human being Celena Moon-Frye spoke with The Peak about the new enunciation of the popular South American grain.

“Oh Kweenooi, yeah, that food is so good. Nothing like a queenioa and summer squash winter broth. Or a Cuenoiwa and Spinach quiche. That sounds so good right now,” added Moon-Frye without a trace of self-awareness.

As of press time, the new pronounciation has been rendered completely irrelevant by the introduction of Czkeltelachetwicquanizkobap, a newer tastier grain from the coast of Argentina, pronounced “corn.”

humour editor email / phone

Gary Lim humour@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

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30 HUMOUR

January 28, 2013

DIVERSIONS / ETC 1- Dove sounds 5- Choreographer de Mille 10- Blubber 14- Again 15- Nonsense 16- K-12 17- Fix up 18- Lawsuit 20- South American ruminant 22- Innumerable; 23- New Orleans university 25- Carson’s successor 26- Take into custody 27- Director Howard 28- Horse’s gait 32- Indication 33- Scrub (a mission) 35- Roll call response 36- Color 37- ___ Dawn Chong 38- Towel word 39- Feminine ending 41- Makes 43- Sugar source 44- Tennis units 45- ___ the season...

46- Standards of perfection 48- Adolescent 50- Goes in 51- Shooting star 54- Partly melted snow 55- Plants that live from year to year 57- Cross inscription 61- Grad 62- “The Zoo Story” playwright 63- Sell 64- Affirmative votes

65- Dirty looks 66- Greek letters

1- Train unit 2- The loneliest number 3- Brit. lexicon 4- Tumid 5- Capital of Georgia 6- Dirt 7- Actress Talbot 8- Center starter

9- Section 10- Arrange for the marriage of 11- Et ___ 12- Rider’s command 13- Swedish soprano Jenny 19- Writer Rand 21- Part of UNLV 23- Three in one 24- Imperative 25- Actress Sophia 26- Remains of a fire 27- Bellows 29- Try again

January 28, 2013

30- Bay windows 31- Quizzes, trials 34- Central nervous system 40- Values highly 41- Endless 42- Nasal cavities 43- Dwelling place for bees 47- Skid row woe 49- Great length of time 50- “Oklahoma!” aunt 51- Movie-rating org.

52- Hard to hold 53- Not false 54- Kemo ___ 56- Land in la mer 58- After taxes 59- Genetic messenger 60- Fingers

UPCOMING EVENTS, JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 8

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January 28, 2013

I

t seems like no matter where you go in Vancouver, you cannot escape the fresh-faced, mat-carrying yogis that dot the city’s sidewalks and studios. In fact, Vancouver’s 2011 designation as one of the worst-dressed cities is mostly blamed on the excess of yoga pants. Sure, you can call me a hypocrite — my keychains are filled with yoga studio tags — but that’s never stopped me from ranting about something before. Nor can we deny that the practice has become so unlike the meditation yogis thousands of years ago were striving for that it is nearly unrecognizable. No matter how many namastes are exchanged in our over-priced swanky classes, the fact remains that simple spirituality has been replaced with the likes of Yogilates (a hybrid between yoga and pilates) and Power Yoga. We now have yoga raves — a kundalini class with music and glow sticks — antigravity yoga and harmonica yoga (which is exactly what it sounds like).

In April 2011, 21-year-old Jean Wharf was kicked off of a Vancouver Skytrain for refusing to take off her “Fuck Yoga” pin. Yeah, that was a big deal at the time because of freedom of speech, and organizations like the B.C. Civil Liberties Association got involved and so on. Whatever, that’s irrelevant in this context. What matters here is that there is clearly a movement to counter that of yoga’s rising popularity. There

is a record label with the same name, and an entire website that sells merchandise emblazoned with the words.

Just as there is an entire army of downward-doggy-styling, wheatgrassdrinking, quinoa-munching individuals, so too is there a group that thinks they’re full of shit.

ananda Ashram, is another proponent of the idea that the familiar poses we view as making up a class are actually inconsequential — or at least minimal — in the grand scheme of an individual’s practice. “Physical posture serves at best as an auxiliary, or a minor form of Yoga,” he has explained.

Not everyone takes such an angry approach. There are also those who feel that yoga has become grossly misrepresented by the styles of yoga that have developed in recent years. The “Not Yoga” group, for example, jokes about this on their light-hearted Facebook page. “[This] group is playfully devoted to the ways in which yoga is misrepresented,” reads their page.

“Yoga is now so totally altered that we can cry, get angry, or laugh, and laughing might be the most positive.” Those that subscribe to these ideas are not of the belief that yoga is even being practiced wrong, so much as that its very essence has been misrepresented; its practitioners strive for the poses and have lost the spiritual aspect on the way. “Yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline. I don’t mean to belittle the Yoga postures,” writes Paramahansa Yogananda in The Essence of Self-Realization. “The body, moreover, is a part of our human nature, and must be kept fit lest it obstruct our spiritual efforts.” Swami Chidananda Saraswati, head of the internationally known Siv-

In recent years, there has also been more media attention surrounding the “Take Back Yoga” approach, headed by the small, but significant, Hindu American Foundation (HAF).

The group believes that those practicing yoga should become more aware of the Hindu traditions that lie at the core of the practice. At 2009’s Parliament of World Religions, Suhag Shukla of HAF brought to attention the rising commercialization of the yoga movement and the ways in which this was insulting to its Hindu roots. The following year, The New York Times drew more attention to the cause with the article “Hindu Group Stirs a Debate Over Yoga’s Soul.” Since then, there has been a rise in the discussions surrounding yoga’s roots and whether the West is honoring the traditions of yoga or bastardizing them.

A prime example is that of Bikram Choudhury, an Indian-born yoga instructor and founder of the Bikram stream of yoga. Based in Los Angeles, he is the self-proclaimed guru to the

stars, he is filthy rich and unapologetic about it. His system consists of 90-minute long sessions, held in a 105-degree Fahrenheit room. The session involves a sequence of 26 poses and two breathing exercises, which Choudhury unsuccessfully tried to copyright in a recent lawsuit: in July 2011, he sued two yoga instructors that were using the same sequences without his permission; the case finished in December 2012. “The sequence — Choudhury’s compilation of exercises and yoga poses . . . is merely a procedure or system of exercises,” wrote U.S. District Otis Wright about the ruling.

Lawsuits? LA celebs? This doesn’t sound like the yoga that has spirituality at its roots, and yet this is one of the most popular and well-known streams of yoga. So, how can we describe the yoga craze in North America? “It’s a mess,” said Dr. Georg Feuerstein in a 2003 interview in LA Yoga Magazine.

“Looking at the Yoga movement today, part of me feels very saddened by it, but then I also see that it contains the seeds of something better.” So, as much as I can bitch about what the practice has become, the fact remains that yoga is what we make of it. You can do it for the sake of Lululemon, you can do it for the physical benefits, you can do it because it’s all the rage, but you can also do it to acquire a calm introspection and become the most spiritual person you can be amongst the everyday bustle.