VOL. 171 ISSUE 6 JUNE 13, 2022
NEWS
O PINIO NS
ART S & C U LTU R E
H U MO U R
Discussion on anti-Asian Racism
Panic! At the tank farm
The significance of seaweed soup
The sordid truth of geese gatherings
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Railway
to Racism Anti-Asian oppression and Canada’s drug policy features p.06
Volume 171, Issue 6 Being okay since 1965
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Maggie Benston Centre 2900 Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 (778) 782-5110
NEWS Palestine’s history of occupation
OPINIONS
COVER Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Young eic@the-peak.ca
The thin blue line is a betrayal
COPY EDITOR Nancy La copy@the-peak.ca
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FACT CHECKER Gurleen Aujla factchecker@the-peak.ca BUSINESS / ADVERTISING MANAGER Yuri Zhou business@the-peak.ca 778.782.3598
FEATURES
PROMOTIONS MANAGER Jaymee Salisi promotions@the-peak.ca
The context of Canada’s opium stigmatization
NEWS EDITOR Karissa Ketter news@the-peak.ca
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NEWS WRITERS Chloë Arneson and Pranjali J Mann OPINIONS EDITOR Luke Faulks opinions@the-peak.ca
ARTS & CULTURE Bard on the Beach branches out to contemporary and diverse works
FEATURES EDITOR Meera Eragoda features@the-peak.ca ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Meera Eragoda and Gem Yelin Lee arts@the-peak.ca HUMOUR EDITOR Kelly Chia humour@the-peak.ca STAFF WRITERS Nercya Kalino, Yasmin Simsek, Isabella Urbani, and Olivia Visser
HUMOUR
PRODUCTION AND DESIGN EDITOR Josh Ralla production@the-peak.ca
Know thy drink, know thy major
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We acknowledge that The Peak’s office is located and our paper is produced, distributed, and read on the Unceded Coast Salish Territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Kwikwitlem (Coquitlam), Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) Peoples. Unceded means that this land was never surrendered, relinquished, or handed over in any way. We recognize that the unceded land that we occupy includes not only the SFU Burnaby campus, but extends to the land occupied by the Vancouver and Surrey campuses as well.
CONTRIBUTORS Angela Shen PEAK ASSOCIATES Amirul Anirban, Maya Beninteso, and Nazmus Sakib
NEWS
June 13, 2022
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NO LOVE WITHOUT JUSTICE
Labour studies program discusses antiAsian racism BC community organizers highlight the urgent need to fight discrimination
P RA NJALI J MANN // NE WS W RI TE R
On May 30, SFU David Lam Center and labour studies program, in collaboration with the BC chapter of the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance (ACLA) hosted a panel. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Anushay Malik, SFU history and labour studies professor. The panel included Dr. Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, karine ng , and Rohini Arora ਰੋਹਿਨੀ ਅਰੋੜਾ. The event opened with discussion on how identity and community shaped the panelists’ work and life. The event focused on the “global rise in anti-Asian racism by speaking to some of the activists who have been organizing and building solidarities against it.” Sandhra noted as a child in Abbotsford, she was exposed to Evangelical ideals in public school. ng had a similar experience. She said since her mother went to an all girls school, gender was a large part of households. “As a child, you really absorb these [biases] and you internalize them. And I didn’t have a language to articulate what that meant. But I knew that there was a hierarchy. I knew what it meant to be a woman or girl, and I knew what it meant to be a boy or man,” ng explained. Arora spoke about being a child of immigrants from another country. “My mom’s words will always stick with me [ . . . ] She said, ‘make your own white.’ And so that’s been an undertone and part of my identity, really, was coming from a community
The speakers recall growing up being subjected to Evangelical and patriarchal biases.
where self determination was a reality.” She added this is not limited to the Sikh community. “It’s anyone that’s not part of the white majority.”
When we talk about our rights. It’s very easy to talk and couch it in a comfortable language around love. But if we have no justice, we can’t even talk about love. DR. SHARANJIT KAUR SANDHRA COORDINATOR AT THE SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY OF FRASER VALLEY
The last discussion question asked the speakers to share a piece of poetry or artwork for what community means to them today. ng chose a quote from the book Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong:
PHOTO: Pranjali J Mann / The Peak
“We [Asians] were reputed to be so accomplished, and so law abiding, we will disappear into this country’s amnesiac fog, we will not be the power but become absorbed by power, not share the power of whites, but the stooges to a white ideology that exploited our ancestors. This country insists that our racial identity is beside the point. That it has nothing to do with being bullied or passed over for promotion or cut off every time we talk. Our race has nothing to do with this country even, which is why we’re often listed as ‘Other’ in polls.” Sandhra quoted bell hooks. “There can be no love without justice.” She reiterated, “When we talk about our rights. It’s very easy to talk and couch it in a comfortable language around love. But if we have no justice, we can’t even talk about love. Give us justice first, then we’ll talk about that.” To make this equality and justice a reality, Sandhra emphasized the need to hold conversations like this. She noted, “You actually need to teach children about issues of race and antiracism, and systems of discrimination and systemic structure.” She explained, “It’s not political to talk about race, it’s our life and our lived experience.”
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Government pledges $2 million towards communitybased food projects Federal minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the local food infrastructure fund will support community organizations to relieve food insecurities CHLO Ë ARN E S ON // NE WS W RI TE R
On May 25, the federal minister of agriculture and agri-food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced up to $2 million from the local food infrastructure fund (LFIF) will be put towards 38 projects across the province.
increases food prices. In Nunavut, where 86% of residents are Indigenous, the same bottle of juice that costs $6.79 in the Lower Mainland costs $34.99. The press release called for regionally tailored solutions.
The fund offers grants to charitable organisations, Indigenous groups, not-for-profit cooperatives, and small municipalities. Over the course of five years, $60 million will be put towards sustainable and health-conscience food systems.
By providing the funding for communities to build their own food systems that meet their needs, the government stated they are “committed to working with community-based food security organisations to ensure they have access to the necessary tools that help them to meet the increasing and immediate needs of people experiencing food insecurity.”
All Canadians, regardless of where they live, deserve to have access to safe and nutritious food. AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
The government of Canada released the news on their website, expressing the need for these community based projects. They stated, “All Canadians, regardless of where they live, deserve to have access to safe and nutritious food.” Pricing varies according to each region and the cost of food can be significantly higher in Northern and remote areas in Canada due to isolation and socioeconomic challenges. Northern areas are geographically disadvantaged because transport cost of food dramatically
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank is one of the organisations that received funding from the LFIF’s previous round of grants. They have recently installed a new walk-in fridge and freezer at their downtown Vancouver location. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank currently serves over 10,000 individuals and families in need of support every month. David Long, CEO of Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, expressed the donation from the LFIF was urgently needed. “We are seeing a record-breaking number of new clients seeking our support each month,” said Long. “This infrastructure support from the federal government came at a time when we needed it the most.” Because of COVID-19, many Vancouver residents faced food insecurity that continued throughout the course of the pandemic. In addition to limited delivery options, many of the city’s food services were shut down, which restricted access to affordable healthy food. Losing employment as well as
Bibeau toured the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which has recently increased food storage capacity by 3,400 cubic feet.
PHOTO: Mark Stebnicki / Pexels
inequities that disproportionately affect disabled people and BIPOC individuals contributed to the effects of this insecurity. According to The Cloverdale Reporter, the pandemic caused mostly low-wage workers to lose their jobs. These jobs are primarily held by women and people of colour. Applications for funding from the LFIF are being accepted until July 15, 2022. For more information about the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, you can visit their website or call 1-877-246-4682.
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NEWS
News Editor Karissa Ketter
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News Writers Chloë Arneson and Pranjali J Mann
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news@the-peak.ca
PALESTINE DAYS
A talk on Palestinian leadership under the British Mandate Bassam Abun-Nadi spoke on Palestine’s anti-colonial struggle YASMI N VE J S S I M S EK // STAF F W RI TE R
On June 1, SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies (CCMS) held an event at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in collaboration with The Caucus. Educator and activist Bassam Abun-Nadi explored the absence of military academies in Palestine and its effect on the country’s anti-colonial struggle. The British Mandate for Palestine started after World War I and lasted until 1948. It saw British rule over Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The British Mandate was “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” When talking about Palestine’s history, Abun-Nadi explained there are three antagonists — the British imperial project, the Zionist movement, and the Palestinian leadership, who were urban notables. Abun-Nadi explained the Mandate resulted in the notables (an urban and elite social class) of Palestine becoming parliamentarians — which could be thought of as government officials. This, however, came to an abrupt end with the Nakba — which refers to the displacement and ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians from their home country. Following the Nakba, the urban notables became the Palestinian leadership. Abun-Nadi explored the notables’ responsibility in losing Palestine and their anti-colonial struggle. Being an educator himself, Abun-Nadi focuses on the impact of education on Palestine’s history. He observed the absence of military academies in Palestine, a free school to train men for the Ottoman army. This was important as several of the officers who came out of the academies in other parts of the Middle East went on to become anti-colonial figures and leaders of their home countries. Because Palestine lacked military graduates, the urban notables were forced to adopt leadership. There are several reasons there are no military academies in Palestine, according to Abun-Nadi. The first being “the Ottoman Empire did not design its institutions with the collapse of the empire in mind” and therefore did not plan for new borders.
Secondly, military academies were only located in regional capitals. Holy cities and their surrounding areas were exempt from being drafted, leaving Jerusalem unable to have military academies. “What that meant is that Palestine barreled into the Mandate era without any institutionalized knowledge on how to resist an occupation,” said Abun-Nadi. This left the country with no one but the notables and peasants, who had no military training or no education at all, respectively, added Abun-Nadi. “In analyzing the anti-colonial struggle of the Palestinians, one would imagine had they had military officers it would have decisively changed the way that they were able to engage with the British empire,” said Abun-Nadi. The absence of military academies, and therefore officers, left the notables in charge. “The urban notables were not incompetent. They were not. The urban notables were supremely competent in all the wrong things.” The notables’ lack of leadership training may have enabled the occupation, but it was not a fault of their own.
Palestine barreled into the Mandate era without any institutionalized knowledge on how to resist an occupation. BASSAM ABUN-NADI // EDUCATOR AND ACTIVIST
“The game had changed in such a way that the tools they had at their disposal just didn't work anymore. They were playing chess while everyone else was playing rugby,” said Abun-Nadi.
The talk was a part of a larger three day event on Palestine. PHOTO: Amal Abdullah
Abun-Nadi ended with encouraging people to forgive each other and the urban notables for their share of the responsibility of Palestine’s past in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. Abun-Nadi is an SFU alumni and the founder and president of the grassroot organization RECLAIM, which works “to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims through education.” This talk marked the first of three Palestine Days at SFU, hosted by CCMS, MENA film festival, Institute for the Humanities, and other groups, at SFU. The Palestine Days lasted from June 1–3 and included film screenings, lectures, and workshops all surrounding Palestine and its peoples. You can learn more from Abun-Nadi on his podcast “PreOccupation: A Not-So-Brief History of Palestine” and attend the next Palestine Days events. A Sky with no Stars will be available soon on CCMS’ Youtube channel. For more information on the Palestinian occupation, visit Amnesty International’s website or United Nations’ Human Rights Comission’s website.
FUNDING FOR GRADUATES
NDP announces $3.75 million in graduate research scholarships 10 post-secondary institutions will receive similar research scholarships P RA NJALI J MANN // NE WS W RI TE R
SFU is set to receive $630,000 in domestic graduate research scholarship funding. The provincial government’s press release notes the scholarships will be awarded based on merit. The focus will be research-based projects in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business disciplines. The research funding comes as an effort of the BC government to close BC’s skills and talent gap, under the StrongerBC Economic Plan. This particular “investment will support 250 awards of a minimum of $15,000 each through March 2024.” “One of the ways we can strengthen our communities is by investing in students so that they feel ready to take on whatever comes their way,” said Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed. To find out more about the grant, The Peak contacted Anne Kang, minister of advanced education and skills training. Kang mentioned the BC graduate scholarship program was started by the government in 2018 with $20 million invested so far. She noted throughout 2022–23, the $3.75 million fund will provide domestic graduate scholarships across 10 postsecondary institutions. This includes British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of British Columbia, University of the Fraser Valley, University of Victoria, and SFU.
NDP MLA Anne Kang hopes the scholarships will help increase accessibility to education. Kang underlined the funding is coming because the provincial government wants to “work hard to invest in affordable postsecondary education and break down barriers for people by investing in post-secondary institutions.” According to her, these scholarships can be used by graduate students to “cover their life expenses such as tuition, rent, food, childcare, and transportation. The purpose is so they can focus on their studies and be successful.” For all domestic undergraduate and graduate students, the government offers these grants through the Student Aid BC program. Under this program, $50 million has been invested this year, covering financial assistance for about 4,000 graduate students in BC. On April 14, Tuition Freeze Now held a rally outside of Kang’s office in protest of the cost of tuition. International student fees and tuition has increased by 4% within the last year. Kang added the issue of affordability is being worked on and several steps included a funding review looking into cost of
PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak
living and tuition for all twenty five post-secondary institutions in BC. She also stated, “I am very confident by 2028 that the government and post-secondary institutions will have invested in 8,000 student housing. That means there will be more affordable housing and safe housing on campuses.”
Continue to work hard to invest in affordable post-secondary education and to break down barriers for people by investing in post-secondary ANNE KANG MINISTER OF ADVANCED EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING
Kang said education is being made more affordable in BC by “eliminating tuition fees for former youth in care” and allowing adults to receive free adult basic education.
OPINIONS
June 13, 2022
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POLITICAL CORNER
WHAT GRINDS OUR GEARS?
We’re not in a state of perpetual panic over the tank farm The Burnaby Campus is sitting just above a toxic ticking time bomb
The “thin blue line” patch is a symbol of social division in policing.
P H OTO: Wikimedia Commons
The thin blue line patch is a betrayal of public trust If officers want to protect and serve the public, they should abandon the symbol
O LIVIA V I S SER // STAF F W RI TE R
Content warning: police brutality, racism, and antiIndigenous violence Amid calls for police accountability, the “thin blue line” patch has emerged as the subject of heated debate. Police, even those in Vancouver, argue the symbol represents innocent camaraderie among police officers, but a growing number recognize the badge for what it is: a symbol for a dynamic that pits officers against their communities. The “thin blue line” patch represents the role some officers feel they play in society. The line, representing the police, is intended to serve as a bulwark between order and chaos. It’s a manifestation of a problematic type of policing — one in which cops view themselves as soldiers fighting a war, and where attempts at holding police accountable are seen as impediments to the “war” effort. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is, sadly, still mired in “thin blue line-type” narratives. In a recent Vancouver Police Board meeting, police chief Adam Palmer responded to a complaint about an on-duty officer wearing the “thin blue line” patch, saying the “patch has a deep-rooted meaning with police officers.” Palmer explained many officers view the patch as a way to connect with their community and respect coworkers who died in the line of duty. Except it’s not that. Others — even other officers — disagree with Palmer. In March, the Calgary Police Commission (CPC) issued a directive to discontinue the use of the “thin blue line” patch while on duty. Their statement acknowledged the symbol “has a contentious history with roots in division, colonialism, and racism.” The CPC is right.
When the “thin blue line” appears as a response to activism supporting historically marginalized groups, it suggests that officers don’t view themselves on the same side as social justice. Case in point is the police response to Indigenous activists. Last June, RCMP officers were seen wearing the patch at old-growth logging protests despite official orders not to. In July, Saint John police officers were criticized for wearing it at a demonstration against residential schools. How are you supposed to trust someone with your life when they display on-duty support for an ideology that dismisses the violence it commits? It’s not just in response to marginalized communities standing up to themselves. Police abuse is an everyday issue. Adjusted for population, a CTV News analysis found that 1.5 out of every 100,000 Indigenous peoples had been killed by the police since 2017, compared with 0.13 out of every 100,000 white Canadians. Indigenous citizens are also grossly overrepresented in Canada’s prison population, which pokes a hole in the country’s peacekeeping façade. The “thin blue line” is not simply an ideological slogan — it’s representative of real systemic corruption. With incredibly strong unions that often act against public interests, police officers have the freedom to abuse their power. One study from York University found that Canadian police unions are contradictory because they “contribute to entrenching police as a (relatively) privileged sector of the working class.” Because police already have elevated rights and responsibilities compared to other laborers, allowing them to unionize only upholds their inflated privilege by giving them a legal advantage over regular citizens.
The Northwest Mounted Police was created to control Indigenous peoples and establish colonial rule over Western Canada. This is a history we should be acknowledging and policing is a strain of law enforcement that should be actively held accountable. The CPC’s acknowledgment of policing’s colonial history is only a small starting point for adequately policing all Canadians, but it’s still ahead of Vancouver’s weak stance on the problematic patch.
A CBC News investigation found that of 461 fatal police encounters over 18 years, only two ended with an officer being convicted. Attorney and past police officer James Lowry said that as an internal investigator, most officers were reluctant to disclose any information that would put a coworker at risk of criminal charges. This suggests a huge problem in the way officers are situated within the criminal justice system. It’s also emblematic of the way a “thin blue line” mentality manifests itself in concrete policy: police are protected because of the nature of their jobs; fighting a domestic war.
The “thin blue line” upholds an “us versus them” dichotomy between police and community members. It tells citizens that officers are serving their own interests when they should be acting within the best interests of those they work to protect. It’s a violation of an already volatile power dynamic.
The “thin blue line” underlines a disconnect between community values and policing agendas. To visibly marginalized groups, the symbol is an affront to the historical and continued victimization that their communities live with. If the police want to improve public trust, they should begin by abandoning the “thin blue line.”
P HOTO : Armirul Anirban / The Peak
We complain, but SFU’s Burnaby campus is a uniquely beautiful spot for a school. Secluded at the top of a mountain, we’re as close as you can come to a literal ivory tower of education. But thanks to the Burnaby Mountain tank farm, our stunning locale becomes a death trap for SFU students and staff — and for some reason, we’re not up in arms about it. A simple scroll through the City’s 2015 report on the farm will send your blood pressure through the roof. Thanks to the installation, we’re all put at risk of massive fires and poisonous hydrogen sulfide emissions. And because the goons over at Kinder Morgan decided to plonk the farm on the side of a mountain, we’re doubly at risk of fire and fumes when an earthquake occurs. “But surely,” one thinks, “an institution that lined up to denounce the project in 2016 has prepared extensive evacuation and disaster relief protocols in the event of an explosion?” Wrong. SFU did issue new policies for emergency responses, including amendments to the school’s mass evacuation and shelter in place plans. But neither set of plans addresses the fact that both points of egress (Gaglardi Way and University Drive East) intersect right above the tank farm! So, in the event of a fire, go closer to the start of it! In the event of toxic emissions, swing by and take a whiff! Every day, thousands of SFU students learn on a campus that’s straddling a ticking time bomb. Beyond the implications for climate change and beyond the implications for the sensitive environment of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, we need to be losing our collective shit over the tank farm’s potential to burn or choke out our campus.
Written by Luke Faulks
06
THE PEAK
Exploring Canada’s racist history of drug prohibition The CPR amplified anti-Asian sentiment leading to opium criminalization Written by Olivia Visser
Content warning: anti-Asian racism, anti-Indigeneity, white supremacy, xenophobia, drugs, and drug-related death This month, BC set out to be Canada’s first province to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs starting January 2023. The decision is a landmark step towards freedom for many British Columbians, but we can’t forget the insidious history of racial discrimination that characterizes Canada’s drug policy. Shila Avissa and Cherlyn MandersonCortes addressed this history in their May 27 seminar, “Railroads, Riots, and Reefer: A Brief History of How Drug Prohibition Shaped the Early Asian Immigrant Experience.” Presented by SFU faculty of health sciences and the BC Centre for Disease Control, this seminar was part of a “larger harm reduction workshop” put together by the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). Avissa is an Indonesian social worker and researcher and MandersonCortes is a Filipinx clinical nurse educator. Having extensive experience and knowledge of drug policy and its impacts, they decided to deliver this presentation to “speak to the toxic and poisoned drug crisis” currently affecting British Columbians. BC declared its first public health emergency from drug-related deaths on April 14, 2016. Since then, 9,400 British Columbians have lost their lives to toxic and illegal drugs. “Those are just the deaths that we know about since we started paying attention,” Manderson-Cortes said.
in turn underlined Canada’s drug prohibition. Manderson-Cortes addressed the discrimination evident in the disparities among Chinese and white CPR workers. She displayed a recruitment ad which offered white workers $1.50 a day and Chinese workers $1. On top of that, Chinese immigrants had to pay for their own food while white workers had provisions covered. After the railway’s completion, there was a belief there were “too many Asian workers and too many Asian immigrants,” said MandersonCortes. This led to the imposition of a $50 head tax on Chinese immigrants, which reached $500 by 1903. When that wasn’t enough, the Chinese Exclusion Act banned nearly all Chinese immigration into Canada by heavily restricting the immigration requirements. The Canadian government’s next, more subtle strategy that targeted Chinese immigrants was the stigmatization of opium, with Vancouver leading the way for Canada to pass the Opium Act of 1908.
Manderson-Cortes was first introduced to the “dark roots of drug prohibition” by Janine Stevenson from the FNHA. Drug prohibition, she said, is “a story of oppression and injustice that intersects with Black communities, Indigenous communities, and in the lives of many other racialized folks.” Manderson-Cortes highlighted that many Chinese workers used to work alongside Indigenous people who “were also exploited in the early days of BC’s natural resource industry.” The country’s first drug prohibition was aimed towards Indigenous people with Canada prohibiting them from consuming alcohol in 1868, an exclusion that continued even after the country-wide prohibition was lifted in 1921. Honouring this intersectionality, they began the seminar with a land acknowledgement. Avissa showed the audience two photos of səl̓ilw̓ət (Burrard Inlet), describing it as a “deeply meaningful place” to both her and Manderson-Cortes. “The land that we are on has been the site of human activity since time immemorial,” Avissa expressed, before acknowledging that most of this land is still unceded. She also paid an important tribute to “ancestors of African origin” who were brought to Canada by the Transatlantic Slave Trade. To start off their presentation, they spoke about how opium and alcohol were the first substances to become illegal. Marginalized groups have suffered and continue to suffer higher rates of criminalization for drug use than white people. For example, Manderson-Cortes said prohibition made the Chinese community “targets for law enforcement.” According to the presentation, substances like heroin and cocaine were regularly prescribed within white communities in the 1800s. Meanwhile, immigrants were starting to see discrimination acted out on their communities through drug legislation. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), which facilitated the immigration of 17,000 Chinese men, paved the way for anti-Asian racism. This
PHOTO: Jaikishan patel / Unsplash Manderson-Cortes explained opium prohibition normalized racism because it facilitated the mainstream adoption of Chinese exclusion and isolation. The large percentage of Chinese men in BC were scapegoated for introducing opium to Canada and corrupting white women with it — despite the British having controlled the opium trade and popularized it in China. She described prohibition as “the seed from which xenophobia grows, from which paranoia and fear of other cultures grows.” Opium used to be legal in the 1800s and was popular among Chinese immigrants, but anti-Asian sentiment was most prominent after the railway’s completion. The drug became a way to justify the targeting that also permeated popular media. The presenters read a few quotations and showed a book cover highlighting the opium stigmatization which targeted the Chinese community. They also used Canada’s first woman
Features
Canada's drug policy can be traced back to the oppression of Indigenous and Asian workers of the CPR.
judge and famed suffragette, Emily Murphy, as an example of popularized racism. According to Murphy, opium was “an attempt to injure” the white race, furthering the stereotype that Asians brought opium to white people and corrupted them with it. “When you stigmatize a substance, you can stigmatize an entire community,” Manderson-Cortes said. Legislators sought to ban opium not because of health concerns, but because of perceived impurities tied to its popularity in Chinese communities. Widespread racism and hatred also contributed anti-Asian riots in San Francisco that led to many Chinese immigrants fleeing the violence by coming to Vancouver.
When you stigmatize a substance, you can stigmatize an entire community Cherlyn Manderson-Cortes Clinical nurse educator
For Asian immigrants escaping racism, Canada was hardly safer than the United States. Vancouver was home to the Asiatic Exclusion League, an organization led by white men to promote anti-Asian sentiment and lobby for anti-Asian policies. On September 7, 1907, they became a “rightist mob” when they attacked Chinatown, targeting shop owners and destroying property. Their signs read: “For a white Canada.”
PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak
Manderson-Cortes said, “Drug prohibition isn’t entirely about people's health, and [ . . . ] what it does is support anti-immigration laws and help create new workforces of low paid labor.” Moreover, she said that “disrupting connections between communities” was an effective method of limiting the networking of racialized folks. This is a discrete but powerful form of oppression. In the 1960s, Canada targeted migrants who used cannabis as a cultural activity. By the 1970s, there were “over 400,000 convictions per year.” Canada’s history of prohibition lives on in the mass sentencing of members of minority groups. Manderson-Cortes emphasized “there was always resistance” to the racist, classist, and ableist war on drugs, and “there will always be resistance in the future.” She added this resistance is usually led by those “most impacted by these discriminatory laws,” then gave a few examples of community resistance. The South Asian Local Mobilization Outreach Network, or the Salmon Project, was created as a response to the overdose crisis in BC. They offer “life saving education resources” in “culturally relevant ways” that are centred in harm reduction approaches. Avissa also named a grassroots organization fighting against the war on drugs in Indonesia, the STIGMA Foundation. They offer support to drug-users in Indonesia through various types of community advocacy such as education and community organizing. She called their work a “daily act of resistance and bravery ” as drug use is still heavily criminalized in Indonesia. Avissa and Manderson-Cortes finished their presentation by encouraging everyone to “stand in solidarity” alongside the “local, national, and global resistance” against drug prohibition. Their presentation was a deeply informative approach to addressing racism through education and the normalization of drug use.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Arts & Culture Editors Meera Eragoda and Yelin Gemma Lee
Nercya Kalino
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arts@the-peak.ca
MONDAY MUSIC: BLACK WOMEN ARTISTS TO CRUSH MENTAL BARRIERS
STAFF WRITER
“FEMALE”
By Sampa the Great IMAGE: Godriguez
Summer is a time when many of us do our best to come out of our shells and enjoy the sun. We have a need to be closer to the light before mentally preparing ourselves for the cold and gloom of the fall. To me, summer is about living and movement, to bring in the light of who you are. These songs hold so much weight for me that my fear of being seen evaporates and I’m reminded to take up space, prioritize joy, and live my purpose. I hope they do the same for you.
I dedicate this song to all the Black women that sometimes forget to put on their crowns; summer is creeping up on us and the last thing we want is to see a queen without her tiara on. Let this song remind us of “big bold women.” As we walk into summer, let that crown stay on. Let’s not underestimate our own abilities and avoid getting in our own way because of doubt and fear.
“Forever” By Sa-Roc
“Blessings on Blessings” By Oshun IMAGE: OSHUN
IMAGE: Rhymesayers Entertainment
Make this your morning song. It will help you stay grounded and exhale the anxiety that comes with facing the world each day. Sa-Roc has an edge and this is why I love her music — sometimes the soul needs a strong and powerful voice to affirm its human flaws. Her raps draw on her own life and this song particularly reminds me that I am good enough. The line, “And mom told me ‘Stay woke’ ’cause all gold ain’t glistening,” reminds me of my mom telling me how the world will hurt me but I need to keep faith in myself and my purpose.
We have to maintain our pace in the summer. The party life is nice but we do not want to get carried away. What better way to get things done on a summer work day than to listen to music that reminds you that you are awesome? Oshun sings, “Everything will manifest because I wrote it / I’m hella sweet because I spoke it, notice I / am the sugar, honey, ice tea.” This is the part when you realize blessings on blessings come to those who stay in their lane, even in summer. Yes, we want to have fun, but let’s not forget our responsibilities and kickstart the summer with the right attitude.
“Energy”
By Sampa the Great
Written by Yelin Gemma Lee
“3AM”
By Baauer, AJ Tracey, Jae Stephens IMAGE: Baauer
IMAGE: Rahki & Silent Jay
Have you ever felt nervous about hanging out in the sun? I sometimes find myself feeling like my presence in certain spaces is disjointed. This song breaks me free from that fearful mentality. Sampa the Great’s poetic writing focuses on tuning into the mind and soul to cultivate your own identity. She often vocalizes these thoughts with heavy instrumentals that amplify the impact of her words. She says, “Feminine energy almost mathematical, you can’t really sum up what is infinite and valuable.” This is your call to embrace femininity in its pure form and take as much space as you need, especially this summer.
This song screams summer sunset drives and parties with its mix of hiphop and Caribbean and UK grime undertones. Jae Stephens collaborated with musician AJ Tracey and producer Baauer. This song is a good listen on bright days at the beach surrounded by good friends who know how to vibe to good music. What drives the song is how well AJ Tracey’s rapping complements Baauer’s instrumentals and Jae Stephens’ mellow voice, achieving a balance in the song. This collaboration has attracted a lot more much-deserved attention to Jae Stephens’ soulful music. I suggest that if you like this song you might want to listen to “got it like that,” where we get to experience her approach to R&B.
NEED TO KNOW, NEED TO GO Upcoming artsy events on SFU campuses to add to your summer calendar
SUMMER REPERTORY FESTIVAL / ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY
TRUE TO PLACE: STÍMETSTEXW TEL XÉLTEL / BILL REID GALLERY
VANCOUVER GREEK FILM FESTIVAL / THE CINEMATHEQUE
Come enjoy Ensemble Theatre Company’s Summer Repertory Festival on Granville Island! They feature two thrilling productions: Marjorie Prime and Pass Over. Marjorie Prime follows an 85 year old woman living out her final days with her late husband — the computerized version of him, that is. The chilling and thought-provoking drama “explores poignant issues of memory, grief, aging, depression, and our relationship with technology.” Pass Over is perfect for those who love existential storylines and dark humour. It “unflinchingly confronts racism and police violence, but does so with a deft and witty hand.” Single tickets for shows are $25 for students and $35 for adults, with a pay-what-you-will showing (door sales only) on June 27 at 7:30 p.m. Masks are mandatory and ETC asks that audience members be fully vaccinated, though vaccine cards will not be checked.
Bill Reid Gallery is crossing a milestone by presenting their largest exhibition of Northwest Coast Indigenous artists this month! This exhibition features the creative processes of 10 Northwest Coast Indigenous artists “who merge contemporary expression with traditional narratives.” At this exhibit you will see many different mediums, such as “canvas, wood, paper, sculpture, traditional basketry, and digital.” There are no capacity limits but masks are required.
Are you a big film buff but having a difficult time finding new things to watch? Does Cineplex not have anything interesting going on right now? If yes, this film festival might be the remedy to get you out of that funk. The Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC and The Cinematheque are co-presenting the first Vancouver Greek Film Festival. Whether it is new films or classic films you’re interested in, this film festival has it all including silent films, debut film features, documentaries, and Weird Wave films. This festival “aims to introduce a more contemporary experience of Hellenic culture, and share the contributions that Greek filmmakers have made to film history and culture.” Single tickets are $10 for students and $14 for adults.
Where: Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island (1412 Cartwright Street, Vancouver) When: June 15–July 2, various showtimes
Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (639 Hornby Street, Vancouver) When: June 15, 2022–March 19, 2023, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday–Saturday
Where: The Cinematheque (1131 Howe Street, Vancouver) When: June 16–19, various showtimes
ARTS & CULTURE
June 13, 2022
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Food for Thought: Seaweed Soup The symbolism of seaweed soup in Korean culture W RITTEN BY YEL IN G E MMA L E E
On your birthday, your friends and family often celebrate you for coming into this world and continuing to age well. The older I grew, the less this made sense to me. I didn’t really do much to be born, whereas my mother went through being pregnant for nine months, giving birth to me, and raising me selflessly. In South Korea, there is a historical food practice we’ve integrated into our culture to recognize this and honour our mothers on our own birthdays. This is seaweed soup. You may have seen it being served in Korean dramas, during someone’s birthday. The origins of seaweed soup began in the Goryeo dynasty when people noticed that after giving birth, whales would eat lots of seaweed. Seaweed is rich in vitamins and minerals and has properties ideal for postnatal mothers. They began serving mothers seaweed soup after giving birth to strengthen both the mother and baby. It became customary to put seaweed soup “next to a pregnant woman’s pillow on the week before birth.” This was an offering to Samsin Halmoni, “the three goddesses of childbirth and destiny in Korean mythology who assist in childbirth and blesses newborns.”
In modern society, children often grow up with their mothers making seaweed soup for them on their birthdays as a token of thanks for being born safe and healthy. When the child grows up, this is done for them by their close friends, family members, or partners. When I became an adult, I began to make my mother the seaweed soup on my birthday to signify my thanks for her giving me life and raising me. In the west, it’s common to celebrate mothers on Mother’s Day but I feel that special connection to her most on my birthday. I treat it as such by setting a Korean breakfast for her featuring seaweed soup. The historical and cultural origins of the soup represent honour for the mother. I’ve found it difficult to find seaweed soup being sold at Korean restaurants here in Vancouver, but luckily it is so simple to make at home. The more obscure ingredients like dried seaweed or bonito soup stock can be found at Korean supermarkets like Hannam, H-Mart, or Assi Market. I usually make a simple bachelor version of it with instant dried seaweed, the way my father taught me.
PHOTO: Republic of Korea / Flickr
SOUND SHENANIGANS
Yellow Fever brings old school detective films back to Firehall Arts Centre The play takes audiences to Powell Street in the 1970’s
KELLY CHIA // HUMO UR E D I TO R
Content warning: anti-Asian racism Yellow Fever is Firehall Arts Centre’s dedication to the film noir era and Japanese Canadian experiences on Powell Street. It stars Hiro Kanagawa as the cynical but charming private eye, Sam Shikaze, investigating the disappearance of the Cherry Blossom Queen. Narrating the story, Shikaze contends with racism post-World War II. The play stayed generally true to the original version written by playwright Rick Shiomi but deviated in the beginning, connecting racism facing Asian Canadians then and now. Set in the 1970s, director Donna Spencer writes in the program that this play was first put on 34 years ago. When it was performed again as a radio play in 2020, the cast found themselves grappling with anti-Asian sentiment due to the pandemic, paralleling the play’s backdrop which was set against the anti-Asian attitudes of 1970s Vancouver. This tension remained in Spencer’s iteration. The play starts with a CBC News clip of Dr. Bonnie Henry instating lockdown procedures in March 2020. Soon after, another clip plays, discussing a 92 year old Asian man’s assault in April 2020. For many people in the Asian Canadian community, including myself, this incident weighed heavily as one of many news incidents of anti-Asian hate crime in Vancouver 2020. This more contemporary section of the play comes in the form of a flashback to 2020. Nancy Wing (Agnes Tong) hurries onto the stage, lamenting that she was verbally assaulted on a SkyTrain ride, an experience that resonated with my fears when riding the SkyTrain two years ago. The other cast members comfort Tong, talking about similar experiences.
A murder mystery unfolds for detective Sam Shikaze. While I sympathized with Tong’s experiences, I found this section abrupt. I wished it had been more fleshed out so we could hear more about how the systemic racism featured in the play also translates to issues of the model minority myth and anti-Asian sentiments, today.
You could close your eyes and picture the world of 1970’s Powell Street: Shikaze’s dingy office, the warmth of Rosie’s cafe, and the rounds fired off at smoky late night stand-offs
The play then moves onto Kanagawa narrating the beginning as Sam, stroking his brimmed hat thoughtfully monologuing about Japanese Canadians dispersing from Powell Street after World War II. Sam is every bit the gruff, life-hardened detective that you’d expect from an old-school film noir. He is witty, charming, and carries several chips on his shoulders, but he cares deeply for his community.
PHOTO: Kelly Chia / The Peak Sam navigates the deep-seated racism and corruption within the police force as he investigates the disappearance of the Cherry Blossom Queen. This is where Yellow Fever delves into model minority attitudes, like the tensions between the independent Sam and the rule-abiding police captain Kenji Kadota (Jay Ono), as well as their challenges navigating racism from white officers. Although the set of the play is only a set of chairs, a window, and sound equipment, the play was so vivid. On the left of the set of chairs, sound foley, Evan Rein, was creating the bubbling woks, door chimes, and the sound of chopped vegetables. I delighted at every auditory clink of the glass, every cup of tea poured. You could close your eyes and picture the world of a film noir set in 1970’s Powell Street: Sam’s dingy office, the warmth of the set’s cafe, and the rounds fired off at smoky late night stand-offs. Rein’s sound brought the world to life, and what an intriguing world it was. The play blends film noir with the larger theme of tackling the nuances of racism well, especially in the case of Kenji whose unquestioning loyalty inadvertently traps him in a white supremacist conspiracy. One thing’s for sure: the cast and crew of the show are immensely talented. Come see the show, and immerse yourself in this aloof murder mystery. Yellow Fever is in theatres May 28–June 12. Tickets are sold online at firehallartscentre.ca.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Arts & Culture Editors Meera Eragoda and Yelin Gemma Lee
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arts@the-peak.ca
TURNING THE TIDE
Djanet Sears’ Harlem Duet is a fresh look for Bard on the Beach The play steps beyond the white gaze under director Cherissa Richards
ISA BE L LA URBAN I // STAF F W RI TE R
This year’s 33rd Bard on the Beach will include Canadian playwright Djanet Sears’ 1997 play Harlem Duet. The festival was initially created with a focus on Shakespeare but has since branched out. Sears’ dramatization of Othello, directed by Cherissa Richards, will be performed alongside productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. According to the event description, Harlem Duet “explores the complicated relationship of a Black couple in three key periods in the American Black experience: 1860, before the US Emancipation Proclamation; 1928, during New York’s Harlem Renaissance; and in post-civil rights 1997.” This journey through time aims to examine race, privilege, and relationships. These characters were created by Sears, “exploring what it meant to be of African descent,” said associate artistic director of Bard on the Beach Dean Paul Gibson. He added, “Being exposed to Shakespeare and other great writers influenced [Sears] to tell stories about Black people and Black environments.” Harlem Duet, Gibson said, does this through an “evocative, sensual, challenging world.” The decision to bring Harlem Duet to the stage came to fruition during the pandemic and after the death of George Floyd, which sparked weeks of protest across North America in June 2020. “It was important to put focus and spotlight on Black excellence and develop new relationships,” said Gibson. When a colleague shared their experience watching Sears’ play in Toronto, Gibson knew he had to take a look at the script. “I was smitten; I was blown away by its beauty, poetry, and structure. In my mind, it reminded me about the reasons why we stepped outside of Shakespeare.” In 2005, Bard on the Beach made a commitment to feature other playwrights
Bard on the Beach, an annual Shakespeare festival, started to expand beyond putting on Shakespeare productions in 2005. and more contemporary works. He added that despite taking small leaps in featuring more inclusive productions, they still mainly featured white writers and directors. In 2019, Bard on the Beach put on All’s Well That Ends Well but set in British India to explore the occupation and partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Harlem Duet continues Bard on the Beach’s commitment to culturally relevant content.
As we build bridges and forge new relationships to new audience members and communities, we have an obligation to reflect the beautiful diversity of this city and the cultural richness of the country DEAN PAUL GIBSON ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF BARD ON THE BEACH
Gibson referred to the play as a sort of prequel to Othello as it sheds light on Othello’s life with his first wife. “[Sears] is fleshing out a character that was woefully underwritten because it wasn’t written by a Black man,” he explained. According to Gibson, Sears does this through “her perspective
PHOTO: Emily Cooper
as a Black writer, delving into ‘what if?,’ ‘what does that mean?’ and examining the different time periods and the history of Black people on this continent.” Harlem Duet is directed by Cherissa Richards, who was greatly influenced by Sears’ work as a playwright. The play features a supporting crew and cast made almost entirely of people of colour. Gibson said Sears has been very clear about the direction of the play and Bard on the Beach has worked in collaboration with her to ensure her vision is brought to life. Gibson shared that this will be a change not only felt by the cast, but by the entire audience. “When I am a young person going to the theatre for the first time, and I see someone who identifies in a similar way to me, and I see that reflection on stage [ . . . ] then the possibilities seem endless.” On the festival’s progress in showing plays written and directed by people of colour, Gibson admitted progress has been slow. However, he emphasized the need, responsibility, and commitment to showing more art from people of colour going forward. “As we build bridges and forge new relationships to new audience members and communities, we have an obligation to reflect the beautiful diversity of this city and the cultural richness of the country.” Harlem Duet is on from June 15–July 17 at the Howard Family Stage. Tickets range from $27–69 depending on seat for adults over 22 and $27–34.50 for youth 22 and under. Masks are encouraged.
PHOTO: Maxine Bulloch
HUMOUR
June 13, 2022
The most popular Starbucks drink according to your major ISABELLA URBANI • STAFF WRITER
From the people who brought you your name intentionally spelled incorrectly, comes an even more aggravating experience to your local campus Starbucks. If you haven’t picked your major, or better yet, you randomly settled on the same major half of your high school was choosing, Starbucks is here to help your indecisions stick around longer by dictating your beverage choice for life.
EDUCATION BLACK COFFEE
How can a major full of the most charismatic people drink the most unbearable coffee? I know you plan to become teachers one day, but life hasn’t been sucked from your soul yet. Stop subjecting your taste buds to this! No matter how many times you get it, it will NOT get better. “Starting ahead of time,” you joke wryly as you make a sour face while swallowing the ink in your cup. But kudos to you for always bringing in your own god-awful bedazzled thermos with your name on it. And your metal straw which somehow has that awful 2015 black and white checkered pattern on it.
BUSINESS
WATERED DOWN ICED COFFEE We’d like to make it clear that we didn’t purposely make you the worst cup of iced coffee you’ve ever tasted, although you do pop up behind the counter as soon as we open trying to convince us that you know just how to improve our business model. Sure, if you think drapes will improve our pyramid scheme, then go right ahead. You don’t even like coffee, you just want the notoriety that comes along with being a busy Beedie boy. That’s why you let your coffee sit there all day while you go on about how tired you are and how you practically live on caffeine, when we all know you’ve been a frappuccino drinker since the day you were born.
COMMUNICATION VANILLA OAT LATTE
You’re the sole reason we run out of oat milk by the hour. You can see a communication student from a mile away. The way they hastily rack their eyes over the menu, even though they’ve literally never, and will never, venture beyond their usual latte. Swapping vanilla for hazelnut? Yeah right, psh, are you FOR REAL? Communication students just want to cozy up next to the fireplace with their hot coffee and their knit sweaters acting as drink sleeves while they read about capitalist realism. I swear there is a joke in there somewhere . . .
ARTS
THE FRUITIEST REFRESHER You would think an art student would be the first to hop on some latte art, but you’re wrong. It’s all about the refreshers, rain or shine. Seriously, they even know about refreshers that aren’t written on the menu. It’s like they’re a part of a secret club. One student asked for The Fruit Basket. I thought they were joking right? Like the painting? No. I learned it was a drink. Try for yourself, only if you’re an arts student of course.
ILLUSTRATED BY ANGELA SHEN
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HUMOUR
Humour Editor Kelly Chia
TOP TEN PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak
ways to make a good impression on your TA First impressions are everything
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Tell them you’ve taken the class five times
Brag about your unmatched experience with the course. After all, what’s more impressive than being extremely acquainted with the course content? The paper? Done it. The exam? Taken it so many times to the point where you’ve memorized the short answer questions.
2
Manifest
I will make a good impression on my TA. I will make a good impression on my TA. I will make a good impression on my TA. I will make a good impression on my TA. I will make a good impression on my TA. I will make a good impression on my TA.
3
Actually attend office hours . . . for a quick therapy session
Chances are, not a single student is attending office hours and your TA is bored. Do them a favour and spice up their abysmal hour on Zoom by telling them your life story. Leave your TA in awe by framing your traumatic experiences as humorous because — admit it — your life is a joke at this point. Bonus points for brave students who use this on your psychology TA. They will either identify with your experience, or you will experience some blatant psychoanalyzing and unqualified diagnoses (yes, plural).
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Triple your paper’s word count
Fun fact: TAs LOVE it when your paper could double as a textbook. Whoever said quality over quantity simply didn’t have enough to give in the first place. When your TA is still marking your paper at 3:00 a.m. the day they promised grades would be released, I guarantee you they will give you a shout out on a strongly worded Canvas message when they are finished! Write to your heart’s content, because writing an excessive amount of pages is better than being left alone with your thoughts.
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Pull a Houdini
Impress your TA with your magic skills and disappear from the course! Every time your TA sees your empty seat in tutorial, they will be left in awe! Surely this tip will leave you with a standing ovation (cannot guarantee good academic standing, though).
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Pretend you’re the TA
Come to tutorial prepared with ice-breakers that all students love, and then proceed to ask every single student to share one fun fact about themselves! Your TA will be impressed that you guessed their extremely original lesson plan. The students scour through appropriate fun facts, obviously omitting their shriveling will to stay in the class. Meanwhile, you meander around the tiny tutorial room and assert your dominance as the new and improved TA. Your TA will likely up and leave with pride as you’ve done their job better than they ever could.
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Use “piggybacking off of what [insert name of tutorial member that you will likely get wrong] said” in a sentence
Demonstrate your understanding of what your fellow tutorial member said by repackaging their answer. The sheer act of saying this will result in your TA believing that you know what you’re talking about. Spoiler alert: you don’t, but you don’t want your TA to know that. Your “comprehension” of the course material will shine through if you use this sentence, and will simultaneously lead your TA to believe you are a good student (lol).
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humour@the-peak.ca
Mosquitoes? More like mosqui-foes! Five ways to deal with these summer vermin
1. Hand-to-hand combat Instead of letting the mosquitos come to you, take the fight to them, Mr. Miyagi those suckers. Take a trip to your local gym or dojo so that when mosquitoes see your muscles, they tremble in fear instead of drooling with hunger. Whether it’s karate, judo, or krav maga, this summer you’ll be prepared for the onslaught of attackers from every direction thanks to your new martial arts training. When those flying bad boys come, and they will, you will be able to bravely defend yourself and your loved ones from mildly inconvenient itchiness.
2. Elaborate disguise If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. This summer try taking up a few sewing classes to create your very own DIY mosquito costume. Grab your favourite snack and relax knowing those pesky bugs think you’re one of their own. You’ll be able to reuse this costume throughout the whole summer, making it easy and cost-effective.
*Pro tip: don’t make your costume too realistic or else you might be attracting too much attention from mosquito hunks asking for your Snapchat. Consider adding an extra leg or a discoloured eye to make sure you don’t pull it off too well.
3. Get lit After some scholarly research, we have found that one of the easiest and safest ways to kill mosquitoes is by using what you already have — booze. Well, kind of. Apparently, these foul beasts are not as big fans of the juice as we humans are, and a plastic spray bottle full of 90% isopropyl alcohol will be able to kill mosquitoes with a refreshing fine mist. Just don’t drink the mixture as we can guarantee it will not taste very good. Instead, try sipping an ice-cold beer knowing you have a foolproof and simple way to get around one of the most annoying parts of the season.
4. Call Batman When all feels lost, when you’re outnumbered 100,000 to one and the odds of you surviving this summer without your blood sucked out is slim, there’s only one man you can call. Batman. Small bat species can eat “at least ⅓ of their weight in insects a night,” according to Animal Food Planet. So if the masked vigilante is feeling particularly generous, or perhaps is also fed up with the relentless itching, maybe he can swing by and help you out with the summer swarm.
5. Destabilize the state This one is a little complicated but will pay off in the long run. You will need some special supplies. If you have an inconsolable hatred of mosquitoes as I do, sometimes just smacking them off your arms is simply not enough. Here’s what you can do: gather a few mosquitoes and stick them in a makeshift laboratory. Domesticate your own sub-species of specialized insect spies that are loyal to only you. Take inspiration from the CIA if you must. By turning mosquitoes against mosquitoes, they will start to betray one another. Friends turn against each other and entire civilizations of pests will crumble at your feet. Rest easy knowing that you have freed yourself and generations of innocent campers to come from the terrors of blood-sucking foes.
Written by Chloë Arneson
Puns, just puns
TAs will appreciate your passion for the subject, especially when expressed in pun form and executed pun-intentionally. This will look different for every major, but here are some examples: Math: Well, that adds up. Chemistry: I only make chemistry puns periodically because all of the good ones argon. Biology: Don’t cell yourself short.
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Ask them all the questions, especially ones answered on the syllabus
As we all know, TAs are not human beings. They are, in fact, robots that are designed to cater to any question you may have. Ask them about how much an assignment is worth when it is clearly stated in the course outline. Bonus points if you do so repeatedly, because they will be flabbergasted by your curiosity and inability to, I don’t know, read. All in all, they will be impressed . . . that you got into university.
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Drop out
This is your sign. Do it. It will impress your TAs because they never had the guts to do it themselves. Maybe this is my sign. You know, I’ve been pondering the meaning of life as I sit here in the pits of my mind, and in the pit of the Avocado. What is success anyway? I don’t need a degree to be successful. Though, my family might give me the third degree should I drop out. But I mean, yeah, I’m gonna do it. I’m finally going to pursue my dream of having my own farm and living a peaceful yeehaw life.
Written by Maya Beninteso
ILLUSTRATION: Nazmus Sakib / The Peak
HUMOUR
June 13, 2022
SFUnexplained:
The geese are out to get us!
Why blaming geese is anything but a reach Olivia Visser / Staff Writer
Have you noticed things just haven’t felt “right” lately? You’re not the only one. My pitch got no responses from the News or Opinions editors, but I promise you this isn’t some conspiracy theory! A publication is a publication, right? Yes, this is a journalistic approach into what’s really causing the downfall of society as we know it. Surprise, surprise: it’s geese. Canada Geese, to be more specific. A national shame. Literally the worst part about visiting the lake or beach. Noisy, aggressive, pesterous little things. According to anecdotal evidence (the most credible type), geese have been secretly gathering to form what they refer to as One World Goose. Apparently, our famed Canada Geese have been plotting alongside various other species to form a Global Goose Alliance (GGA). Snow Geese, Barnacle Geese, and even Magpie Geese were among the many gathered last Tuesday at Trout Lake Park in a demonstration. I visited the scene to document what all the quack was about. “There’s more than one type of goose, you know,” said one Canada Goose who wished to remain unnamed. Many attendees were peaceful demonstrators, but others shared more insidious motives. The geese admitted to intentionally disrupting our society by stealing food and causing noise disturbances. I saw a few nibbling on hotdog buns and potato chips. I really don’t think it ends there. I mean, does
How to make friends at SFU Three furry tips to increase your social circle
BY RUFUS THE RACCOON
FRIENDSHIP EXPERT
no one else see the danger of having an elite group of geese have so much power over us!? Anyways, I heard some talk about mischief like intentionally contaminating lake water, and I think you know what that means. The geese are out there making sure we’ll always be in a pandemic. Don’t let me say I told you so. I remember doing a bit of research beforehand but couldn’t seem to find any articles to support this theory. To find out more, I asked around. This question triggered some aggressive responses. “HONK!” shouted one goose. My question was so upsetting he didn’t want to speak to me in English. This is evidence enough. I’ve found what they don’t want me to know. I came home that night confused yet motivated. Canada Geese are clearly part of a global movement to dismantle humanity. The lack of online information about this only speaks to the fact that our government is trying to hide it from us. Why? Could it be, the Geese have already infiltrated Parliament? Am I too late in uncovering what might be the biggest discovery of the 21st century? Get the word out. Signed, Duncan Duck Investigative Journalist
Making friends is hard. At SFU, it can be hard as concrete. Humans call it a “commuter campus” for a reason! Everyone is in a rush to get somewhere else, and few people leave room to socialize in between. Although making new friends is difficult, I’ve picked up some strategies over the years that are guaranteed to win over almost any human being! GO SOMEPLACE UNEXPECTED This one has worked wonders for me. For some reason (most) humans love it when I hang out somewhere I’m “not supposed to.” Last week I ate my lunch in the West parkade, and this girl got out of her car just to take pictures of me! Soon enough, a small crowd had formed, and everyone was Snapchatting their new best buddy. I felt like royalty, to be honest. Some more examples of this could be hanging out in someone’s private group study room or a lecture hall while in session. Preferably, leave some muddy paw prints around. Humans love those. The more unexpected, the better your chances of making friends. LOOK CUTE This one is easy once you get the hang of it. Humans are suckers for the strangest things. For example, every time I literally just stand up, I’m met with an enthusiastic “aww” or something of the like. Plus, if you’re quiet and patient enough, you’re almost guaranteed a share of their food. They’ve stopped doing this in recent years, something about creating a serious
WRITTEN BY OLIVIA VISSER // ILLUSTRATED BY MAPLE SUKONTASUKKUL
Photo: Amirul Anirban / The Peak
wildlife disruption, but don’t listen to them! Not having to search for meals is great for the raccoon population! I think. BRING THEM FOOD AND LEAVE OUT WHERE YOU GOT IT Speaking of meals, I’ve got another way to wow your future friends! This one involves already having food (I know, bummer) and offering it to your intended companion. Now, this is the prime opportunity to show off a little. One time, I found an entire uneaten Tim Horton’s sandwich outside the Student Union Building, and you would not believe the look on this one guy’s face when I dropped it in front of him. Now, whenever he sees me, he stops and says hello! I find that unopened food usually works better than dumpster scraps. I’m not one to complain, but humans are picky, I guess. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t work out the way you planned. From my experience, making human friends takes a LOT of trial and error. Fear not, though, because I guarantee that my advice will be of universal value to all readers. Get out there and make some friends!
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DIVERSIONS
Business Manager Yuri Zhou
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business@the-peak.ca
CROSSWORD Across 1. Paste 5. Get up 9. Stem 14. Young woman 15. Famed canal 16. Newswoman ____ Shriver 17. Female sheep 18. Legislature, in Canada 20. Infuriate 22. Make 23. Sharp bark 25. Toddlers
26. Scientist ____ Curie 29. Horse strap 31. Rotate 35. Accumulate 36. Hearing organs 37. Caviar 38. Ill will 39. Train terminal (abbr.) 40. Cattle breed 42. ____ Glory 43. Kernel 44. Hotel customer 45. Loch ____ 47. Green Gables girl
48. Helpers 49. Portable shelter 51. Goes downhill 53. Biblical mountain 56. Tooth covering 60. Temperance 64. Fiddling emperor 65. Perfect 66. Confederate 67. Food fish 68. Students' tables 69. Petition 70. Ultimatum word
24. Gift 25. Ranting speeches 26. Stone worker 27. Sufficient 28. Police attacks 30. Corroded 32. Encouraged 33. Awaken 34. Homes for birds 40. One more time 41. Annoyance 43. December visitor 46. Stripe of color 50. English noblemen 52. African country
53. Within 54. Went by horse 55. Thirst quenchers 57. Ground grain 58. Makes mistakes 59. Easy stride 61. Spigot 62. Not well 63. Madrid cheer
Down 1. Happiness 2. Grassy area 3. Consumer 4. Nonfiction writer 5. Drive back 6. Retiree's acct. 7. Respectful title 8. Conger 9. Intelligent 10. Least wild 11. Region 12. Dryer fuzz 13. Actress ____ Winslet 19. Religious images 21. Web-footed birds
SUDOKU
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