VOL. 168 ISSUE 4 MAY 31, 2021
NEWS
OP INIONS
F EAT U RE S
A RT S & C ULT UR E
BC introduces paid sick leave
Word choices matter
Stacey Copeland discusses queer feminism in acadamia and on the air
Diaspora Stories looks at the significance of household items
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Hunger Pains Student budget-friendly recipes to put the “struggle” back in “struggle meals” p.13
Volume 168, Issue 4
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COVER Shaheen Virk THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Clarence Ndabahwerize PEAK ASSOCIATES Charlene Aviles, Harvin Bhathal, Sara Brinkac, Emma Jean, Maple Sukontasukkul STAFF WRITERS Kelly Chia, Carter Hemion, Nancy La
NEWS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meera Eragoda eic@the-peak.ca
HIV self test kits now available
COPY EDITOR Paige Riding copy@the-peak.ca NEWS EDITOR Michelle Young news@the-peak.ca
OPINIONS BC health officials owe us more information
NEWS WRITERS Karissa Ketter, Jaymee Salisi OPINIONS EDITOR Dev Petrovic opinions@the-peak.ca FEATURES EDITOR Marco Ovies features@the-peak.ca
ARTS & CULTURE A legendairy local spot
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Sara Wong arts@the-peak.ca HUMOUR EDITOR Kyla Dowling humour@the-peak.ca PRODUCTION AND DESIGN EDITOR Siloam Yeung production@the-peak.ca
FEATURES Psychosis is a lot more common (and a lot less dangerous) than you might think
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITORS Brianna Quan, Josh Ralla PHOTO EDITOR Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson photos@the-peak.ca MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Karla Salazar multimedia@the-peak.ca
HUMOUR Welcome to Hot Student Summer
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NEWS
May 31, 2021
PANDEMIC POLICIES
BC introduces three days of paid sick leave Labour studies expert recommends a minimum of seven permanent paid sick days JAYME E SALI S I // N E WS W RI TE R
The BC provincial government announced a program requiring employers to provide part-time and full-time workers with three days of paid sick leave, if they are unable to work due to COVID-19 or possible exposure. The program begins once the legislation passes and will be implemented until December 31, 2021. Employers will be required to pay employees their full wage. If a person’s workplace does not have an existing sick-leave program, WorkSafeBC will provide up to $200 per day. Details on the reimbursement program will be available in June 2021. In an interview with The Peak, director of the labour studies program Kendra Strauss said 53% of workers in BC aged from 25 to 65 do not have access to paid sick days.
Strauss said this number “rises dramatically among the lowest paid workers.” She conducted a survey with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives which revealed that paid sick leave is unavailable for 89% of workers earning under $30,000 annually. The people working within this pay grade include those in the food industry, retail, and the cleaning sector. If workers need more than three days, a separate federal sick-leave benefit application is available to them. However, employees would receive their first payment 28 days after applying.
Paid sick leave is unavailable for 90% workers earning under $30,000 annually. KE ND RA STRAU S S // director of labour studies
“For a lot of people that’s a really big barrier,” Strauss said. “People living paycheque to paycheque might not make rent or be able to buy groceries. “Especially during COVID, three days is not enough. It does not provide enough time for people to stay home and self isolate if they have to.” She added, “Seven days is really the minimum we should be looking at for a permanent policy. I
Council Meeting
personally would like to see a model that ensures the costs are shared with employers so that the government and public are not paying employers who don’t offer these benefits.” Although there is no precedent for paid sick leave during a global pandemic, Strauss recommended that BC’s provincial government draw on policy models made by various labour organizations in the province. The BC Federation of Labour and the Worker Solidarity Network proposed the implementation of at least seven to 10 paid sick days. “Canada really lags behind other countries in terms of paid sick leave.” Strauss expressed concern with providing government-funded options such as the $200 reimbursement for workers without a program for paid sick leave. According to Strauss, multimilliondollar corporations making money during the pandemic can still choose to let the government pay for their employees paid sick leave. The government reimbursement option is “another program that we as taxpayers are paying for,” Strauss said. She said she understands that small- and mediumsized businesses may need government support. However, she is concerned about large corporations using government assistance when they can afford to compensate their employers. More information about the paid sick-leave legislation can be found on the website for the government of BC.
The SFSS denounces humanitarian injustices such as the occupation of Palestine and the genocide of Uyghur people
This motion was carried unanimously, as amended.
Jaymee Salisi // News Writer
Lari also presented a motion for the SFSS to publicly condemn the Chinese Communist Party for its genocide of the Uyghur people.
Content warning: discussion of genocide, violence, and sexual violence. Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) response to the Israeli colonization of Palestine Science undergraduate representative Zaid Lari brought forward a motion requesting the SFSS show solidarity with Palestinian SFU students. He proposed the SFSS release a statement condemning the occupation and colonization of Palestine and develop an issues policy outlining their stance on the subject. Guest speaker Dalya Masri attended the Council meeting to discuss the 73-year Israeli occupation of Palestine and its continued colonization. She outlined the Israeli military’s use of checkpoints and the construction of a wall to divide and control the movement of Palestinians. She also spoke about the violent attacks on Gaza being used to prevent Palestinians from resisting colonization. “Gaza has been bombarded with a lot of airstrikes in the past two weeks. Gaza and its civilians are damaged as a result,” she said. As one option, Masri suggested the SFSS participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to end its oppression of Palestine. The movement is known as an “alternative to violent resistance,” as it involves the withdrawal of support from any organizations affiliated with Israeli violations of international law. “Many campuses have actually used BDS as a form of accountability measure to condemn and to pressure Israel [ . . . ] I suggest that you look into SFU’s endowment fund and see how many companies are operating on illegal Israeli settlements,” Masri said. In response to the motion and the presentation, council members and guests discussed their ideas for the SFSS’ actions moving forward.
Emphasizing his belief in basic human rights, president of the Hillel Jewish Student Association Gabriel Pratico agreed that the SFSS should condemn the violence in Palestine and Israel. However, Pratico disagreed with the “characterization of Israel and its position within Jewish identity.” Due to the rise in antisemetic attacks across Canada, he said he is “concerned about the potential impacts to the safety of some Jewish students.”
SFSS response to the genocide of the Uyghur Peoples
Officials from the United Nations have reported on China’s human rights violations against Uyghurs since 2018. Lari requested the SFSS financially boycott companies that benefit from Xinjiang’s Uyghur internment camps and provide a platform for Uyghur activists to raise awareness on the subject. Boycotting companies would involve divesting funds that might be tied to the Chinese Communist Party.
Vice president university and academic affairs Serena Bains responded, “I think it’s important to recognize who has the power in the situation and that the Israeli government is backed by the United States and many other powerful global forces.”
A working group including councillors and students would be created to research the statement and policies.
Sustainable energy engineering representative Mohammad Al-Sheboul said the motion does not do the movement justice. “Not because it’s a bad motion, and not because it’s not enough, but because it’s only the first step towards a long road that’s been paved for 73 years now [ . . . ] We need to look at more specifics and more direct ways of how we can help this.”
Qurban said Uyghur people are being exploited for forced labour. “Men are being taken away so then they get sent to concentration camps and women are forced to find a living. So they go to these forced labour camps [ . . . ] where they produce goods for us.”
He suggested adjusting the motion’s wording to state Palestinians all around the world are being affected by Israel’s occupation. The motion was amended to • Acknowledge the sale of weapons and military supplies from the Canadian government to the Israeli government • Acknowledge the protests happening in all over the world and recognize the violence with which they’re met • Form a working group to gather information on companies included in SFU’s investment portfolio and endowment fund • Continue discussion as the events in Palestine progress To research and draft the statement and policy, a working group consisting of nine people was formed.
Kabir Qurban gave a presentation outlining the events happening in East Turkestan/Xinjiang.
Torture, organ harvesting, and sexual violence occur at these concentration camps, he said. According to Qurban, punishable crimes for Uyghur people include wearing a full beard, wearing veils, and not abiding by family planning policies. Vice president internal and organizational development Corbett Gildersleve said he would contact the SFSS investment manager to see what kind of work might already be done on the subject and what other changes can be made. Gender, sexuality, and women’s studies representative Devynn Butterworth expressed support for the motion, “It’s important to acknowledge that we are a newly elected Council and we need to be intentional with our choices, and that includes our finances, which is part of this motion.” With nine volunteers for the working group, the motion was carried unanimously.
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NEWS
News Editor Michelle Young
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News Writers Karissa Ketter and Jaymee Salisi
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news@the-peak.ca
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Climate research needs to be embedded in social justice, experts say Panel discusses western industrialization and colonialism
KA R ISSA KET T ER // NE WS W RI TE R
SFU Public Square held a webinar to platform the voices of climate advocates, researchers, and policy-makers. The event highlighted climate justice and the barriers of embracing equity within policy making. Event moderator Am Johal described the event as “a response to a growing problem as more and more research is being done to learn more about the impacts of climate change [ . . . ] There's been a failure to adequately integrate equity and justice in our response. “The pandemic has highlighted the many ways in which inequity is deeply embedded in our society. How climate change affects certain [groups] more than others, tells us the same story.” Eugene Kang, an environmental lawyer, explained that climate justice integrates equity and intersectionality into climate change. This approach puts environmentalism within the same conversation of politics and power dynamics such as “white supremacy, patriarchy, ableism, and colonization.” Over the past few decades, the top 5% of wealth “was responsible for about a third of the increase in emissions,” according to the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior economist Marc Lee. “The carbon footprint of the wealthiest among us is so much larger than those at the bottom.” Lee highlighted that society’s response to the climate crisis will need to be inclusive of a variety of socioeconomic conditions, in order to be effective. For example, Lee noted while some individuals can switch to electric cars, others in lower income households ride the bus. Therefore, suggesting lifestyle changes such as buying electric vehicles is applicable only to those already socioeconomically advantaged.
Speakers explain that barriers should be acknowledged.
I MAGE: Simon Fraser University
“We want to think about structural changes like shifting to more complete communities [ . . . ] that levels the playing field,” said Lee.
The climate crisis continues to be worsened by the systems of the global north being imposed on the global south, she said.
Researchers noted a need for climate studies to collect demographic data to understand what communities and people are being affected. “We need to have information on who those people are and their lived experiences,” said SFU professor Andréanne Doyon.
The global south’s climate justice movements are “resisting structures that are pillars of the Western neoliberal economic world order that has been imposed on those countries as part of a post-colonial agenda,” said Appadurai.
This approach can help researchers take data and use it to formulate policy recommendations with real world knowledge of the systems at hand, Doyon explained.
“That model is based upon the extraction of natural resources and exploitation of human labour. That was only possible because of colonialism. Colonialism was what made the capitalist exploitation of land and labour possible in the first place — by stealing Indigenous lands,” said Appadurai.
Lee said part of his work in the Climate Justice Project includes examining inequality within climate policies. For example, having established that the climate emergency affects lower income people disproportionately, it is often assumed that disadvantaged groups will be more vulnerable to climate change. Instead, Lee calls on researchers to look for “stories about empowerment and resilience and transcendence” within marginalized groups. Climate change was built on “the rapid industrialization” of the west and a “rise in capitalism,” explained climate justice activist Anjali Appadurai.
Elected leader within the Squamish nation Khelsilem emphasized the importance of collecting data correctly to measure the success of climate justice practices and then using that data to create plans, targets, and implementation strategies that “would materially benefit people in communities in our society that have not historically benefited.” “Our movements must [ . . . ] have strong international solidarity, because climate knows no borders, and it must be rooted in the context and the knowledge of the deep inequities that created and exacerbated the climate crisis. That's the only way that we will get through this,” said Appadurai.
EQUITABLE HEALTH CARE
Vancouver nonprofit offers free HIV self-test kits to increase equitable health care Interviewees discuss the stigma attached to HIV MICHELLE YOUN G // NE WS E D I TO R CARTER HEMI ON // STAF F W RI TE R
The Community-Based Research Centre (CRBC) now offers up to three free self-test kits for HIV. Gay, bisexual, transgender, queer men, non-binary, and Two-Spirit British Columbians are eligible to recieve these self-test kits by participating in the CBRC’s Sex Now 2021 survey. Approved by Health Canada, the testing kits involve “a one-minute, finger-prick blood test.” Chris Draenos, a research manager for the CBRC said the kit “allows them to make the choice of how they want to test, where they want to test, who they want to
disclose to, without having to participate in a health-care system where there’s barrier access.” Surveys suggest self-testing is preferred over other methods, such as in-person clinics. HIV self-testing has only been approved in November 2020 in Canada — oral HIV tests are currently unavailable. Due to clinic closures, over 50% of LGBTQIA2S+ patients have missed appointments related to HIV and STD testing, Draenos said. “Even before COVID-19, there were access issues with HIV testing.” “Aside from that, there are structural reasons why people aren't able to access testing.” He explained this includes lack of government health insurance and discrimination. “There’s also a lot of HIV stigma out there still. The criminalization of HIV is a huge barrier to people accessing testing. There’s fear of what might happen afterwards and many of the policies are still rooted in the ‘80s and ‘90s — science has moved on since then,” Draenos said. SFU professor and LGBTQIA2S+ health-care expert Travis Salway elaborated that stigma is intersectional. It relates to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration, and sex work. “They all play a role because HIV — historically — hasn’t been evenly distributed throughout our population. Some groups have been more burdened than others.
“HIV, as a virus, shouldn’t be different from any of the other infectious diseases that we’re contending with in public health — but it took on a particular meaning because the first visible cases were among these groups of people that were disfavoured by society,” Salway explained. In comparison to earlier outbreaks, there are now treatments and preventative education available for HIV. “But history lingers, so even though we have shifted our understanding of HIV [ . . . ] people still equate HIV with homosexuality and using injection drugs.” Salway added this stigma surrounds HIV and conversations of testing and safe sex. In turn, it can make conversations about HIV difficult — which is “one of many ways” the LGBTQIA2S+ community faces bias. Draenos explained that to begin to address HIV stigma, health-care providers should be trained to aid the LGBTQIA2S+ community to understand their experiences. He said this includes understanding the difference between sex and gender expression. Salway said sex education plays an important role in addressing stigma surrounding sexual orientation and gender identities. In regards to the self-testing kit, he said that while it signifies progress, “it’s just one step along the way.” The next steps would involve access to at-home health services, affordable medication, and providers who understand their needs. “Stigma really thrives on silence,” Salway said. “The antidote becomes talking.”
OPINIONS
May 31, 2021
WORD? WORD.
Re-evaluating our word choices is important in establishing accessible spaces Words like “stupid” and “crazy” are the next to go in a long list of ableist words we use every day
MA RCO OVI E S // FEATURES E D I TO R
Content warning: mention of ableist slurs and aggression When I was in elementary school, the “r-word” was just beginning to be recognized by the general public as a slur. While originally introduced as a medical term in 1961 for people with intellectual disabilities, the word gained a negative connotation over the decades. It was not until 2010 that we saw President Obama change that word in federal law to “intellectual disability.” According to the Special Olympics, “when social media users are posting about people with intellectual disabilities, 7 in every 10 of those posts are negative, and 6 in 10 contain a slur.” There are other less recognized, harmful words that also originated from medical terms. For example, “crazy” has had many meanings and dates back as far as 1570 when it was used to describe “diseased” or “sickly.” Then in 1610, it received its more modern definition of “deranged, demented, or unsound mind or behaving as so." So by throwing “crazy” around as a negative descriptor, what is that saying about our views of those with mental illness? There is also “stupid”, which is extremely ableist and insults people with cognitive impairments, autism, ADD, and other developmental disabilities. These are triggering words that add up to cause psychological and emotional damage for folks with disabilities — an already vulnerable group. If that isn’t a good enough reason to stop using “stupid” (and all the words I mentioned in this article), it also creates and enforces
Ableist language has harmful historical contexts and implications.
systemic and institutional bias by putting “abled” people above others.
The next time you want to use “stupid” or “crazy” as an umbrella term, really think about what you’re trying to say and use a more descriptive word. Another word that needs to be thrown away is “dumb” which is offensive to people who cannot hear or cannot speak. By throwing this word around as a negative descriptor (this includes when you’re talking about a person, an inanimate object, or a situation), you are inherently saying that those who cannot speak or hear are inferior to those who can. Our society promotes a negative atmosphere for those who have intellectual disabilities, and a majority of this stems from the type of language we use. If we collectively deem it appropriate to use these terms
P HOTO : dantesz / FREEIMAGES
and microaggressions, we allow for further abuse. Just in the 20th century, the United States sterilized over 70,000 people, most of whom were women deemed as “imbeciles.” People with intellectual disabilities are also seven times more likely to be sexually assaulted than those without a disability. I understand it can be difficult to change the words we are accustomed to using, but there are alternatives to these words. Ridiculous, offensive, silly, irrational, outrageous, ignorant, and impractical are just a few examples of words you can substitute. The next time you want to use “stupid” or “crazy” as an umbrella term, really think about what you’re trying to say and use a more descriptive word. It is easy to slip up, especially in the beginning. But what matters is making the conscious effort to use equitable language and correct yourself when you slip up. It is also important to take accountability for the words you use and correct others who may be using this language. The words we use in our everyday life can have a bigger impact than we think. By being more mindful of the words we are using, we can make the spaces we occupy more accessible for everyone. But don’t let your activism stop there. Start advocating for folks who are impacted by ableism and really listen to their concerns and needs.
DATA DISCREPANCIES
We should be able to trust our health authorities to be honest with us BC has a problem with pandemic data transparency
that are tracked by three variants of concern among different communities. Meanwhile, it’s a good day in BC when our case reports are on time, which only makes me more nervous about whether things have gotten worse or better in my city. I want to know if the restrictions and vaccines affect the many different demographics in BC or if the variants of concern are getting worse in certain neighbourhoods. Having my health officials be honest is extremely important, particularly because there is hesitancy about the vaccine and the virus. Knowledge and honesty instill trust in the government’s actions. Quite plainly, as COVID-19 has evolved through variants, our public understanding of it should also evolve beyond “we can do this together” sentiments from our health officials.
Since BC's officials instated restrictions, I have been diligently checking my news feed at 3 p.m. each day for COVID-19 case numbers. This helps me keep track of how our province is dealing with the pandemic.
BC health officials have attributed their inability to provide more COVID-19 data to a lack of technology, but in internal 45-plus-page reports leaked to the Vancouver Sun on May 6, COVID-19 cases were tracked by neighbourhood-level cases, vaccination data, and variants of concern. That is up to four times more data than is being currently released to the public. Up until recently, residents had not been able to track cases through community-based data.
When new variants were reported and restrictions weren’t clear, I looked for data on neighbourhood case rates and daily vaccination numbers so I could assess how bad the situation was in BC. But with the exception of Prince Edward Island, BC was the only province not reporting its case numbers up until early May. Cases by neighbourhood and daily vaccination numbers have also been kept from the public. I should be able to rely on my government to provide this information because it’s what those in other provinces can expect. Ontario, for example, releases COVID-19 reports every day
Having reaffirming data means that we could have given vulnerable communities more warning to reduce COVID-19 surges. Before, we could assume that multigenerational households would be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. But it was not until data was released for cases on the neighbourhood level that we could confirm this was the case, such as for some people of South Asian descent in the Delta and Abbotsford areas. It wasn’t until the data leak that we saw that positivity rates were higher in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in Surrey and that people
K E LLY CHI A // STAFF WRI TE R
were less vaccinated in those neighbourhoods. If the province had communicated more in South Asian languages, that important health information could have reached these communities sooner.
As COVID-19 has evolved through variants, our public understanding of it should also evolve beyond “we can do this together” sentiments from our health officials. Currently, the sources that I turn to the most for data are news journalists like Justin McElroy, who break down the briefings in charts that help contextualize our progress compared to the rest of Canada. But I shouldn’t have to depend on external news sources for information regarding my health. I should be able to rely on my government to release the same level of information that other provinces are releasing. The kicker is that John Horgan has claimed since November that BC is “just as transparent as any jurisdiction in North America,” which was plainly untrue then. As of writing this article, BC Centre for Disease Control has a new dashboard where much more detailed information about vaccines and positivity rates in community health areas is provided. But whether BC will consistently provide this level of information is uncertain, especially after months of the partial (and often late) information that I have come to expect every weekday.
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OPINIONS
Opinions Editor Dev Petrovic
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opinions@the-peak.ca
PRIDE OR PROBLEMS?
WHAT GRINDS OUR GEARS? People who don't recycle Recycle and compost bins show what to put in them, it’s not that hard
We can’t expect trans and non-binary people to educate and correct everyone.
P HOTO : Stavrialena Gontzou / Unsplash
I’m sick of being my own ally The other day I went out for a coffee and because JJ Bean had a bunch of open tables outside, I decided to sit and enjoy my drink in the sun. Like most coffee places, they had one of those bins for sorting compost, recycling, and garbage with pictures of what part of your coffee cup goes into which bin. It was pretty self-explanatory — your lid goes into the recycling and the rest of the cup goes into the compost. I was pleasantly surprised because it looked like nothing JJ Bean gave customers was meant to go into the garbage. But I was soon disappointed by other coffee lovers as I sat and watched person after person approach the can and chuck their whole cup into the garbage. This wasn’t a one-time occurrence either; it looked like nearly everyone was just chucking their cup into the garbage without even thinking about it. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. What irked me is that it was so easy to figure out what part of the cup went into which bin. It would have taken people maybe two or three seconds max to stop, separate their cup’s components, and put them in the right bins. When I went to recycle my cup I was appalled by how many cups were thrown in the garbage and would be sent off to the landfill. It’s 2021. I don't understand how people are not recycling. While most of the climate crisis is due to big corporations, that does not give you an excuse not to do your part.
Written by Marco Ovies Illustrated by Maple Sukontasukkul
Visibility for gender-diverse folks is also the responsibility of cis people D EV PE TROV I C / / O P IN IO N S E D ITO R
International Pride Month is once again around the corner and as much as I’d like to celebrate and forget about the atrocities of our not-so-queer-friendly reality, there’s still too much that weighs on me daily. Non-binary and gender-diverse folks still face consistent exclusion in public and private spaces. Other than the introduction of the gender “X” option on government-provided identification in 2019, very little progress has been made in Canada towards equity for non-binary, trans, TwoSpirit, and gender-diverse folks. How can I feel pride this International Pride Month when I’m still responsible for fighting for my acceptance and visibility? Recently, I went out to dinner at a nice restaurant and should have had a good time. But I’d forgotten about the sinking feeling of having to go to the bathroom and realizing there were only stalls labelled according to the gender binary. Situations like this one are large blows. They are reminders that my identity doesn’t exist to most and is still far from being recognized. But if, at the very least, I felt like cisgender (cis) allies had my back in social situations where I am misgendered, excluded, or invalidated, it wouldn’t be as difficult to digest. Don’t get me wrong, I have cis people in my life who do put in a conscious effort. I notice these things and appreciate them, but sometimes it’s just not enough. I can’t emotionally handle feeling like if I don’t speak out on transphobic language, no one else will. As found in a report conducted by Western University, 68% of nonracialized trans and non-binary folks have experienced some form of verbal assault or harassment over a five-year period — these numbers are at 72% for people of colour. With these staggering numbers and an unwavering amount of systemic discrimination, my main concern is always on ensuring my safety. Considering the terrifying reality of these statistics, it doesn’t seem fair that I should even have to worry about putting myself in potentially vulnerable situations just to call out a cis person’s microaggression. These exclusionary situations and microaggressions, some of which even come from other cis queer people, add up quickly. A lot of the time, there’s only so much for which I have the energy.
So often I find myself internally screaming, “What about non-binary people? Are you really forgetting the experiences of trans folks? Do we not exist?” But the fact of the matter is that we always have existed and we are very much here. We see and notice these things even when cis people probably don’t, and we remember them all too well.
It doesn’t seem fair that I should even have to worry about putting myself in potentially vulnerable situations just to call out a cis person’s microaggression.
I may not be immediately perceived as gender-diverse, but that doesn’t mean that I, and other folks, don’t deserve to be included and considered. As much as I’d like to be able to keep in mind that not everyone is as educated on the topic of various gender identities, and while I do understand that it’s okay to mess up sometimes and that not everyone understands the extent of their words or actions, I’m also so exhausted. How many times do non-binary people have to make themselves vulnerable when speaking for our words to be finally heard? It’s about time cis people put in a greater effort towards allyship so that trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit, gender-diverse and otherwise gender nonconforming (GNC) people don’t have to. I strongly encourage cis-identifying individuals to practice speaking up for trans, non-binary, and GNC communities. Everyone deserves to feel safe and accepted, and we need strong cis allies to do some of the work for us to achieve this.
May 31, 2021
SWEET SCOOP
ARTS & CULTURE
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Features
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Psychosis isn’t inherently violent or dangerous Living with psychotic symptoms is challenging, but it doesn’t make us villains
Content warning: Discussion of ableist language and psychosis When sitting in a lecture hall, chances are a handful of people around you have already, or will, experience psychosis. At family reunions, there are probably a few people who have been psychotic. If you have gone to see a movie or live theatre show, you’ve likely been near a handful of people who have experienced psychosis. I am one of these people, and maybe you or someone you know is too.
impulsivity, racing thoughts, a short attention span, and goal-oriented behaviour. In addition to these manic symptoms, I almost always have psychotic features too.
Clinically, psychosis is characterized by a detachment from reality and may include elements like hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, incoherent speech, and unusual behaviour. In short, it becomes difficult for us to interpret what is real and what is not.
In my first manic episode, I thoughtlessly got two tattoos; went on a hike alone in the middle of the night without knowing the trails; painted a handful of things in my room, including some of my clothing; and believed I was the world’s best wood carver, even though I had never whittled a thing in my life before. Then, I thought I would write and publish an award-winning novel in under a week. I locked myself in my room for days at a time, believing I was being followed and tracked by people trying to harm me. I have since had other manic episodes, usually involving a lot more appointments with my medical team and sometimes requiring hospital emergency services.
While causes of psychosis are not yet fully understood, it has been connected to factors like trauma, head injuries, substance use, some mental disorders, some medical conditions, and some nutritional deficiencies. Regardless of the cause, those of us who experience psychotic symptoms deserve to be treated with the same respect as anyone else.
These days, while I have not had a manic episode in over five months, I do encounter hallucinations nearly every day, which have involved all five of my senses. I also regularly face paranoia and delusions that may last hours at a time. I am often out of touch with reality, having to be corrected by people around me on things that are not really happening or possible.
I have been hesitant to share my experiences in detail, even with my loved ones. In writing this, I hesitate how much to share, at the risk of being judged by people I may never meet. The word “psychotic” feels heavier on my shoulders than the alternatives of “having a bad day” or “feeling sick.” However, it takes open conversation about what these symptoms actually look like to dispel the idea that they always make us dangerous, violent, or difficult to be around. About 3% of people will experience psychosis, but it still remains a word loaded with stigma that can prevent us from getting help or talking about our experiences.
Sometimes I feel someone grab my arm or foot, see a person or strange lights that do not exist, hear sounds like a loud alarm going off or a song that is not playing, smell strong odors like sulphur or cleaning supplies, or feel and taste food in my mouth that I never ate. Other times I believe that people I love are working against me to track my life and give away my information. I sometimes start believing that I am more talented at things than I am or on the road to fame, and my ambitions start ruling over my reality. It can be challenging, but I have made a lot of progress over the last year.
My first encounter with psychotic symptoms came with manic episodes. These episodes, for me, involve extreme levels of elevated energy,
I say all of this not for pity or sympathy, but to be transparent. Being psychotic can include a wide array of experiences. It can be scary. It can
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interfere with sleep, hygiene, social involvement, motivation, and lead to anxiety or depression. Despite this, it is still a relatively common medical problem that could affect anyone. While it may change our thinking and behaviour, it does not inherently make us violent or unsafe to be around. Even when psychotic, I still remain a nonviolent person. I still arrive early to (most of) my appointments, give my cat kisses, tip my servers, call my grandma, and wave at the people I pass on my walks. I once even held a door for a person I completely hallucinated! Like most others experiencing psychosis, I am no threat to the people around me. Sometimes we may act a little peculiar, but that only means we are engaging with a different view of reality, not that we want to hurt anyone. People experiencing psychosis, or any mental illness, are more likely to be victims of violence than they are to be perpetrators. We also fall victim to stigma and stereotypes, and we may be treated differently because of this. The weight of the stigma around psychosis can lead us to be excluded socially and to internalize negative thoughts about ourselves. This continues to be perpetrated by a lack of accurate media representation, for we continue to be demonized and misrepresented. Consider seeking out information from others who have known psychosis. This could be as simple as following activists like @acutepsychotic or @nathanshuherk on Instagram, or checking out narratives somewhere like The Mighty that describe real experiences of psychosis. I encourage you to take a moment to consider the impact next time you hear the word “psychotic” when someone means “absurd” or “dangerous.” Consider shifting your language to reduce using words like “psychotic” or “crazy” as derogatory terms. Your language matters, and it can impact how comfortable people in your life are opening up about mental health.
Written by Anonymous ILLUSTRATION: HelpGuide
FEATURES
12
ARTS & CULTURE
“Off the Rails” By Wallice
“Karma”
By Sarah Kinsley
Arts & Culture Editor Sara Wong
“Losing Touch” By Laterdays
“Summer Skin”
By Parekh & Singh
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arts@the-peak.ca
HUMOUR
May 31, 2021
13
Three quick ‘n vastly underwhelming student meals on a budget No money left thanks to SFU? Read on for some healthy* and affordable meal plans
Written by Paige Riding
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Breakfast: Breakdown-fast Bowl
You’ve seen the unsolicited breakfast bowl posts gracing your Instagram Explore Page. They’re right beside the equally undesired (or so you tell yourself) anime fan art of Naruto and Goku making out. For this recipe, you will need all the fruit you bought after swearing you’d eat healthily this week that’s now going bad.
Ingredients
Directions
• One browned banana stinking up your whole kitchen (“That’s not my banana,” you think, passive-aggressively glaring at your roommate until you realize it is.)
1. Open the banana, inevitably smooshing the end into a browned pulp. Decide the fruit is past the point of no return. Throw it away. Feel insurmountable guilt.
• One bell pepper (Ha! Just kidding. That isn’t a fruit. Wait . . . )
2. Cut up the rest of your fruit. Stare in disgust at your pathetic collection.
• Three apples purchased at different times (You put a bag of oranges over the old ones and forgot you had them. You told your mom you had meal prep down, but just look at you. Pathetic.) • One cup of yogurt (Yoghurt? Youhgourkt?)
3. Pour the yogurt into a bowl. Realize with dread there’s dried-on food from last night’s dinner on it. 4. Assemble fruit on top. Watch in agony as all the pieces sink into the yogurt. Serve immediately (but it’s too late).
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Lunch: “Ramen” Do you ever crave instant ramen then realize you already ate your last packet in an assignment-induced fever dream? Fear not. This ramen substitute will satiate your need by only sacrificing your self-respect and the entire “ramen” concept along the way.
Ingredients
Directions
• Minimum seven-week-old opened angel hair pasta package (It only took you one meal to realize why it was on sale. It’s sat untouched in your cupboard ever since.)
1. Boil angel hair pasta according to directions. Do the noodles go limp when you grab them with tongs? They are ready. (I will not make a going-limp-in-your-hand joke.)
• Countless accumulated soy sauce packets (“Wow, I really should use those,” you kept thinking. But you didn’t. Because you are you.)
2. Add as many soy sauce packets as desired. (I will not make a your-hand-is-all-sticky-now joke.) 3. Enjoy (?).
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Dinner: Gotta Be Beef Burger What better way to end your isolated day, exactly the same as the one before, than with a burger that’s exactly the same as any bland burger you’ve ever eaten?
Ingredients • The last end piece of a loaf of bread (You forced yourself to eat the first one when you started the loaf, but now you’ve left the last piece for a while. It haunts you.) • One Kraft Singles slice (The plastic wrap must still be on to mimic your textbooks this semester.) • A burger patty (Vegetarian options also work. I do not know any that work.) • Wilted spring mix (Man! You just bought that!) • Ketchup (What, do you measure how much you put on a burger? Pretentious ass.)
Directions 1. Cook patty in oil over medium-high heat. Scroll through your phone for too long. Check patty. Realize it is now reminiscent of a hockey puck. Ruminate. Eat it anyway since you can’t afford to waste it like the banana. 2. Prepare “bun” and toppings. Attempt to squirt ketchup on bread. You forgot to shake it. Now your bread is soggy with ketchup water. Mmm. Add cheese. Add wilted spring mix. (You swear it was totally fine, but you forgot the first rule of spring mix: either eat it with every single meal for three days, or wait until the fourth and face its rotten wrath.) 3. Add charcoal patty. Fold bread over and enjoy.
14 HUMOUR
Humour Editor Kyla Dowling
SFUnexplained:
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humour@the-peak.ca
The hair-raising truth about construction
Beneath Robert C. Brown Hall lies a buried treasure (and rats, probably) written by Clarence Ndabahwerize Listen up, sheeple! SFU builds stuff for themselves, not for our wellbeing or our general interest. A lot of you may say you aren’t surprised, but what comes next will blow your minds! Recently uncovered documents mysteriously emailed to The Peak have revealed that SFU administrators were, at the time of the university’s founding, made aware of a hidden stash of exquisite furs buried by Simon Fraser himself somewhere on Burnaby Mountain. Apparently, the university just so happened to be built on top of this stash and was aptly named after the man who buried the stash beneath it. The furs are rumoured to be worth several million dollars, and SFU will apparently use the money acquired to partake in even more construction. Don’t believe this? Here’s your evidence!
Online classes are the superior choice for hot student summer Move over hot girl summer, there’s a new kid in town Written by Nancy La
A whole chunk of the campus is below ground?! This was the strategy they used to start digging right before students’ eyes. Robert C. Brown Hall is actually a confusing labyrinth simply because whoever constructed the building was just digging an inglorious hole to unearth the stash of furs. When they didn’t find it, they just built a whole building at the digsite! How far do you think they’ll take this? They won’t even stop when someone accidentally falls in one of these holes because they’ll be labeled as off-limits construction zones. I should know — I’ve been trapped in the pit across from the residence buildings for the past three years!
Every hole dug at the beginning of a new project is just another opportunity for our administrative overlords to find the elusive stash. The genius in this is that they can visit the construction site in broad daylight to check whether the “X” on that particular occasion marks the spot! Of course, they’ll even get high-viz vests and safety helmets while doing so . . . Finally, the timing . . .
Why do you think the construction workers keep digging huge holes before they build something? Think it’s the “contractors” laying a “foundation”? It most certainly isn’t! Those aren’t even real words!
This has been going on for so long that eventually, someone else had to begin shouldering the costs for the greater good (i.e., finding the stash of exquisite furs). Why do you think tuition has been going up over the years? More buildings equal more holes to be dug which equals a need for more money! And the stash of fur makes the benefit to the institution outweigh the cost to the students! My fellow students, we’ve all been tricked! We can’t go on like this! I urge you to take this matter — and a shovel — into your own hands. These furs are the key to a cheaper tuition, less construction, and a Cruella De Vil-esque fashion sense.
Illustrated by Danielle Ragas
Photo by Chris ho
And it doesn’t end there . . .
Staring out my window wistfully as the beautiful sunshine streams through the window, I snap out of my daydream as the alluring blue hue of my Zoom call beckons me. Nothing speaks summer like staring into little rectangles on a screen. In fact, to those who diss summer classes and complain about not being able to go outside for some Vitamin D (or to a social gathering for some Vitamin “D”), I present them with: the perfect connection. Who cares about Chad from Beta Lambda Pi when you could strike up a much more satisfying relationship with four bars of sweet, sweet WiFi? Summer classes also provide the perfect excuse for when I don’t want to join my friends’ online game (you know, the one game where you have to carry all your teammates). The excuse of “I have class later” is perfectly legitimate since I do, in fact, have class later. A four-hour lecture until 9:30 p.m., actually.
“It’s all worth it,” I say to myself. Guess who’s going to graduate early and never deal with SFU again? Me! Because I’m taking these sexy summer courses, I get to graduate in five years instead of the usual eight. While other people are out flexing their summer bods, I’m flexing my student bod. That’s right — instead of bench pressing and sweating, my workout routine includes furiously typing my papers and slap the submit button before 11:59 p.m. It’s an exercise in both mind and body with minimal sweat, and there’s no better workout out there for the hot summer weather. There’s no need to worry about finding the perfect summer outfit when the camera only captures up to my shoulders. I get to save money on clothes and not have to worry about an OOTD. Nobody can tell I have an embarrassing number of Pokémon T-shirts over Zoom. Plus, I get to wear them without people thinking I’m
avoiding adult responsibilities by indulging in a childhood game. That is totally not what my Pokémon obsession is about. Without summer classes, I also would not have realized the importance of my relationship with my desk plant, Phil. Who else will be here with me through thick and thin, watching over me like a guardian angel without complaint? You wish you had this kind of healthy relationship with your plant, but you can’t have it because you decided to abandon yours for “real people.” As you can see, the benefits of summer classes outweighs those of not taking them. I hypothesize that it takes at least three courses in order for you to see their benefits. The time for hot student summer is here, and it’s here to stay, my friend. Don’t just take my word for it, go and enrol classes to try it out yourself!
HUMOUR
May 31, 2021
Your Weekly Horoscopes
May 31–June 6 Written by Sara Brinkac
ARIES — Mar 21–Apr 19
LIBRA — Sept 23–Oct 22
Mercury says it won’t come out of retrograde until you stop eating so much processed sugar. Just one vegetable, Aries. Please.
Uranus is concerned about your recent dietary choices. I've been asked to remind you of the fact that you are what you eat, which means you’re currently 15 blueberry Pop-Tarts and a glass of whole milk, so . . .
TAURUS — Apr 20 –May 20
SCORPIO — Oct 23–Nov 21
Your moon and stars don’t seem to be aligned. May we suggest moving one foot to the right and tilting your head at a 37° angle?
Love is in the air. I don’t know who let it out, but could you please go catch it before Leo gets any ideas?
GEMINI — May 21–Jun 20
SAGITTARIUS — Nov 22–Dec 21
The reason you haven’t gotten that promotion yet is because you need a job first.
There have been whispers in the cosmos that you’re getting Gemini’s time slot next year. That’s right: you’ll be third in the Zodiac and first in my heart. This will be huge for your follower count.
CANCER — Jun 21–Jul 22
CAPRICORN — Dec 22–Jan 19
The bad news: branding hasn’t been great ever since the discovery of the disease “cancer.” The good news: there’s a new support group starting up for you and Corona the beer company. Meetings will be held Mondays at 8 p.m. via Zoom (for obvious reasons).
You need to stop keeping your friends and enemies so close. Seriously. You’re violating like 13 different COVID19 restrictions.
LEO — Jul 23–Aug 22
AQUARIUS — Jan 20 –Feb 18
The nickname hasn’t really been working out. We suggest you start going by Leonard again.
It’s time you get back in touch with the roots of your sign. Go buy an aquarium tank.
VIRGO — Aug 23–Sept 22
PISCES — Feb 19–Mar 20
Your lucky numbers are 4504 5300 8968 3316. Your lucky month is 02/22. Your lucky three-digit security code is 836. (But you didn’t hear it from me.)
It’s time you get back in touch with the roots of your sign. Go buy some fish and partner up with Aquarius because they just bought an empty aquarium tank for absolutely no reason at all.
15
16 DIVERSIONS
Business Manager Yuri Zhou
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business@the-peak.ca
CROSSWORD Across 1. Plant stalks 6. Sch. groups 10. Skillful 14. Falcon's claw 15. Guitarist ____ Clapton 16. Become larger 17. Entertain 18. Large food fish 19. Roof projection 20. What Moses parted (2 wds.) 22. More peculiar 24. Before, in verse 25. Brown shade 27. Folding bed 28. Pittsburgh footballer 30. ____ Thurman of "Pulp Fiction" 33. Ages 37. Toast spread 38. Choir voice 40. Ailment 42. Actor's goal 44. Colder 45. Ship's personnel 47. Pink 48. Earl Grey, e.g.
SUDOKU
49. Went in 52. Singer Yoko ____ 53. Client 54. Curvy letter 57. Reddish spice 61. Skill 63. Lyric verses 64. Waterless 66. Singer ____ Osmond 67. Alaskan city 68. Computer input 69. Out of the way 70. Narrow opening 71. Winter coaster 72. Transparent Down 1. Gaze steadily 2. More docile 3. Avoid capture 4. Velvety growth 5. Looks disdainfully 6. Cherished animal 7. Board member 8. Isn't, incorrectly 9. Uncommon 10. Spy 11. Talk big 12. Adoration
13. Water container 21. Passenger vehicles 23. Major artery 26. Pick 29. Defeated ones 30. Take apart 31. Cattle calls 32. Military branch 33. Correct copy 34. Paddy grain 35. China's continent 36. Comprehend 39. Blunder 41. Sports venue 43. Robin's sound 46. Get together again 50. Wanderers 51. Serious plays 52. Beginning 54. Spooky 55. Insulting 56. Navigate 57. Swindles 58. Revered one 59. Disney fish 60. ____ hygiene 62. Tie firmly 65. Mom's partner