IT'S OUT OF CONTROL
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Cascades frogs could go extinct by the end of this century
OPINIONS
A Canvas module isn't enough to teach students about plagiarism
ARTS
Being a courtier gets royally dramatic in Lanthimos’ film, The Favourite
SPORTS
Michael Jordan and Tom Brady are not comparable
News
Michelle Gomez News Team Member
Henry Tran / Coordinating News Editor Michelle Gomez, Youeal Abera / News Team
February 18, 2019 news@the-peak.ca
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Henry Tran / Coordinating News Editor Michelle Gomez, Youeal Abera / News Team
News
news@the-peak.ca
FIGHT AGAINST AIDS
SFU researchers discover a way to combat HIV mutation The study looked at how certain HIV-positive individuals possess an immune system that enables them to suppress their HIV viral load Henry Tran Coordinating News Editor In November 2018, Simon Fraser University researchers along with a group of South African academics from the University of KwaZulu Natal published a study that revealed how certain HIV-positive individuals possess immune cells that enable them to control their HIV viral load. This research provides further clues in the quest for developing an HIV vaccine, which is an epidemic that affects millions worldwide. The team plans to use their results to conduct future experiments that could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of a T-cell response associated with HIV. The study, Dual HLA B*42 and B*81-reactive T cells receptors recognize more diverse HIV-1 Gag escape variants, was conducted from 2017–18, and the methods used in the study took approximately six years to establish, according to Gursev Anmole, a PhD candidate in molecular biology and biochemistry and one of the lead authors of the study. In an email interview with The Peak, Anmole explained that the human immune system has immune cells called CD8+ T cells, also
known as “killer T-cells.” Killer Tcells recognize virus particles (antigens) presented on virus-infected cells. Because of this unique ability, the CD8+ T cells are critical in destroying virus-infected cells. When HIV infects a host cell, it expresses antigens on its cell surface via the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) protein, said Anmole. Killer T-cells have a receptor called the T-cell receptor (TCR) which identifies cells displaying the HLA protein. The killer T-cells destroy these cells to stop them from further damaging their host. Uniquely, Anmole says, the HIV virus can mutate rapidly, which lets it evade this defensive mechanism to keep reproducing copies of itself and infecting nearby cells. However, some HIV-positive individuals possess CD8+ T cells that can still recognize and destroy these mutated HIV variants, keeping the concentration of HIV in their blood at a low amount. “This recognition of mutated HIV variants by killer T-cells is made possible by “cross-reactive” TCR that can recognize mutated forms of an HIV antigen,” explained Anmole.
Dr. Mark Brockman, Gursev Anmole, and a student analyzing T-cells under a biosafety cabinet. “Identifying and studying the characteristics of HIV-specific TCR in individuals that show HIV control can therefore help us identify mechanisms behind TCRmediated HIV control, which in turn can be used to better design HIV vaccines and therapeutics,” he further added. According to Anmole, the study analyzed two highly similar HLA proteins, HLA-B*81 and B*42. Both respond to the same HIV antigen, TL9. Dr. Mark Brockman, who is an SFU health sciences professor and senior author of the study explained to SFU News that, “A person’s T cell “repertoire” is made up of a possible 20-100 million unique lineages of cells . . . To reduce the complexity of [this] study, the team examined [these two HLA variants].”
Anmole also noted that: “Since these HLAs are similar and the antigen they present is identical, [any] difference in HIV control between these groups may be [due to the fact that] B*81 individuals may have crossreactive TCR able to recognize HIV escape variants while B*42 individuals may not.” The researchers confirmed that individuals with B*81 could control their viral load much better than B*42-expressing individuals because they had cross-reactive TCR that were more sensitive to HIV variants, according to Anmole. This study demonstrated that some HIV-specific TCR recognizes HIV escape variants better than others and that there may be a clinical benefit of possessing crossreactive TCR, he further added.
Photo courtesy of SFU News
When asked about the obstacles the team faced while conducting this study, Anmole shared: “Research is full of challenges as we are discovering new ideas . . . There were many challenges along the way, from complex assay design to late nights in the lab when things did not work and 7 a.m. Skype calls with our collaborators in Durban, South Africa!” Anmole concluded the interview by saying the Brockman team will use the results from this experiment to conduct future experiments that include individuals with different HLA proteins who recognize different HIV antigens. This will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of a T-cell response associated with HIV control across a larger population. With files from SFU News
CHANGING TIMES
Global warming threatens the survival of the Cascades frog SFU researchers state that climate change could bring the species to extinction by 2080 Youeal Abera News Team Member New research has shown that global warming might be threatening the survival of the Cascades frog. As reported by SFU News, the amphibian species which is most prevalent in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, typically thrives “in extreme climatic conditions, ranging from dozens of feet of snow in winter to temperatures in excess of 90°F in summer.” Nevertheless, if climate change affects their aquatic or terrestrial habitat, then the chances of survival for the Cascades frog may drop to zero. The study is spearheaded by Dr. Wendy Palen, an SFU biologist, Mike Adams, the co-author of the United States Geological
Survey, and Amanda Kissel, the co-author of Conservation Science Partners. The researchers set out to examine how the Cascades frog could be affected by climate change. SFU News shared that as the researchers analyzed the potential effects on the frogs’ aquatic life, they specifically looked to see if warmer weather “would increase food production and result in larger, healthier frogs upon metamorphosis, or whether entire generations of frogs would die in years when warmer, drier winters lead to ponds that dry quickly.” To critically analyze climate change’s effect on the amphibians’
terrestrial life, the team “evaluated whether the milder winters of climate change would present a warm welcome and lead to a higher survival of adult frogs,” the article further adds. Additionally, the media release shared that Kissel also studied over 50 ponds that the Cascades frog is known to inhabit for mating. “She tracked water levels and the timing of metamorphosis to identify how often ponds dried before the frogs could emerge,” according to the SFU News article. Based off the results from the research team’s analysis, about a quarter of Cascades frog tadpoles are killed per year. In addition, by integrating the projected results from hydrologists from the University of Notre Dame and Washington, these dry ponds could potentially lead to a heightened 40%
death rate for the Cascades frog, the team told SFU News. Palen, Adams, and Kissel also found that, within the terrestrial areas of their adult life stage, “thinner snowpacks and warmer summer temperatures actually reduced adult survival.” The Cascades frog plays an important role in its ecosystem. As SFU News states, the amphibians serve as predators who feed on a number of flying insects. Resultantly, the survival of the Cascades frog is essential towards maintaining the functionality of a number of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. Palen, Adams, and Kissel’s research discovered that the larval mortality of the Cascades frog will rise by 17% due to the increase of dried ponds. Additionally, the survival of the adult Cascades
frog will lessen by 7% as a result of the increase in both the rain in the summer and the duration of winter seasons. Their research found that the survival rate of the Cascades frog’s larval will begin to decline in the 2040’s, however the decline of the entire species will intensify in the 2080’s when the mortality of the adult frogs will increase. When speaking on the potential endangerment of the Cascades frog, Kissel told SFU News “This is a worst-case scenario, where a frog that largely occurs inside some of our most protected landscapes will be at high risk of extinction by the end of this century.” The full findings of Palen, Adams, and Kissel’s research can be discovered at Ecological Applications: Ecological Society of America. With files from SFU News
Opinions
Gabrielle McLaren Features Editor
Gene Cole / Opinions Editor
February 18, 2019 opinions@the-peak.ca
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Opinions
Gene Cole Opinions Editor
Hannah Davis Staff Writer
Gene Cole / Opinions Editor
opinions@the-peak.ca
Arts
Yelin Gemma Lee Peak Associate
Kate Olivares Peak Associate
Winona Young / Arts Editor
February 18, 2019 arts@the-peak.ca
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HAMISH AND JO’S ADVENTURE IN FRANCE PART 4: IRELAND AND THE UK Beer was drunk, the ocean was seen, and friends were found
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s we begin this new semester in exchange on the French Riviera, we are reminded that we are lucky not to be enduring a Canadian winter this year. Since we returned from our holidays in the UK and Ireland over Christmas and New Year’s, we’ve been enjoying mild temperatures and sunny skies as we work off the less-than-traditional feasts we ate over the holidays, sticking to a regimen of daily runs and swims in the Mediterranean. Other unorthodox winter activities include many gorgeous hikes (honestly, follow @akajoska on Instagram for the pics), random spelunking on the coast, and pleasant walks to Italy with other SFU friends. Life is grand. Since the last time we updated all of you on our exchange adventures, we have only one major trip to report on: winter break. We began our trip in London, staying in a flat that Hamish’s cousin so graciously lent to us while she returned to Canada. We of course had tea and biscuits and visited the British Parliament (which was quite special, considering that the two of us had worked together at the Canadian Parliament this past summer). Watching a performance of The Book of Mormon (10/10, would recommend) in the West End and touring the British Museum before meeting up with some exchange friends were two more treats we got to enjoy. On Christmas Day, we made our way to a traditional mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the largest Anglican cathedrals in the world — although getting to it was very hard. We began with the romantic idea of actually going to church on Christmas (something neither of us actually do), and naturally chose the biggest Anglican Church we could find. However, nobody told us the tube doesn’t run on Christmas Day! So despite waking up at an ungodly hour to go to church, we walked down the street to the station and found out it was closed . . . We ended up biking to central London, before finding a pub where we sat around, drank some pints, and played Head’s Up before finally making it to the evening service (which was beautiful!). The next leg of our tour of the UK was Northern Ireland. We got off the plane in Dublin and bussed to Belfast, where our friend Alisha (who works at SFU) and her Northern Irish boyfriend James picked us up from the station to whisk us off to the Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway is located on the coast, at the base of an imposing cliff, where beautiful hexagonal basalt columns, formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions, jut out of the waters and form stepping stones descending underwater. Being in Northern Ireland, there are of course legends that surround these columns. The legend goes that the Irish giant Finn MacCool built this causeway to connect Ireland and Scotland. On the Scottish side lived another giant, named Benandonner. Benandonner challenged Finn to a battle after Finn stole his organ… the giant musical instrument (which can be spotted in the rock formation to this day). When Benandonner crossed the causeway to find and fight Finn, Finn dressed himself like a giant baby. When Benandonner saw him, he thought to himself “Wow, if the baby is this large, Finn must be even larger,” and as he fled back to Scotland, he destroyed the causeway behind him so that Finn would be unable to chase him back to Scotland. But enough about giants. After a few nights spent in Northern Ireland, during which we’d been to a house party, seen the Titanic museum, and visited Dippy the Diplodocus, we made our way to Dublin. Just in time for New Year’s! We spent the night partying with a couple of American friends we made at the hostel, along with a Latvian who was travelling with them. We watched the New Year’s countdown along the river banks, near the cleverly nicknamed Stiffy-by-the-Liffey (a large Spire near the Liffey river), and then made our way to a pub we do not remember, in a part of Dublin we’re not sure we ever saw again. The night was epic, and following our travels we are convinced there has never been a people as nice as the Irish. At this point we are
admittedly having trouble remembering what else we did in Dublin (due to a phenomenon known as Guinness-brain). . . But wait! That’s right, we went to the Guinness Experience! Besides an excuse to drink more, the experience is essentially a large museum that doubles as an advertisement for Guinness. After walking through many life-size ads, it eventually teaches you to perfectly pour your own pint of Guinness beer, with just the right amount of head (we are now certified: ask us anything). Finally, still slightly hungover (and of course with daypacks full of beer), we took a day-trip out to the Cliffs of Moher. Corroborating the earlier claim that Irish people are amazing, our bus driver from Dublin to the West coast of the island was the most hilarious person we’ve ever listened to during a four hour bus ride. The Cliffs were breathtaking, with just the right added amount of exhilaration due to being on a cliffside with nothing between you and the 214-metre (702-ft) drop down to the sea. Along our bus ride, we also stopped at several of the small Irish castles that adorn the rolling green countryside. Finally, the last stop on our trip was in Edinburgh, although we tragically only had a day to see the whole city. We stayed in a hostel right next to the Castle; it was super fun and hilariously decorated with all sorts of medieval, kitschy decor. In our desire to experience as much of Scotland as possible, the one day we were there, we tried (and failed) to play a scavenger hunt that the hostel organizes. While we didn’t get to all of the attractions, we did try haggis, have some scotch, drink a pint… oh, and we saw some other cool things. We visited the University of Edinburgh, we saw the statue of Greyfriars Bobby (the adorably loyal dog who, following the death of his owner, spent every day of the rest of his life standing by the grave), and we even went on a walking Harry Potter tour that explained all of J.K. Rowling’s connections to Edinburgh (including inspirations such as the graves of Tom Riddell and McGonagall! Though she got creative with some spellings.) Over the following two days, we flew back to London, and then back to home sweet home in Nice, where we immediately crashed. Between then and now, we’ve done relatively little due to our drained bank accounts, courtesy of the British Pound. As previously mentioned, however, we have been using our spare time for lots of runs and to swim every day! We’ve also spent some time exploring and hiking the surrounding area. Explorations have included trips to Italy almost every day, which is where we found some beautiful seaside caves and rock formations, including a naturally formed blowhole that sends an impressive column of mist and seawater soaring meters into the sky when the waves get large. In that same area, there is a beach called Little Africa where, on a sunny day, the sun warms up water that sits on a shallow shelf of rock, allowing for a kind of natural hot tub in comparison to the surrounding sea. Apart from our exploratory activities, we’ve also been lucky enough to have our other SFU friends that are on exchange here in France come visit us. Our friends Cyan, Sophie, and Vanessa joined us for a few days here on the coast to celebrate Vanessa’s birthday. We spent time exploring Monaco, including visiting the beautiful exotic gardens (not for the first time), and soaking in the view of the sun setting over the city. We ended our time together by going to Italy (saying that never gets old) for a wonderful feast at a restaurant Il Bucaniere, whose owners were so kind to us that they rivaled the Irish. Unfortunately, the day after they left, we had our first class of the semester. Which naturally had to be at 8 a.m. Due to the way that Sciences Po sets up its classes, this semester, in order to receive the same amount of credits as we received last semester, we had to take more than double the course hours. This, along with our empty bank accounts, probably means we won’t be going on as many far-flung adventures as last semester, although you can certainly expect that our adventures will remain just as crazy and unexpected!
Written by Hamish Clinton and Jozsef Varga Illustrated by Siloam Yeung Layout by Brianna Quan
JOIN THE CLUB: Muslim Students Association An MSA executive tells us why SFU students need the MSA, and what they’re up to around campus
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he Muslim Student Association (MSA) is a club at SFU which aims to provide Muslims with a voice, a place to pray, resources, and a sense of community. The MSA was created in the early 1970s, and it’s one of the oldest clubs at SFU. Even though the club attracts primarily Muslims, its activities give all SFU students a chance to learn more about the religion of Islam, interact with Muslims, affirm or debunk any passing information about Islam they might have heard from third parties, and have a good time. SFU needs the MSA because the current political climate, which has become increasingly hostile for people who identify as Muslims since 9/11, has resulted in an immense number of misconceptions surrounding Islam and a lot of backlash for Muslims. In an email interview, MSA president Ahmed Khan talked about how he has faced Islamophobia on campus, and recounted one encounter where other students “stated vile remarks which I took offense to, which left me feeling bitter afterward. But this is why we speak openly about Islam so people can dispel their misconceptions about the faith.” Despite the accepting atmosphere towards people of all backgrounds in the Lower Mainland, there have been occasions where Muslims have been mistreated. For example, when Noor Fadel was assaulted in a SkyTrain station in 2018, only one man came to her aid. Other cases across North America include the Quebec mosque shooting, another mosque bombing in Minnesota, and another shooting in Chapel Hill where the aggressor entered the homes of his neighbors and shot them. Being brought up in a predominantly Muslim country, I felt lost when I arrived in Canada in the fall of 2017, and I ended up joining the MSA in January 2018. Now, I am a club executive. Since joining, MSA has provided me with a sense of community that I was lacking, and a place where I could share my struggles and learn how to navigate them with advice from other MSA members, like where I could buy halal food or new hijabs. I was able to celebrate important religious events like Eid and Ramadan with the other members, making my homesickness a little less painful. It has also helped me stay grounded in my faith at a time where Islam is constantly critiqued and when I get weird stares from strangers whenever I’m out and about. Since SFU has a large international community, it is important for Muslims who are away from home to be able to find a sense of community here. It is also even more important for international students who may have never heard of Islam or have heard of it only in a negative light to get a chance to learn more to prevent misunderstandings and create a place of peace and understanding.
To dispel misconceptions surrounding Islam, the MSA hosted United Islam Awareness Week (UIAW) from January 21–25. Club executives invited four prominent Muslim North American speakers to speak about Islam in public lectures, on one evening from Tuesday to Friday. There was also a booth in the North AQ which operated from 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. everyday with resources about Islam, Islamic trivia, henna, free snacks, tea, and friendly volunteers who were present to talk about Islam. As a club executive who was present, I thought that the event turned out be a great success, with the last lecture having around 150 attendees. “Personally, I had an amazing experience,” Khan wrote. “It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.” He also saw the impact that UIAW had on other students. He recounted that an individual converted to Islam after one of the lectures, and another individual became more confident about his faith once a question that had been concerning him for over a year was answered by U.K. speaker Hamza Tzortzis. Saiyora Imamkulova, a first-time volunteer with the MSA, expressed that taking part in the event gave her the opportunity to strengthen her relationship with Allah (the Arabic word Muslims use for God). Her experience with UIAW made her want to be more involved in the Muslim community and she has now decided to volunteer with other events that the MSA holds. “I believe it is a good platform for students to practice their religion Islam and stay connected to it, as MSA has and offers a variety of events, lectures and gatherings for students to enrich their knowledge on Islam and outside of it as well,” she wrote in an email interview. While UIAW was a one-time mega event, MSA runs other events. One regular event is Sister’s Speak, which is all about empowering Muslim women by bringing in role models from the local community to present a certain topic, facilitate a workshop, and create a sense of community. In previous sessions, they have ranged from being informative lecture-style topics, such as hearing about a PhD student’s work on Bangladeshi sweatshops, finding a work-life-school balance, or sharing biographies of some of the greatest women in Islam. Others have been more social-oriented, intended for Muslim women to come together and find fun company with each other, through activities like henna and learning how to decorate cupcakes. If you’re more interested in learning about Muslim individuals from the past, Knowledge Circle is the event for you! It is a series of lectures where Muslim intellectuals are covered, such as the four greatest
imaams in Sunni Muslim history. On February 28, the MSA will be discussing Malcolm X. While there are many other events, one big event that only happens once a year is called Ramadan iftaars. Ramadan is a month in the Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from before dawn to dusk, and the meal during which they have to break their fast at dusk is called iftaar. Multiple MSA volunteers get together after their fast to clean the area, get food ready for everyone, and welcome all the attendees. This event has also seen a significant amount of non-Muslim attendees who want to celebrate the breaking of the fast with Muslims, learn more about Ramadan, or just want to hang out and socialize! Additionally, one of the pillars of Islam is praying five times a day, and this can be difficult to do when you’re out and about. Fortunately, the MSA provides Muslims with a prayer area that is found in the Interfaith Centre (AQ 3200). There, Muslims can perform wudhu (a mandatory washing of hands, feet, arms and face before performing prayers), a place to pray and a set of prayer mats, hijabs, and Qur’ans that people can borrow. They also have weekly Jumu’ah prayers (Friday congregational prayers). These prayers currently start at 1 p.m. (the time changes with the seasons) where an individual will give a khutbah, a reminder or lecture about different aspects of Islam. The khutbah can include topics like giving to charity, controlling your speech, the importance of remembering Alla Prophetic stories, etc. The khutbah is then followed by the prayer. There have been several occasions where non-Muslims have attended the Friday congregational prayer to see what it is like. Currently, the organization is also working with the BCIT MSA to create a page called Muslims on Campus, similar to Humans of New York. The goal of the page is to showcase Muslims on campus by sharing their stories in hopes to breakdown the stigma surrounding Muslims in the lower mainland and across the world. Whenever you enter any SFU MSA event, you will hear people saying an Islamic greeting asalam alaikaum (may peace be upon you), with smiles to whoever that enters. I believe that that in itself is enough of an indicator that you will encounter friendly Muslims at the event who will welcome you with open arms (and maybe some food too).
If you want to get in touch, the MSA can be reached at the following links: sfumsa.ca Email: contact-msa@sfu.ca Facebook: facebook/com/sfumsa Instagram: @sfu_msa Twitter: @sfu_msa
Written by Mishaa Khan Image courtesy of SFU MSA Layout by Brianna Quan
10 Arts
Gene Cole Opinions Editor
Winona Young / Arts Editor
arts@the-peak.ca
Sports
Youeal Abera Staff Writer
Andrew Ringer / Sports Editor
February 15, 2019 sports@the-peak.ca
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Sports
Andrew Ringer / Sports Editor
sports@the-peak.ca
Sports
February 15, 2019
WRITTEN BY ANDREW RINGER
LAYOUT BY TIMOTHY CHOW
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14 Humour
Zoe Vedova / Humour Editor
humour@the-peak.ca
Humour
February 15, 2019
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16 Diversions
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