The Peak (newspaper)
The Peak is the independent student newspaper of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is split into six major sections: News, Opinions, Features, Arts, Sports, and Humour.
| Simon Fraser University | |
|---|---|
| Type | Weekly Student Newspaper |
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | The Peak Publications Society |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Headquarters | MBC 2901, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC |
| Circulation | 10,000 |
| Website | the-peak |
History
The Peak was founded on October 6, 1965[1][2] through the merger of SFU's two original student newspapers, The Tartan and The SF View. The Tartan had published six issues under the editorship of Lorne Mallin, while the SF View had published one, edited by Rick McGrath.[3] Because no name had yet been decided, the first printed issue was unnamed;[4] the October 20, 1965 issue was the first to carry the banner of The Peak.
The Peak achieved full financial and editorial autonomy from the Student Society in a 1995 decision, bringing The Peak in line with the majority of Canadian student newspapers. Student newspapers seek autonomy mostly to avoid conflicts of interest, in which the Student Society, or the University, attempts to exert control over the content of the paper.
Notable Peak alumni include journalist and author Allen Garr, Vancouver Province copy editor Lorne Mallin, author and interviewer John Sawatsky, award-winning Calgary Herald journalist Michelle Lang, comedian Mark Little from Comedy Network's Picnicface, and Charles Demers, a comedian and author of Vancouver Special.
Staff and structures
There are 15 editors who comprise the Peak Editorial Board: Editor-in-Chief, Copy, Production and Design, Assistant Production and Design (2), News, Assistant News, Opinions, Features, Arts, Sports, Humour, Photo, Multimedia, and Assistant Multimedia. They also have three possible staff writer positions available, as well as a volunteer proofreader position. All editorial roles, with the exception of Editor-in-Chief and volunteer proofreader are hired on a semesterly basis. Editors may, and very often do, seek multiple terms, sometimes ultimately spanning several years. There is no Sports Editor position in the summer semester. Until December 2016 there was a paid proofreader position, but it was discontinued as a paid position.
There are several non-editorial roles, hired at an hourly/salary rate, which are not rehired each semester, including Social Media and Promotions Coordinator, Business Manager, Web Manager, and Distribution Manager (2). The Business Manager has historically been the most long-lived position at the paper, and is thus the repository for much of the newspaper's institutional memory. The Peak also maintains a board of directors under the larger Peak Publications Society, which makes certain other decisions, mostly financial in nature. This board is made up partly of editorial staff, partly of "at large" representatives, and of The Peak's business manager.
From 1980 to September 2012, The Peak functioned as a collective, without a Managing Editor or Editor-in-Chief position. Each editor maintained general control of their section, while broader decisions were made democratically by the editorial board as a whole. Peak editors were elected by the paper's voting "collective," which formally consisted of all editors and recent writers, for a period of one semester.
As of September 2014, "The Peak" once again operates under the management of an Editor-in-Chief, with a hiring process used to employ section editors. The Editor-in-Chief is still an elected role as of February 2019.
Like many student newspapers in British Columbia, The Peak is formally run as a registered non-profit society under the BC Societies Act, known as the Peak Publications Society. Technically all SFU students are members of the Peak Society, and refundable membership dues are imposed on all students at SFU as part of the university's student activity fee, which are used to partially fund the paper's operations.
Editors-in-Chief
| Name | Start | End | Total Years in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Ovies | 2020 | ||
| Gabrielle McLaren | 2019 | 2020 | 1 |
| Alex Bloom | 2018 | 2019 | 1 |
| Courtney Miller | 2017 | 2018 | 1 |
| Max James Hill | 2015 | 2017 | 2 |
| Alison Roach | 2014 | 2015 | 1 |
| Alastair McColl | 1980 | 1980 | 1 |
| Jimmy Tan | 1980 | ||
| Dean McMillan | 1979 | ||
| Trish Webb | 1979 | 1979 | |
| Jackie Brown | 1978 | 1979 | |
| Lee Rankin | 1978 | 1978 | |
| Maureen McEvoy | 1977 | 1978 | |
| Shane McCune | 1977 | 1977 | |
| Irwin DeVries | 1977 | 1977 | |
| Marc Edge | 1977 | ||
| Frank Rotering | 1973 | 1973 | |
| Ron Roth | 1972 | ||
| Keith McQuiggan | 1972 | 1972 | |
| Bob Mercer | 1971 | 1972 | |
| Ron Verzuh | 1971 | 1971 | |
| Wilf Wedmann | 1971 | 1971 | |
| Cameron Beck | 1970 | 1971 | |
| George Keter | 1970 | 1970 | |
| Donn Korbin | 1970 | 1970 | |
| Phil Dubois | 1969 | 1970 | |
| Gordon Hardy | 1969 | 1969 | |
| Stewart Gold | 1969 | 1969 | |
| Ed Wong | 1968 | 1969 | |
| Jaan John Pill | 1968 | 1968 | |
| N. Alan Bell (3rd time) | 1967 | 1968 | |
| Mayling Weaver | 1967 | 1967 | |
| Ronald Nye | 1967 | 1967 | |
| Simon Foulds | 1967 | 1967 | |
| Michael J. Campbell | 1966 | 1967 | |
| Allen Garr | 1966 | 1966 | |
| N. Alan Bell (2nd time, acting) | 1966 | 1966 | |
| Gillian Lindridge | 1966 | 1966 | |
| N. Alan Bell (1st time, acting) | 1966 | 1966 | |
| Sam Steenhuus | 1965 | 1966 | 1 |
Alison Roach worked as News Editor and Coordinating Editor before moving into the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) role which was developed during her time at the newspaper.
Max James Hill worked as Copy Editor, Features Editor, and Opinions Editor before being elected EIC twice.
Courtney Miller worked as Copy Editor before taking on the role. She also spent some time as interim Business Manager during a changeover in personnel.
Alex Bloom worked as Assistant Multimedia Editor and Arts Editor before taking on the EIC role.
Coordinating Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Months in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alison Roach | January 2014 | September 2014 | 9 |
| William Ross | May 2013 | December 2013 | 8 |
| David Dyck | September 2012 | May 2013 | 9 |
| Mike Mason | 1971 | 1971 | |
| Wilf Wedman | 1971 | 1971 |
Copy Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juztin Bello | Fall 2019 | ||
| Zach Siddiqui | Summer 2018 | Summer 2019 | 4 |
| Natasha Tar | Summer 2017 | Spring 2018 | 3 |
| Courtney Miller | Spring 2017 | Spring 2017 | 1 |
| Natalie Serafini | Summer 2016 | Fall 2016 | 2 |
| Joel Mackenzie | Summer 2015 | Spring 2016 | 3 |
| Max James Hill | Spring 2015 | Spring 2015 | 1 |
| Natasha Wahid | Spring 2014 | Fall 2014 | 3 |
| Estefania Duran | Summer 2013 | Fall 2013 | 2 |
| William Ross | Summer 2012 | Spring 2013 | 3 |
| Erica Zell | Fall 2010 | Spring 2012 | 5 |
| Kendra Wong | Summer 2010 | Summer 2010 | 1 |
| Maia Britt Odegaard | Fall 2008 | Spring 2010 | 5 |
| Stephanie Orford | Fall 2007 | Summer 2008 | 3 |
| Michael Hingston (2nd time) | Fall 2006 | Summer 2007 | 3 |
| Derrick Harder | Summer 2006 | Summer 2006 | 1 |
| Michael Hingston (1st time) | Summer 2005 | Spring 2006 | 3 |
| Dan Pinese | Spring 2005 | Spring 2005 | 1 |
| Mark Little | Summer 2004 | Fall 2004 | 2 |
| Nicole Vanderwyst | Spring 2004 | Spring 2004 | 1 |
| Shawn Hunsdale | Fall 2003 | Fall 2003 | 1 |
| Ben Pearson (2nd time) | Summer 2003 | Summer 2003 | 1 |
| Elisa Kosonen | Spring 2003 | Spring 2003 | 1 |
| Sarom Bahk | Fall 2002 | Fall 2002 | 1 |
| Ben Pearson (1st time) | Summer 2002 | Summer 2002 | 1 |
| Doug Yovanovich | Spring 2002 | Spring 2002 | 1 |
| AnniqueElise Goode | Fall 2001 | Fall 2001 | 1 |
| Lindsay Nielsen | Summer 2001 | Summer 2001 | 1 |
| Tejpal Swatch | Spring 2001 | Spring 2001 | 1 |
| Glen Callender | Fall 2000 | Fall 2000 | 1 |
| Sarah Isaacs | Summer 2000 | Summer 2000 | 1 |
| Erin Fitzpatrick | Summer 1999 | Spring 2000 | 3 |
| Kris Anderson | Fall 1998 | Spring 1999 | 2 |
| Angela Aujla | Summer 1997 | Summer 1999 | 7 |
| Guy Leets | Fall 1996 | Spring 1997 | 2 |
| Teena Aujla | Fall 1995 | Summer 1996 | 3 |
| Tom Lakovic | Summer 1995 | Summer 1995 | 1 |
| Sophie Leake | Spring 1995 | Spring 1995 | 1 |
| Craig Lawson | Fall 1994 | Fall 1994 | 1 |
News Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Gomez | Summer 2020 | ||
| Gurpreet Kambo | Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 | 4 |
| Paul Choptuik | Summer 2019 | Summer 2019 | 1 |
| Henry Tran | Spring 2019 | Spring 2019 | 1 |
| Amneet Mann | Spring 2018 | Fall 2018 | 3 |
| Cecile Favron | Summer 2017 | Fall 2017 | 2 |
| Ashley Fraser | Fall 2016 | Spring 2017 | 2 |
| Jamal Dumas | Spring 2016 | Summer 2016 | 2 |
| Melissa Roach | Summer 2015 | Fall 2015 | 2 |
Opinions Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicole Magas | Summer 2019 | ||
| Gene Cole | Fall 2018 | Spring 2019 | 2 |
| Eva Zhu | Summer 2018 | Summer 2018 | 1 |
| Zach Siddiqui | Fall 2016 | Spring 2018 | 5 |
| Adam van der Zwan | Fall 2014 | Summer 2016 | 6 |
Features Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Chia | Spring 2020 | ||
| Winona Young | Fall 2019 | Fall 2019 | 1 |
| Jennifer Low | Summer 2019 | Summer 2019 | 1 |
| Gabrielle McLaren | Spring 2018 | Spring 2019 | 4 |
| Jessica Pickering | Summer 2017 | Fall 2017 | 2 |
| Tamara Connor | Fall 2016 | Spring 2017 | 3 |
| Max Hill | Fall 2013 | Spring 2015 | 5 |
| Rachel Braeuer | Summer 2013 | Summer 2013 | 1 |
| Ljudmila Petrovic | Summer 2012 | Spring 2013 | 3 |
| Kelly Thoreson | Spring 2011 | Spring 2012 | 4 |
| Stacey McLachlan | Spring 2009 | Fall 2010 | 5 |
| Shara Lee | Fall 2008 | Fall 2008 | 1 |
| Maia Britt Odegaard | Summer 2008 | Summer 2008 | 1 |
| Paul Hiebert | Fall 2007 | Spring 2008 | 2 |
| Iain W. Reeve | Summer 2007 | Summer 2007 | 1 |
| Debby Reis | Summer 2005 | Spring 2007 | 6 |
| David W. McLeish | Spring 2005 | Spring 2005 | 1 |
| Sabine Boersch | Summer 2004 | Fall 2004 | 2 |
| Matthew Schum | Spring 2004 | Spring 2004 | 1 |
| Amy Zhang (2nd time) | Fall 2003 | Fall 2003 | 1 |
| Rhianna Coppin | Spring 2003 | Summer 2003 | 1 |
| Ian Rocksborough-S. (2nd time) | Fall 2002 | Fall 2002 | 1 |
| Amy Zhang (1st time) | Summer 2002 | Summer 2002 | 1 |
| Ian Rocksborough-S. (1st time) | Spring 2002 | Spring 2002 | 1 |
| John Kennedy | Fall 2001 | Fall 2001 | 1 |
| Alexander Zabjek | Summer 2001 | Summer 2001 | 1 |
| Josh Byer | Spring 2001 | Spring 2001 | 1 |
| Dee Hon | Summer 2000 | Fall 2000 | 2 |
| Bess Lovejoy | Fall 1999 | Spring 2000 | 2 |
| Ryan Roddy | Fall 1998 | Summer 1999 | 3 |
| Guy Letts | Summer 1997 | Summer 1999 | 7 |
| Mason Wright | Summer 1996 | Spring 1997 | 3 |
| Misha Rainer | Spring 1996 | Spring 1996 | 1 |
| Craig Lawson | Fall 1995 | Fall 1995 | 1 |
| Glen Callender | Summer 1995 | Summer 1995 | 1 |
| Holly Keyes | Spring 1995 | Spring 1995 | 1 |
| Cherata Yawsen | Fall 1994 | Fall 1994 | 1 |
Arts Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meera Eragoda | Summer 2020 | ||
| Marco Ovies | Spring 2020 | Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Andrea Renney | Fall 2019 | Fall 2019 | 1 |
| Alison Wick | Summer 2019 | Summer 2019 | 1 |
| Winona Young | Fall 2018 | Spring 2019 | 2 |
| Natasha Tar | Summer 2018 | Summer 2018 | 1 |
| Alex Bloom | Summer 2017 | Spring 2018 | 3 |
| Jessica Whitesel | Spring 2016 | Spring 2017 | 4 |
Sports Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Webb | Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 | 2 |
| Andrew Ringer | Fall 2017 | Spring 2019 | 5 |
| Nick Bondi | Fall 2015 | Spring 2017 | 4 |
| Austin Cozicar |
Humour Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Siddiqui | Fall 2019 | ||
| Zoe Vedova | Spring 2019 | Summer 2019 | 2 |
| Aaron Richardson | Summer 2018 | Fall 2018 | 2 |
| Janis McMath | Fall 2016 | Spring 2018 | 4 |
| Justin Stevens | Summer 2016 | ||
| Jacey Gibb |
Production and Design Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marissa Ouyang | Spring 2019 | ||
| Timothy Chow | Summer 2018 | Fall 2018 | 2 |
| Linda Shu | Spring 2017 | Spring 2018 | 3 |
| Phoebe Lim | Fall 2016 |
Multimedia Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Blackstock | Fall 2019 | 1 | |
| Melissa Campos | Spring 2019 | Summer 2019 | 2 |
| Adam Madojemu | Summer 2016 | Fall 2017 | 5 |
| Paige Smith | Fall 2014 | Spring 2016 | 5 |
Photo Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Ho | Fall 2017 | ||
| Alexa Tarrayo | Summer 2017 | ||
| Lisa Dimyadi |
News Writers (Assistant News Editors prior to Fall 2019)
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paige Riding | Fall 2019 | ||
| Jess Dela Cruz | Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 | 2 |
| Onoshelema Ogoigbe | Summer 2019 | Summer 2019 | 1 |
| Michelle Gomez | Spring 2019 | Spring 2019 | 1 |
| Srijani Datta | Summer 2018 | Fall 2018 | 2 |
| Henry Tran | Summer 2017 | Spring 2018 | 3 |
| Nathan Ross | Spring 2014 | Spring 2017 | 10 |
Assistant Production and Design Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siloam Yeung | Spring 2019 | ||
| Brianna Quan | Summer 2018 | ||
| Krystal Shiu | Summer 2018 | Fall 2018 | 2 |
| Timothy Chow | Fall 2017 | Spring 2018 | 2 |
| Gabriel Yeung | Fall 2017 | Spring 2018 | 2 |
| Elena Hsu | Spring 2017 | Summer 2017 | 2 |
| Matthew Fong | Fall 2016 | Summer 2017 | 3 |
| Linda Shu | Fall 2016 | Spring 2017 | 2 |
Assistant Multimedia Editors
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Truong | Fall 2019 | ||
| Marcus Blackstock | Spring 2019 | Summer 2019 | 2 |
| Melissa Campos | Summer 2017 | Fall 2018 | 5 |
| Alex Bloom | Spring 2017 |
Staff Writers
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devana Petrovic | Summer 2020 | ||
| Michelle Young | Summer 2020 | ||
| Madeleine Chan | Spring 2020 | ||
| Meera Eragoda | Spring 2020 | Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Kim Regala | Spring 2020 | Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Lubaba Mahmud | Fall 2019 | ||
| Marco Ovies | Fall 2019 | Fall 2019 | 1 |
| Katie Hemion | Fall 2019 | Fall 2019 | 1 |
| Kelly Chia | Summer 2019 | Fall 2019 | 2 |
| Ana Staskevich | Summer 2019 | Summer 2019 | 1 |
| Kitty Cheung | Spring 2019 | Summer 2019 | 2 |
| Michelle Gomez | Fall 2018 | Fall 2018 | 1 |
| Youeal Abera | Fall 2018 | Spring 2019 | 2 |
| Amal Javed Abdullah | Fall 2018 | ||
| Winona Young | Summer 2018 | Summer 2018 | 1 |
| Victoria Lopatka | Spring 2018 | Summer 2018 | 2 |
| Eva Zhu | Spring 2018 | Spring 2018 | 1 |
| Gabrielle McLaren | Fall 2017 | Fall 2017 | 1 |
| Aaron Richardson | Fall 2017 | Fall 2017 | 1 |
Volunteer Proofreaders
| Name | Start | End | Total Semesters in Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Chiang | Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 | 2 |
| Aiya Bowman | Spring 2018 | Spring 2019 | 4 |
| Gene Cole | Summer 2018 | Summer 2018 | 1 |
| Natasha Tar | Spring 2017 | Spring 2017 | 1 |
| Margaret Li | Fall 2016 |
Printing
The Peak publishes weekly during SFU's regular semesters, which totals 13 issues per semester, and 39 per year. Currently, The Peak is one of very few student newspapers that continues to run weekly issues during the summer. Like most of Canada's major student newspapers, The Peak is a member of the Canadian University Press.
In popular culture
Edmonton Journal columnist Michael Hingston published a fictionalized account of his time at The Peak, titled The Dilettantes (Freehand Books). It was named one of CBC Books' must-read books of Fall 2013.[5]
See also
References
- "Newspapers dissolve, form new publication," The Peak, (Vol. 1, No. 1), October 13, 1966, p. 1
- "One paper" (editorial), The Peak, (Vol. 1, No. 1), October 13, 1966, p. 2
- Mike Hingston, "The tumultuous history of SFU's student press" Archived 2007-02-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Peak, (Vol. 121, No. 1), September 5, 2005
- The front page banner read simply, "NAME your student newspaper". The Peak, (Vol. 1, No. 1), October 13, 1966, p. 1
- CBC Books' fall 2013 reading list