Rookie of the year

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October 21, 2013

“Hormones suck,” Tavi Gevinson writes in the introduction to Rookie Yearbook Two, “But being a young person doesn’t always.” Like its predecessor, Yearbook One, this edition compiles the greatest hits of the 17 year-old wünderkind’s online magazine Rookie, with a few exclusives limited to the print edition.

Clocking in at over 450 pages, the collection features articles, interviews, illustrations, photo diaries — even stickers. If you’re a regular Rookie reader, you’ve probably already picked up a copy.

But what about those of us who aren’t a part of Rookie’s target audience? In Gevinson’s first Rookie article, she described the magazine as “a place to make the best of the beautiful pain and cringe-worthy awkwardness of being an adolescent girl.” Most of the publication’s regular writers, illustrators and contributors actually are teenaged girls and young women, and regular columns focus on makeup tutorials, fashion how-tos and feminine hygiene tips. So what does Rookie offer for those of us who don’t fit into the mag’s main demographic?

FYI, quite a lot. Even more than its predecessor, Yearbook Two climbs down from the “No Boys Allowed” treehouse. There are articles about racism, atheism, safe sex, honesty, self love, friendship, confidence and (sigh) puberty, that I wish I had read when I was in high school. Even the quote-unquote girlier entries shine with enough wit and warmth to invite even the most hyper masculine readers. Each page is beautifully and meticulously laid out, featuring collages, illustrations and photographs from a variety of young, up-and-coming artists.

There are also interviews with some seriously cool people — Morrissey, Chris Ware, Carrie Brownstein and Emma Watson, to name a few. Gevinson and co. are clever conversationalists, and their dialogs read like educated late-night gab sessions.

In between articles, Yearbook Two also includes hand-drawn mixtapes, each one custom made for activities like road trips, study sessions or hanging out with fictional characters. As an adamant mixtape maker myself, I have the utmost respect for Rookie’s musical taste — an eclectic mix of alt-rock pioneers, cheesy eighties synth jams and the occasional Taylor Swift single.

Gevinson and co. are clever conversationalists, and their dialogs read like educated late-night gab sessions.

Apart from its readability and nonstop awesomeness, Yearbook Two also offers valuable insight into the teenage girl state of mind. I would highly recommend this collection to parents raising young women: the articles are illuminating, insightful and empathetic, and might help mom find common ground with her sweet sixteen daughter. Men young and old are equally likely to find something here to enjoy; whether it’s the mixtapes, the illustrations or the articles that help shed light on the mystery of the opposite sex, Rookie can function as a field guide to teenagehood regardless of your gender.

I was introduced to Rookie by my partner, who has been a fan of the magazine since day one. Though I was skeptical at first, I quickly fell in love with Rookie’s DIY ethos and its earnest approach to the universal woes of adolescence.

I bought my sister Yearbook One, read every interview with Gevinson I could get my hands on, and promoted the publication tirelessly to friends and family. Since then, I’ve seen the magazine’s popularity balloon — young girls are making zines, building flower crowns and listening to records, all while reading the thrice-a-day updates of Rookie’s online blog. I have hope for a bright future.

Above all, Rookie’s biggest success is that it’s empowering to young women without speaking for them. So many products and publications targeted at the female tween demographic are either laden with advertisements or attempts to keep young women firmly inside established gender roles. Rarely do teenage girls get a chance to speak for themselves — even in school or at home, they’re often overshadowed, belittled as over-emotional or outright ignored.

Rookie, apart from being one of the most inventive, clever and downright awesome online mags around, gives young women a chance to speak up. Turns out, they have a lot to say.

Un-liking Facebook for good

By

Peak Web

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October 21, 2013

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Through my relationship with Facebook, the site acted as a passive watcher, aside from the regular reminders of ironic “pokes” or suggestions to “be the first to like this page.” It was witness to my superior two-line status updates, my “liking” of important pages concerning hugging or peppermint tea, and the creation of an alter-ego, consuming minutes from almost every waking hour.

But during our last few moments together, it was far from silent; Facebook kicked and weeped, asking “are you sure?” reminiscing about our history that will be deleted forever, and trying to entice me with pictures of “friends” that would “miss me” if I left.

Let’s dismiss the arguments that everyone has already heard about social networking sites, but ignores: they’re time-wasters filled with dull, lifeless information. I imagine that many people don’t let the sites consume their lives, and have enough self-control to not wade through the ab pictures, “spiritual” status updates, and ironically-capitalized comments. They get in, find kernels of vital social data (or at least birthday dates), and get out. Maybe you are such a spiritually enlightened, well-rounded person. You still support an egotistical, antisocial society.

Take Facebook’s “Like” system for instance. “Liking” asks users to measure their personal wealth by the quantity of approvals accorded a given posting. This discourages clever observations or significant events in real life, which rarely receive such instant audience approval and gratification, in favour of posts designed for mass appeal.

Rather than signifying a mutual interest between two people, “Liking” enforces popularity and, by extension, an egotistical attitude. Pictures and clever comments are not appreciated for their own merits, but as a means to the popular end.

Facebook users are even given a physical means to track their ego — timelines. This too becomes more than it seems: beyond a personal scrapbook, timelines are a public display of one’s life.

Yet, in spite of promoting faux-popularity, the site encourages antisocial behaviour. The most obvious example of this is the network of user postings and profiles. The ease with which one can scour personal information from others’ profiles means that Facebook users need never ask anyone direct questions about themselves. This is stalker-esque and, despite being termed “creeping,” it is the purpose of the network.

By foregoing personal questions and conversations, people miss opportunities to develop the trust required for such sharing. They share only what they are comfortable sharing with their wide list of acquaintances — who Facebook, of course, lovingly dubs as “friends.” Disclosure, a vital aspect of social behaviour, is lost.

Maybe it takes an extreme case to make such negative conclusions about the site. Maybe some personality types work with Facebook, and some just don’t. But those who remain on the site are fostering an egotistical, anti-social, arguably stalkerish and generally weird social environment, even if they personally steer clear of those traits. These traits will only continue to develop with prolonged use of the site.

No one can avoid it or discourage it except for those who belong to the online society. If that’s you, it’s time to call it off, to end your dependence on Facebook, and to talk to friends (and acquaintances) in real life.

SFSS internal conflict follows alleged physical altercation

By

EIC

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October 21, 2013

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UPDATE (10/31/2019): For an updated version of this story which discusses an external report finding no evidence of foul play in this incident, read this follow-up article.

On Friday, Oct. 11, an incident occurred in the SFSS’s Maggie Benston Centre office that has environmental representative, Monique Ataei, calling for the resignation of member services officer, Moe Kopahi.

Ataei claims that Kopahi lent her his phone to place a call, and when he changed his mind due to privacy concerns, Kopahi grabbed the phone from her hand, inadvertently striking Ataei in the face as he pulled the phone away.

Kopahi stated that he asked Ataei repeatedly to return his phone to him because he “did not feel safe nor comfortable” with the person Ataei was calling having his personal contact information. “I got out of my seat, and grabbed my phone from her hand, which on the way . . . touched her lips,” Kopahi wrote in a statement.

Ataei stated that Kopahi didn’t seem to notice that he had struck her, and was yelling and cursing. While Ataei said that she received no apology from Kopahi, he claims that he told her that his phone hitting her lips was not intentional, apologized, and offered her a hug, which she did not accept.

According to Ataei, the cell phone struck her on her jaw and upper lip, not damaging her nose or cheek. SFU Campus Security was called by a friend of Ataei’s, who she told immediately of the incident. Kopahi left the campus before Campus Security arrived at the SFSS office. SFU Campus Security confirmed that they responded to an incident at the date and time in the MBC area, but can confirm nothing else due to privacy policies.

Ataei claims that she stayed in the SFSS office until 1:30 a.m., icing her face. Her biggest concern, however, is the lack of action from other SFSS board members following the incident.

“The IRO did not contact me,” said Ataei, referring to internal relations officer, Kevin Zhang. “I waited three days for an email from the IRO.”

According to Ataei, Zhang and president Humza Khan were both aware of the incident, but did not contact her until after the weekend. “They didn’t know to what severity it [was] . . . They didn’t know anything. They just knew that I got hit,” said Ataei.

The following Tuesday night, Zhang sent Ataei a text message apologizing for not handling the situation sooner.

He continued, “Lying is wrong regardless whether you win or not. Once you lie and twisted the truth, you can hurt the people around you and you will regret it for the rest of life. I sincerely hope to speak to you asap and I hope that you remain faithful to your morales[sic] and integrity.”

Another concern of Ataei’s is the office environment that allowed this conflict to take place. “This incident that happened is not something that would occur in an environment that is safe and supporting and comforting,” Ataei stated.

Monique Ataei has created an unsafe space for male board members of the SFSS.”

-Moe Kopahi, SFSS member services officer

The Peak first learned of the incident when Ataei sent out an email to board members and other university stakeholders stating that she would not be returning to the SFSS board office, due to a “lack of safety.”

Ataei wrote, “I will not be setting my foot in the SFSS office, for I have seen the lack of response incidents receive from the majority of the executive.” In response, business representative, Brandon Chapman, replied: “This email is unacceptable. You are supposed to be a professional. Stop acting like a child.”

The underlying problem, according to Ataei, is one of a hostile work environment. Throughout her interview with The Peak, Ataei repeatedly stated that she did not feel safe in the SFSS office. “This isn’t the first time I’ve felt scared in the offices,” she said.

In his statement, Kopahi criticized Ataei for her handling of the situation. “Monique Ataei has created an unsafe space for male board members of the SFSS by sending a mass email . . . claiming false accusations.” Kopahi went on to say that he now feels unsafe holding his office hours, and is fearful that someone who has heard fragments of the incident will come to his office with “negative intentions.”

Ataei has requested that the remainder of her voluntary stipend for her year-long term be paid out, a sum of $6,125, after which she plans to resign, as she said she no longer feels she is able to carry out her due diligence in the position.

Ataei is also calling for Kopahi’s resignation, and for Zhang to be disciplined within the SFSS and to be stripped of a month’s worth of his stipend. Kopahi has no intentions to resign, and stated that he will continue in his duties as MSO.

Ataei said she chose to make the incident public because she hopes to change the environment within the SFSS offices. “I’m bringing this externally because nothing happened internally,” said Ataei.

She continued, “I don’t want a student to go through what I did . . . The fact that this could happen appalls me.”

On Friday, the SFSS released an official statement, saying, “The assistance of external parties is being pursued to investigate the incident further and reach a resolution. Meanwhile, other options are being pursued to ensure all Board of Directors members have access to a safe work space to continue with their mandate of serving SFU students.”

“The Simon Fraser Student Society continues to take the safety of its members, staff, and Board of Directors very seriously.”

*Comments on this post have been moderated in accordance with The Peak‘s anti-libel and anti-slander policies*

President Petter wants to stay

By

EIC

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October 21, 2013

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With his term scheduled to end on Aug. 31, 2015, President Andrew Petter is asking the SFU board of governors to reappoint him for another term.

At the time of his appointment, Petter’s primary goal was “to build on SFU’s incredible diversity and combination of strengths as one of Canada’s leading universities.” With his reappointment up for discussion, Petter reaffirmed his goals in a speech to the SFU community last Thursday in the SFU Theatre.

“When I became President, I made it very much my priority upon coming to SFU first to get to know the institution, to get to know the students and faculty and staff, the culture of the institution,” said Petter. “There was a pent up desire within SFU for a dialogue around who we are and what we wish to do going forward in the future.”

After outlining some of the successes of his term — which included greater national and international recognition, improved student services and community outreach, greater fundraising and research grants, and a vision of sustainability — Petter continued with his thoughts for SFU’s future.

“First of all, a major priority from my point of view is to continue to build, based on the vision, goals, and principles,” said Petter. “In terms of engaging students, I have on this year’s goals for myself and the university that we really need to tackle the issue of course access. For students who aren’t able to access the courses they need to complete their programs, I know this is a great frustration.”

During his speech, Petter also expressed his desire for greater teaching support, the creation of blended courses, more support for ESL students, an online education strategy, and further efforts to increase student engagement on campus.

The review process will include the Committee meeting with Petter and consulting with the vice-presidents and deans across the university.

On the research front, Petter hopes to find a new vice-president of research, as Mario Pinto’s term is coming to an end. He also hopes to bring more funding to the university and update the strategic research plan to meet needs of the community.

Petter continued his speech, speaking to the Burnaby campus specifically. “I think one area of priority that I see is this campus. This campus’ connection with the Burnaby community is not nearly as strong or as dynamic in my view as it should be, and maybe that’s because we’re on top of a mountain. Maybe a Burnaby skybus as I call it, or gondola as others of you call it, would be helpful in that regard, and certainly I think that’s something we should push for.”

After his speech, Petter opened the floor to questions from students, staff and faculty. However, not everyone was satisfied with his answers.

“Petter completely dodged two crucial questions, one about sessionals another about labor relations,” said TSSU member Killian Kleffner-Canucci in an email to The Peak. “Petter provided false information about what sessionals gained from the last round of bargaining . . . The major problem, is that his response suggested SFU admin worked for those changes, when in reality they worked as hard as they could to prevent those meager improvements. This insinuation from Petter is an outright lie and very insulting to the TSSU bargaining committee who were the ones fighting with admin (including Petter) for those changes.”

Kleffner-Canucci was similarly upset about Petter comments on budget tightening: “Something doesn’t add up. Budget aside, there are many non-monetary improvements that can be made to the collective agreement in order to improve working conditions for sessionals in particular, which their bargaining team rejected last year. It would be nice if Petter followed up on claims he has made that he wants to provide more for sessionals in the upcoming bargaining (if reappointed).”

Petter was unavailable to respond to these comments before time of press.

Petter became SFU’s ninth president and vice-chancellor in 2010, replacing Michael Stevenson after an international search. Following Petter’s declaration of interest in a second term, the board has established a Committee to Review the President Prior to Reappointment, as authorized by board policy B10.06.

Members of the Committee include Brian E. Taylor, chair of the Board of Governors, Jon Driver, VP academic & provost, John Pierce, dean of the faculty of environment, and additional representatives from the board of governors, the student body, and staff members, among others.

Maybe a Burnaby skybus as I call it, or gondola as others of you call it . . . would be helpful.”

– Andrew Petter, SFU President

The review process will include the Committee meeting with Petter and consulting with the vice-presidents and deans across the university, and with “appropriate external constituents,” according to the policy. Although Committee members Taylor, Driver, and Pierce declined to comment or failed to reply, as deliberations are confidential, Judith Osborne, university secretary, said that students, faculty, staff and some external stakeholders have been asked to provide the committee with their views.

If the committee is satisfied with the results of the review, it will recommend reappointment. If the review does not find Petter to be a suitable candidate, a Presidential Search Committee will be formed as provided in the same board policy that governs the review.

For Petter, the reappointment process is one he welcomes with open arms.

“I really welcome the opportunity both to reflect upon where we’ve come in the last few years at SFU and where we’re headed in the future, and to explain a little bit about why I would welcome the opportunity to continue to play a leadership role in the future development of what I regard as a truly extraordinary institution,” said Petter.

A Year of Touring with the Rolling Stones

By

EIC

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October 21, 2013

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2008. For a lot of people this might just be a year like any other year. Or maybe it seems like an arbitrary combination of numbers. Or maybe it’s the address of your friend’s apartment in that high-rise on the corner of 12th and Williams. Listen, I don’t know your life, but for me, 2008 was the single greatest year I ever lived.

It started like any other year, with January followed by February and then March. I was just a kid at the time, listening to rock and roll music on my transistor radio and dreaming of someday becoming a star. And then, out of nowhere, probably around mid-February, I got a call from Mick Jagger, a recording artist from the United Kingdom. He told me that he was forming a supergroup called “The Rolling Stones” and asked if I was interested in joining them on their year-long world tour. Apparently he had heard about my talent in the school band and thought I would be a perfect addition to their lineup.

At first I was a little sceptical about the call. Some of the tour dates he mentioned conflicted with my responsibilities as a member of my school’s recycling club and I wasn’t sure if Mr. Peretti would be too thrilled about me missing any more meetings. After mulling it over for a while, though, I decided it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up and sent a message to the personal e-mail address that Mick had given me ([email protected]) and said “I’m in.”

Now, a lot of people might not remember the Stones ’08 “An Even Bigger Bang” Tour or their 15-year old clarinet player, but that 178-date concert junket is an experience that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I got to travel all over the world and every day was the craziest, wildest time of my life, but here are a few of the most memorable stops…

Barcelona, February 22nd, 2008

This was my first day on the tour and even though I was a bit jet lagged, I still managed to get up in time for the hotel’s complimentary breakfast service. Although the line for the omelette bar was a bit long, with over six different toppings to choose from, it was totally worth it!

Rio De Janeiro, March 12th, 2008

Rio Baby! Haha . . . This was a wild day. Not only did the hotel we stayed at have free Wi-Fi in every room but at lunch the waiter forgot to charge me for any of my additional drinks! And I had like seven Sprites!

New York City, April 8th, 2008

I had an INSANE night staying up late playing triominoes with Mick and Keith Richards (one of the guitar players). I think the hotel manager might have been a little upset with us when we ordered a pizza at 11 p.m. but Mick apologized and, luckily, they didn’t kick us out.

Tokyo, May 17th, 2008

I went out for dinner with the band at a neat local restaurant called “Hard Rock Café”. It was a really interesting and unique spot and they had all sorts of memorabilia that had been used by real life rock stars! I got to eat a hamburger while sitting only a few inches away from a jacket that had actually been worn by Cliff Burton, the original bass player for Metallica!

Toronto, June 21st, 2008

Mick and Keith went to go see The Love Guru at the theatre near our hotel and asked me if I wanted to join them, but since I was feeling a little under the weather I just stayed in. As bummed out as I was at first, there ended up being a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marathon playing on TVtropolis and even if I wouldn’t call it my favourite show, it was still fun to watch it from the beginning.

Melbourne, July 1st, 2008

The hotel we stayed at here had its own Ping-Pong table in the rec room so some of the band decided to hit a few balls around. I wasn’t as good as some of the other guys but I still had fun playing and joking around, even if I didn’t get all the lines they were quoting from The Love Guru.

Helsinki, July 2nd, 2008

I think I might have seen Tobey McGuire in the lobby at the hotel we were staying at. I really wanted to go up and tell him what a big fan I was and how I had seen most of the Spiderman movies, but I was too nervous and ended up just going back to my room and hung out with Mick and his friend Elton.

Dublin, August 16th, 2008

This was the day that I finally watched The Love Guru! Mick was right, it was the best comedy of the year! “Omar Sharif, my balls!” hahaha . . .

Buenos Aires, October 31st, 2008

I tried the Filet-o-Fish at McDonald’s for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I don’t think I’d ever choose it over something like the Big-N-Tasty but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.

London (in England!), December 14th, 2008

The Who ended up being in town during the final leg of our tour and I was able to score a few front-row tickets to their concert from a local radio station. Being that close to Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey was definitely the most surreal experience I’ve ever had. I was so close to the stage that I almost felt like I was in one of the greatest rock bands of all time!

Vancouver, December 18th, 2008

This was actually just my school’s winter formal dance and not part of the tour. I had a great time dancing the night away and the decorations that the parents had organized looked great! My tour had ended the night before in Calgary and Mick had dropped me off on his way to the Okanagan where he was hoping to go on a few winery tours. It was tough to say good-bye but I’ll always have the memories of my year with the Rolling Stones Band!

Disclaimer: Some of the details of this account may be slightly exaggerated. No, I didn’t actually play the clarinet for the school band and no, I wasn’t really a member of my high school’s recycling club. Even though I would frequently sit in on their meetings, I wasn’t an official member and there’s no way Mr. Peretti would have cared or even noticed if I stopped coming.

Keeping Trudeaumania alive

By

EIC

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October 21, 2013

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Ever since his explosive response to a journalist during the October Crisis of 1970, the fanaticism surrounding one of Canada’s most influential political figures can be encapsulated in three simple words: “Just watch me.”

Sunday Oct. 13 marked the 43rd anniversary of Pierre Trudeau’s famous quote and provided Elise Chenier, associate professor of history at SFU, the perfect opportunity to launch her newest campaign: the Trudeaumania Project.

An energetic, nonconforming politician during the 1970s counterculture movement, Trudeau was treated like a pop star by the Canadian public, who avidly followed his private and political life.

“He had charisma, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” explained Chenier. “No matter where you stood on the political spectrum, his charisma as well as his intellect was undeniable.”

The Trudeaumania Project —put in motion via a Trudeaumania Facebook page last Sunday — aims to reinvigorate the excitement surrounding Trudeau by collecting memorabilia from the era.

Chenier, who teaches a course on the Trudeau era, explained her interest in the subject to The Peak. “I’m of course interested in the politics of the era, which is probably what initially attracted me to that topic. I’m also a child of that era . . . I have memories of his image being everywhere, memories of one of the elections in the 1970s, and my own parents’ and grandmother’s excitement about him being elected to office. I grew up surrounded by that,” said Chenier.

With Pierre Trudeau’s son, Justin Trudeau, now involved in politics and an early front-runner for the next federal election, Chenier feels the “inevitable” comparisons being made between father and son will spur a renewed interest in the issue. Additionally, with the amount of time that has passed since Trudeau’s Prime Ministership, Chenier sees this moment as an important time to collect these artifacts before they are lost.

He had charisma, I don’t think there’s any question about that.”

– Elise Chenier, SFU associate professor of history

“This generation of people who were Trudeaumaniacs, they’re all downsizing in their life right now, and I was thinking ‘What’s going to happen to all of these really cool artifacts?’ They’re probably, a lot of them, going to get thrown out,” said Chenier. “So I thought, why not let’s put the word out and say, ‘Hey we’re interested in them, we’re interested in your stories, your memories . . . let’s collect them and see what we come up with.’”

Chenier hopes that beyond “just watching,” the public will search their old attics and albums for any memorabilia related to the Trudeau phenomenon. She has already received a photograph of a friend’s aunt, smiling in front of a huge poster of Trudeau, and a portrait of the former Prime Minister. Initially, the portrait had been of Pierre and his wife, Margaret, but after their divorce the owner of the piece had Margaret painted out.

Although Chenier has no clue as to what she might discover during this project, there are several objects she is hoping — but not expecting — to acquire.

“I will tell you one of the things I would really love to get my hands on, but I doubt I will because they’re so rare,” said Chenier. “During the 1968 convention when [Trudeau] first was elected the leader of the Liberal party, somebody came up with the idea to print his image on these paper dresses and hand them out to women who were convention hostesses . . . if one of those dresses came into our hands that would be just spectacular.”

These paper dresses were launched as novelty frocks in 1966, but became political propaganda as photo-print portraits.

Although initially spurred by curiosity, Chenier hopes to ultimately use the material she collects to produce a coffee book and perhaps to host some kind of exhibit, “I would really love to bring this to the public and share it with [them]. I think it’s an incredibly fascinating era in Canadian history.”

Looking back at this era, questions arise as to whether Trudeaumania, like Beatlemania, might have simply been a facet of a time when society was less fragmented. When asked whether or not a similar phenomenon could happen again today, Chenier answered, firmly:

“[Trudeau] is a unique person and he’s a unique type, but it certainly could happen again. There’s no reason why it couldn’t happen again.”

Football free-fall

By

EIC

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October 21, 2013

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After the first 2–0 start of the SFU football team’s time in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), things have been anything but perfect for the Clan.

The team has dropped three straight games since their win over Central Washington on the road — all in different ways.

The Clan had a shot in their 30–9 home-opening loss to Western Oregon University in late September. The score was tight until late, but big penalties and mental errors plagued the team all game long, and finally caught up with them in the second half, as the Wolves added a few late touchdowns that the Clan couldn’t answer.

Already missing star receiver Lemar Durant, starting quarterback Ryan Stanford was forced out of the game with a shoulder injury, compounding the Clan’s offensive woes in the game.

Stanford would miss the team’s next game, on the road against Dixie State, a game in which the Clan were simply swept away by the Red Storm. A team that SFU has traditionally had some success against in the past led the Clan 39–0 before the third quarter was done.

The final would be 39–12 after a couple of late SFU scores and, while there’s no doubt the offence struggled, the defence allowed 344 yards rushing and another 251 through the air — it likely wouldn’t have mattered if the offence had been on fire.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Clan lost a heartbreaker at Azusa Pacific. There were positives: Runningback Chris Tolbert had a monster game, rushing for 172 yards and four touchdowns. Stanford returned from his injury, and helped the offence get back on track. He built a 23–3 lead for his team at halftime, and put up 36 points total — but the Cougars scored 41 second-half points to steal the game with a 44–36 win.

But head coach Dave Johnson isn’t about to let the blame fall on his players’ shoulders.

“We made some adjustments and called some different things in the second half,” said Johnson. “Personally, I did not handle playing with the lead very well. I felt the effort and execution our players gave was outstanding and we (the coaches) did not do a good job playing with the lead.

“We let them back in and the next thing you know the wheels are turning and we couldn’t get them stopped.”

What Johnson and his team accomplished in the first two games of the season — knocking off the top-two ranked teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in consecutive games — lends hope to the idea that he and his staff can stop those wheels from spinning before they get out of control.

The Clan will have returned home for just their second game at Terry Fox Field this past Saturday, and the result of that game will go a long way in determining the outcome of the season. The team is a commendable 2–2 away from its home field, and their only home game, a loss, was played in some of the worst weather Metro Vancouver has seen all year.

If they can get on the winning track at home, and keep up the competitiveness on the road, the Clan will survive. If they can get fully healthy, with Stanford continuing to heal and if Durant can return soon, the team could prosper. But if the Clan can’t find some consistency and find a way to slow down other teams’ offenses, it won’t matter who’s under centre or catching passes.

Take the time to make traditions

By

Peak Web

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October 21, 2013

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I hate schedules. Lord, do I ever hate them. I’ve always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda guy, and it’s worked out alright for me so far. Planning just delays the more important stuff; schedules just get in the way of my freedom.

There are very few things I mark on my calendar. Exams, deadlines, and birthdays? Let’s hope I remember them. But I have a few traditions, and I’ll be dead before I mess with those.

Two years ago, for the sake of my sanity, I needed to get out of Vancouver. So, my parents forfeited a romantic weekend in Whistler and donated it to two friends and me for my birthday in November (the chocolates and wine on the bed pillow were a nice touch). Since then, those Whistler trips have grown from three people to 12 to 17.

Just about a year ago, I went out for beers with a couple of friends from this publication, and little did we know it was the start of a weekly gathering, which became something of an institution that we called Wednesday Friendsday. It took some 16 months — and them moving out of Burnaby — for it to end.

Every Wednesday night I knew where I was going to be and who I was going to be with.

One year ago, over Thanksgiving, another two friends and I threw some junk in a car and drove north. We didn’t have a destination, just a direction. This Thanksgiving, we did something similar, the only difference being we headed west — and planned a little tiny bit.

This isn’t a nose-up, eyes-down article telling you my way of life is the only way of life. It’s an attempt to show the value of establishing tradition in your life.

Perhaps Wednesday Friendsday is the best example: every Wednesday night, I knew where I was going to be, and who I was going to be with. The people I shared those 70-odd Wednesdays with are, without a doubt, some of my closest friends, ones I might not have seen on a regular basis otherwise — but I never had to worry about that. It became incredibly important to us; it was borderline sacrilegious to miss a week, no matter the reason.

That may seem extreme — it’s just one week, you might say — but establishing that tradition was essential to the survival of the event, and maybe even our friendships.

The road trip is a way for me to, again, spend some time with close friends, but also to get out of my comfort zone, disconnect from the digital world, and introduce a little adventure into my life (fishing in grizzly country!) Whistler is a time, amidst midterms and dreary weather, to let loose and celebrate.

None of those three events require much thought anymore; they’re embedded in my routine. It’s no longer a question of “if,” but “when.”

Traditions can keep you close, no matter how far they take you.

Jaw-dropping Gravity

By

Peak Web

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October 21, 2013

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Alfonso Cuarón has never been a filmmaker known for his thematic subtlety — a fondness for overly eager and heavy handed metaphors separates his work from his more eloquent forebears.

Gravity, in part due to its quick characterization and on-the-nose visualization of re-birth in the face of adversity, is quite possibly Cuarón’s best film — a title arguably belonging to the socially and sexually conscious Y Tu Mamá También. But in Gravity, with all reservations aside, Cuarón has delivered a mesmerizing and pulse-pounding instant classic.

The film clocks in at a lean 90-odd minutes that unfolds at a feverish, nightmarish pace — despite featuring camera work that is often relaxed and prosaic throughout. But it is in the visual dynamism of the film that Cuarón has stamped his authoritative label as one of the great storytelling artists of the last decade.

In Gravity, Cuarón showcases the entire repertoire of his considerable talent. His bravura filmmaking long went unnoticed and only grabbed attention for the gripping and impossibly complex single-take in Children of Men, in which the director fluidly juggled five actors within the cramped confines of a car during a bloody roadside ambush. The shot is a marvel, and features extraordinary sleight-of-hand, being simultaneously unobtrusive and perversely close to the action.

Gravity features a plethora of extraordinary shots; the opening — a 17-minute long opus in itself — is arguably one of the greatest single takes in cinema. Created almost entirely digitally, Cuarón’s visionary achievement is at times playful, comedic, awe-inspiring and utterly harrowing, while introducing us to the relevant leads and the calamity that sets the movie in progress, all the time floating over a stunning view of the Earth below. It is a magnificent and utterly captivating cinematic experience.

In Gravity, Cuarón showcases the entire repertoire of his considerable talent.

As in Children of Men, the single take as used by Cuarón seeks to be totally immersive, drawing the audience into the world of the film and the plight of its characters. With respect to Gravity, Cuarón often inserts the audience into Sandra Bullock’s space suit, floating between a first and third person view of the action, ensuring we squeamishly feel the entirety and hopelessness of her predicament in a way the cookie-cutter script could never communicate.

There are countless stunning shots in the film, with the most referenced being the opening to Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil, thrilling in its sharing of an imminent and hidden threat that breathlessly sets off its plot. However, despite the innate subjectivity of such a claim, Gravity’s opening is a league apart.

While setting a technical standard for the advancement of digital film as an art, Cuarón’s storytelling prowess and gut-churning ability to drop his audience into an alien and impossibly hostile environment — to actually make us feel the physical constraints of his world — is an unrivalled artistic achievement.

SFU hockey wins first game of BCIHL season

By

EIC

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October 21, 2013

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The Simon Fraser University men’s hockey team opened their 2013-2014 BCIHL season on Saturday, Oct. 12 against the Thompson Rivers University Wolf Pack. Coming into the game with four straight preseason losses, the Clan, playing on home ice at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre, looked nothing like the losers of four straight.

The home team got off to a slow start, however, as the Wolf Pack controlled much of the first period. SFU’s defense was having trouble making the first pass out of their defensive zone, turning the puck over to TRU, which resulted in the away team hitting three posts.

Without an effective breakout, the Clan were unable to mount much offense until they caught a break — a TRU defenseman made a bad pinch giving Nick Sandor and Trevor Milner a two on one as the period was winding down. Sandor, SFU’s player of the month for September, kept the puck himself and fired a laser into the short side top corner. SFU was fortunate to be up 1-0 after one.

The second frame featured the turning point of the game. A miraculous save from SFU keeper Graham Gordon while lying on his back helped his team kill off a five-on-three powerplay. SFU was then given a five-minute power play after a cross-checking infraction from the Wolfpacks’ Daniel Higgs.

On the ensuing man advantage, SFU’s Jesse Mysiorek was left all alone in front of the net and made no mistake.

Mysiorek’s tally came 3:06 into the five minute major, so SFU was still had two minutes of powerplay time. Clan defensemen Jared Eng capitalized on the opportunity, as his floater of a shot from the point found the mesh, rippling behind TRU goalie Mark Menicucci. SFU’s special teams were winning the game for the home side after 40 minutes.

With a 3-0 lead heading into the third, the Clan were looking to close out the game with strong defense and goaltending. Quite the opposite happened as both teams exploded for a total of eight goals over a ten-minute stretch; four goals for each side The prettiest goal of the bunch came courtesy of SFU’s Jono Ceci, as his one timer from Aaron Enns went bar down and landed right in the back of the TRU net. The wild third period ended with SFU walking away with a 7-4 opening night victory.

SFU may not have finished the game the way they would have liked to, but they finished with a win nonetheless. The Clan did what good teams do: they capitalized on the opportunities they were given — in this case scoring four powerplay goals over the course of the game — to leave victorious.

The SFU hockey team now will hop on a ferry and head over to Vancouver Island to play the University of Victoria Vikes for a weekend of back-to-back games. SFU will look to keep the offensive momentum going to hopefully open the season with three
straight victories.

Gevinson and co. are clever conversationalists, and their dialogs read like educated late-night gab sessions.

Monique Ataei has created an unsafe space for male board members of the SFSS.”

-Moe Kopahi, SFSS member services officer

The review process will include the Committee meeting with Petter and consulting with the vice-presidents and deans across the university.

Maybe a Burnaby skybus as I call it, or gondola as others of you call it . . . would be helpful.”

– Andrew Petter, SFU President

He had charisma, I don’t think there’s any question about that.”

– Elise Chenier, SFU associate professor of history

Every Wednesday night I knew where I was going to be and who I was going to be with.

In Gravity, Cuarón showcases the entire repertoire of his considerable talent.