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Movie review: Carnage

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By Adam Cristobal

Simplicity and minimalism allows viewers to focus on the interactions between characters instead

Roman Polanski’s Carnage is based off of Yasmina Reza’s French play, Le Dieu du Carnarge. The adaptation’s basic plot remains more or less identical to the play: two couples meet to discuss an incident between their two respective children, one of whom physically assaulted the other at a public park.

While the pretext of their meeting is to reconcile the incident in a civil fashion, the four parents gradually slip into a war of attrition far more complex than that of their children. The narrative is simple and includes a few lowbrow gags including projectile vomiting, but the characters slowly breach moral discussions that give the production philosophical substance.

The beauty of Carnage is that the entire film takes place in a single apartment. The single set and limited four-member cast allows the film to achieve a kind of succinct and efficient density that is not often seen in North American cinemas. Post-WWII North American culture has maintained a ‘more is better’ mentality, and this mentality eked its way into post-war epic film productions including Cecil B. Demille’s Ten Commandments (1956), Kubrick’s Spartacus (1960), and Don Chaffrey’s later Jason and the Argonauts (1963).

Today, Hollywood’s veritable smorgasbord of sprawling visual splendor persists with the likes of Tarsem Singh, Peter Jackson, et al. So, in the midst of all our cinematic bells and whistles, Carnage works as a cinematic haiku — and it’s refreshing.

That being said, I have not seen Reza’s play or any of the English translations, but word on the street is that those who have seen the play are generally not in favour of Polanski’s film. The play may very well be better than the film, but there’s an even bigger truth at work here: whenever you say any approximation of, “The play/book/original is better than the film”, you sound like a dick. Even if you begin your sentence with, “Now, I’m not trying to sound like a dick”, you still sound like a dick.

Reza’s play won’t be performed at the Vancouver Playhouse ‘til this coming April, so until then, don’t be a dick. Just watch it.

Wikipedia increasingly used as a teaching tool in university classrooms

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EIC
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By Andrew Jeffrey

Online resource gives student writing larger readership

EDMONTON (CUP) — A handful of University of Alberta classes have introduced Wikipedia to their classrooms as a teaching resource this past semester, despite criticisms about the website’s credibility in educational institutions.

The initiative to integrate Wikipedia into classes began in the United States with the Wikimedia Foundation’s Wikipedia Education Program, but has expanded globally to include classes in Canada and India. Professors use the website by replacing traditional writing or research assignments with students writing Wikipedia articles or improving pre-existing pages.

“In addition to getting all the benefits from a traditional research assignment, (students) are also learning new media literacy skills. They’re being exposed to a growing Wiki culture, and they’re being exposed to a very real and very relevant social media phenomenon,” said Jonathan Obar, Wikipedia’s educations co-ordinator for Canada.

Obar is responsible for reaching out to Canadian universities and encouraging schools to use Wikipedia. Originally, the program’s goal was to improve the poor quality of many Wikipedia articles on social sciences. Instead of hiring content experts to fix the problem, the idea of giving students the experience to rewrite them was implemented instead.

“The real goal is to promote Wikipedia as a tool for innovative e-pedagogy,” Obar said. “That’s the main thrust of the initiative at this point. There are other goals that go along with that, like bridging divides between the university community and Wikipedia, and teaching students new media literacy skills.”

Paula Marentette is one U of A professor who uses Wikipedia for her classes. The cognitive psychology professor listed her class on the program’s Canadian Education portal, but has no affiliation with the program.

Marentette, who had never used Wikipedia before the start of this term, sees the benefits in the program, but is measured with her praise.

“From my perspective, this will make [students’] writing more meaningful to them. In a discipline like psychology, students think of an essay as something they write for me, and really that’s very true,” Marentette said. “Few other people will read that work they do in a typical class essay. Here, students were thrilled and scared to hear that other people will read this.”

“Until it’s happened a few times and people get some expertise in it, I don’t know if we really know what its potential is,” Marentette added. “I don’t really need another flaming hoop for students. If they’re not benefiting from it, then I don’t need to do it.”

Jennifer Branch-Mueller, a professor in the U of A’s teacher-librarianship by distance learning program, sees another possible benefit from students using Wikipedia. Besides presenting their writing to a broader audience, digital evidence of these contributions also prepares students for pursuing careers after graduation.

“Having something on Wikipedia, having an e-portfolio, contributing to discussion and blogging, whatever it is, is good for a positive digital presence,” Branch-Mueller explained. “We always talk about digital citizenship, and it’s really important that students think about if their employers are going to Google you, what are they going to see about you online?”

The Wikimedia Foundation also sees this program as beneficial not just for students, as their contributions can help to inform a global audience. “There’s this student at Georgetown University that, in the first semester of the public policy initiative about a year and a half ago, completely re-did an article about the democratic party in Egypt,” Obar said.

“While the article was being edited and afterwards, a revolution happened in Egypt. So that student’s article, the term paper that he did for his class, has received more than 100,000 hits since the article was finished.”

Results like this have swayed professors formerly skeptical of Wikipedia to see its use in the classroom. Marentette says she’ll use Wikipedia again next term, but plans to evaluate it afterward to determine whether to continue with the initiative.

“I would not use this in every course I teach forever, but I think that there’s a place where this works,” Marentette said.

New AD eliminates ticket fees for students

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EIC
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 By Graham Cook

Students will no longer be required to pay to see Clan sporting events

Newly appointed senior director of athletics and recreation Dr. Milton Richards has eliminated fees for SFU students wishing to attend Clan sporting events. Richards spent the last 12 years as the athletic director of California State University (CSU)-Stanislaus where he also implemented a policy that allows students to attend games free of charge.

Upon his hiring in November of last year, an SFU press release quoted him as stating that “Priority number one is to listen. I need to learn what people like about athletics and recreation, and what they expect from us.” In a conversation with The Peak, he said that he has indeed been listening.  Richards shared that he feels that students are very supportive of the athletic program at SFU and that he wants to make it easier for students to come to the games.

However, Richards did state that if and when SFU begins to host playoffs, such as a GNAC or NCAA championship, those games might require a small ticket fee.  As far as where the ticket fees used to go he described the departments financial situation as “all funds budgeting” in which the revenue is put towards ongoing expenses.  He added that he felt it was more important to provide access to the students rather than to worry about that amount of income.

Richards also shared that he has been receiving input from SFSS president Jeff McCann on the possibility of extending or altering gym hours based on what the students want.  He will continue to seek student opinion on the matter, and has looked at opening earlier on Fridays and staying open longer on the weekends.

The athletic director closed by stating that he has been “very impressed with our student body” and that he has enjoyed his first eight weeks at the school.  He believes that this plan is another step in the move to reach out to students to increase their enjoyment of athletics and recreation.

The Black Keys – El Camino

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EIC
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By Kristina Charania

The Black Keys’ seventh coming makes bluesy garage-rock even classier

Here’s a funny tidbit: the car on the front cover of El Camino is, well, not an El Camino. Even better? The band cites their choice of title simply: it sounded cool. C’mon. You’ve got to be a bit badass to pull that one off.

Indeed, The Black Keys’ new production is pretty badass. It builds upon the foundations of its Grammy-winning precursor Brothers by continuing to minimize the Pro Tools and maximize the 50’s recording equipment. The difference lies in the new album’s stylistic simplicity: one step away from bluesy-rock, and one towards legit rock ‘n’ roll. Add classic influences like the Rolling Stones, T.Rex, and The Cramps, and you have the duo producing an authentic and organic gem in an age of auto-tune.

“Lonely Boy”, the first single, is a catchy tune that would be perfectly at home at a late-‘60s discotheque crashed by a very heroin-wheedled Jim Morrison. The nearly scornful attitude (“Well your mama kept you, but your daddy left you/ And I should’ve done you just the same”) is infectious; keep your exes in mind for that one, folks. Another highlight is “Money Maker” — raunchy in all-true rock style through a hypothetical kick in the tenders by that really hot and really unaffordable prostitute that may account for some of that unruly racket you make alone in your sleep.

An emotional highpoint is reached on “Little Black Submarines”, which starts out with fragile vocals and acoustic guitar. Upon assuring you that it is a folksy blues tune for overseas marines and beat-up Yamahas, it fires up for round two of Dan Auerbach’s ripping guitar riffs and an equally thunderous Patrick Carney on drums.

In short, El Camino packs more punch than any other Black Keys recording despite containing a few filler tracks (“Nova Baby” is a suitable bonus track). Regardless, it’s still a must-have for English rock band enthusiasts and alternative rock fans alike. This is the moment where you put this paper down for five minutes and open up your iTunes.

Right now. I’m serious.

Here’s the best thing about winter

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EIC
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By Carnell Turton

The Peak presents a guide to local winter brews made and sold right here in B.C.

Winter sucks. It brings rain, and a sadness that can only come when the sun sets before 4:30 p.m. By the time we finish term papers and exams in the fall semester, we have only a brief break until the madness begins again, and what better way to deal with the grief than with winter ale? It’s designed to have a higher alcohol content to warm the soul that gets crushed with the descending sun.

Red Racer Winter Ale

If you are reading this from the Surrey campus, you are within stumbling distance (which is how you will leave if you drink this beer correctly) of getting this beer straight from the brewer at Central City Brewing, who incidentally is a past winner of the Canadian Brewer of the Year award and also attached to SFU Surrey.

Red Racer’s winter production is robust with a heavy, roasted maltiness. Badass, even. The brewer’s description includes flavours such as treacle, but if you can actually tell the treacle apart, you don’t need to read this article . . . you pretentious jerk.

Granville Island Brewing Lion’s Winter Ale 

A comparatively light ale to parallel Vancouver’s comparatively light winters, this beer’s male is sweet and subtle with a flavour built on what is touted as a “vanilla-like finish”, which is actually supplied by real white chocolate. Like that smug cousin we all hate, Granville Island’s microbrewery never fails us, and this beer is no exception. By leaps and bounds the better of GIB’s two seasonal products. If you haven’t had many beers, start here.

Howe Sound Father John’s Winter Ale

In lectures, I dream of a Shrum Bowl-like competition between SFU, represented by Central City Brewing and Quest University, represented by Howe Sound Brewing.  If such an event were to occur, Father John would be the MVP of the competition. The malt is subtle and sweet, the bitterness almost floral.

This beer is perfectly balanced and the well-trained tongue can discover a new flavour with each sip — nutmeg, vanilla, molasses, and honey, among others. Tread carefully; this is a beer geek’s brew. A refreshing beverage for those post-snowfall days when you can sit with friends in lawn chairs at the bottom of a steep hill and watch the cars skid down . . . then help.

Tree Brewing Vertical Winter Ale

Some say the highest form of flattery is imitation. Following the success of GIB’s winter ale, Tree joined the party with one of their own that builds on the original formula — this time with real vanilla, not to mention made with no preservatives and is not pasteurized (and a little cheaper than GIB). Drink on a Tuesday night during a video game marathon without the threat of an 8:30 a.m. class.

Nelson Brewing Co. Faceplant Winter Ale                                        

For every person who describes this beer as water with a log in it, there is another who claims it as a personal favourite. Nelson Brewery prides itself on using entirely organic ingredients. You’ll find that there is inconsistency between each batch, creating a win-win game of Russian roulette. If you win, it’s great beer. If you lose, then it’s beer.

As the name might suggest, Faceplant tastes earthy and a little bitter with notes of molasses. Drink on the lift, in the chalet, or at an evening soiree.

University Briefs

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EIC
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By Graham Cook

BYU student turned away from exam for wearing skinny jeans

Rachel Vermillion was recently refused access to her final exam for wearing form-fitting skinny jeans. Brigham Young University is owned by the Church of Latter Day Saints, and has a dress code that does not allow women to wear such clothing.

Canadian employers to hire fewer employees in 2012

A survey collected on behalf of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers from August 1 and September 26, 2011 was answered by 324 employers and showed that the number of jobs available in 2012 could be down 2.9 per cent without any increases in starting salary.

RCMP warns of UBC flasher

The RCMP are warning the public that a flasher has been repeatedly seen on the trails of Pacific Spirit Park near West 16th Avenue. The individual has been described as a slim, tanned Caucasian male who is 5’7 to 5’9 and between 30 and 40 years old.

Three Laurentian University students die in car crash

Keegan Melville, Zabrina Rekowski, and Hillary Afelskie were killed in a head-on collision between their Ford minivan and a Jeep. An additional passenger in the minivan, Emily Olmstead, has been brought to hospital but does not have life threatening injuries. The police have ruled out weather as a likely factor.

UBC doctoral student killed in Mexico

Mexican-born University of British Columbia student Ximena Osegueda was found stabbed to death in Huatulco, Mexico. Police believe that robbery was the motive for the crime. Osegueda was working towards a PhD in Hispanic Studies.

A post-holiday Clan update

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EIC
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By Adam Ovenell-Carter

While most people were enjoying their holidays, a fair bit of athletics action that took place over the break. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams were busy over the break, playing five and seven games in December, respectively. But the action on the court wasn’t the only big news of the holiday break.

What else is there, you ask? Well, if you’ve got Clan questions, we’ve got Clanswers, from the stands to the hardwood.

 

Men’s Basketball

The men played three games between December 10 and the beginning of the new year, but only one was against an NCAA opponent.

The Clan dropped a tough 84–83 loss to the Academy of Art University, but rebounded with an 87–39 drubbing of Kwantlen Polytechic. Unfortunately, the Clan lost the most meaningful game of the three, an 87–83 defeat at the hands of Western Washington on New Year’s Eve.

To make matters worse, a number of key players, including leading GNAC scorer Javari Williams, as well as starting point guard Matt Ravio, have been declared — at least for the time being — ineligible to play. That leaves the Clan with only eight players who can participate for the next  few games.  The Clan’s one-point loss to Western Oregon on Thursday however, was a promising sign as the team battled hard despite being  so shorthanded.

The team is still winless in conference play, but only 5–7 overall.

 

Women’s Basketball

The women were much busier over the break, playing five games between December 18 and the 31 alone. The first was a 64–48 loss to nationally-ranked Grand Canyon in Phoenix, but the Clan responded strongly.

They lost to Grand Canyon again the next night, but managed to take the powerhouse, often considered the best Division II school, all the way to overtime before stumbling.

After returning home to the cozy confines of SFU’s West Gym, the team easily dispatched the University of Manitoba Bisons 83–61, and followed that win with another against Trinity Western.

Unfortunately, much like their male counterparts, the women dropped the only conference game of the stretch, a 76–55 loss to Western Washington. However, they were able to rebound with a convincing wire-to-wire, 66–53 win over Western Oregon on Thursday.

With the win, SFU improves to 3–1 in conference play and currently sit fourth in the GNAC.

 

Track and Field

Helen Crofts has been named the University Athlete of the Year by Athletics Canada. The West Vancouver native has garnered countless awards and records this year, despite taking last semester off to extend her years of eligibility.

Along with Jessica Smith, the Clan had a dominant pair of runners throughout 2011,  amd Smith has hinted at the pair racing in the upcoming 2012 Olympics.

 

Clan Fans

New athletics director Milt Richards has made his first major move in his new job. Very soon, all Clan events will be free to all SFU students. The $2 charge has been dropped, so now you have absolutely no excuse to go out and support your Clan athletes. For more information on free ticketing, see page five in the News section.

Canada’s struggles are tournament’s gain

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EIC
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By Adam Ovenell-Carter

Here in Canada, people seem to like hockey. It’s been that way forever and it’s hard to find a single reason why that would ever change. Canada, more than any other nation, has taken a serious liking to the World Junior Championships.

Canada is a consistent threat to win any international hockey event it partakes in. That, like the undying love Canadians have for the game, will likely never change. Canadians pay little attention to the World Under-18 championships, but dedicate their winter holidays to the World Juniors, an under-20 event. The hopes of an entire nation are heaped on the shoulders of a few kids barely old enough to be in first year (which, if I may say so, is entirely unfair). But, thankfully this year, Canada failed to make it to the gold medal game.

Yes, you read that right. The World Juniors is a tournament traditionally dominated by four teams: Canada, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. This year marks the first time in a decade Canada has failed to reach the gold medal game. The Americans failed to make it to the medal round at all. And while three of those four teams finished in the top-four again, it still means there will be some new faces atop the leader board, and gives other teams like Finland and the Czech Republic hope moving forward.

When the United States finally dethroned Canada from the top of the medal podium in 2010, hockey pundits said the U.S. saved the World Junior tournament. Canada had won five straight gold medals, and three consecutive silvers before that. The teams over that stretch could easily compete in an NHL game (good luck stopping the 2005 gold medalists) and scores were beginning to get out of hand. Just when it seemed it would be Canada’s tournament forever, their southern neighbours came along, beat them in overtime, and Canada has now gone three straight years without gold.

So after finishing outside the top-two for the first time in 10 years, the tournament is now, going forward, anybody’s for the taking. Those four traditional powerhouses will be top contenders year in and year out, but now no one is invincible, not even Canada. Canadians might not like to admit that, but that’s how it is.

Russia, who beat Canada in the semi-final game, barely squeaked by the Czech Republic in overtime, a team Canada beat handily during the round robin. The Swedes eked out a 3–2 shootout win against Finland to make it to the gold medal game. Finally, parity has made its way back into the World Juniors.

The unbelievable weight of expectation from a hockey-crazed nation will never dissipate, regardless of how Canada performs, for better or for worse. Canadian hockey fans will continue to watch the World Juniors for years to come; there is no doubt about that. They just might have to get used to seeing another team at the top of the podium for a little while.

For the sake of Canadian sanity, let’s hope Canada gets back there soon. But for the sake of the game,  may the best team win.

Clan drop heartbreaker to Western Oregon

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EIC
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By Adam Ovenell-Carter

That the Clan took the number one team in the conference down to the very last shot is impressive. That they did it playing without the GNAC’s leading scorer and their top point guard (to name just two) is even more so.

The 74–73 loss at the hands of the Western Oregon University Wolves will sting, but the Clan’s effort must not be underappreciated. For various reasons, the Clan were able to dress only eight players for Thursday’s game, and those on the bench included two of the Clan’s top-three scorers, Javari Williams and Matt Ravio. Nevertheless, the Clan played hard and nearly stole a victory and head coach James Blake gave his team full credit.

“I thought it was an unbelievable effort by my guys,” said Blake. “It was going to take the guys, one through eight, to compete.”
“I’m really proud of the guys, even though it was a loss.”

As the score would indicate, the game itself was tight throughout. The Clan opened the scoring on the game’s first possession, but the teams traded baskets early. It seemed as though every time one team sunk a basket, of any value, the other matched right away. And though the early shootout was entertaining for fans, Blake was certainly no fan of it.

To say a frustrated Blake ‘called out’ a few of his players would be putting it lightly, but whatever the animated coach said to players seemed to work. Immediately following the timeout, sophomore guard Chris Evans drained a three-point basket, and the Clan defense forced a number of Wolves turnovers. Jordan Sergent, who took the brunt of Blake’s frustration, came out firing afterwards.
“He’s just a really nice kid,” said Blake of Sergent, “but sometimes you just have to light a fire under him to get him going, and I think we did that.” He rebounded with seven points along with a couple rebounds and blocks to end the half, after being held off the score sheet prior.

The improved play from Sergent and the rest of the Clan built up a four-point lead for the home team as halftime neared. However, a 6–1 run from the Wolves late put Western Oregon up by one heading into the second frame. Despite trailing, the Clan had been getting contributions from all eight players, exactly what they needed to stay in it.

Unfortunately, the Clan struggled slightly to start the second half. After hitting over 40 per cent of their three-point attempts in the first half, the team struggled to hit few, if any, early. But just when it seemed the Clan would have to find a new tactic, sophomore guard John Bantock hit three straight baskets from beyond the arc, pulling the Clan ahead once again.

The Clan, like the Wolves, were unable to pull away once they established a lead. It wasn’t until nearly 10 minutes had passed in the second half before either team built a lead greater than three points.

Zack Frehlick hit a three to put the Clan up by five midway through the frame, but a 9–3 run from the Wolves only continued the see-saw action that had been taking place all game long. The teams went eye-to-eye through to the final minute. Justin Brown hit two free throws to put the Clan up 73–72 with less than a minute to play. But then came the game’s defining moment, as WOU’s Justin Freelander hit a two-point jumper to put his team up with just nine seconds left on the clock. SFU’s Connor Lewis had a chance to win it on a last-second three-point shot, but the ball hit the rim and the horn sounded, as the game drew to a heartbreaking close.

Though the loss hurts now, and though the team still remains winless in the GNAC, the Clan aren’t going to dwell on the result.
“That was the best game we played this year,” said Bantock. “We’ve got to put [the loss] in the bag and move on.”

His coach reiterated that sentiment. “I like to use the chewing gum theory. You chew on a cheap piece of gum for 15 minutes, and then the flavours gone, then you have to spit that thing out and throw it away, and you’ve got to move on.”

As the team improves though, you can expect the games to look less like Dubble Bubble and more like Trident Layers.

“Again, it was an unbelievable effort,” said Blake. “They chewed the hell out of that piece of gum.”

Game in a Flash

Missing two of their stars, the Clan were in tough against the GNAC-leading Western Oregon Wolves.
Instead of rolling over, however, the Clan traded punches with the Wolves from start to finish. Both teams struggled to build a lead of any significance, and as a result the game stayed tied from start to finish.

The real drama came in the final minute. SFU lead by one with 45 seconds left, but the Wolves responded with a two-pointer to pull ahead with just nine seconds on the clock. Connor Lewis missed a game-winning shot, and the Clan ultimately lost by one point.

Man of the Match

With Javari Williams out, Brown takes over as the Clan’s most dynamic offensive player. He delivered, finishing one assist short of a double-double, and was the team’s primary offensive catalyst. He put the team up by one late with two clutch free throws, but unfortunately the lead didn’t hold.

CFS case settled out of court

By
EIC
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1

By David Dyck

After three years of conflict, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) has officially left the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). The issue goes back to 2008, when 67 per cent of SFU students voted to leave the CFS. The CFS, which is the largest student organization in Canada, contested the referendum’s legitimacy, and a series of legal disputes has financially mired the SFSS.

Although a court date had been set for February 12, 2012, for a trial that was expected to last approximately three weeks, the dispute was settled out of court in late December. Both parties released the following statement:

“The
 Canadian
 Federation
 of
 Students,
 Canadian
 Federation
 of
 Students‐
Services,
 Canadian
 Federation
 of
 Students‐British
 Columbia
 Component
 (collectively,
 the
 “CFS
 Entities”)
 and
 the
 Simon
 Fraser
 Student
 Society
 (“SFSS”)
 have
 come
 to
 an
 amicable,
 out
 of
 court
 resolution
 of
 their
 dispute
 regarding
 the
 SFSS
 voting
 membership
 in
 the
 CFS
 Entities.
 As
 part
 of
 this
 resolution
 it
 is
 agreed
 that
 the
 membership
 has
 ended.
 The
 agreement
 was 
motivated 
by 
a 
desire 
on 
the 
part 
of 
all parties 
to 
resolve
 all
 outstanding
 issues.
 The
 parties
 have
 agreed
 to
 this
 common 
statement
 and
 have
 agreed
 to
 make
 no
 further
 public
 statements 
regarding 
this matter.
”

The full story will appear in print and on the web on Monday, January 9.

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