SFU entrepreneurs face off in competition

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February 20, 2012

Texts 4 Health winner develops technology to help practitioners communicate with patients using mobile phones

The fourth annual Coast Capital Venture Prize Competition finals, which saw SFU business students competing for $5,000 in cash prizes, took place on February 11 at SFU’s Segal Graduate School of Business.

The eleven teams were vying for $5,000 in cash prizes amounting $3000, $1500, and $500 for first, second, and third place, respectively. In order to qualify, a predetermined amount of the company or established firm must be owned and controlled by an SFU student. Throughout the day, contenders had five minutes to present their business plans before a board of start-up experts. Similar in proceedings to the reality television show Dragon’s Den, the panellists probed student business plans by testing preparation and questioning statements given in the proposal. Recurrent themes that came up in the questioning period were related to the feasibility of securing financing with venture capital firms or investors, as well as scalability in the sense that the company would have a niche and could potentially grow rapidly. The five judges included Lawrie Ferguson, Coast Capital Savings’ chief marketing and public relations officer and Ian Hand, associate director of SFU’s innovation office.

Presenting companies in the competition came in all forms, most having high growth, technology-oriented models, and were initially funded by the founders themselves. Bella Hwang nonchalantly accepted her first place plaque for her presentation of Texts 4 Health, a company which uses automated text message replies to plot information on potential health problems with an online analytic interface. This technology is meant for communities with high mobile phone usage but low frequency of visits with health practitioners who may now offer advice remotely in a mass communication format.

The second place winner was VenueWize, a startup created by Arvand Alviri which concentrates on helping corporate and nightlife event organizers receive analytics from their guests using existing communications infrastructure. The company has an iPad as well as an iPhone app in the app store. “Don’t listen to the market,” Alviri offered, relating how others told him not to waste time and resources developing an iPad app as event organizers and conference attendees were seemingly unlikely to use the device.

Third place was taken by Ads On Naps, an advertising distribution company specializing in the printing of advertisements on napkins and coffee sleeves. “We want to become the one-stop-shop for non-traditional advertising,” remarked Phillip Chow, co-founder with Jag Manhas, both of whom have appeared on Dragon’s Den.

Venture Connection provides a network of services for students to take inspiration to market. Whether student businesses are mere ideas or established with existing revenue streams, developmental offerings are available; resources such as Venture Labs, co-op terms, competitions, mentorship, networking, workshops, and seminars are accessible to encourage success in the business world. Student companies requiring space for their operations can even apply for rent-free office space at SFU’s Surrey and Burnaby campuses.

Tesovic, the previously mentioned panellist, is also a Billboard Top 30 under 30 reward recipient, 2008 Student Entrepreneur of the Year, and current student in the Beedie School of Business, as well as another beneficiary of the Venture Labs program. Metrolyrics now receives approximately 45 million unique monthly users according to the company he founded in 2004, MetroLeap Media. Venture Connection supplied his recently monetized company with expert advice and a solid exit strategy for selling to CBS Interactive Music Group. After the competition, Tesovic gave the keynote speech, relating his own story of trials and errors in creating a highly successful student run start-up which became a global leader in its industry. Milun Tesovic now works for CBS interactive out of New York City.

The Daily Snooze: Investment Banking

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February 20, 2012

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By Jacob Samuel at The Daily Snooze

Movie review: The Vow

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February 20, 2012

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By Meaghan Archer

Tearful, with neither acting nor wit to redeem its several unexpectedly awful moments

There is a basic structure to chick flick storylines that one expects to play out in the same way for every rom-com. Sometimes, however, the trope of two people falling in love, experiencing a relationship disaster, and arriving at a happy ending is not followed.

The Vow is one of the aforementioned deviant movies that do not show you the story you were expecting. Yes, the main characters Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams) fall in love and experience a tragic disaster when she loses her memory after a terrible car accident, but you assume that eventually they will be happy again.

The story has several discontinuities and introduces several details that are never brought up again afterwards, such as when Paige is trying to piece her life back together through a photo timeline she creates on their dining room table. Then something dramatic happens. This will happen again and by the third time you will be frustrated that all these events are happening in an unorganized fashion.

But what is the most frustrating is that despite the terrible acting and storyline, you still cry. Your nose is running and your only tissue is soaked with tears and snot and you feel so bad for Leo and his broken heart and want to give him a hug, but then the movie ends (you have no idea it is ending because the ending is atrocious) and all you can think is, “Oh good, this is ending the way I want it to.” But it doesn’t ‘cause it just ends. Right there. That’s it. Worst. Ending. Ever. (Probably.)

The ending doesn’t make any logical rom-com sense until a photo of the family The Vow was inspired by comes up on the screen explaining what happened to her in the end. Then all you can think is: “Oh. Well, shit.” Do not expect what you want to expect, unless the only thing you are expecting from this movie is to see Channing Tatum shirtless. That might be the only satisfying aspect of the film.

Clear skies for Cloudscape Comics

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February 20, 2012

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By Will Ross

Cloudscape anthologies cater to the demand for local comic artist work

It began as a series of informal weekly meetings among comic enthusiasts, but when the turnout exceeded expectations, the concept of Cloudscape Comics turned into a reality. “I thought, ‘We’ve got enough people here, if you take a book, and we split it up, five pages per person, we can probably print a book,” said Cloudscape founder and president Jeff Ellis.

Founded in 2007, Cloudscape Comics is a community of Vancouver comic artists dedicated to giving worthy comics support. “Comics are, if you can believe, not a real money-making venture,” said Ellis. The non-profit society grants its artists exposure by releasing comic anthologies, each with a host of contributing artists and unifying them. When they cleared all of their stock of 250, another anthology followed. “We sold out of all our books and thought, ‘Well, let’s try this again,’ and that was Historyonics, the second book. We decided to push a little further, so we went to a bigger printer and sprang for maybe a thousand books.”

Their latest publication, 21 Journeys, is about travelling, but that theme leaves ample room for creativity. “You have straight-up stories from a bus, and then you’ve also got serial killers and people with obscure psychological disorders and suicide attempts, historical remembrances,” said Ellis. “So it really covers a large gamut.”

Cloudscape has released five anthologies, growing more ambitious and confident with each one. “We’ve learned more about the actual production of the book, and the quality of the content has also improved,” said Ellis. “We’ve seen a lot of success for our creators as well, over the years.” That success includes three self-publishing grants awarded to artists in 2010 by the Xeric Foundation, which has since discontinued such grants.

But Cloudscape is not only a haven for experts. It also exists as a place for beginners to learn about comics. “I see Cloudscape as a place to cut your teeth,” said Ellis. “You come here and, if you’re not quite ready, you can learn some things from some of the veterans and practice and improve your skill, and maybe get yourself to a point where you’re gonna be ready to strike out on your own.” The focus on community extends to every aspect of Cloudscape’s operation. “With Cloudscape, decisions are made communally, the money’s communal, the books are shared communally,” said Ellis. “I don’t think there’s anyone else doing what we’re doing.

That only makes the problem of distribution and promotion, already a steep hill to climb for comics, even more challenging. “There’s only one company that distributes comics to comic book stores in all of North America,” said vice-president Jonathan Dalton. “Most publishers will have a big industry all set up, and distribution deals with chain stores, and all those kind of things. We don’t have that, because we’re just Cloudscape. We’re just ourselves.”

There are, however, no illusions of becoming an industry power player. “We’re not expecting to be the next Marvel Comics,” said Ellis. “From day one it’s always been about sustainability.” So far, so good: since their first book, Cloudscape’s anthologies have gotten longer, moved from black and white to colour, and attracted notice from major artists — including cover art by Camilla d’Errico for their science fiction anthology, Exploded View.Ellis hopes that soon Cloudscape won’t have to ask its contributors for financial help. “Our goal is that we can make these books without it being a cost to anyone. Then we would be free to have those artists that we think really deserve to have their work in print, put them into a book, and not have to then pass the hat and expect them to fund it.”

If things go their way, Cloudscape could eventually lend a hand to artists looking to publish solo comics. “I would like to see Cloudscape bankroll an individual’s work, especially now that grants are no longer being awarded,” said Ellis. “If someone’s got an amazing comic idea and they just don’t have the money to print it, maybe we could be the people to help them do that.”

21 Journeys is available at most comic stores or on www.cloudscapecomics.com.

Movie review: This Means War

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February 20, 2012

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By Christina Luo

Forget 3D glasses for enhanced viewing; take a shot every time you spot a Vancouver site instead

Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (Inception) are CIA operatives who engage in what starts as a friendly battle over a love interest, played by rom-com deity Reese Witherspoon. This Means War is equally as entertaining as the plot is ludicrous, probably because the leads still look downright attractive doing ridiculous things.

This is also due to the bromantic bickering between Pine and Hardy, executed by co-writer Simon Kinberg, of Sherlock Holmes definitely added to an otherwise eye roll-inducing dialogue.

We all know how much fun it is to identify local markers in Hollywood films, and this Vancouver-filmed production gives the audience plenty, including the Blarney Stone patio and Barcelona nightclub on Granville.

Demoted to their desks after blowing a covert job atop what we know as the Bentall office towers, best mates and partners FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) are left to ponder over the next best thing in a man’s life: women. After a simultaneous 3-2-1 unveiling of their girl of interest, Lauren, they make a ‘may-the-best-man-win’ pact.

The result is an uproarious montage of date-sabotaging via tranquilizers and air drones employed by their respective surveillance teams, which inevitably tears the codependent friendship apart as Lauren continues to be irritatingly indecisive about the two very different men.

Witherspoon and Pine may be the main attractions of the cast, but Hardy’s British wit was a standout as he portrayed the brutish but sweet Tuck, making the audience root for the underdog over smooth operator FDR. TV personality Chelsea Handler essentially butchered her acting career as Lauren’s crude best friend by barely making eye contact with Witherspoon, a shame as the character is given many-a-zinger, like encouraging Lauren to make her decision between her two gentleman callers by means of a sex tiebreaker.

This Means War is not by any means an outstanding rom-com, nor will it be remembered in a few weeks’ time. Jokes fall painfully flat and bad guy Til Schweiger (Inglorious Bastards) is wasted as the sideline scowl in underwhelming action scenes. Nonetheless, cast chemistry saves the film, upgrading it from another lonely girl’s torrent to a light-hearted romp that will appeal to both genders.

Movie review: The Secret World of Arrietty

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February 20, 2012

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By Will Ross

Arrietty proves cartoons aren’t just for kids, and is beautfully crafted inside and out

Though The Secret World of Arrietty wasn’t directed by animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki, it fits handily into his canon, in no small part because he helped to write and plan the production — while still proving at long last that Studio Ghibli can reliably proceed with directors other than Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.

Though there have been Ghibli films from other directors, Arrietty is the first which feels like a major work, fully and brilliantly realized by masterful hands – the most important of which belong to Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who flawlessly crafts a story of quintessentially broad perspective: A family of four-inch humans live hidden away in the home of regular-sized humans.

The story is as gentle as they come: The family of “Borrowers” takes what they need to survive from human stockpiles (a sugar cube here, a tissue there) without being seen. The sole child in the family, Arrietty, is spotted by a human boy who has come to visit, and the discovery sends their secret lives into turmoil.

That story, which is based on the English novel The Borrowers, confronts mortality with surprising maturity. In one scene, the boy speculates that Borrowers are an endangered species doomed for extinction. It seems, at first, to be the insensitive fantasy of an adolescent; the boy soon admits that he has a probably fatal heart condition and is days from an operation that probably won’t save his life.

As the boy’s operation draws nearer and the Borrowers face possible extermination, neither party has a solution for the other’s problems. They take their best option: to live gracefully and with sympathy for one another, regardless of their dubious futures. It is, to be sure, a welcome variation from typical family fare, which too often seems in denial of death.

It is a testament to the animators’ technical skill that Arrietty’s execution surpasses its premise. The Borrowers’ world is fully realized; one can forget that they’re tiny until noticing a detail like a water droplet the size of Arrietty’s head. Each character moves with elaborate, realistic beauty, and facial animations act out each character’s performance subtly. Some of the moving-perspective shots are among the best I’ve seen this side of The Thief and the Cobbler. Technically, emotionally, and thematically, it’s complete and intelligent enough to rank among the great films of Studio Ghibli.

SFU students help restore burned museum

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February 20, 2012

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By Sahira Memon

Chase museum damaged as a result of arson

An SFU archeological conservation class is traveling to Chase, B.C. to help restore and conserve precious artifacts that were charred and damaged in two fires at the Chase and District Museum and Archives.

“We had the opportunity to do other projects but the 14 of us felt as though we would have a better time in Chase,” said Mike Koole, one of the students, in an email to The Peak.

To prepare for the project, the students devised a number of fundraising efforts, including emails to prospective donors, ads in the archeology program’s Debitage publication, going to archeology classes and seminars and asking for donations, and a meet-and-greet dinner where volunteers collected donations instead of tips. These efforts were aimed mostly at teachers and students. Larger fundraising efforts like bake sales will be pursued after the trip to Chase.

The students will be using conservation methods learned in class, and will mostly be dealing with recovered artifacts covered in soot and melded with plastic.

The Chase and District Museum and Archives was founded in 1910, in a building that previously housed the Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament. It is developed and run predominately by volunteers, as it is difficult to hire full time staff due to a lack of funding. It housed artifacts such as archival files describing the life of historical figure and famous train robber Billy Miner, and archeological materials held for the Little Shuswap Band.

The fires that caused the damage occurred on July 9 and July 12, 2011. On July 9, Joan Anderson, volunteer office manager of the museum, was woken up by phone calls from the museum alarm system and the fire department and rushed down to the scene. A fire in the basement had occurred, but due to rapid response from residents surrounding the museum, damage was kept to a minimum. Gas soaked rags found at the scene suggested foul play. The ill will was confirmed with a much more aggressive attack on July 12, in which “arsonists gained access to the main floor and proceeded to vandalize the exhibits, the office, and the kitchen before setting several fires throughout the building,” said Joan Anderson in an email to The Peak. Due to damage inflicted on the alarm system during the first attack, by the time the presence of the arsonists was suspected, it was too late. Large fans meant to clear the air from the first fire fanned the flame for the second and as a result, the offices and archives of the museum were severely damaged. “I was saddened and shocked at the extent of damage,” said Barbara Winter, the SFU archeology professor leading the trip.

When it comes to restoration, a lack of complete insurance due to a shortage of funds has increased the load financially on the volunteers and supporters of the museum. An estimated cost of $50,000 is expected to cover the remaining damage. The museum is relying on donations and support from the community to keep it running.

UVic anti-abortion club loses public space privileges

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February 20, 2012

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By Brandon Rosario

University of Victoria Students’ Society board votes to censure and suspend group’s booking privileges for public spaces

Victoria (CUP) — After more than three months of committee deliberation, the University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) has passed a motion disciplining UVic’s anti-abortion club, Youth Protecting Youth (YPY), for hosting a contentious demonstration on campus in November. The “Choice Chain” demonstration featured club members standing in the quad holding large pictures of purportedly aborted fetuses with the word “Choice?” overtop.

During a well-attended UVSS board meeting on February 6 that saw a heated debate over interpretation of the society’s harassment policies, directors voted in favour of the complaints committee’s recommendations, which included a censure and a suspension of the club’s booking privileges for public spaces until spring 2013.

“I’m disappointed with the decision,” said YPY vice-president Catherine Shenton. “As much as I recognize that people are very upset with our actions, I believe that freedom of speech is more important than feelings.”

Director of student affairs Jenn Bowie, who chaired the complaints committee that recommended the disciplinary action, made it clear that the decision was made as a result of policy violation, saying arguments surrounding the suppression of free speech did not excuse YPY from publicly harassing students with graphic images of abortion.

“When your freedom of speech violates the rights of others and you engage your freedom in a way that causes harassment on a non-consensual basis, then it’s no longer freedom of speech,” said Bowie. “To censure somebody is to publicly express disapproval of an action, and the committee feels that the actions [YPY] took during the Choice Chain event were actions of which we can’t in good [conscience] approve of.”

The motion, which passed with 15 votes in favour, two abstentions, and one opposed, did not revoke YPY’s club status or funding. The group will continue to receive booking privileges for Clubs Days and its meetings, but has been ordered “not to repeat the violations and, in particular, not to organize or conduct ‘Choice’ Chain or similar events,” according to the meeting agenda.

Director-at-large Gabrielle Sutherland was vocally supportive of the club’s assertion that it was not guilty of harassment, calling the policy in question “out of order and in sad need of being redrafted.”

“It takes away burden of proof from the accuser and removes any presumption of innocence, particularly when you couple it with harassment being a feeling,” she said. “How do I defend myself if I’m accused of harassing somebody based on their feelings? I can’t because to do so would require my ability to read your mind and say you don’t feel a certain way.”

Sutherland was scheduled to propose a motion that would strike the harassment section of Clubs Policy and send it to policy development to redraft. However the meeting was adjourned early due to the tense atmosphere and her proposal was not deliberated.

Before the board voted on the motion, members of the gallery — which included the YPY executive and several representatives from other concerned groups including SRJ — were given the opportunity to speak to the issue.

Marie Clipperton, one of the students who filed a complaint against YPY after its “Choice Chain” event, said that any concessions the UVSS made to a group that violated harassment policy would send out signals indicating that the board is willing to be bullied.

“No university or student society should grant permission to organizations to hold an event on campus that breaks their very own harassment policy,” said Clipperton. “[YPY] needs to be held accountable just like any other club or person would be.”

Brittany Bernard, a member of SRJ, said she had to assist three distressed women during the demonstration who felt targeted and humiliated by the graphic images being displayed by YPY. Other women found they were unable to attend campus until the demonstration was over.

“The Choice Chain demonstration was a tool used to discriminate against individuals based on family status,” said Bernard, adding that the positioning of YPY in the quad made it almost impossible for students to avoid viewing the images.

YPY vice-president Cameron Cote denied the allegations of discrimination, saying that the use of graphic signage was not an attempt to communicate a moral message, but rather an effort to encourage the consideration of alternative views — something he says is integral to the promotion of cultural and intellectual diversity on campus.

“How can a picture in and of itself harass someone? The pictures were simply pictures, they were simply facts, they don’t pass judgement on people and they say nothing about the morality of abortion,” he said.

YPY indicated they have no intention of defying the board’s decision, though they plan on holding a meeting to re-evaluate and discuss their situation.

Bowie explained that in the case of noncompliance with a UVSS mandate, further disciplinary action would be considered in another complaints committee.