A brother and sister spin puns with surprising e-fish-ciency, with texty results!
Pennies to be used to build new SUB building
By Brad McLeod
In light of the recent federal government decision to discontinue Canada’s one cent coin, Build SFU, the SFSS proposal for building a new student union building, has a new plan to use pennies to the school’s advantage.
The plan, which will become official as soon as next week, will see the SFSS asking students to hold off on any plans to give their pennies to charity, wishing wells or railroad tracks, and instead donate them to the SUB building project.
The SFSS believes if every student gives what they can; the project can easily go ahead without the previously planned increase in student fees. The hard part, they believe, will be assembling the pennies into the structure of the building.
“Pennies weren’t in the original design plan, so it’s going to be a bit tricky to stack them like that” said one optimistic member of the Build SFU team, “but what else could we really do with a bunch of coins.”
With intricate stacking, the SUB building is expected to match the designs laid out earlier this year, with the only difference being that the building will now have the potential to collapse at any given time.
Upon its completion, it will become the first structure in the world to be made entirely of coinage. Construction of the project will be led by a voluntary group of craft makers and model enthusiasts who hope to be working with at least a million pennies.
“I haven’t done the math,” said one volunteer, “but that should be enough to cover 100,000 square feet right?”
Although construction time is expected to be drastically increased due to the meticulous work, the SFSS has maintained that the initiative will remain in the hands of students and that they will still be able to see all their ideas come to life, most likely while attending their grandchild’s graduation ceremony.
In fact, the whole penny idea is a direct result of student consultation as the idea for donations came from a sticky note on Build SFU’s Think Tank board. The student credited with the idea commented, “I don’t think they understood what I meant.”
No matter what this student may or may not have had in mind, the “penny building” has attracted its fair share of support from the student body. Despite being criticized by engineers as “impossible” and “a serious risk to student safety,” most students have expressed their approval for the plan with the majority citing “at least it won’t be gray” as their reason for doing so.
The SFSS expects the new penny-based SUB building to become the heart of the SFU campus, which it will remain for many years to come since, any renovations will not occur until the nickel is taken out of circulation.
2012 Western Conference Playoff Preview
Vancouver
Prediction: lose in WCF
The Canucks, almost inexplicably, are well within the hunt for the President’s Trophy this year for being the team with the best record through the regular season, and it would be their second straight. But, we all know where that got them last year. The Canucks dominated the league through the 2010-2011 regular season campaign, but it didn’t win them the Stanley Cup. This year, they haven’t really dominated anything, yet somehow they find themselves in the thick of it again. That speaks to the ridiculous talent and depth on the roster while on one hand it could be seen as concerning that the Canucks can’t seem to put teams away with ease. The whole year has been a set-up for the playoffs, and the Canucks will have home ice advantage through at least the first two rounds. The Canucks are playing just so-so hockey, but if they can turn it up, they could go deep, again.
St. Louis
Prediction: lose in WCSF
The Blues have been the surprise team of the year, led by surefire coach of the year Ken Hitchcock. They can play an almost mind-numbingly boring defensive game, buts it’s undeniably effective. The Blues are easily first in the league in goals against per game, allowing just 1.86 a game — the second place Kings come in at 2.02, nobody else is even under 2.20. Goalies Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak have been nothing short of sensational, combining for 15 shutouts (nine and six respectively). Elliott is a leading candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best netminder, and Halak has shone in the playoffs before. For teams like Vancouver and San Jose who often rely on offense, the Blues could be nothing but a nightmare. However, the Blues struggle to score goals, and are quite young and inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs. If they run into a hot goalie, they could be toast.
Los Angeles
Prediction: lose in WCQF
Any home ice advantage the Kings get will be because they won their division, but do they deserve it? They are one of the most enigmatic teams in these playoffs (joined by Washington in the East), and one of the most inconsistent. Jonathan Quick has been stellar in net for the Kings, and their defensive style has put them behind only St. Louis in the goals against category. Their biggest issue is unquestionably their inability to score goals; the Kings have the third-fewest goals-for in the NHL. What’s troubling is that the Kings paid big prices to bring in big names like Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, but both have been big disappointments. They say defense wins championships, but don’t expect one in Hollywood this year. A matchup against a playoff-tested team like Chicago could spell disaster for the Kings.
Nashville
Prediction: lose in SCF
Nashville is easily one of the most intriguing teams heading into these playoffs. They gave the Cup finalist Canucks all they could handle, and only got better this year. Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are arguably the league’s top defensive pairing, and Pekka Rinne is a world-class netminder who almost stole the series against Vancouver. They added Andrei Kostitsyn and Paul Gaustad at the tradeline, and paid quite a heavy price to do so. However, the Predators’ undoing last year was their inability to score, and these trades, along with the late-season addition of former Predator and KHL superstar Alex Radulov helps big time certainly helps that. The Predators finally made it past the first round for the first time in franchise history last year, and you can bet they’ll be plenty hungry to get past that this year — and you can bet they will.
Detroit
Prediction: lose in WCQF
Not a lot needs to be said about the Red Wings. They’re perennial contenders, and for good reason. They have Pavel Datsyuk (who the NHL’s players voted as the best player in the world), they have Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall . . . the list goes on. Oh, and that Nicklas Lidstrom guy. The Wings are a tried and true playoff team, and have the Stanley Cup rings to show for it. Jimmy Howard has finally hit his stride over the past two years, and has emerged as one of the NHL’s better goaltenders. They’re well-balanced, well-coached, and well-managed. The only problem is that they won’t have home ice advantage to start the post-season, and are matched up against the hot pick Nashville Predators in the first round. That said, they no doubt have the resources and experience to pull off the ‘upset’, it’s just a matter of whether they will.
Chicago
Prediction: lose in WCSF
The Blackhawks aren’t what they once were, that’s for sure. Still, Chicago isn’t a team to be taken for granted. Marion Hossa has been one of the best two-way forwards — let alone players — in the game this year, and Patrick Kane is always dangerous. Jonathan Toews, in spite of his concussion issues, is still one of the game’s best and was on pace for the NHL’s goal-scoring lead, and even a Hart Trophy before he got injured. Duncan Keith is back from his five-game suspension for his elbow on Daniel Sedin, and isn’t that far removed from being named the league’s top defenseman. The Hawks have plenty of talent in their core group, but after that, the skill levels drop pretty significantly. They might not have what it takes to win another Stanley Cup, but they definitely have a chance at pulling off an upset or two
San Jose
Prediction: lose in WCQF
For a long time, it was looking like the Sharks were going to miss the post-season, which could’ve put them into fire sale mode come the offseason. It could still come to that if they can’t make it deep into the playoffs, and that could be a challenge given their first-round matchup against the Blues. The Sharks know all about making it to the Western Conference Final, and made it there last year too. They looked poised to finally make it over the hump and into the Cup final, but the Canucks ousted them in only five games. With almost the same roster, they barely squeaked into the first round this year. Joe Thornton has proven he can be a playoff performer, as has the rest of the team, but they’ll all need to step up big time to make it out of round one.
Phoenix
Prediction: lose in WCQF
The Coyotes are eerily similar to the Predators of last year. They play an incredibly stingy defensive game that can drive fans and opponents both insane. They get by with whatever offense they can muster, and are riding an up-and-coming goaltender who has been lights out of late (Mike Smith recorded a 54-save shutout last week). That got the Predators out of the first round last year, but they lost to the Canucks in six games in round two. A Phoenix–St. Louis matchup would serve them well, as they wouldn’t have to worry too much about their offense breaking through the dam. But, a first-round series against an offensive team like Vancouver could spell their end. It won’t be easy for the Coyotes to upset anyone, but like Nashville last year, have a chance to surprise.
2012 Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
New York Rangers
Prediction: win Stanley Cup
Everyone knew the Rangers were going to be good this year, but it’s probably safe to say few expected them to be this good. They’re neck-and-neck with the Canucks for the President’s Trophy, and are tops in the East in a number of different statistical categories. The addition of Brad Richards has proven to be one heck of a pick up for previously-maligned GM Glen Sather, and a deep roster only reinforces the team’s regular season. Henrik Lundqvist will likely run away with the Vezina Trophy, and could easily steal a round or two for the Rangers if his teammates falter. With a Stanley Cup winning coach behind the bench and a deep lineup, it’s not likely that’ll happen.
Boston
Prediction: lose in ECF
No one in Vancouver needs a reminder of what the Bruins are capable of, but here’s one anyway. They’re still the big bad Bruins capable of beating you and beating you up, and that’s what got them past Vancouver last June. That said, they barely beat Montreal and Tampa Bay along the way, so they’re not invincible. Tim Thomas isn’t on the roll he was last year, and the team, top to bottom, is no doubt exhausted from their Cup run last year. But, given the talent and brawn they have, would you bet against them without thinking twice? They have three lines that can score, check, and stop goals, and still have the game’s reigning top defenseman — and hardest shot — in Zdeno Chara.
Florida
Prediction: lose in ECQF
The Panthers management opened up their wallets and spent all they could this past summer in free agency, but it was mostly just to meet the salary cap floor. Nonethless, the Panthers surprised almost everyone by making the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. At first glance, they seem like little more than a bunch of spare parts and overpaid free agents, but they’ve come together to win the Southeast Division (although they were aided by the incompetence of the Washington Capitals and to some extent, the Winnipeg Jets down the stretch). As good as a season as they’ve had, they’re still not ready to go far in the playoffs, and will likely be one of the first top seeds to be eliminated.
Pittsburgh
Prediction: lose in ECSF
The Penguins are flat out scary. They have the NHL’s top point-getter in Evgeni Malkin, while he and James Neal are second and fourth in goal scoring, as well. And let’s not forget Sidney Crosby, who’s consistently called the best hockey player in the world. The Kid has 34 points in just 20 games this year, which would put him on a 140-point pace over an 82-game season. Yeah, no ill effects there. They have Jordan Staal, a candidate for the Selke award as the top defensive forward. Marc-Andre Fluery has gained consideration for the Vezina. Matt Cooke has worked on his game to settle it down and it’s been nothing but beneficial. They don’t take as many penalties as they used to, but they play tougher, which will prove invaluable given who they’ll be playing in the first round.
Philadelphia
Predicition: Lose in ECQF
The first round matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia promises to be the most exciting — and most heated — of all eight first round matchups. The Battle of Pennsylvania has become the Vancouver–Chicago matchup of the East. There’s been plenty of animosity between the two teams and no love lost in the verbal warfare that’s been going on, and if the series degrades into a fight-filled hate fest, the Flyers could have the upper hand. The Flyers won’t beat you up like the Bruins, but they’ll wear you down and piss you off — and when you’re up against Crosby and Malkin, getting those two off their game could prove to be the difference. Their one major downfall is goaltending: Ilya Brzgalov hasn’t exactly been a world beater this year, and has been shaky in past playoffs. Against Crosby and Malkin, that could be the difference.
New Jersey
Predicition: lose in ECSF
As per usual, no one has been talking about the Devils this year, but in the middle of a 100-point year, they deserve more attention. Ilya Kovalchuk decided to play like he’s capable of playing, and was a superstar for the Devils this year, and he’s probably the team’s lone game breaker. He’s had plenty of support from captain Zach Parise and veteran Patrik Elias (who, with almost zero acknowledgment, has put up a point-per-game season). Adam Henrique is a strong candidate for the Calder trophy as the league’s best rookie, but has yet to experience the grind of the NHL playoffs. However, the rest of the Devils’ roster is chock-full of seasoned playoff veterans, led by multiple-Cup-winning goalie Martin Brodeur, who has quietly rebounded with an impressive year. That said, they might just not have the talent — especially on the backend — to get past the second round.
Ottawa
Prediction: lose in ECQF
Like the Blues in the West, the Senators have been the darlings of their conference. No one pegged them to make the playoffs, let alone challenge for the Northeast division lead, but they did, and turned heads along the way. Oft-berated centre Jason Spezza has been sensational for the Sens this season, but he’ll be judged by how he performs in the playoffs. Erik Karlsson had a season for the ages, posting almost a point a game from the blue line, while maintaining a plus-17 rating, and Milan Michalek came out of nowhere to score 35 goals. Of course, there’s a possibility it might just be a group of players having career years all at the same time, but if they can keep it up through the playoffs, who cares? That’s a big if, and the Senators might not have the mettle — and especially not the goaltending — to make it very far.
Washington
Prediction: lose in ECQF
What to make of the Capitals? They stunk for the first part of the season, and haven’t exactly been a revelation since. Really, they made the playoffs by virtue of every other bubble team settling for mediocrity (save for Buffalo, but their start was so bad their fantastic finish couldn’t make up for it). But as ho-hum as the Capitals have been, they still have the tools do serious damage in the playoffs. Alex Ovechkin, for all his struggles, is still one of the best hockey players in the world. Nicklas Backstrom is finally back and healthy, and he’s one of the best set-up men in the NHL. They have the skill — so much so that The Hockey News had them as Cup winners in the preseason — but they can be stubborn and selfish, and that could, and likely will, be their undoing before they make it very far.
Clan kick off outdoor season in style
After a highly successful indoor season, SFU’s track and field team is poised to impress in the outdoor portion of their 2012 season as well. In their first event of the season, the Clan did just that, continuing their success from their indoor season at the Ralph Vernacchia Open, hosted by Western Washington University.
Ryan Brockerville’s season got off to a fantastic start, as he continued his strong year. For the third straight year, he won the 3000-metre steeplechase competition, and his first-place finish earned him an automatic qualification into the GNAC championship meet. Brockerville has dominated the event, and as he finished in 9:03.95, he not only broke the record for the event, but broke his own.
Brockerville was no doubt the star of the men’s side at the event, but that’s not to take anything away from his teammates. It was freshman Stuart Ellenwood who led a strong Clan contingent in the 800-metre race. He finished the event in second place, just ahead of teammates Adam Reid and Yubai Liu, who finished close behind in third and fourth, respectively. The trio didn’t gain an automatic qualification, but all three earned provisional ones. Two others, Anton Hemeniuk in the steeplechase and Travis Vugteveen in the 1500-metre, did as well, rounding out the men’s provisional qualifications in the individual races. The quartet of Ellenwood, Liu, Vugteveen, and Zach Conard ran to a third-place finish in the 4×400-metre relay, capping an impressive outing for the men.
Not to be outdone, the women’s side turned in an equally impressive performance. Sophomores Sarah Sawatzky and Lindsey Butterworth, who both finished first in their respective races, led the Clan. Butterworth is no stranger to the top of the podium, and ran her way there again in the 1,500-metre race, but Swatzky’s win in the 800-metre event was the first win of her collegiate career. Fittingly, Sawatzky (as well as Butterworth) earned provisional qualifications to the GNAC championship.
Michaela Kane joined Butterworth in meeting the 1500-metre standard, as she too earned a provisional qualification; Andrea Abrams and Charlotte Crombeen accomplished the same feat in the 100-metre hurdles.
The women’s side also had a great day off the track. Jade Richardson had another first-place finish for the Clan, winning the discus with a throw of 42.06 metres, putting her straight into the GNAC championships. Crombeen had another impressive showing in the long jump, as did Mercedes Rhodes, as the duo earned provisional qualifications. Aisha Klippenstein in the triple jump, Michelle Stuart in javelin, and Ryley Carr in the hammer throw joined them in that regard, rounding out a fantastic start to the season.
The Clan’s record is impressive enough, but one must remember the Clan are in their outdoor season now, and are at the mercy of Mother Nature. She tried her best to slow the Clan down, but she couldn’t — and that didn’t go unnoticed by the team’s head coach.
“I was very happy with our first meet,” said head coach Brit Townsend. “It poured rain the whole day and was unseasonably cold. The athletes kicked off the season with several GNAC qualifying performances and some individual titles.”
Those finishes speak for themselves, and it’s clear the Clan are ready to pick up right where they left off from their podium-topping indoor season.
Thomas Mulcair voted in as new NDP leader
Montreal MP takes 57.22 per cent of the final vote
TORONTO (CUP) — Thomas Mulcair has been voted into the position of leader for the federal New Democratic Party.
Members of the party voted over the course of a two-day convention in downtown Toronto on March 23 and 24. The winner emerged from the initial seven candidates that were cut down over the two days.
Mulcair received 57.22 per cent of the final ballot, with former NDP president Brian Topp coming in second with 42.78 per cent. In the end, four rounds of voting were needed to reach the announcement of Mulcair as winner. After lengthy delays in the voting process, Mulcair took to the podium to present his victory speech about 12 hours after results of the advance votes were announced.
“The challenge that faces us is not a failure of ability or talent, it’s a failure of leadership,” said Mulcair in his victory speech. The crowd, which hit a peak of about 4,600 people Saturday, gave Mulcair a standing ovation as he took the podium and remained standing throughout his speech.
During his comments, Mulcair, a Montreal MP, highlighted a need for the public to be considered as much part of the NDP’s central agenda as what goes on within Parliament.
“We will unite progressives, unite our country, and together we will work towards a more just and better world,” said Mulcair in the final speech of the night, which also referenced a decline in youth voter turnout in recent federal elections.
“It’s not that they don’t care, it’s that they don’t trust that their vote will make a difference,” he said in regard to youth voters.
Saturday’s result came after a day of lengthy delays. Lines of NDP members at Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre faced waits before casting a vote, while the NDP’s specialized vote website suffered a slowdown because of an apparent high volume of traffic, as well as a reported cyber-attack.
Lines at the convention centre stood still for such long periods of time that those successful in casting a vote drew cheers from the waiting lines.
Leadership candidates dropped out of the three voting rounds, with the first round beginning Friday night. Current MPs Paul Dewar, Peggy Nash, and Niki Ashton, and Nova Scotia candidate Martin Singh had exited the leadership race by the end of the second round. After stepping down, Singh passed his support to Mulcair, while Dewar and Nash stayed neutral.
British Columbia MP Nathan Cullen was knocked out of the final ballot after coming in last in the third round of voting. He remained neutral after releasing his supporters.
It was during that third round that technical problems escalated.
Stagnant lines developed in the convention hall as the lagging vote website slowed the process. People also had trouble casting votes online. An alleged attack on the voting website by an outside party was suggested to have been the cause of the delays.
The technical difficulties led to complaints over social media from those waiting to vote in-person and online. The NDP resorted to staggering voters casting a ballot in person and those voting online, to keep visitor traffic at a slower, steadier rate. The fourth round of voting was also extended by an extra hour, in order to enable online voters to vote.
“Still can’t vote on the web: ‘Sorry, The site is temporary unavailable. Please try again later,’” tweeted user Tod Maffin.
“Been trying to vote since 7:04pm. No Luck. Will there be a time extension in the name of #democracy?” said Kathleen Mathurin over Twitter almost an hour after the tweet was posted.
Social media was a large aspect of the two-day conference, as Mulcair’s campaign team was trying throughout Saturday to trend on Twitter and hosted meetings of social media users to boost their online profile.
