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The true story behind That Dragon, Cancer makes it more than a game

By
Peak Web
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Image courtesy of Numinous Games

By: Amal Abdullah

That Dragon, Cancer is a game created by two parents, Amy and Ryan Green, to eulogize the life of their son Joel, who was diagnosed with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) at just one year old. Joel went through extensive therapy, and his parents fought for their son’s life with him, but he eventually died at the age of five. His parents came up with the idea for the game when he was still four, and after Joel passed away, worked hard on it with a team of other developers, releasing it on what would have been Joel’s seventh birthday.

     The game takes you through the family’s journey with Joel’s illness. It’s constructed with a strong narrative arc, with emphasis on the ups and downs of Joel’s everyday life. The developers use the power of highlighting small, seemingly insignificant moments in Joel’s life to make the player think and reflect. When Joel’s brothers question why Joel throws an entire loaf of bread instead of tearing off a piece when the family is feeding a duck at a pond, or why he can’t yet speak at two, their mother makes them understand that Joel’s cancer has delayed his development. Moments like these put the player in the family’s shoes and make them realize what we take for granted.

     Throughout the game, poetry and prose are used to engage the player in the emotions that the family experience. Early on, the player is asked, “What is pain . . . without a word for it? What is hope, without a word for it? Or who is God? Or what is joy?”

     You, the player aren’t just an observer, but an active participant in Joel’s journey. You take part in the family’s happy, carefree moments — pushing Joel on the swings in the park, or cheering him on as he comes down a slide — but it also comes with experiencing the uncertainty and fear as you progress through his illness. Watching Joel’s parents live through their son’s cancer, though you know what you are watching is only a game, is equally sad and terrifying. The game explains it perfectly in its claim that “Fear is cancer’s preservative. Cancer’s embalming ail. And you, oh Accuser, are fear’s ail salesman. You’re a snake. A serpent. A dragon with snuffed-out coal on his breath. Melting; talons broken from the struggle to free yourself of your own skin.”

     The name is metaphorical, likening cancer to a dragon and Joel to a knight. The game gives hope that the dragon can be defeated, but that it requires a fierce and brave warrior willing to put down their own life to defeat it. This game humanizes the battle; it revels in the small pleasures, such as when Joel defeats a tumour or when he adds a word to his limited vocabulary, and it also gives hope in the face of loss, in the falling of the knight.

     I found That Dragon, Cancer to be extremely inspiring and uplifting. From beginning to end, the game was a whirlwind of feelings and emotions, a roller coaster with jerks and jolts at every turn. The beautifully drawn graphics, the poetry, and the humanization of the fight against cancer gave a new light to the struggle that both the family and person with the illness have to endure. I give this game a solid 11/10, a must-play for everyone.

WHAT GRINDS OUR GEARS: Heartless bus drivers who clearly don’t give a damn

By
EIC
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Photo courtesy of Vancouver Sun

Written by Eva Zhu, Opinions Editor

Do bus drivers even have functioning eyes? Are they suddenly overcome with a wave of blindness every time they see a student (who is probably late for class) sprinting for the bus? I swear, every single damn time I reach the back doors, the bus driver smirks smugly and drives away, leaving me fuming sitting on the sidewalk in a cloud of exhaust.

It’s even worse when I’m running on time — it’s a rare occurrence, but it happens — and the bus drives past me as I’m walking up to the stop. I don’t know about you, but I calculate the exact minute that I absolutely have to leave before the bus drives away. These traitorous bus drivers aren’t doing me any favours by pulling up three minutes early. Fam, you’re already early: would it kill you to wait an extra 10 seconds before driving off?

Who hurt you bad enough that you’d stare a poor kid directly in the eye, put your foot on the gas pedal, and leave? Don’t you want to be a Good Samaritan and let us on your safe haven on wheels?

Veggie Lunch seeks space to continue operating on campus

By
Peak Web
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Kalarupini Roy (pictured) has been the main coordinator of Veggie Lunch for the past seven years. (Chris Ho / The Peak)

As negotiations between the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) and CJSF to potentially house the campus radio station in Forum Chambers continue, vegan lunch service Veggie Lunch is facing possible displacement from the space and looking for another location on campus to continue serving food to students.

 

Finding new space

In the SFSS Board of Directors meeting held on May 11, the Board discussed the anticipated relocation of different groups while passing a motion to allocate $20,000 towards the redesign of Forum Chambers. The redesign is intended to make the space suitable for housing the radio group. While the needs of the dance and music groups that often book Forum Chambers are planned to be met through designated rehearsal rooms in the new Student Union Building (SUB), options for the relocation of Veggie Lunch were less clear.

“If the radio station goes in there, then yes, we’d have to tell [Veggie Lunch] that they would need to find somewhere else on campus to go,” stated SFSS Chief Executive Officer Martin Wyant.

In an interview with The Peak, Veggie Lunch coordinator Kalarupini Koraljka Roy expressed concerns over the uncertain future of the lunch service: “I can feel that changes are going to happen,” she said, referring to the Forum Chambers redesign. To renovate the Forum Chambers in time for CJSF to move in before the opening of the SUB, which is projected to be fall 2018, Roy anticipates that the Forum Chambers will not be available for use by Veggie Lunch as early as the fall term.

As for Veggie Lunch’s fate after the Forum Chambers becomes unavailable, Roy stated that she has not had communication with the SFSS regarding her future options for space. “I am concerned because nobody is talking to me and I can see that people are going forward with their project,” she stated.

“My guess is that nobody is telling me anything because I expect once this happens, there won’t be anymore spot [sic] for me.” – Kalarupini Koraljka Roy, Veggie Lunch coordinator

Veggie Lunch currently pays $35 per day to rent out the Forum Chambers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30 and serve food to students. According to Roy, on an ideal day the service will make approximately $350, which allows her to cover her expenses for food and rent. While Roy has not been able to contact the SFSS for what it may cost for Veggie Lunch to operate in the SUB, she expects that she will not be able to afford the cost of rent.

The Peak reached out to SFSS for a comment on the potential space options that can host Veggie Lunch on campus if they are evicted from Forum Chambers, but we received no response by the date of publication of this article.

 

Previous requests for space

According to Roy, this is not the first time she has experienced strenuous communications with the SFSS. In fall 2016 Kala asked the SFSS for a fourth day to rent out Forum Chambers and serve Veggie Lunch on campus after receiving requests from customers to increase their weekly service on campus. She recalled being told to gather signatures from members of the SFU community who supported this proposal, and she did so, collecting over 250 signatures which she submitted to the SFSS as part of her proposal.

“I think that was the whole point that [the proposal] was supposed to be presented to the Board [of Directors]. And then that person Martin Wyant was supposed to meet me [with the final decision],” she said.

The Peak reached out to SFSS to follow up on how the Veggie Lunch proposal was received by the Board of Directors, but we received no response by the date of publication of this article.

Following her submission, Roy was called into a meeting with Wyant to discuss the proposal. When The Peak inquired about the course of the meeting that took place, Roy stated that “it got complicated.”

After her meeting, Roy decided not to continue pursuing an extra day for Veggie Lunch. “We just decided to let it be. Not mention it. We just went into next term with our three days,” she said. “I was wondering if somebody was gonna come in and ask me anything. Nobody did.”

“Nobody asked, I didn’t ask.”

When The Peak followed up in an email interview with Wyant regarding the meeting held with Roy, he responded, “I certainly recall a meeting with Kala and one of our Coordinators. I’m not sure what is meant by the ‘things got complicated’ comment, but I would be happy to meet with Kala again to determine how best to proceed with her request.”

 

Looking for more exposure

Veggie Lunch has been operating on SFU Burnaby campus for the past 25 years, and Roy has been the main coordinator of the service for the past seven years. Despite its history on campus, Roy believes the service is relatively unknown on campus to most students.

“There are people who are here for years studying and they don’t know we’re here.” – Kalarupini Koraljka Roy, Veggie Lunch coordinator

According to Roy, the service is “invisible” on campus, and she expressed concern that a relocation to a more remote location might hinder the service’s ability to reach students and make enough money to sustain itself even more.

Veggie Lunch is currently not mentioned on SFU’s Campus Dining Map. “Whoever comes, it’s always word of mouth [sic], she said. “So it would be nice if we could get some support [from the university].”

When asked for her perspective on what a suitable solution to Veggie Lunch’s current situation could be, Roy replied, “Just to get a little space with water and electricity where people can come and still have Veggie Lunch.”

Engineering students create anxiety-management app

By
Peak Web
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Photo courtesy of Viu Health Team
By: Nathaniel Tok, Peak Associate

 

A team of SFU engineering science graduate students called the Viu Health Team have created a wearable device and a mobile app to help those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) live more fulfilling lives.

 

The inspiration behind the technology

Graduate students Chakaveh Ahmadizadeh, Jordan Lui, Neha Chhatre, Rana Sadeghi Chegani, and Zhen Xiao initially entered a Microsoft-hosted neurodiversity hackathon together, where they learned about the issues that ASD patients and their families faced. In an email interview with The Peak, the Viu Health Team wrote about their inspiration for the project: “Our first vision for this project during the neurodiversity hackathon was motivated by a need for greater insight and tracking for individuals living with autism.”

“Many people with ASD have a difficult time expressing and communicating their emotions,” they wrote. “We decided to use our background knowledge to provide a solution for people with ASD and by tracking anxiety.”

After working with Microsoft Garage (Microsoft Vancouver’s development lab) during the neurodiversity hackathon, the Viu health team decided to continue working on the project with the Garage, which provided resources such as space, networking opportunities, and access to useful technologies, like 3D printers.

 

How it works

The Viu Health Project aims to help those with ASD manage their anxiety. A wearable device, which is integrated with a mobile app, is able to individualize itself to the user and then learns, predicts, tracks and manages anxiety episodes.

The team created a system that used physiological signals from a wearable device to identify when an individual is feeling distressed and to predict episodes.

Pilot studies done by the team had shown that biosignals were good indicators for episodes. These predictions would give users advance notice so they could remove themselves from anxiety-provoking situations to help in self-regulation or to notify loved ones.

As part of its individualization feature, the device also provides “meltdown tracking” — tracking occurences of meltdowns over time to identify patterns that reflect the individual’s unique sensitivities to overwhelming situations.

 

Device showcase

The team presented their project at the BC Tech Summit in May to get feedback from the healthcare, ASD, and tech community about the “potential and need for [their] technology.” According to the team, “We got very positive feedback at the Summit, especially from people in the healthcare community. Healthcare authorities and companies were very interested to see this technology applied for mental wellness.”

The team believes the technology can be used in clinical settings to create more personalized care and to track health trends. For now, their goal is to collect more data for different situations, optimize the software, and to engage potential users.

Ultimately, the team hopes to finish the project and make their technology available for the public. “Giving individuals an ability to track episodic events is empowering,” wrote the team, adding that “the tracking and analytics provided by Viu can enable users to focus on their wellness.”

With files from The Daily Hive.

The types of people you will find on transit

By
Peak Web
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Illustrated by Tiffany Chan

By: Amal Abdullah

  1. The Talker

Our first specimen in the jungle of transit is The Talker. These wild creatures will pull out their phones in the middle of a 5 p.m. rush hour and casually yell their life’s woes to their friend — and every other passenger packed in the sardine can that is the bus or train. Like, listen, buddy: I’ve just sat through two back-to-back, three-hour lectures where some rando professor has beat their boring-as-fuck lecture into my head. The absolute last thing I want is for my sorry ears to hear your tearful story because you couldn’t figure out your interpersonal relationship drama. Get a counsellor.

  1. The Beanpole Pole Hogger

As a short person, I have a bone to pick with this type of dude. You know when a bus or train is packed and you have to stand right in the middle of two poles that are both too far from you for you to hold onto? TransLink — and tall people — think this problem is circumvented by the placement of the overhead handholds, casually forgetting that people under 70 freaking feet exist. Tall douches probably think they’re creating world peace by scooting an inch to the left, putting you under the handhold while conveniently grabbing the pole for themselves. Have a fun ride, short person. (Tip: what to do when there’s nothing to hold on to? You ride the bumps and jolts down the Mountain like a surfer, baby.)

  1. The Legspreader

The seats on trains and buses might be equal in width, but Legspreaders will make sure to render that absolutely irrelevant when they spread each of their legs to the two opposite ends of the planet. The trick here is not to make yourself small, but to fight back. Have a full-on war trying to occupy the hard plastic seats, kneeing their knee and stomping on their toes if need be. Think of it like a real-life history lesson; this is the real Art of War. You’ll be sure to learn more than you did in that elective history class you paid your leg and three arms for last summer.

  1. The Zealot

I’m all for religious freedom and spreading awareness for your beliefs and values, but do I, a cranky commuter, really want to know I’m going to Hell if I do or don’t do “x” very narrow and specific thing? Thanks, John. It’s good to know that I’m doomed. Are you yelling that the world is ending next month or next year? Make up your mind. No, I don’t want your pamphlet, but I’m too passive to contradict you and saying no to a stranger is too much pressure, so I will take it anyway. Good day to you, too.

  1. The Bus Driver

Last, but certainly not least. Capable of striking terror and dread in even the bravest of hearts: the transit operator. While many are genuinely nice human beings who try to spread a little transit cheer by thanking you when you tap your Compass card or making corny jokes about tree stumps and overgrown grass down the Mountain, loads of them are douches. If I’m Usain Bolt-ing to the bus so I’m not late for my 8:30 a.m. class, do you really have to ruin my Olympic moment by driving off? I was going to win medals with that 10-meter dash. Have a heart, buddy.

Album Reviews

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Peak Web
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By: Tiffany Chang and Courtney Miller

Voicenotes by Charlie Puth

After the massive hit “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa was released in 2015 for the Furious 7 soundtrack, Charlie Puth maintains a distinguished presence in the music industry and has consistently been putting out quality songs since his explosive debut. Voicenotes continues to prove that Puth is a force to be reckoned with. This collection, to say the least, is a spectacular blend of styles.

     “Somebody Told Me” gives off a late ‘90s/early 2000s pop vibe, which is something I definitely did not expect; it starkly contrasts with other numbers including “Attention” and “How Long,” the two biggest singles off the album. Another pleasant surprise would be the beautiful collaboration with legendary R&B group Boyz II Men, entitled “If You Leave Me Now.” With stunning harmonies and Puth’s evident tastefulness in using his impressive vocal range, “If You Leave Me Now” is nothing short of musical perfection.

     However, although there are several different elements to Voicenotes, “Done for Me,” featuring Kehlani, is a catchy, sing-along tune representing the Charlie Puth we all know and love. I don’t doubt for a second that his amazing talent shines through with this album. – TC

Attention Attention by Shinedown

Overall, this album is a solid alternative rock/hard rock package. It goes as hard as its lyrics, like “judges are racists, the jury’s corrupt,” but also strips it down near the end of the album, with songs like “Get Up” and “Creatures.”

Skip the first track, because it’s just someone walking loudly and then knocking. It sets up for the ending where the vocalist says, “‘Until next time” at the end of “Brilliant,” but the entire bit is unnecessary.  

     “Devil” sounds like Avenged Sevenfold-era Avenged Sevenfold, but with less skilled guitar riffs. The vocals on this track, like most of the album, are good but not amazing. The best vocals of the album are easily on “Get Up” where the gentle piano really gives them an opportunity to shine. It’s also the poppiest song off the record, but the way they’ve organized the tracklist, it really works in its spot.

     It’s still Shinedown, but they definitely play with other sounds: “Attention Attention” almost feels Linkin Park-esque with some quasi-rapped lines, “Kill Your Conscience” starts out like Imagine Dragons wrote it during Night Visions, and “Monsters” made me do a double-take because it sounds so much like something Three Days Grace would produce. – CM

Shawn Mendes by Shawn Mendes

Mendes is good at what he does: delivering almost-unique pop with unwavering quality. His self-titled album hits the mark, and the cliché songs of high school teenagers have given way to a more mature sound.

He tackles things in a more personal way this time, with the slow start to “In My Blood” paving the way. A self-titled album usually implies that the artist is trying to reinvent themself, but in Mendes’s case, it seems his defiant confidence is what prevents him from falling by the wayside, as so many other teenage stars have.

     “Nervous” starts in the same style as Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” and then the song layers up from there, taking a golden-era Justin Timberlake falsetto turn that works well, despite feeling slightly overdone by the end of the song.

     The falsetto is strewn throughout the album, though never more so than on “Where Were You in the Morning?” which is a touch too much. Julia Michaels features on “Like to be You” and their voices work well together on this more instrumentally minimalist track. And when you listen to “Fallin’ All In You,” you know that Ed Sheeran had a hand in it.

     The album is poppy, but rhythmic and melodic, with layers and enough variety within the genre to make it a worthwhile listen. – CM

Don’t forget, celebrities experience injuries too

By
Peak Web
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Photo courtesy of Billboard

Written by Youeal Abera, Peak Associate

Last week, SZA and Top Dog Entertainment (TDE) fans alike were informed of the sad news that R&B megastar SZA would be pulled out of a couple of dates of the TDE Championship Tour due to damaged vocal cords. As expected, many fans were upset that their favourite singer would not be able to make it to a show they had been looking forward to for months. Despite their comprehensible disappointment, fans sent SZA their well wishes and support.

However, a surprising amount weren’t so kind. Upon the revelation of the news, fans took to Twitter to unleash harsh responses. One supposed fan tweeted, “I’m in Tampa. You can lip sync. We don’t care.” Another Twitter user wrote, “A whole album about control and she still don’t get it… every tour she did something wrong with her I’m tired- get in formation sis.” A third person shaded SZA’s singing ability

On SZA’s Instagram page, loads of users accused SZA of lying, saying that she’s “perfectly fine” while attributing notions of dishonesty to her character. Reading all of these comments perplexed me.

I began to think about the nature of being a celebrity and what it must entail. Life as an artist must be vehemently exhausting. For musicians, you are expected to write songs, then record an album, then tour for months on end, away from family and friends while performing each night in front of thousands of strangers. For actors, you are expected to constantly audition for roles, memorize your lines, and then be placed on a movie set for months while burdened with the knowledge that your sole physical appearance and well-being is responsible for the payroll of hundreds of set technicians. They are in danger of disappointing fans if they have to drop out due to on set accidents.

Too often, the inevitable injuries of musicians don’t evoke sympathy from their fans — as exemplified by the above tweets — but rather expressions of outrage that a human being was injured. People don’t want to see their money lost or wasted, after all.

In SZA’s case, her injured vocal cords lead many to express their disdain towards her, since they spent money on a ticket for a show that they expected to see her perform at. He fans seem to have forgotten that the concert is still happening and amazing musicians such as Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar would still be performing.

Now, I certainly understand and appreciate the feelings of the fans. I’m also a huge fan of SZA, and if I were informed that she wouldn’t be able to make a show that I was looking forward to, I’d be upset as well. However, I wouldn’t even conceive the idea of harassing her on social media due to being injured and not being able to show up. I wouldn’t accuse her of lying about her health or belittling the unfortunate experience she would be enduring. I certainly wouldn’t yearn to make SZA feel bad by accentuating her already-perceivable guilt of not being able to perform for her fans.

If you were to cut SZA, she’d bleed. If SZA saw something funny, she’d laugh. If SZA was asked about her family and friends, she’d probably state that she loves them. That’s the problem of this all. People easily forget that SZA, as well as any celebrity, is just a human.

15 times that SFU turned into a movie set

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Peak Web
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A still from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Courtesy of 604 Now.

By: Gabrielle McLaren, Features editor 

Spending so much time on campus can blind you to just how nice of a place it actually is. SFU Surrey is beautiful and bright when the sun is out, Harbour Centre is in a prime location in one of Canada’s busiest cities, and the Burnaby campus on its mountaintop has a spectacular view. As it turns out, the latter is an incredibly versatile campus. Something about architect Arthur Erickson’s design, midway between Athenian Acropolis and futuristic angles and cuts, has attracted waves of filmmakers to SFU. As a matter of fact, SFU played an April Fool’s prank about the school closing down to become a full-time movie set.  See if you’ve recognised your campus in any of the following productions.

 

The Fly II (1989): This list is off to a good start with an R-rated horror film. No wait, even better, the sequel to a horror film about a man turning into a bug: this time featuring the secret child the original protagonist had before dying, who now appears to turn into a bug whenever he gets horny about the lady scientist observing him! The film boasts a 4.4/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, but you might want to watch the trailer for the simple nostalgia of the old school Twentieth-Century Fox animation. SFU had only been open for 24 years at the time that this was filmed.

 

I Still Dream of Jeannie (1991): This made-for-TV movie is a spinoff of a show from the 60s starring Barbara Eden. Like many TV movies, it seems to have been buried pretty deep in our collective memory, which doesn’t feel wrong. The movie features Jeannie, an actual genie, whose former master and now husband has been lost in space for 20 years (this sounds extremely complicated and problematic, but you’d have to watch the original show to find out more and I just don’t have that kind of time or interest). The movie focuses on Jeannie’s desperate search to find him before she has to find a new master because of the Genie Rules and Regulations. Again, I don’t know what any of this means, but yikes.  

 

The 6th Day (2000): If you were to stumble across a clone of yourself and uncover a secret conspiracy theory about clones taking over the world, would you really be surprised if it were to happen at SFU? I’ve seen enough sketchy stains in the parking lot not to be shocked, but it took Arnold Schwarzenegger by surprise and so they made a whole movie about him discovering this.  Pause the trailer at 0:48 to recognize the library, all dressed up for some sort of probably-evil gala! Is Schwarzenegger running up the spiral staircases to the catwalk that goes from the AQ to the library at 1:02? Whatever, he’s definitely driving his car into Convocation Mall at 1:11, and he crashes into the AQ pond during the movie as well.

 

MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000): I know what you’re thinking, and yes. This is really real. The premise at play is that Jack, a chimpanzee learning ASL, is at risk of being sold as a medical test monkey when funding is cut on his language training. Jack’s scientist friend tries to save him, but accidentally ends up sending him to Canada, where Jack befriends a Deaf girl who recognises his ASL and also joins her brother’s hockey team. The budget for this little treasure was $4,500,000, and all the skating action that you see in the trailer was filmed at Rogers Arena. The tagline for this gem? “Jack skates a little faster… Shoots a little harder… And is driving everyone bananas.” Does it make it any worse if I tell you there’s a sequel?

 

Antitrust (2001: Another movie about science and tech going too far, Antitrust features computer science prodigee Milo and his dream job at a high-profile tech company in Portland going down the drain as he realises just how crazy his new boss is. SFU was used for some cool outdoor shots of the high-tech firm (check out 0:33 on the trailer), but the filmmakers used UBC for the inside of the firm. Ouch. But I get it.

 

Spy Game (2001): Robert Redford plays a CIA operative yanked out of retirement and into a rescue operation when he finds out that his protégé (played by Brad Pitt) was kidnapped in China for espionage. Honestly, it seems like such a basic action movie that I don’t really want to dwell on it. Nothing SFU-related jumps out during the trailer, but maybe if you hosted a movie party and had a prize handy someone would be able to spot the connection. . .

 

Agent Cody Banks (2003): How many times did you walk down from the library or Starbucks to get to the Transportation Centre without realising that that big, cement space framed by the Rotunda was actually the CIA’s headquarters? Pause the trailer at 0:25 or click here if you don’t believe it. Starring Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff, and Andrew Francis, the film follows Cody Banks, your run-of-the-mill high schooler who is actually part of a secret program for teenagers within the CIA. Rotunda aside, production also set up shop in the Academic Quadrangle (AQ) and at a former gas station that is no longer on campus.

 

My Life Without Me (2003): So here’s a sad one: 23-year-old Ann (Sarah Polley) discovers that she is terminally ill and prepares herself, her husband (Scott Speedman), and her two young daughters for her upcoming death without telling anybody just how sick she is. One of her bucket list items is to sleep with a man other than her high school boyfriend and make someone fall in love with her, and she ends up picking some dude played by Mark Ruffalo, so he’s in here too. It’s hard to tell from the trailer where on campus they filmed, but it ends with a couple slow-dancing in a forest, and we have plenty of that on the Burnaby campus.

 

I, Robot (2004): For every absolutely random and unknown movie on this list, there’s one big name that makes you go “wait, really?” I, Robot stars Will Smith in the role of Del Spooner, a police officer wary of technology investigating a crime that a robot may have committed. In which case, the world is now in terrible danger. Hurray! Also cool: I, Robot is one of the only films on this list that shot on the Surrey campus, along with Catwoman, Chaos, and Fantastic Four.

 

Catwoman (2004): Halle Berry’s incarnation of Catwoman was shot on SFU property, but we probably shouldn’t flaunt this one too much. Berry herself called the film a “piece-of-shit, god-awful movie,” while accepting a Razzie award for the film. Moving along . . .  

 

Chaos (2005): Cop drama, and banks, and computer viruses, and hostages, and heists. Oh my!

 

Fantastic Four (2005): The film follows a group of astronauts (Ioan Gruffud, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, and Jessica Alba) who gain superpowers due to radiation exposure in outer space. Considering this movie’s 4.5/10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes, let’s just say that it’s a good thing that Chris Evans’ later Marvel appearances in the Captain America franchise performed better than his debut. While you can recognize quite a few different parts of Vancouver in the film, what really matters for our purposes is the appearance of Surrey Central!

 

The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008): This film is actually a remake of a 1951 sci-fi thriller about an alien and a giant robot who have come to Earth to warn humans about an impending invasion. The alien is appropriately played by the immortal Keanu Reeves, but you’ll also find Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates in the cast. And boy, did they milk Burnaby campus for locations: Terry Fox Field, Convocation Mall, Lorne Davies Complex, and the W.A.C. Bennett Library all make appearances as impromptu military bases or landing pads for military aircraft. The movie is basically a campus tour! (I’m kidding: please take an actual tour of campus if you need one, the tour guides are lovely and helpful.)   

 

Personal Effects (2009): This drama, starring Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer, follows the story of wrestling prodigy Walter who drops everything and moves back home following his sister’s murder. There, he befriends Linda, a single mother widowed after her husband’s murder, and teaches her Deaf son Clay how to wrestle to keep him active and out of trouble. Aren’t you proud to go to school where Ashton Kutcher (possibly with his racist Popchips) once worked? Personal Effects filmed in the Halpern Centre, and if you pause the trailer at 1:13 you’ll also spot Saywell Hall’s hallway benches.

 

Underworld Awakening (2012): Time to get spooky: this film follows humanity’s discovery that two powerful, paranormal clans (Vampires and Lycans) are fighting for domination. Of course, in a move unsurprising to anybody who has ever studied a tiny bit of world history, they immediately determine that they have to annihilate these two clans themselves. Convocation Mall, the library, and the Transportation Centre all make appearances in this movie, especially as the headquarters for Antigen (the human organization responsible for containing the vampire and werewolf epidemics). Additional footage, like chase scenes, hails from downtown Vancouver.

 

Bonus round: Television!

 

  • Masters of Science Fiction
  • Kyle XY
  • Battlestar Galactica
  • Stargate SG-1
  • Millennium
  • The X-Files

 

Student Spotlight: Sam Gorick

By
Peak Web
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On today’s spotlight, we chat with Sam Gorick, a standup comedian and SFU student.
Created by Melissa Campos and Natasha Tar

Drinks we made in first year

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Peak Web
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0

By: Gene Cole, Hannah Davis, and Malcolm MacRitchie

Bad Decision
Fireball straight out of the mickey
Mixed Berry Dole juice to chase

Fireball was invented by someone who said, “Alcohol does not burn enough, so let’s make it burn some more. Also, let’s ask Satan what his armpit sweat tastes like, and maybe we can work that flavour in somehow.” The best way to enjoy Fireball is straight from the BPA-ridden plastic mickey, and chased with a healthy swig of Dollarama Mixed Berry Dole juice, which tries its hardest to erase the shitty Valentine’s Day cinnamon heart candy taste on your tongue. After drinking this, the only person you will be talking to is the dog, Michael Scarn, to whom you will divulge all your secrets.

Verdict: You have never let someone into your life like you let Michael Scarn into your life.
– HD & MM

New Years Scheme
White hot chocolate – Full cup, purchased from a coffee shop
Cinnamon powder – Four large spoonfulls
Cheap vodka – To taste

Have you ever been on your way to a party to drink, but felt a need to get started on the bus ride over? Do you want to be brave and try drinking in public like the lawbreaker you are? This drink has everything you need; sugar to start your night off childishly, and a drink so weak that the police would more likely just laugh rather than convict you.

Simply purchase the hot chocolate and stir in cinnamon until you get a wonderful dessert. Then, bring the drink and your stir-stick into the bathroom to shamefully pour in vodka. Once you feel a slight kick, you are free to roam the streets as you pretend you’re drinking heavily among your fellow commuters.
– GC

The Devil’s Cider
Cider mixed with vodka to make it more alcoholic

This drink is born out of sheer desperation. Since you specified that you wanted some “cheap-ass alcohol,” your boot bought you a full two-six of discounted and out-of-season Peppermint Holiday Smirnoff, along with a two-litre bottle of Peach Growers. With no other choice but to accept the liquor, you say, “well, I guess I am going to kiss Alex tonight,” and mix the alcohols to make a drink that literally tastes like memory loss. The sickly sweet cider and the mouthwash-vodka pair horribly to make a dreadfully diabolical “drink.” You smile through the pain even though it feels like you just swallowed an ulcer.

Verdict: You saved $2, but you lost two lobes of your liver, as well as the five-year friendship you had with Alex.
– HD & MM

Sin-tuition
Any liquor that peaks your interest – ¼ glass
Another liquor from the cabinet that looks nice – ¼ glass
Sprite – ½ glass
Raspberry Bitter – Dash

When you finally take advantage of your legal drinking age, you’ll need to try and prove yourself to your more alcohol-literate friend. Do this by using several unique liquors left over from parties and previous cocktail experiments to make your own handcrafted alcoholic monstrosity. But, if you ask really nicely, they may let you into their kitchen to try being your own bartender.

Start with a bottle that you recognize from a movie, foolishly thinking that means you’ll know the taste already. Then, impulsively choose another bottle, one with a really pretty logo on it. Once you realize these mismatched alcohols have unexpectedly taken up half the glass, fill the rest with Sprite and fail to cover up the intensity. Lastly, add an insignificant dash of bitters to make this series of mistakes seem falsely classy and intentional.
– GC

 

College Island Iced-Tea
A splash of everything from your parents’ liquor cabinet

From the the bitter tasting gin to the sweet tasting blackberry liqueur, this drink will have you kneeling by the toilet in five minutes. No matter the mix and alcohol ratios, this cocktail always assumes a weird brown colour. Now what flavours are in this wondrous concoction? Rum? Yes. Kahlua? Sure. Some old white wine? Not sure where it came from, but hell yeah.

Closing Thought: Have you ever puked diarrhea? Because that is what this drink tastes and smells like.

Verdict: 100% ass water, steer clear.
– HD & MM

 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society