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Must-see event

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EIC
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(Linda Shu / The Peak)

By: Alex Bloom

Black History in a Canadian Context: Panel Discussion

SFU Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry and the SFU African Students’ Association will be hosting a truly educational event on February 24. There will be a documentary screening about the history of Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley community followed by a panel discussion. As mentioned on the event listing it is intended to be a time to “. . . engage, discuss, and raise awareness.” In addition to the panel discussion there will be an open forum, as well as dance, poetry, and music. This multidisciplinary event will start at 5 p.m. at the Leslie and Gordon Diamond Family Auditorium. The event is free but still requires an RSVP. For more information regarding tickets, visit their Facebook event page.

Olympic News Beats

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Peak Web
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By: Nathaniel Tok, Peak Associate

 

Possible cyber attack during Olympics opening ceremony

A potential cyber attack that may have occurred during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics is being investigated by organizers. Local media reported problems with non-critical systems, but the organizers have said it is too soon to tell if it is due to a cyber attack. The system glitches may also have caused failure to deploy drones during the ceremony. The problems have not had an impact on events or the safety or security of the athletes. The opening ceremony was attended by government officials, including Kim Jong Un’s sister and the US vice president. North and South Korean Olympians also participated in a joint Opening Ceremony march.

With files from Global News.

 

Lack of Samsung phone giveaway to Iran’s Olympians leaves Iranians furious

The PyeongChang Olympics organizing committee head has issued an apology to Iran following an incident where the country’s Olympians were told they would not get the “Olympic Edition” Samsung Galaxy Note 8 handsets. The smartphones are being given out to all Olympians in this year’s games, but Iranian Olympians were turned away from the queue to receive them as UN sanctions have banned the supply of luxury goods to the country. South Korea’s ambassador to Iran and Samsung’s representatives in Iran were both summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry to answer. Many Iranians also called for a boycott. LG, Samsung’s rival, has stepped in, giving every Iranian athlete a smartphone and a TV. The International Olympic Committee later confirmed the Iranian competitors will get the Samsung goods and be allowed to take them home. Iran is the biggest smartphone market in the Middle East.

With files from BBC News.

 

Olympic Games diplomacy sees South Korean president invited to Pyongyang

Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, delivered a written letter from her brother during a meeting in Seoul inviting South Korean President Moon Jae-in for talks in Pyongyang. The letter was delivered as part of Kim Yo Jong’s duties as “special envoy” to South Korea during the Olympics. Kim Yo Jong is the first of her governing family to visit the South since 1950. Moon did not give a firm reply to the offer. He has to balance North Korea’s interest in dialogue with the Americans’ use of “maximum pressure” when dealing with North Korea.

With files from The Washington Post.

 

Alibaba use Olympics sponsorship to showcase tech

Alibaba Group, a Chinese sponsor of the Olympics, is using cloud computing to help transform the Olympics. Alibaba believes that this is both a way to advertise its capabilities and to help bridge the gap between the fans and athletes. The e-commerce giant has a partnership with the International Olympic Committee until 2028 and used the 2018 Olympics to showcase its artificial intelligence and cloud services in its Cloud ET Sports Brain. These services will be used to better manage Olympic events and better sustain fans’ interest following the games. Alibaba will also be able to sell Olympic merchandise and promote Olympic events.

With files from South China Morning Post.

New Music Friday

By
Peak Web
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(Linda Shu / The Peak)

By: Courtney Miller, Marco Ovies, Elisha Summers, Natasha Tar

“X” – Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Saudi

Marco Ovies: I’m so excited to watch Black Panther, and this song has got me even more hyped.

Elisha Summers: I feel like this is a great song to listen to while drinking or when you need to get pumped up for the day.

Courtney Miller: I feel like I’ve heard this before, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Would be improved with the presence of the No. 1 Kendrick in my life.

Natasha Tar: Wow, what a fantastic song. Great generic beat and meaningful, deep lyrics.

“The Wave” – R3HAB, Lia Marie Johnson

MO: Great chorus, otherwise nothing super incredible going on here.

ES: I like the snapping, but I don’t love the part that sounds like techno robots singing “la la” . . .

CM: I don’t hate this. I mean, I don’t care enough about it to seek it out for fun, but I’m not going to hit ‘skip’ unless I’m already having a shit day.

NT: Such an exciting song. My blood is pumping. Exhilarating.

“You’re Not Missing Me” – Chelsea Cutler

MO: Dang, those lyrics, I think we can all relate to what she’s singing here. If I have to be honest, though, it has a similar vibe to the last song.

ES: Relatable lyrics and cool vibe.

CM: Her vocals are a bit nasally for my tastes. The rest of the production is pretty solid, and lyrics are fairly standard. I’d like it a lot more with a different vocalist, but it’s fine.

NT: So beautiful.

“Wasting Breath” – Julia Biel

MO: Kind of relaxing I guess, not really my speed.

ES: This one has a real smooth, sultry tone to it!

CM: It does feel smooth, but not in an enticing way.

NT: This could possibly be the opening song for the final James Bond movie, when James is finally in an old folks home watching butterflies fly past his window.

“Diddy Bop” – Jacob Banks, Louis The Child

MO: It’s a bop! Really digging the piano bit at the beginning, and I’m really into the vocals. It reminds me a bit of Louis Armstrong.

ES: So, he wants this girl to keep dancing and drinking all night so no one can take her home? I hope he is sending her home in a cab, because after grabbing “a drink or four” all night this girl is going to be seriously stumbling!

CM: Sans vocals, this is a fun time. With vocals, at times the vocals work with the motown/light jazz feel, but other times they’re too gravelly.

NT: I’m so upset that this isn’t another rap song.

“Bloodstains” – Rhys Lewis

MO: That falsetto! He has crazy good vocals and the song is catchy as well. Would 100% add this to my music library.

ES: Interesting lyrics. You would likely find this guy behind the BDSM table at the next Taboo Show in Vancouver.

CM: He’s got a good falsetto and the rhythm is well done. I’m actually into this.

NT: OK, I’ll admit this song isn’t actually that bad.

“Agoro” – Juls, Adekunle Gold, Bisa Kdei

MO: Not a song I would go out of my way to listen to. I don’t hate it, but don’t love it either.

ES: Nice beat, but not sure what half the words he is saying are.

CM: Nice beat and I’m loving the guitar, but the rest is kind of ‘meh.’

NT: Life-changing.

“Wild Silence” – The Wandering Hearts

MO: The type of chorus you can scream on a late-night drive with your friends. It has a bit of a Mumford & Sons vibe to it too, which I dig.

ES: Beautiful harmonies! I totally get a hippie vibe from the drums in this one.

CM: Yeah, this is like a mix between Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men. It’s hipster folk pop, but pretty standard fare.

NT: This belongs on the Divergent soundtrack.

“Look Alive” – BlocBoy JB, Drake

MO: It’s a ‘no’ from me.

ES: Edgy duo, but not my style.

CM: No.

NT: YES.

“Intercontinental” – Tasha The Amazon

MO: Not really my style but the beat is sorta cool.

ES: I get a bit of a Nicki Minaj, wannabe female badass from this.

CM: It’s a ‘no’ from me.

NT: This is just like Danielle Bregoli’s song “Hi Bich.”

“Kids These Days” – Shakey Graves

MO: This is my jam! Super into the guitar, the layered vocals, and those drum fills have me super hyped.

ES: Fun chorus and an overall catchy song!

CM: I do enjoy Shakey Graves. It’s not their best song, but it’s OK. The lyrics are pretty good.

NT: *shrug*

“My Life” – Back Atlass

MO: Very relaxed. It’s the type of song you could fall asleep to.

ES: Oooooh! What a hauntingly vulnerable song and those high notes are perfection.

CM: Trying too hard to be soulful. But like, it’s fine for easy listening.

NT: OMG this so soulful and amazing!

SFU women’s basketball fall short against Northwest Nazarene 76–67

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Peak Web
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Only seven players dressed for the Clan in the loss. Kelsey Nikl / The Peak

On Thursday night, the SFU women’s basketball team played host to Northwest Nazarene, the second place team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), in the second part of a double header for the SFU basketball teams. The Clan played admirably throughout the contest, but were unfortunately not able to keep up with the Nighthawks as they showed why they are one of the most dominant teams in the conference.

The teams battled back and forth in the first quarter, as neither team could push much in front of the other throughout the frame. After being down by seven points with less than a minute to go, the Clan put up a quick 8–0 run to end the quarter and give themselves their first lead of the game. After assisting a basketball with six seconds to go, Tayler Drynan then stole the ball off the inbound pass and hit a buzzer beater three to end the quarter. This basketball gave the Clan a 17–16 lead heading into the second.

After the teams traded baskets for the first few minutes of the second, SFU regained momentum, and led the game from the 3:52 minute to the end of the half, after nearly three minutes without a basket. The team’s would go into the second half with a score of 35–32, in a game where SFU was in great position to pull of a major upset.

As good teams always seem to do, however, Northwest Nazarene bounced back.

The third quarter was far from ideal for the Clan, as they were outscored 29–13 in the frame. Much of the damage came during a 16–2 run for the visitors, in which SFU couldn’t buy a bucket or seem to get a stop. A pair of free throws by Sophie Swant at the end of the quarter stopped the bleeding, but it seemed all but too late. The teams head into the fourth quarter with a score of 61–48 in favour of the Nighthawks.

While the Clan bounced back in the fourth, it was too little too late. The team cut the deficit to single digits just a minute and a half into the frame, but were unable to sustain any major run for the rest of the game. A three-pointer by Jessica Jones gave the team some hope as it cut the lead to seven with under a minute to play, but some free throws down the stretch by Northwest Nazarene put the game out of reach. SFU would eventually lose 76–67.

Four Clan players had 14 points or over, as Swant and Drynan lead the team with 16 points, and Jones and Tayla Jackson pitched in with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Coincidentally, all four players took 11 shots from the field in the contest.

Only seven players dressed for the team on the evening, as Nicole Vander Helm sat out with an injury.

With the loss, Simon Fraser is now 6–11 in conference play this season, and 11–14 overall. Their next game is on Saturday night as they host Central Washington on Pink Night, in support of breast cancer awareness. Tipoff is at 5:15 p.m.

SFU men’s basketball win 10th game of season with largest win in SFU NCAA history

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Peak Web
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N'Kosi Kedar Salam averaged 20.4 points per game in the 2017-2018 season. Kelsey Nikl / The Peak

On Thursday night, the SFU men’s basketball team had everything going their way as they hosted the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. Shots were falling, the defence was stellar, and the Clan won the rebounding battle, an area where they’ve struggled all season. N’Kosi Kedar Salam out-did what we’ve come to expect from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s (GNAC) leading scorer, and Jordan Muir-Keung contributed one of his strongest games of the season. Eventually, the Clan would win 83–51, in a game in which they dominated from start to finish.

Forward Tyrell Lewin scored the first basket of the game 30 seconds in, and the Clan had the lead from then on. The team pulled away by the nine-minute mark in the first half, as they took a 13-point lead off a fastbreak layup by Salam. SFU would hold a double-digit lead for the rest of the game, in what was undoubtedly their most impressive performance of the season. The teams would go into the break with a score of 41–31, after a last second three-pointer by Alaska’s Davis Kimble.

At this point, Salam and Muir-Keung had already made a major impact in the game, leading the contest with 14 and 11 points each, respectively. Salam did it on 6–9 shooting from the field, while Muir-Keung was a perfect 4–4 from the field, including three three-pointers. The team as a whole was shooting lights out, going 16–29 from the field (55.2%) and 7–13 from three (53.8%).

We have seen many games this season in which the men’s basketball team has had a solid first half, but struggled in the second. The difference in this one was that they put the pressure on their opponent even more in the second.

The Clan put the game away by the 14:23 mark in the second half, after Salam hit a three to give the team a commanding 21-point lead. As the final score suggests, the team never looked back from there, having a dominating 30+ point lead for long stretches of the game, where they won by 32 points, 83–51.

As we’ve come to expect, N’Kosi Kedar Salam led the game with 31 points. He currently leads the GNAC with 21.1 points per game. Muir-Keung also built on his strong first half, finishing the game with 19 points.

With the blowout victory, SFU made history, as it is their largest win in the team’s National Collegiate Athletic Association history. The win becomes more impressive when comparing where the two teams are in the standings, as Alaska entered the game in sixth place in the GNAC, a playoff spot. The Clan, on the other hand, now sit at 4–13 in GNAC play this year, only above of the winless Concordia University Cavaliers. SFU is now 10–15 overall this season. If anything, this win shows that the Clan are able to play competitive basketball in the conference, and could of been looking at a playoff race if they were able to pull off a few more wins in close games this season.

The team will next play on Saturday as they host University of Alaska Anchorage in their last home game of the season. The game is also Senior Night, where Salam, JJ Pankratz, and Iziah Sherman-Newsome will be honoured for their time in the SFU uniform. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Board games for bored university students

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Peak Web
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Illustrations by Reslus

By: Victoria Lopatka

Are you the type of student that naturally procrastinates by any means available when you have an assignment due the next day? Are you willing to do really boring activities you normally wouldn’t ever do just to forget about work? If so, these games are for you!

UniverCity


It’s like Monopoly, except you don’t own any properties or have any buildings, so on almost every square you land on you end up owing someone money. It takes about four turns around the board till you’re completely broke. Landing on the bookstore square even once can almost completely clear out your bank.

 

 

Guess Who???

Similar to normal Guess Who, except with more question marks and uncertainty, since you’re trying to guess who the random person who just approached you is. Does he . . . have a psychology textbook with him? Is she . . . wearing a faculty sweatshirt? Is that the guy I sit next to in my 8:30 a.m. tutorial whom I never speak to?

Battlebus

Think your traditional game of Battleship, except your pieces are the buses and your opponent has pieces symbolizing sudden snowfalls, car accidents, and faulty engines — all designed to make you late for your midterm.

Cards Against Humanity: University Edition

Includes clever cards like “My most recent breakdown was caused by________,” “At my 9:30 lecture I saw________,” “I’m in debt because_______,” “Tuition fees are due ______,” “Microwavable burritos,” “I’m so exhausted,” “$4,500,” and “The cute girl in my biology tutorial I’m too scared to talk to.”

Partying and Studying

Take your typical game of Snakes and Ladders but replace ladders with studying and snakes with partying (or Netflix, more likely). You can climb the ladder and get closer to your goal, via studying, or you can sink further from your goal of graduation with constant snakes — AKA partying (or bingeing Stranger Things season 2).

Participation

Similar to the classic Operation, except it’s you trying to get a word in at your tutorial. Every time you go to raise your hand or open your mouth to get those precious participation points, some eager freshman classmate interjects. Bzzzzzt! 0/10 for participation.

Clue: Ultra Hard Stats Lecture Edition

You’ve missed quite a few classes this semester already — so now, the week before the midterm, you have to put all the pieces together. There are giant gaps in your knowledge, which your teacher will sometimes hint at . . . but you’re still mostly in the dark. Can you discover the answer to all these stat riddles??? The solution: you, in your room at 3:30 in the morning, sobbing over your textbook.

Mastermind: Steven Soderbergh

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EIC
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(Photo courtesy of Claudette Barius)

By: Jonathan Pabico

Looking for a director whose movies are worth watching repeatedly? Try Steven Soderbergh. He is known for his heist films that offer hilarity, complemented by unassuming intellect, and original storytelling. His recent heist film, Logan Lucky, benefits from its quirkiness, and from its unusual casting that works surprisingly well. Soderbergh also provides an Ocean’s Eleven flair through the film’s clever dialogue, plot, and energetic music to evoke the story’s fast-paced thrills.

     Soderbergh came to prominence with his Ocean’s trilogy. The Ocean’s trilogy demonstrated Soderbergh’s keen eye for detail. His visually appealing camera angles and vibrant dialogue between characters entices you to follow all the immense twists and turns in the series.  However, this trilogy has yet to falter because of the forthcoming sequel, Ocean’s 8, which will have an all-woman leading cast, to be released this year on June 8. Soderbergh is only a producer for Ocean’s 8, but the movie will most likely carry over his unique style from his previous heist films.

     Soderbergh also delivers suspense and horror in Contagion. He explores disease as not only a threat to people’s health, but also a psychological catalyst for the moral compromises in the story. Chilling dialogue amplifies the ominous tones of the narrative’s equally unsettling, yet believable reality.

     Whether it’s his Ocean’s trilogy or Contagion, Soderbergh continues to amaze us with his genius. Make sure to catch his other films that demonstrate his superb directing skills, such as the action spy thriller Haywire and true stories: Erin Brockovich and The Informant!

Den of Thieves delivers loud noise, awkward scenes, and nothing more

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EIC
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(Image courtesy of STXfilms)

By: Jonathan Pabico

There are certain films you should steer clear of every year. Den of Thieves is one of those films. This recent heist movie was not as good as I thought it would be, even with its minor nuances. Its shortcomings were a reminder that your expectation of enthralling action story can easily fall away and never return.

     The main premise of the film was undermined by unanswered questions and irksome situations too convenient to believe. The film’s climactic heist had cliche twists similar to Fast Five, resulting in a lack of any surprising intricacies. Even the build-up to that heist was painfully gradual. The narrative structure was impeded by irrelevant scenes and plot points that sadly amounted to lifeless filler content that harm the movie’s overall quality.

     The beginning hit hard and fast with a thrilling action sequence, but the middle dragged on, especially when the story digressed and examined the family lives of some characters. Uncomfortable comic relief in some scenes, coupled with unwanted drama in others, were almost unbearable to watch. With awkward timing and delivery that offered nothing to the film, these scenes could have been omitted entirely. Instead, they destroyed the startling momentum that the movie’s intense start worked so hard to achieve. The story failed miserably to surpass gritty heist films that have come before, such as The Town and Triple 9.

     Gerard Butler was passable in this film, but he could have been better. Butler’s performance as a hard-boiled, chain-smoking Los Angeles sheriff, gunning after the film’s thieves, was hindered by his character’s immature behaviour and uninspiring dialogue throughout the film. Many other characters were two-dimensional. A small role from rapper 50 Cent (whom I haven’t seen since his cameo in Spy) barely registered in an already shallow plot. There were some good moments in this film, but not enough to save it from the story’s simplicity and predictable ending. For instance, an interrogation scene between Butler and newcomer O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s characters rebuilt the momentum after the film’s first action scene, but it was lost again as the narrative progressed into its climax.

     The action in Den of Thieves is good, if you don’t mind the loud gunfire in the film’s shootouts that disorient you rather than providing captivating action scenes. What you see is what you get: an unimpressive bank robbery film that, together with dry characters and a simple plot, offer no breakthroughs for the heist genre — only loud sprays of bullets and lacklustre twists.

Unaired Shark Tank pitches

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Peak Web
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Illustration by Janis McMath

By: Simrin Purhar

We’ve all seen Shark Tank, a show which features entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas and products. Some of  the entrepreneurs are lucky enough to catch a shark to invest — others are eaten alive for their nonsensical ideas. During the latter, viewers often cringe at their TV screens while thinking, “Could any idea possibly be worse than this?” The answer is YES — there are worse ideas. Pitches and products so bad, they were untelevised. The untelevised pitches have been leaked for the first time, revealing a new low of idiocy and ridiculousness. This is our list of the top five worst pitches of all-time . . .

DIY Condom Kit

A new study reveals that 80% of women think DIY skills are the sexiest skills a man can have. Now, with our product, you can simultaneously demonstrate your handy skills while turning her on with our DIY Duct Tape Condom Kit. Kit includes duct tape, scissors, and comprehensive instructions in Swedish.

Excuse-a-Day Calendar

Is finding a way to lie to your spouse or partner the only thing holding you back from cheating? Here’s the easy fix: a calendar that features daily excuses to cleverly and persuasively conceal your infidelity.

HomeTone by RingTonez.com

Our ringtones are edgy, unexpected, and will remind you of home — literally. Select your ringtone from an assortment of noises we’ve collected from your everyday home appliances, such as the hum of a refrigerator, the buzzing of a microwave, the drip of an icemaker, and the rattle of a washing machine.

Feminist-Free Beer

Are you a self-described misogynist? Do you have a rigid sexist mindset? Do you enjoy offending women? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, our feminist-free beer is perfect for you! Similar to how a diet-soda has zero calories, this alcoholic beverage contains ZERO remnants of feminism — so you can rest easy knowing the whole process, from brewing it to stocking it on shelves, was done by a chauvinist just like you!

iCrack

We all know seeing a cracked screen makes asking the question “what happened to your phone?!” irresistible to the majority of the population — despite the appearance or stature of the phone owner.  So, if you’re ugly (or simply have trouble starting conversations) try iCrack — the regular phone with the screen pre-cracked! You’ll see the exponential difference in the amount of people approaching you for conversation.  Cracks come in small, medium, and large.

Stuff we like and don’t like

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Peak Web
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(Elena Hsu / The Peak)

By: Jennifer Russell

Stuff we like: Call of Duty: WWII Prop Hunt

Prop Hunt is a special game mode offered in Call of Duty: WWII that allows players to play hide-and-seek as mundane objects in their regular match maps. In each round, one team is assigned various objects: such as trees, signs, statues, or furniture. The other team is made up of regular soldiers and must shoot down any objects that appear out of place. Every thirty seconds the hidden objects whistle to hint to their location. The props are also armed with flash grenades and the ability to change objects two times in order to outmaneuver their opposition. Don’t see the appeal? Well, I spent hours laughing as I watched army men chase and attempt to shoot down a tree that was jumping and spinning away. This mode was a temporary feature but it will be returning February 20–27 so don’t miss your chance to play!

Stuff we don’t like: Rotten Tomatoes critic reviews

Many people enjoy looking up critic reviews prior to watching a film, but lately I’ve discovered the great discrepancy between the Rotten Tomatoes’ critic reviews and their user reviews. Some people believe that the critic reviews are more accurate because they are written by people who watch tons of movies for the purpose of reviews, but as an avid moviegoer myself, I find the user reviews are typically more valuable to read. Perhaps this bitter response to Rotten Tomatoes is just in defence of The Greatest Showman. That movie deserved more than a 55% score, thank you very little!

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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