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Men’s basketball lose 90–76 to Central Washington

By
Peak Web
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JJ Pankratz (#22) had 19 points, four rebounds and three steals in just 29 minutes of action.

The Simon Fraser Clan travelled to Central Washington University on Saturday night to face the struggling Central Washington Wildcats. Coming into the game, the Wildcats lost eight straight. After allowing Central Washington to score 97 points in the first game between the teams this season, the Simon Fraser defense had no answer once again for the Wildcats’ attack. Currently, the Wildcats’ attack is ranked second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).

A JJ Pankratz three put the Clan up 3–2 to start the game, and marked the only lead that Simon Fraser had in this one. In the tenth minute, Pankratz’ second three of the half made the score a respectable 20–17 for the opposition, before the Wildcats offense began to find its rhythm. A Fuquan Niles dunk with 1:40 to go in the half capped off a 21–6 run by Central Washington. By the end of the half, Central Washington extended their lead to 15, and the teams went into the break with a score of 51–36.

The main issue was Simon Fraser’s inability to keep the other team from getting into the paint, as they scored multiple layups and open three-pointers. This was very similar to the last time these teams faced, where coach Steve Hanson believed that that was the main reason for the team’s defeat.

Michael Provenzano joined Pankratz with eight points to lead the Clan in the first half, while Wildcats player Dom Hunter led all scorers with 15 points in 14 minutes. Interestingly, Naim Ladd came off the bench in this one, after starting in the last meeting between these two teams and torching the Clan for 33 points. He was a non-factor in the first half, scoring only two points on one-for-two shooting.

The Clan played much better in the second half, although their first-half struggles proved to be too much to overturn. After getting down by as much as 18 — the biggest deficit of the game — Simon Fraser competed down the stretch, closing the margin to as little as eight after a Pankratz jumper. While they would eventually lose by a score of 90–76, they actually outscored their opponents in the second half 40–39.

The main contributor was the Clan’s ability to win extra possessions, as they got 11 offensive rebounds compared to Western Washington’s two, and won the turnover battle 8–3. The Clan needed these extra shots, however, as they shot only 40% from the field, compared to the Wildcats’ sizzling 64%.

Pankratz led the team with 19 points, including three three-pointers and three steals. Provenzano was the only teammate to join him in double-digit scoring, as he had a line of 11 points, five assists, and zero turnovers. Off the bench, backup point guard Othniel Spence contributed with nine points in 17 minutes. On the other side, Hunter added to his strong first half and finished the game with 27 points on 10–15 shooting, including six three-pointers. Niles played big again for the Wildcats, finishing with a double-double that included five blocks.

With only two games to go, the Clan are now 1–17 in conference play and are dead last in the GNAC. As their remaining two games are home games, Simon Fraser will finish the season without an away victory and are now 0–10 in conference games where they were the visitor. They have a 3–23 overall record.

Next Game: Simon Fraser will host the Saint Martin’s University Saints on Thursday, February 23. The Saints are tied for fourth in the GNAC with a 9–9 conference record, and sport the third-best offense, averaging 81.3 points per game.

Tip-off is at 5:15 p.m.

SFU hockey cruise to victory over Eastern Washington

By
EIC
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Adam Callegari (#36) had two goals and one assist in SFU’s 7-1 victory over Eastern Washington.

SFU hockey has had Eastern Washington’s number all season, and tonight was no different. The Clan beat up on the Eagles 7–1, going 6–0 against them in the season, and outscoring them 40–7 in the process.

“I thought it was a good game,” said head coach Mark Coletta afterwards. “I thought we played a decent first period, the second period was tremendous, and we really worked the cycle. [. . .] We protected the puck — supporting the puck, keeping the puck away — and then getting it to the point and getting it to the net.”

Eastern Washington got on the board first, though, as Taylor Bargar put one home on the powerplay early on. However, SFU was able to battle back with two goals, the first from Adam Callegari on the powerplay and the second by Robson Cramer on a beautiful move on the breakaway.

In the second, it was Spencer Unger’s turn to score, converting on a two-on-one with Callegari to make it 3–1. Just a few minutes later, Callegari was at it again with the playmaking, this time assisting on Mike Sandor’s goal. Graham Smerek potted his sixth of the season to cap off a dominant second period for the Clan.

The third featured two more goals as Mak Barden and Smerek scored on a rare short-handed penalty shot. However, on Barden’s goal, a seldom-used and obscure rule forced goaltender Jordan Liem to sit out for a few seconds. The rule states that if a goalie goes to the bench before a penalty shot he has to sit out for at least one shot. Thus, Lyndon Stanwood came in, promptly stopped one single shot, and Liem went back in.

“I couldn’t tell you if that’s a rule or not either,” said Liem after the game about the strange play. “I think that referee [maybe] still has it out for me after giving me that one-game suspension. I don’t think we’re buddies, but apparently I can’t come to the bench. Could have told me before I came to the bench for the penalty shot, but I just got waved off for one play and then Lyndon got to make his one save and I came back in.”

The win brings SFU’s record to 17–3–2 and 36 points, and sit atop of the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) standings. The Clan — barring an unexpected collapse — will finish the season in first, as the best second-place Trinity Western can do is tie SFU on points. With home ice advantage throughout the playoffs essentially confirmed, this season marks a terrific opportunity for SFU to win their first championship since 2011.

Next Game: SFU won’t play again until March 3, where they’ll take on the Trinity Western Spartans back to back. By then, first place could be clinched, so the key in these games will be for SFU to come out healthy and confident. SFU is 2–1 against Trinity Western this season, with their last game being a 2–0 victory back on February 2.

Both games start at 7 p.m.

Peak Sports Challenge: Three-Pointers with Ellen Kett

By
Peak Web
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0

On this week’s Peak Sports Challenge, our Sports Editor, Nick Bondi goes up against Ellen Kett, who leads SFU in this season of women’s basketball in a host of categories including minutes played, assists, and rebounds, as well as free throw and three point percentage.

I Am Not Your Negro exposes the reality of being Black in America

By
EIC
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I Am Not Your Negro doesn’t shy away from presenting what it’s like to be Black in America both during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and present day.

Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X. Medgar Evers.

These are the names of influential civil rights activists who fought to overcome racial segregation in the United States in the 1960s. These names are familiar, showing up in history books as prominent figures of the civil rights movement. Yet, James Baldwin knew each of these men personally, and chronicled his friendships with them for a book titled, Remember This House. He died before he could see the book published, but in the documentary I Am Not Your Negro, Baldwin’s manuscript is brought to life and delivers poignant and heartbreaking commentary on race relations in America.

Baldwin’s words are narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, and he describes how he met each activist in detail. He recalls his grief at each of their successive assassinations, and remembers each of them fondly, offering a glimpse of what these men were like as people. His accounts add realism to Malcolm X, King, and Evers, as their politics were fueled by their personality and values.

Baldwin also offers insight on his own frustrations and struggles as a black man in America, and how he had to fight for his right to personhood. One of his most resounding quotes was, “When you stand up and try to voice that you have a right to be here, you have attacked the entire power structure of the Western world.” What especially struck me was how, even in recounting the personal relationships he had with famous activists, Baldwin swiftly called attention to the bigger picture, and how a conversation about race was essential in the country.

Director Raoul Peck also tied Baldwin’s accounts to the present day by showing clips that connected his words to current events. One of the most notable ones is a tribute to the victims of police brutality — pictures of young men and women filled the screen, many of whom had passed away in the past year. And you can’t help but notice that there were too many faces to show, the injustice throbbing and prominent for each tribute.

But there are hopeful moments in the film as well, as there is a clip where a white man tells Baldwin that there could possibly be a black president in forty years. Baldwin took that to be a condescending way of exercising power, and expressed that what he felt the man was saying was that, “In forty years, maybe, we would let a black man be president.” Yet, Peck puts in a clip of the Obamas after that quote as hopeful acknowledgement of how far we can move forward.

I am not African-American, and I acknowledge that I could never truly identify with the struggles that Baldwin wrote about. But this documentary was able to give a glimpse of what years of discrimination and pain looked like, and it provided a deeply personal voice on the civil rights movement of history books.

I Am Not Your Negro sheds light on issues of racism, oppression, and marginalization, and most importantly, how these issues affect all of us. For as Baldwin so aptly puts it, “The history of the Negro in America is the history of America.”

McConaughey can only do so much to carry Gold

By
Peak Web
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Known for his good looks Matthew McConaughey (left) is almost unrecognizable in Gold especially when seated beside Edgar Ramirez (right).

By: Jennifer Russell

Warning: If you watch Matthew McConaughey movies for his stellar body, this is not the movie for you.

Gaining over forty pounds for the role, McConaughey transforms into balding, beer-bellied Kenny Wells — a man who craves gold more than life itself.

The movie begins with Kenny Wells inheriting his father’s mining company, but having neither patience nor skill, he finds himself in such a low position bankers refuse to invest in his operations. He then decides to partner with geologist Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez) and search for gold in Indonesia. Once the partners strike gold, the movie becomes more fast-paced and focused on the scandal and greed behind the American Dream.

Personally, I adored the strange relationship between Wells and Acosta. Besides their joyous moments, where they scream and embrace over their success, they also have many moments where Acosta rejects Wells’ sentimentality. Wells tells Acosta he “went looking for gold, [and] found a friend,” to which Acosta responds, “That is the single hokiest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Their unlikely friendship adds humour to some of the more serious aspects of the film.

Although there were moments of humour throughout the film, the movie’s main downfall was a lack of character development. Besides Kenny Wells, every character felt hollow, stereotypical, or just completely flat. In many scenes, McConaughey takes control of his character; he pounds on tables, lets out light groans in his car, laughs hysterically at touching a tiger, and makes inappropriate remarks. Even though his character is repulsive, he captures his craving for gold and truly embodies his character.

On the contrary, most other characters appear as objects for McConaughey to act around. Even though Wells and Acosta are a team, Acosta remains silent throughout almost every scene — a presence reminding us of his importance, but not a character to care about. In no ways am I suggesting the other actors performed poorly, but rather that the director, Stephen Gaghan, relied too heavily on McConaughey to carry this movie on his sweat-stained back.

With that said, McConaughey’s performance alone made this movie entertaining. If you’re a McConaughey fan like me and want to admire his talent, definitely watch this movie. His character is so repulsive, you can’t look away. Beyond his character, the plot and exposition will still keep you entertained.

I refuse to be a spoiler, but I will say this: Gold has a twist that pulls you back into the story in case you start falling out.

Despite the harsh reviews, this movie is engaging and worth at least one watch if you’re a McConaughey fan. But don’t get your hopes up; it won’t make anyone’s top 10.

Ali Hassan is Muslim, Interrupted

By
EIC
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0
Ali Hassan isn’t your typical Muslim, from having pork in the freezer to not going to the mosque, but despite this he still faces the same problems as other Muslims.

Comedian Ali Hassan has trouble explaining to his children why their Muslim family doesn’t go to the mosque — and why he eats pork. The nuances between religion and culture are not always easy for many people to understand, let alone for a five year-old.

In his new one-man show, Muslim, Interrupted, coming to the Chutzpah! Festival February 24, Hassan grapples with these questions as his kids have forced him to examine his own identity as what he calls a “cultural Muslim.”

“This show was born out of the fact that my kids were asking me about Islam,” said Hassan. “Questions like, ‘Why do you have chorizo in the freezer?’” After using some of these stories in his stand up shows, he realized he had enough material for his second one-man show.

Being invited to participate in a Jewish performing arts festival on a double bill with Jewish comedy legend, Judy Gold, makes a lot of sense to Hassan. “Whenever Jews and Muslims work together, it’s a celebration of shared experience,” he said. Both groups struggle to reconcile religion and culture, and Hassan said he drew inspiration from his Jewish friends who refer to themselves as “cultural Jews.”

“I’m tied to the Muslim community,” explained Hassan, but that doesn’t mean he has to go to the mosque or pray all the time. His family celebrates Muslim holidays, but in much the same way as someone who isn’t Christian celebrates Christmas — it’s a cultural thing. Hassan said, “[his kids’] friends will ask them ‘Do you go to the mosque?’ and I wonder ‘Do I start going to the mosque just so my kids can answer questions at school?’” But as he said, he’s “more of a freelance Muslim.”

Last August, Hassan took Muslim, Interrupted to the Edinburgh Festival, and it received a different reaction that what he’s experienced in North America. “A few Muslims walked out once I started talking about pork,” he said, “and others during the part about Saudi Arabia.” He explained that he does make fun of Saudi Arabia, but only to describe his personal experience there and how he was treated. “I’m critical of the extreme element of Islam,” he explained, but at the same time he doesn’t want to portray Muslims in a negative way.

In this Trump era, his kids have some more difficult questions. When one of his daughters saw a protest against Muslims, she asked, “Are we weird?” Hassan replied, “Yeah, but everybody is weird.” And since Trump’s Muslim ban, there are even more things to explain. “I didn’t think I’d ever have to explain to my kids what a registry is,” he said.

Aside from touring the show across Canada this winter, Hassan has a couple of shows lined up south of the border in Austin, Texas and Kansas City, Kansas. In light of the recent Muslim ban, he’s not sure how he’ll be received. “I don’t know if I should tell them to get a back-up comedian,” he said. “I’m a little bit concerned about them asking ‘Why are you working in the US?’” He’s also worried about the unsettling experience his friend had during a layover from Haiti to Canada. She was taken into secondary screening, which is not unusual, but this time she was asked what religion she identified as. As Hassan said, “What’s the end goal of a question like that?”

Hassan is no stranger to being treated with suspicion, and he remembers one experience in particular when he was living in the United States. “I was there during 9/11 and everything just sort of changed immediately,” he said. “I was walking with two other brown friends on the night of 9/11, and someone said, ‘There go some of them right now.’ That affiliated me with something I found just as evil as they did.”

This is something Hassan explores in his show — the idea of being seen as a threat while having the same values, convictions, and interests as many of the people who make those assumptions about him. “That’s the plight of Muslims right now: you get racism from non-Muslims and you can equally be a victim of terror.”

Hassan’s hope through this show is that he can both entertain and inform while demonstrating the similarities between Muslims and their fellow citizens, “I want to challenge people’s notions of what they think Islam is,” he said.

Four films to put SFU’s snow crisis into perspective

By
EIC
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0
SFU might have been snow covered and students might have been stuck on campus, but at least nobody had to sleep in a tauntaun.

SFU Burnaby had suffered an endless onslaught of snow. Classes were cancelled and snow and ice blocked routes that students normally took to reach their destinations. Despite the hills of white, the slush that covered our every step, and the AQ pond being a frozen tundra of its previous self, we’re still way better off than some places (even if most of them are fictional). As proof, here are four films with snow or winter weather conditions far worse than what we could ever experience on campus.

The Day After Tomorrow

Nothing says doom in this film like big tornadoes and snow storms that devastate cities. Be glad that we’ve never experienced weather phenomena as dangerous as those in this film. Unlike what people had to do in The Day After Tomorrow, we won’t need to burn books to stay warm. Starbucks and Tim Hortons has us covered. We may have a frozen pond and piles of snow everywhere, but better that than a snowstorm that will freeze you (and most of the northern hemisphere) to death.

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

It gets cold on campus, but our snow conditions can never be as cold or hostile as what Luke Skywalker suffered on the planet Hoth. Unlike us, Luke didn’t have heated buildings for refuge. He not only had to spend time inside a tauntaun, but also hallucinated about a dead Jedi master during a snowstorm. Let’s be eternally grateful that we won’t ever experience what Luke went through on Hoth. It may be slightly chilly on campus, especially from past weeks due to the snow, but remember this: Luke had to keep warm using a freshly killed tauntaun as a sleeping bag.

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

If there’s one film from last year that demonstrated the power of ice in a fantasy world, it’s this one. Our campus was no stranger to ice and its slippery reputation. On the bright side, at least our ice wasn’t due to the sorcery of a snow queen. Slipping on ice is a pain, but it’s better to face the prospect of slipping on ice and slush around campus in our natural world than to face the dangers of magical ice in an enchanted realm.

Snowpiercer

This film proved there was no better way to protect humanity from the dangerous snowy conditions of the outside world than to have it cooped up inside a moving train — while under an oppressive social class system. So, don’t fret too much over our snow. As frigid as it could get on campus, we could still go outside and get where we needed to go. SFU might have had its off days, given the snow’s unwelcomed visit and the annoying slush we’ve recently had, but at least we won’t be stuck in a dirty and confined dystopian society like the people in this film.

JFL NorthWest preview

By
EIC
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Trevor Noah returns to Vancouver on February 23 as part of Just For Laughs NorthWest.

In the dead of winter, it’s important to keep your sense of humour and have a little fun. JFL NorthWest (a partnership between Just for Laughs and the NorthWest Comedy Fest) comes along at the perfect time; from February 16–25, the festival is back for a second year with a variety of performances at multiple venues in Vancouver. With so many comics and variety shows, there is a show for everyone’s sense of humour.  

Best show for political humour: Trevor Noah | February 23 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre

If you missed his show at last year’s festival, you don’t want to miss out again. Since Trump’s election to the White House, Noah is sure to have more political material to add to his cultural comparisons from a South African perspective. The Daily Show host knows how to tell it like it is and make his audience think globally.  

Best show for dad humour: Jim Gaffigan | February 24 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre

This father of five shares his observations on being a dad, the meaning of life, and food. With four comedy specials on Netflix, he’s easily accessible from the comfort of your couch, but nothing beats laughing simultaneously with hundreds of other people. Gaffigan can also be seen in TV shows such as Portlandia, Flight of the Conchords, and Law & Order.

Best show for sarcastic humour: Sarah Silverman | February 25 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre

You may have heard Sarah Silverman’s voice on Bob’s Burgers, and now you can hear her live as she shares personal stories and tackles subjects such as racism, sexism, and religion. The Saturday Night Live alumna has racked up a number of awards over the years including two Emmys, a Grammy, and a Webby. Silverman’s humour is always thought provoking and challenging.

Best show for bro humour: Chris D’Elia | February 24 | Vogue Theatre

Chris D’Elia’s comedy is like watching a guy try to impress his friends. If you’re into that style of boastful, self-important humour, then you’ll love D’Elia. He doesn’t pull any punches, and he isn’t afraid to play into stereotypes — especially of females or minorities. D’Elia enjoys impersonations and topics such as drunk girls, Cubans, and Drake.

Best show for a girls’ night out: Iliza | February 17 | Vogue Theatre

Grab your girlfriends and go have some laughs with Iliza (who, somewhere along the way, dropped her last name, Shlesinger). She got her start on the reality show Last Comic Standing, her stand-up can be seen on multiple Netflix specials, she has many television credits, and her first book, Girl Logic, is set to be released in April 2017. Iliza is a girl’s girl who touches on subjects such as girls at bars, girl GPS, girls’ night, and girls eating — you get the picture.

Best shows for local humour: Best of the West series

Sure, we’ve got international superstar comedians coming to Vancouver for this festival, but we also have some great homegrown comic talent. Support your local comedians in this series of shows that includes legendary troupe The Sunday Service; The Gentlemen Hecklers providing humorous commentary to the best bad movies; Vancouverite commenting on what it’s like to live here; All You Can Eat Laundry, a variety show hosted by Maddy Kelly; Cords Comedy; and Eight and a Half Inches of Comedy.

Best show for film lovers: Comedy Short Shorts | February 18 | Rio Theatre

This third annual showcase of local short films is judged live by a panel of industry experts, and the winner will go on to be screened at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. You never know what you’re gonna get in this grab bag of short films and sketches, but it’s sure to fill the Rio with laughter.  

Kama Sit-ra

By
EIC
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0

Kamasutra1_ChristinaKrugerWoodrow
Missionary

Your classic classroom sleeper.

Simply try your best to keep your eyes open after the first half hour of class. Eventually, give in and put your head down on your desk — pray that your prof doesn’t notice you.

Kamasutra3_ChristinaKrugerWoodrow

Reverse Cowgirl

Perfect for classrooms with rolly chairs.

Roll yourself into a nice corner and turn your chair around. Straddle it, resting your arms and head on the back. Cling onto the chair for comfort as you drift off to sleep, wishing that you had friends to get notes from.

Kamasutra2_ChristinaKrugerWoodrow

Doggy Style

Best attempted in a three-hour lecture, after back-to-back all-nighters.

Just give up all together on trying to stay awake. Get out of your seat and curl up on the ground, then proceed to take a much-needed nap. We all know this is better than trying to sleep on your desk anyway.

Kamasutra4_ChristinaKrugerWoodrow

Spooning

Fun with new friends.

Summon the courage to say “Hello!” to the classmate beside you. After trying very hard to stay awake and take notes to make a good impression — fall asleep on their shoulder. If they are still there when you wake up, ask them if they will share their notes.

Kamasutra5_ChristinaKrugerWoodrow

69

For those who lack in motivation.

After realizing you haven’t been paying attention for the past hour, decide it’s too late to catch up now. Allow yourself to zone out peacefully, catching the occasional micro-nap. That is, until you think about the 69% you received in your class last semester—that extra percent robbed you of the C you could have gotten.

 

 

SFU campuses ranked by sex appeal

By
EIC
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0

Probably the least sexy thing on the planet would be the place you go to school. It’s where you sit and listen to someone talk for way longer than you’d like, and stress over how much you have to do. But we go to a school that was almost named “Fraser University” and would have had the unfortunate acronym of FU — maybe that almost-acronym was an open invitation from our campuses to explore their many titillating hallways. These sexy SFU campuses will have you going from “fuck you” to “fuck you” (raises sensual eyebrow).

 

       Surrey

Sleek, modern, and sophisticated AF, many feel groan-worthy pleasure from looking at its elaborate wooden roof. This campus is begging you to plop your ass in a chair in their virtual reality lab so you can experience a whole new world. Also, Trudeau has been within its walls so that’s an added bonus.

 

     Burnaby

While this campus is older and not in top shape, the gorgeous mountain views at the study spot in West Mall Centre will help you get in touch with your wild side while hitting the books. There are also plenty of coffee shops around, if you are in need of an aphrodisiac to get the ball rolling. And, of course, nothing satisfies a sexual appetite more than the avocado (I have to put this in here even though that joke needs to die).

 

      Harbour Centre

Aaand this brings us to the campus that is reminiscent of an airport lounge. Is there anything sexy about an airport lounge? No, because you are cranky and hungry and in a hurry to catch a flight, and being horny is the farthest thing from your mind. Keep this one on your list for actually studying and getting shit done.

 

 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024