New Music Friday

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February 17, 2017

Follow The Peak on Spotify to stay up to date on New Music Friday.

“How Would You Feel (Paean)” – Ed Sheeran

Jessica Whitesel: Don’t get me wrong; I love Ed Sheeran, but he needs to stop with the love songs. It’s like he is trying to one-up himself over being able to write the most touching love song. Seriously though, he’s thissssss close to becoming the world’s first multi-platinum wedding singer.

Rita Ovis: This could maybe be a Disney song! Who doesn’t love a good love song that sounds like it could be straight outta The Little Mermaid.

“Shining” – DJ Khaled feat. Beyoncé and Jay-Z

JW: I guess this song is OK, but both Bey and Jay have done better work. Maybe it was DJ Khaled that threw it off? In any event, even though this will probably be a huge hit, they’ve both done much better work.

RO: Without Beyoncé this song would be NOTHING! Without Beyoncé, modern culture would be LOST! We need Beyoncé!!!

“P.O.W.A.” – M.I.A.

JW: Well, this sure is a song. I either love or hate M.I.A.’s music, there is no in between, and this song falls under hate. There is just something about her flow that seems off in this track and I’m not sure if it’s the backing track or what, but it just didn’t sound right.

RO: Acronyms run strong for M.I.A. She also rhymes Osama with Obama and the Dalai Lama, so that’s pretty creative.

“It Ain’t Me” – Kygo feat. Selena Gomez

JW: I had to listen to this song about three times before I realized that it just wasn’t going to happen and I should give up. It’s pretty much the perfect poppy background song. Bland, repetitive lyrics sung a tad too high, a super basic beat, and a strange fondness for being 17. DO YOU EVEN FUCKING REMEMBER 17? IT WAS THE WORST FFS.

RO: I’ve always been convinced that Selena Gomez’s musical career has been balancing on good producing and autotuning, and this song just further proves that.

“Rich Boy” – Galantis

JW: This song is a little too summery for February with how upbeat it is, but as soon as the snow starts to melt and I can drink on patios with my squad, I’ll be all over this song.

RO: Oh, this is a good party song, people! Too bad reading week is over ☹.

“A Kindly Reminder” – Passenger

JW: Passenger is fucking clobbering Donald “Tiny Hands” Trump with a fucking mic. Holy shit. It’s fucking fire. “And if I could offer a kindly reminder / It’s not OK to grab women by the vagina,” which is a pretty kick-ass phrase to pull the title of the song from. It also talks about the wall, the travel ban, and of course, his tiny hands. It kind of reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan, but you can actually understand the words.

RO: No literary devices were used in the making of this song. This might as well be a very opinionated SNL parody song about Trump and his doings. Honestly, I thought Passenger was so meek, too! Now, they’re rhyming reminder and vagina in reference to Trump.

“Cold” – Maroon 5 feat. Future

JW: I’m not loving this at all. It’s just the same thing over and over and over and over, and then Future comes in. Which is different, but by that point, there isn’t really anything anyone could do to make this song better.

RO: Even to this day, when I think of Maroon 5, I think of “She Will Be Loved,” so I’m always thrown off guard when collaboration with all these new funky artists like Future come out. I just can’t keep up with the kids these days.

“Heavy” – Linkin Park feat. Kiiara

JW: WUT? This is not the nu-metal Linkin Park I listened to in middle school. I don’t know how to feel about this. Like, the lyrics are classic Linkin Park, but the sound is not, and I just don’t know how to feel about this. But like, kudos for changing with the times, unlike some other bands *cough* Nickelback *cough*.

RO: This is a little angst I definitely would have enjoyed as a 13-year-old. Not so much now, though, since I can get my feelings out on Twitter.

“Love Incredible” – Cashmere Cat feat. Camila Cabello

JW: NO. I DO NOT LIKE THIS. Maybe this is a hot take, but Camila Cabello can’t sing worth shit. And that is literally all that this song is. I WANT EAR BLEACH.

RO: Ooh, I really like Camila Cabello’s voice in this — it’s so floaty and cool. All in all, it’s just another banger for the club, it doesn’t really stand out too much, other than the voice.

“Some Way” – Nav feat. The Weeknd

JW: I mean, this sure is The Weeknd. I’m still not sure who Nav is, but I’m guessing they are probably a DJ. . . probably. It sounds like non-single The Weeknd if you really want to know more about this song.

RO: Which way is “some way” though? Like, I get it, I get the slang, I really do, but also I don’t.

“Safari” – Jidenna feat. Janelle Monae, St. Beauty, and Nana Kwabena

JW: I couldn’t make it through this one. I feel like since I’m the arts editor, I should listen to all of it, but I just couldn’t. Sorry fam.

RO: I truly enjoy how the concept of safari in this song is used as both a metaphor for a kooky and wild party, as well as the Internet browser, Safari. Google Chrome is better, though, in my opinion.

“Nimble Bastard” – Incubus

JW: This is the Incubus I remember! I don’t know if I even ever liked them, but at least they are recognizable, so that is nice.

RO: This is a bit head-bangy and reminds of Green Day, so I guess it’s alright.

A journey with hockey leads back home for Jordan Liem

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EIC

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February 17, 2017

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Jordam Liem SFU Hockey — So far this season, Liem has six wins, along with a 2.34 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

Being a goalie in hockey poses some unique challenges. If you have a good game, you can single-handedly win it for you and your teammates. Have an off night, however, and you risk letting everyone down.

Throughout his SFU career, Jordan Liem has been a model of consistency. The third-year goalie from New Westminster has become an integral part of a SFU team that is always near the top of the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) standings.

“I wanted to stay at home,” said Liem on his decision to come to SFU. “I played in Saskatchewan for a bit, so I wanted to come back home and start playing here again, close to family and friends. My sister actually came to SFU and said she liked it a lot. That kind of persuaded me to come here and they contacted me to come try out.”

Liem’s hockey career began with being drafted to the Western Hockey League. He was a ninth-round pick of the Tri-City Americans back in 2008.

“It’s quite the process,” explained Liem on getting drafted. “It’s definitely something you’re always focused on in your second year of bantam at 15 years old. And when I look back at it now, I think, ‘Wow, these 15 year-olds are getting this huge opportunity to play in a league where you’re getting seen by NHL scouts.’

“For me, I was at school; it was just a regular school day. We knew the draft was going on, so we were trying to keep posted and see if we were going, because a lot of us get contacted throughout the year from interested teams.”

As a draft pick, Liem got to attend their pre-season camps, which was an eye-opening experience for him at the time.

“I got to go to camp for two years and see what a junior main camp was all about,” he said. “The workouts, the ice times they expect you to do, and the professionalism that comes along with it, because it’s something you don’t really get a taste of at 15 usually. Not until you’re older and maybe getting into a junior A level.”

After spending time at the junior B level in BC with the North Van Wolf Pack and not getting “much interest from junior A teams,” Liem then was off to Nipawin, Saskatchewan — population around 4,000 — to try out for the Nipawin Hawks. He ended up making the team.

“It was like the Canadian hockey cliché: move to a small town and play away from home,” Liem said of the experience. “It was kind of like living out that adventure you always envisioned yourself doing. The people were nice; you’re like a town hero. You’re always kind of under scrutiny, because people recognize you all the time. But you’re always welcome everywhere and people are really nice to you.”

After finishing last season with 11 wins in 17 starts with a 2.87 GAA and .915 save percentage, this season has been a bit different. Although he’s improved his GAA and save percentage from last season, he’s been splitting a lot more starts with the team’s other goalie, Lyndon Stanwood.

“I’ve been in some tandems where you kind of butt heads, especially if you’re competing with ice time. But with us, with how good he’s been playing, I have no problem splitting ice time with him.

“We feed off each other a lot and we bounce ideas off each other a lot, which makes it a lot easier. It’s competition within the framework of your team, but it’s not like socially competitive. We’re not angry at each other about anything, it’s just the regular competition that comes between teammates.”

This goalie tandem has led to a brilliant season thus far for SFU hockey. The team is currently top of the BCIHL standings — but they were last year around this time, as well. The trick for this year’s edition will be to avoid the late season collapse that put them in second place, and eventually bounced them out of the first round of the playoffs.

“It’s hard to pinpoint,” said Liem on what makes this year’s team different. “I think I’ve said all year the leadership group is a little bit different. We’re kind of overall never out of a game.

“There’s never a lull where anyone on the team thinks that we’re shutting down for the rest of the night. I don’t know how many comeback wins we have this year, but at no point in any game have we felt like that’s it; we’re done. We’ve never felt out of it all year, and I think this year, too, just the attitude everyone has coming to the rink is pretty positive.”

Liem’s ultimate goal is to win the BCIHL championship after coming so close his first year. After that, the future is uncertain, but Liem says he does have a passion for goalie coaching.

“There’s a former SFU goalie, Jesse Mulholland, who’s starting a goalie school. It’s been getting a lot of popularity and he’s been keeping in contact with me and he gives me some opportunities to coach younger kids. [. . .] I don’t know if I’d want to do team coaching, but goalie coaching is kind of an interest in mind.”

FUN FACT: Favourite place to eat on campus?

“Definitely Mackenzie [café]. Their sandwiches are just killer.”

SFU women’s wrestling come second at 2017 WCWA National Championships

By

EIC

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February 17, 2017

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Mallory Velte SFU Athletics new — Mallory Velte (left) won her second straight national championship in the 143 pound division.

It was another successful year for SFU women’s wrestling. The team had two national champions in Mallory Velte and Payten Smith, and three other top three finishes in Dominique Parrish, Nicole Depa, and Abby Lloyd, with Francesca Giorgio finishing fourth. As a whole, the team finished second in the standings.

“The girls wrestled really, really well,” said head coach Mike Jones, talking to The Peak. “Obviously there’s matches when you’re coaching, especially in an individual sport, where you’re never completely happy. You have some kids that really pull things out and win and some that slip a little bit. [. . .] The good thing is that the girls realise they could have won [the national championship] and are already jacked and excited for next year.”

Mallory Velte was, perhaps, the standout performer on this year’s team. She was to repeat in the 143-pound weight class, and as a junior, has a chance to go for the three-peat next season.

“I think she will,” said Jones when asked what her chances are at a third-straight national championship. “Mallory is at a point in her academic career where because she had an injury year that she could finish her degree. But I think she’s excited to come back and go for a third title. But more importantly, I think she wants to see the team win a title.”

Payten Smith was the other national champion, picking it up in the 191-pound weight class. She defeated the number one-ranked opponent, Paige Baynes, in a tight contest.

“The good thing is that the girls realize they could have won [the national championship] and are already jacked and excited for next year.”

“It was kind of [a] last-minute effort that paid off,” said Jones on the match. “She got a nice throw and the girl hadn’t been in that situation all year. [. . .] [Payten] has been third, second, [and] first all year, so she’s in that mix. It just wasn’t a good match for her until the last 17 seconds. She’ll be back next year and she’s excited to improve.”

Dominique Parrish finished second in the 123-pound weight class in a tight match, and has the ability to become “one of the best we’ve ever had,” according to Jones. Nicole Depa also finished second in her weight class, and although she “didn’t fare too well in the final,” she was a runner-up for the second-straight year. Francesca Giorgio put in a inspirational performance, finishing third while battling with a hamstring injury.

Although this year was highly successful, Jones foresees an even better year next season with the wealth of returning talent the team will have at its disposal.

“If we can get three or four outstanding recruits, I seriously think it will be the best team SFU has fielded,” explained Jones. “The 2013 team was pretty special. We had an olympic champion and a world champion and two Canadian champions [. . .] It was a pretty solid team, but I actually think next year’s team will be that good.”

A campus guide to the best and worst coffee

By

EIC

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February 17, 2017

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Coffee keeps students running, and students need to know where they can go to get some midnight fuel to help them make it through the day. This is your guide to coffee options on campus. See something missing? Tweet us @PeakSFU to tell us what your favourite coffee on campus is!

What are the coffee options on and around campus?

Coffee has a been as significant part of my life since I can remember; it’s ingrained in my Colombian blood.

Colombia is the world’s third largest exporter of coffee, behind only Vietnam and Brazil. I remember waking up to the smell of coffee when I was small, walking up to an old metallic pot where the water was boiled and seeing how the coffee would drip from what looked like a filter made out of women’s stockings.

As I grew older I understood more and more how important coffee is in my culture; it’s not just a breakfast drink, it’s an all day and all night drink for us. We have a tintico (a small coffee, in between espresso and drip coffee) after lunch while we do the sobremesa, the art of staying at the table for hours to continue talking.

At around five in the afternoon in my grandma’s house, during a commercial break from her soap operas, she quickly runs to the kitchen to start a coffee pot. She brings little mugs filled with coffee and some cookies or biscuits. “It’s healthy to drink coffee — for the heart,” she usually says as she sets the tray of coffee on the living room table.

Where I come from, coffee is not a drink that hipsters microbrew in search of their authenticity, nor is it something tasteless you drink to prevent snoozing off in class, or something to be drunk in a rush. It’s part of us.

Now here I am, 6,752 kilometers from home, looking from something that resembles the coffee I love. This is why I have taken the time to taste and understand the different cups of joe you can find around campus. None of that “mocha frappuccino with soy milk and whipped cream” business, just regular black coffee and where to find it around campus.

Renaissance Coffee*

I like Renaissance, and I especially like Renaissance because it’s SFU. It’s something our community should be proud of. . . not only are their employees super-nice (unless there is a huge line and they’re kind of stressed), but they are fair trade and offer eight different types of coffee!

They Offer: Irish Cream (Only offered in the AQ location), Costa Rica (Only offered in the AQ location), Rocket Fuel, Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Machu Pichu, Mokha Java, Terra Firma

Small: 8 oz. | Price: $1.60

Medium: 12 oz. | Price: $2.00

Large: 16 oz. |Price: $2.20

Loyalty card: Yes! Get the 10th coffee free.

Bring your own mug discount? Yes, save 10 cents.

Where to find it?

AQ and Applied Sciences Building.

Best thing about it: The employees and the SFU pride.

*You can also get Renaissance coffee at Simon C’s convenience store located in 2000 level of the AQ when you walk in from convocation mall. Weirdly enough, they offer medium roast or dark roast, neither of which are offered at any Renaissance location. The 12 oz. coffee will cost you $2.00.

Nester’s

I know what you are thinking: “Nester’s, really?” Yes really. At the back of Nesters you can find this little sitting area perfect to get some studying done without being disturbed and have a cup of joe. Their coffee is what you would expect; it’s supermarket coffee. You go because it’s convenient.

They Offer: Classic, Lush, Super Dark

Small: 12 oz. | Price: $1.90

Large: 16 oz. | Price: $2.10

Where to find it?

Cornerstone

Best thing about it: Get a jumbo muffin (they really are jumbo size) and a coffee for $3.15.

Starbucks

What Timmy’s is to Canadians, Starbucks is to Americans. I am not a fan — whenever I drink Starbucks coffee I get a weird ache in my gums, which can’t be healthy. I understand the appeal, though. Going to Starbucks is cool for people. They have a place to sit (unless it’s packed, which it usually is) and they can listen to some elevator jazz music.

They offer: Light Roast, Medium Roast, Dark Roast

Tall: 12 oz. | Price: $2.36

Grande: 16 oz. | Price: $2.68

Venti: 20 oz. | Price: $2.99

Bring your own cup discount? Yes, save 10 cents.

Where to find it?

Cornerstone and West Mall Center, 3000 level

Best thing about it: The bathrooms are always clean!

Nature’s Garden Café

I love Nature’s Garden and in my opinion, they have the best coffee on campus. The people are always nice, it is never too packed, the food is always filling and healthy, and the coffee — oh, the coffee! It’s never burnt, it’s never too strong or too weak, and it actually taste like coffee is supposed to!

They offer: Medium Roast, Dark Roast

Small: 8 oz. | Price: $1.85

Medium: 12 oz. | Price: $2.10

Large: 16 oz. | Price: $2.36

Loyalty card: Yes! Get the 10th coffee free.

Where to find it?

Cornerstone

Best thing about it: the taste!

Mackenzie Café*

The Mackenzie café is a weird place for me — it’s in the middle of campus, there are way too many options, and way too many people. I never know exactly how I’m getting charged, and when I ask the cashiers they give me a dirty look. I avoid this place like the plague. Their coffee is pretty decent, though, and it’s all fair trade!

They offer: Classic, Super Dark, French Vanilla, Decaf

Small: 12 oz. |Price: $2.00

Medium: 16 oz. | Price: $2.20

Large: 20 oz. | Price: $2.40

Bring your own mug discount? Yes, save 25 cents.

Where to find it?

AQ, 3000 level

Best thing about it: they have decaf.

*You can find this same coffee in the Dining Hall, but you cannot buy just one cup, you pay for the time of day you are in there; either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late-night. The good thing about that is you can have as many cups as you want.

Higher Grounds coffee

I like Higher Grounds. If I’m too far away from Cornerstone to go to my option A, this is definitely my option B. There is usually no line and always a place to sit. The coffee is decent and warms up your spirit on a rainy day.

They offer: Dark Roast, Medium Roast, Hazelnut Cream, Caramel Crunch, French Vanilla

Small: 8 oz. | Price: $1.35

Medium: 12 oz. | Price: $1.80

Large: 16 oz. | Price: $2.15

Bring your own mug discount? Yes, save 10 cents.

Loyalty card: Yes, the Belly Card! You accumulate points and get different discounts. The Belly card also works at the Highland Pub, so you can collect points at both locations!

Where to find it?

At the entrance of Maggie Benston Centre, right above the forum chambers and The Peak offices.

Best thing about it: seeing people try to enter the glass windows and get confused as to why they don’t open.

Tim Hortons

Oh Timmies! A true Canadian icon. Their assortment of bagels, doughnuts, and pastries are delicious. As for the coffee, I’m going to be honest and say I despise it. After I had my first sip four years ago when I first arrived in the country, I can honestly say I have never tried it again. Nevertheless, I understand the charm: it’s home and it’s cheap.

They offer: Original, Dark Roast, Decaf

Small: 10 oz. | Price: $1.50

Medium: 15 oz. | Price: $1.80

Large: 20 oz. | Price: $1.95

Extra Large: 24 oz. | Price: $2.15

Loyalty card: Nope.

Bring your own mug discount? Yes, save 10 cents. But this might not apply to every franchise.

Where to find it?
West Mall Centre, 2000 level

Best thing about it: roll up the rim to win and the express kiosk!

SFU women’s wrestling come second at 2017 WCWA National Championships

By

EIC

-

February 17, 2017

0

Mallory Velte SFU Athletics — Mallory Velte (left) won her second straight national championship in the 143 pound division.