Miles Richardson no stranger to adversity

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October 17, 2016

photoathlete_web — Richardson is SFU’s new starting quarterback, replacing recent graduate Ryan Stanford.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” said quarterback Miles Richardson.

With the exception of one half played last year, he hadn’t started a game since high school. Now, as he headed into his first season with the Clan, he was the starter, the go-to guy. It’s a position he had wanted for three years, but it’s one that comes with enormous pressure.

“You kind of forget what it’s like to be in a game, and to be driving down the field with your teammates, just all those little things,” he explained.

It was a longer road for Richardson than most.

Recruited out of high school to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Eastern Washington University Eagles, initially it was a dream come true. Spending his redshirt and freshman season behind Vernon Adams, the two-time conference offensive player of the year and current Montreal Alouette, it was a great opportunity to learn and grow, while being at the highest level of football.

After Richardson’s freshman season, Adams transferred to the Oregon Ducks. Though this may have been an opportunity for the quarterback going into his sophomore year, the coaching staff went with another quarterback.

Then, seeking a new opportunity and still hungry to be a starter at a Division I school, he looked at his options. One of those options was SFU, but he wanted to leave the door open for returning to Division I.

“Especially in American culture, you’re kind of led to believe that when you’re in high school that Division I is everything.

Everyone was just talking about playing Division I and I was lucky enough to have a couple of opportunities,” he explained.

“When that opportunity didn’t really seem like the most feasible for my future, I still wanted to pursue the opportunity of playing Division I.”

With this in mind, he took the junior college route and enrolled at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ, roughly 1,500 miles from his home in Burien, WA. A standout season at the junior college level could mean another shot at the Division I level.

His first game had been going well. Then, on the first play of the second half, it happened.

“I’m carrying out my fake to the left, after I handed off the ball, ended up seeing my running back cut back, and went to go make a block for him — which is not usually necessarily what a quarterback is quote-unquote supposed to do,” he said. “And we ended up getting into a scuffle, just with our feet, as I was trying to block him and I ended up doing a Jones fracture to the outer part of my left foot.”

“It’s going to take a lot more than a few losses to get me in a place where I’m not willing to keep going”

He was out for the season. And away from family, friends, and home, he still had to finish the academic year and achieve his associate’s degree if he wanted to go to a four-year school again.

“I had moved my entire life away from my family [and] the spouse that I now live with up here, just to pursue my own aspirations of playing college football. I had a lot of hope that I was going to be able to go and have a lot of success down there and when that was kind of just ripped away from me the first game,” said Richardson. “I was kind of stuck down there in a way, [. . .] it was just a long, lagging process that, over time, I had to deal with.

“But it wasn’t easy by any means. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through.”

Out of the hardships came an opportunity. SFU, which had courted him before he decided to go to junior college, was still interested, with head coach Kelly Bates making him the same offer before his injury.

In addition to the chance to play football again, being in southern BC also puts him close to home, only a few hours north of his hometown of Burien, 10 miles from Seattle. It doesn’t hurt that he gets to live in a world-class city that reminds him of home.

“I love Seattle. Growing up there, I feel like anytime I go anywhere else in the world I come back and look at Seattle and go, ‘How could you not want to live here, there’s water, there’s a beautiful city, there’s mountains, there’s green, it’s got everything.”

“You come up here, you look around, [and] it’s more of the same.

On the academic-side, he admits that SFU is the most challenging of the schools he’s attended. Studying a double-minor in business and communication, his goal is to do something entrepreneurial.

“My spouse says that I have a million ideas, [and] she just gets to listen to all of them,” he laughed.

But now, there’s a lot of work to be done on the football field. Six games into the season, the Clan has yet to get a win this season. Having medically redshirted in the year of his injury, it didn’t count against his eligibility, so Richardson still has two further years after this season that he could be with the team.

How the team grows and develops will depend greatly on how they handle adversity: whether they learn and grow from the losses, or let the losses crush them. Luckily, they have a quarterback who knows a thing or two about rising above adversity.

“It’s going to take a lot more than a few losses to get me in a place where I’m not willing to keep going,” says Richardson. “It all starts with me and I take a lot of ownership for why those scores are what they are and I won’t accept them, that’s just not something I’m going to allow. ”

World News Beat

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EIC

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October 17, 2016

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COLOMBIA – Colombian president wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Prize laureates for the year have been announced and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize of 2016. President Santos was awarded for his work to end domestic conflicts within Colombia that have protracted for over 50 years. The conflict was between the Marxist group Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia, and other paramilitary groups. The war led to displacement and death. The militia signed a peace agreement with Santos. Many speculate that this prize was a political tactic in order to support continued peace operations within Colombia.

With files from Al Jazeera

HAITI – Hurricane Matthew and humanitarian efforts in Haiti

Tragedy has returned to Haiti in the form of a natural disaster with Hurricane Matthew, killing scores and reportedly destroying 90 percent of property and crops in some areas. The hurricane has affected Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The United Nations has appealed for international aid of $120 million as 1.4 million Haitians are at extreme risk. The people of Haiti are also vulnerable to cholera: the epidemic will reportedly affect mass populations, aggravated by the storm. Basic amenities such as food, water, and medicine have not been able to reach areas on the coasts, calling for more help from the international community.

With files from ABC News and Al Jazeera

US – US House of Representatives speaker turns over a new leaf

The second debate between the two presidential nominees has affected Trump’s campaign far more adversely than expected. The speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has reportedly said that “he will not defend Trump or campaign with him for the next 30 days.” Ryan’s decision comes right after Trump found himself in controversy surrounding his potentially derogatory comments towards women. Ryan reasoned that he would be spending the rest of the presidential running ensuring that his party’s majority is retained. It is reported that Ryan also asked the party members to act in the best interest of their own districts.

With files from Al Jazeera

Board Shorts

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EIC

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October 17, 2016

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SFUAMB requesting money for survey

The Simon Fraser University Advocacy for Men and Boys club is asking the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) for $1,000 to conduct a research survey, with the end goal to determine if SFU needs a dedicated men’s centre. The survey would also gauge SFU students’ satisfaction with services that help with physical and mental health. The survey would go on for the rest of the semester, with the data being formatted next semester.

Presentation on Food and Beverage Services

SFU’s Food and Beverage Services (FBS) is looking for ways to start being for-profit, with a presentation from FBS general manager John Flipse suggesting things like turning part of the Highland Pub into a food primary location. Amidst the various suggestions, Flipse made it clear that prices of food and drink at SFSS-run food outlets were likely to go up.

Highland Pub already running behind budgetary schedule

The Highland Pub is around $60,000 behind where management was expecting to be right now, because they weren’t able to completely open for September. Many students may have noticed that the kitchen closed early in the first few weeks of the semester. This is because there were not enough available cooks for the pub. Flipse mentioned that there were a number of staff who did not return after the Highland Pub closed for the summer.

Unmasking my battle with makeup, femininity, and gender

By

EIC

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October 17, 2016

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Raccoon eyes were not the look I was going for.

I started out feeling empowered as I swiped on a new shade of lipstick and made my eyes catlike. The feelings I got while watching an expert apply their makeup and the reality of trying to recreate the look made me realize that I have a love/hate relationship with cosmetics. I love makeup when I first put it on, but it never lasts through the day. When I mess up and have to redo it, I can’t help but feel bad about myself.

I love the look of makeup, but I hate how it feels on my skin. I love that makeup makes me feel perfect, but I hate that I don’t feel like myself without it.

When I let makeup become part of my daily routine, it became my new normal. If I go one day without makeup, my skin feels translucent, letting every flaw through. I notice the patchiness of my eyebrows, the blotchiness of my skin, the smallness of my eyes, and my planet-sized pimple eclipses any hope of me liking the way my face looks that day.

It is this pressure to be perfect, to put on a mask to perform for the day, that many radical feminists object to. They call attention to the internalized need for women to feminize and sexualize themselves in all contexts.

This perspective stuck strongly in my head. It started to feel wrong to cover my face up. I asked myself why I was spending so much time, effort, and money on makeup since I did not enjoy the actual feeling of cosmetics on my face. So I gave it up, feeling quite proud of myself for making my bare face the new normal.

Being makeup-free instantly simplified my life.

I no longer had to worry about lining my eyes in the morning or making sure my foundation matched my skin tone. I did not have to pay for a new lipstick or anything that Sephora deemed necessary for a girl to have. My look became one of utility.

It also became sort of boring. It was nice having a minimalist mentality for a while, as it helped me focus on the important things in life. But I did not forget the bliss I felt when lining my eyes and feeling like a true artist, or the joy of picking up a new lipstick as I was partaking in makeup culture. I needed a way to express myself again.

The liberal feminist argument then came to me: the idea that makeup was OK as long as it is your choice to wear it. But how do you dissect the need to wear makeup from the want to wear makeup when it is part and parcel of a gendered concept that is deeply embedded in how you see the world and yourself?

The gender binary tells us you can either model yourself in the image of a man or a woman. We all have the picture of the perfect person in our heads that society tells us we should strive to look like. It becomes an almost involuntary action of mentally checking and rechecking how your body fits into the perfect image.

Textbook femininity can really mess with your head

I had a picture-perfect feminine face pinned in my mind when I try to apply makeup, but it seems unattainable when I notice my hair or pores or blotches. Any kind of body policing — be it for or against makeup — is unwelcome and unacceptable.

Staring down the barrel of my mascara tube, I realized that makeup is not inherently a patriarchal tool; rather, it is a tool of self-expression. Makeup should become ungendered so that both men and women can choose to express themselves with it. Especially in the university environment, where we are in between the suffocating high school pressures and the work world dress code, we should be able to use makeup to curate our own image.

My raccoon eyes are now a look in themselves, evidence that I alone can choose how I want to look.

Satellite Signals

By

EIC

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October 17, 2016

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WOODWARD’S:

The Fifth Annual Vancouver Polish Film Festival begins on October 21 at the Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, showcasing various productions from the Polish film industry. The three-day event will screen 10 Polish films that cover topics from crime to relationships, music, and family drama. Admission for a three-day pass is $50, or $12 per viewing. Students can also receive a 50 percent discount on general admission tickets. For more details and screening times, visit SFU Woodward’s website.

HARBOUR CENTRE:

SFU’s Institute for the Humanities supports Congo Week at Grandview Calvary Baptist Church with Breaking the Silence: 20 Years After Invasion and War in the Congo. The event welcomes Maurice Carney, co-founder of Friends of the Congo, as he discusses the challenges that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has faced following its invasion by Uganda and Rwanda 20 years ago. This event will take place on October 18 at 6:30 p.m.

SURREY:

SFU Venture Connection hosts Rising Tides: Emerging Talent and Trends in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math at SFU Surrey room 3310, October 18 at 5 p.m. This event will showcase some of SFU’s entrepreneurs as they discuss the future of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). This event is also the launch of the STEM Spotlight Awards, and will feature a representative from the UK STEM Awards to discuss the program.

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY

By

Peak Web

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October 14, 2016

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By: Sarah Finley, Courtney Miller, Connor Robinson, and Jessica Whitesel

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

“Don’t Wanna Know” – Maroon 5 feat. Kendrick Lamar

Jessica Whitesel: I only kept listening to this song for two reasons: first, I feel it’s my duty as the poor sucker who put this steaming pile of crap on this playlist, and second there was the promise of Kendrick Lamar. It’s one of his weakest verses on a song and it lasts about 15 seconds. Just skip this one; you’re not missing anything. I just learned that the video is Pokémon Go-themed and I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.

Connor Robinson: I didn’t mind this one at first, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. It feels like Maroon 5 is trying to cash on the tropical house hits of last year. Not to mention Kendrick is nonexistent on this track. Overall, extremely forgettable.

Sarah Finley: You could honestly just listen to 10 seconds of this song — any 10 seconds — and you’ll get a pretty solid idea of what the rest of the track is like. Don’t bother getting your hopes up for Kendrick; you won’t even be able to tell he’s there.

Courtney Miller: The harmonies at the end are great, but lyrically and melody-wise, I’m not impressed. I expected more and I expected better, particularly from Maroon 5. Lamar wasn’t as monotonously boring as I predicted, but I still wouldn’t recommend this to anyone I know.

“Bad Things” – Machine Gun Kelly feat. Camila Cabello

JW: Wow, such 2000, much boring. ALSO STOP WITH THE TALK-RAP-SINGING! This song is something that I feel I should be able to sing along to, but the words are wrong.

CR: I can’t get past the lyrics, which is sad because they’re clearly an afterthought. Musically it’s alright at best, and the synths and trap influenced beat are nothing special, but the lyrics are so awful it’s unlistenable.

SF: Camila Cabello is easily the best part of this track; the percussion is strange, and Machine Gun Kelly’s rapping is… a joke. The juxtaposition of Cabello’s high feminine vocals and Machine Gun Kelly’s “rapping” just didn’t click enough. No thanks.

CM: Can we get more of Cabello? I like her. Let’s keep her and her harmonies and around. I’ll pass on Machine Gun Kelly.

“True Disaster” – Tove Lo

JW: really want to like Tove Lo but I find it hard when her best tracks are the ones where she is a featured artist. Also, is this, like, a radio edit? Or did she suddenly decide to not say ‘fuck’? This song is a true disaster.

CR: I’ve never heard of Tove Lo, and I probably will forget her unless she decides to go a more original direction. This song is extremely generic, but it has some Carly Rae Jepsen (Emotion-era) musical similarities. For future listening, I’ll just stick to Carly Rae.

SF: I’ve tried so hard to appreciate Tove Lo, but all of her tracks sound the same, and they’re all forgettable. I genuinely cannot tell the difference between one song and the next. The bad-self-destructive-girl vibe is a little too tacky for my taste.

CM: This is a powerful kind of sultry with dirty, but not obscene lyrics. The beat is solid and I know somewhere there’s an exotic dancer who’s queuing this up for a future performance. That being said, it’s still nothing special.

“Bring Them All / Holy Grime” – Wiley feat. Devlin

JW: I mean I guess it’s ok if angry rap is your thing or if you’re into getting ready to go HAM on the bad guys in an action movie. But since I’m not, I’m not interested.

CR: What a change of pace! Wiley’s verse takes the show, but the two grime MCs do work well together. I didn’t have high hopes about this playlist after the first few tracks, but it’s nice to find a song I’d consider replaying on my own time. I guess that’s kinda the point of these playlists…

SF: I’m not sure at what point in my life I would need this track. Pumping myself up to go rob a bank? The lyrics are actually, thankfully, unique and rather social justice-y, which I can appreciate. Otherwise, this just isn’t my style of rap.

CM: The accent makes this more enjoyable than it would be otherwise. I really appreciate that this isn’t about fucking bitches, and the track is solid. Rap isn’t my style usually, but I’d spin this again for kicks. I always knew I was destined for a life of crime.

“Rainbow Lollipop” – Josefin Ohrn + The Liberation

JW: Ohhhh, now we get French talk-singing. I hate myself and this playlist. I don’t mind the backing track, but between the soft “Rainbow Lollipop” being sung in the background and the talk-singing, I’m not a fan.

CR: I’m having a hard time figuring out whether they’re trying to be sophisticated or kitschy — possibly both? The instrumental isn’t that bad, but just drags on with no real changes. Really digging the baseline, though!

SF: The best part of this track is the album artwork. While the French is alluring — if you’re into foreign babes, I suppose — there’s this peculiar mix between soft vocals and intense instrumentals, which include heavy cymbals.

CM: The whispery vocals and the French makes it insta-sexy. It takes too long for the vocals to come in, and it’s hard to make out what the lyrics are, but it’s still decent. The track gets a little boring because it doesn’t change much throughout the song, but it’s alright.

“Catch 22” – Illy feat. Anne-Marie

JW: Why do people talk-rap-sing? It just confuses me. Then the whole hook to this song is every cliché. This song is kind of a mess and reminds me of the early ’00s, which usually isn’t a good thing if it stands out to me that much.

CR: Where do they find these guys? Who funds this music? It’s awfully derivative and extremely forgettable music-wise, but the album artwork is a masterpiece. Next!

SF: This is my favorite so far. Major piano chords make the track instantly upbeat, later featuring a li’l baby bass drop. The lyrics have a bit of a YOLO (I hate myself for saying this, btw) vibe, which totally works with the instrumentals and vocals.

CM: This is upbeat, happy (-sounding, the actual lyrics are pretty down to earth and nonchalant), and catchy right off the bat-thank the snappy piano. Excellent pop culture use of ‘catch-22.’ This can “stay another round” for sure.

“All Night” – The Vamps feat. Matoma

JW: Annnndddd there it is. You instantly know how this song is going to sound about two seconds in. It’s pretty formulaic, which isn’t bad if you are just looking to get heavy club rotation — if my past experiences with clubbing have taught me anything, it’s that songs like this one do well.

CR: Skip!

SF: A classic electro-pop track with chorus vocals and predictable bass drops combined with a bit of teenage angst. The lyrics “I’ll be up all night, no sleep” are fairly relatable this midterm season, but this track just doesn’t do anything for me otherwise.

CM: If I’m going to listen to a song about insomnia and being up all night, I’ll listen to “Up All Night” by Owl City. The vocals are pretty smooth and the range is good. The rollercoaster of “feel” is a tired vocal run though. It’s worth listening to at least once.

“Drug Dealer” – Macklemore feat. Ariana DeBoo

JW: I’m not a huge fan of Macklemore, but he does do a great job at finding female vocalists that I want to listen to, so he’s good for something. But it does seem strange to me that he went from “Thrift Shop” and “White Walls” to having a social conscience.

CR: I’m surprised! This song works! Good message, catchy hook, fun beat. Probably not gonna listen on my own time since I’m not huge on Macklemore, but compared the rest of the songs so far it’s a nice change.

SF: I didn’t realize Macklemore was still coming out with new music. His trend of using music as a means to discuss social issues continues, with a solid background of instrumentals and beat.

CM: I like that this has a serious tone and discusses a legit concern, particularly in the states. The repetition in the chorus serves to reinforce the idea instead of exist for the sake of existing. Good rhythm, good lyrics, belief in the subject matter – recommended.

“My Belly” – Aesop Rock

JW: I’m excited that Aesop Rock is still making music. This isn’t his best, but maybe I’m just looking back at None Shall Pass wearing rose-coloured glasses. However, this is probably the strongest rap so far for this week, and he doesn’t do the talk-rap-sing so that makes me happy.

CR: I’ve never understood the hype about Aesop Rock. Backpackers freak every time he drops new music, but I just can’t get into his lyrical dense rapping and sparse beats. Not a standout track from the acclaimed rapper.

SF: This track is interesting in that it has catchy lyrics and a fun background riff. The rise and fall of the vocals is a tad repetitive, but there are worse things. Wouldn’t add to any of my own playlists.

CM: I had such high hopes for this artist when I read the name. I was hoping for some clever literary lyrics. I don’t think I’ve been this disappointed since my brother left my stereo outside in the rain overnight and tried to tell me it was still totally fine, despite it not turning on.

“Comeback Kid” – Golden Coast

JW: This song is the definition of ambivalence. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it; it’s not good, but it’s not bad either. I really don’t have anything to say about it other than it’s kind of boring and I’m pressing skip as soon as I’m done typing this so I don’t fall asleep.

CR: Another generic pop song! All these are starting to blend into together. Overall, extremely average.

SF: Beginning with a fun guitar bit, the vocals are a tad close to the end of the singer’s vocal range for my taste, but it makes good background music. The lyrics aren’t anything overly noticeable, and the percussion is light.

CM: The guitar intro is crisp and then softens when the vocals start, so already I’m a fan of the musicality going into this song. A chorus that’s mostly falsetto is risky because it can make or break the song, but it worked out for Golden Coast. Chill study music for sure.

‘“U”’ Sergioisdead feat. Merges

JW: If you knew what I wanted you’d stop singing. I’m sorry to everyone else who is listening to this playlist this week. I might have one or two regrets about making this playlist while trying to eat airport breakfast. I mean, the vocals have some potential, but they are so fucking breathy-sounding that I can’t even with them.

CR: The more I listen to this song, the more I dislike it. I went through a few different writeups to this song, all with differing opinions. I’m at the point where I want to stop listening forever. It’s just not a good song.

SF: No. This track sounds like the result of when someone is first introduced to music editing software and realizes they can overlay their vocals with … more of their own vocals. Echoey and whispery, it simply does not work here.

CM: It’s a lower vocal range-kind of song and it feels like it’s supposed to be seductive, but it’s not the kind of seductive that holds your attention. It’s more like your partner thought seducing you from the next room would be a good idea. It’s pretty much just background noise.

“Superstar” – Blue Rodeo

JW: Bless Blue Rodeo for consistency. This is their classic sound maybe pared down just a little, but it’s pretty enjoyable and catchy as hell. I can see this working well in a small dive bar, at karaoke, in the shower, or as a great road trip jam. This was a solid track to end on this week, and while I still have regrets over the rest of the playlist, I don’t regret this one.

CR: The first concert I ever went to was when I was around six years old and I saw Blue Rodeo with my parents at the Orpheum. I spilled an entire bottle of coke on my pants and everyone thought I pissed myself. I don’t remember the concert because I was so upset, but I’d rather revisit that moment in my life than listen to this playlist again.

PS I don’t mind this song.

SF: I can’t get behind this track. It’s like the band has never openly discussed their desire to move towards country, but each one is secretly thinking about it and this was the result. Not a fan.

CM: Forget Sergio, I thought Blue Rodeo was dead. All of a sudden I feel like I’m 45 and worrying about a mortgage I can’t afford. It’s like dad pop with a country twinge and I don’t like it. It’s trying too hard to be accessible to a younger generation, and it’s just so far off the mark that I kind of just spent the past three minutes chuckling to myself.

SFU hockey starts season off on the right foot

By

EIC

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October 13, 2016

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cmyk-hockey-lisa-dimyadi-1024x729 — Adam Callegari (#36) had a goal and three assists over the two games played.

After a 6–1 drubbing against Trinity Western on September 24, one could begin to wonder how the 2016–17 BC Intercollegiate Hockey League season would begin for the Clan. After all, the team was not eased into the new season, with a road trip to Eastern Washington and then Selkirk — the four-time defending champs — in the cards. However, SFU passed this early test with flying colours, defeating both teams to start the season 2–0.

“It was really good,” said head coach Mark Coletta on the start of the season. “Obviously two points is two points, [and] two points on Friday and two points on Saturday is good for us. When you go on the road and you can open up with two wins, it’s very important, and we did that.”

Against Eastern Washington, SFU was tied after two periods. However, goals from Division I transfer Scott Patterson and new captain Brandon Tidy in the third secured the two points.

“We just knew we just had to keep dictating the pace of play,” said Coletta on what changed in the third. “They were coming on strong, and our guys were relentless on the forecheck, and I think that is the makeup of our team this year. We got a fast, gritty bunch of guys that are going to push the pace.”

The second game up in Selkirk saw SFU come away with a 3–2 win. Mitch Crisanti, Adam Callegari, and Brendan Lamont scored the goals for the Clan. It was the team’s first win away at Selkirk since January of 2012, in regulation.

“Team speed” was the key to the win, according to Coletta. “It’s winning battles, winning loose pucks, winning races, making sure we’re on the offensive in there, not chasing the game, and I think we did a good job of not chasing them around. [. . .] Overall we played three solid periods up there.”

The powerplay was especially efficient on the road trip. SFU scored four powerplay goals on the road trip, two in each game.

Said Coletta on the early success, “We got a good mix of skill guys and guys who are big and grind the puck. You need a combination of guys who are good puck possession guys and guys that are willing to go to the dirty areas.”

Another early positive is also the play of SFU’s top line of Callegari, Patterson, and Lamont. With a combined three goals and eight assists in two games, it looks like they will be the main source of offence for this SFU team going forward.

“It’s one of those [lines] that’s instantly dynamic,” said Coletta on the play of the trio. “They do a lot of good things right off the bat. They’re fast [and] they’re crafty. Lamont has a little bit of grit and edge, Patterson has that big body, he’s got sense for the game, knows where to be, [and] Callegari is the playmaker. You got scoring, you got speed.”

However, the blueline is still battling some injuries. Forward and team captain Tidy played defence over the course of the two games, and will “continue to do that as we see fit,” according to Coletta.

SFU’s next game will be a rematch against Selkirk College. According to Coletta, the key for the rematch will be to stay focused and not get distracted from talk about their excellent start.

“We’re 2–0, we haven’t won anything yet, it’s only October,” he said. “As long as our guys stay level-headed and grounded and know that Selkirk is coming in and they’re going to be hungry and ready to play. We need to dictate the pace on our own ice.”

NFL Blitz with Jason Romisher: Week 6

By

EIC

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October 13, 2016

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15384813342_66f185e657_k — Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers are 1–4 on the season, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.

Last Week 6–8

Season 40–37

Back to mediocrity last week with a 6–8 clip. Last week the Falcons went into Denver in our Game of the Week and declared to the league that they are contenders, with a big win against the Broncos. The Bills looked good on the road in Los Angeles, and Tom Brady dazzled in his debut against the hapless Browns. In other notable action, the Eagles suffered their first loss of the season, and the Vikings continued to go berserk on defence as the only unbeaten team left in the NFL. Have fun this week, because I have a sense there will be some major upsets and real nail-biters.

Byes: Minnesota, Tampa Bay

Denver (4–1) at San Diego (1–4), Thursday, 5:25 p.m.

Yes, the Denver defence is elite, but the Chargers have lost all four of their games by the slimmest of margins and have the firepower to move the ball against a divisional opponent they know very well.

Prediction: Chargers 27 Broncos 19

Jacksonville (1–3) at Chicago (1–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

Da Bears 76 Jaguars 3. I hope you have seen the SNL sketch, “Super Fans.” In the real world, Brian Hoyer has looked good for the Bears in relief of Jay Cutler, but he will be facing a Jaguars team which is rested off a bye week and improving on defence. The Bears manage to force at least two turnovers off Blake Bortles’ miscues to win a shootout.

Prediction: Bears 33 Jaguars 30

Cleveland (0–5) at Tennessee (2–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

Tennessee got the ground game going in a big way last week in a road win at Miami. Look for that to continue against a Browns team with spirit but too many holes on both sides of the ball to win this week.

Prediction: Titans 34 Browns 21

Philadelphia (3–1) at Washington (3–2), Sunday 10 a.m.

The NFC East looks to be the most competitive division in the NFL this year. A big key to this matchup is that Eagles’ left tackle Lane Johnson just lost his appeal and will begin serving a 10-game suspension. Rookie Carson Wentz will thus be vulnerable against a Washington defence that yielded only 10 points last week. This divisional matchup will be a tightly contested affair that will be won on a big play by former Eagle DeSean Jackson.

Prediction: Washington 23 Eagles 21

Pittsburgh (4–1) at Miami (1–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

Blowout alert. Pittsburgh is really, really good and found yet another weapon in Sammie Coates, who had 139 yards receiving and two touchdowns last week. The Fins got gouged last week on the ground, so look for a huge game from Le’Veon Bell.

Prediction: Steelers 41 Dolphins 16

Los Angeles (3–2) at Detroit (2–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

Long trip for the Rams to take on a Lions team that had a big home win last week against the Eagles. Stafford and company make enough plays against a stout Rams defence for the W.

Prediction: Lions 24 Rams 15

Baltimore (3–2) at New York Giants (2–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

Firing offensive coordinator and former Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman will not change the fact that the Ravens are devoid of big-time playmakers on offence. The Giants’ offence is loaded with them, which will be the difference in this one.

Prediction: Giants 27 Ravens 20

San Francisco (1–4) at Buffalo (3–2), Sunday 10 a.m.

The Bills are red hot with three straight victories after a big road win at the Rams. The Niners are reeling at 1–4, and have decided to start the politically outspoken Colin Kaepernick for the first time in a calendar year. Kaepernick was 2–6 as a starter last year before being benched, but remember that he came within one throw of being a Super Bowl Champion in the 2012 season. When I heard that Chip Kelly would be coaching the 49ers, I thought that Kaepernick would be the perfect dual-threat quarterback for his system. Kaepernick shines in his debut in a big-time upset in Buffalo, which will be all over the highlight shows.

Prediction: 49ers 33 Bills 28

UPSET SPECIAL

Cincinnati (2–3) at New England (4–1), Sunday 10 a.m.

The Patriots look very good this year and now have their star quarterback at the helm. The Bengals are a traditionally undisciplined football team, loaded with talent that was completely dominated last week in Dallas. Tom Brady was not tested last week in Cleveland but now will face a defence fighting for their season. The Bengals go on the road and shock the world.

Prediction: Bengals 19 New England 18

Carolina (1–4) at New Orleans (1–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

The Panthers are coming off an awful loss to Tampa Bay, but should get starting quarterback Cam Newton back. The Saints are coming off a bye week which followed their emotional victory in San Diego. This game will be fun with lots of touchdowns, turnovers, and highlights. Brees outplays Newton in a barn burner.

Prediction: New Orleans 38 Carolina 35

Kansas City (2–2) at Oakland (4–1), Sunday 1:05 p.m.

There is one axiom in football that must always be followed: never bet against coach Andy Reid after a bye week. This should be a fun game between these two bitter rivals.

Prediction: Chiefs 34 Raiders 31

GAME OF THE WEEK

Dallas (4–1) at Green Bay (3–1), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

This game edges the Falcons vs. Seahawks game because of how storied these two franchises are. If you are looking for a good Sunday afternoon drinking game, do a shot every time the broadcast shows footage of past matchups between these teams. In addition, when the ice bowl footage of Bart Starr’s game winning touchdown is aired, everyone has to shotgun a beer. In terms of the game, the Packers still have not clicked on all cylinders offensively this year, whereas the Cowboys have played like a complete football team. Prescott wins his first game at Lambeau Field and forces the Cowboys to leave the rookie in the lineup when Tony Romo returns from injury.

Prediction: Cowboys 24 Packers 20

Atlanta (4–1) at Seattle (3–1), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

Both of these teams have staked an early claim to contender status in the NFC. Seattle has a huge advantage in this matchup because the team is playing at home, coming off a bye, and Atlanta is playing on the road for the second straight week. Russell Wilson to Jimmy Graham becomes a force to be reckoned with this week.

Prediction: Seahawks 34 Falcons 24

Indianapolis (2–3) at Houston (3–2), Sunday 5:30 p.m.

The NFL regularly schedules its Sunday night game to be a premier prime time matchup of two elite teams, similar to the main event in wrestling. Both of these teams play in a putrid division and have no chance whatsoever of winning the Super Bowl. Expect a poorly played football game between two subpar, mediocre teams.

Prediction: Texans 22 Colts 17

New York Jets (1–4) at Arizona (2–3), Monday 5:30 p.m.

This game offers a very interesting subplot in that Jets coach Todd Bowles is returning to the desert for the first time to take on his former team where he served as defensive coordinator. You better bet his players will be highly motivated to win this game; not only to save their season, but for their coach. The Cardinals should have starting quarterback Carson Palmer back from injury and will be looking to get to .500 after a rocky start to the season. I have a feeling that Jets’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick gets pulled after another poor outing and is succeeded by backup Geno Smith, who fares even worse in a big Cardinals win. Third stringer Bryce Petty, who looked very good in the preseason, takes over in New York going forward.

Prediction: Cardinals 34 Jets 13

Defence shines, but Clan loses 33–7

By

EIC

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October 12, 2016

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Simon Fraser University - Central Washington University GNAC NCAA football — Jordan Herdman (#57) broke the GNAC record for most total tackles with 393 over the course of his career .

It was a case of two different games for SFU’s offence and defence.

On one hand, you have the defence. It was probably one of the best performances the SFU football team played on the defensive side of the ball. Though the Western Oregon Wolves did start to find some passing lanes in the third quarter, the defence was just destructive to Western Oregon’s ground game, putting up eight sacks and limiting the Wolves to 13 points scored before halftime.

Considering that in four of the five games previous, SFU gave up a touchdown on the opposing team’s very first drive — and even on the one game they didn’t, gave up a field goal — the fact that the defence held them scoreless on the first drive was an accomplishment. (Though that was thanks to a missed 25-yard field goal by the Western Oregon kicker.)

The defence was something to watch. They were fast, they were mean — they looked like a team you wouldn’t want to play against.

“I thought that for the first half, we played much more disciplined football, especially from a defensive perspective,” said head coach Kelly Bates. “They just played very tough, aggressive football, they were in the right place to make plays. The difference between past weeks and this week, was even when we would get beat on a play, we were able to recover and would make a tackle, and the guys would still come up with stops.”

But with offence, it was a completely different story. Though in the first 15:46 of the game SFU had drives that gained 47 and 59 yards, for the rest of the game they were just unable to accomplish much of anything.

Quarterback Miles Richardson was sacked five times and threw an interception, but it was hardly his fault. There was no time for him to make decisions. It seemed as if on nearly every play, there was a Western Oregon player with a direct path to either sack Richardson or tackle whoever he handed the ball to. There was really no option but to pass the ball as soon as he got it.

A telling stat is that despite 171 passing yards, there were only 163 yards of total offence — rushing yards were in the negative.

“The difference between past weeks and this week, was even when we would get beat on a play, we were able to recover.”

“Offensively, we did have some success moving the ball early, however, we were unable to continue to play at the level we needed to to build on what we were doing, and as a result, our offence was really stifled all day long,” explained Bates. “It was a combination of poor pass protection, but also looking at the rush as opposed to keeping our eyes down the field and standing in there to deliver a ball.

“When we’re looking at the rush too early, that can have a negative effect and it’s understandable when we’re not blocking as well as we need to, so it’s a cycle that’s tough to correct.”

The lone chance for points from offence came at the end of that 59-yard drive 46 seconds into the second quarter. SFU had a chance for a 39-yard field goal, and had it been successful, SFU would have been down only 7–3. But as was the theme for offence, there was little protection, and the field goal was blocked.

The only other really effective drive for the offence started with 1:05 left in the game. It was too little, too late, and despite making 49 yards, didn’t have enough time to convert.

The only score in the game actually came from the defence. Sophomore linebacker Gabe Lopes intercepted a Wolves pass with about 4:30 left in the third quarter and ran it in 51 yards for a touchdown.

Now down 19–7 — a 12-point deficit — it looked like SFU could possibly use the momentum and stage a comeback. Instead, Western Oregon scored another touchdown in the drive after and took control of the game, winning by 33–7.

For one drive midway through the third, back-up quarterback Mihai Lapuste subbed in, with the Western Oregon commentators on the livestream speculating an ankle injury for Richardson. However, Richardson returned the next drive and played the rest of the game.

On the defensive side, it was a good night for SFU’s linebackers.

With nine total tackles (four solo, five assisted) in the game, senior linebacker Jordan Herdman broke the record for career total tackles — that means both solo and assisted tackles — with a total of 393, beating Buddy Wood’s 385 set in 2009.

However, Jordan didn’t even lead the defence this game — in tackles at least. Sophomore Nathan Kyeame — who, though listed as a running back, has played most of this season on defence — led with 11 total, eight of them solo. Jordan’s brother Justin Herdman was credited with 10 (five solo, five assisted).

Jordan Herdman and Brad Lyons both led the team in sacks, credited with two each.

“Our entire linebacking corp — Trevor Kemp, Jordan and Justin Herdman, and Gabe Lopes — had pretty good games, and it was obviously evident in Gabe’s pick-six, and the Herdmans being all over the field,” said Bates. “Those guys, they did what they were coached to do today. They didn’t try to do more, they didn’t try to do less, and that’s what we’re trying to get our kids to do.”

This was probably SFU’s most promising game so far. Though not SFU’s most potent game offensively — that was a 56–24 loss to Humboldt that saw Jalen Jana run 262 yards — it was the first game that SFU did most of its best work in the first half, when the game is competitive.

For much of the game, SFU was competitive. The bright spots didn’t come when the other team was already up 30-plus points, already packed in, and ready to go home with the win.

“I thought this week’s preparation throughout the week was better, we progressed in that respect, and I thought that showed early on,” said Bates. “But we still don’t have the ability to play an entire 60 minutes and we’ll continue to strive to do that.”

Though the competitive part of the game may not have lasted 60 minutes, it was a big step forward that it came in the first 30 minutes — and not the last 30.

NEXT GAME: Now SFU has a bye week before going to play the Azusa Pacific Cougars at home on October 22.

“We’re going to have to change some things up to help our kids have more success,” said Bates. “Well, there was probably a progression here, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We’re going to do what we do every week — we’ll go back, we’ll watch the film, we’ll study it, and see what we can correct to put our kids in a better position to have success.”

SFU has has already matched up against Azusa on the road on September 24 in a 64–14 score. It actually provided SFU’s only lead thus far, as SFU scored a touchdown on the initial drive to go up 7–0. That lead only lasted 5:41, until an Azusa touchdown and field goal made it 10–7. By halftime, Azusa was up by 34 points.

Azusa currently leads the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) with a 4–0 conference record, and is 5–1 overall. The team’s only loss this season came October 8 on the road against the Colorado School of Mines, which plays in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Azusa fell 27–23.

The Cougars are the best defensive team in the GNAC, allowing on average only 16.2 points per game. The team’s especially effective against the running game, allowing on average 93 yards per game. For context, SFU is at the bottom of the GNAC for defence, allowing 53.8 points per game.

Azusa quarterback Andrew Elffers is the most efficient passer in the GNAC, completing 69 of 105 attempts (65.7 percent). However, he is also credited with the second-least amount of passing yards out of starting GNAC quarterbacks, with 963.

The SFU defence will need another performance like this week, while the offence will have to figure out some way to put up points on the board, and will probably need to rely on the passing game to do so.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Swangard Stadium.

Don’t put yourself on a pedestal because you’re not religious

By

Peak Web

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October 11, 2016

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It’s a nice Saturday morning: the weather’s good, you’re up to date with your coursework, and the bills are paid. Yet, there’s something nagging at the back of your mind.

A cup of coffee in hand, you sit by your laptop and open your exhibitionist social media platform of choice. That nagging feeling remains, getting stronger by the minute. You come across a post with someone expressing their beliefs on their account, and it clicks.

You haven’t mocked or insulted somebody’s religious views in over a month — a month! That’s, like, 30 or 31 days without you doing your self-imposed duty of informing people that what they believe is wrong and backward.

“This is an outrage,” you say to yourself as you type up a 300-word post (or 50-point tweet thread, because dedication), exercising your right to free speech to ridicule the way someone leads their life. Your friends and family praise you for how enlightened you are: you can rest back now, knowing that your job is done.

If you relate to this, I feel that you might have some personal issues that go past simply disagreeing with alternate beliefs, and you might want to work those out.

I try to avoid engaging in religious debates very often, especially with new people, mostly because they usually go nowhere. Typically, the point isn’t to reach some sort of answer or profound conclusion, but to prove to the other party that your view is the right one.

However, as a student, it’s become a regular occurrence to see people “woke” after some liberal arts lecture and berate others for following religion, without any backlash. This isn’t limited to university, though, and I just wonder when it became cool to hate on religion.

Usually, the complaints directed at religious people are that they aren’t open-minded (regarding sexual orientation, for example) or that their beliefs are responsible for wars and humanity’s most senseless acts. This disregards the existence of narrow-minded atheists, and similarly heinous acts committed in the absence of religious views.

Furthermore, these complaints repeatedly forget to factor in human agency in these acts. If all religious people acted the way these stereotypes imply, we’d mostly likely all be dead or in constant war.

This isn’t to justify hateful expressions of one’s belief, or the existence of extremists. On the contrary, I’m condemning them. But generalizing hatred or lack of open-mindedness as qualities of a large group of people based on their religion is very problematic. Vile atheists exist in the same way vile religious people do.

However, some non-religious people put themselves on the moral high ground and often don’t realize they exist within the same narrow-minded rhetoric they’re supposedly fighting against. Do you park your “open-mindedness” just outside at the boundary of religion?

Many non-religious people tend to view religious people as judgemental; while that may be true in some instances, non-religious people can be just as judgemental, and very often are, with little reprimand. Because of the negative associations they’ve formed with religion, some already have predisposed notions of religious people, and consider their disrespectful comments about their beliefs justified because of those notions.

I’ve seen people urging religious people to commit suicide even after expressing their religious views peacefully, essentially bullying religious people into keeping their beliefs quiet. But free speech comes with a certain level of responsibility. If you can’t express your opinion or offer criticism in a respectful way, you’re part of the problem.

Your outlook on life is influenced by your identity as a non-religious person; similarly, a person’s religious beliefs affect how they see the world. When you insult or mock someone’s belief, you insult who they are. The churlish individuals on both “sides” need to step off their respective pedestals, because they’re blocking the view for everyone.