A preview of the 2016/17 Champions League group stage

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September 19, 2016

19726652261_7697d30017_o — Barcelona’s deadly front three of Suarez, Neymar, and Messi will be looking for redemption this time around

The Champions League is Europe’s premier club football competition. Italicized team names indicate the ones we think will progress to the knockout round.

Group A

Paris Saint Germain, Arsenal, FC Basel, Ludogorets Razgrad

PSG was riddled with injuries last time out in the Champions League, and even though the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will leave a massive void in attack, the team still has plenty of star power in their ranks. For Arsenal, consistency is key to thwart Les Parisiens, especially since FC Basel has shown a tendency to punch above its weight over the last five years in the competition. Canadian international keeper Milan Borjan could get the chance to suit up for Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets, but it will be a difficult road ahead in Group A.

Group B

Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas

Chances are looking good for Portuguese giant Benfica, which has won three straight domestic titles and even shocked the likes of Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League. Napoli must survive without Gonzalo Higuain, who bagged a record-breaking 36 Serie A goals last season and set the bar very high for the incoming Polish hitman Arkadiusz Milik. Turkish Super Lig champion Besiktas may have some difficulty after losing many key figures in the summer transfer window, while Ukraine’s champion Dynamo Kyiv are more than capable of surprising its foes.

Group C

Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic

Redemption is on the agenda for Barca, which ultimately fell short in defending its 2015 title after coming up against the defensive might of Atletico Madrid last term. Also, Pep Guardiola will reunite with his former club as he leads Manchester City from the dugout, and looks to finally establish his new club as a true competitor in Europe. Borussia Monchengladbach gained a respectable fourth place finish in Germany last season and could make life difficult for Celtic, which limped into group stage qualification after a two-year absence.

Group D

Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven, FC Rostov

No task looks too difficult for Atletico Madrid, and this year is no different under the passionate leadership of Diego Simeone. Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern Munich will fight fire with fire as he fields arguably the best defensive lineup in world football after the recent addition of centre-back Mats Hummels. The points will be difficult to grab for PSV and Rostov, but far less so for the reigning Dutch champion.

Group E

Tottenham, Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen, CSKA Moscow

One of the most balanced groups by far, only Tottenham stands out for its stunning run of form en route to a third place Premier League finish last season. Although, Monaco is already off to a flying start in Ligue 1 this season, with 10 goals scored in four matches and a convincing victory over PSG in the process. Fellow group E competitor Leverkusen will be missing crucial squad members like Stefan Kiessling, Kevin Volland, and Karim Bellarabi due to untimely injuries. CSKA Moscow is also inevitably weakened by the transfer of star striker Ahmed Musa to Leicester City.

Group F

Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia

Madrid has its work cut out for them as defending champion of the big-eared trophy, and the first hurdle will be the goal to finish ahead of a revitalized Borussia Dortmund in group F. Sporting Lisbon is a club with a reputation of producing fantastic talents and will be no pushover. The only positive aspect for Legia is that they will celebrate their 100-year anniversary by welcoming some world-class talents to Warsaw.

Group G

Porto, Leicester, Copenhagen, Brugge

The entire world fell in love with Leicester City after its Cinderella story unfolded into a tremendous Premier League title victory in 2016, but the Foxes are already getting a hard dose of reality as they begin a new campaign in England. Champions League participation is a trophy in itself, and FC Porto will surely provide the biggest challenge to finishing atop the group. Like Leicester, both FC Copenhagen and Club Brugge have a lot to prove and have the potential to make a surprise leap into the round of 16.

Group H

Juventus, Sevilla, Olympique Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb

Italian juggernaut Juventus is more superpowered than ever, as a busy summer transfer market has seen the team reel in the likes of Serie A poacher Gonzalo Higuain, gifted Roma playmaker Miralem Pjanic, and consistent Barcelona champion Dani Alves. Sevilla is more weakened than strengthened after the summer window, but still has a solid core of 2016 Europa League champions in the squad to call upon in a difficult group H. Lyon will likely be jostling for second place against the Spaniards after finishing as runner up in Ligue 1, but Dinamo Zagreb’s hopes of survival are slim to none.

SFU football home opener offers free tuition contest

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September 19, 2016

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Would you like the opportunity to win free tuition? All you have to do is attend SFU’s football home opener on September 17.

SFU is kicking off its football season with a new contest, “Kick to Win Free Tuition” at their home opener this Saturday. The contest welcomes students to tweet the SFU athletics account in order to be chosen to participate. If a student makes a field goal from the 35-yard line, they will win tuition for the fall semester up to $2,500.

SFU football has struggled so far this season. The team is 0–2, and has been outscored 115–10 over both games. This weekend will also be the home debut of quarterback Miles Richardson.

SFU’s sports and information director Steve Frost said that the offer is part of a push to increase engagement and attendance at sports games, which has been an issue for SFU Athletics in the past.

“It would be great to see their fellow colleague students come out support [these athletes].” – Steve Frost, sports and information director

“We want to create an enjoyable guest experience, [and] we wanted to start by giving students something they really value,” he said.

“SFU student athletes are elite athletes who play their heart and soul at competition and it would be great to see their fellow colleague students come out support them, and appreciate the effort they put into competition,” Frost added.

In the future, Frost said that SFU sports such as basketball and football will continue to incorporate more events like this one to attract more students to the games, with many things to do aside from the game itself. SFU Athletics plans to host this event at every home football game this season.

SFU makes Western Washington see red

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EIC

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September 19, 2016

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more_volley_web — Emma Jennings (#8) led the team with 19 kills.

Wednesday night was the first home game for SFU volleyball this season, and coming into the contest it was going to be a tough one. The Western Washington Vikings were the consensus pick to finish first in the GNAC, and were in the final four of last year’s NCAA Division II tournament. In perhaps the biggest test of the season thus far, the Clan prevailed with a 3–2 win over its rival.

“I think we did an amazing job playing as a team,” said outside hitter Emma Jennings after the game. “We’ve been working all spring and all preseason training, to work as a unit and if someone’s down, we all pick up the player. It’s been really working well for us.”

In the first set, SFU roared out to a 8–4 lead, bolstered by the huge red night crowd, where everyone was encouraged to wear red and the first 100 people got a free T-shirt. An official crowd of 823 turned out to see the game, and a large section of that was SFU student athletes, who took up half the gym. SFU thoroughly outplayed the Vikings in the set, winning 25–13 in convincing fashion. The next two sets SFU and Western Washington would trade back and forth by exact 25–21 scores.

It was in the fourth set that it looked like SFU was in trouble. The final score was 25–18, but it was an instance where the score made it look a lot closer than it was. SFU was at one point down 21–13, and it seemed like nothing was going right for them. They weren’t able to get any blocks, serves were hitting the net, and at one point, an SFU player whiffed on a kill attempt.

“I said to them, if it was easy, it won’t be amazing,” said head coach Gina Schmidt on what she told the team prior to the fifth set. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy, and that’s what’s going to make it fun when we pull out the fifth.”

The fifth set was a tense affair that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. After Western Washington tied it up at two, SFU never looked back, taking the lead for the rest of the game and winning it 15–8. Emma Jennings got the winning kill that sent the West Gym crowd into a frenzy.

“It was amazing, and I’m so glad we played them for our home opener, just because they were our main rivals last year,” said Jennings on the crowd and the opponent. “We always wanted to beat them, and this year we just put all of our heart on the court and just gave it our all. It feels great to beat them.”

The win was not only huge in the context of the 2016 season, but can be seen as a signature win for Schmidt and the volleyball program. Schmidt inherited a team in 2013 that was coming off a 1–18 record in conference play. Since then, it’s been a remarkable turnaround.

“It’s a great win for our team and our program,” commented Schmidt. “Before this season I was hoping for us to have a lot of firsts, and this is just one of those firsts. Hopefully there’s more to come.”

Now with an 8–1 record, the Clan will be looking to build off its huge win in the next home game, which is against University of Alaska Fairbanks this September 23 at 7 p.m.

Harambe controversially awarded visual arts grant

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EIC

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September 19, 2016

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In a controversial move, SFU’s School of the Contemporary Arts (SCA) has awarded a $5,000-grant for visual arts to the deceased gorilla Harambe. SFU’s resident visual artists have truly gone apeshit with the news that the dead-gorilla-turned-deified-meme is now being awarded scholarships.

“I mean, first it’s the goddamn ‘dicks out for Harambe’ statuses everywhere, and now this shit,” said visual arts major Eric Chang. “Where will it end?”

Chang, along with many of his fellow visual arts majors, feels cheated by the SCA. “He’s a gorilla, and a dead one at that, he couldn’t be enrolled in the school even if he were alive. Do gorillas even really appreciate art?”

While many students are angered about the decision, a small minority have come out on the side of Harambe. Laura Schultz, an environmental science major and animal rights advocate, spoke favourably of the decision: “I think all of these complaints just show the hidden undercurrent of speciesist tendencies that many students have,” she argued. “No one ever complains when a human wins an award, but when it suddenly goes to a gorilla, everyone has to make a giant fuss. Human supremacist scum!”

Interested in why the SCA made the decision, The Peak reached out to department representative David McLean. Despite the outrage from students, McLean firmly defended his department’s decision as justified.

“We felt that Harambe really represented a change in major artistic trends. The memes, portraits, and photographic collages he has inspired represent the first real muse-status achieved by a non-human,” said McLean. Faculty feelings aside, none of this has credibly convinced any students that Harambe was deserving of the scholarship.

Satellite Signals

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September 19, 2016

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Woodward’s

Find the balance between video games, art, and dance in this exciting collaboration between lighting designers, dancers, and visual artists. This art installation and performance, Digital Folk, showcases the intersection between communities and technology. Its interdisciplinary nature allows the audience to be immersed in various forms of theatre, dance, and visual art. Students can join this team of artists and the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre on September 21 at 7 p.m.

SFU Surrey

The Surrey community is preparing for the annual Terry Fox Run. Terry’s Cause on Campus will begin at 12:30 p.m. on September 30. You can help raise money for cancer research and support SFU’s goal to raise $35,000. To participate, you can register your team, volunteer to help with the event, or donate to a team online.

SFU Vancouver

SFU is screening a series of short films, featuring concepts that Andreas Bunte covers in his work. This collection of films showcases Eva Kolcze, Caspar Stracke, and Ana Vaz. Bunte’s piece, Erosion, is also featured in the current exhibition at SFU Burnaby. The films explore themes of geology and architecture, as presented by Bunte’s work at the Burnaby gallery. The screening will take place on September 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the the Cinematheque on Howe Street.

These are the apps you need to make it through the semester

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September 19, 2016

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With the craziness of back to school starting to die down, students may start to find themselves in a boring — and unproductive — rut.

But having the right tools to combat the inevitable decline of your motivation can drastically change the way your semester will go. Below is a list of apps that will help you keep organized, maintain your social life, and hopefully stay on budget.

Organization

SFU snap
- The official SFU app has a new name! SFU snap is the best way for new students to navigate through their first year. The app features up-to-date weather and transit information, including the ability for users to save their favourite bus stops to easily view when the next bus comes. It also shows students their daily class schedule and has the capability to find rooms on all three campuses. The app also has pages with information on important SFU phone numbers, food locations, parking services, and more.
Asana
- This is an organizational nerd’s best friend. The app allows you to create tasks which, admittedly, is not new — but this app allows you to create sub-tasks. This lets the user to break up big projects and give more detailed descriptions about what these assignments involve. This feature is especially great because you can share tasks with other users. You can find ones that have been shared with you in the inbox, favourite certain ones, and view the archive of the completed projects. There’s also a messaging feature for users to message those they have shared tasks with. Basically, you need this app for your next group project.

Financial

Stocard
- This app changed my life. If you’re like me, you love rewards cards. They can save you money, collect points, and lead to awesome benefits. However, they can take up a lot of space in your wallet. This is where Stocard comes in. Stocard allows you to save various cards, and presents them as barcodes when you go to use them. There are pre-set cards (Hudson’s Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart), but you can also add cards that are not featured on the app.
SPC
- If you don’t already own a Student Price Card (SPC), go buy one right now. They are $10 and will give you discounts at dozens of locations. This card literally pays for itself. The SPC app is synced to your SPC, and can display the barcode if you don’t have the physical card on you. It will also search for deals near you. By using your location, the SPC app finds stores with deals and displays the full discounts or upgrades users are entitled to.

Social

Picolo
- There’s an app drinking game — the future is now. Picolo has at least three players enter their names, then has a section where you can choose which game you play (it comes with one free game, but there are others available for purchase). One of the games is called “Getting Started,” and features different commands for the players to obey. Some are relative (whoever has the strongest drink has to drink five times) or directly target a player (do three dance moves or drink three times). There are mini-games too, like rhyming words until someone runs out and has to drink. Based on some of the games and commands I’ve seen, it’s no wonder when starting the game, you hit a button saying “Let’s get drunk.”
Whisper
- Back when I was a kid, I remember a website called PostSecret where people shared their deepest secrets anonymously. Fast forward however many years, and now there’s an app for that too! Whisper is a place for secrets in a very visual format. People in your area post confidential notes on top of pictures. You can also make videos for your secrets. See a story you like? You can message the person who posted it. This might be a fun way to make friends in your classes — or to silently judge them.
Chwazi
- Do you play board games? Do often have trouble deciding who will go first? If you answered yes to both these questions, you should get Chwazi. Chwazi will help you select who will be the first for any task. It’s simple: all participants place their finger on the user’s screen, and the app zeroes in on one player. This ends pulling straws once and for all.

Health

Stop, Breathe & Think
- This app was recommended to me by a counsellor as a way to help my anxiety. To begin, you take 10 seconds to check in with yourself. The app then asks you how you’re feeling, both mentally and physically. To further identify your feelings, the app allows you to add up to five emotions from their extensive list. Based on these answers, the program will suggest different mediations. You can pick whichever one you think would be most beneficial, or which one you have time for. It’s a great way to stay calm even during your busiest days.

SFU satellite team shoots for the stars

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September 19, 2016

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Photo-courtesy-of-Diana-Perez — The SFU satellite club at the pre-launch of their weather balloon.

A group of SFU students are preparing to launch their aspirations and dreams into outer space for an ongoing competition.

The challenge in question is the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge, a nationwide competition for building a cube satellite. “The SFU Satellite Design Club was formed in January 2016 with the main goal of competing [. . .] and building a cube satellite,” Jordan Lui, the club’s president, told The Peak.

“The club is a 50-member club of SFU undergraduate, graduate, and alumni who are passionate for space technologies,” added Lui. “Many of our team members have passions to go into the space industry after graduation, so they realize that this challenge is a great stepping-stone to their future career aspirations.”

“Many of our team members have passions to go into the space industry after graduation.”

Cube satellites as extremely little satellites that are favoured by small companies, countries, and student teams, said Liu “Because a cube satellite has all of the systems that a regular satellite will have [communication, power, structure, propulsion, computing, sensing], it’s a great way to test new cutting-edge technologies on a significantly cheaper spacecraft that can also be built much more quickly than conventional satellites.”

On August 23 in Clinton, BC, the club launched a weather balloon to test systems for their planned final satellite. While the launch was successful, the team began to run into issues retrieving location data, only receiving irregular updates from the balloon.

“After a couple promising hints to the craft’s latest location, the team went on two hikes in the Nicola Valley area to attempt recovery of the craft,” said Lui. The group could not locate the craft, but gained valuable experience for future projects.

The club remains excited for the upcoming challenge. It will provide them with the chance to experience working within an aerospace organization, as well as opportunities to work with space industry experts, Lui said.

Lui emphasized that club isn’t just about science. “As a spacecraft design organization, we have people working on all aspects of running a mini space company,” he noted. “While there is obviously a large science and engineering component to our operations, the business, finance, and media aspect of our work is just as important to our success in this challenge.”

Lui noted the club is always looking for new members of all skill levels and “from all backgrounds.” Interested individuals can contact the club via email or visit their Facebook group.

SFU jumps headfirst into the world of social media

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September 19, 2016

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SFU-Website-Illustration-by-Jasmeen-Virk — SFU University Communications update the SFU homepage with new features.

It’s been a little over a year since SFU’s 50th anniversary, marking an important milestone for the university and its students. Since the festivities came to an end, there have been some exciting ventures to improve the university’s digital presence. The Peak spoke to a few members of the University Communications department about SFU’s 50th anniversary and digital strategy.

“We certainly saw a lot of students sharing their SFU and SFU50 experience[s] online during the year,” said Adam Brayford, assistant director of digital strategy. “The campaign generated approximately 700 conversations related to SFU50,” he said, referring to the campaign’s official hashtag.

Students and various SFU clubs have also been asked to take over the Snapchat account

Brayford also mentioned that the goal of the anniversary was “communication around the student’s experience and to help build campus pride during the year.” His team has worked with student ambassadors on an initiative to inspire online conversations around SFU, and this has continued through social media after the campaign was over.

The outcome of the anniversary was a series of collaborations between SFU and current students. Brayford noted that the stories shared as a result of the campaign were “really authentic,” adding that these stories could be a positive introduction to the university for prospective students.

Another step in SFU’s new digital strategy is an update of their official website. Many of the new elements are designed to be “user-centred,” according Denise Leech, director of digital engagement for the school’s University Communications. The updates are meant to increase ease of navigation, including interactive videos and bold infographics.

SFU also launched its own Snapchat account, to record many more student stories and events throughout the year. Leech noted how “social media communities have grown” at SFU, and that the university has seen a steady growth in traffic on many social media platforms since the launch. She added, “it’s a great opportunity for us to hand the keys over to students to let them tell their own stories.”

Students and various SFU clubs have also been asked to take over the Snapchat account where students may curate “a day in the life of a co-op student,” or places to look out for on campus.

Brayford explaining that his team plans to work with different faculties to feature various programs through SFU’s Snapchat in the near future.

Brandon Watson’s perseverance paying off for SFU men’s soccer

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September 19, 2016

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brandon_web — The backbone of the Clan defence has battled through injuries to become co-captain of the team.

A few years ago, a series of injuries forced Brandon Watson to take a step out of the pitch and put his gloves back in the closet. Having gone from nearly saying goodbye to university athletics to being the co-captain of one of the most promising teams in NCAA Division II, Watson tells us his journey.

Watson’s passion for soccer started at a young age. “My parents put me in soccer when I was five and I started playing goalie when I was 11. Growing up, one of my favourites was Iker Casillas,” he said.

But what is so attractive about being a goalkeeper? “Goalkeeper is more of a position where intelligence is key. You see the whole field, you are constantly communicating with your team, and something about that drove me to do it. [. . .] I enjoy the pressure of being a goalkeeper. When you make a big save, I think it’s all worth it.”

Starting his student athlete career at NCAA Division I Coastal Carolina, Watson went a long way before returning to his home province. But he never wavered in his choice to join the Clan. “I always had a goal of being in the NCAA. I think it gets a little bit more exposure to MLS [Major League Soccer] drafts.”

SFU provided Watson the opportunity to pursue his dream of playing his favourite childhood sport, despite the injuries that kept him off for nearly two seasons.

“I came off with injuries where other schools did not really know me anymore. The assistant coach [at the time] contacted me and asked me if I wanted to play. In terms of academics, I have also heard of the kinesiology program before, so academics was definitely a big part of my choice.”

While his history with injuries restrained Watson in his athletic career for a while, he claimed that they pushed him to understand the science of the body.

“I’ve always been interested in how the human body works; it is kind of a marvel. I also suffered a couple big injuries early on in my career, and that motivated me to go into physiotherapy.”

This time off gave Watson the maturity to establish a certain balance between academics and athletics. “I came in as a bit of an older freshman. I was 21 when I started at SFU, so it was a bit of a smoother transition compared to coming straight from high school, but it has been an awesome experience for me.

“The only thing that’s missing is the national championship. That is what we are going for this year.”

Being the captain of SFU’s men’s soccer team can add a great level of pressure. How does Watson deal with it? “I have been the captain of the team since I was a sophomore, so I am used to the role of being a leader of the team, being more accountable, and leading an example for the younger guys. I believe there is a little more pressure because it is my last chance to win the championship — but I’m a goalkeeper, so I am used to the pressure.”

“I am used to the role of being a leader of the team, being more accountable, and leading an example for the younger guys”

Intelligence alone is not enough to excel in a classroom, and commitment and hard work go beyond the soccer field for Watson. One of his most notable distinctions as a student athlete is achieving an average GPA of 4.11 in kinesiology. “I keep a schedule of what is due and when it is due,” he said. “It is a matter of balance and work ethic. When you’re tired and trained for two hours, it takes a lot to sit down and focus on a book. It’s all about putting in the effort. I just put the time in required to do well in the course. ”

As Watson’s journey as a student athlete comes to an end, he’s reflecting on his future career paths and a potential chase after a professional career. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professionally. Obviously I have backup plans. Hopefully I can put together the best season I’ve ever had and maybe turn some heads. Playing the sport I’ve loved my whole life and getting paid to do it would be a dream come true.”

The expectations for the men’s soccer team are set to be high this season. Watson shared his perspective as a senior who witnessed the Clan’s successful switch to the NCAA over the past three years.

“It is probably the best start to a season we have had in my four years here which is very encouraging. We all know collectively as a team it is just the beginning [. . .] and playing at home is a motivational factor.

“If you start with not conceding, you’re going to win more games and so far this season, we haven’t conceded.”

COMIC: Mystic Man 17- VS Nick Speed

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EIC

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September 18, 2016

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