Album Reviews

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March 29, 2016

Young Thug – Slime Season 3 – By Max Hill

Young Thug’s latest is more of the same, which is going to be either a good or bad thing depending on what you think of the divisive rapper’s stream-of-consciousness style.

If you’re already a fan of Young Thug (like me), you’ll find Slime Season 3 to be one of his strongest works — the production is tight and Thugger sounds more confident and flippant than ever. There’s also plenty of quotable lines that will reward repeat listens. It’s not likely to convert nonbelievers, but SS3 is a good entry-point for non-fans who want to give the rapper a shot.

Highlights include: “With Them,” “Slime Shit,” and “Tattoos.”

Radio Radio – Light the Sky – By Jessica Whitesel

Light the Sky is the first English-language album to be released by Canadian hip-hop group Radio Radio. Their earlier albums featured rapping in Chiac — a variety of Acadian French.

I will admit that I really wanted to like this album. I love supporting Canadian music when possible, but Light the Sky makes that really hard. I feel like trying to break into the English language market wasn’t the best choice they could make. They do have really good backing tracks and they clearly know what they are doing in terms of putting an album together, but vocally they sound like the bastard child of Classified and Chromeo. This vocal sound works much better in Chiac than in English.

Highlights include: “My Dance Floor,” “Happy Hustler,” and “Remodel (Mike Holmes).”

Why you should have voted in the SFSS elections

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EIC

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March 29, 2016

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[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ore than four out of five of you reading this didn’t vote in the SFSS elections.

Part of me doesn’t blame you. As someone who has spent four years of his undergraduate degree trying desperately to get SFU students to care about stuff, I admit the SFSS is a tough sell. It’s boring, it’s crooked, it’s full of buzzwords and tedious meetings and overly enthusiastic students with way too much time on their hands. Getting involved is a tall order, especially when you’re not sure you even want to know what all the fuss is about.

But here’s the thing: very few of you likely understand how much power the SFSS has, and just how much money they are taking from you every semester. And that is not okay.

Again, this isn’t really your fault. The SFSS is notoriously difficult to learn about, despite its best efforts at outreach. For example: did you know that the SFSS’ budget for the past financial year was 2.5 million dollars? Or that only 24 people ran for the SFSS Board of Directors this year, a board that’s meant to represent roughly 24 thousand students? I’m guessing the answer is no.

Even if you’re not moved by statistics or inadequate attempts at democracy, you’ll probably be interested to know that, if you’re an undergraduate student taking a full course-load, the SFSS takes $458.64 from you every single semester. That’s more than it would cost to buy a new Playstation 4.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Plenty of things the SFSS charges you for go towards things you probably want, like your U-Pass, funding for campus clubs, and your health and dental plan. The issue here isn’t that the price tag is too high — it’s that few students seem to understand that there’s a price tag at all.

The less students care about what the SFSS is doing, the less they will see themselves represented in its actions.

For whatever reason, even attempts by regular students to get us to care about SFU tend to fall flat. Remember No to Build SFU, the movement that voiced opposition to the incredibly expensive SFSS project to build a student union building and stadium? Despite their best efforts, the last SFSS Annual General Meeting attracted about one percent of the student population. And the project passed with flying colours, adding another 10 bucks to your semesterly fees.

Just to clarify, I’m a lot more ambivalent about the Build SFU project than many others. But this inability for people to drum up significant opposition for a multi-million dollar project — one that should have been more controversial than it is — is clearly a sign that people are not engaged at SFU.

All of this is a shame, because despite how boring and fundamentally out-of-touch the SFSS often is, they have a lot of potential. The student society is meant to represent the interests of the SFU students in a way that administration and faculty simply can’t.

They have the power to lobby government on issues that matter to students, such as clearer sexual assault policy, environmental action, and increased funding for problems like deferred maintenance. They negotiate with the university on tuition hikes, student resources, and labour disputes. They spearhead campaigns to address discrimination, accessibility, and equal rights for all students. And, like it or not, they choose how best to spend your money.

When we dismiss student politics and elections as unimportant and boring, we’re giving the SFSS carte blanche to act in whatever way they want. And the less students care about what the SFSS is doing, the less they will see themselves represented in its actions and policies.

So while you may shrug off election season as just another pathetic attempt at making the SFSS seem relevant, keep in mind that they really do have the power to make this campus a better (or worse) place for all of us. But until more than only out of every five of us is paying attention, they won’t be able to.

Sports Briefs

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EIC

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March 29, 2016

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WEB-Softball-Victor Raimbaev — The Clan lost both of their games to break a seven game losing streak.

Lacrosse

SFU Lacrosse won their past two games, beating Sonoma State 12–9, and the University of Nevada 17–9. The team’s next game will be against the University of Idaho on April 1. The two wins move SFU to a 5–4 overall record with three games remaining.

Softball

SFU lost both games against Western Oregon on Saturday the 19. The losses snapped a seven game win streak for the Clan. In the first game, SFU lost 2–0, only managing three hits against Western Oregon pitcher Alyson Boetz. In the second game, SFU surrendered a 5–0 lead they had in the third inning to lose 6–5. Western Oregon scored four in the fourth inning.

Quidditch

Last weekend, SFU Quidditch won the first annual Vancouver Island Quidditch Tournament. SFU went undefeated, against the University of Victoria Valkyries, and the newly formed Nanaimo Nightwings. SFU walked away from the tournament with all of their chasers scoring at least once.

Athletics Banquet

Ellen Kett and Jordan Herdman have been named SFU female and male athletes of the year by SFU Athletics. Kett was in the top five in both assists and three-point percentage and was named to the GNAC All-Conference first team. Herdman was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, and was also named to the NCAA All-American Second Team. Herdman also set the GNAC record for tackles in a single game this season.

With Files from SFU Athletics & SFU Quidditch

My experience as a travelling Whitecaps supporter

By

EIC

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March 29, 2016

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WEB-_MG_9888-Mynor Campos — Pedro Morales (centre) in action for the Whitecaps. He converted a crucial penalty in the game to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Well it didn’t come without controversy, but the Vancouver Whitecaps got their first win of the season on March 19th over their Cascadia rivals in Seattle. Captain Pedro Morales slotted home a pair of penalty kicks in a 2–1 victory at Centurylink field.

Due to their close proximity, the Seattle Sounders have been rivals since the old days of the NASL. That fierce competition between the two cities has only intensified since both teams joined MLS. One advantage of only being a two-and-a-half hour drive away is that opposing fans can make the trip to cheer on their team. On Saturday, nearly 1,000 Whitecaps supporters, many of them Southsiders (members of a Vancouver Whitecaps supporters group) made the trip down the I-5 to cheer on the boys in white. I was such a fan, joining in on the Southsider bus trip.

The day started with pickup downtown and then the drive to the border. Everyone was in high spirits and there was an energy on the bus. As soon as we crossed the border, however, we kicked it into high gear and the party really started. The kegs were tapped and a quick stop at the supermarket meant that everyone was well equipped to drink our way down to Seattle. The bus was filled with songs and laughter as we hoped to see our team come home victorious.

We didn’t have to wait long for the game to get going. In the eighth minute, newcomer Blas Perez played a ball down the wing and Christian Bolanos (another addition this season) charged it down only to be taken down in the box and a penalty awarded. It is very unclear if much contact was made with Bolanos or if he was lightly clipped, but regardless, Captain Pedro Morales stepped up and coolly put the ball into the left corner. 1–0 Whitecaps.

The bus was filled with songs and laughter as we hoped to see our team come home victorious.

The game would pick up from there and begin to get more physical — however, the Whitecaps would take the lead into half. Shortly after play resumed Seattle would equalize after a glorious free kick in the 52nd minute. Andreas Ivanschitz curled a beauty from 25 yards out to get Seattle back in the game. It would be for nothing, however, as referee Mark Geiger awarded Vancouver their second penalty of the game in the 72nd minute. Perez struck again, running down a beautifully played ball from Morales that he slide tackled in the box.

Both teams traded chances in the final 10 minutes of the game, but it was Vancouver who left with the three points. A lot of attention was directed towards the poor officiating from Geiger who has a history of bad calls. All I can say is that I’m very happy that we were on the winning side of it this time, as the Whitecaps have been victims to his poor judgement before.

As everyone happily piled back onto the bus home we reveled in the victory and the start of perhaps better things to come for the rest of the season. Winning is sweet, but winning against your rivals on their home turf is even better. Coming back across the border, all we had to declare were the three points we brought home.

Tax the rich to support the homeless

By

EIC

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March 29, 2016

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[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t was a beautiful day. The rare Vancouver sun was shining and I was merrily on my way to Harbour Center via the 135. Enjoying the day to its fullest was on the agenda, despite the responsibilities of school. As I neared downtown, I couldn’t help but notice that even the people who had made the streets their home seemed to have a certain pep.

Then it occurred to me that in my seven short months of living here, I had completely grown accustomed to this relegated group being a permanent fixture on the streets of Vancouver.

Why had I allowed the homeless crisis that had initially shocked me to my core to become a complacent everyday background scene? Better yet, why has the entirety of Vancouver done the same thing?

With the closure of Riverview mental hospital in 2012, the resources available to help the mentally ill became scarce. “[M]ore than half of Vancouver’s homeless [. . .] suffer from schizophrenia” according to a study conducted in 2010.

Statistics Canada found that the “2015 count results show that Vancouver’s homeless are in poorer health today than 2005.” These are people who are sick and in need of assistance, who deserve help as much as anyone with any other sort of health condition. So why does Vancouver shamelessly sweep the issue under the rug and continually corral them to less desirable neighbourhoods? Homeless people sleeping in public places are asked to leave just because they’re homeless, homeless protest camps are evicted, last year it was confirmed that BC Housing no longer collects data on the thousands turned away from shelters.

Anyone buy property should pay a yearly fee that goes directly to those on the streets.

Carin Rahmberg, childcare and family coordinator, recently said to me, “welfare for one person per month is $608. This is hardly enough to pay for rent, let alone utilities or food.” After working directly with these families who are in need of assistance, Rahmberg argued that if Vancouver provided the appropriate resources for those in need, the city would save money in the long term.

Housing is becoming less and less affordable to locals, as international entities with large purchasing power drive up prices. Although racist undertones implicate this, which I have absolutely no desire to perpetuate, it is a contemporary issue that could offer a solution with the help of government policy.

I argue that wealthy internationals who have the means to purchase property in this desirable city should be taxed. The conditions that should apply to buying property here is to pay a yearly fee that goes directly to the treatment, rehabilitation, or long term care to those who have been left forgotten on the streets.

It should be mandatory that buyers contribute to the community they invest in. This will, in turn, shy some investors away or merely be a minor inconvenience for others. The luxury of owning real estate from afar should come with consequences.

I want Vancouver to stop pretending there isn’t a problem. I want this city to have some pride in itself, take responsibility and offer a real solution to homelessness. While I risk sounding extreme with my ‘socialist’ solution, I challenge you to ask yourself why this sounds like an extreme solution. Housing should be a right in our free nation.

I love Vancouver, and every day I am ecstatic that I made living here a reality, but the way Vancouver shuns the homeless is utterly disgraceful. It’s time we did the right thing and stop viewing this issue as a perpetual and inevitable problem. So I’m demanding this: Vancouver, show the world where your values are — with people, not money.

An interview with Nathan Marsh, SFU’s own superstar composer.

By

EIC

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March 28, 2016

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Nathan Marsh, an SFU graduate with a BFA Music Major, has been selected as the 2016 New Voices Composer in Residence through Spectrum Music.

Spectrum Music, a group of canadian composers, focuses primarily on mixing classical and jazz genres. Over the next few months, Marsh will mentor with well-known professionals from his field and create a piece that will be highlighted in a concert this summer.

The Peak sat down with Nathan to talk about his journey from being a student to a young composer.

The Peak: What prompted your interest in music and composing?

Nathan: I always had an interest in music, but for the longest time it was just a hobby on the side. When I first [started at] SFU in 2010, I was actually planning to pursue a career in business. I took a few economics courses, but was not too excited about them. Around that time, I decided to take a music theory course for extra credit, and I liked it so much that I guess I never stopped.

Going into composing was challenging, especially since music theory and composition were not my strongest points; but the more courses I took, the more I wanted to produce. I realized that I had a lot of ideas, and I enjoyed creating, starting from the concept and building it into a music piece.

P: Why did you decide to stay at SFU for your BFA in Music?

N: I believe I got very lucky with the music program. When I first entered SFU, Woodward’s campus and the programs there were fairly new, so I didn’t have to do an entrance exam. This enabled me to actually pursue music. I think if I applied at another school with the knowledge and skills that I had at the time, I wouldn’t have got in, nor would I have a music degree now.

P: What did you enjoy the most throughout the music program?

N: One of the best aspects of my program was having opportunities to collaborate with other members of the School of Contemporary Arts. Throughout my studies, I did music for student films, dance productions, visual arts installations. It was interesting to learn to work together with artists from other disciplines, since we didn’t really speak the same artistic language. I mean, I see everything from the music perspective, while in dance, they speak dance language. I think we learned a lot through our collaborations.

P: What was the journey to becoming 2016 New Voices Composer in Residence?

N: I was getting close to graduation and looking for a reason to continue writing music, researching different organizations for composing opportunities. More often than not, organizations wanted well-known composers for different projects and shows, so it was challenging — but I was really eager.

Eventually, I found a program through Spectrum Music in Toronto with a category for emerging composers. I submitted my application, and was one of the five composers chosen to attend music workshops in Toronto, where we went over music composition and techniques, and talked about our artistic statement and goals. Upon the completion of the workshops, I was chosen for the project. I will have a chance to perform at the concert on June 4, which I am excited and grateful for.

The concert is called the Tower of Babel and is based on the Biblical story: different religions got together to build a tower up to God, but God knocked it down, dividing people though language barrier. For the concert, I’d like to write one coherent piece, but have the software randomly alter the signals from the instruments, creating disruptions that I am not in control of — the same way God created disruptions for the builders of the tower. It’s an ambitious project, but I hope to see it live.

P: Can you share a bit of your artistic vision with us?

N: I like to highlight the conceptual intention behind my music. I think that in the music industry, there is still a lot of emphasis creating something that is aesthetically-pleasant, and I’m interested in challenging that. Of course, I don’t want my music to sound bad, but the notions of good and bad are also very subjective. My goal is to lessen the emphasis on how the music sounds and focus more on why it sounds that way, and how the space of life performance is used as an element for the composition itself. In the pieces that I compose, I’d like the music content and the message to work together, impacting and engaging the audiences.

P: Where do you see yourself in the next 5–10 years?

N: That’s a difficult part about music and art: there are a lot of opportunities, but it is also very competitive. For now, I’ve been looking into graduate programs: part of me thinks I could really use more guidance, and the idea of continuing education is intriguing to me.

P: Any advice you would give to the young musicians out there?

N: I think the most important point is: it is possible.

If you love [music], chances are you will find a way to be good at it — [so] just go into it! Believe in yourself and don’t listen to other people unless they’re encouraging you.

Letter to the Editor

By

EIC

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March 27, 2016

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Dear editors of the Peak,

Re: SFSS Candidate Endorsements

You recently published an article endorsing certain candidates to the SFSS Board of Directors. While I agree that you should be able to endorse candidates simply on the basis of free speech, I believe that given the source of your funding and the lack of competition on campus, you have a responsibility to produce objective and informative endorsements – or don’t endorse anyone at all. Getting together in a room and taking a straw poll of your editorial board is nowhere near the standard students deserve.

I don’t doubt that you have a greater understanding of the Board’s inner workings than the average busy student – it’s not as if that takes very much – but you still have a responsibility to represent the views of students over your personal opinions on an issue as large as this one. Your lack of awareness for this responsibility is clearly evident in your discussion of which VP Finance candidate to endorse, where you claim that “large structural changes” are necessary, without explaining what that means, before sweeping check requisitions and student outreach – a major issue for DSU and Club Executives – under the rug.

On the topic of student outreach, you encouraged students to entirely disenfranchise themselves by telling them to not vote for a president, and in an election where gender played a prominent role, you chose to belittle a female candidate because she “came off as … nervous” and a male candidate was “able often able to speak over her and dominate the conversation.”

Although I could go on, my hope is that next year you will continue to endorse candidates. However, I hope you will do your due diligence, find out what students want and need, and then investigate which candidate would address those issues best. Anything less would be an abuse of the privileged position you are fortunate enough to find yourselves in.

Sincerely,

Tomas Rapaport

Disclaimer: Tomas Rapaport ran for Science Representative in the aforementioned SFSS election.

Batman v Superman is DC’s kryptonite

By

EIC

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March 25, 2016

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WEB-Batman v Superman - idigitaltimes.com — Sadly, the “S” on Superman’s chest doesn’t stand for hope, as it should. It stands for “sucks.”

While I’ve been given the opportunity to write a review on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I’ve got to be honest with you: my feelings towards this film could be just as well articulated through a cacophonous scream of anguish.

There’s no sugarcoating it: the problems with the film are so numerous they seep into every nook and cranny, derogating what should have been an action-packed cinematic battle for the ages. More than just a trainwreck and an irreparable scar on DC’s reputation; Batman v Superman is the biggest comic book movie letdown ever created, far surpassing the likes of X-Men: The Last Stand, Spider-Man 3, and even Green Lantern.

Batman v Superman is nothing less than a mosaic of scenes that are hastily jammed together with little to no justification. Even with a runtime of two and a half hours, anyone who has seen any number of the film’s trailers have basically seen the movie’s entirety.

One of the biggest problem with the film is that it shifts its focus too many times to non-essential plot points. Scenes containing Lois Lane, Wonder Woman, and staff members at the Daily Planet could have been scrapped entirely to put more focus on the film’s leads. Instead of having a film which focuses on the stark ideological differences between the the Last Son of Krypton and the Bat of Gotham, we are rather subjected to a film greedily fixated on it’s future sequels and spinoffs.

Scenes that set the stage for future movies in the DC cinematic universe not only clutter the already overly-packed film, but stall the main plot from moving forward. Screen time which should have been dictated to the cataclysmic brawl between these two heroes is instead stilted by unwanted footage of a generally abhorred fish king and a popular scarlet speedster shopping for milk.

Ben Affleck’s performance as the Caped Crusader is at best adequate; while he’s by no means a bad actor, Affleck fails to portray the role of Batman to its fullest capabilities. Aesthetically, though, the Dark Knight has never looked better. The cowl, gadgets, cave, and Batmobile have never been so visually stimulating and true to the comics. Even Jeremy Irons’ performance as Alfred is a welcome breath of fresh air to the classic supporting character.

Ultimately, the movie’s biggest weakness is Superman, who sucks the life and excitement out of every scene he frequents. While once a personification of hope and justice, this Man of Steel is quite frankly depressing and unwatchable. Even worse, Superman’s dialogue in the movie is scarce, and when he does speak it feels clunky and out-of-character.

Amazingly enough, the one character who does excel in Batman v Superman is Lex Luthor. Jesse Eisenberg not only brings a unanticipated edge to the iconic villain, he arguably brings the only captivating performance in the whole film. Everything from his nefarious plan to his unsettling personality helps to make his scenes not only the most enjoyable, but also the most memorable.

Alas, it is a true pity that the same cannot be said for anything else in the film — the fight scenes included.

The more I think about Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice, the more I want to a punch a wall. What should have been a simple, fun film about two people fighting each other capsizes under the weight of unnecessary and unwanted side plots, tie-ins, and characters. It saddens me to say this about the film, because no one was rooting for it to succeed more than myself.

I desperately wanted this film to kickstart an exciting DC cinematic universe for fans and casual moviegoers to fully get invested in. Sadly, this movie doesn’t even give me enough incentive to rewatch it on a pirated movie site.

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY

By

Peak Web

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March 25, 2016

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By: Sarah Finley, Courtney Miller, and Jessica Whitesel

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

“Close” – Nick Jonas feat. Tove Lo

Jessica Whitesel: It is trying to be an R‘n’B love song. But that being said, it is a good song, but it probably won’t have staying power.

Sarah Finley: I have a deep seeded hatred for Nick Jonas, but Tove Lo’s sound seems to have balanced him out. Mini bass drops are sprinkled throughout the track, and Tove Lo has departed from her signature style — sounding bored. The combination makes for a pretty alright track. I won’t be saving it to my own playlists, but it’s not awful.

Courtney Miller: His voice can squeak a little too much at times, but it’s still surprisingly a pretty good, sultry, sexy track.

“Long Time” – Ty Dolla $ign feat. Quavo

JW: Well this sure is a Ty Dolla $ign song. He isn’t a bad rapper, but he doesn’t really ever do anything new either. If he tried to expand on his sound he could go from being mediocre to great.

SF: Lowkey, my guilty pleasure is rap songs where dudes talk shit about other dudes’ sex lives. This is exactly that, at least at the beginning (which is easily the best part of the song). I get more and more disenchanted as the track goes on, but listen to the first minute if you want to listen to and giggle at a major cock fest.

CM: Again, repetitive, dull rap. Unimaginative.

“Closer” – Elephante feat. Bishøp

JW: I could see myself trying to get closer to someone in the club while this song was playing or trying to dance to it in my car. All in all I can get behind this song, and will probably listen to it again.

SF: Echo-y vocals and upbeat instrumentals begin the song, and the initially tired-sounding vocals remind me of Lana Del Rey. This sound eventually merges into a bass drop, and the two bounce back and forth for the rest of the three minutes.

CM: Started off meh, but greatly improved into a fun well-executed track.

“Cleopatra” – The Lumineers

JW: This is a ‘new’ song. He doesn’t really sound that different from their previous album, and it took me a while to realize that it wasn’t actually a song from that one.

SF: I’ve recently jumped on board the Lumineers train, thanks to Ophelia. This track is definitely very similar to the rest of the tracks on their newest album, and I don’t mean that negatively. Guitar strumming and major piano chords complete relaxing vocals and romantic lyrics. Heart eyes from this girl.

CM: It’s good, but it’s not anything new, like they haven’t matured or switched things up since “Hey Ho.”

“Singing In The Rain” – Simple Plan

JW: What is this song? It just doesn’t make any sense. I remember when Simple Plan was pop-punk and now they are trying some weird Caribbean-ska-pop. Stop: you are all a bunch of mid-thirties white dudes just stick with what you were good at.

SF: This love song is by far the catchiest of the playlist thus far. And how could it not be with whistling in the background? 10/10.

CM: Laid back, chill beach tune. Fun times. I’m a fan.

“Growing Pains” – Birdy

JW: Normally I’m not a huge fan of Birdy, but she’s going into her lower range for this song and holy shit is it AMAZING. If she stayed in the range all the time she would hands down become my fave artist.

SF: Birdy was a staple in my sad lil high schooler heart, and I can’t really honestly say that’s changed much. She puts her vocal range on display, harmonizing with herself in the chorus. While not my favourite song of hers, it’s still worth listening to.

CM: This is melodic, there’s a great musicality in it. Loving it.

“You Turn Me On, I’m A Radio” – Aoife O’Donovan

JW: This was just an average country song. Everything about it cried average. I think there is room to break from average but that means trying to push some boundaries, while still maintaining a sense of who you are as an artist.

SF: It took me ten seconds to think the word no. Notoriously anti-country and fervently anti-slow-country, this track certainly did not change my mind.

CM: Soulful melody and guitar — love it.

“Swim” – Fickle Friends

JW: It’s fun and upbeat. There aren’t that many other things to say about it, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing

SF: While initially very promising, the track eventually just gets boring. There are nervous attempts at bass drops (or something?), but they just don’t pan out.

CM: Kinda funny, kinda poppy, but it’s study music tops.

“Lil’ Love” – Petite Meller feat. Pnau

JW: This song makes me want to dance with my best friends, even though the lyrics make are more a love song. It gets a little repetitive at the end which kind of wrecks the whole vibe but whatever, it’s still a fun song.

SF: Kind of reminds me of Alvin and the Chipmunks? It’s upbeat and dance-y, but maybe a bit too much. At least for this early in the day. Sidenote: it’s almost 3 p.m. . .

CM: Musically, I get an Owl City pop-synth feel. It’s only two-thirds through the song that the power in the vocals shines through which is disappointing.

“Kid Who Stays in the Picture” – Hot Hot Heat

JW: I didn’t even know these guys were still a thing. I relegated them to Canadian one hit wonders. After hearing this song I realize that I wasn’t wrong. It’s not a bad song but it’s not going to top the charts by any means.

SF: From Victoria, Hot Hot Heat is a local band to pay attention to. I’m all about this indie rock life. The percussion in the background makes your foot bounce, your head bob. It ends quite abruptly, and it certainly wasn’t perfect, but Hot Hot Heat certainly has the potential.

CM: Groovy and bop-worthy with a good beat. Chill little tune to kick back and feel good.

“Aftergold” – Big Wild feat. Tove Styrke

JW: I really want to like this song but there is something about it that I don’t really like all that much. I think it might be the way the vocalist sounds, but I’m not really sure.

SF: This song is perfect for a sunny day. The lyrics are just as upbeat and happy as the vocals, percussion, and bells in the background. 10/10 would recommend dancing to this in your underwear.

CM: The epitome of background noise. ‘Meh’ all around.

“Headrush” – Aléatoire feat. Claire Ridgely

JW: I’m not 100 percent sold on this song, but it seems like it could be one of those songs that grows on you. But as of right now, I’m not loving it.

SF: Calmer, cooler, and more collected than the previous track, this song is lyrically and vocally sensual. While not very memorable, it wasn’t like I hated the experience either. *pointedly glares at “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio”*

CM: Easy listening-the kind of track you’d expect your mom to like, but that you can’t help also liking.

Elementary students build battle robots at SFU

By

EIC

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March 25, 2016

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — “It’s awesome because robots.”

SFU hosted a two-day workshop at the Surrey campus for elementary school students from Surrey. The program, running March 23 and 24, was a partnership between SFU’s Faculty of Applied Science, Surrey Schools, and the HR MacMillan Space Centre.

The Sticks And Stars and Girls In Action programs this year will welcome 150 boys and 150 girls in grades 4–6 to SFU to learn coding, robotics, and teamwork while building robots out of Lego bricks.

The program is intended to familiarise these students with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The Sticks and Stars program has brought over 560 boys to SFU since its creation in 2012, and the Girls in Action has brought over 300 girls since its creation in 2015.

“We want to bring [elementary students] to campus to give them experience with technology and expose them to positive role models,” said Daniela Abasi, the Faculty of Applied Science Outreach Program Manager.

On the last day of the workshop, the boys and girls had a battle royale with their robots, in a sumo-style competition where one robot tries to push the other out of the ring.

“It’s very similar to MSE 110 I took, without the complex coding,” according to Rana Hassan, third-year Mechatronics Engineering student who was part of the team of SFU student facilitators.

“The students were very creative with weapons,” Hassan continued. One group made a “hammer-type thing,” which was very impressive.

“A lot of kids built better robots than I did [in MSE110],” said Sharry Shabbir, a fourth-year Software Systems student who also helped to facilitate the program. For him, it was a “great opportunity to develop leadership
[. . .] and teaching skills.”

The most rewarding part for Mircea Taras, second-year Computing Science major at SFU, was learning to “explain difficult concepts in simple terms.”

The attendees were incredibly enthusiastic once the sumo battles started. A round-robin followed by single elimination eventually determined the winner.

Regardless of which team won, if the elementary students “left, knowing something about coding, with a better understanding of computing science and SFU, then our job is done”, said Harp Parmar, recent SFU grad and facilitator.

“Kids have an idea of engineering but not computing science,” noted Parmar, and through this program they “realize that building a robot is more than just the physical object.” Learning about robots also means learning how to code, as an integral part of making the machine move is through coding.

When asked about their experience with this program, the elementary students’ response was overwhelmingly positive:

“It’s awesome because robots.”

“It was really good learning to code.”

“It’s good because we won [. . .] the best part was beating the other team.”

“I learned robots take patience.”

“The best part was robots fighting.”

One elementary school student said that his library teacher had given them an understanding of robots, and this program furthered their knowledge of the process by showing them “how to attach parts [. . .] and use coding.”

The program will continue in the summer, with dates scheduled for July 4 — 5 and also on the 6 — 7.