Boxer Briefs

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February 22, 2016

Time traveller from the future tells men’s basketball team to “hang in there”

[BURNABY CAMPUS] – With rumors spreading that this may be the final season of the SFU men’s basketball team, a man from the future has come to deliver some cheerful news. The man reports that, “the team will continue to stay below .500 for a few more seasons, but once the Trump presidency causes America to descend into another civil war, there will be no teams left to play against in the NCAA II division, therefore allowing SFU to win the championship by default.”

Gashapon dispensers coming soon to SFU

[SURREY CAMPUS] – The marketing department at SFU has decided to release a line of gashapon capsule toys. Instead of toy figurines based on cartoon characters, though the general public will be able to collect members of the SFU community. The miniature figurines will range from the cleaning staff all the way up the president of the school, Andrew Petter.

However, we have been told that the probability of acquiring a non-cleaning staff gachapon is low enough that cleaning staff may end up cleaning up discarded cleaning staff figurines.

SFU launches brand new program exploring the potential of “power posing”

[VANCOUVER CAMPUS] – Recent research by Amy Cuddy on the power of body language has spurred mental health researchers at SFU to create a graduate program focusing on the medicinal powers of “power posing.” This program will look into the discovery of new poses, figure out the most efficient and useful poses, and explore the efficacy of combining several poses into a combo.

Undergraduates who must engage in research participation as part of their coursework can now look forward spending hours being contorted into various positions by overeager graduate students.

University Briefs

By

EIC

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February 21, 2016

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2016-02-10-menu-sized — The U of T has obtained the world's largest collection of Chinese take-out menus. - Photo courtesy of Ken Jones

U of Alberta institutes gender neutral application forms

[EDMONTON] – While Alberta public schools are currently grappling with controversial new guidelines on gender identity, the University of Alberta has recently made some headway in the sex and gender department.

The U of A has added a third option to their application forms in addition to male and female, which is, “another gender/prefer not to disclose.” This change was propelled by the student union that further hopes to implement more gender-neutral restrooms on campus, among other movements. The student union states that the importance of this is to create a supportive and inclusive environment for all its students.

With files from The Huffington Post

UVic prof creates app for children with autism

[VICTORIA] – “Let’s Face It! Scrapbook” is one of the Apple app store’s latest additions. Developed by UVic psychology professor Jim Tanaka, the app targets children with autism and aids them in learning how to recognize and distinguish faces.

The user uploads photos and then a game is created using them. Tanaka states that it is ideal for anybody who has trouble remembering faces — Tanaka himself has personally used the app to help him learn his students’ names.

With files from Metro News Vancouver

U of T library acquires archive of chinese menus

[TORONTO] – Chicken chop suey? Crab chow don? Goo-lo yuk? Deciding on which Chinese dishes to order is tough, but the University of Toronto can help.

The U of T’s Scarborough campus has recently obtained the world’s largest collection of Chinese menus, dating as far back as 1896. This collection features 10,000 items and is meant to help the U of T library is not merely for searching up interesting dishes, but to investigate the relationship between food culture and the immigrant experience.
With files from U of T News

New Music Friday

By

Peak Web

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February 21, 2016

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By: Jamal Dumas, Zed Hazel, Courtney Miller, and Jessica Whitesel

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

“Scars” – Tove Lo

Jessica Whitesel: I will cut this song a little slack since it is for Divergent. But that being said it could be less repetitive and not sound like a poppier knock-off of Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat.”

Jamal Dumas: At around 45 seconds in, the pace picks up quickly and the song goes from mediocre to good really fast. Lyrically it does sound similar to “Yellow Flicker Beat” which just makes me want to listen to Lorde a lot more than this.

Zed Hazel: An interesting and catchy tune, which manages to remain calm with empowering lyrics. A good choice for a chill night at home.

Courtney Miller: Slow burn build of an intro morphs into an evolving song that takes you along the Allegiant storyline, if you’re familiar with that. Catchy lyrics without being overly poppy, it retains a sophisticated, epic feel to it that’s really enjoyable.

“Beautiful Lies” – Birdy

JW: Birdy has an amazing voice, but at a certain point I just can’t listen any more. I don’t know if it has to do with production choices or something else, but about half way through this song I had to move on to the next one.

JD: Okay, I am getting major Evanescence vibes here, but maybe that’s just me. It’s a little too adult contemporary for me. But Birdy’s voice is truly captivating; it elevates this song majorly.

ZH: A beautifully sung melody with minimalist instruments that really sinks you deep into the lyrical magic of the song.

CM: This is beautifully mournful, a slow and soulful humble exhibition of talent. The haunting passion of a love that’s falling apart because nothing lasts, but the yearning for it to last forever and shatter the rules of precedent.

“Time” – Sivik

JW: This song has an awesome beat, but just based off of the first listen, it’s probably more of one that will grow on me over time. Right now, I just feel so-so about it, but I can see that potentially changing after more plays.

JD: Now we’re talking! This sounds like an EDM remix of a Backstreet Boys song. The beat hits hard and the vocals add a lot of personality and character.

ZH: Reminiscent of the late 2000/early 2010 techno music with a mesmerizing tune that’s bound to leave you dancing, even if it’s not your cup of tea.

CM: “Yeah, something wicked’s sharing my bed” — that’s what I say to my alarm clock every morning. The vocals are breathy and the result is a little sultry with a punctuated pop of a synth track. It really grows into something full-bodied and enjoyable though.

“Somebody Else” – The 1975

JW: This song is slower than the band’s typical recording and that it is a welcome change. It is still hook-filled and catchy as hell, but the slower pace allows you actually appreciate what The 1975 is capable of doing.

JD: My favourite part of this song is how much it doesn’t sound like The 1975. It’s got a slow disco feel, and has a pulsating synth running through it. The soulful lyrics add something special to the mix.

ZH: While Time had more of a dance beat and energetic feel to it, Somebody Else leans more towards the “sad techno” side of the genre. The song is still catchy and lyrically interesting, but is less of a club song and more of a “sitting on bus” type.

CM: In true The 1975 fashion, really can’t distinguish the lyrics, but it sounds almost too gentle and generic to be them. It’s okay; it’s just not great. The bridge is the best bit, I think, but at more than five minutes it’s probably a bit long for what it is.

“Waiting” – Vök

JW: This song is a perfect example of background music. While it is a good song it doesn’t pull you in. I tried to listen to it and pay attention to it multiple times but I never actually could.

JD: I was waiting for this song to pick up but, alas, it never did.

ZH: A bass heavy song that’s destined to keep you in a relaxed mood, silencing any distractions, taking you on a surreal journey.

CM: If you’re purposefully late for a date, feel free to blast this. Other than that I feel like it kind of gets lost. I didn’t even realize a new song had started until the chorus started up.

“Banshee” – Santigold

JW: This is just such a danceable song, but in a way that fuses different musical styles. I’m adding this song to the playlist that I listen to before I go out, and in my world, that is a pretty big deal, so go Santigold.

JD: I’ve never heard of Santigold before, but she strikes me as a cross between Janelle Monae and MIA. There’s a kind of sing songy chorus that reminds me of “Paper Planes.”

ZH: Very different from the previous song, “Banshee” brings out your positive side with a dancy energetic beat.

CM: It’s really up-tempo and it feels like it should be catchy, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what the lyrics say, aside from, “there’s a banshee on my shoulder.” It’s almost got a little reggae feel to the pop backbone.

“Kevin” – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Leon Bridges

JW: It is Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, so the production and lyrics are solid, but the rapping is a little weak. Leon Bridges, though, is amazing and saves this song continuing the tradition of the featured artists being the highlight of any Macklemore song.

JD: Macklemore unfortunately is seriously underrated as an artist. He is genuine and honest when he raps and that for me, is the mark of a truly important musician. Leon Bridges however, is the standout here. If you haven’t heard his full length album yet give it a listen ASAP.

ZH: The “Thrift Shop” kings are back at it again with a gospel rap that starts out as any typical Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, but is a politically lyrical masterpiece that should really get more attention as it tackles the corruption issues of America.

CM: I could see this as like a summer, beachfront chill tune, and then it transformed vocally into an almost oldies kind of melodic. Then the two genres come together in a gentle way, and it works surprisingly well.

“A Bitter Man’s Lullaby” – St. Prostitute

JW: I don’t know what I was expecting from this song, but it wasn’t the slow Metallica vibe. That being said, there is nothing quite as good as listening to a slower, heavier rock song

JD: This a slow burn of a rock tune that features no bells and whistles but just a simple guitar and a soulful vocals. Who knew a bitter man’s lullaby could sound so sweet.

ZH: A sad, slow country song that pulls your emotional strings as you hear this ballad of a man going through a difficult break up and coming out of it strong.

CM: The vocals toe the line between rock and hard rock, sometimes slipping into that harder, more whiskey-soaked throat tune. The title is apt though, it’s bitter, yet lullaby-like at the same time. It’s an interesting composition.

“Gin and Juice” – Cold Chilling Collective featuring The Rooks

JW: Damn son. This R&B reimagining of Snoop’s classic Gin and Juice is fire. 10/10 will listen to their other reimagined rap songs.

JD: Full disclosure: I’ve never listened to the original “Gin and Juice.” Don’t judge me. This song didn’t strike me as anything special.

ZH: R&B hasn’t sounded his innocent and smooth in ages. A sax really builds levels for the song and keeps it catchy and classical.

CM: Harmonies can’t be beat, and soulful to boot. It’s got that easy-listening, piano bar feel to it.

“Soundcheck” – Catfish and the Bottlemen

JW: This song reminds me of mid to late 2000s Brit rock, but in reimagined and repackaged for 2016. It’s not the greatest song ever, but it is a pretty solid track.

JD: I feel like I’ve heard a million songs like this. The fuzzy guitar notes and the derivative riff along with so-so lyrics make this an easy pass.

ZH: Personally, I think this is the only song that is close to my taste of music. A pop punk-esq tune that is worthy to be among the ranks of Fall Out Boy and Blink-182.

CM: I get a post-punk, alt-rock feel from these guys and it takes me back to my angsty punk rock teens. But it’s also more mature than that. It improves as you get further into the song.

“Good to Love” – FKA Twigs

JW: If FKA took her voice down half an octave this song would be amazing. It’s just a little too high and breathy. While that might have been the sound she was looking for, I’m not sold on this song.

JD: Usually FKA Twigs’ whispery voice floats over a sparse electronic arrangement, but here the arrangement is softer with a piano, and I’m in love with the meditative atmosphere it evokes.

ZH: All you need for a great love song is a girl and a piano and this proves that as it echoes through your ears as FKA twigs battles her emotions in this mesmerizing song.

CM: She sounds kind of like indie-pop-electronica with a splash of R&B and it actually works really well. Clean, powerful vocals are the highlight and they ring with emotion. Good driving karaoke.

“Just Us” – Lais

JW: It’s a pretty average song. It’s like Majid Jordan and Travi$ Scott had a mediocre R&B baby. If that is what you’ve been waiting for, fine, but I was not waiting for that.

JD: Me and Jess both agreed that all music nowadays seems to sound like this: electronic arrangements accompanying soulful vocals. This is the least effective version of that formula.

ZH: To be honest, I don’t see a difference between this song and anything by Drake or The Weekend or any other similar artist. You have the same beat playing and a male vocalist who sounds like he was staring at the ceiling while singing his song.

CM: I feel like all this does is reinvent the wheel when it comes to R&B pop music so it does nothing for me. Everything’s nice enough, but it doesn’t have anything special to set it apart from the herd.

CENTRE STAGE: In Review: Bigmouth, Little One, 887

By

EIC

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February 20, 2016

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Little One Firehall-8625 credit-Ryan Alexander McDonald — *Little One* doesn't have a neat resolution, but is a snapshot of a trouble relationship.

BigMouth

Feb 11–21; York Theatre

Spurred by his interest in the power of words to change the course of history, Valentijn Dhaenens set out to read at least one speech per day, and ended up reading over 1000 in a year. He began to see interesting correlations between some of them. Inhabiting the persona, mannerisms, voice, and language of each speaker, BigMouth sees Dhaenens deliver speeches in a variety of languages including English, French, German, Dutch, and Flemish (his mother tongue). It’s a huge feat switching between wildly different characters and languages, and he never skipped a beat.

A chalkboard is projected above the stage showing the speakers he represents; as each speech passes, their name is erased. This helped with some of the lesser known and ancient speeches, like Pericles’ from 431 BC.

All the speeches were moving, and performed very well by Dhaenens, but it wasn’t until the modern day samples of figures such as Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush came up that it became clear what he was getting at.

As Dhaenens alternated between speeches by Osama Bin Laden and George W. Bush, it was striking that Bin Laden sounded more level headed than Bush. All these and other extremists such as Frank Vanhecke speaking on the Islamization of Europe are presented for us to pass our own judgement on. There was no political message other than presenting the power of words to manipulate and influence listeners. It’s also notable that there is only one female voice represented in the show, but that may say less about Dhaenens and more about our history of male dominated power.

A finishing touch that really added an emotional element to the show were songs placed in between the speeches. Dhaenens used his own voice to create looping harmonies with his various microphones and then he sang songs such as “We’ll Meet Again” to place us in the World War II era, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to place us in the 1990s.

As Dhaenens sings his final words to us: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return” (from the song “Nature Boy” first recorded by Nat King Cole), his point is proven — words have the timeless power to move, incite, manipulate, and entertain us, and he succeeded at all of those things.

Little One

Feb 9–13; Firehall Arts Centre

Aaron (Daniel Arnold) and Claire (Marisa Smith) have an interesting sibling dynamic. They are both adopted, but Claire gets all the attention from their parents because she needs special help dealing with her violent tendencies and a traumatic past that she can’t remember. With the stage set with only a rug and chair alongside the two siblings, the audience was let into their world through stories told from each point of view.

Aaron loves his sister, or at least tries to, but after years of incidents like being stabbed in the leg, having his pet cat killed, and having to stay home from hockey to look after Claire, he begins to resent her. It doesn’t help that while Claire does say she loves her brother, she also can’t stop saying “It was just a cat” after she kills the pet.

The two siblings also recount for us the story of their neighbours Roger and Kim Lee. Kim arrived as a mail order bride from Vietnam, and as Claire explains, they seemed happy together — it seemed like she might even love him — until Kim got fed up and killed Roger.

Kids at school call Claire a monster, Aaron accidentally calls her a psychopath before he can stop the words from tumbling out, and it seems their whole family walks on eggshells trying to create the illusion that Claire is on her way to becoming a healed, fully functioning member of their family. It makes you wonder how far these parents are willing to go to help their daughter while putting their son in danger and depriving him of a full life.

Switching between adult and child, abused and angry, both Arnold and Smith perform these characters with nuance and a dark gleam in their eyes. The show doesn’t give us a tidy resolution or answer some of our burning questions, but it is a riveting snapshot of this unique, troubling relationship.

887

Feb 11–21; Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre

As part of SFU’s 50th anniversary programming, SFU Cultural Programs teamed up with Theatre la Seizième to present this creation by Robert Lepage and Ex Machina. Lepage, playing himself in this very personal show, grapples with the massive subject of memory: how it shapes us, why we remember certain things but not others, why some things (like a childhood phone number) seem to be tattooed on our brains.

887 is Lepage’s childhood address — an apartment block on Murray Avenue in Quebec City, and the main set piece of the show is a large replica of the building, about as tall as Lepage when he stands beside it. The building seamlessly and magically turns and morphs into other sets throughout the show such as Lepage’s kitchen and a 1960s diner.

Lepage began by explaining that the idea for this show came to him when he was asked to recite a poem for the 40th anniversary of the Nuit de la Poésie event in Quebec City. He was to read “Speak White” by Michèle Lalonde, and agreed to memorize it. During the show we see him struggle to remember even a single verse.

Through Lepage’s memories of his family history, he also recounts the history of Quebec, including the radical FLQ (Front de libération du Québec) that promoted separatism in the 1960s. With Lepage’s humour, insight, and personal discovery, this two-hour show flies by, and leaves the audience with a powerful rendition of “Speak White” and plenty to think about.

Coming up: JFL Northwest and Chutzpah!

Just around the corner are two festivals you won’t want to miss. Just for Laughs Northwest runs from February 18–27 at various venues around Vancouver. I’m personally looking forward to seeing Trevor Noah, Janeane Garofalo, and This is That (the satirical team behind the hilarious scented firewood video), but take a look at the line-up of showcases, up-and-coming comedians, household names, and special events — there are so many shows you won’t want to miss. I’m certainly ready to have a laugh.

From February 18–March 13, the Chutzpah! Festival brings the best of Jewish theatre, comedy, music, and dance to Vancouver. I always revel in the wonderful dance programming this festival brings to town, and I encourage you to take a look at the entire festival program. This year, the festival will present artists from Mexico, Germany, Cuba, Italy, USA, and Israel.

SFU blow 13-point lead, lose to Northwest Nazarene

By

EIC

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February 19, 2016

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WEB-Mens Basketball-Lisa Dimyadi — Oshea Gairey and Michael Harper were the two leading scorers for SFU on the night.

Up 12 points at halftime, and making 48.3 percent of field goals against a Northwest Nazarene Crusaders team that had lost six straight, it looked as though the men’s basketball team were well on their way to their second GNAC victory of the season Thursday night.

“We had a commanding half time lead — should have been even more than that,” said head coach Virgil Hill, reflecting on a first half that saw SFU dominate, something that fans rarely see of the men’s team this year in the West Gym.

Instead, the Clan got off to a horrific start to the second half, allowing the Crusaders to eliminate a 12 point deficit and take the lead, all in the span of less than five minutes. In what seems to be a reoccurring theme, SFU couldn’t generate any offence, aside from free throws at the end of the game. Though the game remained relatively close until the end of the game, with SFU tied 60–60 with 4:32 left in the game, and down only by two until the 2:25 mark, SFU made only one field goal in the last 6:09 of the game — and that was a meaningless layup scored with 3.1 seconds left, when the Crusaders had already guaranteed their victory.

SFU was outscored 51–30 in the second half. After a remarkable field goal percentage in the first, they made only 28.1 percent of shots — well below SFU’s average 41.2 percent. After a commanding dozen point lead, SFU fell by a dozen, losing 77-65.

“It’s sort of like the same thing again and again,” said Hill. ”Our inability to defend and increase our level of intensity got us in the second half. We did a good job defensively in the first half, but they beat us 51–30 in the second half. We couldn’t score. We couldn’t finish baskets, we couldn’t finish plays.

Particularly painful were the missed chances, especially after a five point run which saw SFU tie up the game 58–58, of which the last two points scored by Graham Smith, was SFU’s second last field goal of the game.

“We had a chance to go up there, we missed two layups, and that’s four points we don’t get in the moment [. . .] said Hill. “We’ve got to move the ball, we go too slow — we don’t move the ball. It stays in one guy’s hand too long.”

Gibran Sewani was one of the highlights of the game, putting up 11 points, including an impressive slam dunk, as well, having attempting several impressive plays, including an alley-oop that fell just short due to the blocking prowess of the Crusaders.

Freshman Oshea Gairey led the team with 20 points, while senior Michael Harper put up three three-pointers and 16 points. Junior JJ Pankratz made several key plays in the first, and had 10 points.

“It’s sort of like the same thing again and again”

The loss on the court, however, wasn’t the only loss the team faced. Junior transfer Max Barkeley, who had led the team in points per game with 14.9, and had second-most minutes played in the game previous, is no longer on the roster, parting ways with the team after self-described “differences” with coach Hill.

“With only one year left I want to pursue my degree and final year of my collegiate career with the best chance to win games and compete,” said Barkeley, who was not on the roster for Thursday’s game.

“I do want to wish the guys nothing but the best cause this is the first team I’ve ever been on where I can truly say I like every teammate a lot. I’m rooting for them and wish the coaching staff all the best as well,” he explained. “Not the right fit and both myself and the program have plenty of work to do.”

Without Barkeley, SFU will play its last home game Saturday at 3 p.m. against Central Washington University, who sits in fifth place in GNAC standings and has clinched a GNAC playoff berth.

“They’re more athletic than us, we have to hit shots, be smart with how we defend,” said Hill.

As the annual Senior’s Night, Harper, who leads the team in points scored with 330, will be the only senior honoured.

Yukon Blonde kick off Canadian tour at the Commodore

By

EIC

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February 17, 2016

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Yukon Blonde played to an energetic, appreciative hometown crowd as they performed the first show of a tour that will take them all the way to St. John’s, Newfoundland. They were joined by On An On as their opening act.

The trio On An On (which I initially heard as “On and On” when they introduced themselves — I can imagine how many times they’ve had to correct that one) is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has a familiar indie sound.

They suffered the familiar plight of a crowd disinterested in an opening band, but there also wasn’t that much to be interested in. Their strong baselines, rising crescendos, and many repeatedly shouted lines melded well with their interesting percussion and ghostly high-pitched tones. Despite that, they were a bit of a yawn. The lead singer had on the requisite hipster uniform of a plaid shirt and a toque, and they sounded like something that would fit right in on 102.7 The Peak. I became restless waiting for Yukon Blonde to appear.

Between acts, I met Yukon Blonde’s bassist’s cousin’s wife and her party of friends there to celebrate her birthday. There were a nice group, and I was glad to no longer be sitting alone waiting for the band to take the stage.

Right from their first song, one thing I noticed about Yukon Blonde was their clear vocals. One of the most frustrating things for me is being at a concert and not having a clue what the lyrics are. I didn’t have that problem, though — they opened with their hit “My Girl,” and the crowd began to sing along.

The long-haired lead singer, Jeff Innes, had nice raspy vocals, and the whole band was calm, cool, and collected, passing that ease onto us. He mentioned that he was feeling blessed, but searched for another word to describe it — he was told by a bandmate that “fucking stoked man” would do the trick.

They were clearly having fun on stage, and they had us join them, encouraging the crowd to sing along to the infectiously handclap-ready “Wind Blows.” The contemplative song is a departure from their current, full-bodied indie sound, and I enjoyed hearing that side of the band.

“Saturday Night,” their current single, was a hit with the crowd and showed how the band’s sound has evolved. If it were actually Saturday night, it would have added that extra level of perfection singing along to “Saturday night on the town / Open your arms to me / And let me dive in the waters around / Your eyes are an ocean.”

The band showed off a wide range of influences, including “Radio,” which sounds like a toned-down punk tune. “I Wanna Be your Man,” off their latest album, On Blonde, got everyone dancing, and “Stairway,” the biggest song off Tiger Talk, continued the momentum and even incited some crowd surfing.

A “one more song” chant brought the band back to the stage for an old gem that they said was the first song that CBC ever played of theirs. With their composed stage presence and ability to navigate among a variety of styles, Yukon Blonde provided an enjoyable concert experience. I’m sure they will return home with more fans from all parts of the country.

Even with the cool touches, Logic falls flat

By

EIC

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February 17, 2016

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Vogue Theatre, Granville Street, downtown Vancouver. 10 p.m. on the night of February fourth. The first stop of Logic’s The Incredible True Story tour.

I arrived a bit late, skipping the first two DJs. Perhaps this is poor concert etiquette, but I was really only interested in seeing Logic. I arrived in time to see the final opening show, DJ Rhetorik’s, who would also be DJing for Logic.

Full of energy, Rhetorik impressed me and gained extra points when he didn’t do the super annoying thing that nearly all entertainers and motivational speakers alike do: yell, “Are you having a good time tonight? I can’t hear you!” over and over and over again. Unfortunately, once Logic appeared, this was a main part of the show. I stopped keeping track of the number of times he asked the crowd if we wanted to go home, to which the expected response was, “fuck you.”

After an (honestly) really cool intro — fitting his new album’s outer space theme, the light show immediately preceding his arrival onstage was a countdown to a rocket launch, followed by a Cosmos-esque film depicting various planets, nebulas, and stars — Logic opened with his classic crowd-pleasers, including “Like Whoa” and “Fade Away.” Rhetorik flawlessly combined bass, hi-hat, snare, and bass line. The bass was turned up so loudly that I could feel it in my footsteps walking back to the bus stop after the show. This is not a complaint.

Later on, Logic said he represents one thing and one thing only: peace, love, and positivity — I’ll let the fact that this was a list of three things slide, but only because Logic and his technicians all wore matching space suits to continue the theme.

Annoying motivational speaker strategies aside, there were a few cool things about the show. Firstly, the light show at the Vogue is consistently amazing, no matter who’s performing. If you haven’t gotten the chance to experience a concert at this venue, I would definitely recommend it. There was a screen onstage below the DJ platform and immediately behind Logic that depicted the music videos for each song he performed — which weren’t, by the way, always his own songs. At one point, for instance, he performed a Kid Cudi mashup.

When he performed “Young Jesus,” Logic brought the featured rapper, Big Lenbo, onstage. This isn’t something most performers do, so while I must give props to Logic for this move, the music video for this track is of the two rappers themselves, so seeing double was incredibly disorienting.

Logic would also consistently rap over recordings, and at one point did this weird spoken-word thing about how he’s a black man trapped inside of a white man’s body.

I enjoyed the show, but to be entirely honest, the best parts — the intro, lights, bass, etc. — weren’t because of Logic; they were either thanks to the technicians or DJ Rhetorik. I would pay to see Rhetorik again, but in the future I’ll probably pass on Logic.

Anti climatic

By

EIC

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February 16, 2016

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Before I actually listened to Rihanna’s new album Anti, I did something stupid: I read a few opinion pieces. The main idea from these articles was simple — that it sucked. As a huge Rihanna fan, I kind of really wanted to like it and prove them wrong. I even came up with a cool title for the Rihanna article: “Anything but Anti-Rihanna.” Unfortunately, that is not how I felt after having listened to it.

“Consideration” started out considerably well. Maybe it’s because I’m obsessed with SZA, the featured artist, but still — it’s a cool track. It has a really smooth beat and the lyrics are understandable, which is a giant plus. Even though it’s not necessarily a song that I would play super loudly in my car and sing along to, it’s a more relaxed tune that I would, well, relax to.

James Joint, the next track on the thirteen-song album was, well, meh. It doesn’t even sound like Rihanna. The only reason it would still have a place on my iTunes library is because of its killer beat. This is the only song that I could see being a single. It is definitely catchy, but not in a loud and obnoxious way. It’s a song I would cruise to, bobbing my head up and down.

The next track on the album is actually its only single — “Work.” Honestly, I didn’t really like it that much. Rihanna sounds super weird — plus, only half of the time could I actually make out what she was trying to say. Does she even know what she was trying to say? The only good part of this song is when Drake sings, but that is unfortunately very limited.

Right when I thought the album could not get any worse, it did. The last songs were extremely underwhelming. The album as a whole was weak and passionless in terms of lyrics and singing. The only really good thing about the whole album is actually just the beats. Considering she was working with producers like DJ Mustard, Timbaland, and Travi$ Scott, I’m not surprised in the slightest. These musical geniuses did what they could to salvage the mistakes made by the executive producer — Rihanna, herself.

The entire time I felt myself wanting the songs to pass by quicker because I simply did not want to hear them. I genuinely am appalled and very, very confused as to how Anti hit the number one spot on four different charts — the US Billboard 200, the US Billboards for R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, the Canadian Albums Charts and the Official Charts Company (UK).

I am extremely disappointed in this album and in Rihanna.

SFU drops an overtime thriller

By

EIC

-

February 16, 2016

0

Ellen Kent (right) was ejected from the game after her fifth personal foul in overtime

The SFU Clan Women’s Basketball team suffered a 61–56 defeat in an overtime thriller to the Seattle Pacific University Falcons this Saturday. The loss dropped the Clan to 12–9 on the season and 10–6 overall in GNAC Conference play.

At halftime, the Clan was in control with a 34–19 lead. Alisha Roberts had the hot hand in the first half draining five three-point shots on eight attempts. Point Guard Ellen Kent did a masterful job of setting up Roberts with crisp cross court passes, nimble drive and kicks, and subtle screens. SFU showed incredible ball movement throughout the half, which included one possession where there were eight passes before Rachel Fradgley scored on a nifty low post move.

The second half saw the Clan extend the lead to 38–19 after a Samantha Beauchamp basket on a sick behind the back dribble penetration from Kent, and a Kent coast to coast righty layup. Seattle Pacific then ran off a 23–4 run to tie the game at 42. Sophie Swant momentarily broke the Falcons’ momentum with a three-pointer after a frantic possession, and Samantha Beauchamp had two spectacular blocked shots on back to back possessions to keep the game tight. On a loose ball with 3:14 left in the game, a Seattle Pacific player hit the ground and the referees quizzically charged Kent with a technical foul; her fourth total foul in the game. With 49 seconds remaining, Seattle Pacific’s Julia Haining sunk a clutch three pointer to tie the game. Neither team scored the rest of the way, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, Ellen Kent drove for a layup and Elisa Homer sunk a clutch three-pointer which brought the Clan within two points of the lead. With 1:34 remaining, Kent was charged with a questionable hand checking foul which disqualified her from play because it was her fifth of the game. It also put Seattle Pacific at the free throw line where they made one of two attempts to take a 58–55 lead. SFU moved to 58–56 on a Swant free throw.

What followed was a wild finish that saw Elisa Homer steal a Seattle Pacific pass and launch a potential game winning three pointer with ten seconds left. The Clan then fouled a Seattle player who made one of two free throws to put the Clan down 59–56 with possession and a chance to tie on a three pointer. Coach Bruce Langford called timeout and during the stoppage in play was whistled for a technical foul, essentially ending the game by granting Seattle Pacific free throws.

Coach Langford accepted responsibility after the game, stating, “I deserved a T for what I said.” He continued, “I do think we have improved and really showed it tonight but that short bench hurt us and we tired in the fourth quarter.”

The Peak Board of Directors agenda

By

EIC

-

February 15, 2016

1

Peak Publications Society Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

February 16, 2016

The Peak offices

Chair: Max Hill

In Attendance:

Maia Odegaard (Board Secretary, non-voting)
Max Hill (Editor-in-Chief)
Tamara Connor (Collective Rep)
Kevin Rey (Collective Rep)
Thadoe Wai (At-large Rep)
MuhammadQasim Dewji (Employee Rep)

Call to Order
Approval of Agenda

Approval of past minutes from December 14, 2015

Financial update

Maia to present the state of the Society’s finances through January 2016 (see appendix A).

Discussion of the continuation of The Tartan

The board will evaluate the success of The Tartan pilot project and suggest a course for its future.

Increase business credit card limit

Currently, the credit limit is $15,000, but as we’ve been sending larger numbers of students to various conferences, the business manager is requesting an increasing in this limit.

In camera session

The board will go in camera to discuss a complaint from a collective member.

Adjournment

Peak Publications Society Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

January 19, 2016

The Peak offices

Chair: Max Hill

In Attendance:

Maia Odegaard (Board Secretary, non-voting)
Max Hill (Editor-in-Chief)
Tamara Connor (Collective Rep)
Kevin Rey (Collective Rep)
Thadoe Wai (At-large Rep)
Adam Vanderzwan (Guest)
Amneet Mann (Guest)
MuhammadQasim Dewji (Employee Rep)

Call to Order: 4:39 p.m.

Approval of Agenda

Tamara/Thadoe

All in favour (after one typo was fixed re: date of last meeting)

Approval of past minutes from December 14, 2015

Tamara/Qasim

All in favour

Financial update

Maia presented the Society’s finances through December 2015 (see appendix A). Overall, the Society was around $8,000 under budget for the fall semester.

Investment update

Maia presented the year end update on the Society’s investment portfolio (see appendix B). The long-term investments are up roughly $13,000 since September.

ACP conference in LA vs CMA conference in NYC

BIRT the Society send eight student delegates to the Associate Collegiate Press conference in Los Angeles, CA from February 18-21, 2016. They will be elected at the January 27 Collective Meeting.

Tamara/Kevin

All in favour

PPS BoD meeting time for spring 2016 semester

The Board will hold its spring semester meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m.

Tamara/Qasim

All in favour

Discussion of the continuation of The Tartan

The board tabled any final decision on The Tartan pilot project until a future meeting date.

No vote.

Reduction of publication in the summer semester

Max Hill brought up the idea of reducing summer production as most student papers don’t publish over those months due to low enrollment and small campus population. SFU has ⅔ enrollment during the summer and The Peak had higher than usual ad revenue over the summer 2015 semester.

No vote.

Addition of Tamara Connor as a signer on the PPS bank account

BIRT Tamara Connor will replace Melissa Roach as a signer on the Peak Publications Society bank account held with Vancity Savings Credit Union.

Qasim/Kevin

All in favour

Allotment of funds for camera D7000 repairs

The Peak photo editor requested repairs for one of the cameras as it was recently damaged by a contributor. The repairs must be assessed by the manufacturer in order to get a quote on repair costs. At that time, a decision will be made regarding funds required.

No vote.

Adjournment

Approved by ________________________________ & __________________________________ on February 16, 2016.