FEBRUARY 8 TO FEBRUARY 22, 2017
VOLUME 25 ISSUE 6
Stoked about snow since 1993
Garden Starters UFV School of Business graduates create business out of class project
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BFA Art Auction You can buy art that’s made by students and supporting a student cause?
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Electoral reform pg. 6-7 A Series of Unfortunate Events More like a series of vaguely inconvenient events.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
EDITORIAL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
NEWS
Counting down until reading break
NEWS BRIEFS
VANESSA BROADBENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The only thing I’m more thrilled about than the fact that the recent amount of snow resulted in a school closure allowing me to write this editorial at home, in bed, with a fresh cup of coffee and in my favourite pair of Star Wars pajama pants, is that next week is even better because I won’t spend every day wondering if for the following day, campus will be open or not. Reading break has got to be one of my favourite weeks of the year — it’s like a breath of fresh air in the middle of a storm of papers, group projects, presentations, and the impending doom of midterms. Just when I get to a point where the semester becomes overwhelming and I can feel myself slipping into a pit of overdue assignments and too many skipped classes, I’m given a week of no deadlines and no lectures, to pull myself out, regain my composure, and prep for the rest of the semester. Well, either that or leave town for a week and try to put as much distance as I can between myself and UFV. Usually it’s the latter, but both still make the second half of the term a little more bearable. Unfortunately, the relief that comes with reading break, the feeling that I look forward to every January, the feeling that never fails to make my mid-semester stress just a little easier to get through, is limited to the winter semester. UFV released its sessional dates for 2017 to 2022 and the one change I was hoping to see — the implementation of a fall reading break — was not included. If I absolutely had to choose between having a fall or a winter reading break, it would be the winter break, every time. Christmas break just isn’t enough time to recuperate, especially not compared to summer, and winter is already dreary enough that having to spend 12 straight weeks in class would just make it
that much worse. Thing is, I shouldn’t have to choose. Fall reading break is actually a thing — just not at UFV. University of Lethbridge had its first last semester, Mount Royal University is officially implementing one this year, and University of Calgary is hoping to do the same by 2018 — and these universities are late to the game. On the east coast, there are more public universities that have fall reading breaks than those that don’t. However, adding a fall reading break isn’t as easy as it sounds; it’s not like UFV can just decide to shut down in the middle of the semester and give everyone a week off. There’s an amount of teaching days that needs to be met and if some of those are taken away, they’ll need to be added somewhere else. That means either starting the semester a week early — before Labour Day and potentially even in August — or finishing late, and shortening the Christmas break. Both of these sound like horrible options (especially having a shorter break between semesters; please, please don’t do this UFV), but so does the thought of suffering through another straight 12-week semester without a break. This is one of those things where no matter what decision is made, people will be unhappy. I don’t think any student likes the idea of a longer semester, but I also don’t think any student likes the idea of not having a reading break. The difference between the two options is that one will benefit students’ mental health. Adding a fall reading break will no doubt be an inconvenience for UFV, but it should be one that’s worth it if it’ll benefit its students. Until that happens, I’m just grateful that reading break exists. If you need me, I’ll be somewhere on a beach in southern Oregon, and I’m not coming back until I have to (in exactly 12 days and 10 hours from now).
STAFF
of pipeline construction
Unfortunately, the relief that comes with reading break, the feeling that I look forward to every January, the feeling that never fails to make my mid-semester stress just a little easier to get through, is limited to the winter semester.
CONTRIUBUTORS
Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca
Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca
Distributor Griffy Vigneron distributor@ufvcascade.ca
Managing Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca
Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca
Ad Rep Kayla Normandeau-Cowan kayla@ufvcascade.ca
Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca
Production Manager Brittany Cardinal brittany@ufvcascade.ca
Staff Writer Michael Chutskoff mike@ufvcascade.ca
Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca
Online Editor Tanya Vanpraseuth tanya@ufvcascade.ca
News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca
Features Editor Bradley Peters brad@ufvcascade.ca
Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca
Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca
Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Remington Fioraso Laura Andrés
Cover: Joel Robertson-Taylor Back Cover: Brittany Cardinal
UFV alumni turn class project into reality
Garden Starters, a business that ships plants directly to homes, was created in U.S. army allows continue a Business 425 class
Why a reading break in the fall semester should be a thing
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Volume 25 · Issue 6 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529
The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities. The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Writers meetings are held each Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus. In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.
The last stretch of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline will cross under Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota with a goahead from the U.S. army to complete the project. According to court documents, the army will also end further environmental study and allow construction to begin as early as this week. The Standing Rock Sioux, whose reservation is downstream from the lake crossing, said they will oppose the decision and fear that a spill could contaminate precious drinking water. In a statement on Tuesday, the U.S. army said “The Department of the Army announced today that it has completed a presidential-directed review of the remaining easement request for the Dakota Access pipeline, and has notified Congress that it intends to grant an easement.” - CBC
UFV Library hosts poetry book sale In order to raise funds for the UFV Library Heritage Collection, the UFV Library is hosting a poetry book sale. From Feb 6-10, nearly 400 poetry books published in 2014 will be on sale in the library on UFV’s Abbotsford campus. The UFV Heritage Collection is a database of rare material relevant to the Fraser Valley. Consisting of mainly books, the collection exists with the goal to preserve but also supply sources for research. The collection was founded in 1988 and in 2011 was relocated from the Chilliwack campus to the Abbotsford campus library.
CICS creates exhibit on South Asian struggle in Canada UFV’s CICS has curated an exhibit in theGur Sikh Temple’s Sikh Heritage Museum in Abbotsford. With funding help from the Canadian government, the CICS has made the exibit to show the struggle of South Asians and their right for equal recognition and citizenship in Canada. The exhibit will also touch on stories of Chinese-Canadians, JapaneseCanadians and women of European descent, who all experience inequality in Canada. The exhibit with be launched with a reception at the Sikh Heritage Museum in Abbotsford on Sun, February 19 at 1:30 p.m.
Brendan Scott and Ginelle Bouthillier of Garden Starters are members of a primarily UFV alumni-based team
VANESSA BROADBENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A pair of UFV alumni are putting their education into practice with a new business that they designed in one of their upper level business classes. Brendan Scott and Jack Rozendaal, both graduates of UFV’s school of business, are the originators behind Garden Starters, a business that ships plants to customers’ homes. “The idea originally came from our sales director Jack and myself,” Scott said. “He’s always had the idea that you could potentially ship plants to consumers’ houses.” Rozendaal and Scott developed the idea, along with two other students, as a group project for Business 425, a marketing strategy class at UFV. “You had to run a marketing plan for a company kind of from the ground up,” Scott explained. “In our case we chose to do it on this new idea and the four of us put together a proposal. I think we ended up getting a B on it, which is kind of funny.” Customers are able to choose from a variety of vegetables, herbs, and annual plants that are then grown for them and shipped directly to their homes. But Garden Starters also offers kits that have enough variety to start a garden — also, their products are GMO free and only shipped in recyclable materials. “It’s essentially like we put these combination kits together so it makes it a little bit easier on the gardener,” Scott explained. “For us, our vision I would say is really just making it a lot simpler for people.”
Although the business is unique to the area, Scott noted that it’s not the first of its kind and similar operations, such as England’s Thomson & Morgan which sees roughly $50 million annual online sales, are thriving overseas. “This concept is extremely popular in Europe, especially in England, so we’re thinking with online trends, everything is going cyber nowadays with sales, why not plants in North America as well?” Scott said. Currently, Garden Starters ships from DeVry Greenhouses in Chilliwack primarily to B.C. and Alberta, but also has clients in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are plans for expansion and to increase areas they ship to, but the business has already evolved significantly since Scott and Rozendall completed the initial project, then called “I Like Gardening,” and graduated from UFV. “It’s crazy that a lot of it I would say changed, but a lot of it also stayed the same,” Scott said. “The core concept of shipping plants online from our greenhouse to consumers’ homes, that premise has stayed the same, but little tweaks in the branding and the marketing and how we’re going to deliver it changed. I’d say the core message of a personal touch to it, a little bit more informal with the brand, and having that extra step of education and everything really stayed true to what we were going for initially.” Part of the goal behind Garden Starters was to make gardening more accessible to a younger demographic — they even offer an “Urban Gardener” kit, tailored for apartment living. “We’d like to pull more young people into the industry because we see it as something that a lot
of people aren’t doing so much anymore,” Scott explained. “We’re really looking just to find new young people, and people who are looking for new and exciting ways to enter the world of gardening, and make it happen.” Part of this includes marketing, specifically on social media, and a strong online presence. “I think the branding and the marketing, it comes across as user-friendly and that’s what we want to make our core message,” Scott said. “There’s so much information out there nowadays that sifting through it all and finding something that really works for them is challenging, so if we can deliver our message to them and communicate why we would be an effective service for them, then I think that’s what really resonates.” Garden Starters is only in its second year, but its team consisting primarily of UFV alumni and even two current students has already seen over 250 customers and shipped over 6,500 plants. “Last year was just a trial run I’d say, learning how the kinks work, hammering out all the details, and then this year we’re kind of going for it a little bit more,” Scott said. “Overall, it really stemmed from UFV, from our business project there,” he continued. “It’s exciting. I think it’s a really awesome demonstration of how effective UFV’s program can be in quickly transitioning students into employment opportunities, but as well giving them the tools to express themselves creatively and come up with these types of awesome ideas.”
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
OPINION
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OPINION
SNAPSHOTS
The SUS Manifesto, Part 2
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
Changes are like puking, you don’t want to but you might feel better after PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR
In years past, the Student Union Society (SUS) has experimented with different structures and compositions of both its governance (board) and operations (officers). I can’t really speak to how those worked out, as in my time I’ve only known our current makeup, but it is important to note that changes aren’t unprecedented. Regardless of what the positions are, I think it can be generally agreed that for the union to flourish the best positions need to be filled by the most engaged and qualified that are able. The first hurdle in making this happen is that so few students (relatively) on campus have the time and energy to be engaged, and fewer still have the time and energy to actively participate or work within the union. In my opinion, something that the 2017/18 team should look at is the benefits in terms of drawing in engaged members by expanding the opportunities to participate at the board level. Often we’ll try and look around at other student unions to see what they do, but while that can provide some insight and ideas, we have to look at what makes the most sense for our university. Right now voting members of the board are chosen through faculty, school, or college, with additional seats given to UFV
Senate and Board of Governors as well as an aboriginal student. Non-voting seats are given to The Cascade, CIVL, and an exofficio. It’s incredibly important to give voice and power to programs that might have specific needs but lower student populations, however not all seats are consistently filled. Furthermore by limiting English, crim, geography, psychology, and other arts departments to just one seat, we lose out on a huge group of students who might be able to contribute. What I would suggest is either somehow integrating and evaluating the role of student associations, or better yet offering at-large board positions if others are vacant. I mean, it’s a good gig and great experience — you get priority registration for just a few hours of commitment a month — hopefully more opportunity might encourage diverse and energized voices to take part in our union’s governance. The other area of consideration should be the role of officers and how those student positions are organized and offered. The issues we’ve seen in the past have been either insufficient training, unclear portfolios, or lack of support and independence in fulfilling their campaigns and responsibilities. None of this is a knock against anyone’s performance, but rather solutions I see to some unavoidable obstacles. Clubs and associations depend on prompt feedback and response for funding requests so they can fulfill their mandates and engage with their members. However, anyone involved in
that process can tell you that isn’t always the case, partly because it depends on a committee of volunteers being able to meet to approve requests. Perhaps they would be better served under a different system, with executives or officers holding the purse strings and the decision making happening in an open process, not hidden behind the non-disclosure agreement forms of the incamera committees. The clubs and associations position on the other hand already functions as partly an engagement role when not approving paperwork. Of course this comes with my biases of a union’s responsibility and mandate, but I would suggest most officer positions being moved under the advocacy and engagement umbrella, and working without specific portfolios but rather as support for the executives. Alternatively they could provide representation and oversight on academic appeals and disciplinary processes within UFV and its Senate committees, alongside student volunteer representatives. You can easily, and probably should, disregard the specific recommendations I’ve made; but if you’re stepping up and paying attention you should be thinking about how even minor changes can have effects on the dynamics and capacity of the organization.
Toilet toll: Present state of the European dream
Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts
Too many cooks in the kitchen?: The Conservative party debate MICHAEL CHUTSKOFF STAFF WRITER
The Conservative party’s leadership race is in full swing with bloodthirsty politicians vying for the title of party leader, and the chance to become prime minister in the 2019 election. The debate, which was held in Halifax on Saturday, saw 14 candidates in attendance, including media punching bags Kevin O’Leary and Kellie Leitch. The political hype over the two-hour debate was high. However, I still cannot believe how utterly boring the debate was. Now, I’m not even a conservative, but with two controversial candidates in the running, I had hoped to see some drama, and some pointed jabs during the debate. The debate basically boiled down to hearing 15 slightly different answers to the same question with the exception being Lisa Raitt, who almost constantly mentioned being from Atlantic Canada. While that may have been a successful tool to open the debate with, Raitt repeated a few more times how she loves being back home in Atlantic Canada. Another annoyance of the debate was the constant jabbing at O’Leary. I get it, the guy isn’t a “true” Conservative party member, but the man was smart enough to not take any of the bait. You’d expect at least one of the candidates to drop the juvenile jabs at him. At least if any of the attempts at getting under O’Leary’s skin
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were half-decent, I would’ve been okay with it. However, they were just so awful, the worst being Leitch’s cringe-inducing comments towards him during her opening statement. Leitch, who initially welcomed the Chicago-based businessman back to Canada, also went on to say, “I’ve heard stories of non-conservatives joining the party to stop me from becoming prime minister, I just didn’t expect to sit next to one!” O’Leary himself actually surprised me with how he did in the debate. After watching Trump, with his deplorable behaviour and incoherent babbling become the leader of a nation, I was hesitant about watching another rich man enter a race to run a country. While I am by no means necessarily endorsing O’Leary, he managed to keep up with the other, more experienced candidates, and easily deflected any jabs that were pointed at him. While I think O’Leary lacks any sort of empathy and multicultural understanding that deems necessary for representing Canada, he is a little more subtle about it, and is currently grabbing the attention of the Conservative party members. With a crowded leadership race, you’d expect each candidate to do anything they can to set themselves apart, and get their names out there. Yet, after watching the debate, I fail to really remember any of the candidates unless I search for the list of them on Google. O’Leary is already known to Canadians, whether they
I am currently participating in an exchange semester abroad in Switzerland. Some confusion with the dates meant I ended up arriving early, but I’m happy with the extra time to explore the beautiful city of Lucerne from a hostel until I move into my residence in February. The other day I was so excited I filled up my water bottle, grabbed my money, and decided to hit up the Lucerne train station that from what I heard had everything I’d ever need. Between scoping out potential cellphone companies, banking partners, and the beautiful surroundings it was a great stop. However, all of a sudden the repercussion of drinking my whole water bottle finally set in, so I quickly followed the signs to the first public washroom I could find. What I found were the most prestigious facilities I have ever seen, equipped with a lady who would clean the seat after you used the toilet. The catch was that it costs 2 francs which is roughly $2.64 Canadian. I was kind of surprised but decided I couldn’t hold it until I got home so I rummaged through my pockets and found some change. I was granted the most luxurious use of a facility I have ever experienced. Also, not to brag but every single city bus I’ve taken has been on time, you definitely get what you pay for in Switzerland. Maybe Canada can learn a little something?
“Oh snow!”
Martin Castro
You don’t have to go after the intellectuals if there are none to begin with.
#RIPHMV
Remington Fioraso are involved with the Conservative party or not. He already has a leg-up over the other candidates simply because he gets publicity. Leitch is also burnt into my mind because of how she sees herself as a copycat of Trump, especially with the recent scandal of her sending out mass emails congratulating Trump’s victory. Also, her recent campaign manager Nick Kouvalis resigned from the position after spewing altright terminology, and forging his own version of alternative facts. Despite candidates Michael Chong and Erin O’Toole receiving some me-
dia coverage after the debate, it was due to the jabbing they attempted on O’Leary. If any of the other candidates want to stand a chance at earning the right to lead the Conservative party, they better go back to the drawing board, and find a way to make themselves known. They have already lost the celebrity-status part of the leadership race, so they better come up with some policies and procedures that can blow O’Leary out of the water.
Illustrations: Amara Gelaude
The closing of 102 Canadian HMV stores seemed inevitable. With the rise of online outlets like iTunes and torrenting, consumption habits have changed. Many people just pick and choose singles rather than full albums. Even with the other media and merchandise they had, it’s hard to justify the need for brick-andmortar stores when everything is on Spotify. In 2015 digital music became the main source of music sales, overtaking physical sales. Ironically, 2016 brought a decline to digital song sales within Canada instead of a continuing rise. The year saw only four songs reaching sales of 300,000. If physical CDs and vinyl are supposedly “dead” and digital song sales are declining, how are people consuming media? Why are people still producing physical renditions of albums? The market is there obviously, but HMV doesn’t offer any advantage or angle. We have online vendors, indie and local vinyl shops, or access from the artists directly. Am I sad about #RIPHMV? No. Although it is disappointing whenever a store closes its doors for good, the HMV Canada closures simply remove one option at the end of April.
We had a bunch of snow on New Year’s and it was more or less a disaster, mostly because the District of Mission and, from what I gathered, the City of Abbotsford are disastrously ill-equipped to deal with snowfall. Back in December that was understandable. Annoying, but understandable. If anything, it should have highlighted the need for more snow-related infrastructure changes, or at least some preparatory measures that needed to be implemented. Say, a warehouse full of street salt. Or, an actual snow plow that’s not just a shovel duct-taped to the front of a pick-up truck. Obviously, that didn’t happen. But also, it’s been a month since New Year’s and I would have hoped that the city would have, I don’t know, stocked up on salt or gravel to sprinkle over the ice. Also, it’s cold as hell out there, and I have a nice warm house and a bed and very many coats and sweaters and boots to warm my body up with, something homeless citizens lack severely. So if that jacket gets a little too snug for you, consider giving to someone less fortunate than yourself.
Martin Castro
Here’s the most damaging thing about Trump’s presidency so far: Betsy DeVos. His pick for Secretary of Education is as dangerous and ignorant as any person I have ever seen. And what’s worse is, she deals with the education of future voting citizens. During her confirmation hearing, DeVos was asked whether she would uphold legislation that prohibits sexual harassment in federallyfunded schools and universities, and sets up a template for reporting sexual assault. DeVos refused to answer the question directly. She’s also never been to public school, nor has she ever sent her children to public school, or even has any experience teaching in public schools. The woman’s policies essentially revert back to core conservative values of privatization. I honestly can’t think of a less-qualified person to have put in charge of American children’s education. If we think some of their adult population is ignorant now, just wait until the current generation, deprived of thorough and inclusive educational opportunities, grows up. Nobody questions authoritarianism if they haven’t been taught to question in the first place.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
FEATURE
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
FEATURE
ELECTORAL REFORM
First Past the Post (FPTP)
Mixed member proportional representation (MMP)
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Quick Facts: • MMP is used in New Zealand, Germany, and Scotland. • Went to referendum in Ontario but was voted down • Hybrid, two-tier where a vote is cast for party and for an MP
WRITTEN BY: JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR Last week the Liberal government abandoned their campaign promise to reform the federal election system. While it didn’t garner as much media attention as less important but more sensational political moves to the south, for those who are passionate about the reform it created another layer of cynicism about Canada’s prime minister. Justin Trudeau first committed to replacing the current first-past-the-post electoral system in June 2015, shortly before the federal election campaign but maintained it as a big part of his campaign through elections. His government’s first throne speech promised that the Liberals would “take action to ensure that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.” The Liberal’s ironically named A Fair and Open Government agenda, which outlined goals for their government says, “We are committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.” And according to multiple speeches made by Trudeau, he would create a special, all-party parliamentary committee to study alternatives to the current firstpast-the-post electoral system. But the Liberals have reevaluated their plans. Maybe it’s not such a big deal to some. Maybe the young, inexperienced voters actually did vote for Justin’s hair
and not his policies. But for others, it is a big deal. It is for Elizabeth May who, almost in tears, called it the worst betrayal by her government in her adult life. It is for the tens of thousands of educated voters who actually hoped to see this as our last first-past-the-post election. Seeing the commitment dropped has incited criticism from many. NDP member and reform critic Nathan Cullen said “What Trudeau proved himself today was to be a liar, was to be of the most cynical variety of politician.” Even some Liberal MPs expressed frustration at the change of plans. But the change of heart shouldn’t really be a surprise. NDP MP Craig Scott told Macleans in 2014 that in a House of Commons motion that would make 2015 the last election to be conducted in a FPTP system, Justin Trudeau actually voted against the motion. Yet, during his campaign period, Trudeau built that exact reform position directly into his platform. A petition to the Government of Canada for electoral reform has gained significant traction and collected over 75,000 signatures. Cullen, who started the petition, and many others hope to see a different kind of electoral system for the next federal election. So what are our options?
Quick facts: • Whoever gets most votes in a riding wins • Has been used in Canada for 149 years — entire voting history • Simple system • Often leads to majority • sometimes incites “tactical voting” In a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, the candidate with the most votes, regardless of percentages, wins their respective ridings. In a two-candidate system, winners are clearly decided. But, too many candidates or parties running can convolute the method. The clear benefit of the FPTP system is it’s easy to understand. Vote counting is simple and requires very little ballot processing compared to other systems like ranked ballots. In multi-party systems like Canada, it also tends to produce a majority government, which has its pros and cons. For good or for bad, a majority government is more likely to implement policies that align with the ruling party’s platform. The system also has its share of criticisms. FPTP fosters a sense of need for “tactical voting” — voting for whoever is most likely to win against the party you don’t like. This means that the party or MP you actually
identify with may not receive as many votes because they make a poor opposition. Often people feel that a vote for any other candidate than the dominant two (sometimes three) parties is a wasted vote — a spoiled ballot. An example would be that you support the Green party, but you don’t like the Conservatives so you vote for the lesser of two evils, the Liberals hoping that at least they’re not Conservatives. Because of this tactical voting, FPTP systems tend to ultimately become two-party systems. Another major negative to the system is a majority of votes is not needed to build a majority government. In 2011 the Conservative government received less than 40 per cent of votes nationwide in the federal election but secured for themselves a majority seating in the House of Commons. They took hold of 166 of the 305 seats, 54.4 per cent of the house. The concern with a majority government from a minority is easily illustrated. Assume that a 35 per cent vote elects a candidate because the rest of the votes are spread across multiple candidates. Only 35 per cent of the voters are represented. But what if that elected candidate was the last choice, or least favoured candidate of over 60 per cent of voters? Their first choices may vary, but their second choices might all be the same.
Proportional representation (PR) Quick facts: • Ensures equal representation — X per cent of votes equals X per cent of seats • Some PR methods are used within parties to elect leaders • Tends to create government coalitions • May not see a geographic link between representatives and constituents • Societies that use it as opposed to FPTP score higher in the UN Human Development Index
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Proportional representation is often the favoured alternative to the first-past-the-post system. While it has received a lot of praise, especially from smaller parties, it can become a more complex system because of its multiple ways of implementation. In one of the simpler methods of PR, ballots are cast for a party (not an MP) and parties are allotted seats in the House of Commons proportionally to the percentage of votes they received. Simply put, ballots are cast to decide which parties and in what percentage they fill the House of Commons. If a party receives 35 per cent of votes across the country, they’ll fill 35
per cent of the House. But that 35 per cent isn’t necessarily made up of candidates from your riding, leaving your riding potentially without representation. In a “party list” PR, a list of party members is presented and members will be chosen topdown on the list. If NDP gets 15 seats, only the first 15 MPs on the party’s list will sit in the House. Accordingly, this system often sees most of its support from small party supporters. PR is highly praised by Green party members. In the last federal election, the Green party received 3.91 per cent of the popular vote and one seat in parliament. If the last elec-
tion used a PR system, the Green party would have gathered for themselves 11 seats. In fact, it’s possible that parties like Green would have received even more seats if the election was held as proportional representation. Elizabeth May, and others, have affirmed that the Liberal party did as well as they did not because of widespread support for their policies but because they were the best opposition to Harper’s conservatives. PR voting takes away the need to vote strategically because a vote for the party goes to the party.
16% 22%
27% 35%
In this system, another form of PR, a voter casts two votes, one for a local candidate and one for a political party. The local candidate would be elected in a typical FPTP manner and would represent their electoral district. The second ballot, for a party, would determine what percentage of total seats (local and party list) should be assigned to each party
to ensure representation based on percentage. In 2007, the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform of Ontario proposed an MMP system. In Ontario in particular, the proposed legislature would have 129 seats consisting of 90 local members (70 per cent of the legislature) and 39 seats of party list members (30 per cent of the legislature). The electoral reform went to referendum, and was shot down with 63.13 per cent voting no. The benefit to MMP is that it doesn’t force voters to cast a ballot for an undesirable MP in order to elect their favoured party (or vice-versa) like FPTP. Instead it allows a vote to be cast for both the local electoral district representative and for the
party. But there are potential negatives of MMP too, one of which is that it rarely forms a majority government. In the event of multiple minority party governments, smaller parties can form alliances, or coalitions, with other small parties and hold the government to ransom in exchange for compliance on certains issues. Trading a vote on one issue in exchange for influence on other issues may push through policies that don’t represent the majority of voters. In essence what this would look like is my five friends will vote yes on your pipeline if you vote no on reducing carbon tax.
Preferential voting (PV) or Instant-runoff voting Quick facts: • Australia uses the instant-running voting system • Preferential voting has never been used federally in Canada but was used for two provincial elections in B.C. in 1952 and 1953, in Alberta in 1926, and Manitoba from 1927 to 1953 • Ballots are ranked in order of preference • Can avoid “split votes” by gaining support from like-minded voters Preferential voting (PV), also sometimes called ranked ballot, or instantrunoff voting, is a system used to elect a single representative from a list by ranking them in order of preference. While there are different methods for
counting ballots, they essentially all ultimately lead to one winner from a pool of multiple candidates. PV shares similarities with STV in that candidates are ranked. The difference is in the way that PV votes are counted. When ballots are counted, all the first picks are added up. If an absolute majority is obtained than that candidate wins the riding. However, if a majority is not met, the candidate who received the fewest votes is dropped. The votes for that candidate are then redistributed amongst the second choice for everyone who voted for the eliminated candidate. Ballots are recounted to achieve a majority. If the majority is attained the winner is declared, if not the process repeats, dropping the next candidate with the fewest votes and again the votes are
redistributed. PV, like PR and STV, has the ability to avoid vote splitting or “the spoiler effect.” If two candidates share similar views, they have the potential to split their voters between the two candidates. Even if their supporters make up a majority together, when their votes are spread across two or more candidates, what can happen is a less popular, but unique candidate may secure a larger percentage of votes. The PV system eliminates “throw away” votes. Because candidates can be ranked, there is a greater likelihood of a candidate being chosen that is supported by the most amount of people. But again, just like with STV this voting system has the tendency to encourage campaigning towards the middle.
Single Transferable Vote (STV) Quick facts: • Tends to be difficult to explain • Is considered a preferential voting system (ranked ballot) • Candidates must meet a “quota” of votes to be elected • Eliminates “wasted” votes • Provides an approximate proportional representation with a ranked ballot Single Transferable Vote (STV) is another kind of proportional representation system for multi-member electoral districts. STV provides an approximate proportional representation through a ranked ballot and be-
cause of that gives more votes to a candidate that voters actually support. A major point of criticism is that STV tends to be difficult to explain and understand because of its complex ballot counting system. To cast a ballot, the STV system has voters rank their riding’s candidates in order of preference. The voter ranks candidates from most prefered to least prefered. During the count, candidates are chosen or eliminated during each round of counting. The first round of first preference votes requires that the candidate meet a minimum quota of votes (say, 50 per cent). If the first pick candidate meets and exceeds the quota (60 per
cent of the vote), they fill the first position of the riding. The number of votes over the quota (10 per cent in our case) are then transferred to the voters’ second preferences. This will continue until all seats for the respective riding are filled, moving on to third and fourth preference if necessary. The benefit of this system is like PR, STV eliminates “waste” votes. Because candidates may be elected on “transferred” votes (not necessarily as a first pick), it also means that candidates often campaign to a broader audience to collected second and third rank positions. A potential downside to this is it brings all parties towards the centre and can
eliminate radical opinions that don’t appeal to a broad voting population. It has also been suggested that apathetic voters may check off preference arbitrarily after they’ve selected their first choice. In 2005, a referendum was was held to adopt the the SVT system in B.C. The vote was held in conjunction with the B.C. Legislative Assembly election. It saw a 57.69 per cent vote in favour of the adoption but didn’t meet the 60 per cent majority requirement to pass. In 2009 a second referendum was held, again with the provincial election. Only 39.09 per cent voted in favour of changing to the SVT system and again it didn’t pass.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
CULTURE
STUDY BREAK v CROSSWORD ACROSS
DOWN
1: Number grid-based game of chance, popular with the elderly
1: Meat preparer
4: Extensive knowledge of understanding; clever or shrewd
3: Obvious, not secret or hidden
SCORE BOARD
2: Longform fiction
7: Animal doctor
4: The personal manner in which one dresses (or writes)
8: To maintain the current state of something. Also a hit 1978 song by Toto (three words)
5: Nineteenth-century Italian composer; composer of Rigoletto
11: Italian capital 12: Filth or uncleanliness
6: New York baseball team, or slang for Americans
13: Facial hair feature residing in front of ears
9: The fear of something yet to come
15: All-grown-up caterpillar
10: Zoboomafoo’s primate species 13: Acronym of UFV’s S building 14: Cunning or deceitful
First all-female BFA grad class hosts silent auction
UPCOMING GAMES Men’s basketball Jan 3 UFV Cascades vs. UVic Vikes W 87-83 Jan 4 UFV Cascades vs. UVic Vikes W 89-79 Women’s Basketball Jan 3 UFV Cascades vs. UVic Vikes L 68-57 Jan 4 UFV Cascades vs. UVic Vikes W 75-66
UPCOMING GAMES LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: Across: 1: Spam 3: Tuna 5: Wimpy 7: Soviet Union 11: Alpha 13: Noun 14: Yoyo
Down: 1: Sap 2: Muffin 3: Taboo 4: Awake 6: Yeti 7: Sydney 8: Visa 9: Urban 10: Onion 12: Leo
Made by Jeff Mijo
v HOROSCOPES
Fri, Feb 10 8:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. UBCO Heat (away) Sat, Feb 11 7:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. UBCO Heat (away) Women’s Basketball: Fri, Feb 10 6:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. UBCO Heat (away) Sat, Feb 11 5:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. UBCO Heat (away) Men’s Volleyball: Fri, Feb 10 8:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away)
Astrological mysteries interpreted by Master Moji
Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Can’t find your favourite exam-taking eraser? It was probably stolen by a person you thought was long gone from your life, now returned to enact incredibly petty acts of revenge over something they took as an insult, which you don’t even remember.
Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 our life needs more hurdy-gurdy music in it. And I don’t mean it would be better if you listened to more hurdy-gurdy music. I mean you need it.
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Men’s basketball
Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 There’s one thing that I think it’s vital you know, for Fun party tip! Pickpocket everyone’s phones, hack into them, and switch their ringtones around to other guests’ ringtones. Then sneak them back into their pockets, and start making some calls. Watch chaos ensue. Everyone will love it and think you’re a real swell friend! Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 This week you will come down with a really bad case of the hiccups. The secret cure nobody tells you about, however, is to let go of your existential dread for once in your life.
Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Who was like, “Hey, what if I just grabbed this roundish thing that fell out of a chicken and heat it up, maybe it’ll taste good?” I don’t know about you, but even if I was a caveman, I don’t think I’d be sampling random animal deposits.
Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Got any big plans for the mid-term break? I’m going to be attending a fancy astrologers’ retreat in the mountains to learn enhanced horoscoping techniques. It’s going to be really cool! They have a spa, telescopes, a professional chef… and the best part is, I’m pretty sure The Cascade is paying for it all, because I’m such a valued member of the team! Your student fees at work. Editor’s note: We’re not paying for anything this chump wants.
Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 No one matches your practical tactical brilliance!
Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Be the Batman you want to see in the world.
Sat, Feb 11 3:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away) Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Those dreams are back, aren’t they? The ones where you find great bargains on retro video games, but just can’t pick what to get as you sort through cartridge after cartridge, desperately wishing you could afford them all. Well, I hate to break it to you, but those are omens. But in the real world, you’ll be choosing between… well, let’s not get into that. Just try to prepare yourself. Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 This is the perfect week to try dying your hair an outlandish colour that doesn’t appear in nature. Possibly multiple. Maybe get a crazy haircut, too. Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 An armoured fellow with a big sword once showed up at my friend’s zoo at closing time. He said his favourite animals were the elephants, and asked if he could see them. My friend said no, that they were resting and needed some quiet time. So then the man asked if he could see one of the big cats. My friend told him “No! The lion sleeps too, knight.”
Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 If you find yourself in an awkward situation this week, just lean into it and start talking about that weird smell coming from something in your room that you just can’t find..
Women’s Volleyball: Fri, Feb 10 6:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away) Sat, Feb 11 1:00 pm UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away) Wrestling: Fri, Feb 10 UFV Cascades @Canada West Championships (away)
JEFF MIJO
CULTURE EDITOR
For the 2017 bachelor of fine arts graduating class, the end of the semester is fast approaching, and they plan to finish their degrees with a bang. From February 8 to 10, they’re running a silent auction to raise funds for their final exhibition as students. As the first all-female BFA graduating class, they’re putting their own spin on the annual event, and hoping that all of UFV comes to the auction to enjoy — and perhaps purchase — some art to help them make this year’s exhibition unique. “You don’t have to go to Vancouver to find really good artists or art,” explained Jessica Peatman, one of the eight soon-to-be graduates. “There’s a lot of amazing stuff here.” In addition to Peatman, the class consists of Christina Billingham, Chantelle Fawcett, April Martin, Marla McGill, Alyssa Rice, Reece Spofford, and Amanda Vergara. According to Vergara, “The silent auction is one of the bigger fundraisers that we do to get money and funding for our exhibition.” They hope to raise at least as much as recent years, between $2,000 and $2,500, though McGill added, “We lost a bit of funding from the school this year, so we almost have to cut some things out of our final show or raise a little bit more.”
The works for sale at the auction include paintings, print projects, and sculptures, created by the graduating class themselves, as well as other students, alumni, faculty, and members of the community. “For student work, the bids will start at $10 to $15, but we have some faculty [with] established careers in arts, so theirs will probably start at around $50,” said Fawcett. “It’s a really good opportunity for someone to get a really good, professional artist’s work for an affordable price.” There will also be items available for immediate purchase for those who prefer not to wait for the auction to end, including pins, t-shirts, and prints. The exhibition that the students are raising money for will open on April 28. Inspired by their status as the first all-female BFA graduating class, they’ve opted for an underlying theme to tie it together. The exhibition is called Intension(elle), and Fawcett said that with the art, they “look at how women navigate through the art world, because it is a male-dominated industry. That theme resonates through everyone’s work in some way.” Although Peatman added, “All of us are different too, but the title gives a general theme to capture everyone’s ideas.” The women also felt that this year was different in terms of their organizing dynamic. “I’m excited about how much care and thought is put into every detail,” Billingham said. “I
think men are awesome, but I don’t think that would be the case if half of us were men. Women are meant to live in community and work in community, and I think that is true to us.” Raising funds for the exhibition is a critical part of the final year, explained Vergara. “We have it catered, we have a bar, we have to make catalogues, so we have to fundraise for all that cost. And it’s free to everyone at UFV, too,” she said. It isn’t just a chance to present the skills they’ve honed over the past four years, however. “Part of the exhibition too is to give us that real-world experience of exhibiting our work professionally,” said Fawcett. “You can read about it all you want, but not until you actually do it do you learn everything. There’s so many things you learn by doing this process that you wouldn’t learn from reading in a classroom setting. It’s an opportunity, and they send us off with a little bit of real-world experience.” The silent auction runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. February 8, 9, and 10 at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery (B136). Spofford encourages everyone to come check it out, saying that “It can be an interesting experience to buy work and then see that artist blow up in the next couple years. You never know, you could be getting your hands on some real gold.” With files from Vanessa Broadbent.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
CULTURE vCREATIVE WRITING
Time flies LAURA ANDRÉS CONTRIBUTOR
Clocks are the weapons of existence, the inexorable truth that no one can escape. Don’t waste time or time will waste you. Tic toc, tic toc. Time flies destroying every petal. Days melt like cheese under the sun, captured in tiny pieces of metal, threatened by a legion of ants. In a landscape of blue skies and deep seas, on a beach whose sand the wind will scatter, there is a dark shadow that blurs yesterday and becomes an unpredictable monster. The fear to forget becomes a fear to be forgotten, to be erased from our own painting. Memory is the most intimate precious jewel, that cannot be shown but remembered. A rough diamond to be polished, a whole existence to be conquered. Carpe Diem… Memento Mori.
Do you want to see your writing in print? Submit your poem, short story, or other creative writing under 700 words to jeff@ufvcascade.ca for consideration!
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ARTS IN REVIEW
Life is a box of Swiss chocolates: Adjusting to life in Switzerland
v MOVIE REVIEW
CHARTS 1
Avec le Soleil Sortant de sa bouche Pas Pire Pop (I Love You So Much)
2
Johnny 2 Fingers and the Deformities McMillan’s Monster
3
Japandroids Near to the wild heart of life
4
The xx I see you
JENNIFER THRITHARDT-TUFTS CONTRIBUTOR
What the heck am I doing by myself for six months in literally the middle of Europe? I have been asking myself that very question lately. This past summer I decided to study abroad in Lucerne, Switzerland. The process was a bit long and cumbersome but I feel like it will be more than worth it. Last year I assisted with a one week master student seminar that is co-hosted by the UFV School of Business and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Vancouver. I met some very interesting people who got me excited to travel Europe. I thought maybe I would visit Switzerland but at the time I never thought I would be living here. I also didn’t think I would get the opportunity this quickly in my life to travel abroad, but here I am at my apartment in Emmenbrucke, Switzerland. I will be spending the semester taking business classes at the university. I’ve been here for about a week now and have fully moved into my student housing apartment. The transit station is across the street from me, and there is a cute little convenience store downstairs that locals visit before heading home for the evening to have a quick beer at the tables outside. Although the view from my apartment isn’t the greatest, once I walk down the block it is absolutely stunning, especially on a clear day. The colourful antique-looking houses are surrounded by majestic snow-covered mountains. In my short time here I have had some very interesting experiences with transit, shopping, and appliances. I’m sure there will be many more to come, and I can’t wait. When I left for this trip I told myself I would try anything at least once and keep an open mind to people, food, and experiences. So here’s a few stories of my endeavours here so far. The first difference I have noticed from home is how great the transit system is here. The most difficult part of using transit here is figuring out how to actually get on the bus. Instead of the bus driver opening the door or lowering the ramp, the people riding the bus push their own buttons to get on and off. However, the buses are very efficient and always on time. My Swiss friend was annoyed when she realized the next bus wasn’t going to be for another 25 minutes. I was just excited there was a guarantee that the bus was coming since my arms were full of stuff from Ikea. Ikea… that’s a fun topic! The store looks exactly the same as the stores in Vancouver, and my phone even connected to the wifi automatically. The best part is that instead of bottomless pop, they offer bottomless specialty coffees. I know where I’ll be studying from now on. Another fun experience I had was going to the grocery store. It is very expensive to eat out here: a six-inch tuna sandwich from Subway is eight
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Swiss francs which works out to about $10.88 Canadian, just for the sandwich. They don’t refrigerate their eggs in the grocery store, which I guess I’m just going to have to get over if I ever want to eat an egg again. For the most part everything has German, French, and Italian on the packaging, so as someone who can read French I don’t have much of an issue. But sometimes there are words I don’t recognize and I end up with flourescent purple blueberry soy yogurt for my morning granola. It’s part of the experience. The other day I had a particularly hard time doing my laundry for the first time in this building. They use symbols on their appliances which you would think would be more universal and easier to use. Not the case. Once I found an English version of the symbol legend, I realized I had put the machine on the wrong settings. Then I couldn’t figure out how to start the machine, but eventually it went and I headed back up the 53
steps to get to my apartment and finish watching Pulp Fiction while my laundry was in the wash. When I returned to transfer it to the dryer, two other building-dwellers were there. Of course, I wanted to represent myself as a smart, independent Canadian girl, so I proceeded to take my laundry out and then couldn’t figure out how to open the dryer door. With the help of an engineer from Eastern Europe, I eventually found the guide and we were able to pry the door open. In the end, I had nice fresh and fluffy towels so it’s not all bad. I hope you will stay tuned for the next few months as I live out my Carrie Bradshaw fantasy of having a newspaper column. Despite sounding like Dora the Explorer, I am so excited to have you come on this adventure with me!
WHOOP-Szo Citizen’s Ban(ne)d Radio Austra Future Politics
7
Danny Michel Khlebnikov
8
B.A. Johnston Gremlins 3
9
Smokey & The Feeelings Smokey & The Feeelings
10
Jenny Banai flowering head
11
Loans Self-Loaning
12
Harpdog Brown Travelin’ With The Blues
13
Cheap High Subterranean Suburbia
14
Century Palm Meet You
15
The Evaporators Ogopogo Punk
16
Various Our First 100 Days
17
The Hollars rolls around like a forgotten holiday Lindor ball
Gord Downie Secret Path
18
BADBADNOTGOOD IV
19
Heat Overnight
20
Red Velvet Russian Roulette
PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR
I don’t want to make a shameless corporate plug, but we need to speak in terms that all of us can relate to — so excuse the name brand promotion and rest assured I didn’t receive any sort of kickbacks or lifetime supply. Lindt chocolate. The little Lindor ball ones that you eat most often around the holiday seasons (at least all the ones beside the dark chocolate in the blue wrappers). They’re great, they’re amazing — good enough that if you accidently dropped one on the ground and it rolled around you would likely pick it up, wipe the lint off your Lindt, and find it an enjoyable experience regardless. Now, imagine a few of those Lindt chocolate balls, blemished by lint, dirt, and cat hair dropped into a big mug of room temperature milk. That, ladies and gentlemen, is The Hollars, a 2016 comedy-drama star-
ring and directed by John Krasinski (more widely known as Jim Halpert from NBC’s The Office) alongside Margo Martindale and Sharlto Copley. The story revolves around the son, John (played by John) who returns to his small-town family after his mother is diagnosed with a brain tumor. The actors, they are the Lindt chocolate — great on their own, with an inherent charm and appeal that is better than the mediocrity of everything else involved in this production. John Krasinski, while bland, is the milk chocolate if you just view everything he does through the lens of it being the character Jim Halpert in an extended spin-off character episode. If you put too much stock in John Krasinski doing anything outside of his typecast role, you’ll be sorely disappointed; he’s an adult Michael Cera — great in his lane and not much else. The rest of the cast brings a little more enthusiasm, like those special holiday flavours for Valentine’s Day (strawberry and
cream is delicious). If anyone is the dark chocolate it might be Sharlto Copley as John’s brother Ron (they also have a father named Don, I’m not sure if this was a conscious decision made by the writers) who, while talented in his own right, comes off as unstable, unoriginal, and with a struggling American accent. Just go watch District 9 again. That room temperature milk? That’s the script and direction. Everything is played incredibly safe, it is every indie drama about a return to a dysfunctional family ever made but with more money spent on casting and less energy put into giving it an original or unique hook. Although it can still be effective during the more emotional parts, I won’t give it too much credit because I also get teary-eyed during commercials or Wrestlemania.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
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ARTS IN REVIEW
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
ARTS IN REVIEW
v MOVIE REVIEW
v NETFLIX REVIEW
Shyamalan surprises with Split
A Vaguely Inconvenient Series New Netflix series probably looked great on paper, not so on-screen.
PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR
M. Night Shyamalan has stalled an almost decade-long descent into the hallowed notoriety of “washed-up-garbageno-talent movie man” by making a movie that wasn’t awful. Split, which stars James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, is a gripping and tense horror film that delivers on its promises and doesn’t let itself get too weighed down by Shyamalan’s usual schlock and decision making. In contrast to some of his past projects such as The Last Airbender, the meat and potatoes of filmmaking (like shot composition and editing) are carried out with veteran skill. While not too ambitious or out of the box, the production is serviceable and held back enough to not distract from the real draw of the film: James McAvoy. I won’t give too much away but the premise of the film revolves around the character Kevin, played by James McAvoy, who lives with dissociative identity disorder (DID); over 23 identities and people share control of his body. He describes it as a room with everyone sitting in their chairs waiting for their turn in control, their time “in the light.” Among them are the extroverted fashion designer Barry who typically oversees who gets time in the light, the young Hedwig, intense and troubled Dennis, and strict Patricia. With each personality his physical body and attributes change, be it in strength or even the need for insulin (one of his personalities has diabetes, the others don’t). Trouble starts when a few of the less-than benevolent personalities band together to take control, kidnapping three teens including the main protagonist, Casey Cook (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young girl with a traumatic past. As the girls try to escape and negotiate with Dennis’ personalities, his trusted psychologist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) tries to understand his increasingly erratic behaviour. She believes her patients are not suffering from an illness, but are rather brilliant and important examples of what the future holds. She talks about a blind patient she had who suffered from DID who healed her own optic nerves when some of her personalities were uncovered that believed they could see. They are special, but she knows it is a tough life to live and that not all of Kevin’s personalities share the same values and goals. Many critics have come out against the film as stigmatizing mental illness; my only response is that you have to watch it through the same lens with which you would approach sci-fi or superhero films. If pressed I might offhandedly tell you to “chill,” thus diminishing and marginalizing your complaints. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. The slogs in the film are typical Shyamalan weaknesses: a distracting and unnecessary cameo (although for the record I thought his appearance in Signs was pretty good), and wooden, even occasionally painful dialogue (chicken wings or the history lessons take the cake, you’ll know them when you see them). Yet Shyamalan avoids his incessant need for a twist, and lets his actors carry their scenes and explore their characters. Watching McAvoy morph between characters is a delight, whether it’s played for laughs (of which there are a few) or intense drama. I hope this is a start of a Shyma-renaissance; I’ve been a huge fan of some of his earlier films and while I won’t ever forgive what he did to the The Last Airbender franchise, I think having his vision and talent out there can only help filmmaking.
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MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR
I never read Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events novels as a kid. A bunch of my friends did, so I sort of got the gist of the plot through them. Three orphan kids are adopted by the evil Count Olaf (which, I mean, come on, obviously we’re meant to assume he’s oafish) and are subjected to, well, a series of horrible events. The Netflix original series sees us accompany Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire as they attempt to navigate the tyranny of foster care, forever hounded by Count Olaf, a man after their apparently huge inheritance. The series is handled with a grimly humorous tongue-in-cheek through the vehicle of Lemony Snicket (a character played by Patrick Warburton) narrating the children’s misfor-
tune. The three children, however, are all deftly equipped to deal with the inept foes that try to ensnare them throughout. Violet, the oldest Baudelaire, has a knack for mechanics and problem-solving; Klaus, her brother, is a bookish boy who has a seemingly endless wealth of literary knowledge; and Sunny, their infant sister, has very sharp teeth, which she uses to bite through ropes, rocks, and wood as well as carve out objects for her siblings’ use, like keys. I can see why the story is appealing, and for a children’s audience it must have been groundbreaking in its decidedly depressive take on the subject, but, as a television show geared towards a larger range of audiences, it doesn’t quite stack up. There are three reasons for this. The first is Neil Patrick Harris. Harris is lovely. He can sing. He’s a good comedy actor. He is, I imagine, a marketer’s
wet dream: appealing to virtually every demographic. He’s not a villain though. Particularly not in this series, because although he often does have villainous monologues, and the colour palate does scream “This is the bad guy!” he just doesn’t act the part. He doesn’t commit. He’s either the most incompetent villain ever created (something the Baudelaires point out often), or he’s just not that bad. We’re told he’s bad, though, often and repeatedly, which makes it jarring when his behaviour doesn’t quite stack up to the evilness of his overt description. The same goes for K. Todd Freeman’s character of Arthur Poe, a banker. He is just as incompetent a social worker as Olaf is a villain. Always bumbling and flustered, the man never seems to get anything right, even when the Baudelaires (seeing through the fog of deception) tell him straight-up, “Hey, there’s a psychopath following us intent on taking our
fortune.” It could be funny if it was satire. But it’s not really, since the narrative never goes deeply enough into any topic other than the transplanting of the Baudelaires from one foster family to another. Where does this leave us? With a series that’s kind of unfortunate but only in the sense that, after a whole season, I don’t really care about any of these characters. Olaf will always be incompetent, Violet will always be crafty and inventive, Klaus will always have a literary reference at the ready, and Mr. Poe will forever be clueless. There are also many sub-plots which are uninteresting, only because they’re executed with the same kind of nonchalant air of the main plot, and never really go anywhere. Maybe the final episode will wrap things up nicely, but I don’t have high hopes.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
CULTURE
ART OF THE MONTH
Submissions are due Tuesday, Feburary 28th
www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
UPCOMING EVENTS
v MOVIE REVIEW
Gold hits the jackpot Hollywood golden-boy Matthew McConaughey shines in prospector drama
FEB
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BFA GRADS SILENT AUCTION @ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery — B136 (UFV Abbotsford) 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS: UFV, NVIT, AND NUXALK NATION @ U-House (UFV Abbotsford)
Limit of three submissions per person, per month
1:15 – 2:45 PM
ford) 4:30 – 6:00 PM
CANADA AND THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT @ B121 (UFV Abbotsford) 5:00 PM
FEB
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Submissions & questions can be sent to jeff@ufvcascade.ca
THE VALUE OF ALL LIFE @ SUB Great Hall (UFV Abbotsford) 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
BFA GRADS SILENT AUCTION @ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery — B136 (UFV Abbotsford) 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
MUSIC
INFLUENCES OF THE METIS
! s ock
MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP) @ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM
GAMES NIGHT
VII
1:00 – 2:00 PM
ford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM
FEB
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VALENTINE’S GOURMET MEAL
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT BEGINS
@ Rivers Dining Room — Trades and Technology Centre
@ The Reach (Abbotsford)
6:00 – 8:30 PM
1:00 – 4:00 PM
BILLY TALENT @ Abbotsford Centre
FEB
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HERITAGE WEEK FESTIVITIES @ Mission Museum Various Times
Cabaret Style Setting!
Christa Keats Sarah Keats & Joshua Keats Joseph Richter & Cole Prpich - The GreatAtlas Band Joseph de Montigny Zakk Davis and 7:00pm Kurtis Hall FEBRUARY
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Tickets
FEB
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ford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM
PANEL DISCUSSION: A LOOK INWARDS TO MAKE CHANGE OUTWARD
QUINTIN STAMLER BUSINESS MANAGER
Stephen Gaghan’s Gold follows the path of Kenny Wells, played by Matthew McConaughey, a gold prospector in search of the next big find. After hitting rock bottom, and hanging out down there for a while, Wells enjoys the warmth of a liquor binge and has an alcohol-induced dream of a risky mining exploration. Wells joins forces with his business partner Michael Acosta (played by Édgar Ramírez), an ambitious and hopeful geologist who suspects a location in Indonesia has an abundance of gold. Gold follows the classic Hollywood underdog format. As with most things in life, mining costs money, and neither of the prospectors have any. Wells’ resourcefulness kicks in and he finds a way to fund the project. The issues Wells faces are numerous: a bout of malaria, bank accounts running dry, and the ever-elusive gold is nowhere to be found. In the last kick at the can Acosta hits the jackpot and their lives do a 180-degree turn. The money starts flooding in from outside investors, interest begins to pile up, and before they know it, their mining company becomes the biggest on Wall Street. Sharks being to circle, and there are a few different kinds who want a
@ The Reach (Abbotsford)
bite: gold diggers, suddenly-kind neighbours, and hostile takeover experts all line up to get a piece of the pie. Ever the capitalist, Wells responds with a predictable and self-righteous middle finger. All these interested parties, thinks Wells, can go to hell. There are plenty of snags and speed-bumps along the way, though we grow fond of Kenny Wells as we start to understand he is the purest form of hope and determination. Wells represents the dreamers, the gritty ones who keep working towards their goal no matter what the circumstances; Wells embodies the American Dream. McConaughey, as usual, nails his portrayal of an unconventional alcoholic gold prospector who takes no shit, and lives as though an unmediated pursuit of his heart’s desires is the only available form of living. Kenny Wells isn’t a genius, he doesn’t have more opportunities than others, he had a hunger for gold, a deep hunger, which didn’t translate into greed, but more so aspiration and devotion. Gold showcases the benefits that can be earned through hard work and a little risk-taking. As students, maybe we should take a little more risk now, roll the dice, better now than later. Overall Gold truly comes together at the end; a great film, it comes highly recommend.
6:30 PM
FEB
10
FEB
14
FAMILY DAY FREE SKATE @ Twin Rinks (Chilliwack) 2:00 – 3:30 PM
MID-TERM BREAK — no classes SURVIVE THE SEMESTER: LIVE WELL, LEARN WELL @ SUB (UFV Abbotsford) 12:00 – 4:00 PM
@ Clearbrook Library
FEB
BFA GRADS SILENT AUCTION @ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery — B136
Various Times
17 FEB
MID-TERM BREAK — no classes
18
SHAWN FARQUHAR’S CABARET OF WONDERS VI @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 & 10:00 PM
BROWNE CREEK WETLANDS: IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN @ 4670 Community Street (Chilliwack) 1:30 – 2:30 PM
MINDFUL SINGING WORKSHOP @ Kariton Art Gallery (Abbotsford)
SWAN LAKE (BALLET PERFORMANCE)
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
@ Tradex (Abbotsford)
MID-TERM BREAK — no classes
1:00 – 2:30 PM
@ SUB Great Hall (UFV Abbotsford)
EARLYBIRD RV SHOW
FAMILY DAY — UFV closed
ABBOTSFORDWORKS CAREER DECISION MAKING WORKSHOP
THE VALUE OF ALL LIFE
FEB
1619
@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbots-
Electrifying local talent rocks the Rotary Hall Studio Theatre!
391.SHOW
@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford)
@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbots-
12:00 – 3:00 PM
The Centre
604
15
MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)
GAMES NIGHT
@ CEP — A1454
The Chilliwack Arts & Cultural Centre Society presents
with...
Various Times
MID-TERM BREAK — no classes
6:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Include a 50 word bio, 150 word artist statement, and image list with titles, mediums, sizes, and dates of creation
Lakeisha Hewitt
@ Tradex (Abbotsford)
FEB
@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbots-
Accepted mediums: painting, drawing, print, photography, digital art, sculpture, 3d work
ing Excitalent T Local cert Con s! Serie
1012
FRASER VALLEY HOME & GARDEN EXPO
EAST AFRICA PHOTO EXHIBIT
Submissions must have been created with in the last year
R
FEB
February 2017
2:30 – 4:30 PM
@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre
THE CENTRE ROCKS! VII
7:30 PM
@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre
(UFV Abbotsford)
7:00 PM
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
FROM BACH TO BRUBECK @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 10:30 AM
MARIANAS TRENCH @ Abbotsford Centre 7:30 PM – 12:00 AM
AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH VALDY @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre
FEB
15
MID-TERM BREAK — no classes VALENTINE’S GOURMET MEAL @ Rivers Dining Room — Trades and Technology Centre 6:00 – 8:30 PM
FEB
19
MID-TERM BREAK — no classes WALK MISSION @ Sports Park 7:00 PM
(DIS)ENFRANCHISEMENT EXHIBIT LAUNCH @ Sikh Heritage Museum (Abbotsford) 1:30 – 3:00 PM
7:30 PM
All seats: $10
CHILLIWACK
CULTURAL CENTRE
14
9201 Corbould St., Chilliwack • www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca
15