The Cascade Vol. 24 No. 23

OCTOBER 5 TO OCTOBER 11, 2016

VOLUME 24 ISSUE 23

Tightening our Bible belts since 1993

Paul Brodie and his bikes

The art of coming out

Peculiar children

pg.3

pg.8-9

pg.13

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

EDITORIAL

ABCS Whitepaper: what you need to know JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR THE CASCADE

The lower mainland’s housing market has been a topic increasingly permeating conversations and a chorus sung as both laments and praises by many. For renters, which is the category that university students tend to fall into, the market’s instability fidgets with their financial well being. Naturally, rent has increased and available units has decreased. When so many people are looking for rentable homes, it would make sense to provide housing specifically for students to both alleviate the strain they put on the renting market and to give them affordable and local housing. The Alliance of B.C. Students has put together some data and recommendations to amend the apparent predicament.

The ABCS is an advocacy group that was formed several years ago attempting to represent all post-secondary students and its members. A brief history on SUS’s relationship with ABCS might say that SUS members, along with most other student unions and associations in B.C., went into ABCS with high hopes of finally being a part of a unifying body for advocacy purposes. A few years after the formation of ABCS, a mass exodus of members including our SUS created once again, a large rift between post-secondary institutions in B.C. It was a disappointing turn of events, even for those that left.

The white paper document released by ABCS goes into vague detail about the state of housing for students in B.C. It calls for

government to get rid of their restrictions prohibiting universities from borrowing money for capital expansion (student housing) and it asks the government to subsidize the cost. If the tone of their paper accurately reflects the actual housing situation then we’re in dire need for student housing, but the reality is, it

A lot of students (and People in General) Don’t realize how powerful our voices are when we unify them and make requests of our government. doesn’t. The truth is that the white paper lacks a comprehensive understanding of the housing climate for many of B.C.’s institutions, especially UFV’s.

UFV doesn’t need to borrow money to build student housing, and if we did, we’re not allowed to borrow money for gymnasiums, parking lots, or student residences anyways. Public entities cannot carry debt for capital expansions. The purported reason

for this restriction is to lower the provincial sectors overall debt ratio. Whether this is true or not, and even though the white paper acknowledges this, it doesn’t express a great understanding of the context for most B.C. institutions.

What it does a great job of doing is representing specifically the current housing needs of Kwantlen, whose student association has been petitioning for student housing since roughly the same time ABCS released their white paper. This is fair, the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) is still a member of ABCS and we are not, and the KSA has had very close ties personally and institutionally with ABCS since its inception. In fact, KSA’s president and VP external is also the chair of ABCS. It’s not a surprise that the ABCS white paper, under the claim of representing all students, does so to an end beneficial for Kwantlen specifically.

Unfortunately, many of the conversations about the ABCS can become quite combustible. Although it’s important to have a unified voice, most of the members that left ABCS did so because of the perceived lack of organization and ability to manage affairs, and even still they did so begrudgingly.

A lot of students (and people in general) don’t realize how powerful our voices are when we unify them and make requests of our government. The provincial election is half a year away; it is paramount that post-secondary students make their requests and asks known before the government, it would be a great time to have some kind of unifying body.

News

Opinion

Culture

Arts

Chatting with the dean of arts

Vote like a nerd

Science time!

22, A Million

No surprise, the dean of arts is pretty cool.

A rundown on Provincial elections in B.C.

What happens if to us if the earth and sun switch places?

Bon Iver’s latest would be the strong-silent type if it were a person.

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STAFF

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca

Features Editor Bradley Peters brad@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Mitch Huttema mitch@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrators Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca

Business Manager Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts jennifer@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca

Multimedia Editor Martin Ranninger martin.r@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

Production Manager Brittany Cardinal brittany@ufvcascade.ca

Advertising Rep Kayla Schuurmans kayla@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Online Editor Tanya Vanpraseuth tanya@ufvcascade.ca

Staff Writers Emma Groeneveld emma@ufvcascade.ca Michael Chutskoff mike@ufvcascade.ca

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Kayla BWD Klara Chmelarova Mike Friesen Bradley Peters

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE

Volume 24 · Issue 23 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Front & Back Cover Design: Brittany Cardinal

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 2:00 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.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

NEWS

NEWS BRIEFS UFV to host budget information forums UFV will be hosting budget forums for anyone interested in voicing their feedback and giving input on the 2017/18 budget.

The forums are on Oct. 17 at 3:00 p.m. in room B121 on the Abbotsford campus, and on Oct. 20 at 10:00 a.m. in room A2428 at the CEP campus in Chilliwack. Video recordings of the forums will also be made available.

Teaching and Learning area renovations to start next month As of next month, UFV’s Teaching and Learning offices will be temporarily moving to G159 while the area is under renovation. The renovations will include a faculty resource centre.

The renovations, which are possible due to a recent government grant, are scheduled to be completed by March of 2017.

BioPod award

partnership

wins

UFV’s BioPod initiative has won a Leadership and Innovation in Agriculture award from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, the BC Agriculture Council, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The BioPods, which are two hightech greenhouses, are the result of a partnership between UFV, the City of Surrey, and the John Volken Academy.

Bertram named coach of the year After leading both the UFV Cascades men’s and women’s golf teams to the second spot in the CCAA national rankings, head coach Chris Bertram has been named the PacWest coach of the year. This is the fifth time that Bertram has won the award in the past six years. As a result, Bertram is now a candidate for the CCAA national coach of the year award, which he has won twice.

Pedalling along with Paul Brodie

Photo: UFV Flickr

A conversation with the creator of Brodie Bikes.

BRADLEY PETERS THE CASCADE

Paul Brodie is a legend amongst cyclists worldwide. The creator of the high-end bike brand Brodie Bikes is an instructor at the University of the Fraser Valley, teaching a condensed bike frame building 101 class to a small group of eager students. Brodie recently released his new book Paul Brodie: The Man Behind Brodie Bikes, and I got a chance to interview the notorious guru about all things two-wheeled.

I drove to meet Paul Brodie in Fort Langley. It was early morning and the town was submerged in fog. We sat down outside of Lelem café with two brimming mugs of hot coffee: I told my friend Tyler Klassen, who is an expro mountain biker, I was coming to do an interview with you. He freaked out. He kept saying, “Brodie? From Brodie Bikes?”

Yeah, some people get quite excited.

You have been working with metal and bikes most of your life, for nearly 50 years, and now you’re teaching frame building 101 at UFV. Yeah, the class’ six year anniversary is coming up this month. It’s been really great. They send me down to the NAHBB (North American Hand Built Bikes) show every year, and we’ve won that a few times, so we get publicity for my class through that.

What do you teach in your frame building 101 class?

Many students come to the class and have never held a torch. We begin by building a miniature frame, where students can learn how to use the tools and how to braze, file, tack, and weld.

So you start from the very basics.

Yeah, how to light a torch, how to adjust the flame.

I’ve seen work done by the students in your class. It’s incredible.

Once the paint goes on it looks like a pro frame.

You can’t tell it’s the first frame they’ve built.

In the beginning of your book you tell a funny story about building your first mini bike.

I was 12 when I built that bike. The front wheel was from a wheelbarrow and the tubing was free pipe I found. My father borrowed a pipe bender from work and we bent it in the backyard. It didn’t have gears, and the brake pedal pushed a “spoon brake” against the back tire. It took four

When I start a big project, I don’t look at the whole picture of the project; it’s too daunting. I make a list, and each day I try and cross off one or two things from the list. I never quit. months to finish. I rode it a few blocks to the local gas station. I had to sneak down alleys — no licence, no insurance. I told the guy to “fill it up!” and he did. It took four cents, so I gave him a nickel and told him to keep the change. I didn’t know a lot when I was 12, but I had a lot of enthusiasm. You couldn’t stop me. It was always bicycles or motorcycles — anything two-wheeled But you didn’t technically begin building frames until much later. You’ve worked many different jobs.

Yeah but I always loved bikes. I’m still a little crazy on a motorcycle. I had to go to Abbotsford a week ago. Coming back on Highway 1, I’ll admit, I was speeding. I took the 232 off-ramp, and there’s that roundabout, so I tucked in and

leaned into the corner. I guess I got on the gas a little bit too hard because the rear wheel jumped out! I thought, “Right on!” If you don’t fall down then it’s OK, right?

Can you tell me about the early years of mountain biking in B.C.?

I was working in a bicycle shop (The Peddler in Vancouver), when the first Ritchie mountain bike showed up. That really impressed me. I wanted something like that, but I had no money. I often didn’t have money in those days. I went to the dumpster behind the building and pulled out an old 10-speed frame, took it home, cut it up.

I didn’t know what I was doing, but I made my first mountain bike. That got me a gig at Rocky Mountain. Rocky Mountain was really skeptical when I offered to work for them — really skeptical. But they gave me 10 sets of mountain bike tubing and set me loose. A few weeks later I got the first bike frame assembled and brought it back to them, and they couldn’t believe it. I was like, “Well, what did you expect!?” That’s how it all started back in ‘83-‘84.

Were you ever afraid of failing?

When I start a big project, I don’t look at the whole picture of the project; it’s too daunting. I make a list, and each day I try and cross off one or two things from the list. I never quit. That’s how you get to be successful, you just have a list and every day you just try and do one thing, and then slowly it gets done. A lot of people give up on projects. So, just never give up.

That’s a great tip for students.

Well, sometimes you get setbacks. Sometimes you think you’re going one way, but something happens and you end up heading in a completely different direction. When I start something new, I tell everybody, “I’m starting this new venture.”

It’s harder to back down and give up when you do that.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

NEWS UFV’s unique student housing situation Why the ABCS white paper doesn’t apply to us JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR THE CASCADE

Responding to concerns regarding the availability of affordable student housing, the Alliance of B.C. Students (ABCS) released a white paper detailing their understanding and analysis of the housing situation university students in B.C. are facing. The white paper claims that while the number of full-time students has increased, very few residence spaces have been created to meet the need. This is only worsened by the hot conditions of the real estate climate in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

The ABCS formed in 2011 as an organization that attempted to represent all B.C. postsecondary students collectively on academic and educational issues. UFV was a part of the alliance, but along with several other institutions left a few years after the formation, due to concerns with the effectiveness and intentions of the organization.

Their white paper says that despite the increase in enrolment, many B.C. universities have not kept up with the demand for affordable housing for students. It also claims that the reason for the lack of residence expansion is predominantly due to the restriction on public

entities, which includes universities, to carry debt for capital expansion. This assumes that if universities cannot borrow money, they won’t be able to afford to build more residences.

Although the ABCS raises relevant concerns about the need for student housing, their analysis may not apply to UFV. The City of Abbotsford, in their updated official community plan (OCP) released last June, outlines the development guidelines for land surrounding UFV. These plans will accommodate the U-District neighbourhood, a university village that will integrate UFV with the surrounding community. The zoning and development plans include multi-unit residential and apartment complexes in order to meet the need for student housing.

UFV is also a unique institution in that it has its roots in being predominantly a commuter school with less demand for oncampus residence. While the demand for student housing near UFV has steadily grown, it has not yet exceeded availability. Craig Toews, executive director of campus planning & resource development said that as demand increases, housing will be provided, but it likely won’t need to be funded by the university.

“In the context of this very hot real estate market, developers are anxious to buy up land

and build housing units,” said Craig Toews.

“Developers thinking wisely would be tuned onto the demand for student housing.”

Although the institution cannot borrow money to build residences, Craig said there are other ways to provide housing. In the past, UFV has been able to fund large capital projects despite the restriction on public entity borrowing.

The Student Union Building, a $15 million project, was built and funded without a government loan. In order to finance the project, $5 million was provided by the university and $10 million was provided as a loan to students by an external financial partner. Similar techniques could be employed for student housing by allowing developers to invest into the neighbourhood.

“There’s opportunity for more housing, but the real opportunity, because we can’t borrow, is for developers to build attractive and affordable housing right on our doorstep,” said Toews. “That allows us to focus our resources on building academic infrastructure.”

The white paper is calling for government to lift the restriction on public entity borrowing and to subsidise the cost of student housing construction. While this might be a necessary request for more urbanized institutions who

lack the space for further neighbourhood development, the City of Abbotsford is intent on significantly changing the layout of what will become U-District.

Because of market conditions being the way they are and zoning in the U-District neighbourhood allowing for a lot of housing, most of the needs will be met by developers.

The village concept that is planned for U-District will integrate the university campus with the community and its residences. Within the village will be market housing, student housing, commercial retail, and various services and amenities.

The OCP sees the university district as a significant urban node within the city. Both UFV and the City expect the university village to be a hub for campus life and university activity.

“If you build the right kind of housing with the right type of services and amenities on the ground floor, that will be very attractive to students,” said Toews. “This could be a real game changer for Abbotsford. This is the kind of lifestyle that we’re losing a lot of our young, creative minds to: the lure of the Vancouver lifestyle.”

A conversation with UFV’s dean of arts MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE

When I asked UFV’s dean of arts about her time growing up in South Africa, Jacqueline Nolte paused briefly before answering, “Difficult.

A little like being in a bad science fiction novel. I’m South African, I fought for many years against the apartheid regime, and my life in South Africa was split between being an academic and working in the underground for the African National Congress.”

It’s an experience that has shaped her career. Nolte said she is “deeply committed to the education of citizens who will take their role of citizenship responsibly, and ask questions about how they can contribute to a more just society. And I also take our educational mandate very seriously because access to education was denied in South Africa to a majority of the population and this was a privilege for an elite few.”

But just what does our dean of arts do? “A large part of our responsibility in this office is to be accountable to students with regards to the quality of education they receive. The core of that is curriculum content and delivery,” Nolte explained. “What I’m doing is I’m ensuring that curriculum committees [which exist to evaluate course content] take place, and that they link into college of arts council discussions and that

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these discussions all follow the policies that we’ve drafted in relation to accountability.”

The dean of arts also plays a role in who the university hires. “I have conversations with department heads about who those hires might be and how to frame a search for someone, and potentially combine areas of teaching, not only within an area but across disciplinary areas,” Nolte said. “A lot of what I’m doing is trying to promote interdisciplinary conversation and [encourage] interdisciplinary collaboration.”

Although these decisions might seem far-removed from the everyday realities of being a student, it’s those concerns that are at the forefront of Nolte’s work at the university.

Tangible changes in the horizon include changes to programs, such as the bachelor of arts. “The redesign of the new B.A. will allow students to articulate what they’ve learned in the course of their studies in a more coherent manner when they go out and try to find work or create work for themselves,” she said. “We’re doing the same with the bachelor of general studies. Many … years of work went into the re-design.”

Changes to program structure have already been rolled out, and more will follow in the coming months and years, according to Nolte.

“We’re offering a theatre major and a peace and conflict studies major as of Winter,” she said. One of the

Photo: UFV Flickr

newest additions to the bachelor of arts program might see UFV students concerned with social issues thinking of changing major. “As of next September we’ll be offering the indigenous studies major and minor, which will [fall under] the B.A., and also the new media and arts degree.

So within those programs there are quite a few new courses,” Nolte explained.

As we wrapped up, I asked Nolte about the role of the College of Arts within the creative community here at UFV. “You’ve got student associations who are supported through the student services side of the hub, and to a certain extent through my operating budget through the heads [of programs] in terms of student opportunities,” she said. But student involvement, Nolte

assured me, is always critical to the conversation happening within the university. “I think there’s a lot more we could do in terms of student suggestions as to what the agenda items might be to help make this a space that’s interesting enough for them to be in, so we could certainly do more of that with the College of Arts Council agenda.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

www.ufvcascade.ca

OPINION

Minimum wage takes the stage EMMA GROENEVELD THE CASCADE

A living wage is a complicated issue that many have been fighting for in recent years, but it faces strong opposition. In my opinion, the idea that our province can allow a single mother or father to live on a wage of $10.80 is, quite frankly, disgusting. The higher-ups in our country are the ones deciding policy and law.

Yet they don’t fully understand the modern challenges and difficulties of not only finding work, but finding work that you can live on.

In “Canadians deserve a living wage,” a recent study published on canada15.com, Corey Hogan quotes Eli Khamarov, who once

wrote: “Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.” This quote highlights the inequality of poverty, and the unfairness that the poor have to deal with. The cost of government welfare and healthcare towards the poor is increasing by the day, as more and more people cannot afford to live. The cost of these services are in the billions of dollars; money the government could easily use elsewhere. The solution to spending less money on welfare and health care is simple: paying people the money they need to take care of themselves. This way less money is needed to fund these services, allowing our government to tackle other issues.

As well as costing the government more money, when employees are sick and malnourished

overall productivity slows down. Without being paid the amount they need to take care of themselves, employees get sick more often, and do the bare minimum at their job to make it easier on themselves. This could all be solved if the government mandated changes to hourly wages.

It is not just teenagers with summer jobs that have to deal with a small amount of money for long hours of work. People with certain circumstances who never got the chance to upgrade to a higher paying job are stuck with the minimum wage jobs that no one wants.

Adults are being paid this amount of money, with bills to pay and children to feed. As a teen, I can barely pay for my textbooks and

other supplies with $10 an hour. I cannot imagine the stress parents and adults have to go through with such low paying jobs. In personal experience, being paid $10.45 (now $10.80) for horrible jobs is the most unpleasant experience.

Employees do not want to go above and beyond for their work if the work does not pay for itself.

This is another reason why companies should push for a higher minimum wage. Being paid little means wanting to do little. No one wants to work for free, or for cheap in this case. From dealing with nasty bosses, to being screamed at by crazy mothers, $10 an hour does not make up for it. We need change.

Do you have your travel permit, comrade?

KLARA CHMELAROVA CONTRIBUTOR

Traveling is tough. Really tough. I love it, but every time wanderlust knocks on the door of my mind a deep, eating dread arises right behind it.

It’s not easy fitting your life into a suitcase. It isn’t easy battling the weight of your luggage all the way to and from the airport, train station, or bus stop. It isn’t easy leaving your family and friends behind, even for a little while. Parents will worry, especially if you are a young woman with a knack for getting in trouble like me.

Travelling isn’t all sunshine and rainbows but it can be wonderful, and fooling around the globe is a huge part of my life. My father

once told me a story about our first family trip, when I was only a year old. Of course, I don’t remember it, but my family went on “vacation” into still war-ravaged Croatia at the time. We were inhabiting a tiny house in the middle of an almost deserted village, rigged by bullet holes from passing armies. Every evening he and my grandfather would climb onto the roof and watch for tanks approaching from the nearby Serbian front. Today, not many people would go into a possible war zone, yet like many Czechs after the fall of the Iron Curtain, we did. And for all the trouble it was, we would do it again, because we can.

During communism, you couldn’t just leave. Western countries were totally out of the

question (Imperialist enemies trying to destroy and undermine values of our motherlands) and ones like Yugoslavia (today’s Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, etc.) were only available if you were a member of the Communist Party (which none of my family were). And still, not everyone in the party obtained travel permits when requested.

Applying for a travel permit was not like a simple tourist Visa. You had to write down what you intend to buy during your holiday, where you would store it, where you would go, where you would stay, and which sights you would visit. Therefore, many people didn’t get to see anything beyond our country. Luckily I am not old enough to attest to this first hand, but my parents and grandparents are. That’s what

makes me travel. The occasional inconvenience of it pales in comparison to not having a choice to go somewhere. So, maybe you miss your bus or maybe the seat is too small for your legs (as every person 6 feet and up would confirm). Or maybe your hotel room is noisy, hot, freezing, or stinks. Or sometimes you feel absolutely helpless. Like when I got off the last train in Budapest and they shut down the subway in front of my nose. At first I felt like crying but then I remembered my great aunt, who had never been to the sea or mountains, or anywhere really.

Get yourself uncomfortable and enjoy whatever wanderlust throws at you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Why? Because you can.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

OPINION

SNAPSH

TS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

A Good Start Kayla BWD

College not for everyone Michael Chutskoff

When I heard about the Royals visiting Bella Bella on Sept. 26, I was very excited.

I grew up in Bella Coola, which is on the mainland east of Campbell Island where Bella Bella is located. In Bella Coola I lived among the Nuxalk Nation and was fortunate to learn from them and make cherished friends. During that time I also began to truly understand the devastation caused by European settlers to all First Nations of Canada, and how they are still working to recover their lost culture and have a voice in society. As happy as I am that the Queen’s University conservation program is protecting the Great Bear Rainforest from industrial logging, I am sorely disappointed in how little the people of Bella Bella were talked about, especially because the Heiltsuk First Nations make up the vast majority of Bella Bella’s population. This would’ve been a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the beautiful culture of the Heiltsuk peoples and how different their life is now compared to before. While I think the Royal’s visit was a good first step, we still have a long way to go in admitting wrongs, making reparations, and moving forward to a better society.

The three-way intersection of Gillis Avenue and College Drive on the Abbotsford campus serves as a simple lesson in understanding road signs. There’s a stop sign that most students abide by, but the two signs that are marked “DO NOT ENTER” seem to be hidden from the view of oblivious drivers. While College Drive is a two-way street by Finnegans, it becomes a one-way just past it where the staff parking lot is. Despite having clearly marked signs and arrows on the road that point in only one direction, there are many times that I have been driving down the road, only to almost have my car’s front end become flatter than a pancake because people still try and take a not-that-shortcut down College. Drivers seem to think that there is enough room for my car and theirs, despite having vehicles parked on both sides of the street. So please, abide by the signs that are put in place, and don’t put others’ safety in danger because of convenience for you.

Craigs Listlessness Panku Sharma

Are fairy tales only for kids?

Martin Ranninger

Whenever I hear of people advocating for the breakdown of capitalism, markets, and the decaying systems of barter and exchange, I know they must have had some experience trying to navigate Craigslist. Craig, oh Craig, you had such good intentions. Private citizens doing away with the middle man to exchange used items, junk, services (ermhmm), and in a way our own hopes and dreams. I had dreams once, dreams of taking up the hobby of archery, dreams that inspired true passion in me. If I ever put as much energy and focus into my academic career and essays as I did into researching everything a beginner needs to know about their first takedown recurve bow … heck, I might know what an LSAT was and probably have passed it. Those dreams died when I tried to fulfill them through transactions on Craigslist. Between sellers who won’t answer emails, who know next to nothing about their item, or in the worst scenario sell your item to some jerk from Kamloops — Craigslist is a minefield of failed aspirations. I think as a globalized society we should begin to show appreciation for the level of reliability and access provided by multi-national corporations through brick-and-mortar shops. It seems our dreams can only come true with profit markups and scanned barcodes.

PS: If you selling archery stuff hit me up fam.

Sometimes they’re interpreted as complex fables that reflect on our society, or as completely made up stories that provide comfort and escape. Either way, fairy tales have always been around us. As we grow up we are told that fairy tales are for kids, and more serious fantasy or sci-fi-themed stories are provided as a replacement.

I think that fairy tales are made for everyone, no matter your age. This summer while on an internship in the picturesque Slovenia, I had a chance to read some of my favourites again. When you come back to stories they will always reveal new depth and have something to offer you, such as Tolkien’s masterpiece, ***The Lord of the Rings. The theme is definitely recurring, in fairy tales and in real life too. The good side, being represented by the hero, will overcome difficulties and win over the bad guys; be it Frodo and Sauron, or Churchill and Hitler. The question now is: do we have our hero to fight Mordor? Just make yourself a cup of tea, sit comfortably, and return to the world where everything is possible. Or put on a cape and be the hero.

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

www.ufvcascade.ca

OPINION Too early to tell if it’s cold enough for toques PANKU SHARMA THE CASCADE

Dear Anon, I’m not going to lie, the emergence of a snarky campus commentator online had me on the defensive. I’ve always thought of it as my lane and true calling, but I’ll oblige and allow the competition. Not everyone has been so understanding though, and for good reason.

Anonymity has its advantages, and there is potential for your group to do some good. Start conversations, go out there and disagree, bring some humour into a culture that can at its worst get a little too self-important. However, before the commentary is given, even before you start

drafting the witty one-liners in your head, you have to know why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place. We know what the dangers are, that an independent anonymous page gets a little too heated, too personal, and crosses that line between tough questions and bullying. Already we’re dealing with the toxic paranoia that comes along with trying to figure out who is behind it. The paranoia has people on edge, defensive, and annoyed. (Also, for the record, it’s not me; it would take too much effort and Andy Kaufman levels of commitment — also, I’d assuredly be funnier.)

I’m not writing you off just yet, I just wanted to give some advice. It’s free, and completely up to you on how you want to take it or respond — I’m not an authority on winning over friends (or voters). Building bridges is a lucrative trade,

the secret of it being that contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to use the same material or plans when you meet in the middle. What matters more is intention. Burning bridges is easy, but having trust in a person or group’s intentions means you can acknowledge why their actions might be disagreeable, but they as people can still be people. We all make mistakes, say the wrong things, and upload out-of-date professional documents. (My accountant hates me.) You have the opportunity to tackle real arguments, to take positions that incite conversation, or wake us up to something we aren’t seeing. Take on the union, the paper, the station, and the university. Go for an artery, not just a nitpick. Some will tell you it can be done without the mask, I don’t really see how it matters. Public discussion and pressure can

be just as worthwhile as face-to-face meetings, which more often than not accomplish less than email and serve only to build the illusion of something happening. That’s up to you though, that’s only what my understanding of the Toque’s history as independent news tells me you want to do.

On the other hand, you could be here solely for the memes. In that case, I ask that you keep things fair; there are real people on the other end of the screen. Maybe you can help get UFV Confessions back off the ground, that would be hilarious. Most importantly however, my advice if you go this route, is this — the memes must be danker. It’s 2016, people don’t even remember who Xzibit is.

Face it, you’re a nerd; now vote like one BRADLEY PETERS THE CASCADE

If you voted in the federal election last year, great! You played an important role in shaping the future of our country; however, I would argue that the upcoming provincial election is of greater importance. If you would like to have a more tangible influence on the place in Canada you call home, then you need to start thinking provincially.

Provincial parties, far more than the Federal Libs or Cons, dictate our local politics: from health care and social services, to public education, environmental protection, funding for the arts, housing, taxes, and more. But unfortunately, when it comes to political apathy, we are far more disengaged on the provincial level.

Since 1996, voter turnout for B.C. provincial elections has hovered between 55-58 per cent, with a low of 50 per cent in 2009. Federally, the number sits closer to 65-70 per cent, which is still nothing to brag about.

I want to express the importance of the upcoming provincial election by explaining the relation it will have to two of the most important issues for students: the cost of tuition, and the minimum wage. But first, I need to clear the air with a little B.C. politics 101.

The B.C. Liberal Party is in no way connected to the federal Liberal Party. Christy Clark does not work for Justin Trudeau.

Classical liberalism is a term that has historically been connected with right-wing conservatism, so when you think B.C. Liberals, think more Stephen Harper, and less Justin Trudeau.

So, why should any of this matter to you? Let’s start with the issue of tuition.

Have you heard that Ontario is offering free university to students in the province? It’s a little more complicated than that.

Basically, any student that needs help paying for university, or whose household family income is less than $50,000 is able to

The Cascade is looking for illustrators & photographers!

receive a government of Ontario grant covering 100 per cent of that student’s tuition costs. Half of students from family incomes of less than $83,000 will qualify for non-repayable grants for tuition. Do you still think provincial elections are for nerds? Well, you may be right, but, newsflash, being a student makes you a nerd!

If you think students are a strong investment into the future of our country’s economy, and that governments should wise up and start subsidising us students, the country’s future, instead of oil and big business, then make your voice heard by voting in the election that actually addresses this issue. Of course the alternative is, if you think all government interference is abhorrent, you loathe the idea of paying other people’s way in life, and dread your tax dollars going towards social welfare, then it is also imperative that you too make your voice heard at the provincial election. (Just don’t sit beside me on the governmentprovided city bus. Please?)

What about minimum wage? Post-secondary students make up the largest workforce making minimum wage. So it shouldn’t surprise us when we learn that student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt, or that students are leaving university with an average of $27,000 in university related debt and student loans, according to stats provided by the Canada Student Loans Program, not to mention mental health issues caused by stress.

“Students who took out more student loans were more likely to report poor mental health in early adulthood,” said Katrina M. Walsemann, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina, as reported by the Canadian Press.

A concrete and immediate way to help students contain the pressure of mounting student debt, and correlatively to combat mental illness and stress, is to raise minimum wage closer to a “living wage,” which is $16.03 in the Fraser Valley, according to livingwagecanada.ca.

Find out which provincial party correlates with your values on the issues that matter, and vote accordingly.

If politicians see that students are becoming a substantial part of the voter base, they will begin to acknowledge us. That’s how the system works; people who crave power become politicians, and politicians in turn pander to their voter base in order to maintain power. It’s time students begin to play the system.

Until we begin to play a role in the political landscape by voting, we will continue to be ignored by the parties seeking power.

The provincial elections are more important than federal when it comes to dictating the support (or lack thereof ) students will receive from the government. Minimum wage and university funding are only two waves in the body of water that is provincial politics, but they should be more than enough to shake students from their apathetic stupor, and help us realize that our boat is sinking. Nobody is going to help us. We need to help ourselves; we need to demand recognition. We need to vote.

We’re looking for an illustrator to use either digital or traditional mediums to create original illustrations each week.

The deadline for applications is Oct 13th. To apply, or request further information, please email mitch@ufvcascade.ca.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

www.ufvcascade.ca

FEATURE

Coming out about coming out The personal journey of a UFV student

‘‘

written by: Vanessa Broadbent design by: Brittany Cardinal

Coming out isn’t easy. With the ever-present possibility of not being supported by friends and family, it’s a move that for most members of the LGBT+ community is a risky one.

This was no different for Michael Chutskoff, Student Union Society’s (SUS) equalities officer, who, from a young age, knew that he wasn’t like his peers.

“I always knew that I was different growing up but I didn’t really know why,” he said. “As I started getting older, probably around middle school, I realized that I was starting to get attracted to guys, but I didn’t really think about it too much.”

Like many of those who grew up in the Fraser Valley, Michael was raised in a religious atmosphere and attended a private Christian school where homosexuality was not only looked down on, but ignored all together.

“The whole time of growing up and hitting puberty, that’s when the sex talks start and especially at a Christian school, there wasn’t much of an education — the whole concept of homosexuality was never even addressed,” he said. “People would call me gay and a faggot, but I never even knew what that meant, so I started using it because it seemed like a buzzword.”

After putting two and two together, Michael knew that he was gay, but where to go from there was even harder to figure out. Michael’s school was opposed to homosexuality, so much so that coming out publically could have meant being expelled. As a result, he kept quiet about his feelings, a decision that led to depression during his final year of high school.

“It was really hard to hold such an important part of you in; it was so hard to act like everything was normal and everything was fine, even though it wasn’t,” he said. “It was really hitting me hard, the stress of trying to get through the last year of high school, hoping to get accepted into university, and at the same time holding this huge secret to myself.”

Eventually, Michael suffered from stress-induced seizures, which could have had fatal causes, if not properly addressed.

“I literally could have died if I didn’t

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As I got older and I looked at Abbotsford, I realized how conservative and traditional it is. It’s crazy how people can just hate so much on something that they don’t understand.

learn how to talk about it,” he said.

“A lot of that stress was just not being able to talk to anyone about it, not being able to share. It’s scary.”

Stuck between the decision of publicly coming out and suffering the consequences from his school, or keeping quiet but compromising his health, Michael started to open up to a few people that were close to him.

“At that point I had started telling my friends because it was so much to hold,” he said. “My friends were generally supportive, but a couple people tried spreading things around and that scared me.”

After graduation, the repercussions of sharing his feelings weren’t an issue anymore, but that didn’t mean it would be an easy thing to do and like most people contemplating coming

’’

out, telling his parents was one of the most difficult parts for Michael.

“My parents were really surprised and never saw it because I didn’t show it,” he said. “My mom was supportive, but my dad didn’t get it for the longest time. He’s fine now and couldn’t care less about it.”

With high school behind him, Michael saw university as a chance to be open about who he was — the first time doing so didn’t come with the threat of being kicked out of school.

“UFV has just been a really freeing experience for me to be the person that I really want to be and act how I want to,” he said. “In high school it would be social suicide to speak up — you don’t want to be that kid — whereas here, no one really cares. If someone doesn’t like you, that’s nice,

you move on and you don’t have to see them every day.”

While there’s always more that can be done, in the past year UFV has made considerable efforts to becoming a more welcoming institution, from the new rainbow crosswalk, to the positive space training available to students and staff, to SUS’ upcoming pride centre. However, the same can’t be said about the area it’s situated in. The Fraser Valley, also known as B.C.’s “Bible Belt,” doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for being the most supportive area to the LGBT+ community.

“As I got older and I looked at Abbotsford, I realized how conservative and traditional it is,” Michael said. “It’s crazy how people can just hate so much on something that they don’t understand.”

While the option to move somewhere more liberal-minded, such as Vancouver, exists, relocating is easier said than done — especially for anyone that falls into the broke student demographic.

“You hear a lot of people saying ‘Just move to Vancouver, it’s so much better,’ but for people like me, there’s a lot of us who are the left behinds that don’t have the option of moving into Vancouver to a liberal epicentre,” Michael explained. “We can’t do that; it’s not feasible. A lot of people in the Fraser Valley and Abbotsford especially have to learn how to hide it.”

This situation is one that Michael hopes to change, or at least address. As the equalities officer for SUS, a large part of Michael’s portfolio includes organizing events to support marginalized students, and with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to share his story in hopes of inspiring others to do the same.

“The idea came up at two o’clock in the morning,” he said. “It was one of those things where you have a thought and you won’t let go of it, so you know it must be good. I looked up when National Coming Out Day was, and not only was it during the school year, it was only a couple months away. Next thing you know, the event was taking off.”

Anoop Dhaliwal, UFV International’s

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

FEATURE international student support assistant who is also a member of the Fraser Valley pride committee, noted that the storytelling aspect of the event, while unique to most UFV events, could have a strong impact.

“It takes a lot of courage to tell your story,” she said. “I think it’s important for students to have a voice and being able to tell your story is very powerful. When somebody shares their story they’re sharing part of themselves with you and I think we’re very fortunate for that kind of thing to happen here.”

For SUS president Sukhi Brar, the event is a way for SUS to show their support, as well as provide support, for the LGBT+ community at UFV. “It is important for us to host events like ‘The Art of Coming Out’ to take active steps to reduce barriers and various forms of discrimination faced by students on campus,” she said. “This event sheds light on some of the challenges that students face when coming out in a conservative community. In light of these challenges, it’s important for students to be a part of conversations and events that strive to make all students feel heard and welcome in our campus community.”

While the purpose of the event is to support students that are thinking of coming out, Michael hopes that it’ll draw in a larger demographic as well.

“I want everyone to show up because you never know who’s going to come out to you; it could be friends, family, and some of them you’d never guess in a million years,” he said. “At least hearing my story, you can understand what that person’s going through. Even if you see someone else that you don’t know, you understand the struggle behind that person. For me, that’s the most important thing, just having people understand.”

In the end, if Michael’s story helps someone in their own personal journey, he’ll consider it a success.

“It’s one of the hardest things I thought that I would do in my life, but after doing it, I wish I did it sooner because it was so easy,” he said. “I really want people to hear my story and be inspired and empowered.

I just want to give people a positive but a realistic viewpoint of what my life was and hopefully they learn from my mistakes.”

“There’s a phrase that’s really corny, but I abide by it: it gets better,” Michael continued. “It’s the big reveal, but you keep doing it. You start a job and your coworkers find out, you go to school, family, it’s something that you keep doing for the rest of your life and it keeps getting easier and easier.”

The Art of Coming Out is on Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Building of UFV’s Abbotsford campus.

“It was really hitting me hard, the stress of trying to get through the last year of high school, hoping to get accepted into university, and at the same time holding this huge secret to myself.”

Michael Chutskoff also works as a staff writer for The Cascade.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

www.ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE & EVENTS From America to dentistry Across 1: Mad Hatter’s tea party companion, _ _ _ _ _ Hare, or a procession 3: The original angsty teen boy, courtesy of Shakespeare 4: Not urban 6: Horned mammal 7: 1990 rap “_ _ _ _ _ _ baby” 8: Most recent Olympic city 10: A state of skin irritation 11: Housewares store “_ _ _ _ _s ‘n things” 12: Greek god who holds the world 13: Digital communication

Down 1: An undertaker 2: Donald’s overqualified opponent 3: Torah teacher 5: Painful dental procedure (2 words) 6: Determination synonym, or to rectify a dispute 9: Daryl Hall’s music partner

UPCOMING EVENTS Bookstore Customer Appreciation Day @ Bookstore 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

OCT.5

Soul Mates & Villain Villain concert @ Carport Manor 8:00 PM Envision Concert Fall Series: JD Miner @Cliks Coffee Bistro 7:00 PM

OCT.8

Envision Concert Fall Series: Madflower @House of James 7:00 PM

OCT.10

Thanksgiving - no classes

Made by Jeff Mijo

Horoscopes

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Master Moji

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Good things are supposed to come to those who wait. So tip your servers generously.

OCT.11 OCT.12

President’s Leadership Lecture - George Peary @ Lecture Theatre B101 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Be frugal with your spending this week. It’s just good life advice, really.

Hosting an event you’d like to see here? Email jeff@ufvcascade.ca with the details!

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 The person sitting to your left in class today will give you a funny look, but only because they’re holding in a fart.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Do not make any big decisions this week regarding any of the following: travel abroad, business negotiations, new email signatures, or edgy facial hair.

SPORTS SCORES & GAMES

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 When your self-esteem takes a hit, let this be your mantra: “at least I did not star in a 90s instructional video.”

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Chewing gum while chopping onions will stop you from crying.

Too bad it doesn’t have the same effect when life inevitably disappoints you.

Scores

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 My world’s on fire. How about yours? That’s the way I like it, and I never get bored.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 We suggest taking your autumn obsession to the next level with a pumpkin spice enema.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 While sexual cannibalism seems to work for female praying mantises, you’d do well to avoid such deviousness this week.

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Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 I don’t know why I have to keep reminding you. Just drink more water. That’s really all it takes.

The Art of Coming Out @Great Hall 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 As the stress of the semester kicks in full force this week, remember to take “mindful moments” to ground yourself. Seriously, be a human pepper grinder.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You’re eating too much dairy.

Rectify this by only showering with cold water.

Men’s Soccer: Sept. 30 UFV Cascades vs. UBC Thunderbirds L 2-0 Oct. 1 UFV Cascades vs. UVIC Vikes W 2-0 Women’s Soccer: Sept. 30 UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves W 6-0 Oct. 1 UFV Cascades vs. U of A Pandas

Upcoming Games Men’s Soccer: Oct. 7 7:15 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. TWU Spartans (away) Oct. 9 6:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. TWU Spartans (home) Women’s Soccer: Oct. 7 5:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. TWU Spartans (away)

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

CULTURE & EVENTS Peer Leader Appreciation Week brings sweet festivities

v CREATIVE WRITING

Sisyphus Gnawing BRADLEY PETERS

THE CASCADE

JEFF MIJO

THE CASCADE / PHOTOS

The sweet smell of syrup filled the Student Union Building (SUB) on Monday morning thanks to a pancake breakfast kicking off Peer Leadership Appreciation Week. The events continue with cake available at various locations around campus throughout the week. At 1:00 p.m. each

day, it was served in the Office of the Registrar in both Abbotsford and Chilliwack Monday, and the Peer Resource and Leadership Centre on Tuesday. It will also be served in the Academic Success Centre (G126) and Student Union Society (S1111) on Wednesday, and the International Global Lounge (B223) on Friday.

Jeremy once clutched a beaded rosary, and what the priest promised him was: too many things. Too many things whispered at the same time; also too many averted eyes. Pray, God commands him. What is the Lord’s will? What does he ask of me, if not to obey? Submit.

Eventually Jeremy left a note that was about his priest raping boys, and the parish feigned to be concerned for him. Jeremy himself was convinced that life was a bad dream. He picked a long feather of all the mess that had been strewn around and leafed its threads as an homage to the bird. The other boys teased that he thought too much, of God and of the promises, and that they were leaving him out.

The church was not a total loss, because Jeremy and the Lord made a truce together. They won’t exist together, in heaven, on a bed. They condemn sinners, and pluck a spotless apple. When Jeremy can drive the Peugeot, he flies to Alaska to tramp its vastness. This fall Saturday he has forded the Teklanika River across to Stampede Trail, where he plans to begin. He did this on an impulse that he doesn’t really regard, and by spring, when he marches up the ridge of the splendid Mount Drum where he used to imagine heaven, he has already been consumed by some fairly bitter ghosts.

When he cursed God, he wasn’t sure that angels would follow him to the wild. He wasn’t sure that God even wanted to go there. He had no notion of how liberated he could be. But Jeremy lifts the veil before he can close his eyes, and light whips him around the horizon and spreads his spirit (surely he didn’t use to breath crystals?) and flushes his past, doctrine. He shouts he has emptied himself what great disciples they were, Jeremy and Priest and children and nuns. Great disciples.

Jeremy is free. Priest and church are long forgiven.

He breathes to live in what spirits used to chase, with a certain flat gnawing, “the present moment.”

Be weird and don’t fret: finding love online JEFF MIJO

THE CASCADE

Even as a new student, the most common criticism I’ve heard about UFV is that it lacks community, that it’s hard to meet people. While there are lots of great clubs and events, it’s hard not to see their point walking around campus on a day-to-day basis. There are clusters of friends here and there, but for the most part, everyone is moving from one place to another without stopping to speak to each other. If you’re not an outgoing extrovert who can introduce yourself to anyone with the slightest provocation, it’s tough to meet friends. And if you’re hoping to find love in university? That’s going to be even harder.

For me, the answer was online dating. While I met my girlfriend before starting university, I was in a perhaps more isolating position, working from home. As a shy and anxious person, even putting myself out there was difficult, but it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And for a likely busy, broke student without time to attend a lot of events and make face-to-face

connections, it could be the answer for you too.

It may seem like everyone is already looking online, but a 2015 Pew Research Center poll showed that only 27 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 used such sites. A significant number, but even if you exclude people already in relationships, likely not a majority.

A cursory search on OkCupid for users within 10 km of Abbotsford turned up hundreds of users on that service alone. Considering the absurd number of dating sites and apps out there to cater to any specific category or subcategory you identify as, there’s no shortage of people in the area to meet.

So how do you do it? How do you stand out from the crowd and actually prove that you’re a groovy person who’s fun to be with? Obviously it’s no secret that a good picture is crucial. At first I made the mistake of using one that was a couple years old and where I was wearing sunglasses.

Even though I thought it looked current, I got the “You don’t look like your picture” comment once. Even if you’re not confident, don’t try to obscure yourself — a date will see what you look

like in person if it gets that far, so if they’re going to be shallow and decide your appearance is a deal breaker, you might as well weed them out right off the bat.

The second piece of advice I have may sound counter-productive: don’t fret about your profile. I spent hours choosing “six things I couldn’t live without.” It’s easy to fall into the trap of overthinking every word and researching the “best” ways to present yourself, but being yourself is the key. Obviously you shouldn’t fill your profile with terrible secrets, but be open, weird, and vulnerable. Tell them about your guilty pleasure TV shows or bizarre catchphrases.

They’re more likely to make an impression than another perfectly curated profile using 1,000 words to say nothing deeper than “I’m cool and lonely.”

Related to that, don’t let this search be your life. Don’t close yourself off to the possibility of meeting someone the old-fashioned way, and don’t spend all evening of every day perusing the listings to see if anyone new has shown up.

Just take a look when you want to, don’t be

shy to send a polite, personalized first message (seriously, don’t open with just “hey” or by talking about either of your bodies), and then move on with your day. You have textbooks to read and assignments to write, as well as hobbies you enjoy and friends who miss you. Don’t get so infatuated with the idea of finding a relationship that you neglect the rest of your life.

Last of all, figure out what you’re looking for, but be open to a curveball. I was staunchly focused on finding somebody nearby, so that I wasn’t driving an hour every time I wanted to see them — that is, until one night I was bored, set OkCupid’s search range to 500 km, and found a cool lady who plays Magic: The Gathering and likes good music living in Tacoma. I have to drive four hours to see her, but I’m incredibly thankful that I took that risk of contacting someone outside of my initial comfort zone.

Even if it’s tough to put yourself out there, online dating is the cheaper, quicker option. If you’re curious, it doesn’t hurt to try.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

www.ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE & EVENTS v HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Massaging the stress out of student life EMMA GROENEVELD

THE CASCADE

Many students face difficult times and stressful situations, but have no output for that tension.

The resulting stress can put pressure not just on your emotions, but on your body as well. Students find their course loads getting more intense, backpacks getting heavier, and insurmountable pressure is falling on their shoulders. All these things add stress to our bodies, and our muscles do not like it. Necks cramp from peering over mountains of textbooks, shoulders hurt from 1,000 pound backpacks, and jaws are tightly clenched from the stress of getting everything done. The best way to help yourself in these situations is to go to a massage therapist.

While massage therapy is generally considered

pricey, many healthcare providers have begun to cover these visits. If referred by a doctor, the student plan at UFV will cover $30 per visit, up to a maximum of $300 per year. The understanding behind muscle therapy is growing more prominent, as muscles can affect us in many negative ways. Feelings of tiredness, dizziness, headaches, depression, and anxiety can all stem from the mistreatment of muscles. When the muscles are tight and not working the way they should, the whole body cannot function to its utmost ability.

In an interview, massage therapist Jennifer Leiper further explained the positive effects of massages on students.

Why should students seek massage therapy?

Massage therapy has many positive benefits on the human body. Decreasing stress and tension in

the body can help students to sleep more soundly, which in turn can improve stress management and cognitive focus with the workload of school.

Possibly helping with a greater outcome to the learning experience in general.

How can tight muscles negatively affect other parts of the body?

Tight muscles or, hyper-toned muscles being the scientific term, can negatively affect the body in many ways, such as decreased circulations to that area of the body causing pain and misuse of muscle groups, decreased nervous system function, and decreased respiration all leading to a decrease in brain function.

What are ways students can help their muscles at home?

Students can help their muscles at home by following a regular workout routine 30 minutes a

day, five days a week, followed by daily stretches.

The exercise can be as simple as a short walk or yoga routine. This improves blood circulations and will help decrease stress and tension within the body. Other ways would be using heat packs on the shoulders and having regular baths, while being sure studying is done sitting at a desk with proper ergonomics and taking regular study breaks. Attending regular massage therapy sessions with a good RMT (registered massage therapist) is a way to not only receive treatment and help with functionality of the body as a whole, but they are very good at prescribing exercise and stretching routines that are easily incorporated into a busy student’s life.

v SCIENCE COLUMN

Would we all die if Earth and the Sun swapped places?

MIKE FRIESEN

CONTRIBUTOR

Serious answers to hypothetical questions; I don’t know why I have such an infatuation with them. But seeing an arbitrary situation analyzed with as much real world data as possible brings me great joy, as if it somehow validates the asking of such unreal questions. Anyways, enough of the preamble, I want to talk about one hypothetical in particular.

The question that caught my eye a week ago was “What would happen if the Earth and the sun switched places?” Now, the question doesn’t say when this is happening, so I’ll pick October 1, at 8:30 a.m., so then I’ll have a decent excuse to sleep in on a Saturday.

This question is bad news for the moon. Unfortunately for the moon, the radius of the sun is much larger than the distance from the Earth to the moon, and so it ceases to be a moon immediately and becomes fuel for the sun.

Mercury does a little better. Normally it would be whipping around the sun at 59 kilometers per second, which is pretty fast, even for a planet. All of the sudden, the sun and its massive gravitational potential well moves pretty far away, and Mercury is simply moving way too fast for the sun’s gravity to reign it back in.

It exits the solar system still travelling at 40 km/s.

Venus tries to follow Mercury, but fails and is sent into a 31-yearlong elliptical orbit, the close end of which still falls within the orbit of Earth. This is quite possibly bad news for Earth.

Mars, being relatively close to the sun, all of a sudden moves into a 325-day orbit that is a little too elliptical to be comfortable year round. The summers on Mars would be scorching as it passes within a quarter of the Earth’s distance to the sun, while the winters could be nice, only a little outside of the Earth’s orbit.

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Now we have two planets that cross Earth’s orbit, and a collision seems, well, likely. Things are not looking good for you, unless you’re in the planet recycling business.

Jupiter is thrown only a little bit off its orbit, and none of the other outer planets seem to even take notice of the sun’s sudden move. Remember, our solar system is really big. The effect of the Earth-sun swap on the outer planets’ orbits is like an orange being dropped on the floor. Sure, it’ll bulge a little bit, but it’s essentially the same thing. I mean, the outer planets might have lost their equilibrium during the mix-up and end up flinging around the solar system haphazardly, but that sort of thing takes tens of thousands to millions of years. We don’t have time to wait around for that.

So now that we’ve looked at the rest of the solar system, what would happen to us? First of all, at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday when the swap occurs, it suddenly becomes night again. See? A perfect excuse to stay in bed. The sun would appear on the opposite side of us, and all of a sudden it would get rather dark — especially so because we lost our moon. Interestingly, because our velocity is the same, and the Earth has swapped places with the sun, we would begin rotating in the opposite direction around the sun with basically the same orbit as before. This means the seasons start going backwards. Fall will become summer, leading to spring, and finally winter. This seems great; a double summer is just what I need. It might be worth it, even if could mean the end of the Earth. Unfortunately, the Earth’s tilt and the swap means that the seasons are instantly inverted as well. Just like day becomes night, fall becomes spring. And remember, now that we’re orbiting in reverse, winter follows spring. So basically we’re still stuck in the season leading to winter. At least I got to sleep in.

Okay, so there would be some neat effects with the seasons — but what really happens to Earth? Does it smash into bits as

it’s pelted by asteroids? Does it spectacularly crash into Mars or Venus, now that their orbits overlap with the Earth’s?

Well, a collision with something seems likely. The Earth is orbiting clockwise, but the swap didn’t change the rotation of any other planets, so not only do we cross Mars’ path twice a year, but we do so while heading towards each other! Despite that, we wouldn’t collide with Mars or Venus for thousands of years, at least. Mars, Venus, and Earth do not lie on exactly the same plane as they orbit the sun, and the sudden change in Mars’ orbit exaggerates the difference so that even when Earth and Mars are passing right “on top” of each other, they’re still four million kilometers away from each other. Eventually their gravitational pull would lead to a collision, but on an astronomical time scale; too long for us. For a few days, though, about every 20 years, Mars would get close enough to look a quarter of the size of the moon in the night sky. And cause small tides. (We miss you, moon.)

Okay, but we’re doomed by all the scattered asteroids on the asteroid disk, right? Well, still no. The problem (if not having the Earth destroyed really is a problem) is that space is, like, really big.

Huge, even. There are about one million asteroids larger than a kilometer across in the asteroid belt, and yet doing the math shows that when these asteroids are scattered, an impact with Earth will still only happen about once every hundred to thousand years.

And we could survive several impacts from such an asteroid; the Chicxulub impactor (which is a great band name, by the way) that hit Earth about 66 million years ago had a diameter of greater than 10 kilometers! I mean, it likely triggered a mass extinction, but still, life moved on.

So, surprisingly, life would likely move on as normal. Roughly speaking. Seasons would continue, meteor showers would be great, we’d lose the moon but gain a friend in Mars. At least I can rest soundly, knowing that death will not be immediate.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

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ARTS IN REVIEW MOVIE REVIEW

Shuffle AARON LEVY STATION MANAGER

Station Manager Aaron Levy isn't a fan of anonymity in politics and social commentary.

In honour of the annoying rise of the Toque, like the phoenix, here are some songs that remind me of toques and pretenders.

Primus Mephisto and Kevin Primus writes amazing, logic defying songs; Southbound Pachyderm, Winona's Big Brown Beaver, even the frantic Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, but possibly none as off the wall or culturally beloved/relevant as this confounding turn from the South Park OST, catapulting the album forward alongside Isaac Hayes' Chocolate Salty Balls.

Donovan Atlantis A guy who was heralded as the second coming of Bob Dylan, nearly immediately after the inaugural coming of Bob Dylan, though this song was an instant classic, and Mellow Yellow is another timeless favorite of chanteuse and lounge performers worldwide, he did not become the hit-making mogul many expected.

U2 Stuck in a Moment The Edge doesn't necessarily always wear a toque, but it's closer to a toque than a dorag if you, though you didn't as always - ask me. Because I mentioned this song in a recent shuffle, here it is, dedicated, directly for the occasion, another that I can't get out of.

The Pretenders I'll Stand By You A rare slow-burner, this one is a classic from Bonnie Raitt style rom-coms when the climax gives way to a pensive, pathetic fallacy laden denouement, kind of like what I'd expect to see at some point in the new Bridget Jones flick, which I won't see.

Impactful song though. Cheers.

CHARTS 1

Preoccupations Preoccupations

2

A Tribe Called Red We Are the Halluci Nation

3 4 5

Sad13 Slugger Majid Jordan Majid Jordan Blessed Blessed

6

Kishi Bashi Sonderlust

7

Jay Arner Jay II

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Against Me! Shape Shift With Me

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La Sera Music For Listening To Music To

10

Hot Panda Bad Pop

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Eleanore Eleanore

12

Cheap High Picture Disk

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Time is of the essence: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Phantogram Three Red Velvert Russian Roulette

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FT Island Where's The Truth

16

Elephant Stone Little Ship Of Fools

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Harpdog Brown Travelin' With The Blues

18

Sunday Wilde Blueberries and Grits

19

Al Lerman Slow Burn

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Ghost Popestar

KLARA CHMELAROVA CONTRIBUTOR

Have you ever wondered if you are special? Have you ever set your house on fire by touching a curtain? Or suddenly found yourself levitating under the ceiling? Or maybe you opened your mouth and instead of words a pack of bees flew out. If any of these are the case then no worries, Xavier`s School for Gifted — I mean Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is here for you. The home is a Victorian orphanage locked away in a time loop by Miss Peregrine, the head caretaker and occasional hawk. (She can bend time and turn into a bird.)

Miss Peregrine offers a safe haven for peculiar children that only other peculiars can find. Well, them and the monsters.

In our story we follow Jake, whose gift (inherited from his grandpa) lets him see these monsters. Jake was the archetypical adolescent outsider until his grandfather dies under suspicious circumstances and leaves his grandson with the location of a tiny island in Wales. After weeks of unsuccessful counselling, our hero leaves sunny Florida behind for the foggy coast of the British Isles. Jake’s journey to find closure soon becomes the adventure of a lifetime. Or it should have.

When assessing a movie, I always rate according to how

much the creation touched me. In story based art this connection must be much more guided by authors because our reaction is restricted to events and characters. Therefore, if a film leaves you empty, especially if it's a story with potential to differ and go beyond expected, it's quite heartbreaking in its own way. Director of the movie, Tim Burton is renowned for his amazing ability to bring emotions you wouldn't expect into moments that are not appropriate for them. At least not at first sight. I mean, in which other movie would you cry over the decaying carcass of a reanimated girl?

Yet Emily in Corpse Bride is such a well written and lively (pun intended) character that your cheeks won`t stay dry.

I missed that kind of depth Burton was always able to produce and deliver in the unique atmosphere of his work. It's not that Mrs. Peregrine's Home lacked … peculiarity among movies, it's that it depended solely on it. It would be harsh to say that Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children wasn't enjoyable at all. The wonder and magic the movie delivered in itself was fun to watch, but the true magic is missing. The spell of a sombre and dark world on top of which you're going to meet the most likeable characters and warmest stories you ever experienced didn't shine through. So, if you want to escape reality for a while go down the rabbit hole and watch it. But, don't expect it to stay in your mind like most of the other works from Tim Burton's shelf.

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ARTS IN REVIEW TV REVIEW

01001101 01110010 00101110 01010010 01101111 01100010 01101111 01110100 KLARA CHMELAROVA CONTRIBUTOR

Hello friend. Yes, I am talking to you. I know you can hear me. Let me tell you a story. A story about a man who wanted to change the world and ended up destroying it. Sit down.

Have a coffee and scroll through these words, they are just for you. The man's name is Elliot Alderson and he is … many things. Hacker would stand among them. But he is also an employee, brother, prisoner, criminal, morphine junkie, abandoned son, a friend. Your friend, that is.

So this young man goes on a journey to shut down the biggest corporation in the world, E Corp, releasing everyone from the burdens of capitalism. And he takes us with him.

Prepare yourself to be confused because nothing is black and white. Welcome to the ultimate game of shadows reality, where governments are tied up by lobbyists and challenged by underground societies. Where the middle class citizens become pawns to both the party that uses them and the party wanting to save them. That is probably the best way one can squeeze Mr. Robot’s two seasons into a couple of words.

Derived from the story behind the Anonymous movement, Mr. Robot paints small personal dramas over the picture of a larger national one in the most sophisticated way I have seen in any series ever. It’s the ultimate giving-face-to-apocalypse.

As previously said, we follow the story of Elliot and those

around him. This might be much more complex than it sounds, as our protagonist’s perception of reality is altered, slipping in and out of what is real and what is not. It is the price he pays for his mathematical ingenuity. The whole series can be divided into three interrelated parts that pour one over another as 45 minute episodes tick by.

First we have Elliot struggling to keep his identity together, involuntarily sharing it with the incarnation of his dead father, who is part of his consciousness. Then we have Darlene, Elliot’s sibling, trying to hold together and lead the hacker community known as fsociety while her brother struggles to keep control over himself. Lastly we have Angela Moss, a young and at first timid blonde who starts as Elliot's friend — real friend, that is. But as the story progresses she also becomes our lens into the world of power and money, following her own agenda in an attempt to avenge the death of her mother, caused by E Corps’ indifference to human life.

Those are the pillar characters the story is built on, and of course there are many more stories, big and small, webbing around them. However, I would rather let Elliot show you those. If you are looking for an evening spent on the edge of your seat, living through the desperation and pain of people trying to find their own ultimate truth, then Mr. Robot is definitely a good way to make yourself question what is white and what is black when the world is composed of grey.

ALBUM REVIEW

Making the most of loss and disorientation Bon Iver extrapolates stylistically on his 2010 collaboration with Kanye West MITCH HUTTEMA THE CASCADE

Loss is arguably the deepest pain a person can feel. It brings together sorrow, disorientation, and a longing for what was, a trifecta of pain so to speak. Justin Vernon (the mastermind of Bon Iver) does not address the loss of a person to death, but the loss of contact with loved ones, and the loss of touch with your own self with 22, A Million. He weeps as he walks through the graveyard of past relationships, his anxiety and depression over feeling lost and out of touch with his own self, seep out in his electric synthy layered voice.

22 is thematically just as melancholy as For Emma, Forever Ago and self-titled Bon Iver, but stylistically this album is much closer to his "Lost in the World" collaboration with Kanye West. The autotuned effects employed by Vernon seem to extend beyond his music and into the titles of his tracks, with names like "22 (OVER S∞∞N)" and "10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄" Vernon's disorientation is most clear with 22's second and third tracks. For much of "715 - CR ΣΣKS" he sings, but resting atop his own voice is a digitally altered and distorted version of it emphasising his struggle with finding his own identity. He creates a sound that is so specific to a feeling, utilising not only lyrics but the production of his sound as well. With "29 #Strafford APTS" Vernon's voice is digitally clipped at the highest notes, leaving part of his song absent and reminiscent of long lost low-quality archival audio that has nearly slipped into obscurity.

The honesty and soul searching that Vernon embedded into this album bursts out with his unaltered faltering voice and the

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raw brass horns in "____45_____." For an album layered with electronic synths and digitally produced sounds, partnering with the breathiness of the naked horns creates a kind of new hybrid orchestra.

22, like much of Bon Iver’s work should be approached similarly to a book of poems, needing several read throughs to begin to understand the wordplay and allusion that Vernon works so closely with. His lyricism has always been eccentric, and with 22, A Million he adds several more self-fabricated words to his repertoire.

Astuary, fuckified, unorphaned, paramind and others lack dictionary definitions which leaves them open for speculation based on context.

Justin Vernon’s ability to pinpoint human pain and the behaviors of depression in his lyrics is nearly incomparable. The album’s final track “00000 Million” in three specific instances plots out with first hand experience the pain of depression. “If it’s harmed, it’s harmed me, it’ll harm, I let it in” is repeated in the chorus: how easy destructive behavior can become. “The days have no numbers, they blend together.” Vernon illustrates how depression draws a brush across the wet paint of his life, smearing the image and drawing all the colours together into a grey streak. He closes the album with “I've laughed about it, I've laughed about it, I've laughed about it.

No.” He emphasises how easy to pave over pain in order to feel like things are okay, to laugh them off in front of others all while the turmoil writhes in dark corners of the mind but the “No.” insinuates that it is possible to escape.

22, A Million is a break from Bon Iver’s stereotyped reputation as a the Grammy winning poster boy of the alternative music scene, as the album ventures into much less accessible territory. The album

should be approached as more of a well planned multi-medium art piece as opposed to an album you pick up to listen to in passing. Poetry, sound, and emotion intersect and 22 or even a million listens aren’t enough to grasp the nuance of what Justin Vernon is working through.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

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ARTS IN REVIEW ALBUM REVIEW

Shawn Mendes delivers a satisfyingly fresh pop sophmore album MICHAEL CHUTSKOFF THE CASCADE

Newly 18-year-old Shawn Mendes just released his second album, Illuminate, after rising to fame three years ago on the popular app Vine. His seven-second covers quickly captured an attentive audience and rose in popularity, which led to his place on the charts. His brand of music focuses on the nice, innocent guy that plays the guitar. While this trope has been seen time after time throughout the history of pop music, Mendes actually seems genuine through his lyrics.

Illuminate begins with the soulful song “Ruin,” which showcases Mendes’ impressive vocal range, and serves as an excellent hook into the album. His formula of simple hooks that lead into explosive choruses is exemplified several times throughout the album, but is done in a skillful manner that doesn’t seem boring. While his lyrics can be rather weak at times, his guitar and other supportive instruments help hold it together. “Treat You Better,” the third track from Illuminate, falls flat compared to the other songs on the album, despite it being released as a single before the album’s release date. It just feels like another generic pop anthem, and misses out on the soul that Shawn Mendes puts into his other songs.

Despite being another young male in the pop industry that sings love songs, Mendes sets himself apart from the rest of the crowd by fitting the niche of the young man and his guitar, and his lyrics, while weak at times, are actually respectful towards women compared to many other artists that utilize less than savory wording to describe their objects of affection. This can be further heard in “Lights On.” In this track, Mendes belts out how beautiful the girl of his desires is, but mentions how he still wants to remain respectful, and while the song is about physical intimacy, it is done in a tasteful manner.

“Understand,” the last song of the album, is refreshingly different. Despite following the typical Mendes formula of a simple hook that leads into an expressive chorus, the song breaks down halfway through, where Shawn himself performs a type of spoken word mixed with a sort of inspirational talk.

Here, he addresses how people change, and how that’s okay.

It’s endearing to get a philosophical lesson from the 18-yearold, but it's done in a manner that can be appreciated, instead of laughed at. Overall, Illuminate is a strong sophomore album by the young Canadian artist, but there is still plenty of room for growth. If Shawn Mendes continues to work on his lyricism and improve and involve his music, he will likely become even more popular, and more successful overall.

S undBites

Lighthouse

Ariana Grande

iamthemorning

Following a couple of solid but not quite "there" releases with ~ and [Belighted, Russian progressive rock / folk / chamber duo iamthemorning seems to have finally hit their stride with Lighthouse. Along with a host of guest musicians, the pair brings new complexity to their sound with a concept album built around mental illness and selfreflection.

Marjana Semkina continues to prove that her voice can cover an impressive range of styles, but her generally ethereal tone and thick accent do make some lyrics difficult to follow (though far less of an issue than on ~). Even so, the orchestral, piano-led music

Mini album reviews

Dangerous Woman is catchy and enjoyable for casual listening.

Those willing to listen closely will find additional depth to the lyrics that doesn't sink in with a passive ear.

The often slow, dark music supports the somber melancholy of the lyrics exquisitely.

It's reminiscent of a softer, almost Celtic take on Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase., which is no surprise given that Semkina is openly a fan of Wilson's work.

If you're only going to try one track, make it "Matches." It's easily the catchiest of the album and is a prime example of the band's style and capabilities, both as writers and musicians.

Jeff Mijo

Ariana Grande is no longer the sweet, innocent Nickelodeon popstar that we once knew, and Dangerous Woman serves as a reminder that she’s all grown up. Grande has easily proved that she has a voice that’s often been compared to the likes of Celine Dion and other vocal powerhouses, but she’s often been criticized for having a lack of identity in music. While Dangerous Woman helps further prove that she has vocal talent, the album did have some issues. The title track “Moonlight” is a beautiful ballad, but feels out of place compared to the rest of the

album. “Into You” and “Side to Side” have already found their way onto radio waves, with “Dangerous Woman” serving as a prelude to the album.

Grande had an almost perfect set of collaborations with other artists. She teams up with rapper Future in the song “Everyday,” which is disappointing as Future is underutilized. Overall, Dangerous Woman is solid and worth replaying, but it never really helps listeners understand who Ariana Grande is as an artist.

Michael Chutskoff

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ART

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016

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OF THE

MONTH Submissions & questions can be sent to jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Submissions are due Friday, October 31th Limit of three submissions per person, per month Submissions must have been created since June 1st

Accepted mediums: painting, drawing, print, photography, digital art, sculpture, 3d work

Include a 50 word bio, 150 word artist statement, and image list with titles, mediums, sizes, and dates of creation

All images must be in CMYK format, 300+ DPI,in Zip file, less than 5 MB total. All files must be in PDF format.

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