The Cascade Friday, March 19th, 2010

Making the course of true love run smooth since 1993

Friday, March 19th, 2010

HEAT REPORT

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THE CASCADE

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FRIDAY,MARCH 19th,2010

Fraser Valley should rally for UFV

Volume 18 · Issue 10 Room< 1027 -UHll K,ng Road Aulimsliml, BC

that your professor will be able to S,JlNJA.SZlom5AK match your face to your name.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

he ~niversity of t~e Fraser Valley u,a community school. It was brought into existence in 1974, becaw,e of strong lobbying from the Fraser Valley community.

Now, more than 35 years later, there's a chance that UFV could lose some of its ties to its "community school" roots. Due to over enrolment, the university may have to look at implementing restrictions on admission based on CPA. The reasoning behind this makes perfect sense: UFV has too many students. Classes fill up too quickly (particularly first year classes), leaving many students frustrated. After all, if you don't gel the classes you need, it can delay your graduation.

The alternative is to increase class sizes. TI1issolution isn't much better than restricting admission.

Many students come to UFV because you have the chance to actually get to know your professor. In a class of 300students, it's unlikely

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So what's the solution? Obviously, U FV needs more money.

U::;ually, when a university needs more money, it means students have to pay even more for school.

For obvious reasons, more tuition increases aren't the best option.

Right now, UFV is running over capacity. Clearly, people want to attend this university. Furthermore, most UFV students are from the Fraser Valley. This isn't UBC; we don't have thousands of students living on-campus. Most of our students live in the community.

Which means that many UFV here. graduates will continue to live and While schools like UBC, SFU work in the Fraser Valley. In other and UVic have access to all kinds words, UFV is a benefit to the Fra- of money (through endowment ser Valley, and not just a place with lands and donations), UFV is too books (and a few parking spacei:; new to have this support base. We for the Abbotsford Entertainment don't have a huge pool of rich, sucand Sports Centre). cessfu I graduates to receive donaUFY trains nurses and teach- tions from. ers that will eventually work in But we do have a community the Fraser Valley. Students vohm- that supports us. ln the past, when teer in the community. Generally UFV was just an idea, people that speaking, .it's a good thing UFV is had no connection to this universi-

V:!S 7MH

Ville~ COLlcGc reSOON

ty rallied together to create Fraser Valley College.

Now, we need the community to rally together to bring in more funding. Public pressure does work. If we want to keep UflV's community roots, we need the community to put pressure on the provincial government to increase our funding.

Otherwise, the community that UFV serves might end up cut off from the education that UFV offers.

Editor-in-Chief cascade.chief@ufv.ca SrnlJ,t Szlov1ts,1k

Managing Editor cascade.manager@ufv.ca Lt·w1~ V.in Dyk Production Manager cascade.productJon@ufv.ca R,111do11,1 Conrad Production Jed M111nr Copy Editor AM Bots News & Opinion Editor cascade.news@ufv.ca Paul Hr,u11111er 1

Arts & Life Edltor cascade.arts@ufv.ca Paul Fal.trdc·n11

SFU seekingaccreditationfrom U.S. firm be the first major post-secondary DAVIDJ>KK research institution in the country

THEPEAK

imon Fraser University is getting closer to being ready to compete in the NCAA - and getting a quality assessment along the way.

TI1c school is in the process of becoming accredited by the Northwest Commbsion on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), an independent U.S. post-secondary quality assurance organization - a step that is necei:;sary for membership in the NCAA, but will abo ai:;s~ssthe academic quality of SFU. Tbe NWCCU currently oversees the quality of education of 162 institution::; in th~ American northwestern states of Alaska, Tdaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. SFU would be among the first Canadian institutions to join the list, and would

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to receiv~ U.S. accreditation. Capilano University in North Vancouver is also seeking accreditation by the NWCCU. <;anada has no such national accreditation organization. Most universities assess quality on a departmental basis, said Glynn Nicholls, the accreditation project manager for SFU. At Simon Fraser, academic depa rtmcnts arc reviewed every ::;even years through ::;elf-study and then external review.

"The problem with this is that it doesn't ever look at the institution broadly," Nicholls F;aid. "We're looking at independent little departments. What we see in this accreditation process is virtually the same process but at a broader institutional level. The reviewers will come and look at administrative systems, look at the way we

do planning, look at what our students are thinking, what our staff are thinking, what our faculty are thinking, and looking at the broader view."

Just as in departmental reviews, the NWCCU requires the university as a whole to produce a selfstudy; this is currently the stage of accreditation where SFU stands.

This is expected to take about 18 months, said Nicholls, after which SFU will be visited by sevcra 1 reviewers from American institutions, chosen by the NWCCU based on what SFU says that its focui;es are. Capilano University has passed this stage, and is considered a "candidate," whereas Simon Fraser is currently considered an "applicant."

After annual reports, given for three to four years, show that standards have been upheld, a candidate university can be considered fully accredited.

Nicholls isn't worried about SFU passing the review.

"We're a good university, we have the credentials, we have the facilities, we have the staff, we have good students, so there should be no problem."

TI1c university anticipates that this will enhance SFU's image on an international level.

"A globally-recognized guarantee of quality will increase SFU's profile abroad and help us attract the best international students," said Jon Driver, vice-president acadcm ic at SFU, in a release.

"We have to remain competitive, and this will allow us to say, 'You want to go to Washington State, or you want to go to Portland? SFU b in the same league.'

If we weren't, we could say that we're a good Canadian university, but we don't have a comparative story to give them," Nicholls said.

Sports & Health Editor cascade.sports@ufv.ca Brittany Wl!'srwr

Staff Writers Trevor hk Jusu11 Orlewicz Jordan Pitdwr Jm·l Sm.irr

Contributors A.mm Bayes ll.ty Dc Kroon

M,1r111.1 1'.11-,1p1111 S,1mhSpillman

Kylee Swaddt:n C.1r,1W,1lto11 Akx W;11kins

Printed By ( .oast,tl Wl'U Press

'111l'C!L';c11dc is UFV's uut.onom,lu~ student ncw~papcr.It pmvidcsu forum for UFV~tudcntsto huve theirjournalism puhlish<:d.It.also act~n~1111 altcmativc press for the F'ra"'lrValley.The ('11~cru.lc is lund~ with UFVs1ud1::nt funds.'11ic Cui;cudl.' is publishedevery Fridaywith a circulutionof 2000 ,Indis disllibutcd at UFVrnrnpuscsmidthroughoutAbbutsfcutl,Chilliwiu;k,imd Mission.'Ilic C'n.o;c.;ndc is a mcn1bcrof lhc C:modian UniversityPress,ll natiorn1I coopcrutive of 75 universityumlcollege newspapers fromVictoria10St. Jtlhn's.The Cascade followsthe CUP ethicalpolicy concerningmaterialof u prejudicialor oppressivenature.

Submissionsarc prefcm•din electronic formatcithe,·through e-mailor on CO. Plcuscsend submissionsin ".txt" or ".doc" formalonly.

A1ticles,,ndlettersto the ('ditormust be typed.TheCascndc reservesthe rightt(> edit suhmi~sionsfor clarity lllldlcngU1.

111cCascade will not print nnyartidcs that conlJlinmcist,sexist, homophobic or libellouscontent,·nic writer's ounic und studentnumbermust be submitted with each submission.Lettersto the editor must be under 25()word~ if int1,mded fur print.Only one letter to the e<litor perwriterin nnygiven eclltion.

Opinionsellpl'l..-sscd do nor necessarily retkct that of UFV,Cascadestaff and collt'Ctivc,or nssociat1:dmembers.

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th,2010

3

THE CASCADE

Over-Enrolment Troublesat UFV JOEL SMART STAFF WRITER ue to inadequate government funding as well as risks associated with opening up too many sections per class, UFV is poised to lose money this year because of over-enrolment.

Dr. Eric Davis, acting vicepresident academic and provost of the University of the Fraser Valley, said in a report to Senate that the university would most likely have too many Full-time Equivalent Students (FTEs) this year. An FTE is any student taking at least 30 credits. ''I mentioned that we would likely overproduce our FTEs this year, at the rate of about 102per cent," pointed out Davis.

Davis said that the provincial government takes into account various factors, and decides how many students to fund each university for. "It means that because we're only funded for a certain number of students, if we take in extra, we have to take those funds from another part of the institution ... The other part of the problem is that, if you take in extra students, then that creates more work for advising, the library, admissions and registration, counseling, athletics, and whatever other services."

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Davis further explained why this was a problem. "Not only are we taking money from other areas, but we should really be putting more money into these other areas if we're putting in more students, because students need those supports."

Davis noted how government funding has been declining for years, and now only covers 54 per cent of necessary costs. Tuition only covers around a quarter of the necessary costs. "The more money we put into the classroom, which is the first place it should go, the less there is to put into a student study space, a gym, or what have you. So it is a financial issue."

UFV has overproduced FTEs around 10 times in the last 12 years, Davis said, while many oth-

er post-secondary institutions do not produce enough. The government does not penalize those who produce less, or reward those who produce more. "We still make the case to government 'Hey, look at all this demand. We're the fastest growing region of the province.

We've got long waitlists in dozens and dozens of courses, we know the pie for education isn't growing, but shouldn't we get a bigger chunk of that pie than another institution which is only making 58 per cent or 70 per cent of its FTEs. They are funded the same way as we are, but they are not making their FTEs quota, we are and then some. Shouldn't we get a bigger chunk of the pie?' The argument has never worked, but we go on making it."

Davis also clarified that some post-secondary institutions receive higher funding despite not producing enough FTEs because it is an imperative of the government to provide education in as many communities in British Columbia as possible. "The government is deciding that the best way to provide access to post-secondary education in the province is to distribute funding equitably across all of the institutions in the province, rather than simply responding to demand."

One way of saving money that Davis suggested was overturning the university's current choice to focus on small class sizes. "We don't have 400 students in a class; we have a maximum generally of 36 in first and second year. If we were to say 'okay we're going to jack up class sizes and have 72,' we could save money on an instructor," he said. He expects students would probably dislike the larger sizes.

Another possibility is "raising the bar'' for applicants to UFV. "We can deal with high demand by saying 'we're going to close the admission process sooner in the year' or we could say 'we're going to raise the requirements for students to get in'. We might say 'oh, you need a certain GPA to get in'. There are various things we could do to limit the flow of students into the institution that we may not want to do, but once they are in, we have to devise as fair a method as possible of trying to accommodate all of the students.''

Davis explained that at a certain point it no longer benefits students if there are too many attending the university. "There are only so many classrooms, and so many seats in the classrooms, and so many instructors, so if we let in as many students as want to come

into the institutions, then we'll be in situations where some students won't get the courses they want.''

Despite the probl<:!maticnature of the issue of enrolment, Davis had a positive outlook on the situation.

"We'd rather have too many students than way too few students.

But the more students we have, the more of our resources are going to be needed, whether that be advising resources, teaching resources, counseling or financial aid. It does place a certain amount of strain on the institution, but I would rather be in this situation than the opposite. It is a good sign that so many students want to get into the institution and into our classes.''

"Student success is what we're all about. It's why we're here. If there are students who are unhappy because they can't get the courses they want, it worries us.

Trying to find solutions to that is more difficult than it might appear to students, who might think, 'well, look you added a section on here, why can't you just add another one?' Well, there are consequences every time you add a section. We would like to be able to put on as many sections as the demand requires, but we can't quite do that. But at the same time, student satisfaction and student success is what we're about."

Work Study 1~ositions Provide Precious Experience Job Fair at UFV TREVORFIK STAFFWRITER

ith the rising cost of tuition fees being piled on top of continually increasing everyday living expenses, stud<:!ntsat UFV might be interested in a program that assists in lining their pockets with work that staves off massive loans in the short term, while providing a means to work towards long-term career goals.

Although the criteria for employment may appear to be exdusive, the Wor~ Study program at UFV combines these elements in an on-campus environment that gives students the flexibility to work around their class schcdu le, while being heavily involved with research at the university.

"At many institutions the jobs of Work Study students can include anything, ranging from janitorial or grounds keeping work, to work in the library. Students at UFV, however, are connected with work to provide them with more of a learning experience," said Deborah Bartlette, Director of UFV'S Career Centre.

"Research assistant positions within the Work Study program help connect students with professors working with projects.

Moreover, w1;1 also have programs where it is students helping students, such as in th1;1Career Peer Program at the Career Centre," Bartlette continued.

Work study was originally designed as a means to provide student and financial aid to individuals on campus as a way of reigning in student loan debt. The on-campus work would coincide with research being done by professors and staff on campus, thereby furthering the education of many individuals who would otherwise be working at unrelated jobs offcampus.

"Up until 2002, Work Study

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positions were funded by the provincial government from a grant," Bartlette said. "In 2002,however, the funding was cut and many institutions took money from their budgets in order to continue to pay for the Work Study program."

The timing of the provincial government cuts coincided with tuition hikes across the province.

The money raised from the hikes went to paying for monetary assistance programs such as the Work Study program.

With the province still deep in recession, and many institutions facing budgetary setbacks, programs at universities provincewide are facing cutbacks. And while "certain things are being looked at [in terms of] streamlin• ing the administrative aspects" of Work Study positions across the campus, Bartlette added that the program will "wait and see until the end of the fiscal year [the end of Marchi before any decisions regarding the program are made.

However, we do not anticipate any cuts being made to the program."

Bartlette said that although budgetary concerns are often not an issue, as the program is funded largely by tuition fees, the Work Study program at UFV has had a difficulty filling positions in on campus jobs in the past. "One of the challenges faced arc that many

of the Work Study positions are not filled up until the third week or the end of the semester. Faculty memb1;1rs are being forced to repost positions, and there are hours could have been used at the beginning of the semester that are going to waste."

Bartlette also commented on the difficulty in attracting individuals to Work Study positions, as many are unfamiliar with the Career Link program used to advertise student positions.

Moreover, the jobs are usually not high-paying. However, Bartlette hopes the emphasis on "learning in the position, and gaining and maintaining positions" is enough to attract individuals.

"For many students in the Work Study program, it forces them to gain perspective on their chosen field and ask themselves if the work they arc doing is something they want to do after they graduate," Bartlette said.

Minimum requirements for eligibility in a Work Study position stipulate that an individual must be taking at least nine credits, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, according to the UFV Work Study and Co-op Education website.

Students are encouraged to discuss Work Study options with professors in their field of interest, as the majority of departments on campus have Work Study employment opportunities each semester.

Work Study positions and postings are placed at the Career Link website, which can be found on the UFV main page. The Career Centre office can be found on the second floor of B Building.

JUSTIN ORLEWICZ STAFFWRITER

FV held a summer job fair on the Abbotsford campus on March 10. The job fair was hosted by the UFV Career Centre. Over 15 different employers attended the event, and over 400 students took advantage of the opportunity to b<:!interviewed for summer employment.

Although the job fair was not as large as the annual Career Centre-organized job fair which takes place in the fall, there were still plenty of opportunities for students to meet with prospective employers. The foll fair typically focuses on careers for students that will be graduating at the end of the academic year. This past job fair focused on immediate employment opportunities for students, as opposed to future graduates.

Companies that setup booths included: Apple Barn Pumpkin Farm, Becker Professional Education, Career Assistance and Resources (CARE), CIBC, EV Logistics, First Integram Recruitment Agency, Langbroek, Louwerse a.nd Thiessen LLP,Management Development Program, Mercer Bradley, Mosaic Experiential Marketing, RJAgri - Tecks, Service Canada, Southwestern Company, Stream, The Zajac Ranch for Children, Vector Marketing, and the Youth Employment Resource Centre.

The companies present at the Job fair represented a broad spectrum of areas of work and opportunities for students to choose from. The benefit of fairs like this for UFV students is that every one of the companies were hiring for positions available to all students starting as early as at the end of this semester. ln other words, this was truly an opportunity for students to land employment, as opposed to just gather information about potential future employers.

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Ifowever, the job fair wasn't all business • the Career Center held a raffle for a Nintendo Wii. All students that pre-registered for the summer job fair's interview sessions were eligible to enter the raffle.

Students that have questions regarding summer jobs, sum mer employment, job opportunities and questions regarding their prospective careers are highly encouraged to make an appointment to talk to an adviser at the UFV Career Centre. The Career Centre offers experiential lcarni ng opportunities and career planning resources through programs in co-operative education, work-study and career services.

You can also contact them at 604-854-4507or career.centre@ufv. ca or you can check out their website at www.ufv.ca/careerplan.

Students are also advised to watch for details about the big annual job fair coming in October.

THE CASCADE

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FRIDAY,MARCH19th,2010

Innovative Policing the Future in B.C. TREVOR FIK

STAFF WRITER hat does it take to reduce crime in the United Kingdom by 42 per cent in 10 years?

Better yet, what kind of policies need to be put in to place to cause crime to fall in Los Angeles by 70 per cent, or in New York City by 50 per cent?

According to UFV Criminology professor Daryl Plecas, the answer lies in the intelligence-led, community-based approach to policing that has become a staple of crime reduction methods and policy worldwide.

This same crime reduction policy has been implemented in communities across British Columbia, and is being hailed by Plecas as "the single best thing that's ever happened to the criminal justice system in this province."

In a lecture series designed to promote ongoing research at UFV, Plecas spoke on March 10 about his excitement at the crime reduction model's initial success in 6.C., and his ongoing research with the UFV School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Crime reduction is described as a unique new approach to the problem of sky-rocketing crime rates in the province, meant to address the issue of the "revolving door" justice system that has plagued the provinces, B.C.in particular.

"The key features of crime reduction involve community and agency partnerships, evidence

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and information-based approaches to policing, as well as agency accountability with a focus on of· fenders," Plecas said.

Plecas stated the need for a crime reduction model was spawned out of the "six-fold increase in crime rate over a span of 30 years beginning in the 1970s."

"At one point Vancouver was the property crime capital of

North America, while Surrey was the auto-theft capital of the world," Plecas noted. "Ten years ago we had 8-10 gangs in B.C. As of the last official count, that number has gone up to 130."

Plecas also pointed to the fact that the increased demand being placed on police, combined with a decrease in resources has led to "virtually everyt,hing police do

taking longer."

This has had an adverse effect on the criminal courts, where at one point in the late nineties there were more people in B.C. awaiting trial than actual individuals in jail. Crime reduction policies seek to reduce the burden on the court system by introducing a system of sentencing that is focused on the offender's needs, rather than on punishment.

"The average prison sen• tence in Canada is currently less than 30 days," said Plecas. "Twenty-eight per cent of offences receive a prison sentence of less than eight days. Tell me, is it possible to rehabilitate someone in eight days?"

Rehabilitation measures and increased offender focus require the cooperation of many agencies, some of whom have had very little to do with the criminal justice system in the past. This includes municipal agencies (fire department), civilian groups, health care workers and housing agencies working together to assist in helping offenders cope with a variety of difficulties.

"The main issue is getting everyone together in one room so that the police can be intelligenceled, with as much resources as can be afforde.;l to them," Plecas said.

Plecas recognized the difficulty in ~etting agencies on ~oard "':'ith

crime reduction policies, which requires many agencies and ministries of the government to share resources and provide increased access to systems and databases.

Although some agencies have been reluctant to participate, the rewards have been undeniable.

In Kamloops, where crime reduction has remained a priority, the police department was recently voted the best detachment in the world. With an increased focus on helping offenders, rather than being concerned with the arrest rate, Kamloops has seen a 64 per cent drop in crime in the city.

"They are outrageously intel• ligence-led in Kamloops," Plecas said.

Intelligence-led policing has also resulted in the increased involvement of academia in the criminal justice system. Plecas himself has contributed to this initiative. He explained, "It used to be that we would be hounding agencies for data in order to construct a study. No"'! l have several agencies a week calling to assist with a study."

UFV president Mark Evered commented on the amount of research carried out at the university, highlighted by the ability of UFV to promote research initiatives in its undergrad programs and teaching staff.

"Good research contributes to great undergrad teaching," said Evered. "And here at UFV we want faculty members who have written the books."

[i uOttawa L'Universitecanadienne Canada's university

CASA National Director Resigns

Hitsfromthebong

Saying 'no'tonotrespassing

Fasting fortheendofclimate change FirstNations University denied rein· statement offederal funding

It'sbeenfoundthat55percentofCanadians think Students Rye! haslostsevenpounds sinceParliament Even Aratl Sharma hasresigned fromherposition of attheUniversity ofOttawa arecalling Dante though thefederal government refuses to marijuana should belegalized.

Despite ItsIllegal· ontheirschool's administration torespect student resumed.

Living onlyona dietofwaterand national director fortheCanadian Alliance of reinstate millions ofdollars Inannual funding to Incorporated IntoCanadian culture, spaces. supplements, he'sfasting untilhecangetcomtheFirstNations University ofCanada, Itsstudent Student Associations, theCanadian University lty,It'sdeeply Press haslearned. andnumerous citieshavecafesandlounges Several student organizations senttheletterto mitment froma senator tosponsor theClimate association president Issaying shewillcontinue to Accountability Act. Anemail fromCASA chairTinaRobichaud was dedicated tothedrug.

Rock aftertheadministration Issued no-trespass- Change advocate forthesurvival oftheschool. responsible forthispopularity Is ingnotices tocertain students attempting to "I'mextremely concerned aboutcllmate change," "IamIna placewhereIwillnotbedefeated senttoseveral CASA rnember associations onthe Partially •andtheIssueIsbecoming moreand afternoon ofMarch 15,explaining thatSharma marijuana's Image asafairly harmless drug, access student union-occupied offices oncampus. saidRye!, untiltheuniversity shutsItsdoors.

Iwillnotstop though emerging scientific studies arecontesting Representatives fromtheschool's Graduate morecritical astimegoeson." hadhanded Ina letterofresignation. fighting thisfight.Thisuniversity IstooImportant "HerlastdayIntheoffice willbeMarch 31,2010. thisbelief, mostly duetotheselective breeding of Students' Association (GSAED), theStudent The26-year-old Waterloo resident andgraduate tothiscountry rightnow;'saidPresident Diane Ms.Sharrna willbeexploring newopportunities plantstrains toyieldmorefruit,orbuds.

Federation oftheUniversity ofOttawa (SFUO) and ofLakehead University believes thattheplanet Adams.

Inthe1960s, theTHC content ofmarijuana was CUPE 2626- theunionrepresenting student risksbecoming lessfertileIfclimate change InthecityofToronto," theemailread.

Thiscomes aftera meeting lastweekInOttawa CASA IsCanada's second-largest student lobbying estimated tobearound 1percent,butaccording employees attheUofO- senta lettertoRock progresses, whilealsohaving negative Impacts on whereChuck Strahl, federal minister oflndlan group, representing about25student associationstotheAmerican Council forDrug Education, onMarch 1detailing theircollective refusal to foodsecurity. andNorthern affairs, wasaskedbystakeholders marijuana currently runsaTHC content ofaround applyuniversity-Issued no-trespassing notices ThegoalIstoensure thatthecountry meetspre- toreverse throughout thecountry. hisprevious decision andreinstate Theannouncement comes onlydaysafterthe fortheoffice spacethatstudent groups rentat vious global climate change obligations asstated Regina-based FNU's $7,2million Inannual fund7.5·24percentandrising. organization's annual lobbyconference wrapped Evidence government. shows thatTHC canworsen mental theUof0. undertheUnited Nations Framework Convention Ingfromthefederal upInOttawa onMarch 11,whereCASA members illnesses, butItIsInconclusive whether smoking "It'sImportant thatweensure thatourmembers onClimate Change (UNFCCC) bygetting emissions TheFirstNations University ofCanada hasseen fromacross thecountry metwithfederal polltl· marijuana, whileyourbrainIsstillIndevelopmenthaveunrestricted access toouroffices and(our) toa levelthatIs2Spercentbelow the1990 level bothitsprovlnclal andfederal funding pulled, saidGaetan-Phlllppe Beaull~re, GSMD by2020,and80percentbelow clans todiscuss studentIssues. orotherwise, canactually causeschizophrenia. services,• the1990level totaling overS12mllllon, afterallegations of Theresignation wasofficially confirmed byRobl• Aswell,theconsumption ofalcohol carries four eKternal commissioner.

"It'sunacceptable for by20S0. misspending surfaced earlier thisyear. chaud Ina separate statement, which indicated timestherisksdescribed, andsomepeople lookto students whoarenotathreattotheuniversity Ryel willImmediately starteatingagainoncehe •ftseemsabsurd tome- andIhopetomost thatSharma "hasnotchosen toseeka second THC consumption fortherapeutic effects. community tobearrested oncampus.• getsSenate sponsorship - otherwise hewillfast Canadians -that because ofsomeadministraterm•andnotedherresignation willcomeInto Theletternotedthe"obllgatlon touphold our untllMarch 31. tiveIssues attheuniversity, they've decided to effect April 1,2010.

Marco Ferreira - TheCapilano Courier firmcommitment toproviding ourmembers with close11:saidAdams.

Duvall - TheCord access toourpremises" anddalmed thataccess to K_rlsten Emma Godmere - CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief thosepremises aretobedecided autonomously Ashley Gaboury-CUP Central Bureau Chief bytheorganizations.

Charlotte Balley - TheFulcrum

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th, 2010

5

THE CASCADE

Nigerian massacre could have been avoided

The Cascade is hiring a News Writer

JORDAN PITCHER STAFFWRITER

he latest ethnically motivated T massacre in Jos, the capital of Nigeria's Plateau state, took place just before dawn on March 7. Gang members, who were predominantly from the Muslim Fulani tribe, attacked the mostly Christian villages just south of the town, according to the Economist.

The gangs destroyed numerous homes with petrol bombs and hacked their occupants to death with machetes, stabbed them with knifes or beat them to death with sticks, the Economist reported.

Though the official number of casualties according to the Nigerian police force is 109,many arc speculating that the number could range anywhere from two to five hundred.

Robin Waudo, a spokesperson for the RGd Cross, said that the attack "appears to some kind of a reprisal attack," referring to the attack that took in place in January that IGft nearly 500 people dead, mo:;t of which were Muslims, though some Christians were found dead as well.

A Nigerian, Peam Shut, recalled the attack for the Independent as he stood abovG a mass grave with ove1· 100 dead bodie:; in it, 17 of which were members of Shut's family. Shut was woken up by the sound of a gunshot and, upon looking outside, saw a group of mGnwith a.!lsortGdweapons throw a Molotov cocktail at his brother's home. · _. ' , Shut watched as his brother's wife attGmpted to flee. Shut said "She couldn't get away, they rushed her and they butchered her," and when the gang saw more villagers, they pointed and said "there are the other cattle." According to the Independent,Shut then fJGdthe area and managed to find a hiding spot; his wife and children, however, were not so fortunate. They were murdered by the gangs.

Stories like that of Shut's could

, _,

The News Writer works in conjunction _r"' with the News & Opinion Editor to produce three news/feature pieces per issue. News Writers must be comfortable conducting interviews and possess strong writing skills. Knowledge of CP Style and inDesign would be an asset, but are not a requirement.

To apply, send applications to: cascade.news@ufv.ca.

have been avoided, said U.N. Special Investigator on freedom of religion, Asma Jahangir, a:; reported by the Voiceof America.On the predictability of the attack, Jahangir said, "You cannot have surgical divisions on introducing legislation for one set of believers as against another set of believers because it ~oes have a spillover efff;ct. ~i1d, t~e repo;t I 1id, talk ~bput lwwth1at (s,_gp•~g.t?, aJ:~ct the non-Mushm mmonfy m some of these States where Sharia [Islamic religious law) was imposed.

Not only would it affect non-Muslim minorities, but it has a way of silencing a majority of Muslims as well, who might not otherwise agree to the very rigid interpretation of Sharia that the State may have adopted."

In the VoiceofAmerica,Jahangir said that there were a number of

)11

early warning signs. "What was interesting for me, 1,md this is a common pattern, is the denial of it all. The denial that there are no tensiont;, the a:;sertion that it i:; a secular State, that the constitution is secular, that people all throughout the centuries have lived sideby-side. But, the cracks that were so apparent were being, in a way, ignoi:ed." ' ' 1 T.hi&,.atta~ ."ii;f;la,riy a month after the Unitecl States praised Nigeria for resolving a nearly two month-political deadlock by electing Goodluck Jonathan to lead the country, according to the BBC. :RobinSanders, US ambassador to Nigeria, is cited in the BBC as saying: "The best interests of the country and the future of Nigeria have been well served by this action."

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Notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Cascade Journalism Society

Thursday, March 18, 1:00 p.m, room A310.

If quorum is not reached there will be a second try one week later on March 25th at 1:00 p.m in roomA310.

Agenda: i.) Approval of EGM agenda ii.) Minutes from last AGM iii.) Budget for the 2010/2011fiscal year iv.) Resignation of director(s) v.) By-election of new directors to fill vacant student-at-large positions vi.) New Business vii.) Q&A viii.) Adjourn

All students are encouraged to attend.

For more information, contact the Society President at cascade.society@gmail.com

FR1DAY, MARCH19th, 2010

THE CASCADE

6

Studying Abroad Pt. 6: Accosted in France

mate, seating around 120 people, equipped with velveteen maroon benches instead of chairs. ·n1e walls were a deep red with orange highlights giving the whole room a cozy, womb-like atmosphere.

I could never be a theatre person (I lack the rubbery face and zany personality), but I really enjoy theatre people. (fever r need inspiration for characters, I will head to the nearest play and people-watch.

This theatre was a smorgasbord of French stereotypes - everywhere were people dressed up in scarves, stripes and even a beret.

My favourite was an older man wearing a black velvet blazer unbuttoned over a deep purple sweater with grey collar and cuffs peeping through.

He had salt and pepper hair, crinkled eyes and a gorgeous watch. With his mature face and slight potbelly, he personified a plum; he would make a great grandfather.

I really enjoyed the play. The dialogue was snappy, saturated in clever puns and witty pop-culture references. The French are in love with their language in a way that I wish more Anglophones were in love with English. Even though

our language has five times as many words, our average vocabulary is of a lower level.

The French obsession with language is proven by the viewership of their national Spelling Bee (equal to that of soccer and the Tour de France) and the fact that language books are consistently propelled to the top of their bestseller lists. Whereas we tend to use language as a means to an end, the French enjoy the process of communication, carefully choosing their words and savouring them.

I will concede, however, that sometimes the French's obsession with flowery lyricism causes their sentences to become convoluted and practically incomprehensible.

Beautiful it may be, but as Theodore Zeldin said, "It cannot be assumed that what is written in French necessarily has meaning, any more than an abstract painting must signify something intelligible."

Some of the greatest sports stories of all time are generated by incredible underdogs. According to the New YorkTimes,the 1980US Olympic hockey team were 17 to 1 underdogs against the Soviets in Lake Placid. In order to motivate his players before the game, US coach Herb Brooks told his players, "You were born to be a player.

You were meant to be here. This moment is yours."

Was the US team born to play that game? I guess so. Maybe you could say that in hindsight. In reality though, the statement wasn't based on logic - it was the type of emotionally charged rhetoric that leaders often use to motivate their followers.

Many of the great moral leaders of the twentieth century were people of faith who believed in more than what they could see and hear.

Martin Luther King used his powerful speaking ability to motivate millions of black people to take action in their own communities. , It was the on-the-ground action

by people in marches and boycotts that actually brought about the change in civil-rights legislation, but the actions were fuelled by a belief that there could be a better future, regardless of what had gone on in the past. Martin Luther King himself drew great strength in his fundamental belief in the goodness of his white neighbours, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Dr. King said that "I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.''

In order for us to see the change, he had to believe in it, and motivate his followers to do the same.

harbours a sinister agenda against certain groups or departments.

As a periodic contributor to the paper and acquaintance of nearly all its staff, l should mention that I have never felt pressured to take a particular angle on any topic whatsoever. I have never

witnessed anything of the sort directed at my fellow writers either.

Review and opinion writers are, as they should be, pretty much given free rein, so long as their articles are well informed.

At times, the editofs have requested an opinion from "the other side." During the Olympics, for example, after a healthy dose of Games-bashing, the editors asked if anyone was interested in writing something positive for a change.

The Cascade prefers to give voice to both sides of important issues in an attempt to create a healthy debate. That is not an editorial slant - that's just good journalism.

The important questions for me here are these; should Cascade writers feel any sort of obligation to write favourable reviews and opinions simply because they are covering UFV events? If so, what use would such articles be to you, our readers? Should Cascadewriters attempt to retain any sem-

blance of journalistic integrity?

In my opinion, the mandate of this newspaper is not to be a cheerleader for everything UFV. Writers should be free to call it as they see it. Besides, negative reviews can be useful, particularly to artists and institutions. I mean really, all you potential novelists, actors, painters, fashion designers, playwrights, chefs, musicians, and graphic artists out there, welcome to the real world. If the review is a bag of you-know-what, just shrug it off. If it makes some valid points, perhaps adjustments are warranted.

Always remember, opinions are just that, opinions. If you strongly disagree (or even agree) with an article, you are always welcome to submit a letter to the editor. The Cascadeencourages your input. As for me, the day the Cascadesug• gests I "tone down an article" is the day I quit contributing.

MARINA PARAPINI CONTRIBUTOR ne morning while walking to the market, a French man turned around and addressed my roommate and I in perfect English. He was out for a walk with his family, pushing two small sons in a stroller and with a gorgeous wife perched on his arm. T became excited: he was telling us about an exclusive meeting for English speakers. It sounded so mysterious. Until he handed me a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet.

This week I injected some culture into my life and went to the theatre. The nearby Th~:ltre de la Cit~ was playing L'incroyab/eGermaine,the story of an unexpected visitor who causes comedic chaos in the protagonist's life.

While waiting to pick up our tickets, the girls and I were chatting giddily, excited about the evening ahead. A man in front of us turned around and haughtily said

O

aoH~oua 1,A

fRAHCI. in English, "Are you aware the play is in French?"

I have come to the conclusion that it is never a good sign when the French speak to you in English. Either they want to sell you something or they want to insult you in your own language. I replied in French that I could speak and understand the language just fine.

The theatre was small and inti-

Believingis Seeing When it comes to the motivation of JEDMINOR PRODUCTIONthe human spirit, something more than mere logic and reason is of• he Cascadehas printed many ten required.

Sometimes it is helpful to use opinion articles recently that have trumpeted the value of rea- logic when attempting to motivate son and logic. For the most part, someone. For example, if you are I agree entirely. There are many coaching a soccer team that is 10things that reason and logic are 1 and they are going up against good for: scientific inquiry, math- some 1-10mouth-breathers, it may be helpful to show the contrasting ematics, and the diligent running of a democratic government, to records to your team in order to name a few. motivate them. If you are coaching Reason is what brought us out the 1-10team, however, it wouldn't of the dark ages into the relative be helpful to show how logical it heaven of the Enlightenment peri- was that they would probably lose od and the Renaissance. The logic to the opposition.

If past results are any indicator, upon which the scientific method is based allowed our meteoric rise and reasonably they are, they may in the development of technology as well not walk out on the field. which has provided our current Does that mean they shouldn't unprecedented prosperity, at least play the game? Hell no! The game for us in the first world. is played on the field, not on paper, Yet although humans use rea- and sports are compelling because son as a very effective tool, many teams and individuals believe in of our decisions are based on emo- themselves and compete despite tion. Many say that is what, in the odds. As the great philosopher fact, makes us human - our abil- Han Solo once said, "Never tell me ity to love and feel emotional pain. the odds."

T

OpiningAbout Opinions RAY DEKllOON CONTRIBUTOR he _Cascade pu~l!shes a great variety of op1mons and reT views, up to and including opinions of opinions such as this one.

Of course, not everything printed on these pages is positive, nor should it be. The whole point of a review is to let you the reader know when something (be it a book, film, production, CD, whatever) is worthwhile, and when it is a complete and utter waste of your bloody time and/or money.

There are times when this newspaper reviews a UFV event or production. Not surprisingly, these reviews and opinions are often favourable. In my opinion, UFV generally has superb instructors and departments, not to mention an incredible number of very talented students.

Periodically, however, and perhaps not often enough, the Cascade

publishes an unfavourable review or opinion of something UFV that ruffles "university" feathers. The newspaper is often inundated with emails and replies (many from students) after publishing such a review. Some have even questioned whether the paper

FRIDAY,MARCH J-9th,2010

THE CASCADE

7,

Prostitution Law Revision Needed

RealityTV becomes... REALI

ALEX WATKINS CONTRIBUTOR he legal atatus of prostitution T in Canada is a subject of ongoing debate. Street prostitution (also referred to as survival prostitution) is the main focus of debate and legal enforcement, even though this segment is said to represent only 20 per cent of all prostitution activities in Canada.

This means that although a majority of sex workers operate via massage parlors, strip clubs and escort services, street workers - the most disadvantaged portion of the industry - are the ones targeted by police.

Individuals often become survival sex workers due to a perception that there are no other options; many begin at a young age (the average is 16-20) and are runaways from abusive homes, with little education or job experience.

A disproportionate amount of sex workers experienced sexual abuse during childhood, and marginalized groupti such as Aboriginals are overrepresented in the industry. The occurrence of survival sex work therefore seems lo stem from larger social problem1>, and will persist as long as these problems exist.

One of the many arguments used by those who arc against the decriminalization/legalization of prostitution is that if this change occurrc2d, the country would see an increase in this type of activity.

This type of reasoning is generally proven schmtifically incorrect; the same argument was used against the legalization of abortion, yet research showed that there was no significant increase in the occur-

rence of abortions after they were legalized.

TI1ccriminalization of activities related to prostitution is not only unsuccessful in deterring these activities, but actually increases the potential harm to individuals selling sex. Because communication for the purpose of prostitution is illegal, workers are fomid to conduct their business out of the public eye, often in secluded areas. This puts sex workers (particularly street/survival sex workers) in a dangerous position, as they are more likely to be abused, raped, and even killed.

Additionally, many sex workers are hesitant to report incidents because of their distrust of po• lice and fear of being prosecuted.

Trafficked persons in particular are powerless to report the manipulation and abuse they experience because there is no legal protection in place to prevent them from being deported.

In light of this information, it seems that the opposition to decriminalizing/legalizing prostitution docs not actually stem from the belief that sex workers are oppressed and need to be protected but from the belief that prostitu-

tion ls morally wrong and should be discouraged, regardless of research and testimony supporting the fact that a punitive/prohibitive approach to prostitution does nothing to stop its occurrence.

Projects which have the potential to help eliminate problems both causing and resulting from survival prostitution often suf. fer from lack of support; such programs include the West Coast Cooperative of Sex Industry Profcssiona ls' proposed Building Choices for the Future Program, which would provide survival sex workers with marketable skills and therefore allcmativc sources of income should they desire to leave the industry. Or the cooperative's Brothel Project, which would pro• vide a safe place for survival sex workers to conduct their business.

Regardless of its legal state, the demand for prostitution is always going to exii;t; therefore our focus should be on addressing the issues that both force and keep many individuals in the industry, and on implementing measures that protect these individuals from the violence and abuse they experience, rather than punishing them for lhcir situation.

Internetas a Right?Wrong!

CARA WALTON CONTRIBUTOR

A SBC

stud;r has recently revealed that the majority of people they interviewed would like to see the fnternet be considered a basic human right. Essentially, people are no longer simply viewing the Internet as a means of entertainment or as a convenient utility, but are now lobbying to have the uflrccdom to Google" be a right that every human being deserves and requires for life. l cringe knowing that the day is nigh that human rights groups place five bars of Wi-Fi at the same fundamental level as health and safety.

The UN organizes basic human rights under a few general categories such as political, civil, economic, social, and cultural. Tempt• jng though it may be to argue the legitimacy of th@web as a social right, 1 highly contest that a Facebook list of stalkers and stalkees quite makes the cut next to health care and education (and no, Wikipedia does not count as education).

Furthermore, the informal and short-cut ridden language of the Internet does not pass as cultural expression, at least not any culture l would be proud to express.

Throughout the years, our society has become increasingly defined by Internet junkies who are ultimately lost in cyberspace.

We desire to see the WWW as a human right, just as drug addict!>

would be literally and figuratively on cloud-nine with unlimited freedom of injection or inhalation.

Our priorities are certainly shown to be dictated by our addictions instead of human well-being.

The majority of people in Canada are only passively aware of their fundamental human rights. Therefore, we take them for granted, thus forcing our respect for them into redundancy and eventual ex· tinction. Society is experiencing a "basic human right ADD." That is to say, society is searching for a shiny new "right" to temporarily captivate our attention. I question

if society will ever tmly be satisfied.

Needless to say, making the Internet a basic human right necessitates the converse, as well. The Internet's new status would then consider the lack of Internet access to be a human rights violation. Who, I ask, would feel justified picketing for the virtual World Wide Web when faced with the true world wide reality of people incapable of even holding up a picket sign due to malnutrition and starvation?

After all, the Internet has only come into popular existence since the 1990s. The generations that existed in the World, before the Wide Web, didn't seem to suffer too horribly for their 'deprivation.' I doubt they felt as if they had an empty hole in their being that was vainly dialling up in search of a high-speed connection.

Regardless of if the Internet is a right or not, I encourage everyone to continue to connect, surf, and be Tntemetually active. Moreover, I challenge Internet gurus to take advantage of the privilege to use the Internet to lobby for the existing human rights of our time.

If, in the future, the Internet does indeed gain status as a Canadian fundamental human right, we can trouble-shoot that issue when we come to it.

by these TV shows.

AARON, BAYES

CONTRIBUTOR While I watch, in amazement, the living conditions these people have created and endured, I see ean remember a time about 10 ads for another new show, called years ago when so-called "real- ;\ddicted. As you mtght have ity TV" first arrived on the scene, guessed, this show is about addicwith a boom. This format was great tion, and addicted people. It hasn't for the people producing shows; premiered yet, but I did check it usually there was no need for high out on the website. price actors, no writers, no fancy As a psychology major, I'm sets. Everything was just cheaper overjoyed to find that all of these and easier than making a show shows are treating the people and like Star Trekor Seinfeld.J can also the issues with the respect and sciremember my reaction - PUKE! entific approach that any psycholI do not like Survivor. Big Brother. ogist worth their salt would. Each The /3acl1c/or.These drama-fests show I've seen has included a proare billed as reality TV, but I think fessional therapist on the scene, you will agree that they don't feel and referenced other research very realistic. The events being de- psychologists as well. The shows picted would not have taken place are quite dramatic, with sweeping without the show. shots of bedrooms and basements These days, I'm noticing a new with clutter piled up to the roof. trend in reality TV. Actually, I've But there is also a good attempt just noticed this trend right now as to understand the conditions that led these indJvidu.ils to behave I sit at my desk typing and watching Hoarding:Buried Alive on TLC. this way - genetics, childhood exAlong with Hoarderson A&E, these perience and social influences (and two shows are shining a light on a consequences) are explored. At the very real, but not widely known, same time, hoarding in general is psychological condition. discussed. By the end of the show, Hoarding is described as col- I feel like I have actually learned lecting "stuff" that is largely something - added to my personworthless and unused, to the point ality even - instead of being simwhere the home is barely liveable ply entertained for an hour. and the hoarder's social and physiI sincerely hope this trend in TV cal well-being are threatened. programming continues; there is a The Diagnostic and Statistics great potential to raise awareness Manual (DSM) is t:hc predominant of the issue of hoarding. Of course, authority on what constitutes a there are surely other patterns of psychological disorder, and there behaviour out there that are not is a strong case for including com- generally understood or known pulsive hoarding in the next ver- that could be the next focus of resion, the fifth, due out in 2013. If ality TV, and research and treatthat happens, there will be legal ment.

1would like to thank TLC, A&E, and political ramifications.

Right now, it's possible for and other media sources that are a hoarder to be evicted on the using their power to inform the grounds that the mess they have public in ways that are responcreated is damaging and dangersible. As for you, the public: watch ous for the property. But what if out. The future of mental health it is made an official mental dispractice and perception is being order? Instead of being evicted, influenced by the media. Let's stay such an individual may qualify on top of it, and make sure it is for for treatment, paid for with tax the best. dollars. And if that does come to pass, it will have been at least in part due to the awareness raised

l

THE CASCADE

8

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th,2010

UFV Theatre Presents: A Midsummer Night's Dream JORDAN PITCHER STAFF WRITER must admit that I was more than a little apprehensive about seeing a thealrical reproduction of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nigi,t's Dream. This is almost entirely due to the fact that I was forced to wage an educational war of attrition on the play earlier in the semester and it made me want to drive a rusty nail into my urethra, just to distract myself from the infinitely greater pain of slogging my way through tedious Shakespearean language.

Thankfully, the theatrical version put on by the UFV theatre department did not inspire such thoughts in me; rather, it brought the written play to life, allowing everyone in the audience to experience what I think Shakespeare had in mind when he categorized A Midsummer Night's Dream as a comedy, which struck me as a misnomered categorization when I first read the play.

Before l begin to lay praise on the actors, I would like to discuss the more technical aspects of the play, such as sound and lighting, etc. The lighting designer, Bruce Kirkley, did a superb job of enhancing the dreamlike, fantastical qualities of the play through the use of green and purple lights that managed to contrast enough with the predominantly blue stage to strike a tone that, I believe, played a vital role in establishing the play's atmosphere.

Sound designer, Jamea Listen· went with a pretty unorthodox soundtrack for the play. Or at least one that I wasn't expecting to hear, and was pleasantly surprised with it when! did hear it. The music played between (and sometimes

I

during) scenes sounded like it came from a Panda Bear or Animal Collective album. Overall, I thought it was a pretty perfect tonal representation of the play. The only qualm l had with the technical side of the play was the underutilized circular projection screen

that hung in the background.

That thing could have been used to great effect to bring anoth· er layer of information or context to the play, turning it from a fundamentally ''by the books" theatre production into a compelling multimedia experience. Furthermore,

Firm Future forCanadian Film TAYLOR TIEFENBACH ans better," said Tom Perlmutter,

THECARRILLON government film commissioner and NFB chair, in a press release. hile the National Film Board By cutting positions and movof Canada has escaped re- ing responsibility, more money cent budget cuts, it also hasn't seen will be put towards production. ''We think it's a good idea to any increase in funding in the past commit to the community of Sas10 years. katchewan," said Lily Roberts, To balance the meagre funding with the need to develop new ex- head of communications at the pertise in digital production, its main NFB office in Montreal, and offices are going through serious "to have somebody there to make changes. sure we engage and communicate The main Prairies branch in and work with the Saskatchewan Winnipeg, for instance, will lose cinematic community.

"We think it will probably be four positions, while two new producers specializing in multi- more efficient, even if we're small, platform digital production will to have a base there, because we be hired to open a new office in really want to work in collaboraSaskatchewan. ("Multi-platform tion with the community .... We digital production," in this case, think it will be more efficient in means dealing with all the avenues that sense."

In recent years, the NFB has depresented by Web 2.0 culture.)

The NFB established in 1939, veloped many initiatives in digifocuses on distributing and pro- tal development. Last October, it ducing non-mainstream Canadian debuted an iPhone app, giving folks the chance to watch NFB films.

With inflation and the rise in films from the palm of their hand. the cost of living, the amount put They've also launched a national into production and fulfilling online screening room where the company's mandate had de- visitors have access to their entire creased. Based on the current eco- film library once uploaded. So far, nomic situation, it docs not appear they've already totalled over 3.7 more funding will be coming any million film views.

The NFB also already have time soon.

"As the country deals with a multi-platform digital producers difficult deficit situation, we need employed in other regions.

Visit* nfb.ca *for more informato be smarter about how we use our resources to serve all Canadi- tion.

W

the pictures featured on the screen were either strange and felt like non-seq u i tu rs (except for the negative of the woods, which might have been symbolic of the distorted reality the play takes place in, or not) or very obvious (there is a heart on the screen because they are in love!).

My criticisms of the technical side of the play will (rightfully so) seem like the epitome of nitpickery when I recall with fondness the unimpeachable quality of the performances the actors demonstrated.

The chemistry between Bryan Cutler (Lysander) and Madison McArthur (Helena) was impeccable as they were able to add some much needed laughter to the generally lachrymose tone of the story between lhe four lovers. Their knack for physical comedy combined with Cutler's unreal facial expressions and McArthur's abil-

ity to convince the audience she is going legitimately crazy makes them two of the most compelling performers in the play.

However, the star of the show is, without a doubt, Stephen Wilhite, who plays Nick Bottom. His larger than life personality and comedic back and forth with Ali Shewan's Mistress Quince undoubtedly made the play for me. I am having trouble finding enough adjectives to praise Wilhite with, which means he has undoubtedly done something right. The crowd never laughed harder or seemed as thoroughly engrossed as when Wilhite was on the stage. This is a double-edged sword, however, since Wilhile's performance often overshadows the performances of his colleagues. There was never a moment when I wasn't thinking to myself "I hope Bottom comes on soon." Also, the donkey mask was perfection itself.

Overall, the play was very well done. I got lost in Shakespeare's dense language, as l'm sure most did, but the performers never failed to bring the dialogue to life through the tones of their voices or their facial expressions, which I was quite grateful for, for even if I did not understand precisely what was being said through the language, I always understood through the performers. Bravo.

A Midsummer Night's Dream runs from March 10-28at the UFV Chilliwack campus with matinees on March 21 and 28 at 2:00 p.m. and March 16, 22, 24 at 12:00 p.m. Regular performances arc on March 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $8 to $18. Either call 604-795-2814 for more box office information or visit www.ufv.ca/theatre.

■

FRIDAY, MARCH 19th, 2010

• ■ ■ II

THE CASCADE

9

----------MINI ALBUM ltEVIEWS---------Allllt,IA Cltttll ~-' \.

These New Puritans - Hidden

Mumford & Sons - SighNoMore

Jon& Roy- Homes

Nadia - Arrival

British art-rock (whatever that means) group These New Puritans are a bold, confident band from the south of England who are getting some international recognition for their second album Hidden. And quite rightly so. The album evokes old school Massive Attack, Portishead, Aphex Twin and Jonny Greenwood. It's a minor miracle that the band is getting mainstream recognition, due to the difficult nature of the record - it's moody, stark, uncompromising and brilliant. Given time, the album will win over anyone who likes their music with a bit of backbone, and it'll definitely be one that you'll be playing for years to come.

TI,is is the first album from Mumford & Sons, who originate from London, England. This indie/folk outfit is very refreshing to hear and, while there are only twelve songs on the album, each of them is amazingly written.

Their music is extremely beautiful and melodic. You may have seen them on the Late Show with David Letterman or the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, performing "The Cave," which is their current North American single.

While they're relatively new (only forming in 2007) it is obvious they have so much to offer and will be around for (hopefully) quite some time.

At once cheerful and rustic, Jon & Roy's new album Homesis a must-have for lovers of new age folk. The album takes cues from many genres and artists including the ska reggae of bands like Bedouin Soundclash, the new age folk of chaps like Devendra Banhart even touches on the cheerful pop prevalent in much of today's indie scene. ihc album cover features several cabins nestled in the woods and is a pcrfccl suggestion for the kind of listening that Homes demands: careful and relaxed days devoted to cooling your heels.

That said there is a lot of sunshine in this as well. Get the album now and be well acquainted come summer.

Arrival is the ambitiously titled first album from Calgary native, Nadia Kazmi. On its 11 tracks she reaches for the slars. She doesn't do a bad job of it either; Kaz.mi has some chops - that's evident.

Take for example the second track "Mother," a wonderfully sung event that tells the tale of sibling rivalry that ends in cold-blooded murder before devolving into a scathing guitar solo. Still, the song is less about her brother than a plea to her mother, not unlike the similarly titled Lennon song. Kazmi's voice mostly measures up to these lofty, and often gritty, measures, and although there arc a few instances where she stumbles it is hardly worth noting. This is a terrific first effort for Nadia Kazmi.

Alberta Cross Broken Side ofTime (Rollingstone.com) On this debut's title track, a Neil Young-ish guitar riff builds, and SwedishBritish expat Peter Ericson Stakee seems to compare depressionfuelled partying with fighting a war. (For real?) But the true message comes from his gut, when he stretches the word "time" into an awesome swarm of guitar noise, crashing drums and spiralling bass lines. And so it goes on a magnificently crunchy rock record with real vocal drama from Stakee, who sounds by turns. like Liam Gallagher, Thom Yorke and that high-pitched dude from Sigur R6s. If Alberta Cross can conjure more meaning to match their sonic feeling, they may be unstoppable.

AlbumReview VollesofNetune-JimiHendrix delve deeper PAUL FALARDEAU

into the myth of Jimi Hendrix is Valleys of Neptune.

ARTS& LIFEEDITOR This album captures Hendrix t may seem redundant to even after his last album with the Jimi review Jimi Hendrix anymore. Hendrix Experience, Electric LaNot only is he arguably the great- dy/and, and before his work with est guitarist who ever lived and Band of Gypsys. The nice thing probably far above whatever criti- about this work is that it captures cism I could hope to bestow upon the transformation of the guitar him, he died in 1970 and has made maestro between his psychedelic no new music to criticize since. beginnings as he began to explore Whal has happened though, is that his roots in the genres of blues, previously unrelea!ied recordings funk and jazz. have been released posthumously.

This exploration manifests itSince, as it turhs out, Hendrix was self in two ways. There are unrequite prolific these releases have leased tracks that are finally seebeen numerous. Their quality has ing the light of day and there are not been so reputable though. reworked versions of classic ExIn fact, before the Hendrix es- perience songs. The album starts tate reeled things in, a veritable with an awesomely reworked ver• cornucopia of shoddy material sion of "Stone Free," from Are You was released. Thankfully, recent Experienced?Here is a funky jam albums like South Saturn Deltaand that takes a whole new approach First Rays of the New Rising Sun to the classic, fitling, since it's a have broken the mold of bad al- song about not conforming to the bu ms released in Hendrix's name. norm.

Continuing the trend of cosmic There is an excellent up-tempo names and good music that lets us version of the Cream hit"Sunshine

I

of Your Love" that includes a massive mid-song freakout. The eponymous track is wonderfully wrillcn and its lyrics are deep and will appeal to psychedelic fans (and most other people for that matter).

The best song on the album is the tremendous "Red House," the blues classic that may just be Hendrix's signature song.

This version is bluesy, passionate and not without a sense of funk. The guitar sizzles and burns, and the entire song is a sultry jam that demands you listen to it over and over again.

It is tempting to discard this album as another "rarities and b-sides" album, something the music industry releases a bit too often these days and that the Hendrix catalogue has certainly been plagued by. But Valleys of Neptune is an feat that

breaks those previous conceptions.

Herc is an album that remembers what the rarities album was meant to be: a unique look into unexplored or overlooked pieces of an

artist's work. Valleysof Neptune is yet another persuasive argument for Hendrix's claim as the greatest guitarist to ever live.

,IIINKOIIANHIR0 C-l<Astm

©11-1@ 200

THE

GOOD

THE BAD & THE UFV

PAUL FALARDEAU JeffBridges -TheWeary Kind ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

TheBarenaked Ladies • BigBang Theory Theme I actually tried very hard to not watch this show - at first something about Jt irked me. However, this song is the straw that broke the art editor's back, as it were. It's so catchy and really got me into the show. It'll definitely give you a nerd boner and is classic Barenaked fun.

This is a song sung by the Dude himself. THE DUDE. Dudcr, His Dudeness, El Dudereno - if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Jeff Bridges is an immensely talented actor and, with T Bone Burnett's help, becomes a fantastic country singer. This track is the centerpiece of that finery. Another Caucasian please, Gary.

SHUFFLE

TheDropkick Murphys • TheFiel~s ofAthenry

TheRepublic Tigers Buildings & Mountains

When they aren't shitfaced these blokes are singing about the great famine in Ireland. What better way to celebrate ol' Saint Paddy's day? (Well, mayb~ watching the Commitments,or getting hammered.) Don't say r never did anything for you. I'll accept my returned favour in the form of a beer.

Kind of like folk with a hint of Muse added for kicks. What seems like a standard acoustic guitar and harmonies affair turns into a pretty neat performance. The tune is fairly infectious so look out: you may be singing it in the foreseeable future

Gogol Bordello -Stivali EColbacco One of the most upbeat (which is saylng a lot) songs in Gogol Bordello's catalogue and also one of the more traditional sounding ones. With no evident English included, this is one that everybody should have in their collection despite their lingual preferences.

That said it's an outtake from the Super Taranta sessions. Solution: it's on the Livefrom Axis Mundi album. You're welcome.

THECASCADE·

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FRIDAY,MARCH 19th;20HY

MulchersAte My Baby PAUL BRAMMER NEWS& OPINIONEDITOR here are many ways that a T civilization tries to propagate itself. The caveman drew crude images on walls, and the ancient Egyptians refined this through hjeroglyphics (which that midget tyrant Napoleon helped us to decode, thanks to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone).

As humanity developed, so too did our lines of communicatiot1 with the unknown future. Classical writers such as Homer, with his Iliad and Odyssey,unfurl to us the eternal truths of the human condition and the themes that our societies found themselves upon and fight with others over (Oh, tragic Grecians! Will you ever :otop thinking with your junk? 0 fie and fiddle-dee dum!).

Playwrights, from Shakespeare to Brecht, wrote plays that sought to explain their particular age to the rest of time, and we compartmentalize and separate history by the art that defines it.

While we can sit here and argue the artistic worth of such writers and their works, and the cultural touchstones that they laid down which help us hop over the ocean of history, we can all agree that, 01"1 some subconscious level, all art is propaganda. We produce works that show the world something in a way that we want them to see.

For example, in Henry V, Shakespeare portrays King Henry as a noble, valiant and all round ballygood bloke who is selfless, brave and heroic. The type of bloke you'd buy a pint of grog.

But if a French writer (for the

French were on the receiving end of Henry's wrath) were to write Henry V, or Les Henry le Feefth, as they'd probably say, why, he'd depict our once-noble king as a sneering, smarmy, cowardly, idiotic, brutish prig who couldn't arrange a piss-up in a brewery.

Henry V may not be the best example, ai; it was intended to be a British propaganda piece, penned (or quilled, I suppose) at the behest of Her Ginger Loveliness, Queen Elizabeth.

Whal L mean to say is that all works, all art, is intended to propagate the civilization that il is representing. It's the equivalent of throwing your hand up in class every time there's a question posed, even if you don't know the

ing through the latest Dickens or reading Aeschylus. Movies and pop music arc the most ubiquitous way in which we propagate ourselves as a society.

Of course, in the last 20 years, the Internet has come along and changed everything - the way we find, prioritize and consume information on a daily basis in our part of the world is so thoroughly influenced by the Internet that for people of my answer, just to get the teacher to generation it is becoming hazy to recognize your existence. As in- recall a time when you opened the dividuals within civilizations, we newspaper to find a movie listing are all desperate to keep our little or even bought a newspaper, for place in the corner of history, to be th.at matter. recognized, if only for the fact that However, the Internet, being it happened, that we happened. the new kid on the block, will just I don't think anyone can ar- have to wait in the wings. Despite gue that the twenty-first century its vast influence, it is a fragmentequivalent of daubing on cave ed and disparate form of commuwalls or penning epic poems h, th!.! nication and information-sharing. movies. Sure, we still have poetry, There is too little space left here books and plays. The problem is to fully dedicate enough room to that they have ceased to connect the influence the Internet has over with the lowest common denomimodern society. nator of society en masse. As a Movies and popular music, lover of poetry, books and plays it however, arc well within our grasp can be a bitter pill to swallow, but - we are acquainted with them, init is a fact. Going to the movies or grained in their history. They arc listening to popular music is the less fragmented and more homomodern-day equivalent of thumbgeneous than the Internet; at least

BookRaviaw Rant byChuck Palahnuik venom junkie with rabies .. .every ALEX WATKINS

CONTRIBUTORfather's worst nightmare."

I

'd be lying if I said I didn't have a soft spot for Rant by Chuck Palahnuik. My current relationship began, as all torrid love affairs do (I'm sure), with a book exchange. My own personal literary fixation reluctantly left my fingers and I was handed, in return, this unexpected little gem.

Let me begin by saying, this is not the type of book you would typically expect to receive from a person trying to impress you with his refinement and sensitivity. If it were sex, it would definitely not be the kind involving lingering gazes and scented candles, unless said candles were lit for the express purpose of pouring hot wax on a near stranget That said, the book turned out to be as captivating as it was unwholesome.

The work is a fictitious depiction of the life of Buster Casey, presented as an oral history pieced together after his death with the aid of an assortment of friends, family, and others with ties to Buster. A contributor from Buster's hometown describes him as a "sexually conflicted 13-ycar-old rattlesnake-

Several others account for Buster's nickname, "Rant," acquired due to a childhood incident in which he replaced the macaroni and peeled grapes at a Halloween party with the realbrains and eyeballs they were meant to represent; according to them, "Rant" is an onomatopoeic representation of the vomiting of his peers when the switch was revealed. Buster's love interest, Echo Lawrence, is a partially disfigured woman who makes her living by guilt-tripping would-be sexual aggressors. All these details add up to a highly entertaining story told by and about singularly strange people.

Readers who arc familiar with Chuck Palahniuk's previous works will recognize a few of his conventions. For one, the idea of an underground organization dedicated to chaos and destruction central to Fight Club is rehashed in the form of Party Crashing, an activity in which participants identify themselves by putting unique markings on their cars (for example, mattresses tied to roofs) and hunt down other participants on public roads with the goal of crashing

into them.

Additionally, Echo's means of income is similar to that of the protagonist Victor in Palahniuk's novel Choke.Victor exploits the better nature of strangers by inducing choking in restaurants and allowing patrons to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on him; according to Victor, his saviors naturally begin to feel a strong connection to him and arc easily manipulated into giving him money.

While many sec Palahniuk as a trashy purveyor of all things distasteful and shocking, there is no denying that he possesses a unique ability to present the grotesque as something magnetic.

I-le's certainly capable of crafting an interesting if somewhat incredible plot, peppered with engaging and well-researched details and a few genuiMly unexpected twists, as expertly displayed in Rant. ln short, this book - or any of Palahniuk's books, really - is not the kind of thing you'd likely dole out to a literary snob or your neighbourhood book club (or a squeamish potential partner). It is, however, a captivating and welcome reprieve from all things highbrow.

if we're talking about the major releases from worldwide companies, which, for the sake of this argument, we are.

Where, then, do Avatar,Transformers 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Man's Chest fit into the chronology of the human experi• ence? Do we rate them as high, or indeed higher, than works such as Moby Dick and T/JeOresteiabecause they reach more people?

I-Ialf a day after a film like Transformers is released, people from every continent in the world could and probably will have seen it. l guess what I'm asking is- how do we order the hierarchy of our innumerable civilizations? Is it the volume at which we shout dowt1 the black hole of eternity? Is it the importance of the messages we're propagating? What is importance?

Avatarhas made more money than Plato's works ever will. Does it not then stand to reason that James Cameron should be ranked higher than Plato in the all-time list of ii~fluential artists?

Just what are the messages that our movies and pop music are sending in bottles across the ocean to the shore of future civilizations?

How will future societies view us when they look through the prism of our popular .irt forms? Do we make the impression we would like to make, or do we make the impreS!:iionthat wll deserve?

For those of you who are thinking that I'm being a pretentious arsehole, fear not - as the General in the Souf/JParkmovie said, "Now now kids, you can still watch fart jokes on Nickelodeon."

Indeed.

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th, 2010

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THE CASCADE

MovieReview She's OutofMyLeague KYLEE SWADDENwhy Molly would be interested CONTRIBUTORin a guy like him. Kirk is a five and Molly is a 10; the rules of he's Out of My Leagueis a ro- dating in this movie dictate that

S

mantic comedy with a lot of comedic potential. Molly (Alice Eve) is a sexy event planner who meets Kirk (Jay Baruche) who dreams of being a pilot but instead, works in security at an airport. They meet when he saves her from dealing with his perverted bosses advances while she is trying to board a plane to New York for a party she is planning. When she gets on the plane she realizes that she left her iPhone at the gate, her quirky brooding friend calls her phone for her and Kirk picks up.

Molly invites him to one of the events she is planning the next day so he can drop off her phone and the relationship buds from there.

Kirk's friends give him a hard time and cannot understand (like the rest of the audience)

a person cannot jump more than two points, otherwise it will simply never work. His damaged group of friends provides the only real comedic aspect to the movie, and the family is just annoying.

This story is ideal for young teens and pre-teens just beginning to step out onto the dating scene. Though the movie did have a few high points and it did evoke a few face making twists, it was overall slightly disappointing. The plot was rather thin and Kirk's antagonist was a bit of a joke in itself, it might be more apt to say that he was his own antagonist in this movie.

Kirk can only be perceived as pathetic throughout this movie.

His friends support him yet make him feel awful about his capabilities with women, even

though only one of them is actually married and the other two do not seem to be able to keep a girl. One of his friends is referred to as the sex yoda. This group of friends is by far the most realistic part of this story.

The gorgeous blonde bombshell that Kirk falls for is actually one of the most likable sex kitten leading ladies I have seen in a long, long time. She is witty, smart and mostly honest throughout the movie. She is, I would say, a "girl's girl."

From her perfectly blow-dried hair right down to the Christian Louboutins she is wearing when we first see her, she is fabulous.

She knows she is out of Kirk's league, but is drawn to him anyway because she sees him as different from the men she has dated before.

In short, if you would like to go see this movie, expect a few good laughs, a thin plot and a hokey moral at the end.

MovieReview Alice inWonderland SARAH SPILLMAN ably more CGI

using "movie magic" were instead replaced with computer animation. Also, having never read the original story, I was going off my knowledge from Alice in

Things that could have been done by changing camera angles and

helped support, but there is no denying that their items are painfully overpriced for the quality and pleasure the customer receives.

Lastly, and again, perhaps it is this way in the book, but Tim BurWonderland - Through the ton's Alice in Wonderland focuses Looking Glass. Obviously, on Johnny Depp's Mad I-latter T do not know what is said more than either older versions of or done in the book, but in this movie. this new film, the Queen of Alice in Wonderland,both the Hearts and the Red Queen Disney version and Throu.glzthe have been mixed, even Looking Glass, were my favouthough in Through the Look- rite movies as a child, aside from ing Glass,they are completeNightmare Before Christmas. Now ly separate characters. all three versions of Alice are my top picks when it comes to movThough not connected with the quality of the ies. A few of my friends saw this movie directly, I would Hke movie and hated it, saying the to complain a little about a best part of the whole film was the certain store in Abbotsford's trailer for ToyStory3. So it seems: mall and their support of you'll either love it o.rhate it. I sugpublicity of the most annoygest everyone at least try and seeit at some point, even more so if you ing extent merchandise.

There are earring holders, enjoy Tim Burton and his take on a key rings, jewelry, bags, shirts movie that was already a little off and much more, which I may have its head.

"bring Soul music to the people of Dublin." So he finds a motley crew of musicians to be in the band.

All of the 11 actors who played the band members had a musical background, including the actor Glen Hansard, who played Out• span the guitarist. He won the Academy Award for best song "Falling Slowly," for the movie Once, in 2008. The other instruments ranged from trumpet to drums. They played soul music in the tradition of James Brown, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett, and they did it very well. The soundtrack is amazing. Their covers of "Dark End of the Street" and "Mustang Sally" are personal fa. vourites.

It's a tradition on Saint Patrick's Day to partake in festivities of drinking green beer, wearing shamrocks, eating Irish soda bread and cabbage, marching in a great parade, but you should also

add watching The Commitmentsto the itinerary. It is a great film that embodies a love of music and the universally understandable hilar· ity that ensues when you stick 11 people together who don't necessarily get along. So, enjoy your eel-

CONTRIBUTOR and make up in

A

lice in Wonderlandis a fabu-

. lous movie with great story progressio11 and character adaptation; for many people though, this movie will be a huge let down. As with many films, this one is a hit or miss.

Tim Burton is my favourite director, and I have honestly adored all of his movies. I enjoy his take on how a movie should feel, look and play out. Naturally his version of the Lewis Carroll classic was superb.

The acting quality was fantastic, with big names such as Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway and Crispin Glover leading the pack. Alice is portrayed by actress Mia Wasikowska, in her first starring role in a film.

Alice in Wonderland is filled with special effects; there is prob-

this movie than actual actors.

The effects are very well done, though obvious and seemingly pointless in spots.

The backing music, composed by Danny Elfman, and settings also add a dark and creepy tone to the entire movie, truly making it a Tim Burton piece.

Lastly, Johnny Depp gets a Scottish accent, and he has a bit of a dance scene; need I say more?

Though I loved this movie, there were some things that bothered me about it.

MovieReview TheCommitments BRITTANY WIESNERturning the world green (literally, SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR every year since 1962 they turn the or one day a year suddenly everyone is Irish or an "honorary" Irishman. And why not? It's a great country and a great culture so why not be proud? Not to mention that in the USA there are over 36.5 million residents who claim Irish ancestry; that's nine times the population of Ireland. Adding the 14 per cent of Canada's population that's Irish, that makes our continent one shamrock-filled place.

This day, if you didn't guess is St. Patrick's Day - a world wide drinking holiday (even though it is actually a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland).

St. Patrick's Day is the celebration of St. Patrick, the most recognized patron saint of Ireland. The day can also be considered a celebration of Ireland itself. Either way, how do we celebrate this saint? By

F

Chicago River green) and drinking heavily (well only in Ireland since 1995,because before then the Pubs were closed on St. Patty's day).

So how did you celebrate this great Saint's day? Or are you planning to celebrate this weekend?

Well may I suggest a good dose of Irish culture? This year celebrate with The Commitments; an excellent Irish film about a band and their struggles. It sounds simple, but it's a true cult classic. Based on the book of the same name by Roddy Doyle, this movie is hilarious, brilliant and incorporates inspired music and amazing performances.

The band, who start out as "And, And, And" and later become "The Commitments," begin with the character Jimmy Rabbitte - a musical expert, played by Robert Arkins, putting together a band to

ebrations by sitting down to watch it, or enjoy recovering from your celebrations by watching it. I also suggest you try the book which is equally funny and excellent.

Please pass the Guinness!

THE CASCADE

12

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th, 20 lO

CascadeArcade Motion Controller Madness JOEL SMARTwithout even holding a controller,

STAFF WRITER proceeded to melt my mind. l can barely fathom what designers will ver since the Wii was first create with such a device.

Around the same time as Microannounced, 1 had some minor apprehension about motion soft's announcement, not surpriscontrollers. They provide some ingly, Sony announced a device unique functionality, but allowing that would give the PlayStation 3 you to mimic the general motions its own brand of motion control. of bowling or tennis seems to be Of course, Sony had to keep up with their competitors, and come about as good as it gets.

However, with the somewhat out with a motion controller too. recent release of the Wii MotionThe device looks somewhat Plus attachment for the Wii re- Hke a Wjj rQmote with a glowing mote, I began to get the idea that ping pong ball attached to the tip. there was something more pos- lt works in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye, Sony's webcam sible with motion control. device, as the Eye "watches" the ThenMicrosof t's announcement of Project Natal, the 3D webcam glowing bulb to help track your that allows you to control a game movements. It also contains inter-

E

nal mechanisms that aid its accuracy. This week, Sony announced numerous new details about the device. Officially titled the Play• Station Move, it will cost $100bundled with the .PlayStation Eye. It claims to have incredibly accurate movement. Demos of the device show sword fights and bow-and-arrow shooting that seem to allow perfect control. One designer compared his first time using the device to the feeling he had the first time he controlled a character in a 3D videogame. The pin-point precision of the Move, it seems, is unparalleled.

Nevertheless, J am still not entirely cotwi need. Or at least, 1 don't expect I'll want to completely trade

in my traditional controller any time soon.

Standing up to play seems like a once in a while kind of activity to me. If the device requires good lighting, that may also pose a problem, considering I often prefer to play in a dark room. T'vealso heard that you need to calibrate the device each time you use it.

Perhaps just a minor complaint, but that sounds a tad annoying.

I have seen some pretty exciting videos of the device in use though.

Perhaps my favourite would be a video that showed two friends playing LittleBigPlanet.

One person played with a traditional controller, using it to move the main character as the game was originally

designed. The second player used the Move to grab obstacles and move them out of the way, or to grab and drag platforms, simply by aiming the device at the screen llke a Wii remote. One of the coolest moments came when the Move was used to pick up an umbrella that could deflect falling hazards from the main character running underneath.

I do expect motion controls to become a more fundamental method of control in the future, especially considering the Natal.

In the past I often turned my nose up at the Wii and it's plethora of motion-based mini-games, how• ever r am starting to feel tempted by these newer devices.

doing the university (shows) is there's such an interesting rush of coming to sec this guy they grew up with, and it's still a really cool thing to connect with me."

With a 30-year history of mak• ing music and entertaining people, Penner is aware of the impact he has had on many people's lives. At times, he still feels overwhelmed by the love and thanks people show him.

"Tt was always about doing this because it felt right, because I had something inside of me that T needed to express through music and story and whatever direction it would go," he says. "I felt that inside me, but you never know if that's going to be received or reciprocated by the audience.

"So, you start with the core of your talent, your ability. You do things to the best of your ability and see where it goes. Fortunately, it has been and continues to be a most incredible and powerfully positive journey for me."

At this point, Penner is in a position where he can pick and choose projects. He's interested in get-

ting back into television, possibly doing some film and of course is committed to live performing. Al• though he's just a few years away from being able to accept Canada Pension Plan payments, Penner

has no plans for retirement.

"All these aspects of my creativity and my life are essentially in place at this point. It's the kind of thing that is going to continue to carry me until I drop."

Clone High:

Undeclared:

John Doe:

On paper, Undeclaredseemed like it could do no wrong. It was created by Judd Apatow and it starred Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, and the always adorable Monica Keena. In 2010, every network executive on the planet would sacrifice his or her first born just to get an advance look at the pilot. Unfortunately, in 2001-2002 (what is it with this year?!) FOX picked up the program and only gave it a pitiful 17 episode run, thus dashing everyone's hopes of what was viewed by many as

I know l am going to catch a lot of shit for this one, but I remember thoroughly enjoying this show. 1 often think about it as what Lost(albeit a significantly watered down version) would look like if it were on FOX, as John Doe was. There was an overarching mystery, and each week viewers were offered a piece of the answer. It was my initiation to the power of semi-intricate storytelling. JohnDoe starred Dominic Purcell (of Prison Break· "fame") and aired its first and final season on FOX in ...2002.

Fred Penner Comes Back TAYLOR TlillMBAC,Htrave·1to the East Coast for a mix of THECARILLON public and university shows.

"It's like I have this range of red Penner is many things.

F He's a children's entertainer, a Canadian icon, a CBC television star and a part•timc bar act.

Wait, part-time bar act? Since when?

It started a couple years back when Penner played a show at Gert's Bar, a student pub at McGill University in Montreal.

"I ended up going to Gert's Lounge on a Friday afternoon at four and selling out this bar. I was there for about two to two-and-ahalf (hours) just interacting with students and talking about the history of my career and *Fred Penner's Place* and people that l've met along the way, and songs that they wanted to hear and songs that I wanted to share," says Penner.

Since then, he has sprinkled in shows at university bars along with his children's shows. Currently, he is in the midst of a West Coast tour and, after a quick regrouping in his hometown of Winnipeg, he'll

variables to play with now and try to put them all together on a tour.

It's interesting playing the different levels."

The content of the university shows is largely dictated by the audience, he says. He'll assuredly play *The Cat Came Back* and "'Sandwiches"',his two biggest hits, and many other songs students remember from childhood.

The shqw isn't just a. children's cqt~cert performed for young adults, though. Rather, this is the next evolution in Penner's career, which has always been about creating a positive connection with the audience.

"It has never been just about getting up and singing a couple of songs and trying to be funny.

It's always been about trying to make a positive connection with the vulnerable spirit of the child.

That may sound intense, but that's the way it's always been," Penner says.

"The thing I really enjoy about

ChannalSurtinu JORDAN PITCHER STAFF WRITER am going to take the week off from writing about Chuck, for fear that my unconditional love for this divine program will cause me to lose my job, and because I don't really have anything new to say about it this week (it is still awesome). Instead, considering a lot of networks are renewing and cancelling programs early this season, I am going to write about television programs that were cut down in their prime and never saw a sophomore season.

I am sure there are a million or more shows that were cut down before they had a chance to fully mature, but these are the particular ones I remember with fondness. In retrospect, it is a wonder I am alive today, considering that nearly every program on this list was cancelled in 2002 and I tend to take television a little too seriously. Maybe this is the reason why I listened to so much Limp Bizkit when I was a teen.

l

Firefly: I would get my nerd credentials revoked if I didn't mention this modern masterpiece, that's how intense the enduring loyalty of the Fireflyfanbase is. Fireflyran from 2002-2003on FOX until FOX realized the show was incredible in every sense of the word and decided to cancel it. The legends of how FOX dicked around with the episode schedule so the season had a mildly disjointed feeling are unequivocally true and still raise the ire of every person on planet earth. In fact, I am brought to tears at the mere recollection of the nefarious actions that led to Firefly's cancellation, nearly a decade after the fact. That is power, my friends.

J remember with an unchatac-

teristic fondness the days when my friends and I used to watch CloneHigh and attempt our best JFK and Principal Scudworth impressions. To this day, none of us can say "sick Puma's, bro" or "I err ...uhh ..." without inspiring unbridled joy in one another. It takes a truly special kind of program to infect someone's lexicon like that and still be hilarious eight years later. Sadly, CloneHighonly ran for one year (2002) until it was cancelled due to copyright issues with FreaksandGeeks:theCollegeYears.

Gandhi's family (buzzkills). Clone High was created in part by Bill Lawrence the man responsible for Scrubsand...CougarTown.Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

FRIDAY,MARCH.19th,2010

SAMARANDA BLAZEL

ROGUE GYPSY Cancet: June 21 • July 22

future endeavours.

You may end up being late. If that is what the universe has in store, you may not be able to alter your fate. You can try! Give yourself a little extra time to do things this week.

Aries: March 21 - April 19

Leo: July 23 - August 22

You may want to wear a helmet this week. Be aware of foreign objects falling from the sky. However, don't watch too intently. Bird feces in the eye may cause blindness. This week is all about finding balance in your life.

Next time you are thinking something nice about someone you should tell them. From here, only good things can happen.

My caravan was just passing

throughtown as I caughtwind of some lost souls seeking answers.

My crystal ball lit up at the op-

portunity to guide you in your

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THE. CASCADE

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

I bet you know a few people who are sick right now. I am so sorry to You will find what you are look,, inform you, but you can't avoid it. ing for if you just start looking in It's your turn. Make sure you are the right place. Usually when you stocked up on chicken soup and can't find something, it is because you favourite teas! that thing is somewhere unexpect• ed. It's like when you accidentally leave your car keys in the fridge. Libra: September 23 - October 22 Look in the fridge.

That movie you are going to see is Gemini: May 21 - June 20 not worth it. Also, the guy sitting five seats down from you is going Buy your mom a flower. Even i£ to get up to pee and he is going to you are cheap and just get her a knock your pop right into your carnation she will be so happy. lap. Maybe think about renting a Take these opportunities when it classic instead. is not Mother's Day or her birthScorpio: October 23 - November day to show her that appreciating her isn't an obligation. It's just 21 good karma.

This is your week to get in touch with nature. However you do it, it will pay off. Just maybe avoid Taurus: April 20 - May 20

intercourse with sheep ... I don't think that the universe wants anyone to get in touch with nature that way.

Sagittarius: November 22 •

December21 Keep an eye out for something unexpected. If you aren't looking out you will miss it. Sometimes we have to pay close attention to catch the subtleties in life.

Capricorn: December22 • January 19

Try something artistic. You have had too much on your plate lately.

Let loose and create something!

Art is a great form of therapy.

Aquarius: January 20 • February 18

Don't cat at any restaurants this week. Yoiijust gave my crystal ball food poisoning trying to predict this one! I don't know if you have every seen a crystal ball filled with barf and excrement, but it isn't pretty. Unless you want to share this fate, I'd suggest you eat in this week and pack a lunch while you are at it.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

They say this is beautiful British Columbia but what do you know.

Your destiny awaits you at http:// www.fiaservalleyguide.com/At_ Parks.html. Enjoy!

your birthday is between March 19 and 25: If

You've lost track of the true reasons you really started off on your path in life. Take a few minutes to sit down and try to remember.

Once you have figured it out, do something to review that passion you once had. This may even in· elude choosing a different direction. Follow a path that has heart.

I must continue on my way as I am a transient wanderer. You will be fine without me. The universe will guide you if you listen.

Easy Calzone Since last week was a quick and easy dessert, l decided this week will be a quick and easy dinner - which you could pack as a lunch, or have as a snack. It's the easy calzone! That's right, you no longer have to go to Pizza Hut to have a yummy calzone. Not to mention, it's cheap and easy to cook, making it perfect for your average student.

Ingredients: pre-made pizza dough

12ounces ricotta cheese (ifyoustill havetherecipe froma w~ile back, youknow howtomake yourown ricotta) l l/2 cupsmozzarella, grated

2-3cloves minced garlic ½ cupchopped broccoli (optional) ½ cupsliced hamorpepperoni

An average refund with us is s1,ooo.

(optional)

Weget you an average of s1,oooon your

otheringredients asdesired l cupspaghetti sauce(optional)

StudentTaxPrep

A 1.5 pound batch of dough will make nine calzones. Pul1it out and divide into nine pieces.

Roll each piece into a six inch cir· de. Mix together 12 ounces ricotta cheese and 1 ½ cups grated moz• zarella and some garlic. If you're using the ham and/or broccoli, put them on the dough. Put about 1/2 cup of the cheese onto the circle

tax refund,

so you can do more of what you want to do. Get It Right."'

s299s

H&R BLOCK•

plus FREESPCCard:

of dough. Fold the dough in half, pinch the seams, press down with a fork on the edges. Brush with melted butter. Bake them at 450 for 10 minutes.

And there you go. Something very tasty that you can have for lunch (which will save you from getting food at the cafeteria). Until next time, Bon Appetite!

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14

THE CASCADE

FRIDAY,MARCH19th,2010

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th, 2010

15

THECASCADE

Back-to-back Back-to-backs

tionably JOELSMART

exceptional that the Canucks were able to pick up seven STAFF WRITER of eighl possible points in the fournly three of the Canucks last game stretch. The first game of the 11 games were not part of a span was a decisive 6-4 defeat of back-to-back, a term that means the Colorado Avalanche, but the playing on consecutive nights. next night the Phoenix Coyotes Most recently, the Canucks played ultimately topped the Canucks in two back-to-backs in a row, with the sixth shoot-out round. Despite only a two day break in between. the disappointing end, it was a In the last game of the back-to- hard-fought final game in the lonback back-to-backs, the Vancouver gest road trip of NHL history.

A back-to-back ended the trip, Canucks managed to beat Calgary and after two days off another Flames 3-1.

Back-to-back games can be ex- back-to-back began a much anticipated home swing. This pair of tremely fatiguing, so it is unques-

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games put the Canucks up different times. Daniel and Hen- Luongo's nickname in reli~f. The against two top quality Ca- rik Sedin, as well as Ryan Kesler, Canucks managed to get through the period unscathed, but it had nadian opponents. The first were the heroes. After the third was a blowout against the goal, the crowd began to jeer the become clear that fatigue was Ottawa Senators, with a mas- Flames goaltender, slowly sing- starting to set in.

The third period was even more terful 5-1 Canucks win. The ing his name over and over, "Kipsecond game was divisional per. Kipper. Kipper." Despite the difficuH for the Canucks, though match against what many three goals, though, it was hard to they were able to limit quality consider to be the greatest blame him for their fate, especially scoring chances with quality derival of the Canucks. considering Lhal the Canucks got fence and a high percentage of face-off wins. A lonely goal made The Sunday evening affair 20 shots on goal in the first period began with a bang. Hard, alone. Many of the shots were in- its way past Luongo, over halfway crisp passes and smart plays credibly clo:,e to becoming goals, through the third period. It spoiled put the Flames to shame in and many required highly-acro- what could have been a magnificent shutout, but it was tough to the first period. The Canucks batic saves to keep out. were hitting, they were alive In the second period, the Flames complain considering how tired had a different goalie in net. The the team likely was at that point. and completely dominating in every respect. The Flames energy began to shift in favour of The game could have used a fight were unable to offer a legiti- the Flames. A flurry of shots hit- or two, but otherwise it was a fanmate challenge; they looked ting too close to home for com- tastic way to finish off the back-tomore like Team Norway playing fort had everyone breathing out back back-to-backs. against Team Canada.

BCNU's 4th Annual Practice Conference Shortly after the Sharing Our Successes game began, the Way of Knowing, Ways of Doing Canucks were up by one. The crowd, 5 & 6th May 2010 which had very little Hyatt Regency, Vancouver, BC opportunity to cheer Ched1. It out on the 13Cii-lUmlend61'" "Luuu;, in the first period, but they still www.hcnu.ora/ca1endar had plenty of opLearn more about opportunities like these portunity to make at www.bcnu.org or contact your Fraser noise, as the goal Valley Regional Chair at lplpe@bcnu.org horn rang out three -

Everything BadisGood forYou ApplicationDeadline:May

JORDAN PITCHERthan beer and other liquors) three

1

STAFFWRITER to four times a week could prevent

stroke in men. The study propo:,es n order to rema1n faithful to that men who stuck lo this drink• the ~pirit of this article, I am at- ing regimen were one third less tempting to write it whilst terribly likely to have a stroke. TI1isis beinebriated off a thimble-full of cause scientists have discovered red wine. Since I am writing this something in the grapes used in article in the middle of the day, red wine that greatly inhibits the some would label me an alcoholic; development of clots related to however, J am simply watching strokes. my figure (swimsuit season is just In 2007,the Iowa Women'sJ-Icalth around the corner). What about the Study conducted a study that inpartially eaten, somewhat melted volved 34,000 post menopausal bar of dark chocolate next to me, women and noted that th~ wom~n you might ask. I am attempting to who ate one serving of chocolate ward off a stroke. Yes, that's cor- per week were 22 per cent less rect: I am drinking red wine to likely to have a stroke than their lose weight anti eating dark choco- non chocolate eating counterparts. late to prevent a stroke. Marvel at A second study that took place in the awesome power of science.

Sweden and involved 1,169people The Archivesof Internal Medicine discovered that by eating 50g of reports that the consumption of al- chocolate per week, participants coholic beverages, specifically red were 46 per cent less likely to wine, is correlated to a lowered die after a stroke than those who risk of obesity and weight gain did not partake. This is because in women over 40 years of age (a dark chocolate is rich in antioxidemographic to which I clearly be- dants-as welt as flavor-called long - that was a joke by the way). flavonoids that may act as an antiDr. Lu Wang of the Division of inflam matory.

Preventative Medicine and Aging Though more research must be of the Department, Brigham and done to determine whether or not Women's Hospital performed a these eating and drinking habits study that involved 19,220healthy should be incorporated into one's 39 year-old females from the Unit- daily life, I have already jumped ed States and followed them for on the bandwagon. Sure I am an 12.9years. unappealing drunk trying to sing At the end of the study, there "Free Bird" with chocolate caked was sufficient data to draw a around my mouth, but at least I'll correlation that, essentially, con- live forever. Stay tuned for my arcluded that women without any ticle next week "Bacon Identified weight problems that con1;umed a as Cure for Everything, Ever, Scilight to moderate amount of alco- entists Say." hol gained less weight and had a decreased risk of becoming obese over the 12.9 years. It is possible that this could be the case because the calories gai.nf.)dfrom consuming alcohol may be burned differently than the calories gained from protein and other foods.

Furthermore, researchers in the annals of Internal Medicine have discovered that consuming one or two alcoholic beverages (though red wine is more preventative

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THE CASCADE

16

FRIDAY,MARCH 19th, 2010

Wbat's New in the World of NFL and CFL? TREVORFIK STAFF WRITER ith football ·season ending only weeks earlier, the Olympics have been relatively successful in subduing and distracting many hardcore NFL and CFL fans with sports-related spectacles. However, with the passage of time comes the fading of gold medal memories, and with the CFL'sfirst game still months away (July 1), fans of the gridiron will have to rely on the football draft, line-up changes, and free agency news to get by.

For BC Lions fans, the offseason has been full of questions regarding the number one quarterback spot on the team. Last season saw the position go through more changes than a Washington Redskins play caller, with Buck Pierce, Jarious Jackson, and Casey Printers all starting in the quarterback spot.

Pierce, who was signed to the Lions as a free agent in 2005, was the least likely to rejoin the squad as he had a scheduled bonus due to him in mid-march. While an· nouncing the five year veterans release on March 8, Lions Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono said that he "didn't want to be disrespectful of those who have made a contribution to the organization." The announcement was made shortly after Printers was given the nod for the starting quarterback job for the Lions.

"He [Printers] showed last sea-

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son he can excite a team, and he can excite a city," added Buono.

Printers, whose career spans stints in BC (three seasons), Hamilton, and two yea rs on the practice squad for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs (both times being cut before regular season play), will be offered $300,000 over a two year period (keeping him through the 2011season) with the Lions.

Jarious Jackson, who had offseason surgery arthroscopic shoulder surgery, will provide the backup, with Travis Lulay and Zac Cham-

pion residing in the third and fourth spots.

South of the border, the free agency market has heated up COl'I· siderable since free agency began on March 5, Often the movements in the free agency period are heavily swayed by cash. Whether a signing bonus is due for an undeserving player, how much a team is willing to doll out (taking into consideration prospective draft prospects and resigning issues), and the reconstruction of a team (pricey new coaches or Gatorade

bottles) all im• pact whether a big ticket item (player) will be purchased come March.

This year's biggest pickups came from Lwo organizations dt!Speratcly in need of some manpower.

The Chicago Bears were first to strike, signing veteran defensive end Julius Peppers from the Carolina Panthers on a six year, $91.S million deal.

The Bears defence, who struggled last season without Captain Brian Urlacher, will be looked at to pick up the slack for interception prone quarterback Jay Cutler.

The Kansas City Chiefs had arguable the best pick-ups since free agency began, signing running back Thomas Jones of the New YorkJets to a two year, $5 million contract. Jones, who rushed for a career high 1402 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, left after the Jets failed to match the Chiefs' offer.

Further news out of the Jets

camp this past weekend is that they have closed a deal with ageing running back LaDainian TomIinson. The pro-bowl running back will fill the vacated spot of Thomas Jones, and provide complimentary backup for starter Shaun Greene.

Tomlinson, who was booed off the field last season in San Diego for his less than stellar performance against the Jets in Lheplayoffs (12 attempts for 24 yards), is coming off career low 730 yards and 12 touchdowns. Commenting on the Jets' purchase, USA Today has remarked that it could either be "the steal of the offseason," or just another "charity case."

In other free agency news, former Buffalo wide-receiver, Terell Owens is in talks with the Cincinnati Bengals to join the receiving corps there. The Bengals, who were knocked out by the New York Jets in the wild-card round of last year's play-offs, were without much of a deep-threat after the loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Laveranues Cqles last season.

In theory adding T.0 to a Bengals squad that has had to rely almost entirely on the running game of Cedric Benson makes sense. However, just the thought of Owens teaming up with the loud-mouthed Chad Ochocinco is cringe worthy.

The on-field and off-field banter and drama may be engaging for the casual fan, but for the hardcore follower of the game it is nothing more than an car-piercing distraction.

Inside theLocker Room In JUSTIN ORLEWla

the old days (the era that the STAFF WRITER GM's arc from), teams had policemen, guys that would protect the he annual NHL general man- superstars from getting hit. If you agers' meeting took place in ran Bobby Orr back in the day, you south Florida last week, and the knew that Terry O'Reilly was gomajor topic of discussion was head ing to be coming after you. Same shots. This season we have seen with the early Greztky era: if you head shots on Florida forward Da- touched him Dave Semenko was vid Booth and most recently on going to be taking a swing at you Boston's Marc Savard. Offenders, for the rest of the game.

Tn the old days we never saw Miki! Richards and Matt Cooke, received no disciplinary action superstars getting blindsided, so from the league as both instances there is a solution to the problem: were called clean hits by NHL we need to bring back the police ofsheriff Colin Campbell (NH.L Se- ficer and get rid of the head shots, nior Executive Vice President of without taking hitting out of the game. To bring back the enforcer, Hockey Operations).

The NHL managers discussed all the league would have to do is intentional shoulder checks to the get rid of the instigator rule and head but once again came up short the policeman is reborn. The fix is on the majority vote to outlaw so simple Lhalil hurts to sit by and watch as the head shots continue. head shots.

Taking head shots out of the Most of these general managers are products of old time hockey game is wrong, and the only reaand will always see a shoulder son we are even talking about check as a clean play regardless them is because we have select of whether it's to the head or not. reporters in the media who can "It's a topic that is hard to get ev- barely skate, let alone play hockey erybody to see it the same way," at a competitive level, complainNashville Predators GM David ing about how unsafe head shots Poile said. "Tthink every manager are. To them all I can say is "grow is a good and concerned citizen; we a pair" - if hockey is too violent for don't Hke when players get hurt, you then maybe it is time to start we don't like it when somebody watching and wriling about figure gets taken off on a stretcher. Over skating.

On another note, at the general the course of one game, there are 40-plus hits, so you multiply that managers' meeting a motion was out, that's 50,000-plus hits over put forward to put two referees the course of a season. There's no in the .AHL to help the developmanager that wants to take hitting ing players get used to the two ref out of the game. For these 10 or so system.

Sounds like the general managhits, what's the right thing to do?"

What the general managers arc ers' meeting was more than just a foiling to see is that head shots are weekend of golf for them. A monot the problem in today's game - tion got passed and hitting is still the instigator rule is the problem. allowed in hockey.

HeatReoort

T

ers like me don't have moves, you JUSTIN ORLEWICZ

STAFF WRITER need hands for that. [I was] just trying to get her high and get her fter almost a week off, the up, luckily it went off his arm."

Heal returned to action last Murray later referred to the shootFriday at the AESC and faced off out winner as getting the "gorilla" against the Lake Erie Monsters. off his back.

The Monsters were trailing the Game two of the series comHeat in the North division by only menced the following night in traeight points coming into the se- ditiona 1 Heat double header fash• ries, and hoped to make up some ion, and the team couldn't stress ground and reestablish a play- more on how important it was that off spot. However, the Heat were they get the win to slim down any looking to leap-frog the Moose hopes of the Monsters squeaking and the Americans in order to put into the divisional playoff race. the Monsters out of the playoff pic• The Heat traded goals in the first period with the Monsters before ture and out of this series.

In game one the Heat got off to pulling away in the second wtth a great start, going up 2-0 early in three goals by Jason Jaffray, one the game with goals coming from of them during the power play.

Van der Gulik and Smolenak. In The Heat finished strong in the the third period, however, the Heat third period with a 5-3 win over had another late game breakdown the Monsters to sweep the series.

Garth Murray also made a goal in and gave up two unanswered goals allowing the Monsters to this contest, breaking his goalless move into overtime and eventu- drought at 40 games. ally a shootout.

After the game he said that, After three misses the pride of "Scoring is not what I am here to Red Deer, Brett Sutter evened up do but I gotta chip in every once the shootout for the J-leat.Then af- in a while, so it was nice to get ter a Lake Erie miss, the Heat cap- one tonight." Jason Jaffray was the tain Garth Murray iced the Mon- game's first star with a hat trick sters with a top shelf blocker side which included the game winner. shootout winner.

He commented that "right from When asked if that was his sig- the start of the game Thad a lot of nature move Murray replied "I opportunities. I think our line was wouldn't say l have a move, play- playing well and our power play,

A

we tweaked it a little this morning going over some tape and I thought our power play was great and we got a couple of goals. That was the difference of the hockey game - that we won the specialty teams."

Newly acquired veteran defenceman, Andy Delmore, has been working out well for the Heat. Delmore has been seeing a lot of time on the power play and has already had two assists in only four games. Captain Garth Murray thinks Lhat having NHL expe· rienced defenceman in the dressing room has done wonders for the team and the power play.

On the injury front Matt Pelech has been listed as out with a pinched nerve but rumours are starting to fly that it may be more serious than the team has disclosed.

However, Coach Playfair's only comment on the subject was that it was a pinched nerve and that he is confident that he will be back for the playoffs.

The Heat will now travel to Lake Erie and Toronto before returning home for a series with the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Manitoba Moose.

The Heat are currently tied for second place in the North division and have a record of 34-25-4-6.