The Cascade Vol. 25 Issue 17

JUNE 14 TO JUNE 27, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 17

Opening the weird eggs since 1993

Coat of arms

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UFV unveil new coat of arms

Soccer profile

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UFV Cascades’ Tristan Corneil playing in Sweden

Alien mummies What’s going on with the sequel business?

When does the magic stop? pg. 8-9

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WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Editorial //

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Managing Editor (interim) Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

Jr. News Editor Jesse Boyes jesse@ufvcascade.ca Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca

Production Assistant Satinder Dhillon satinder@ufvcascade.ca

Feature Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca

Why humans crave connection

News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca

Photographer Alexandrah Pahl Alexandrah@ufvcascade.ca

Community value

Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca

Online Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Ad Representative Kayla Normandeau-Cowan Kayla@ufvcascade.ca

Staff Writer Aleister Gwynne aleister@ufvcascade.ca

Distributor Griffy Vigneron distributor@ufvcascade.ca

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Harvin Bhathal Chris Kleingertner T.J. Tulloch

Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Rachelle Strelezki

Cover: Caleb Campbell Back Cover: Renee Campbell

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@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 25 · Issue 17 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor.

Writers meetings are held every second Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

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Illustration: Caleb Campbell

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s interesting how in a time when connection is constant, it’s also sparse.

Connectivity is a tech term, a marketing device, a buzzword. Buy the best connectivity, pay for more reception.

Connection is massively rooted in this culture. Despite constant connectedness, it seems as though a lot of us don’t feel seen or heard.

This is a lonely society. We’re maxed out on connectivity — unless we add more hours to a day, it’ll be hard to find more time to “connect.” We’re the most connected we ever have been — but our connections are a caricature of real intimacy.

In his well-received book Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect, Matthew D. Lieberman states that connection is as critical for life as food and shelter. The brain is wired to connect and harmonize with other humans. This isn’t hyperbole, he means social connection keeps humans alive. And not because we’re born pathetically useless and stay that way until we’re 25 — it’s the richness of community, not its practicalities that sustain humanity. Humans are made to bond.

And when we lack deep, personal connection with other people, things go wrong.

In his book, Lieberman references a study that suggests acetaphetamine (Tylenol) can reduce social pain — that is, pain experienced from rejection or loss. Apparently, social pain may rely on the same behavioural and neural mechanisms that register physical pain. Without getting deep into the chemistry, acetaphetamine works on the central nervous system (as opposed to say, ibuprofen (Advil), an anti-inflammatory, which works peripherally) and emotional and physical pain have similar neural signatures and activate similar regions of the brain.

According to Lieberman,”Our sensitivity to social rejection is so central to our well-being that our brains treat it

like a painful event.”

I’ve seen personal examples of how social deprivation leads to wasted away lives and physical pain. There’s a brilliant TED talk by Johann Hari provocatively titled, “Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong.” In it, he outright states that addiction results from a lack of human connection. It’s too bad that we’re not better at doing community.

When humans don’t have the community that their body needs to survive, they seek it out. Sometimes they end up in dangerous groups; as Hari pointed out, sometimes they look for it in substance abuse — maybe heroin, alcohol, or pornography.

It’s no wonder that the happiest people are those who feel a deep sense of belonging. Whether seeking out pub crawls or sewing circles — or fringe fanclubs — people need to belong. More often than not, we find communities that reflect our values.

This weekend I was in a place without reception. I saw more wild bears than wifi bars. It wasn’t the middle of nowhere either — a relatively well-populated town, just no cell towers nearby. The experience was therapeutic. In disconnecting from the global village, I could focus entirely on this thing called human interaction.

As my body climatized to the no-cellphone environment, it didn’t take long for my mind to awaken to the serenity, where the only people who exist are next to you and a conversation can last for hours, uninterrupted by bad vibrations.

That short amount of time was a fulfilling experience.

But it would be unrealistic to turf my phone and pretend like that’ll bring me peace. In truth, the drudgery of daily living sinks into any lifestyle, given enough time. But it did serve as a reminder that all of this exists for community. I think that’s the most important thing.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

NEWS BRIEFS New skills strategy will bring global talent to Canadian universities Canada’s new Global Skills Strategy will support foreign researchers and innovators from around the world, according to University Affairs.

The strategy includes a workpermit exemption for foreign faculty and researchers coming to Canadian campuses for short academic stays up to a maximum of 120 days. It will also create an immigration service to be made available to Canadian universities’ top recruits coming to Canada as holders of federally-funded research chairs.

This will enable the brightest minds from around the world to contribute to Canada’s research and innovation community.

Coat of Arms //

Revealing Iyaqáwtxw: The house of transformation UFV granted official coat of arms

-University Affairs

Honorary degrees Andy Sidhu, Tamara Taggart, Nadine Caron, and Kirsten Brazier received honorary doctorates from UFV last week.

Each has been highly active in their respective communities.

Sidhu created British Columbia’s first multi-language newspaper, the Patrika. Taggart chairs the B.C. Women’s Hospital “Hope Starts Here” Newborn ICU campaign, serves on the boards of the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, the Pacific Parkland Foundation, and is chair of the BC Cancer Foundation’s Inspiration Gala. Caron mentors and speaks, encouraging Indigenous youth to pursue education. Brazier founded The Sky’s No Limit — Girls Fly Too!, an annual event that encourages girls to pursue careers in aviation, aerospace, the marine industry, and defence sector, all male-dominated careers.

-UFV Today

Photo: Alexandrah Pahl

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The proclamation of the grant of heraldic emblems to the University of the Fraser Valley was made last week. UFV received its official institutional coat of arms; the unveiling took place on Monday June 5, and was accompanied by a presentation from a herald on behalf of the office of the Chief Herald of Canada.

A coat of arms is a uniquely designed set of symbols that represents an institution, country, or individual. The tradition comes from the Middle Ages, when individuals would wear their arms on battle regalia. It is both a legal and symbolic representation for the bearer and follows a specific set of design rules: among other elements, there will be a shield, crest, and motto.

What’s especially unique about UFV’s coat of arms is the use of Halq’emeylem for the saying, rather than Latin or English.

This coat of arms strongly builds from the heritage and culture of local First Nations.

The saying, Iyaqáwtxw, means “house of transformation.”

‘Coat of arms symbolism’ Chilliwack businesses raise issues with RCMP A Town Hall was held at the Coast Hotel last week, where business owners and operators expressed their concerns about increased homelessness and crime in Chilliwack.

The issues brought up included how the RCMP handled these situations.

According to the Chilliwack Progress, the central theme that attendees commented on was the RCMP’s response time — they either showed up late or not at all.

-Chilliwack Progress

At the unveiling, UFV Chancellor Gwen Point explained the significance of each symbol.

Sturgeon, seen at the bottom of the arms, is one of the oldest beings that lives in the Fraser Valley. It can survive under the harshest conditions. Point said that like all animals and birds, the Stó:lō use every part of the sturgeon — bones for needles, oil for medicine and lamps, and the meat for a community feast.

Marshes and waterways are essential to the Fraser Valley.

The marsh symbol refers to the rich land and the lifeline to this place. “The area is teeming with life and vitality, the water and the wetlands are a source of life. In a similar way, the university is a source of knowledge,” Point said.

The two blue herons, or the “supporters,” uniquely hold the shield up with their second leg. Typically, the animal is stylized to use their forelegs to support the shield. Blue herons are often seen flying over or near waterways in the Fraser Valley. To the Stó:lō hunters and fisherman, the heron says that they will have a good hunt or catch — they bring luck.

The hummingbird, seen in the middle, is a joyous creature.

They are fragile, but Point said she likens it to true love, and students must love what they do.

“That’s what’s important, to find joy in what you’re doing in life, regardless of what you’re doing and where you are, you must find that,” said Point.

The canoe and paddle, at the top of the coat of arms, is a very important symbol to the Stó:lō people. And in this context, it represents the journey they’re on, and their connection to the university.

The vines on the sides are from the UFV logo. They also represent education as a form of nurturing, growth, and transformation.

“The new symbol blends some of our past, our connection with the land, the geography, and the mission of the university,” said Point.

‘Getting there’ The coat of arms is created and granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA). The CHA was created in 1988, when Canada’s governor general received authority from Queen Elizabeth II to grant armorial bearings.

Prior to the creation of the CHA, Canadians wishing to have coat of arms granted had to apply through the College of Arms in London, or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh.

The idea for UFV to receive a coat of arms came up not long after the institution attained university status.

In October 2008, the UFV board of governors requested the granting of official armorial bearings for the University of the Fraser Valley. But the project sat quietly until 2012 when university secretary, Al Wiseman, sent a formal request to the Canadian Heraldic Authority for a coat of arms. Wiseman has coordinated the project since.

There was a fair bit of back and forth discussion. It focused on the way the process works, what symbols are available and what they mean, and how it would piece together. Once a preliminary idea had been established, the herald sketched a series of coat of arms possibilities. That led to more discussion about key symbols and design. It was specifically requested that the saying would be written in Halq’emeylem.

“From the start there was a real interest on the herald’s end to include symbols that were particular to the Fraser Valley, to UFV, and also to reflect the Stó:lō culture and heritage,” Wiseman said. “So it was mostly those three things that were foCONTINUED ON PG. 4

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Renovations //

CONTINUED FROM PG. 3 cused on.”

Point said, “When I thought about it, I thought, here’s an act of reconciliation.”

After the design was approved by the herald and institution, it was sent to an artist who would draft the design, then to a professional painter to paint. A calligraphist painted the motto, and hand-wrote the proclamation.

Commonly, coat of arms’ mottoes are written in Latin or English.

Wiseman said that although the university believes Latin is important in the history of education, it doesn’t reflect UFV as a unique institution.

“We are situated on the traditional territory of the Stó:lō people, their generosity and their openness has made it possible for us to thrive here,” said Eric Davis, provost, vice-president academic. “We have built strong relationships with the Stó:lō community and it’s become a fundamental part of our DNA, to recognize that we have this relationship, we are on unceded territory, and we are a very community connected university.”

UFV had the idea of what the coat of arms should say in English, then consulted with Stó:lō Nation linguist and instructor at the University of British Columbia Dr. Strang Burton to come up with the best Halq’emeylem word.

“Transformation. We like that because it reflects the mandate of the university as a place of change,” said Point. “When we think of that, we think of intellectual and character transformation.”

“Thinkerspace” opens in teaching and learning UFV faculty get a new resource centre JESSE BOYES JR. NEWS EDITOR

The grand opening of a new renovated space in the teaching and learning department happened at the beginning of last month. The area is called Thinkerspace. It was designed to allow UFV faculty to collaborate across departments, work on curriculum and teaching, experiment with new technologies, and think about other projects. Over 100 people attended the open house on the day the space was opened up across the hall from the library in G building.

Teaching and learning is a department devoted to helping improve the level of teaching quality at UFV. Director of teaching and learning, Maureen Wideman, said, “What we’re here for is to help faculty members with their curriculum, with their teaching, with their use of technology, all those kinds of things. So we’re a support unit for faculty members, and every university has one.”

Thinkerspace, Wideman said, is a “place for faculty to come and work together and chill, and experiment with new technologies and work with us if they need to — that’s what it’s all about.”

Some of the tech equipment being looked at in Thinkerspace for potential uses include a pair of virtual reality goggles that work by using a cellphone screen, a special new projector with electronic pens that lets users interact with the projection like a smartboard, and upgraded film equipment along with a green screen in another room.

Wideman said of the video recording studio, “We had a small video studio for faculty and students before. This is bigger and it has better equipment …

It’s available for faculty and students to come and use … You can come in person to book the space, or there’s an online booking system as well that the faculty use.”

A proposal was put forth and went through the approval process at UFV, then an application was submitted for a major and minor renovations grant from the B.C. government. The renovations got started in November and went through the winter until March. Now the space is accessible and ready to use.

Wideman said, “Our last workspace didn’t meet our needs; it wasn’t configured really well. Our video studio was quite small, storage area wasn’t sufficient, the way people were working together was really cramped,” she said. “There wasn’t actually a room on campus for faculty to go and work. They can go to the cafeteria and library like everybody else — but students have lots of smaller workspaces and labs and things, and faculty actually don’t.

This small space was sort of carved out of our office space. So it’s not that students aren’t allowed in it but it’s a space dedicated to faculty.”

To elaborate on some of the potential for the VR goggles and high-tech projector, Wideman explained, “There’s all kinds of apps for the goggles.

The New York Times has a virtual reality app, CBC has an app where you can be in a Syrian refugee camp and get that 3D experience. You can see up and around and there are people talking, music playing, so it’s a pretty cool experience.”

She said of the projector, “We’re experimenting to see how people might want to use it. It’s being installed in a couple of classrooms. It uses these pens so you could run a PowerPoint and write on the PowerPoint and send it out. For example, you could send an amended version to students.”

The name was chosen through a contest. It was referred to simply as a “resource centre” while people submitted name suggestions. There were about 95 entries, and the winner was Maple Melder-Crozier from the child, youth, and family studies department, who chose the name Thinkerspace.

Stories worth paying attention to

#NewChief

#WhatKindOfPerson

Victoria announce new police chief

Elite Farms chicken abuse

Kamloops unhoused youth count

Former Victoria police chief Frank Elsner’s replacement has been announced: Constable Del Manak will take the helm of the Victoria Police Department, as appointed by Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board. Elsner was suspended last April, though he officially resigned in May, according to the CBC. Elsner’s departure comes on the back of alleged Twitter messages that were sent to another officer’s wife; the incident is being investigated as a misconduct offence. Del Manak has demonstrated “unwavering leadership,” said Victoria mayor Lisa Helps. Manak hopes to build on the force through community engagement and collaboration.

Elite Farm Services’ president Dwayne Dueck responded to the video that allegedly shows employees abusing chickens during routine transport operations for B.C. chicken processor Lilydale. In a statement from Elite Farm Services, Dueck said, “We are sickened with the footage and want to ensure all our suppliers and producers that this is not reflective of who we are, our fundamental beliefs, or behaviours we accept from our employees.”

The video comes from non-profit organization Mercy for Animals, after an undercover employee captured footage of apparent abuse and torture. A day after the news release, Elite Farm Services says it fired five employees including a supervisor, though according to Krista Hiddema from Mercy for Animals it is “too little, too late.” Investigations from SPCA and the RCMP are underway and could result in monetary fines and jail time.

“The results are in from Canada’s first youth homelessness count, and they aren’t good,” The Tyee wrote.

Nearly 130 youth in Kamloops experienced homelessness in 2016. More than 50 of those were currently experiencing homelessness when the survey was conducted in October.

The results showed what many youth homelessness researchers found in other jurisdictions: that Indigenous youth are overrepresented (over half of 129 youth), more than half had been in foster care, and 18 per cent identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, or two-spirited.

Sixteen per cent spend one to five years without a home.

Although reasons for homelessness varied, two dominant reasons were family conflict / abuse, and addiction / substance abuse.

-CBC News

-CBC News

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#WhereTheHeartIs

-The Tyee

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Panku Sharma

Caleb Campbell

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

Glad to Grad with Pals I’ve Had

Harry Potter and the Corrupt Cadre

For me, getting the degree itself has never been the finish line I’ve been waiting for (plus the fact that I’m continuing with other studies), so to a certain extent the walk across the stage last week was more of a performance than it was a big moment. I was also pretty salty about the cost of the regalia — they should just sell us black snuggies with a hat. However, what really made me proud wasn’t my walk, it was seeing all the faces and hearing the names of so many people whom I’ve shared this space with in the last few years. I don’t know what the moment felt like for them, but with the way the world is it was a wonderful showcase that there is still room to be optimistic, because I know I’m surrounded by people who have the dedication, talents, and ability to change it. If anything else, I’m glad I got a front-row seat to their last steps here; now I’ll know where to follow for our tomorrow.

The wizarding world is an incestuous, isolationist network of people who think they are better, but put absolutely no effort into actually trying to change the world and material conditions for billions of hungry and suffering across the globe. I mean, are we supposed to sympathize for their plight as society death spirals into civil war? With who? Even the Weasleys, who are supposed to be the good-hearted, working-class familial example are terrible. The Patriarch is a bumbling oaf who treats muggles like attractions at a 19thcentury human zoo rather than as people.

They don’t even have to pay tuition for their dozen kids to attend school. All the housework is automated by magic!

If not outright malicious in their reluctance to help the rest of the planet face its problems, they are at least negligent, aloof, and untrustworthy with that level of power. I would have at least expected more out of Hermione.

Panku Sharma

The Modern Peasant

Team up for special attack

We romanticize medieval life quite a bit, and have skewed perceptions of what the Dark Ages were really like. On our screen we see soldiers clash under the sun, knights charge valiantly on massive horses, and legions of archers being told to “HOLD, HOOLD, NAAOOWWW!” Political intrigue plays out in secret from behind wispy curtains, poison goblets, and hidden knives. Revenge stories influence generational trauma that comes to light in grand courtrooms as all the jewelry clangs and jangles while the actors and actresses gesture passionately. We love it, as a society clearly we are projecting something of our inner desires onto these shows, living vicariously through them; for example, Game of Thrones, to note one major series, but also literally every single other kind of swords and horses fantasy, medieval-type movie, book, TV show, or video game you’ve ever heard of. Now I’ve enjoyed my share of fantasy-based media, but my point is that the vast majority of us would not be powerful queens, wealthy merchants, or valiant knights. We would mostly be those dirty villagers running about screaming and clutching babies or just crying in the corner, terrified during battle scenes.

One underreported difficulty of longdistance relationships is finding things to do together. My fiancée and I talk every night, but sometimes you want a change of pace. Watching movies is passive and doesn’t feel like being “together,” and adding commentary is tougher when your voice is sharing speakers with the film.

We’re both long-time gamers, and I’ve been trying to find a game we can play together online, but our tastes don’t always align. (I’m more Dark Souls, she’s more Silent Hill.)

Enter Overwatch. I’ve been playing regularly since sometime last summer, but it didn’t seem like her kind of game.

However, she bought a fast new computer just before the mega-popular shooter had a free-to-play weekend recently, so I suggested she check it out just in case. The next day, we played for about 10 hours.

She bought it the next day after. We’ve been playing most evenings, and it’s been great — no more choosing whether to talk to her or play the game (though let’s be honest, talking always won out), instead we’re teaming up online. It’s something engaging that we’re directly interacting with, and more importantly, we’re together — even if it’s only in a digital world.

Jeff Mijo

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Federal Politics //

Who is Andrew Scheer?

Harper with a smile, or a new bold direction?

CHRIS KLEINGERTNER ALUMNI CONTRIBUTOR

Andrew Scheer, a man most Canadians have never heard of, beat out 14 other contenders and became leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Sheer’s win was an unexpected victory, narrowly defeating Maxime Bernier via secondary ballot selections in the ranked ballot voting system. He is replacing the interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, who has recently decided to retire from federal politics. This means Scheer will be the one to compete with Justin Trudeau in the 2019 federal election.

So, who is Andrew Scheer? Born in Ottawa, the 38-yearold is married and has five children. He has a religious background, having attended a Catholic high school and a deacon as a father. Politically Andrew Scheer has been the MP for Regina-Qu’Appelle since 2004. He rose rapidly in the House of Commons, from deputy chairman of the committees of the whole in 2006 to chairman in 2008. In 2011 he became the Speaker of the House of Commons, a position which requires impartiality and even-handed fairness, that he held for four years. In 2015 Scheer was re-elected and became the leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, before as noted above, becoming Conservative party leader.

None of the above is terribly interesting unless you are a political junkie or a Conservative party member, so why care? The man is running to become prime minister, and that makes his views and positions important to everyone; after all, he will be asking for your vote in two short years.

Andrew Scheer’s faith clearly influences his political views on a variety of issues. He does not agree with samesex marriage and fought its legalization, supporting a bid in 2006 to reopen debate on the issue after it had already been legalized. Scheer also does not believe in a woman’s right to choose. He has consistently voted against abortion rights in the House of Commons and referred the awarding of an Order of Canada to Henry Morgentaler (a pro-choice advocate) as “debase[ing] the Order of Canada.” He disagrees with medically assisted suicide and wants to prioritize Christian refugees, like Yazidis, from conflicts in the Middle East for entry to Canada.

Despite his voting record on such issues, Scheer has assured Canadians that he would not attempt to enforce his moral convictions on the nation, and legislate morality, should he form a government. The above are clearly influenced by his faith, but they also resonate with millions of conservative Canadians from a variety of faiths and origins. Much like Stephen Harper before him, he considers abortion, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia to be

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largely settled issues with no desire to reopen them. He also has a few policy planks in his platform which appeal to large numbers of Canadians, like tax exemption for new parents on parental leave, and the removal of HST/ GST from heating bills. Finally, the item that received the largest applause during his remarks in the last round of the Conservative leadership convention, he promised to cut federal funding to universities “that do not foster a culture of free speech and inquiry on campus.”

This last point stood out to me. I am well aware of the ongoing issues on American campuses but I was unaware this was an issue in Canada. In 2010 Ann Coulter cancelled speaking engagements at the University of Ottawa following student outrage at her for advising a Muslim student at a prior event to “take a camel” in response to a question about flight restrictions. More recently Danielle Robitaille, a member of Jian Ghomeshi’s legal team, cancelled a speaking engagement at Wilfrid Laurier University in March due to security concerns. Professor Jordan Peterson ran into trouble at the University of Toronto over his refusal to use requested pronouns. Kevin Arriola found himself fighting for free speech when he tried to start a Men’s Issues Awareness Society at Ryerson, similar to the outrage at Simon Fraser in 2012 over the suggestion of a “men’s centre.”

While researching I also came across the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), a Calgarybased organization which produces a “Campus Freedom Index” that ranks Canadian universities on the level of free speech on campus. Intrigued, I checked both universities I have attended, UFV and University of Calgary; both received poor grades, but specifically due to past issues with pro-life campaigns on campus and their use of graphic imagery. The index actually grades UFV in 2016 as holding Cs in the areas of “university policies,” “university practices,” and “student union practices,” with a D in “student union policies.” Don’t feel bad though UFV, for all of B.C., Capilano University was the only school to receive even a single A, while UVic has 3 Fs. I was a student here at UFV during 2013 when we earned our “F” from the JCCF. I don’t remember the incident being that big an issue, likely because I don’t feel the abortion argument warrants much of my attention, but basically in March 2013 the UFV Life Link club was prohibited from distributing materials that the group called “anti-genocide resources” in the hallways unless it was done in a closed room. The university said the group failed to disclose the content of any additional materials being offered beyond those in its “it’s a girl” campaign.

In April 2013, the club wanted to hold an event featuring Mike Schouten, speaking about sex-selective abor-

tion. It was “postponed” by the university on April 5 due to “security concerns.” They claimed that the group did not provide notice that there would be advertising and an outside speaker, and there were plans for a student protest in opposition. The JCCF quotes UFV director of marketing and communications Leslie Courchesne as saying at the time, “UFV did not have enough time to do a fulsome risk assessment to ensure the safety and security of our campus community and external visitors.”

The group later held a private club meeting with the speaker inside an unused room rather than a “prominent location.” The JCCF actually threatened to sue UFV on behalf of the club which retained its services, although I can’t find any actual legal action. The issue for UFV was never the campaign, but the failure to disclose the nature of the materials being distributed and inability to conduct a threat assessment on short notice. UFV weighed its duty to provide UFV Life Link a forum with its duty to protect its students from harm — and security of the university and its students was prioritized. I know UFV didn’t shy away from pro-life issues, I still have photos of a pro-life art installation that was up for months outside A building: a wire frame covered with tiny plastic fetuses representing the number of abortions conducted over a specific time period, which though provocative was not graphically shocking.

Andrew Scheer is threatening — to thunderous conservative convention applause, to possibly strip federal funding from schools like UFV, which would have a direct impact on your education. Scheer has not expanded on what he means by failing to “foster a culture of free speech and inquiry.” He has said in the past that if you don’t like a speaker simply don’t attend, which implies that we should allow nearly anyone to speak, but no one is required to listen. Until he explains his policy further, Scheer has created a potential mechanism to continue fighting against same-sex marriage, abortion, and various other social issues by coercing universities into providing prominent forums. Undoubtedly he is partially driven by the feeling that it’s conservative speech that is under attack and must be defended, as well as his conviction that such social values are worth fighting for.

But is free speech really being suppressed in Canada’s schools? Should there be limits on what can be said on campus? Should anyone be allowed to speak on campus, from anti-vaxxers, holocaust deniers or white nationalists, to radical imams, ecoterrorists, and Alex Jones?

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

UPass //

Check your automobile privilege More ought to be done for out-of-town students

ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

I’ve heard many students complain that UFV is a “commuter campus”— an image they want to shed. And in the past I have also read suggestions to scrap (or at least greatly curtail) the U-Pass program by students who feel they aren’t getting value out of it. The sad fact of the matter is that we can’t have it both ways. Either we accept and embrace UFV’s nature as a commuter campus and make all necessary provisions for those commuters, or we reject it and drive away students who would gladly attend if only they had the means to get here.

You see, I do not own a car, I do not have a driver’s license, and I do not live in Abbotsford. In the Fraser Valley community, both on campus and off, the culture and infrastructure is very much centred around automobile users. In Chilliwack, where I live, there is shockingly little provision made for pedestrians. Even something as simple as sidewalks are lacking in many areas. Little snubs like these probably go over the heads of motorists,

but to myself and other pedestrians, it feels like we are second-class citizens who are not needed or wanted in our community. I could go on, but suffice it to say, the local bus system is the only thing that allows me to get around. Without the U-Pass subsidizing my transit use, attending university would be considerably more difficult and expensive, and I would be forced to rethink attending at all.

The problem is, for a university that allegedly serves the entire Fraser Valley region, UFV’s facilities and programs are heavily centralized at the Abbotsford campus.

To some extent, this is understandable, since Abbotsford is the largest city in the Fraser Valley, and the local campus is within reach of the most students. Yet this focus on Abbotsford places an unequal burden on students who commute long distance, or who do so using public transit. Since most classes and extracurricular activities require that we make the journey to and from the Abbotsford campus, we are subject to additional loss of time and energy, which means we have less of it to do productive work, or get a decent night’s sleep (for those

taking morning classes). This also creates a barrier for those who would otherwise be willing to participate in university culture, since the long commute to and from the event counters any satisfaction we might get from it.

I hope that the UFV community as whole would be willing to lend assistance to those less conveniently situated than the average student. Thankfully, it appears that the Student Union Society is doing just that. Things like building in-house fitness facilities and programs at Chilliwack, and adding an additional shuttle to the Langley-Abbotsford route go a long way towards showing that commuter students are valued members of the UFV community, and this makes our lives just a little bit more pleasant. I hope that this attention to the experience beyond Abbotsford continues with more and increasingly diverse facilities, courses, services, and events.

Being a commuter campus is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as we are willing to make it work for all of us.

Provincial Politics //

The new switcharoo

Some thoughts on our province’s new political landscape ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

Although it looks like victory has slipped through the Liberals’ fingers, I was surprised that they performed as well as they did, especially with the party scandals in the months immediately prior to the election, in particular, regarding corporate donations. I expected the NDP to win the most votes. Then again, perhaps the result is not so surprising. This election saw a lack of strong personalities. Neither Clark, nor Horgan, nor Weaver really stood out during the campaign. Maybe we have been spoiled by much more dramatic elections elsewhere over the past year. In the end the vote essentially came down to parties, not specific candidates or platforms. Most voters likely stuck with their usual party of choice, hence why there was less of a shift than might have been expected.

Even so, one might expect rising dissatisfaction with the Liberal government’s performance combined with a popular reaction against right-wing politics to have been enough for a clean victory for their opponents. In a way, it was. More people voted against Christy Clark than for her, with 56 per cent of the popular vote going to either the Greens or the NDP. Indeed, it might be that the Liberals’ discouraging chances of victory convinced rightwing voters who would normally have voted for a third party like the Conservatives or the Christian Heritage party to cast their ballot for the Liberals with the hope of keeping them in government, and the NDP out. On the other side of the spectrum, vote splitting likely hurt the cause of both the Greens and the NDP. The Green party’s three “non-negotiable demands” that they required for committing to working with either side are certainly food for thought, and I find that I can get behind each of them, but I also note that there’s something in each of their points that would benefit their party.

The first, recognition in the legislature is fairly simple and obvious. I personally would like to hear more diversity in the voices in our government, no matter what shape

it takes.

Green party leader Andrew Weaver stated that “getting big money out of politics is our number one priority.” He proposes to do this by banning donations from corporations, who typically support the Liberals, and unions, who traditionally back the NDP. This would level the playing field between the parties, and give the Greens an advantage by comparison. Aside from partisan concerns, I too would like to see less money going into politics and giving certain parties and candidates an unfair advantage. The role of government should be to ensure the wellbeing of all its citizens, but if one subgroup can sway the decisions of government using their superior private resources, the government has failed in its duty to be a fair and just arbiter and provider.

The last demand, for implementation of proportional representation with or without a referendum, has the most potential impact. The party’s desire to force voting reform without the public’s approval may seem hypocritical, especially in light of the fact that the two previous referendums on voting reform failed to pass. What most people fail to mention is that the last referendum attempts (for single transferable vote) required at least 60 per cent of the population in every single riding to vote in favour in order for it to pass. Every single riding except two met the 60 per cent requirement, and in the remaining two, 58 per cent voted in favour in 2005. Despite a clear majority wanting a single transferrable vote system, the motion was struck down, and a half-hearted failure of a referendum was recast in 2009. (It saw a drop in support of changes.) It is therefore not surprising that the Greens would have little faith in another referendum.

While I would rather voting reform be implemented with a referendum than without, there is no point if it is going to be set up to fail.

Proportional representation would be a boon to the Green party. While the three seats they won in this election is impressive, they won 16.84 per cent of the popular vote according to Elections B.C. If the 87 seats of the legislature were apportioned according to percentage of the popular vote, they would have won 14 or 15 seats, de-

pending on how rounding was handled. In the same scenario, the Liberals and the NDP would have each won 35 seats, so perhaps not much would have changed in this election had this been the case. It is clear however, that proportional representation would hugely benefit the Green party. I myself might have voted Green if I thought they had any chance of winning in my riding (ChilliwackKent), but they clearly did not; they elected a Conservative MLA in the previous election, which should tell you something. Furthermore, I think that most ridings tend to lean Liberal, and this has been the key to them winning election after election. Personally, I would like to see a more level playing field where voters and candidates alike do not have to worry about vote-splitting, strategic voting, or gerrymandering.

As for the thorny issue of whom to choose for Speaker of the House, I admit I am at as much of a loss as the politicians. The Speaker, who enforces the rules of procedure and settles ties, must be a member of the legislature, but it is not clear who should be given that important role.

On the one hand, neither the NDP nor the Greens can afford to lose any of their voting members, but on the other hand, a Liberal Speaker is a recipe for deadlock. Perhaps the best solution would be for a non-partisan non-MLA to be appointed to the position, as some have proposed.

Realistically, I don’t see this solution being implemented before the legislature is recalled on June 22, and I would be surprised if any choice was settled on before that deadline. Even so, the rewards, prestige, or simple desire to do one’s civic duty and help get the government moving again could entice just about anyone to volunteer for the position.

Despite Christy Clark’s attempts to put on a brave face and not give up until it is well and truly over, I suspect that she is only delaying the inevitable at this point. I predict that the NDP-Green coalition will stand firm and be allowed to form a government. I think that B.C. could do with some fresh leadership, especially now that they are able and willing to implement policies that would make for a more fair and equitable political system, even if they are ultimately doing so only out of self-interest.

7

Ponies, Sweat, and Parental Disappointment

T

written By: T.J. Tulloch

he Executive Hotel BRONYCAN 2014 — FIRST CONTACT in Richmond is a 1:00 pm Saturday, August 25th, weird place. At first Drew, his girlfriend Nicole, and I drove to the

glance, it’s just another average hotel one would check into while attending a mandatory business conference in Des Moine. The dated ‘90s stucco on the outside compliments the tacky beige interior complete with conference rooms and a generic Irish-themed bar. One would never know this hotel — which seems to excel at mediocrity — transforms once a year into one of the strangest places on the planet when it plays host to one of the oddest conventions on Earth: BronyCan. A “brony” is an adult male who’s a fan of the children’s cartoon “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” No, not the My Little Pony cartoon eight-year-old girls watched in the ‘80s — it’s a reboot of that show which according to some, has a lot of humour geared towards adults. Even so, the show is produced by Hasbro (the toy and boardgame company), and was originally targeted towards young girls.

According to their website, BronyCan is “The Largest collection of Bronies in Canada.” I’m not sure if that statement is a proclamation of an achievement or an admission of guilt — perhaps both. I read this and knew I’d hit the jackpot. I sent off an email and told the convention organizers I was with a local radio show and would like a couple of media passes so my co-host and I could attend. I took my camera along thinking I’d get some video footage of the convention to throw up on the show’s website.

The night before I prepared a list of interview questions, some of which went to dark places. The questions were based on research I had done which consisted of watching a couple documentaries and listening to some radio shows that talk about them. I discovered a subculture of bronies who are attracted to the horses — if the situation I was inserting myself into wasn’t weird before, it sure was now. I kept thinking of the immortal words of Hunter S. Thompson: When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

As an avid fan of both Star Trek and pro wrestling, I had never been considered a normal guy. I’ve spent a good portion of my life apologizing for my quirks. I parlayed it into a small radio show which was called “Oddly Entertaining.” For better or for worse it surely would be that.

convention. None of us were familiar with Richmond. After circling for several minutes, we pulled up to a red light.

Drew motioned to the window, “I think we’re getting close.”

It was a 40-year-old man in a Pikachu costume smoking a cigarette. The suit was threadbare and dirty. It was 30 degrees in August. I was swept up in a wave of both pity and admiration for this man and his dedication to his fandom.

“Do you think someone should tell him

“Pikachu gave Drew the finger” it’s a brony convention?” Nicole asked. Drew rolled down his window.

“Sir!” he shouted obnoxiously the same ways Ebenezer Scrooge barks at the street kid on Christmas morning. The man looked up. “That is a Pokémon suit, is it not a Brony convention you are going to?”

Pikachu gave Drew the finger.

Strange times, I thought. Drew giggled and rolled up his window. The light turned green.

We drove off.

As we turned the corner on the angry Pokémon, we realized that it was just the tip of the iceberg. Dozens of people in a variety of costumes filed into the convention centre.

The first thing that hit was the stench — stale ramen noodles, sweat, and parental disappointment rolled up into one foul odour. It got stronger as we approached the main entrance.

In the hall, there was a cheaply fashioned plastic golden arch that read: “Welcome to BronyCan.” A man and a woman dressed in pony costumes were there waving people through the archway. A reporter from CBC News was there finishing a stand-up bit. They too, were gawking at the freak show to fill air time.

There was a healthy buzz to the convention.

Despite the rancid smell that penetrated every corner of the hotel, I got the sense that these people were enjoying themselves. The number of children at this event surprised me. It was primarily male-dominated, but there was a significant minority of people who were there as parents with their kids.

I started to interview people. Each of them had one quirk or another. We took b-roll, and one of the shorter women dressed as a pony (I found out later they are known as “pegasisters”) approached our camera, grunting, and neighing.

“Are you a pony?” I asked.

She nodded her head.

“Which one?”

She neighed.

“Don’t they talk in the show?” Drew asked the grown adult refusing to communicate in English.

She neighed and nodded.

“But you don’t,” I deduced.

She affirmatively nodded.

“Would you like to be interviewed for a radio show?” I asked.

She shook her head “no” and bounced down the hallway. Nicole, Drew, and myself exchanged glances. I walked along one of the lines of people trying to get into a panel room.

“Hi, I’m with a local radio station, anyone want to do an interview?”

There were a lot of noes and awkward, non-confrontational staredowns. It all became entirely clear: at this convention, we were the outcasts; I was the loser.

“Yes, I would like to talk to you!” an acnecovered teenager shouted from the line. He wore a tight-fitting, sky blue T-shirt with a pony on it. There was a stain in between the shirt collar and the pony.

I think it was chili.

“Cool, I’m T.J,” I said to the man as we quickly set up the camera and microphone.

Drew and Nicole checked the sound levels.

“So why My Little Pony?” I asked.

“It’s hilarious,” he said in a very effeminate voice.

“What’s the funniest moment?”

“Okay um,” he snorted, giggling to himself, reliving his favourite moments from the show.

“Pinky Pie was out partying all night, and she walks in wearing a lampshade,” he stammered out. A couple of people in line laughed behind him. I stood there uncomfortably not getting the joke.

“Is that your favourite pony?”

“Hmm, no, I would say Rainbow Dash.”

“Why?” “I think we have similar personality traits.”

Drew snorted. I smirked but shot him a look.

Rainbow Dash fanboy picked up on this.

“It’s okay. I know it’s weird. I get it,” he said. This was not the first time he’d been asked to justify his fandom. A sudden wave of discomfort washed over me. I finished my line of questioning.

“Enjoy the convention man,” I smiled and reconvened with my group. We discussed the moral ramifications of going through with interviewing these people. The last thing I wanted to be seen doing was picking on the little guy. We ultimately decided that there’s nothing wrong with asking them questions and allowing them to expose their quirky traits, and they did.

Most of the guys we talked to were excited just to be there among friends.

One man called his grandmother because he was so excited to be on the radio somewhere.

The convention was strange, but we got what we expected.

We left with enough interviews to film a brief but successful segment — which is why we decided to come back the following year.

BRONYCAN 2015 — DIGGING DEEPER 3:30 pm Saturday, August 23rd.

The last year had been such a funny event to cover I decided to cover it again for my show. This time, I wanted to get an outsider’s perspective on the experience, and what better way than by attending the BronyCan dance, where all the bronies and pegasisters get together to party. I could only imagine the gong show that would ensue. This would be my crown jewel as a radio host.

I had the perfect candidate: Mary was a correspondent for my show and about as far from a brony as you could get. If anything, her television diet consisted of The Bachelorette, Real World, and Jersey Shore reruns. She was cool, well kept, and professional, and

I thought it would be amazing if we got footage of her dancing with a few bronies.

Her bubbly personality would make her the perfect person for the job.

By the time we got there, the crowd had thinned and what was left was a group that gave off an unnaturally creepy vibe — or carried with them some kind of hex. Perhaps they just didn’t know what to make of Mary, a cute girl openly engaging in conversation with them. Most of the conversations were stilted at best. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach; this was not going to work.

We explored other parts of the convention.

The smell of stale flatulence lingered this year also. Mary was a trooper. I kept apologizing, and she kept shrugging it off. We spent a lot of time in the lobby clock watching and attempting to get interviews but for the most part failing to strike oil. Mary noticed a guy sketching on a notepad. It was a picture of a pony, and it was good.

“Hey,” she said. “Can you draw me as a pony?”

There was a stunned silence.

“You know,” Mary coaxed. “Just give it a shot.”

He looked at me. I shrugged and pulled out my camera. He began to draw Mary as a pony. A voice came from behind me, “What are you shooting for?”

I wheeled around to take in the might of an overweight man in his late fifties, cokebottle glasses, bright white running shoes, a fisherman’s vest with a variety of buttons, matching gray, stained sweatpants, and a T-shirt with a faded logo of a wolf howling at the moon. His “I love furries” trucker hat had several buttons. It was lifted just high enough to reveal the awkward combover. His salt and pepper Wilford Brimley mustache had a mustard yellow tinge to it, either from smoke or food.

“I’m shooting for a radio show in Abbotsford. I’d like to have a little extra content we can throw on the web.”

The man grunted and stared uncomfortably through me to look at Mary sitting patiently while the artist sketched on his pad.

“T.J,” I stuck out my hand.

His hand was a cold and clammy fish. He sat down on one of the lobby chairs and continued to stare. Mary was unaware. It made me uncomfortable.

“So, you like furries, huh?” I said, motioning to his hat. He snapped out of his trance.

“You like furries too?” he questioned, his hands gripping the chair. Nope, I thought.

The little knowledge I had of furries from old episodes of CSI and Entourage weirded me out — men and women that enjoyed having sex in mascot costumes. Not for me.

However, if it distracted the man from ogling my cohost, I decided to humour him.

“Aren’t they those mascots that have sex with each other?” I asked.

“Furries aren’t sexual!” he proclaimed.

Everyone in the lobby stopped and looked.

Even Mary turned around and shot me a glance. I shrugged. She returned to get her portrait drawn.

“Fair enough,” I replied, trying to calm him down. Realizing the ruckus he had made, the furry fanatic immediately went into damage control.

“Do you know how the furry culture was even created?” he asked.

“Not at all,” I shrugged. He looked at me then stared straight ahead as if reading off a teleprompter.

“The furry culture was created when one guy asked his friend to draw a rabbit with breasts, and as a jo-oh-oke his friend did it,” he scowled up at me. I paused confused.

“How is that not sexual?” I asked. He shook his head in disgust and glared straight ahead.

“You don’t get it, man.” An uncomfortable moment slowly passed.

“So what brings you to BronyCan?” I asked, rhetorically trying to alleviate some of the tension.

“Bronies and furries, we’re pretty much the same people,” he explained. “Most of us go to both here and VancouFur.” “What’s VancouFur?” I asked. Disgusted, he replied.

“Duh! It’s only one of the biggest furry conventions in Western Canada!” He narrowed his gaze at me and shook his head.

“Don’t you know anything? I mean it’s held right here at this hotel.”

Suddenly my mind filled with horrifying images of mascots and cartoon characters trying to recreate their favourite Discovery Channel scenes all over the hotel lobby. He continued.

“Most of the people that put on BronyCan put on VancouFur.”

I looked at him stunned. His revelation was too much weird for me.

“Well, it was nice meeting you,” I stuck out my hand but remembering the cold film on his grip turned it into a fist bump. He did not finish the fist bump, so I awkwardly put my hand away and walked back to Mary.

“How goes it over here?” I asked.

“Good, he’s just about done,” she said. The man looked up from his drawing and smiled.

“Check this out!” Mary reached over and picked up a laminated drink menu. There was a picture of each pony on the menu and below it was a drink named after them. She handed me the menu. Pinky Pie had cakeflavoured vodka.

“We can walk over to the hotel bar and get

“It all became entirely clear: at this convention, We were the outcasts; I was the loser” any of these drinks made,” she said. I stared at her blankly. There was no way I was staying to drink after my conversation with that last dude.

“There,” the sketch artist said. He held up the drawing. It was a surprisingly good interpretation of Mary as a pony.

“Oh. My. God. That is amazing.” She held it.

“How much do I owe you?”

The man looked at her, shocked. “Oh, I’m keeping it.”

Mary was very confused. “But, I’ll pay you for it.”

Again the man shook his head. “No,” he said in a chilling tone. “It needs to go in my collection.”

Mary pushed on though. She wanted that damn picture.

“Can I at least get a picture of it with my phone?” she asked. I’m sure the man would have rather licked wood, but he finally let her take a picture. He then promptly walked off.

We noticed people were filing into the dance hall from the bar. The muffled sound

of club music played. It was the last moment to get our shot. We opened the large doors to the dance floor and walked in.

It was a nightmare. Clouds of smoke, roaring club music, silhouettes of ponies and children dancing. I did a double take.

Why are there kids here?

I walked over and asked one of the volunteers.

A short, plump woman who looked to be enjoying the party.

“It’s an all-ages dance,” she yelled.

Really? I thought. People are coming in from the bar mixing with children that look like they could be in the age range of three to seven. I looked over to the far wall and saw a bunch of mothers staring at their children dancing with total strangers. Mary and I exchanged glances. The thought of inebriated grown men dancing with random children made me uncomfortable. I tried to forget about the birthday cake and rainbow flavoured hard liquor. The veneer of innocence from years past was stripped away. A potentially much darker side emerged. It was time to go. There was nothing more to see.

At home, I tried to edit the footage. I couldn’t, it was just too uncomfortable. The innocence of the first year was replaced by creep. I could tolerate a lot of weird, but to allow an all-ages dance party with alcohol was over the line. Drew, Mary, and I talked about it on the air and decided that 2015 was the last BronyCan we would ever cover.

I recently Googled it, and there is a BronyCan 2017, still held at the Executive Hotel in Richmond and it looks to be their biggest one yet.

STUDY BREAK

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Crossword // ACROSS

DOWN

1. A set of pieces and the instructions needed to assemble something, IE a model

1. Wooly craft

3. Attila’s people 4. Roman numeral corresponding with Revenge of the Sith 5. A temporary, often less than ideal creation

2. Person who makes clothes 3. 5/7/5 poem structure 5, Capital of Spain 6. The S in SFU 7. Group of plants used to season food

7. Popular fast food (or fancier) item 8. A grain, used in bread and whiskey 9. UFV political science and philosophy professor _ _ _ Dart 10. To lightly press a cleaning cloth against something, or a popular gesture involving putting your face in your elbow bend

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 2. Pardon me 5. Yes 7. DNA 8. Shire 9. Calve 10. Ant 11. Flu 12. Scarface

Down: 1. Damascus 3. Naive 4. Eyepatch 6. Salt 7. Deaf 8. Salsa

Made by Jeff Mijo

Horoscope //

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Master Moji

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Your musical tastes are really weird, but that’s okay.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Life is like a hurricane for you this week — race cars, lasers, aeroplanes — it’ll be a blur.

You might solve a mystery or rewrite history!

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 I don’t know the muffin man, and frankly, I think he’d find it an invasion of privacy that everyone’s always going around singing about his home address.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Hey, we’re hiring for a lot of jobs, so if you want to meet a local celebrity (that is to say, me) you should apply for one of them and we can hang out. I’ll even let you buy me a burger or something!

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 I heard a rumour you don’t like cheese, and my “If in doubt, add cheese” horoscope for you a little while back didn’t sit well. I never said what to add it to. Add it to the garbage, for all I care. Just add cheese to something.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Hey, you’ve got a birthday coming up, right? To maximize your enjoyment, don’t think about your age in the context of what fraction of a century you’ve lived. That’ll just make you feel old.

10

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Walking around UFV in the evening during the summer is eerie. Almost everywhere is abandoned. It’s like a ghost campus. I wonder if ghosts go to school? I’d take Haunting 110: Startling Some People.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Maybe it’s time to get that sleep schedule back on track, huh buddy? Not all of us are built to watch the night sky for astrological revelations on the nature of the universe.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Reading The Cascade during the summer is fun, isn’t it? It’s more intimate, like the staff and you loyal readers are all just chilling out and talking about whatever. Thanks for sticking with us, pal!

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 This week, you will meet one of the most important people to your life. Or at least interact with them. Maybe it’s someone you already know. The stars are hard to read in the summer, they’re not out nearly as long.

But someone cool is hanging around you.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 That smell in your room isn’t what you think it is.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 I wonder why none of the networks are interested in my new sitcom pilot? It’s called Zombies: Recorded in Front of a Dead Studio Audience.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates: Actually Life is a Tub of Italian Gelato

JENNIFER TRITHARDT-TUFTS CONTRIBUTOR / PHOTO

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates is a recurring column showcasing the life of a UFV student studying abroad.

Jennifer is in Lucerne, Switzerland at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts this semester, and documenting the process as she goes.

First let me just congratulate all of the UFV grads on their incredible accomplishment last week. My Facebook feed was full of beautiful pictures from convocation — it’s such an exciting time.

My university in Switzerland has a different exam schedule than UFV’s: after classes end, there are three to four weeks of study break before exams start. When I came here, I decided to take as few credits as possible while still making the semester worth it: three academic classes and one Swiss culture class called “Swissness.”

Only one has a traditional exam layout, so knowing I wouldn’t need all of that time for studying, I decided to go to Italy for a week.

I was a little bit nervous about the trip. I wanted to see so much in a short amount of time, and lots of people told me how unreliable Italian transportation could be.

Getting to Italy was no big problem, and in Venice the airport staff helped me figure out which buses I needed to take in order to get to my Airbnb. But after the first bus, the fun started. I was supposed to wait for Bus 10 to take me closer to my Airbnb. Well, I ended up waiting for about an hour, while three or four of every other number bus that was supposed to go by that stop had. I’d decided against putting a roaming data plan on my phone, so Google couldn’t help me. When the fourth Bus 2 drove by, I decided to get on and ask the bus driver where he goes and if I could take the bus to my Airbnb. I guess he must not have heard me ask “Excuse me?” because as soon as I got to the glass to ask him where I should go, he closed the doors and the bus was on its way somewhere.

I didn’t know this at the time, but the bus took me to downtown Venice. I was so confused and the time was running out for me to check into my Airbnb, so I got a cab and paid him €22 (around $33) to take me to the Airbnb.

Once he dropped me off, I realized the Airbnb was actually across the street from the address they gave, so try-

ing to find it was interesting. A local Italian lady saw me snooping around the front yard trying to find the address and where to get in. She just said “no” and pointed across the street. Once I finally checked into the Airbnb and settled down, I realized I was going to take the bus for only €1.5 to the same place I had initially picked up the taxi.

A little bit frustrating, but in Italy with an abundance of pasta, wine, and gelato, you don’t stay mad for long.

Venice is absolutely beautiful, I loved getting lost in the canals and taking in the Italian culture. The next day, I headed to Rome on a six-hour train ride which actually went by surprisingly fast. I spent a day and a half in Rome and saw all the major sites, even waiting in line for two hours to get into Vatican City. In the Sistine Chapel, I got yelled at for taking a picture, which I didn’t realize you couldn’t do — I got the full tourist experience.

The Colosseum was absolutely amazing, and the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain were full of tourists but stunning nonetheless. After a couple days of running around Rome, I was looking forward to nothing but sitting and relaxing on the four-hour train ride to Pisa. I wanted to take the early train at 6:15 a.m., so the night before I checked the café hours in the train station on my way back to my hostel. The barista told me the café opened at 5:00 a.m., so I thought, That’s perfect, I’ll walk here early in the morning and have a nice coffee and pastry before my train.

Well! Let’s just say that’s not how that morning went down in the end. Once I arrived at the train station around 5:15 a.m., I realized I booked my train for 6:15 a.m. the next day. In a panic because the ticket office wasn’t going to open before my train left, I found an employee from the train line and asked him what to do. He said not to worry, that I should just go to the machine and change the date and it wouldn’t be a problem. So I switch the ticket and all was good — not! The new ticket was emailed to me, however I had a hard time connecting to the Wi-Fi properly and couldn’t load my email to access the new ticket. I went back to the same employee that had helped me before and told him my problem. He said, “No problem, you can connect to my personal hotspot.”

I couldn’t believe how accommodating and calming he was. I thanked him profusely and ran to the café with enough time to get a pastry and speed walk to catch the train, which was leaving from the farthest platform, of

course.

I finally got to Pisa after four hours and headed straight to the leaning tower. My mom travelled to Europe when she was around my age and had asked me to take some pictures similar to hers from inside the tower. I got to the site and was told I could purchase a ticket for the tour, but the next available one was two hours away. So I bought my ticket and got myself a table in the shade at a nearby restaurant where I ordered a little Italian snack of bruschetta and limoncello. I was a bit dehydrated and it was so hot in Italy, but I didn’t want to pay for another overpriced bottle of water and I had seen so many people drinking limoncellos that I wanted to try one. I didn’t realize that it was practically pure alcohol. There I was: boiling hot, in Italy, a little buzz on at quarter past noon.

What else is vacation for?

The tower was smaller than I expected but still very neat. I took my pictures and hightailed it back to the train after roaming the streets of Pisa a little bit. Off to Florence I went. Florence was absolutely beautiful. I was pretty wiped out and I only had about a day there, but what a beautiful place to chill out, shop, and re-energize.

I couldn’t have asked for better weather, either. The hostel room I stayed in was a 20-bed, mixed-gender room, which was an interesting experience. It did the trick for one night of rest before I made my way back to Venice with a full bag and a full belly. The last evening in Venice was to die for. I had authentic Italian lasagna with local wine, a chicken and salad entrée, and of course finished it off with a gelato as I strolled the canals some more. There is so much history there and so many beautiful things to see that it was just so enjoyable to get lost and explore little crevices, and before you know it you’ve walked across the island.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should go to Italy or not, do it! You will never regret it, but maybe spend more than a week.

I’m off to study.

Ciao ciao!

11

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Club Event //

UFV’s mental health awareness club to offer mental health first aid training JEFF MIJO CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

The topic of mental health gained a great deal of attention in recent years, but that sort of publicity doesn’t just occur naturally. It is the result of hard work and countless hours of time from organizations like UFV’s own mental health awareness club (MHAC). The MHAC has made it their goal to “raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues” by “opening up conversations about mental health, mental wellness, and selfcare,” according to the club’s VP of public relations, Tanya Tomsic. “We try to encourage students that self-care is important, and it’s okay to take care of yourself and to talk about your feelings and experiences.”

This June, the MHAC is hosting a two-session mental health first aid training course at UFV, available at a discounted rate for students.

“The mental health first aid course is just so in line with our group ideals — particularly around stigma and judgement,” explained Tosmic. “We felt that giving students the opportunity to learn more about mental health issues that they may either experience or watch someone else experience is a great way to raise awareness and help reduce discomfort about helping people in distress.”

The nationally recognized training program leads to a lifelong certification that covers a wide range of topics.

“Depression, anxiety, substance misuse, suicidal ideation,” Tomsic listed. “And the focus is really on helping you to react to finding someone in distress, being comfortable talking to them, helping to bring the person some comfort, and then how to direct them to a professional resource. It’s the same principle as regular first aid except this first aid is for non-physical crises.”

The training is being offered at a cost of $75 to high school or post secondary students, and $100 to others. It takes place over the course of two Saturdays, June 17 and 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at UFV, but space is limited.

According to Tomsic, “The response has been

overwhelming — we are receiving emails every day about the course! We don’t actually reserve a seat for someone until they have paid for their course materials, so there are still some spaces available, but the number is dwindling fast.”

The MHAC is not solely about serious training, however, their most recent event was the first in what they plan to be a series of “You Meme Something” events, where club members volunteered their time to hand out free chilled teas on the green, along with a selection of their favourite memes and pamphlets regarding mental health. Tomsic said that the club intends to continue with the memethemed events over the summer (with “some additional surprises” in the works), followed by at least one more currently-unannounced event this summer, and a panel on men and mental health in the fall.

Tomsic also encouraged anyone and everyone to take part in the club, saying, “Whether you have any experience with mental health issues or not, it doesn’t matter.”

In addition to their events, the MHAC meets every second week during the summer semester, at times and locations posted on their Facebook page.

The meetings consist of a feelings check-in and event brainstorming, but also sometimes include a guest speaker. For students looking to get even more involved, there are currently six executive positions open for nominations, with voting set to occur at their end-of-June annual general meeting.

You don’t have to be a seasoned MHAC veteran to put your name forward, either: “Elections are open to anyone and everyone, and we love the fresh perspective that new people bring into the club!” said Tomsic. “We are looking for people who are able to commit their time to weekly meetings and helping out with events — aside from an open mind, caring spirit, and enthusiastic attitude, there is no need for other experience. It would be fantastic to see a number of people submit nominations for the different positions.”

To find out more about the mental health first aid program, the upcoming elections, or the club in general, the MHAC can be contacted at mhac.ufv@ gmail.com.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Soccer //

UFV soccer alumna’s journey overseas Profile on Tristan Corneil RACHELLE STRELEZKI CONTRIBUTOR

Tristan Corneil became the first alumna of the University of the Fraser Valley’s women’s soccer program to play professionally overseas. She recently signed with the Division 1 women’s soccer club, Rynninge IK, which is a major team in Sweden.

“In my dream world, I would love for soccer to become part of my career,” Corneil said.

Corneil’s passion for the sport began when she was only five years old. With lots of hard work, dedication, and the right amount of exposure, Corneil was able to make this dream become a reality.

It is her love for the sport that drove her to play professionally.

“I love the freedom I feel when I play. I can put aside any distractions and just focus on the game and playing to the best of my ability,” she explained.

In Corneil’s time at UFV she was a Canada West first team all-star player in both 2015 and 2016.

But despite the international attention, she keeps sight on the game.

“I made sure I stayed focused on my goal and put all my effort into soccer, especially in my last year at UFV,” she said. “I knew going into it I wanted to make the jump and I prepared myself by doing the workouts, getting extra touches, and staying healthy before I left.”

Competing for the University of the Fraser Valley has shaped Corneil into the talented athlete that she is today.

“Playing for UFV has helped me get outside of my comfort zone and prepared me for the next step

in my soccer career. In my first year, I had trouble with my consistency. Once I found the best way to improve in that area my game improved from there.”

Not only has playing for UFV helped Corneil as an athlete but also as a person.

“It helped push me in every aspect of my life.

It made me want to be better academically, in the workforce, and as a friend.”

When Corneil arrived in Sweden to compete she was a starting centre-back. However, after tearing her meniscus and ACL she had to take a short break from the game to heal.

“I was able to have surgery on my meniscus and am waiting until October to have surgery on my ACL.” Corneil looks forward to playing at least one more season for Rynninge IK, and will reassess from there.

One of her biggest challenges playing professional soccer in Europe is that she does not speak Swedish.

“I have been doing my best to pick up on some of the language. I am finally able to understand most of the football terms. Everyone is so accommodating and does their best to speak English when they are around me.”

When advising other athletes who wish to play professionally, Corneil recommends: “The biggest thing is following through. It is one thing to talk about wanting to play overseas, but ultimately it comes down to your goals and aspirations.

Baseball //

Season in review: 2016-17 Cascades baseball HARVIN BHATHAL CONTRIBUTOR

The 2016/17 season served as a successful inaugural season for the Cascades baseball program, which passed expectations and finished second in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) regular season and third in the CCBC championships.

Though the ending to the season was not ideal, the Cascades emerged from out of nowhere and took the league by storm.

The Cascades baseball team is not a program built from within the university. The team was assembled by local businessman Brian Finnie, and head coach Shawn Corness, who has trained Finnie’s son since the age of six. After the two got together, a proposal was brought to the university, where it was approved, and a year later UFV had its firstever baseball program. Coming into the season, the expectations were to be a middle-of-the-pack team, which was fair considering for most of the players, this was their first season of college baseball. But why UFV? If you ask each of the players, the response they’ll give you as to what attracted them to UFV in the recruitment process is Shawn Corness. After a successful coaching tenure at UBC for a decade, Corness decided it was time to make a change. Now head coach of the Cascades, he has no regrets for his decision to leave a big program to start one fresh.

“It’s exciting, but I was very nervous — leaving a big program and starting a program fresh is always nerve wracking,” said Corness. “It was very challenging, but in a good way.”

Corness shared a relationship with many of the players prior to the Cascades baseball program, which made recruiting easier.

“I had done all the recruiting while I was at UBC, so building this team and putting it together was exciting and I knew there were a lot of good young guys around who wanted to play,” stated Corness.

Some had played under him while in high school, others played under him on the national team, and there are a few who simply knew of him from other

sources. The idea of playing under a coach with so much experience was enticing.

“I’m very fair and disciplined. A big thing with coaching is that if you can develop your players and get them to understand philosophies and what you want, you can have success,” said Corness.

With the second place finish in their first season as a team, it’s clear the players and the coach were on the same page.

Brian Finnie speaks highly of the players in the baseball program. At the beginning of the season, a “driver” was instilled into each one of them, and according to Finnie, a driver is the idea that success is contingent upon a factor driving a person to accomplish whatever task is at hand. For the players, the driver was that in order to play baseball, you have to be a good student and pass your courses. The collective love of baseball led them to study together on late nights, even with the stress of a baseball season on their minds at all times.

The players are enrolled in programs across the spectrum, from criminology and business, to kinesiology and general studies, and more. What I learned from talking with them was that they are not overly dependant on baseball; the players know that their dream of playing baseball professionally is not a guarantee. Apart from baseball, they have hopes of getting into the RCMP, working border patrol, sports rehab, and more. With an involved founder like Finnie, the players are bound to soak up some of the knowledge he has gained throughout his life.

While their inaugural season was no walk in the park, the Cascades caught many teams by surprise.

Going forward, teams will know what to expect when playing the university, but as Corness said, “I think we have a great group of guys that are only going to get better as they get more college experience.

This group has really come along and developed in a short period of time.”

With more time to gel as a team and develop as players, expect more from the Cascades next season.

ART

OF THE

SUMMER Submissions are due Wednesday, July 19th

Limit of three submissions per person

Submissions must have been created with in the last year

Email submissions to: artofthemonth@ufvcascade.ca

Accepted mediums: painting, drawing, print, photography, digital art, sculpture, 3d work Include a 50 word bio, 150 word artist statement, and image list with titles, mediums, sizes, and dates of creation Selected works may be displayed at the Cascade lounge

13

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Movie Review //

An elegy for the movie industry CHARTS 1

Mac DeMarco This Old Dog

2

Timber Timbre Sincerely, Future Pollution

3

Hooded Fang Dynasty House

4

Do Make Say Think Stubborn Persistent Illusions

5

Daniel Romano Modern Pressure

6

Land Of Talk Life After Youth

7

Not You Misty

8

She-Devils She-Devils

9

The New Pornographers Whiteout Conditions

10

Walrus Family Hangover

11

Minotaurs AUM

12

Hollerado Born Yesterday

13

Feist Pleasure

14

The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer Apocalipstick

15

Slowdive Slowdive

16

Amelia Curran Watershed

17

Fiver Audible Songs From Rockwood

18

CO/NTRY Cell Phone 1

19

Girlpool Powerplant

20

Ghost Twin Plastic Heart

14

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY COUPLES THERAPIST

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy had the unfortunate duty of addressing a national delegation of equity-minded volunteers and professionals regarding the systemic racism experienced by visitors in Abbotsford at NCRC36 last week.

Refused — ­­ Coup D’etat I spoke with Swedish rebel yeller and philosophical guru Dennis Lyxzen in 2006 for several hours before an International Noise Conspiracy show at Toronto’s Big Bop complex, and was struck by his open, non-dogmatic approach to the progressive politics he awoke in my years prior with the penultimate Refused album.

Against Me! — Don’t Lose Touch A song about realizing the significance of keeping oneself in the weeds and eyeing the front lines of any cause, movement, or culture. Within two albums, singer Tom Gabel would go from the forefront of punk and suburban anarchy to the leading modern artist engaging in open gender identity dialogue.

Wale — The Kramer Previously shuffled, this piece is as much a treatise on mindfulness as it is a succinct, infectious piece of not-trying-to-be-conscious hip hop, the scale of impact of which matches that of Refused’s Chimercial Bombination; each the manifesto for a generation akin to anything as powerful as Marx, Homer, or Miles.

2pac — Changes There’s a line in this, his final solo, posthumous hit as 2pac, that says, “We ain’t ready to see a black president,” and it wasn’t more than a decade, nor civil war before we “were” apparently ready. That decade even saw us lead towards a widespread epiphany regarding anti-oppression issues.

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

Hollywood cut its own legs off the day it realized just how much money there was to be made cranking out remakes.

The U.S. economy avoided a complete meltdown and despite growing unrest at home and abroad people have money to spend, so sure, they go to the movies. Huge production companies with brand power and recognizable names behind them shell out the big bucks for Dwayne Johnson or Johnny Depp. If it’s a classy flick they shell out even bigger bucks for Robert De Niro and Helen Mirren.

And somewhere deep within the machinery of Hollywood, between copyright lawyers pushing the 3D format because it’s more difficult to pirate and focus-group meetings aimed at deciding which male lead moviegoers most identify with, somebody realized, “Hey, you don’t need a new story to make a new movie. Just take an old story and make a new movie.”

And if you think this level of cynicism isn’t warranted, just look at the movies currently in theatres: Wonder Woman, another in a series of superhero movies; Guardians of the Galaxy 2; Baywatch, a reboot; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (the fifth Pirates movie); Alien: Covenant; and The Mummy.

It’s as if they’re daring us to spend our money. We can picture the archetypal Hollywood big shot impatiently tapping a desk on the umpteenth floor of a high-rise as nervous writers (or worse yet — interns) cower behind each other before reluctantly offering up their latest ideas, which are, of course, shot down in favour of an idea the big-shot financier is already familiar with. Oh, a superhero picture? Yes, those sell. Those are good.

You have to hand it to Hollywood. It’s smart, viewers are either old enough to remember the original films and likely to buy a ticket out of nostalgia, or young enough not to have seen the original and therefore experience the remake as its own entity.

I loved Alien. The original movie came out, almost surprisingly now, in 1979. I can sit down and watch it and be just as impressed as I was when I first saw it in its entirety on one of those science fiction-only television channels. Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley carved out a space for female leads in what had up until then been reserved for mostly male protagonists, defining the the sci-fi heroine. That scene where the alien first bursts its way out of John Hurt’s chest is so iconic it’s become a trope. But the best thing about Alien is that, unlike its successors, it set out to be a horror movie, not a science fiction thriller. Prometheus, the 2012 prequel to the 1979 original, sought to bring in more of the suspense that marked the original film as a classic, but ended

up falling prey to the biggest of Hollywood’s faults: it only served as a springboard from which another sequel spawned.

The Mummy is a different story. Nobody asked for a Mummy reboot, much less one starring Tom Cruise. And considering it’s the first in a series of movies that will “revive” classic horror characters like Frankenstein, Dracula, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon (each with their own film slated for production in the coming years), it’s not surprising that the film feels incomplete and uninspired.

For example, The Mummy makes use of Tom Cruise in the least imaginative way possible by pretty much lifting his Mission Impossible character and dropping him off in the Middle East. The first couple of minutes in the film present viewers with main villain Princess Ahmanet’s introductory story (and to the director’s credit it’s not the worst thing in the world), but it incorporates everything from Ancient Egyptian palace intrigue to, inexplicably, British crusader knights hiding jewels in England.

Sure, we have to build up interest in the backstory to a movie on a topic as outplayed as evil mummies, but there’s a better way to do so than just jumping from one shot of an easily-recognized landmark (Giza) to another (London).

Alien: Covenant doesn’t hastily set up its story only because it’s the same story every other Alien movie has told: explorers find a creepy old planet that screams “Don’t open these weird eggs!” and proceed to open the weird eggs, dooming their entire crew except for their one protagonist. Even Michael Fassbender’s appearance in the film couldn’t save it from the oblivion that comes hand-in-hand with the fact that its story is exactly the same story that we got in 1979. Except without the cool “nobody can hear you scream in space” aesthetic.

These forced sequels, self-indulgent as hell and most of the time completely unnecessary, somehow manage to capture our imagination despite what I suspect is a lingering cynicism shared by people who simultaneously think to themselves, I’ve seen this movie before, why am I seeing it again?

Both Alien: Covenant and The Mummy share the same ending. No, it isn’t the same narrative ending, but it serves the same function: it sets up yet another sequel. Since they’re competing with Marvel’s endless barrage of summer blockbusters, it’s understandable that production companies might choose to go the way of releasing films whose sole purpose is to propagate themselves further, sowing the seeds of their sequels while keeping the audience from experiencing a compelling (or new) story. But if that’s all that Hollywood has to offer, then it makes sense that more and more independent filmmakers are being lauded as frontiersmen (and women) for simply daring to tell stories not already well established in CONTINUED ON PG. 15

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017

Album Review //

Swear they are (good at this) MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

Diet Cig’s music hits the nail on the head when it comes to mixing happy-go-lucky pop-punk (which is more pop than punk), and the duo’s latest record boxes up their energetic romps in a cohesive (if overlong) record.

However, if there’s one criticism the duo can’t escape it’s that of being overly similar in their music. Perhaps it’s that they’ve hit the aesthetic they were aiming for too bluntly, but despite the bittersweet vocals of singer Alex Luciano and drummer Noah Bowman’s crash-heavy drumming, it’s hard to escape the fact that most of Diet Cig’s material blends into itself, so that most of Swear I’m Good At This’ tracks seem, if not unfinished, then at least unfulfilled.

That said, there are some great little tracks on this record. “Tummy Ache” blends simple and to-the-point lyricism with straightforward riffs which are unabashedly infectious. Luciano’s vocal delivery only adds to the track’s melodic strength. And although it’s much less barbed than many of its more earnestly

punk counterparts, there’s an abundance of charisma that permeates tracks like “Barf Day” and “Sixteen.” And despite their looking-over-my-shoulder-at-myyouth stance, the tracks manage to stay away from cynicism fairly easily and lean over into the traditional narrative territory of the acoustic singer-songwriter genre.

The best track on the record, or perhaps simply the most charismatic, is undoubtedly “Maid of the Mist.” Mostly because it follows one main melodic line which weaves itself with varying severity throughout the two-minute track. If there’s one song that’s a great representation of the rest of the content on the record, in its easy-listening, danceable yet still introspective and instrumentally-tense delivery, it’s “Maid of the Mist.”

Along with “Apricots,” which throws all the record’s anxiety away in favour of a more tame delivery that’s just as sweet as everything else on Swear I’m Good at This.

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Laneway Project

CONTINUED FROM PG. 14 the public consciousness.

And, with films like Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea gaining attention from the Academy’s biggest self-congratulatory endeavour, it surprises me that so few films which stray from conventional narratives are made available to the public. Just as an example, Trainspotting 2 was only available as a limited release in select theatres, and even though it is itself a sequel, its narrative is one that covers characters on the fringes of society (or at least on the fringes of the presented society that has saturated entertainment in the past).

We all like to watch movies that are, for lack of a better word, “fun.” Movies that

don’t require us to think critically about our own position in the world — movies that are distractions. That’s fine. But if we become so engrossed by our distraction entertainment that we fail to notice when it permeates most of the entertainment we consume, then that distraction becomes a problem.

Don’t go watch The Mummy. Don’t go watch Alien: Covenant. I’m not going to tell you to read a book or watch art-house movies, but I will say this: You get what you ask for, and the most effective way you have of speaking is with your wallet.

Want to see more interesting stories on the big screen? Don’t watch the next Avengers either.

Join us for our free Laneway Pop-Up event hosted by UFV’s GEOG 464 class Including: � Laneway design � Live music

� Art � Fun & games

June 24, 2017 9am - 1pm 2615C Montrose ave (behind Spruce Market)

Special thank you to Boardwalk Cafe & Games, Spruce Market and Euphoria Paradise Complete list of sponspors and schedule of activities go to facebook/thelawnlanewayproject

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