MAY 16 TO MAY 30, 2018
VOLUME 26 ISSUE 14
Taking chances, making mistakes and getting messy since 1993
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A cademic
Superheroes
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New UF V President
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Talking about mental health
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
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B each House album review
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Editorial //
STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca
Managing Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca
Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca
Opinion Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca
Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca
Features Editor Jen Klassen jen@ufvcascade.ca
Copy Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Simer Haer simer@ufvcascade.ca
Straight outta context
Culture & Events Editor Cassie de Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Distributor Alena Zheng distributor@ufvcascade.ca
Online Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca
JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Dylan Plantenga Rachel Tait Cover: Renée Campbell Back Cover: Caleb Campbell
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 26 · Issue 14 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 1,000 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 200 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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I wonder if anyone at any point in the idea’s development stopped and thought, “Hey, maybe referencing a rap song that promotes gang violence and murder, and adopting a uniquely hip-hop / culturally black symbol for promoting a university student union isn’t exactly the image we’re trying to create for ourselves.” That’s fairly close to what I immediately thought upon gazing at UFV’s student union’s new ad campaign posters, “Straight Outta SUS.” N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton — the album that the posters take form from — was released in 1988, and largely contributed to the creation of the gangsta rap subgenre. It was a significant incarnation of the lived experiences of black Americans in the 1980s. According to Bryan J. McCann, assistant professor of rhetoric & cultural studies at Louisiana State University, the album “constituted a watershed moment in black popular culture that coincided with the devastating consequences of austerity, surveillance, and scapegoating associated with this period.” The genre is an expression against the system that exploited and ghettoized black Americans, but is also notably marked by unashamed misogyny, pseudo-gang life, and a fascination with violence. This is why referencing the album, as a stylistic choice for the posters, seems not quite on brand. The intent of any advertisement is to connect with an audience, and the posters’ content states their goal is to hire to their team. We know content doesn’t constitute the entire message, so what is it then? A quick read of the poster might lead to an interpretation where “Straight Outta SUS” positions the Student
Union Society as a type of Compton. Some might take offence to this because of the cultural relevance. But obviously the pastiched phrase isn’t meant to suggest an “in place of” reference, otherwise the student union would be likened to a ghetto. Not to say Compton is a bad place, I’ve never been. However, situated in the N.W.A. / Straight Outta Compton context, it symbolizes black ghetto violence. Equating the student union to a high crime rate city would be unfavorable. There must be more intention here. Being that the posters give homage to a pop culture symbol perhaps it’s an attempt to reify nostalgia. Considering that, it actually references the album on multiple levels. Loren Kajikawa, professor of ethnomusicology and musicology at the University of Oregon notes that the genius of the album was the way it “manufactured a narrative” of Compton, and centred N.W.A.’s identity within it. What N.W.A. successfully did was tap into America’s love for racialized entertainment, and teased white America’s pervasive fears about gang violence. Kajikawa adds that the group essentially created a brand of rap “that moved from third-person descriptions of street life to first-person portrayals of the gangstas themselves.” Eazy-E and the boys distinguished themselves from other musicians as authentic, the real deal, by rapping about the nature of gang life in Compton, and strongly built their image on being from Compton. In essence, they invested in the currency of authenticity. Richard Peterson, in “In Search of Authenticity,” defines authenticity as “a claim that is made by or for someone, thing, or performance, and is either accepted or rejected by relevant others.”
In the same way that N.W.A. likened themselves to being legit or from the streets, using the image of Compton they created to also define themselves, the poster’s intention is perhaps to denote grassroots legitimacy, or a sense of “we’re like you.” But the symbology has two implications: the original messaging used by the album was intended to portray authenticity to the listening audience, and that image was hardcore. It is the case then that the poster’s anachronistic iconography attempts not to compare the student union to a ghetto, but instead to liken the poster’s speaker to its constituents: We are one of you, as fellow appreciators of culturally relevant symbols. It is neither the rap or the Compton that is indexed, but the idea of associating with what society has constructed as an important icon. I would suggest that for mosts viewers it isn’t even the album that is indexed, simply the sentiment. In a sense, this takes the original album’s marketing technique of establishing authenticity, but through the use of referencing the album itself. However, where the album uses a created identifier of authenticity, the poster attaches itself to the implied nostalgia of the album. Noting that, the SUS posters are to be taken as a self-presentation of authenticity, and not in any way a comparison or likening to the album’s cultural identity. Unfortunately, it still co-opts hip-hop. The problem with nostalgia is the nostalgia mode, as identified by Fredric Jameson. Eventually the nostalgia text spirals into itself until the signifiers exist with no recollection of what was actually signified. But I guess this is the era of a constant recycling of cultural experiences, and the commercialization of recycling of cultural experiences.
NEWS
Jessica Barclay — News Editor news@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
UFV President //
NEWS BRIEFS
Vancouver votes to ban drinking straws
Dr. Joanne MacLean welcomed as new President of UFV
Vancouver city council will vote on a proposed ban on several disposable items in mid-May, to be implemented in November 2019. The ban would include drinking straws, and styrofoam cups and containers, with a $250 fine for non-compliance. The bylaw would also require businesses to implement a single-use reduction strategy to their business model. The plan is part of the Vancouver Zero Waste Community Plan, which looks to reduce waste in landfills by 2040. “2.6 million coffee cups are thrown in trash every week, costing about $2.5 million just to clean up,” Global News reports. -Global News
Controversy surrounds university assigning white professeur to a residential schools course Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax is in the midst of a controversy after assigning a course on Canada's residential schools to a non-Indigenous professor. Some critics claim this undermines Indigenization efforts, and that Indigenous people should teach their own history. The Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship has since stepped forward, voicing disagreement on the sediment in a letter to the university. "The idea that only Indigenous scholars can teach topics involving Indigenous people is false and pernicious. Mount Saint Vincent University should clearly and forcefully repudiate it,” said Mark Mercer, president of the society and a philosophy professor at Saint Mary's University. -CTV News
Installation of Dr. Joanne MacLean as president of UFV. Abbotsford, B.C. May 8. (UFV Flickr)
JESSICA BARCLAY NEWS EDITOR
Dr. Joanne MacLean was installed as the University of the Fraser Valley’s eighth president and vice chancellor May 11. Government officials, other university’s representatives, Stó:lō community representatives, faculty, staff, students, administrators, friends, and members of the Fraser Valley community welcomed MacLean to her new role during the inauguration ceremony and following reception. MacLean brings over 30 years of experience as an administrator, professor, dean, and accomplished coach to her new appointment as president. Before coming to UFV as the dean of the school of health sciences in 2012, MacLean held positions at both the University of Windsor and Brock University. While at the University of Windsor, she was selected as Ontario Coach of the Year three times. Additionally, she participated as coach and as an administrator at three World University Games, and was Canada’s Chef de Mission at the same event held in South Korea in 2003. MacLean earned her bachelor's degree in physical education, and her master’s in physical education and sports science from the University of New Brunswick. She also holds a PhD from the Ohio State University, where she studied philosophy, sport and recreation management, and administration in higher educations. “It’s clear to me that her academic credentials and her practical experience have prepared her exceptionally well for the important responsibilities she now assumes,” Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin said before she administered the oath
of office to MacLean. “To Mr. Sidhu, to the board of directors, and the selection committee, I say very well done indeed.” During her inaugural address, MacLean emphasized her commitment to UFV and the Fraser Valley community. “Our direction at the university will be developed in collaboration between colleagues and the community,” MacLean said. “I believe that our vision will be achieved through teamwork, relationships built, and the engagement of our entire UFV community.” “You see, I see that our people are our greatest strength, and that supported, challenged, respected, and connected faculty, staff, and students thrive in a learning environment, and will achieve their potential and contribute to our overall success.” She also emphasized her strong support in providing diverse academic opportunities for students, including experiential learning and leadership opportunities, supporting faculty in their research goals, and “their quest for innovative teaching approaches that drive learning everywhere.” “I am committed to supporting scholarships at UFV, and am convinced of the importance of integrating teaching and research as a model for true faculty member impact,” MacLean said. In a final comment, MacLean addressed the importance of Indigenization, and her commitment to moving UFV forward in embracing “Indigenous cultural knowledge and ways of knowing.” “I believe the future of the university must be informed of our past and our ability to welcome and listen to the people who cared for this land the longest,” she said. “Indigenization must inform our ap-
proach to education, and I'm committed to building this relationship, and ensuring that the university is welcoming to Indigenous learners and Indigenous employees.” MacLean was welcomed into her new position with speeches by the lieutenant-governor of British Columbia, Janet Austin, chair of UFV board of governors, John Pankratz, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun, Stó:lō speaker Russell Williams, and many others during the ceremony. Letters from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the minister of advanced education, skills, and training, Melanie Mark, congratulated MacLean on her new role. “Dr. MacLean, I wish you the very best as you work to change lives, and build community at UFV,” said Braun. “With your depth of experience in higher education, you will serve UFV, and in turn our community, extremely well.” “Her experience and credentials as a professor, as a researcher, and as an administrator are impeccable, and she demonstrates her remarkable ability that will prove to move UFV forward, and her ability to build functional and highly efficient teams,” Pankratz said. “Her strong lifelong commitment to education and to students will serve UFV and our community well as we move forward.” MacLean receives the position of president and vice chancellor from Jackie Hogan, who held the interim position over the last year. Dr. Alastair Hodges has taken over MacLean’s previous role as the dean of health sciences.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Community News //
Mental Health Week comes to UFV’s Chilliwack Campus
Three days of mental health-focused presentations and exercises CAT FRIESEN COPY EDITOR
UFV’s Faculty of Health Sciences teamed up with the RCMP Pacific Region Training Centre for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s annual Mental Health Week from May 7 to 13. This is their first collaboration with the RCMP. For each of the three days, students, staff, faculty, first responders, and the general public were able to access events on UFV’s Chilliwack campus related to physical and mental health. The events were a first-time collaboration between the training centre and UFV. However, Maggie Shamro, assistant professor of UFV’s nursing program,
stressed that the events would be beneficial to all students and staff, not just first responders. “Knowing about and dealing with crisis, the toll that it takes on our mental health, and how to build resilience in our practices is really important for all of us,” said Shamro. On the first day of events, yoga for all skill levels was offered in the morning, followed by a presentation on “Mind Body Movement” held by Ken Ross, RCMP provincial and lifestyle coordinator. The presentation focused on “how physical health connects to mental health and the connection between the mind and the body,” according to Shamro.
The following day featured a nature walk along Rotary Trail and a presentation on “Building Resiliency for First Responders” by Dr. Brian Atkinson, psychological services for the Fraser Valley. On the final day, another nature walk along Rotary Trail occurred, followed by “PTSD - The Clinical Picture and How it Relates to First Responders,” an information session presented by Shamro and Priscilla Ang of Counsellor Student Services. Shamro said that her student, having been in the military, had a lot of personal knowledge to share on the subject. Although this group of events
was orchestrated to match up with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week, Shamro and Jennifer MacDonald, UFV’s health and wellness strategist, would like to do more events at different times of the year when more students are around, particularly in October and February. “In terms of stress levels because of midterm season, the busyness of the term, and that February is when the weather is bad, moods go down,” said Shamro. “So, those are big times to promote mental health.” Shamro emphasized that with the mental health crisis currently being seen, the conversation
Student Orientation //
Fall first instructional day suspended For new student fun and activities JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR programming offered to welcome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A day slated for activities and orientation is now scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 4, previously the first day of classes in the fall semester. At the May 4 Senate meeting, the UFV Student Union Society (SUS) advocated for a full day for new student orientation. After discussion, Senate approved SUS President Gurvir Gill’s motion to suspend the first day of classes one day for their orientation. Jaleen MacKay, SUS Vice President, said at the Senate meeting, “We want an opportunity when people have moved in, had an opportunity to settle down, to receive the programming and information they need to integrate to UFV.” Last year, the SUS orientation day was held on Labour Day, and saw about 400 students attend. SUS president Gurvir Gill said in an interview that many students don’t return to school or finish work until the day before classes, and having a full day within the semester is ideal for offering a full student welcome experience. New student orientation is the
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students and orient them toward services and resources offered at the university. It also serves as an opportunity to connect students with one another through social activities. “One of the biggest reasons for why we wanted a full day is we find that orientation is a really key pillar of students getting oriented into university, and a big part of their whole transition and experience,” Gill said. UFV Student Life is organizing the rest of welcome week, which will take place during the first week of classes this year. In past years, the week was scheduled for the last week of August. “What we were finding was that students are busy,” Kyle Baillie, director of Student Life, said. “We’re not going to ask them to give up a Friday or a Saturday, or a day before classes start, we’re going to take all the things we’d do in that late summer orientation, and build them into their first week.” The welcome week activities will be scheduled at multiple times throughout the week to give students the opportunity to attend at
various times. Each faculty will hold a welcome session as an opportunity for students to connect with faculty members and other students in their discipline. “We want to get them to meet their advisor, to meet upper year students, and to meet faculty, a dean, and to engage with their student association if one exists for their program.” Other services to be offered during the welcome week are UFV Lead, UFV’s leadership program, and Student Life’s Sexualized Violence Prevention (SVP) training. This year, SVP is not mandatory for first-year students, but Baillie said they will push for it to be for Sept. 2019. “We’re really trying to do is shift orientation from being purely social, which it had been five years ago, to something that’s more academically integrated,” Baillie said. “Every year we try something a little bit new, but building orientation around our students and making it more convenient and more catered to their needs and lifestyle demands.”
regarding mental health is more important than ever. “Only in the last few years has this been a big push on campuses,” said Sharmro. “Up until then it wasn’t really talked about much, and the focus was more on students’ physical health and their academic success.” With the success of this event, Shamro is looking forward to the future dialogue at UFV regarding mental health. “It’s an exciting time because now it’s becoming something we’re talking about more and more, it’s more of a part of the conversation … the more we talk about it, the more that stigma goes down,” Shamro said.
UFV Varcity //
UFV to host wrestling champs UFV will host the 2019 Canada West wrestling championships, as decided at the Canada West conference Annual General Meeting last week in Kelowna. The championships will be held February 8th to 9th at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre on the Abbotsford campus. This will be the first time The UFV Cascades have hosted a Canada West championship in any sport. “We’re excited to host the Canada West wrestling championship for the first time,” said Steve Tuckwood, UFV’s director of athletics and campus recreation. The 2017/18 year is the UFV wrestling program’s fourth season apart of Canada West. The UFV Cascades wrestlers brought home multiple medals this year, with sisters Karla and Ana Godinez Gonzalez receiving Canada West female wrestler of the year and female rookie of the year respectively. Karla was also named UFV Cascades female athlete of the year. Brad Hildenbrandt and Parker McBride both took home gold in their weight classes at the U SPORTS national championships, and Karla and Ana Godinez Gonzalez were awarded silver. McBride was awarded U SPORTS male rookie of the year award and Hildenbrandt was awarded UFV male athlete of the year.
OPINION
Jeff Mijo — Opinion Editor opinion@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Summer Reflection //
Summer classes, to take or not to take? That is the question
RACHEL TAIT CONTRIBUTOR
The idea of taking a summer class was daunting at first. The winter semester was a hard one for me, and the notion of going to summer school has always seemed like cruel and inhumane punishment. This year however, the opportunity presented itself to take an expedited class with a good friend. I have to say, though it has only been a couple of weeks, the atmosphere on campus is more laid back, and the beautiful, warmer weather is a refreshing change of pace from the cool winter front we experienced last semester. The normally hectic activity one finds
themselves in, the overcrowded halls, and long lineups at Tim Hortons that occur during the rest of the school year are much more relaxed so far. This semester I am taking a theatre class, which is a nice break from the essay writing and article analyzing that fills the life of an English major. In the three years I have been attending UFV, I’ve never had this much fun before. I recommend current and future students to take a class once in awhile that has absolutely nothing to do with their main focus of study. It helps rejuvenate the mind, and it’s a good way to reduce stress and just enjoy learning something new and exciting.
I find that the classes in the arts and music department are a great outlet for students to test their creativity, and what better time to do this than summer? There are considerably less students during the summer semester, as many work full-time or go on holiday. Easy parking is another benefit, because there are more spots available to park on campus, especially compared to the rest of the school year. There is a sense of peace on campus, as if the school is swinging into a lighter summer mode, but still upholding the same level of academic integrity and support for its students. Some instructors even take their class outside for their lectures if the
weather permits. A great option the summer semester has is to take a shorter, condensed class that is about half the length of the regular ones. These classes usually start at the beginning of May and end in late June. They provide the full credits you need to upgrade your GPA and graduate on time, with two months of holiday to spare. This is good for students who want to take courses that they may not excel in for half the time, or focus on a harder upper level class with less of a course load. While my initial plans were to take the summer semester off and rest in the sun, I am glad I didn’t. By taking one course, I can still
enjoy time off during the summer and work on my novel, while obtaining more credits towards my BA. Also, I would have never discovered the peace and joy of enrolling in the summer semester that is not only helping me graduate on time, but also allowing me to relax and enjoy the semester, where in previous years my schedule had been too hectic and busy to slow down and just smell the roses. And although I know that each season and semester may have its own sets of stresses, homework, and assignments, I would still recommend to students to take a summer class or two at least once before graduating.
The Cascade Pitch meetings Interested in writing for The Cascade?
Come to a pitch meQeting to find out what the editors are looking for or to pitch a story. It’s also the best time to connect with other writers and contributors to The Cascade. Monday at 2:30 p.m every 2 weeks May 28, June 11, June 25 S2111, at the top of the centre stairs in the Student Union Building.
The Cascade is hiring a
SPORTS WRITER For more information or to apply, visit ufvcascade.ca/employment or email cat@ufvcascade.ca
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Mindful Knowing //
Money Lending //
New banks on the digital block
Crawling in my shoes
Every picture of health is a two-way mirror
Will PayPal and Amazon be replacing your financial institution in the near future?
Illustration by: Simer Haer
JEFF MIJO OPINION EDITOR
You’re a broke student with expenses piling up, a job that doesn’t pay nearly enough to cover them, and a busy class schedule that leaves little free time. The last thing you need is one more errand to run, and stopping at the bank is, let’s be honest, never a fun errand. At least, that’s how the major corporations preparing to edge in on the banking market hope you feel. PayPal made a recent splash by beginning to roll out “bank-like” services to select customers in the U.S. last month, but it’s not alone: according to Fortune, Amazon and Square are two other recognizable brands eying what they see as an opening. It’s honestly surprising that none of the major players have tried it yet, to be frank. Banking is obviously a hugely profitable industry, yet it’s dominated by mostly older institutions that, for whatever convenience options they may offer, tend to still operate in much the same way they have for decades. Users of PayPal’s new service receive a debit card, can enable direct deposits, and even deposit cheques, despite the company having no local branches. It sounds decentralized, high-tech, and efficient, and it’s no stretch of the imagination to see people, especially young people, flocking to it in droves. At a time when you may not have much money in savings, convenience is key — you want to be able to access that money easily, at any time, to pay for the things you want. PayPal is, of course, literally banking on this. A CBC article quotes PayPal chief operating officer Bill Ready as saying that the new service is targeting individuals who don’t have any bank account at all, explaining that without one, “you can’t take an Uber ride, can’t stay in a room on Airbnb.” That market does seem like a reasonable place to start: a 2014 survey from the World Bank found that six per cent of Americans (around 19 million individuals) did not have bank accounts, and the numbers were higher — 13 per cent — among the poorest 40 per cent of households. It’s not a stretch to imagine that PayPal may
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have an easier time scooping up those potential customers than financial institutions, whom they may see as corrupt or unnecessary. It’s a different story in Canada, though. That same survey revealed that only one per cent of Canadians have no bank account, and that number only jumps to two per cent when looking at the poorer groups. Given Canada’s smaller market, that’s not going to be an effective target. But if companies like PayPal have shown anything, it’s an ambition to expand their businesses to all viable regions. So what will their Canadian approach look like? It will likely be a more direct attack on existing institutions, targeting young people to convince them that those big buildings their parents went to are the way of the past, and a purely digital banking experience is the future. But is it? It seems feasible that these companies will make a splash, and barring any horrible catastrophes (one going bankrupt and losing its clients’ savings, for example), they’ll likely find some loyal customers. However, banks aren’t going to roll over and die easily, and the competition could spur some great benefits for consumers, as banks are forced to compete not just with each other, but with an external viable threat. We could see a period of rapid expansion of services, reduction of fees, and likely some more gimmicky attempts to hold onto your precious savings. But they’ll have to fight hard. In the CBC article mentioned above, author Peter Armstrong put forward the idea of what these new entrants to the industry could offer, suggesting Amazon may give complementary Amazon Prime memberships to their banking customers. That’s the sort of thing that pushes someone over the edge when making major decisions like where to place their money, and traditional banks will have to work hard to compete. If these companies can overcome the initial skepticism, however, they may convince people to trust them enough, not just to provide a service or product, but to safeguard their life’s savings.
Illustration by: Simer Haer
DYLAN PLANTENGA CONTRIBUTOR
“What would you do if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me?” Joe Cocker’s words echo in my brain like a metronome to Pavlov’s dog. What would you do if your friend was struggling through something you can’t comprehend? Something like suicide, self-harm, vengeful thoughts, anger. Those are just four of a near infinite amount of different effects associated with mental health. You may know someone with mental health issues, and it is even possible that you have helped those who do. I envy you. I can barely take care of myself some days, let alone other people. Myself, I have anxiety; severe anxiety in fact. I have Asperger’s syndrome which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain social relationships of any kind. Sometimes I miss class because of it. I also suffer from occasional vertigo. I live in fear of the stigma attached to mental illness that we have probably all heard of. “Oh, they’re psycho, they’re a nerd, geek, bedwetter, FREAK!” The reality is that we are humans. We may hear voices or we may just not want to talk to you, but the point is, we are human beings. Deal with it. In 1982, Pierre Trudeau helped create the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For those who might not know what that is, it’s basically the list of rights, laws, and entitlements we have as Canadian citizens. The word “everyone” shows up a lot in it, which I take to mean encompassing everyone in Canada: Like me. Nowhere in the Charter does it indicate that people who are mentally ill in any form should be disadvantaged or mistreated — in fact, it even says: “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular,
without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” The legalities surrounding mental health are not my issue. My issue is with the gray area most people have surrounding those of us who deal with it daily in one form or another. Like someone who is visually impaired or a person who is deaf, if you ask them about their disability, more than likely they’ll make time to explain it. I know, I’ve met some lovely people at UFV who were visually impaired. Now, if you ask me about my disability, I’ll do the same. I don’t brag about it, but I am it, if that makes sense. I’ve been through periods in my life where I have spent a month or two incapacitated by my mental health issues. I literally could not leave the house, speak, act normally, participate in regular . . . you know . . . human stuff. Not anything. I once accidentally took a picture of myself. I had walked into the MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) thrift store on Clearbrook and South Fraser. I was standing by the entrance when a picture caught my eye, so I took a photo of it. It was a picture frame with an inscription on the inside, something along the lines of, “You can’t judge a man until you walk in his shoes.” That part was typical, but what made it extraordinary is the realization I made a few years later. One day I looked at the picture and noticed my shoes were captured in the bottom of the image. This was completely accidental. Something was watching over me that day. Knowing, even then, what I had been through in my life in regard to my mental health issues, I knew this would be my favourite picture of all time. What it says to me is that nobody, unless they’ve experienced the trauma and personal issues associated with mental health, can judge those who have. Simple.
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
A slave to freedom
HufflepUFV
I love owning my own car, but I also hate owning my own car. The freedom to go wherever I want whenever I want is handy. However, cars tend to eat your wallet for breakfast, and the waste produced by the staggering number of cars on our roads is wreaking havoc on our environment and the air we breathe. It seems the more I think about it, the amount of cons to owning my own car vastly outnumbers the pros. So why is this big blue hunk of metal still sitting outside my home? It’s because living in Abbotsford without owning a vehicle is inherently impossible. The state of bus routes in Abbotsford is disheartening. There are still many places around the city that receive intermittent service, don’t receive service past 5 p.m., or don’t receive service at all. Abbotsford is a rapidly growing city, so you would think that with the amount of people we have moving here, Abbotsford officials would think to improve our public transit system, so we can effectively transport them all. Sadly, it simply isn’t feasible to live without a car in this city, so my not-so-trusty rustbucket remains in my possession.
One of the common critiques I’ve heard of UFV is that there’s not enough of a campus culture, and while there are certainly people and groups doing their best to change that, the fact remains that lots of students come to school, go to their classes, and go home without doing anything else. Events are great, but no day or time works with everyone’s schedule. So how do we get every student engaged without getting them all together? Easy: we copy Hogwarts. We may not be able to have moving staircases, and our owls may look more like Canada geese, but we could easily sort every student into a “house” with a funny name and some arbitrary characteristics they can identify with. Faculty and staff will gain the ability to award or take away points, leading to utterly pointless rivalries and division among students, but at least they’ll care. And then maybe throw in a nice juicy scholarship that only members of the winning house for the year can apply for, and you’ve got a recipe for student engagement. Easy. Just like magic.
Brief bits of bite-sized brevity
Cassie de Jong
SNAPSHOTS
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
Mennonite madness
Salsa salvation A number of weeks ago I lamented in a Snapshot the guano labeled as salsa by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. I haven’t watched his show, but the big fellow strikes me as a man with a rich and intimate knowledge of salsas; he is not. But I, being a bit of a salsa man myself, have, in the wake of adversity, in fact salvaged and improved the formula: I fermented the hell out of it. I still don’t recommend the salsa. It’s more expensive than your middle-of-the-road grocery store salsas, and the fermentation only brought it to par with Pace — which actually says a lot about the big flavour favor fermentation did on the stuff. Now, finally, the salsa has the zest it missed, a touch of effervescence, and it’s an all-around healthier sauce.
Jeff Mijo
Joel Robertson-Taylor
Friesen, Klassen, Reimer, Dueck. Chances are, if you spend any time at all in Abbotsford, you’ve met someone with one of these last names. Mennonites, man. We like our borscht, we like our paska, we like our platz. On Friday, I went to an art opening at the Mennonite Heritage Museum. I was nervous because I’m not an art student. As I was interviewing the artist, his parents meandered over with an entire genealogy, and sat down at our table. The entire interview was thrown off, but no matter. As we sat and chatted, the conversation became akin to old friends sitting at a coffee shop. Keep in mind, I’ve never met these people, but that’s Mennonites for you. I received an entire lesson on Prussia, Low German, and why “Klassen” is spelled so many different ways. We looked at their ancestors all the way back to the 1600s, which is a super cool trick that the museum can do (seriously, so cool). Walking in, I was a stranger, walking out, I was family.
Jen Klassen
Illustrations: Amara Gelaude
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ACADEMIC
SUPERHEROES Maintaining a posture of humility in places of authority.
By : Jen Klassen Every September the leaves fall and a new ream of babies become students. In this moment they
mentoring, and initiates professional development for her colleagues.
go from being educated by parents and Sesame
Riddell, in watching a recent movie installation
Street, and enter into the world of Academia. Their
to the DC Universe, “Wonder Woman,” discov-
fresh little faces shine bright with little knowledge
ered a beautiful analogy of being a shield bearer.
of the world at large, the entirety of their universe
This analogy encapsulates what she seeks to do in
containing their parents, siblings, homes, and the
her career, and what she desires to see done in all
ant they found while walking from the front door
circles of life.
to the car.
“We started to think about it as a concept, a guid-
Each child is unique. Some require more special
ing vision or philosophy, about the ways in which
attention than the average teacher can give. Since
we can especially help our underrepresented or
kindergarten classes show no slowing down in
marginalized members of our communities. We
admission rate, class size has been on the rise for
really thought about this movie as a metaphor,”
years, causing a strain on the efficacy of the educa-
said Riddell.
tion system.
This idea of being a shield bearer derives from the
The gradual process of moving through the
scene near the beginning of the movie where one
education system — elementary school, middle
Amazonian warrior holds her shield so that Anti-
school, high school, post secondary, and so on and
ope, Diana’s (Wonder Woman’s) aunt, can launch
so forth — if the student so desires, is a relatively
herself off it, propelling her forward, enabling her
long process that seems to take no time at all. Pret-
to take down the threat that the invading army of
ty soon those babies are young adults, and they
Germans posed to the island of Themyscira where
themselves are raising the next generation.
the Amazonian women reside. This action is seen
Dr. Jessica Riddell does not stand very tall, nor is she very old. But her stature and age do not denote
by two characters: Diana, and Steve Trevor, typical “good guy” and the male lead of the movie.
a lack of wisdom or presence. She is the inaugu-
“The reason why I love the shield, is there’s a
ral Stephen A. Jarislowsky chair of undergradu-
kind of humility in the shield bearer. The shield
ate teaching excellence at Bishop’s University. She
bearer doesn’t get any accolades, doesn’t get a gold
explores teaching methodologies in the area of
star, doesn’t get the glory, doesn’t do the thing, but
higher education, seeks to create opportunities for
is the thing that makes it happen,” said Riddell.
“The biggest thing I continue to struggle with is the system. I very much believe that all of these kids deserve the world, and that we
“Not all teachers believe in the same things pedagogically … Some teachers teach subjects, and some teachers teach students.”
should be able to give them everything that they are entitled to, and everything that will help them be successful. But we do work in a system, and at the end of the day it is still a business,” said Oster. In March 2017, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation won a 15 year battle regarding class size and composition. In 2002, legislation was put in place that removed teachers’ rights to negotiate these numbers. Now, with the new ruling, numbers and support must harken back to 2002, in hope that this will enable students to receive the help and support they need to succeed. With the new legislation in place, ideally in a class of 30 students, only 3 would have an IEP (individualized education program). “At the school that I work at we have 10-15 per cent of our kids that access learning support with an individual education plan. That means
To be a shield bearer is a humble placement of one’s self in order
that they have been formally assessed by a district psychologist, and
to help advance another individual in success, enabling them to fully
have been found to have a learning disability in some area or behav-
reach their potential. In being a shield bearer, one not only enables the
iour designation,”said Oster.
launched individual to achieve, but also enables them to carry the process forward, engaging and propelling others forward in turn. This idea has been adopted by Riddell as a description for her aims as a teacher and an authority figure. She has also applied this metaphor in her personal life.
“On top of that, we have kids that access learning support who don’t have a designation. They are just kids that we find do struggle greatly in particular areas and require extra support … 15-20 per cent of our kids access support in some way, I would say.” The number of kids accessing support means that these teachers are
“My husband has two small humans that he is corralling. He’s my
still spread thin. When Oster started, she had 47 students on her case-
shield in that moment. He is giving me that ability to go and have a
load. With the new ruling, she is supposed to have 15, but in reality,
writing retreat,” said Riddell.
due to the limited amount of learning support teachers certified in the
High school teacher Nikita Oster does this daily with her students
district, she, as well as her learning support colleagues, are all over
as a learning support teacher, working with many who have specific
their caseload cap. This means that the time and energy she is able to
behavioural and educational needs. Not only does she corral children,
devote to each kid in her care is nowhere near what she would like it to
but she also epitomizes the idea of being a shield bearer. A UFV alum-
be. Thankfully, this doesn’t stop her from giving her all every day. She
ni, Oster teaches at Brookswood Secondary School in Langley, B.C. She
desires to see these kids succeed, and recognizes that it’s not about her,
has been there for two years, and has discovered her love of working
it’s about helping these kids to reach their desired goals.
with students that other teachers may deem too difficult. “For these kids, they have challenges, physiologically within their
“Not all teachers believe in the same things pedagogically … Some teachers teach subjects, and some teachers teach students,” she said.
brains, that are preventing them from learning at the same rate society
“Being a teacher is a thankless job; you are working all the time, and
has decided they should do it at. Why do they need to write a para-
you are giving a lot of your emotional energy, but it’s not about you,
graph if they are going to be a plumber? I get to interact with them as
it’s not about how awesome I am in making these kids successful, it’s
people,” said Oster.
about me being able to help them find their own coping strategies, to
In the past 10 years, class composition in elementary and secondary schools has changed. The number of classes that contain four or more
find their own way to become successful in whatever it is they want to be successful in,” said Oster.
children with special needs has increased by 81 per cent. In 2006/07,
The shield bearing action is initiated later on in the “Wonder Wom-
the number of classes containing four or more special needs students
an” movie by Trevor, and he teaches his compatriots the action, hold-
was 15 per cent. So, while class sizes have been diminishing since the
ing a shield to propel Diana forward to defeat the threat to their motley
2012 regulatory measures were enabled, this number is still staggering.
crew of soldiers.
“This is the key about the shield … It’s really about having those
“This is the key about the
models that we can see, that we know, who are taking those difficult and really underrepresented roles on,” said Riddell. See one, do one, teach one. An old adage that still rings true.
shield … It’s really about having
Both women had experiences encountering their own shield bear-
those models that we can see,
ers throughout their lives. People who have come alongside them and encouraged them in their dreams and goals. The impact their shield
that we know, who are taking
bearers have had seems to echo in the work both women have decided
those difficult and really
to pursue.
underrepresented roles on.”
“[My teacher] allowed me to navigate my own path in a safe environment. I think that’s really cool, because it was very much my life and knowing I had a safety net. They were there to help me get where I needed to be, but I was never relying on them to catch me if everything fell through,” said Oster. Riddell’s early experience with a shield bearer in her academic career also left an impression on her. “As a very junior faculty member, I went to Bishop’s University,” Riddell said. “In my first year, I wanted to do an undergraduate conference in English. I had never done anything like that before, I had never organized a conference. I sat in my VP academic’s office and I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this great idea, and I am going to try this.’ He said, ‘Have you ever done anything like this conference?’ I said no. … He said ‘Go and do it, you’re allowed to flop.’” Both women agreed that having this safety net enabled them to feel safe to try new things, and pursue their goals and dreams. Riddell spoke of Rebecca Solnit, an essayist who says, “Hope is the belief that what you do matters, even though how and when it may matter, who and what it may impact are not things we can know beforehand.” Looking at the challenges that Oster and other teachers like her face every day, it is inspiring to note the dedication of these educators to pursue the best for the students they interact with daily, monthly, yearly, who face myriad of challenges, not always knowing the outcome of the student’s lives, or the impact they may have in the long run. It’s trusting the process, hoping that the small victories will translate to larger victories throughout life. “It’s slow progress. But there is the little everyday wins, like they finally understand this math question, they finally brought a pencil. Man, that’s a win some days,” said Oster. Riddell also introduces the idea of critical hope in her presentation on Wonder Woman. Critical hope is an idea originated from Paulo Freire in his book Pedagogy of Hope. Freire iterates that critical hope is “the need for truth as an ethical quality of the struggle.” That is, through navigating our complicated life situations, and using the tools
of critical thinking, coupled with even a minute glimpse of hope, we persevere toward a properly attuned goal. Jeffrey M.R. Duncan-Andrade is an associate professor at San Francisco State University. In addition, he is a high school teacher in East Oakland. In his paper “Note to Educators: Hope Required When Growing Roses in Concrete,” he expounds on the necessity of critical hope when teaching, especially students who come from urban schools. He states that critical hope can be broken down into three parts: material hope, Socratic hope, and audacious hope. Each element depends on one another for critical hope to be enacted. “False hope would have us believe in individualized notions of success and suffering, but audacious hope demands that we reconnect to the collective by struggling alongside one another, sharing in the victories and the pain,” writes Duncan-Andrade. He further states that effective teachers are indispensable material resources, capable of self-reflection regarding their place within the system and the lives of their students, teaching them not as other people’s children, but their own. “Learning isn’t a linear path ... you fail, and encounter things that you didn’t anticipate, and that you must deal with and integrate that into your understanding of self, and your place in the world,” said Riddell. For Riddell, the idea of being a shield bearer carries on outside the classroom. It’s an adaptable idea that can be taken and applied to many environments and facets of life. It requires each individual to see the potential in those around us, and advocate on their behalf. She desires to find opportunities to take the humble stance as often as she can. “It is my ethical responsibility to act as a shield now,”said Riddell. “If I can have moments where I intervene and deploy the shield, and help them reach their capacities, that is my ethical responsibility.”
CULTURE
Cassie de Jong — Culture Editor culture@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Healing Art //
Hear and See healing in our community Poetry reading and artist talk at the Reach Gallery removes stigma from mental illness CASSIE DE JONG
CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR
The amount of creative outlets popping up around Abbotsford is a breath of fresh air for struggling members of our community looking for help. An example of such is the Communitas Supportive Care Society. According to their website, Communitas is a faith-based registered charity which aims to provide care to those living with disabilities across British Columbia. It is part of their mission to provide a wide variety of services to those in need. These services include residential care, skills-based day programs, and care for families or individuals from all walks of life, regardless of faith, social standing, race, or ethnicity. A recent project put together by Communitas aimed to match local artists to members of their society who were struggling with various mental or physical issues. Fourteen members were paired with 14 artists in an attempt to use art as a tool for healing, change, and raising awareness of the challenges faced by people living with mental illness. The members were prompted to write a poem about their struggles and life experience, which was then sent to an artist who created a piece based off their work. The types of poetry ranged from haikus to sonnets to rap, and the artwork included a wide variety of two-dimensional work and sculpture. The resulting collection is currently on display at the Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford. The opening reception for the show was held on May 3, and attracted a full house of art lovers and supportive community members alike. The crowd packed into one of the Reach’s smaller rooms to hear the poets and artists speak about their work. Each poet first stood at the front of the room and presented their poem and the story behind it. Following that, the artist paired to that poet then ad-
Poetry by Cornelius J. Franz accompanied by artwork (Cassie de Jong/The Cascade)
dressed how they related to the poem, and how they chose to interpret and translate it into a visual format. Topics addressed by the poets spoke about struggles with anorexia, managing emotions, environmental issues, true love and old age, disability, medication, withdrawal, stories of survival, and much more. One young poet wrote about her eating disorders and her position on the autism spectrum. One man wrote a dialogue poem structured as a conversation between cancer and depression personified. The writer’s family had been struggling with these issues for for many years. A poet of note was Cornelius J. Franz, who wrote four sonnets about his battle with depression and anxiety. He stated that the final poem he read aloud was the one he wrote first, while he was in a state of suicidal depression. His poem was translated into a mixed media painting of a genderless human, as there are no gender differences when it comes to these issues. A gold needle sews the figure’s mouth shut, and leaves a red thread falling down the throat with a thick knot at the end. This is meant to symbolize the pain that we swallow over and over again. The emotion felt in the room was intense. Each issue addressed elicited a strong reaction from the audience and presenter alike. Overall, the event was unifying, and had massive healing effects for anyone who attended. A crowd gathers at the Reach Gallery Museum to Witness a new exhibit (Cassie de Jong/The Cascade)
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STUDY BREAK Crossword //
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018 Made by Cassie de Jong ACROSS
DOWN
1: Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
1: An Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile, near Cairo, where the Great Pyramids are.
5: An individual who supports or recommends a particular cause or movement. 8: A female adult horse.
2: A sound that reflects off a surface and back to the listener several times.
9: A disease in which an excess of glucose is released into the bloodstream.
3: Green soybeans that have been boiled or steamed in their pods.
13: An area of well-kept grass found in front of houses.
4: A vast Russian province that takes up a large portion of Northern Asia.
14: Popular song by Elvis Presley about a canine.
6: To partially burn an object so as to blacken its surface.
17: To be dedicated to a certain purpose or ambition in the face of adversity.
7: The desire to possess something that belongs to someone else.
LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS:
9: A region and former province on the coast of the Netherlands. Its name is often used to refer to all the Netherlands.
Across 1: Ferret 6: Aardvark 7: Roller Coaster 9: Arabesque 11: Chrysanthemum 13: Winnipeg 15: Mojito
Down 2: Eggnog 3: Tea 4: Nurse 5: Allergy 8: Student 10: August 12: Heinz 14: Gym
10: A list of references printed at the end of an essay, paper, or book. 11: A dark and sometimes morbid subculture of fashion. 12: Blue printer ink is described as _ _ _. 15: A song sung by two people. 16: A long dress often worn to a prom or wedding.
Illustration by: Amara Gelaude
Horoscope //
Astrological mysteries rudely interpreted by Lady May
Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 You have an insatiable curiosity and a strong desire to try new things. Naturally this almost always lands you knee deep in trouble or some other undesirable substance. Hit the showers, adventurer. People are getting tired of your shenanigans… and the smell. Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Your week is not looking good. For a while now your friends have been dangling bait and bribes in front of your face, trying to convince you to participate in their mischief. However, being gullible as you are, you won’t see the mouse trap until it is too late. Just try to make it out of the fray with a piece of cheese. Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 You have been trying to live like a strange cross between a Sagittarius and a Scorpio. Unfortunately, as a result none of your friends want to hang out with you anymore. There is no point in trying to be someone else, especially when the people you’re trying to be like are generally considered disagreeable and/or snappy. Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Saying hello to your neighbour every couple of weeks when you catch them walking their dog past your house cannot be accurately described as a social life. What makes it worse is you’re usually greeting the dog instead of your neighbour. I suggest making a trip to your local dog park to socialize, if only to get out of your house and jump into a sea of puppies.
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Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 You’ve been looking a bit rough around the edges this week. Now is the time to remind your coworkers that you are Leo. You are the goddamn king of the jungle. If things aren’t going your way at work, you can just roar at them until you get what you want. This may result in you getting fired, but at least people will know you are not to be messed with. Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 This week, you will mount your moral high horse in plain view of all your friends. However, given your clumsy nature they will immediately prove you wrong, and that horse will kick you off so fast you’ll see the curvature of the Earth. Get your facts checked before you claim the high ground. Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 This week you will meet a new friend who has the potential to be your soulmate. You will love the same music and movies, conversation will flow freely between the two of you, and every other aspect of them will embody your version of the perfect partner. The unfortunate side of this is they will be dating your best friend. It’s never that easy, is it? Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Despite the warm weather we’ve been experiencing, you have felt more coldhearted this week. Now is a good time to consider changing majors to pursue a career as a lawyer. Not only would you be a perfect candidate for the job with your frigid disposition, but that industry is always looking for more frozen fresh meat.
Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 You have a complicated business model for your life, and your addiction to planning out convoluted ways to make money is getting out of hand. You have, on more than one occasion, considered selling your friend’s kidneys to make an extra buck. Your strange dealings can, and likely will, land you in jail. Cool it, Patrick Bateman. Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Your offline relationships are suffering, but you just can’t seem to figure out why. It might be because you haven’t logged out of World of Warcraft for three plus days now. I understand the new expansion is coming out in a few months, but if you don’t speak to your friends for that length of time, they do tend to disappear. Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 I know a sinking ship when I see one, and right now your workplace is falling fast. It’s definitely time to find a new job. Perhaps something that’s less stressful, like a professional figure model! The visual arts department is always looking for more candidates. If you don’t mind your birthday suit being immortalized on canvas dozens of times over, of course. Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 You are loyal, dedicated, and good at puzzles. However, those are your only good points. You likely took the Pottermore test and ended up with Hufflepuff. Just be grateful that there are times when being a “good finder” comes in handy, and times when it is a curse. Such as when you were looking for your old sports magazines and instead found your father’s porn collection.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Visual Art Show //
Scrolling Through History Local Artist and UFV Visual Arts Professor opens new exhibit at the Mennonite Heritage Museum JEN KLASSEN FEATURES EDITOR
The sun is finishing its daily arc through the sky as the doors open on the Mennonite Heritage Museum for viewers to come witness local artist Christopher Friesen’s new exhibit. This exhibit originally debuted at the Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford under the title “Search by Image,” and has now been moved to the Mennonite Heritage Museum as a tribute to Friesen’s heritage. “This is a different venue, and my job as an artist and as a leader in the community is educating people … One of the reasons I want to show here is my connection to my family,” said Friesen. Christopher Friesen is a Uni-
versity of the Fraser Valley professor in the visual arts department. His work has been shown throughout Western Canada, and he has worked in public, private, and corporate collections. He is also represented by the Elissa Cristall Gallery in Vancouver. Work on this latest series began three years ago during his sabbatical. “In 2015, I was on sabbatical. I had also moved from Abbotsford to Langley. I changed studios. In Langley, I am on septic, so I can’t clean my brushes in the sink, because the worst thing you can do with a septic field is put paint in it. So I switched to oils. I’ve never really painted large scale oils before, so it took me a long time to learn what I wanted the material
to do,” said Friesen. “Scroll Through History” is a series of paintings done by Friesen using oil and acrylic on canvas on a larger scale. Friesen uses “iconic and obscure works by French artist Jean Baptiste Camille Corot (1796 – 1875) to explore legacies, tendencies of modern painting, and to consider notions of influence, quotation, authorship, knowledge, and the ‘real’ in the age of digital reproduction.” “I’ve always been interested in the role technology takes in painting, which is why you see the invitation for people to photograph and post on social media. If art is about engagement … that’s what I want people to have permission to do,” said Friesen.
The idea of offering, unlike many other art exhibitions, such an invitation is part of Friesen’s larger project. “People Google a lot of art information, and there is a lot of misinformation that comes up,” he said. “So I am also kind of exploiting just how that works … you can’t trust it, because I can show you how to fool Google, so my paintings come up alongside Corot. But that becomes the dialogue, the loophole, of how we are not critical.” Friesen uses Corot’s original titles in his paintings. Therefore, when posted online, he uses online algorithms against themselves by eliminating any separation between Corot’s work and his own. This would cause the inno-
cent viewer to be lost, questioning which is real and which is a copy, bringing up issues of epistemology. Friesen also stated: “One of the things about being a university professor is that you teach critically. You teach how to ask questions and hopefully how to think. But we’re not in a thinking world. So this becomes the moment you have the back door into the seductive imagery, and it raises more questions. So, you can enjoy it as a painting, but I think there is more to it.” “Scroll Through History” will be on display at the Mennonite Heritage Museum until June 6.
Cascade Events Calendar May
Note: Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.
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Colin Linden @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Spring Film Series - C’est La Vie! (6/7) @ Cottonwood 4 Cinemas (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Virtual Reality Experience @ Fraser Valley Regional Library (Abbotsford), 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Songwriters Unite! @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 9:30 p.m. Mountaineers @ Chilliwack Museum and Archives, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m Trent McClellan LIVE @ The Tamihi Room (Chilliwack), 8:00 10:00 p.m. RiPCORDZ @ Gators Pub (Abbotsford), 8:00 - 11:30 p.m.
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Stiletto Live @ Captains Cabin Pub (Mission), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Let’s Plant For The Bees @ Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. The Lonesome Town Painters @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Run for Water @ Mill Lake Park (Abbotsford), 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Mauvey w/ guests Awake O Sleeper and Cambree Lovesy @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 6:30 p.m. The Kwerks @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Opening Night: The Mousetrap @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (Abbotsford), 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Future Father Figures Live @ The Stage in Mission, 7:00 - 11:59 p.m. Free metal show @ Gators Pub (Abbotsford), 7:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
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Roots & Blues Night with Harpdog Brown & Jordie Edmonds @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
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Spring Film Series – ShortFest (7/7) @ Cottonwood 4 Cinemas (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
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Celtic Night with Murphy’s Lagh @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Alien Intrusion @ Cottonwood 4 Cinemas (Chilliwack), 7:00 9:00 p.m. Spring / Summer Exhibitions Opening Reception @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
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ARTS
Martin Castro — Arts Editor
arts@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Album Review //
CHARTS 1
BLESSED TUNIC/BLESSED SPLIT
2
PEACH KELLI POP WHICH WITCH
3
OUGHT ROOM INSIDE THE WORLD
4
NAP EYES I’M BAD NOW
5
THE SUBMISSIVES PINING FOR A BOY
6
SUE FOLEY THE ICE QUEEN
7
FUTURE STAR CRYORITIES
8
LUCAS LEMONS LEMON DROP
9
OPHELYA BEAST
SHUFFLE AARON LEVY ALLIGATOR MAN
Beach House string together a comfortable, synthy black hole on 7
CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy is shocked and impressed by Childish Gambino’s latest representation of what he sees America as being. For more on that, watch FX’s Atlanta, seasons one and two now complete. Childish Gambino — “This Is America” Donald’s dancing, the backup dancers’ dancing, the choir’s singing, the dissonant bass tones, and the jubilant verse giving way to the ominous chorus, and the wisdom of its ad-libbed cautions; don’t catch you slippin! Glover has essentially declared himself Yeezy for the post-Donald era here, and his fantasy is shocking. Erykah Badu — “On and On”
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LINDI ORTEGA LIBERTY
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TOUGH CUSTOMER ROCKGASM
“The man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all / Does it seem colder in your summertime and hotter in your fall / If we were made in his image then call us by our names / Most intellects don’t believe in God but they fear us just the same.”
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PALE RED HEAVY PETTING
Kendrick Lamar — “Mortal Man”
MARTIN CASTRO
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BIRD CITY WINNOWING
14
GARDEN CITY MOVEMENT APOLLONIA
15
MAN MEAT SICK
“The voice of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it / Let these words be your Earth and moon you consume every message / As I lead this army make room for mistakes and depression / I been wrote off before, I got abandonment issues / I hold grudges like bad judges, don’t let me resent you.”
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DONOVAN WOODS BOTH WAYS
17
HOT SNAKES JERICHO SIRENS
18
AMEN DUNES FREEDOM
19
PETUNIA & THE VIPERS LONESOME HEAVY & LONESOME
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DAVID VEST DAVID VEST
7, the seventh album to come out of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand’s collaborative project, sees Beach House take the sprawling, muddled guitars and keyboards which so characteristically reverberated near the point of distortion on their previous records, and trade them in for a fuller (but colder) array of synths. It’s not that the record is itself sluggish or lazy — quite the opposite, in fact. Opener “Dark Spring” ticks by at a more conventional rock tempo than many of the duo’s previous singles, (although weighed down by enough overlay and reverb to blend the lines between instrumental elements). Where a step is taken here is in the band’s choosing to employ synthesizers so heavily throughout the record. Where 2010’s “Ten Mile Stereo” made use of bittersweet arpeggios plucked on a hazy electric guitar, tracks like “Dive” make a point of consistently elongating vocals and synthesizers so that all instrumental elements, once introduced at the forefront, slowly dissipate into the ambient background of the track. Appropriately, the tempo takes a step toward a downcast
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Chance the Rapper — “Paranoia” The 16 year-old said it best: “I’ve been riding around with my blunt on my lips / With the sun in my eyes and my gun on my hip / Paranoia on my mind, got my mind on the fritz / But a lot of n****s dyin’, so my nine with the shits.”
ARTS EDITOR
rock riff, which overtakes the vocals before being overtaken itself by reverb. This watery, ephemeral quality commands the rest of the tracks on the record as well. Although not as intimate, it’s almost as if this duo is intent on taking a page from contemporary twosome Cigarettes After Sex, and riffing on the latter’s shoegaze minimalism. If there’s a drawback to Scally and Legrand’s shift in tone on 7, it’s that the 11 tracks on the record require intent (almost obsessive) attention from the listener. Sure, there are some stand-outs which manage to bloom more decisively than the rest (“Girl Of The Year” stands out, for example), but for the most part, the gems in 7 won’t immediately make themselves known to a casual listener. Another distinction between 7 and the majority of alternative records on the shelves today is that there is — and I’m not mincing words here — an abundance of patience to be found within any one track’s deceptively short four(ish)-minute runtime. Perhaps it’s due to Beach House not placing that much stock in shifting from a clearly apparent verse/ chorus/bridge structure, choosing instead to allow tracks to
unfurl toward their climax. This happens throughout the record, but is most apparent in tracks such as “Pay No Mind” and the ballad “Lose Your Smile.” None of this, of course, precludes the duo from incorporating sample-worthy hooks into the record. One such hook (a spongy two-second chord change, looped to incredibly satisfying effect) defines “Lemon Glow,” one of the more rock-leaning tracks on the record. In a poignant display of selfawareness, Beach House chose to end the record with “Last Ride,” one of the lengthiest tracks included. The track weaves its way from what could be a shoegaze slow-dance anthem up toward a version of itself that is distinctly more energetic (albeit not any faster) before collapsing on itself, all feedback and buzzing loops, then retracting into silence. You’ll not find any club-friendly hits here, but if you’re not opposed to dancing alone in your bedroom in tribute to the kind of nostalgia that’s epitomized by John Hughes movies, 7 might just be your next number one.
ARTS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Album Review //
Leon Bridges stops trying to be Sam Cooke and becomes himself MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR
Leon Bridges made waves in 2015 when his debut album, Coming Home, capitalized on the emerging popularity of R&B throwbacks in pop music by embracing them wholeheartedly. The result (which proved a good and bad surprise, depending on who was asked) was a collection of tracks that (Rhodes piano and all) emulated the style of fellow Texas native and soul legend Sam Cooke. Critical voices notwithstanding, Bridges rose to prominence on the heels of a style whose heyday had expired long before he was even born. Naturally, mining the same style on Good Thing would have been
ill-advised. It comes as a relief, then, that Bridges’ sophomore record is defined as much by its unwavering commitment to and influence by a long-standing retrospective of soul and R&B (though not confined to the 1950s this time around) as it is defined by a modernity which Bridges seems explicitly at home in. Let’s start with the misses. The clap-snare riddled “You Don’t Know,” although not a bad song, is an example of a modernization in perspective only. The production, all bass and sharp strings, recalls explicitly the kind of late’70s soul/disco fusion tracks that late-night television advertisers seem convinced were made to peddle fabric softeners and de-
odorant. We’re talking about the wet dream of whatever executive greenlit the inclusion of the Isley Brothers’ “Who’s That Lady?” in television spots advertising the Swiffer Sweeper Vac sometime in the early-2010s. It’s not all bad news, however. “Mrs.,” an earnest soul ballad, blends perfectly the not-quiteplayed-out crooning Bridges seems intent on rejuvenating with a modern backing including tastefully-implemented vocal overdubs. Other tracks which successfully update Bridges’ sound include “Lions,” a funky R&B piece just begging for a Kendrick Lamar feature, and “Georgia to Texas,” a ballad which is less R&B than it is blues. The interesting thing
Soundbites //
like Bridges and the late Charles Bradley to find success outside of nostalgia acts (a path Bradley trod until just before his death, when a paltry three original releases cemented him as a giant of soul), but I don’t think so. It’s the fact that you, the listener, can now explicitly choose what to connect to that gives musicians like Bridges a platform on which to compete against people like Drake. In the end, whether or not you support this kind of timedisplaced musical endeavour is up to you. I’d seriously recommend giving it a listen, though.
Soundbites //
Soccer Mommy Clean While not exactly dream pop, Soccer Mommy’s latest record is an excellent exercise in bringing the pop in pop rock to the forefront of the genre, while still retaining (and reveling in) a distinct femininity. Although all the music that the current DIY or DIY-while-on-a-label wave has spawned is daunting in its breadth, small gems crop up regularly. Clean is one of these. Anchored by “Last Girl” and “Your Dog,” Clean dives into a distinctly selfdefined soundscape of vulnerability earmarked by infallibly danceable melodies. Most of the tracks on Clean tie together narratives of yearning (for people, behaviours, the possibility of change) within a warm cocoon of acceptance. While most of the content on the record explicitly speaks to young-adult-
to note here is that neither of these tracks would have garnered much (if any) airtime back when radio made and broke record sales. Sure, Bridges steps (somewhat) out of Sam Cooke’s shadow and into his own shoes on Good Thing, but it’s hard to imagine any R&B record this domestic having any appeal with the Top 40 crowds. Interestingly enough, both of Bridges’ current outings — a throwback record and a selfdefining follow-up — could only have been marketable to a streaming crowd. There might be a quip in there about how our access to the endlessly specific pick-your-own-musical-adventure that is Spotify and Apple Music made it possible for artists
Dead Sara “Unamerican” hood experiences (hooking up in the backseat of a car, not being able to give emotionally what someone else wants/ needs), Sophie Allison manages to stitch all of these small kitsch-y moments together without harping on stereotypes or resorting to reductionism. At the end of the day, tracks like “Skin” come off less like an impassioned diary entry, and more like a confessional phone call from a long-lost friend. The achievement is further highlighted by the fact that at this point, the indie singer/songwriter aspect of the genre is perilously close to becoming a parody of itself. Thankfully, there are records like Clean to breathe new life into it.
Martin Castro
Dead Sara is back, and recently released a couple of new singles to get people psyched up for their upcoming EP, Temporary Things Taking Up Space, which is set to release June 8; one of those being a more rock-heavy track titled “Unamerican.” “Unamerican” embodies the frustration of a great deal of American people currently watching their democracy crumbling around them, their country warping into something ugly and unrecognizable to them — all while being told by their government and those who support it that any opposition makes them “un-American.” Well, it seems like they’re beginning to agree on that point, and anyone feeling angry, depressed, and/or helpless about it might find some therapeutic solace in listening to lead
vocalist Emily Armstrong scream “Fuck you! Fuck this, fuck everyone! … I guess I’m Unamerican!” Even if you don’t have strong feelings about the politics, “Unamerican” is still a great alt-rock piece that you can heartily headbang along to. Armstrong told billboard in an interview the track wasn’t necessarily meant to be a political song, but rather to encapsulate that angry, rebellious energy. The music video is fun, with a great deal of artistic flair, and definitely worth a watch as well. I wasn’t familiar with Dead Sara before hearing this song, but am now looking forward to checking out some of their older work along with the new EP when it comes out next month.
Kat Marusiak
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