JUNE 27 TO JULY 11, 2018
VOLUME 26 ISSUE 17
Out before 8:00 p.m. since 1993
8-10
3 11
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Tr i pl e O’s
It’s c o m i ng t o t he U FV Ca s c ad e s c afé
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You, na k e d
Fac e b o o k want s yo u r nu d e s
C asi nos
Q & A wit h t he band at t he i r m u s i c video release
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Editorial //
STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca
Managing Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca
Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca
Opinion Editor Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca
Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca
Features Editor Jen Klassen jen@ufvcascade.ca
Multimedia Editor Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Simer Haer simer@ufvcascade.ca
Books like mirrors
Culture & Events Editor Cassie de Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Online Editor Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca Distributor Alena Zheng distributor@ufvcascade.ca
THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Kirsten Hawes-Omond
Cover: Renée Campbell Back Cover: Renée Campbell
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 26 · 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 1,000 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 2:30 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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JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Used book stores have a distinct colour palette. Warm light, a hint of a flicker. A variety of books with their distinct covers, together they make a collage of hues — illusion of a pattern. Visiting them regularly, one begins to take note of recurring titles. My post-Sociology 255: Introduction to Social Research mind wonders if there’s a correlation between the types of people who give away books, and the books they read. Myself, I lend out but never give books away. I buy and rarely borrow. Certain titles on the shelves of used book stores always catch my eye. Certain titles are always in multiples. I have never not seen several copies of “Wild” and “Eat Pray Love” along with “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Life of Pi.” I haven’t read these books. Supply exceeds demand. Used book store shelves reflect social changes, but with a delay. I expect to see multiple copies of “Kitchen Confidential” in the coming months. Today I peruse the religion and spirituality section for a quick taste of what might be hiding from the nonfiction shelves. Here, social change isn’t as overt, but is just as enduring. “Your Best Life Now.” “Finding a Man Worth Keeping.” A how-to guide? My favourite of the day: “Can a Smart Person Believe in God?” There’s a wide variety of subgenres within the religion and spirituality section, but it all seems to centre
around self-help. “Twelve easy to put into practice, bite sized, darn near point form ways you can feel like you’ll get out of this rut for the couple days you keep interest in this book,” practically. Admittedly I’ve read a few of them, partly out of curiosity, partly because there truly is gold in some. Most boast empty promises. Jessica Lamb-Shapiro, author of “Promise Land,” quoted in the Boston Globe says: “What a lot of people want when they go to self-help books is to just feel better. And it doesn’t take that much to feel better. You feel better buying the book.” Looking at Amazon.ca’s bestselling lists, a near-infinite scroll reveals books that promise a better you. What does this say about book buyers? “Lose Weight By Eating.” “Just Sit: A Meditation Guidebook for People Who Know They Should But Don't.” “You Are a Badass.” These are from the “Be all you can be” and “The power is in you” genre. The religion and spirituality section, I believe, is a subsection of this. The same themes emerge and remerge: how to change yourself, how to be a better you, how to live, etc. They all promise immediate transformation; they all sell the illusion of a better you. It impresses me how often an author’s name appears larger than the book’s title, and their face is the entire front cover. As I become familiar with the regulars, I start to recognize who the author is from the look of the book’s spine, before reading any of the
text. Branding. Talk about selling a personality. This is why I think Nietzsche's “God is dead” no longer stands; few truly believe it. They can’t, it defies the most knowable thing, and what the religion and spirituality section sells: you are God. Readers of “The Gay Science” know that Nietzsche means this not as a declaration of the deceased but of a shift in perspective: we’re no longer bound to God-centred exclusivity. But where the idea of an external God was held, the self-God now fills the void. The void that it left, that Nietzsche feared would result in nihilism — the will to nothingness — is filled by reason, but not reason alone. It’s joined by the pride in our ability to make ourselves perfect, and a full-blown infatuation with the self. It’s not a result of a culture that’s afflicted by self-doubt and anxiety, but one that grew up believing it should and deserves to be perfect, I think. The self is God. That’s what these religion and spirituality books suggest to me. It’s all about the self, focusing inward. And yet the books these claim to generate their theology from suggest something entirely opposite, an other-centred view. It reminds me of something I read recently: “Like a mirror, God appears to be more and more a reflection of whoever it is that happens to be talking about God at the moment.” Seems accurate. But what do I know, I peruse the religion and spirituality section at used book stores.
NEWS
Jessica Barclay — News Editor news@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Campus Food //
Triple O’s comes to UFV
NEWS BRIEFS
UFV refreshes food options with renovations to cafeteria and Tim Hortons
B.C. to fund on-reserve housing The B.C. government has committed to becoming the first Canadian province to provide funding for both on- and off-reserve housing for Indigenous peoples as part of the new Indigenous Housing Fund. Over the next 10 years, they will be providing $550 million for the creation and maintenance of 1,750 units of housing, which may be either on- or offreserve. Over the next year, they will be working towards the approval of 1,000 of these housing units. “It’s not good for anyone if people need to leave their communities because there isn’t enough housing,” Housing Minister Selina Robinson said. -The Tyee
New rules may affect housing sizes in Abbotsford The City of Abbotsford is developing new zoning regulations after it was revealed that infills — small subdivisions in which one lot is broken into two, as defined by Abbotsford News — were less of a concern than mega houses. In three open house sessions held to gauge resident opinions on the topic, it was found that two-thirds of the 468 people in attendance “strongly disliked” the replacement of smaller houses with houses that were built to maximum allowable size. “Most who came out felt the city should reduce the maximum floor space and height of new homes,” Abbotsford News reported. -Abbotsford News
The Cascade's Café in Abbotsford Campus B Building during renovations. June 26, 2018. (The Cascade)
JESSICA BARCLAY NEWS EDITOR
UFV’s food services will see a refresh this summer. The Cascade Café, UFV’s cafeteria, has been closed from June 4 to 29, undergoing renovations for the addition of a Triple O’s. The Tim Hortons in G building will be closed from July 1 to August 6 for an upgrade and brand refresh. The newly installed Triple O’s will take the place of the current grill area in the east corner of the cafeteria. The entrée station previously in this location, ran by Dana Hospitality, will be moved elsewhere in the food court, and no other services will be disrupted. The menu will include similar options to what is served at
other university campus and Chevron Triple O’s around B.C. There will also be a Triple O’s milkshake stand which, according to Cameron Roy, director of ancillary services, will be feature quite prominently in the cafeteria. “We have a fairly large grill area, large enough that it’s very similar to the gas stations,” said Roy. “It will be the same marketing, and the same look and similar physical layout.” Similar to Dana Hospitality, Triple O’s focuses on creating fresh, locally-sourced food from scratch. However, there is still discussion between the two companies as to whether Triple O’s will be using compostable packaging. “It was a natural partnership between Dana and Triple
O’s,” Roy said. “They are distinctly British Columbian.” Renovations for the Tim Hortons are also underway. The seating area has already been upgraded, and the general area will be remodeled during the closure, replacing the 10-year-old look with the more modern Tim Hortons branding. There will also be an equipment upgrade behind the scenes. Roy said that while the change may not be as dramatic as the addition of the Triple O’s, the work being done will make the area feel like a real Tim Hortons. Roy added that, while it had been requested, there just wasn’t the space or the funding to put in a full Tim Hortons. He has, however, tasked the Tim Hortons with making
the service more efficient in the space they have to reduce wait times, which he noted to be a major source of student complaints concerning food services on campus. “I'd love to be able to [build a full Tim Hortons], but it is extraordinarily expensive,” Roy said. “We would also have to take away from space that students need elsewhere, that they needed for classrooms and for resources to help them study, and we're not prepared to do that.” Both projects look to be coming in on or under budget, according to Roy. The Triple O’s renovation is on track and will be ready for a soft opening later this summer, with a grand opening to follow in the fall.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Professor Profile //
Q&A with Chris Friesen you step away from school to kind of get back into the community. If you take a year off, that can take you in certain directions. But if you focus, you can achieve a lot if you make it your goal. So I made art my goal. Being involved at the university level, I have some experience with teaching in high schools and I had some experience working for the financial industry. So, I’ve had all this life experience, but nothing really compares to being involved in the arts and being a leader in the community. Working for the university gives me a responsibility to take what I know and be an advocate and a leader in the community. So even though I could lock myself in the studio for eight hours painting and be quite content, I find that being in the position I am in, I have more responsibility to be a leader.
Chris Friesen. (Cassie de Jong)
CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR
Visual arts professor Chris Friesen is an incredibly active member of the local arts community. With a long list of connections and accomplishments under his belt, Chris’s most recent contribution to the Fraser Valley community is the murals being completed by his VA390 Community Arts Practice course. This week, The Cascade was able to interview Friesen about the course’s recent success and his own. Can you tell me a bit about the work you've been doing with the community arts practice course? What’s your favourite part about it? The art department always has a deluge of citizens and community groups wanting the department to do something for them. So, we had enough requests where we could put something together formally, meaning that we wanted to have a course shell that could be really flexible and responsive to the needs of the community. Because [the course] had a lot of flexibility to it, what I wanted to do was put the City of Abbotsford’s public art policy into practice. I was involved in the conversations around what that policy would look like, and we thought that we should probably do a bit of a dry run before we hoisted it onto the public. I took that same structure and brought it into my classroom situation. There, the students are responsible for meeting the people involved, looking at the locations, designing for those locations, designing for the needs of the community, then presenting [that information] to a panel of people who have an invested interest in that project. It’s a process in which people have a degree of accountability. It’s not just “Oh, we’ve a got a wall to paint.” It’s in a community, and we need to tell the story of what that community is about. We seem to have a bit of a backlog with projects. There’s probably about three other projects we could be doing right now, but I thought it would be extremely valuable to bring public art into our campus life. We’re talking about what the university district is going to look like, and what can we do around campus to get more engagement and to activate the campus more. So that’s what I’ve been focused on for two years. How can we bring art into UFV culture? I think we’ve been doing that rather successfully. What first drew you to work in the fine arts industry? That goes back to asking yourself early on in life what you want to do with your life. I loved art, and [I figured] if I had to commit myself to something that I loved, it's not a waste of life. So, I figured out what I needed to do, and I went straight through from university just because I knew it’s very difficult once
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You've been very involved in the local community, especially having been the previous president of the Abbotsford Arts Council. What would you say were the vital steps that got you in a position such as that? I started off as a director asking, “What is culture in Abbotsford?” It took me a long time to figure out what that looks like. But once you become a key player, you realize that there’s not a lot of key players in Abbotsford. There have been a lot of collaborative efforts that have come about. Abbotsford went from a silo effect, which is where organizations don’t talk to each other, to very much a strategic alignment of organizations that we can communicate with. Both the Abbotsford Arts Council and the Reach Gallery Museum play a vital role in the community, and are not really duplicating efforts. But both are required to provide full and healthy emerging and professional artist opportunities. From showing in a Class A facility to having your first show, [an arts and culture] community needs to basically support all of that. You've also been very involved in fine arts outside of UFV as well, showing your latest body of work at both the Reach Gallery Museum and Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford recently. How do you manage such a busy career? Being a professor, there is the “publish or perish” mode. That’s always been part of who I am, which is to be involved in exhibiting my work. For instance, I have a gallery that exhibits my work in Vancouver, and when I was on sabbatical I wanted to focus on something I have never really focused on, which is to show in a public space. With a commercial gallery you kind of know you have a show coming up every couple of years, but in a public space you have to apply, you have to get accepted, you have to do the work, and you don’t want to duplicate efforts. When I was on sabbatical I composed a body of work, and it took me about three years from 2015 when I got accepted at the Reach to 2018 when I had my show, to produce the work. The opportunity at the Mennonite Heritage Museum came about by me overproducing for the show at the Reach. I produced more works than I could show at the Reach, so I edited work out. By being involved in their events, such as the artist brunch where I was there as a guest giving an artist talk about my work, I met some people at my table which led to the show at the Mennonite Heritage Museum. I try to be a yes man. When opportunities present themselves, I want to say yeah. Before I maybe wasn’t comfortable doing that because I’ve shown at the Reach and I’m a professional artist. At the same time it's neat to do it in the community and realize that, as an artist, your job is to put work in front of people. I think this year I might be showing at every gallery in Abbotsford. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
UFV Varsity // The Cascades have added to their numbers in preparation for their upcoming seasons. Women’s Volleyball: Kate Widman From C. K. McClatchy High School, in Sacramento, California. Position: Outside hitter. Zoe Flowers From Western Canada High, in Calgary, Alberta. Position: Setter. Stephanie Demeules From Chestermere High School, in Chestermere, Alberta. Position: Libero. Women’s Wrestling: Calista Espinosa From St. Patrick Regional Division, in Richmond, B.C. 48 kg women's division. Hannah Tuplin; From Chemainus Secondary, in Crofton, B.C. 55 kg women’s division. Men’s Wrestling: Jason Bains From Queen Elizabeth Secondary, in Surrey, B.C. 100 kg men’s division. Sunny Benning From W. J. Mouat Secondary, in Abbotsford, B.C. 90 kg men’s division. Gurjot Singh Gill From Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, in Surrey, B.C. 72 kg men’s division. Amarvir Atwal From Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, in Surrey, B.C. 72 kg men’s division. Ravi Manhas From Alberni District Secondary, in Port Alberni, B.C. 54 kg men’s division. Ali Rahguzar From Fraser Heights Secondary, in Surrey, B.C. 61 kg men’s division. Steven Herzig From Prince George Secondary, in Prince George, B.C. 54 kg men’s division. Harvin Singh Mand From Khalsa Secondary in Surrey, B.C. 68 kg men’s division. Men’s Soccer: Rajan Bains From North Surrey Secondary / UBC; Surrey United. Position: Midfielder. Sahib Sidhu From Fleetwood Park Secondary, Surrey United. Position: Centre Back. Mikael Mainella From Fraser Heights Secondary, Surrey United. Position: Forward. Men’s Basketball: Sukhjot Bains Previous NCAA D-I player for the past 4 seasons. Position: Guard. Women’s Basketball: Elissa Vreugdenhil From Whatcom Community College, Sumas, Washington. Position: Forward. Madeline Beerwald From W. J. Mouat Secondary, Abbotsford, B.C. Position: Forward.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Small, hairy steps forward
It shouldn’t have come to this Vancouver councillors have voted to ban plastic straws, foam cups, and other foam containers on June 1, 2019. There are mixed feelings from the public. Personally, this is something that I am excited to see happening as I am trying to live a zero waste, plastic-free lifestyle. However, I can’t help but think “Why did it come to this?” We, as a culture, are so obsessed with convenience and low-cost substitutions that we have failed to see the mess we are making of the planet until it’s nearly too late. We need to do a lot more than just ban plastic. The public needs to rewire their brains to think differently when grocery shopping or going for take-out. Individuals and businesses should be making more sustainable choices not because they are forced to, but because it’s something that is important for the well-being of future generations. Reducing waste is so much more than just plastic straws and to-go cups.
Kirsten Hawes-Omond
Brief bits of bite-sized brevity
SNAPSHOTS
Crossing lines while crossing borders Not to be hyperbolic, but people who cut into the lines at border crossings are literally the worst people in the world and deserve to be banned from both driving and international travel forever. I don’t know how it is at the other crossings, but as someone who regularly drives across the Huntingdon/Sumas border crossing, there are few things more infuriating than people who, on a hot day when the lines are long, skirt around the block or through the duty-free shop and expect drivers who’ve been waiting in line for the better part of an hour already to just let them in. What makes them entitled to skip the line? If they’re really so special, they can go get a Nexus pass and actually have a priority lane. When there are multiple lanes open, it makes one travel significantly slower than the others, and it doesn’t help that on entry to the U.S., that’s also the lane that doesn’t split even when a third or fourth booth opens. I had a chance this week to cut in line and skip ahead of at least 20 waiting cars. But I didn’t. Because I’m not a terrible person.
The most recent means to express diversity in a world full of growing inclusivity seems to be emojis of all things. In what is proving to be essentially one of the first universally understood forms of human communication, it is important that we establish equality right off the bat. So, of course, we must include all possible hairstyles any human being of any background could ever sport. Along with a list of other seemingly random items such as lobsters, fire extinguishers, moon cakes, and bricks, emoji lovers who previously had to defer to blonde, brunette, or black-haired emojis will soon be able to represent themselves more accurately in their SMS messaging, Twitter, Whatsapp, or whatever other apps people use to vaguely communicate with each other these days. Options for emojis are set to include ginger hair, curly hair, grey hair, and even baldness. The existence of new sets of emojis that can represent more of the global population is a precedent of what can be expected for the future of equality in communication. All it took was a few extra options for hairstyles to get things started. ...Who knew?
Cassie de Jong
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
The great escape
Jeff Mijo-Burch
I have two cats. One is a precious dumpling of happiness and one is a destructive force of nature, whose only goal is to escape outside, fight with the farm tomcat, and play leapfrog on the highway. The only thing preventing her from doing exactly this is a flimsy screen door, which she hates with the ferocious passion of a thousand slightly irritated black mambas. Now, in previous years, because of my enjoyment of having my house below boiling temperature during the summer, she has had ample opportunities to express this frustration by way of shredding my screen door to a point where it became more of a patchwork of duct tape and string than it had been a door. Well, that ended this week. We have just finished putting in a heavy-duty, extra-secure, cat-resistant screen. I had fought the battle of claws vs. thumbs and emerged victorious! If I were a sore winner, I would have videotaped her leap through the air, claws outstretched ready to tear a hole to freedom, only to find unyielding plastic. Instead I laughed and laughed, and laughed some more. Until she tore the first hole minutes later. Catresistant my ass.
Jessica Barclay Illustrations: Amara Gelaude
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OPINION
Jeff Mijo-Burch — Opinion Editor opinion@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Gender roles //
History through the lens of cookbooks The UFV library’s new exhibit shows just how far we’ve come … or have we? JEN KLASSEN FEATURES EDITOR
When I think of the 1950s, I think of Donna Reed and Lucille Ball. I think of perfectly coiffed hair, pearl necklaces, layers of crinoline, t-strap shoes, elaborately set dinner tables, and the whole smorgasbord of options at every meal, all made from scratch. I also think of a time, where women were expected to keep their husbands happy and wore Valium smiles. On Thursday, May 31, the UFV library debuted a contribution from the “Newman Western Canadian Cookbook Collection.” The display is an assortment of vintage cookbooks and a beautiful retro wedding dress. The exhibit is titled “The Way to a Man’s Heart”; a portion of the old adage, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” I can’t tell you for sure if that saying is derived from any truth, however. As a longterm single woman, I can say that my cooking doesn’t seem to keep the men around. Maybe that’s because of my cooking, or maybe because there’s no veracity to the claim. I am inclined to believe the latter. This display portrays another time, one that seems in stark contrast with current
events. And yet, many of these were published within the last 60 years. That’s not a long time as far as history is concerned. Have we truly abolished all of these blatantly unequal gender roles when it comes to cooking? According to research done by the United States Bureau of Labor, the gap of which gender spends more time in the kitchen is still apparent. Women spend 37 per cent more time than men involved in food preparation activities around the home. And yet, there seems to be an influx of male chefs featured consistently on chef shows. Are we saying that women belong only in home kitchens, and men in professional ones? According to author Fred Decker in an article published on the website “The Nest,” “[W]omen still account for a relatively low percentage of kitchen staff at all levels.” Decker is a trained chef educated in Canada, and published in Canada’s Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. “Industry surveys provide an estimate, and they say women account for approximately 20 percent of respondents to the American Culinary Federation’s 2011 salary survey. Surveys in 2010 and 2011 by StarChefs reported similarly low numbers,
with 396 female respondents in 2011 compared to 1,325 men,” writes Decker. The surveys differentiated respondents by gender and job title, and it was uncovered that 16 per cent of female respondents were executive chefs and 14 per cent were CEOs or chef/owners, compared to the 38 per cent and 11 per cent of male respondents. Overall, I think it is important to be mindful of romanticizing a time, colouring the memory of it with soft pastels and fuzzy edges, pretending that it was “simpler” or “the good ol’ days.” Sexism ran rampant during this era and people had to navigate constricting gender roles. That is not to say, however, that looking back isn’t important, or that these books should be burned à la Fahrenheit 451. These were the books our mothers and grandmothers used. Their handwritten notes peppered the margins, and the pages were stained with sauces and remnants of meals made with love. Instead, let’s look at these books for what they are: artifacts of a time past. Then, let us forge ahead, bucking constricting gender rules, and remembering that everyone belongs in the kitchen, because the kitchen has food, and food is good.
UFV Library. (Cat Friesen/ The Cascade)
Social Media //
Facebook wants to see you naked
Facebook’s solution to revenge porn no more than a band-aid CAT FRIESEN MANAGING EDITOR
According to CBC News, Facebook is combating revenge porn by asking people to send in their nudes — to make sure the images haven’t been used before, and won’t be used in the future. Even if you aren’t sure the photo has been shared (i.e. you’ve shown the photo to someone and you’re worried they may end up posting it online), Facebook wants you to send it in as a precautionary measure. Not only does this sound extremely sketchy — it’s reminiscent of restaurant or bar jobs that require a photo of you, as well as your measurements — but since Facebook has recently been scrutinized in the media for how they manage their users’ personal data, this request seems exceptionally risky. What do we know about the people and systems running the reviews? Not much. (Facebook wouldn’t reveal what their training will be, or how the reviews will be carried out.) Even if properly screened and trained, biases still exist, and problems can still occur. And even if the
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process goes smoothly, one of Facebook’s employees has now seen your naked body (which you may or may not be okay with). But Facebook does have a plan laid out: there’s a safe, one-use link where you can upload your photo for viewing, and Facebook creates a unique, unidentifiable hash for it that blocks uploads of matching data to the platform. So essentially, that one image is safe from being shared on Facebook. But what if you send out multiple different photos? Are you then expected to send in each one to Facebook, just so they can protect you on one social media platform from the possibility of your nudes being leaked? And what about Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, even Pornhub? Even if the image is posted in one of these places and eventually taken down, the damage is done. That person’s privacy has been taken away from them, however briefly, and it leaves a mark. I’m all for body positivity, and I’m not shy about naked bodies — after all, we all have one. And bodies have been commemo-
(Mikaela Collins/ The Cascade) rated in art for centuries. Just look at Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” Collier’s “Lilith,” Manet’s “Olympia.” The human form is beautiful, and should be celebrated. And like these paintings, I think there’s an art to taking the perfect nude, and sharing it with someone you love — or even just like — is fun, and gives a boost to your selfesteem. The problem is when bodies are shared without consent. When you
share someone else’s nudes without consent, you’re taking away their voice and their choice — you’re effectively silencing and humiliating them. You’re pulling the power card, and that makes you a terrible person. Sending your nudes to Facebook isn’t a solution, it’s a band-aid (and a poor one at that). Sending them your nudes will no more help the problem of revenge porn than will covering the dirty dishes in your
kitchen with a blanket — the problem is still there, it’s just being hidden from your line of sight (again, poorly). The real solution is to educate people on basic human decency. If someone sends you a photo of them and it’s just for you, and you then have a falling out with that person, be an adult. Delete the photo, and deal with your dilemma in a respectful manner. Don’t be an asshole.
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
In the media //
The toxicity of Star Wars fans JEFF MIJO-BURCH OPINION EDITOR
I wrote an article in The Cascade a few weeks ago about how Brooklyn NineNine proved that fans getting up in arms can save their favourite shows from cancellation. But there is a less pleasant flip-side to this idea that fan outcry can change things, and it’s shown its head online this past week. Apparently a group of Star Wars enthusiasts who took issue with last year’s The Last Jedi have decided to “crowdfund” a remake of it, aiming to raise $200 million, as well as convince Disney to give them the rights. Ignoring the fact that there is absolutely no chance this will ever get off the ground for countless reasons, it’s yet another example of the entitlement of some “fans” who are increasingly trying to assert control over the franchises they build their identity around. This is nothing new for the Star Wars fandom, which seems to have been varying degrees of mad at these space-faring adventure movies since Return of the Jedi came out in 1983. There was certainly a lot of anger and claims of betrayal during the prequel years, and I’m glad for Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best that social media didn’t exist in its current form in 1999. And now, in the Disney era of Star Wars, it seems like each new movie brings a whole host of topics for the internet to get mad about. But The Last Jedi sparked something different that has lasted in a more visible way than blowback on elements of The Force
Awakens and Rogue One. While overly-ambitious people trying to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to reshoot the 11th highestgrossing film of all time is just funny, the online community can take a far nastier direction, too: earlier this month, The Last Jedi actress Kelly Marie Tran made headlines when she deleted her Instagram profile after sustaining continued harassment since the film’s launch — a span of half of a year. And while it’s great to be invested in a story or a universe, to love a work of art, it’s horrifying that some people
“It seems as if the franchise transcends being just a major interest, and becomes the core of their identity” don’t know where to draw the line between passion for a piece of media and attacking the people who create it. For these people it seems as if the franchise transcends being just a major interest, and becomes the core of their identity. They define themselves by these pieces of media that are art, yes, but are also massive commercial products designed to enthrall, engage, and maintain fans over a long period of time to extract as much money as
possible from them. Which is not to place the blame on the franchises themselves, per se — tackling the way the media industry cultivates fandom is a whole different article. But for the fans who fall under this spell, the ones who fall hard, once it becomes a key part of their identity, it’s hard to seperate that franchise from themselves, and when a film comes along that clashes with their taste or values, they experience cognitive dissonance, as this thing that they hold so dear, feel they know inside and out, acts in a way they didn’t expect. To them, it seems like a betrayal. To quote the Remake The Last Jedi Twitter, it’s “blasphemy.” You can be a diehard fan of something. You can love it and study every detail. You can even be mad if you think the new one is awful. That’s fine. But the idea that you can and should be able to assert control over a creative endeavour devalues the work of the artists who created it. Let the story stand as the writer intended, even if you don’t like it. Leave the actors who played out the roles alone, or celebrate what they brought to the table even if you didn’t care for the finished product. You can be a fan of something and be okay with the fact that it’s bad sometimes. The ones you love are still there, you can start getting excited about the next one. No franchise gets it right every time. It’s not the end of the world.
Illustration by Simer Haer
7
ights at the
,
ircus By: Cat Friesen
,
managing editor
J
une 7, 2018 — opening night of the Royal Canadian Circus in Abbotsford. It’s cool for June, and the crowd is anxious to launch through the gates. Children giggle and run around parents’ legs; adults murmur to each other, craning their necks to see inside the red and yellow striped tents. At 6:30 p.m. sharp, the gates are unlatched, and the crowd presses forward. In 1793, the first circus appeared in North America, thanks to a man named John Bill Ricketts. “The Circus of Pepin and Breschard,” as it was called, toured for 20-odd years and was the first to use large tents — big tops, as we know them — in place of wooden structures or buildings. However, the world’s largest circus, Barnum & Bailey’s “Greatest Show on Earth,” never set foot in North America, touring Europe from 1897 until 1902. What we call “contemporary circuses” didn’t show up until the 1970s. Contemporary circuses take traditional circus acts, such as strong men and tightrope walkers, and weave a narrative throughout. One such example is Cirque du Soleil, which was created in Quebec in 1984. Of course, the Royal Canadian Circus tells a story. According to Joseph Dominic
Bauer, ninth generation circus performer, “The story is all about how all these nations come together, young and old, and entertain for two hours and 15 minutes, live, with no trick photography. The show
“The walls of the big top are lined with folding chairs and benches, men walk around with trays of popcorn and snowcones, and in the middle of it all is the ring…” isn’t themed with a storyline — it’s about what you’re seeing.” What we see is mesmerizing, even before the show starts. The gates now open, the crowd moves through the first, smaller tent, filled with the scent of soft pretzels; the walls lined with balloons and flashing toys. Just beyond is the big top. The walls of the big top are lined with folding chairs and benches, men walk around with trays of popcorn and snowcones, and in the middle of it all is the ring, surrounded by colourful lights and apparatuses that
stretch to the ceiling, waiting to be used. The Royal Canadian Circus fits into the category of contemporary circuses. Started over 20 years ago, it’s still going strong today. It embodies a perfectly Canadian performance. “When you think of Canada you think multicultural, and that’s what we are. We have nine nations. There’s acts from all the corners of the world,” said Bauer. What he says is true. With acts hailing from China, Romania, Portugal, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Canada, the Royal Canadian Circus includes performers from nearly every continent. Bauer himself is of Swiss ancestry, but has made his home in Florida. Bauer is the Royal Canadian Circus’ Ringmaster and Daredevil. He’s been performing since he was five years old, his first performance being in Osaka, Japan. “My dad, being a pretty strong guy, would hold his arm out and I did a handstand there on his arm, and he would balance me and that’s all I did. For three months they’d announce the whole family and I’d come out and do the handstand, and I was in the show.” Bauer has been performing for 47 years, headlining Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers, and Barnum and Bailey Circus to name a few — and his children follow in
his footsteps. “My son, he’s in school right now but he’s dying to be in the circus. My daughter is in this circus five times, she’s in almost every act in the show. She’s an aerialist, she’s an equestrian, she does dressage, she’s in the wheel act with me, she’s in the high wire act at the end of the show, so she’s in all of it.” Bauer’s daughter is indeed a staple of the circus. She can been seen twirling on a hoop suspended twenty feet in the air, assisting with both the equestrian act and the Wheel of Destiny, and urging on the tightrope walkers from the edge of the stage — this time, about fifty feet up. When you think circuses, you think colourful striped tents, bags of peanuts and popcorn, even more colourful performers. You think tightropes, elephants balancing on balls a fraction of their size, roaring tigers, sequined women hanging from hoops. The Royal Canadian Circus doesn’t disappoint in fulfilling this classic image. Throughout the show, we see the metallic-clad Chinese acrobats launching themselves through hoops, women in sparkly tights hanging upside down from velvet ropes, a man who juggles seven ping pong balls in his mouth, a duo from Romania whose clothing shifts from orange, to green, to white, to red, all in the blink of an eye. At one point, a man rides a bicycle over a tightrope, 50 feet from the ground. His partner walks across to meet him — while she croons to the audience in her smooth, operatic voice. The entire performance,
from start to finish — the aerialists, the backflips and somersaults, the glitter — is breathtaking. What doesn’t always come to mind are the dark parts of the circus, what goes on behind the scenes. According to CBC News, much of what the circus animals face is cruel. Not only are they traveling and performing for 48 weeks of the year, but they’re susceptible to arthritis, dehydration, and genetic defects from captive inbreeding.
been removed from the circus. After all, the classic circus image includes elephants ridden around the ring and a fearless trainer with a whip and a chair keeping the tigers at bay. But the circus won’t stop because one feature has been removed. “It is what it is. We still want to continue the circus, the legacy, and this show. Whether you like seeing wild animals or not, I don’t think you’ll miss it because the show is so entertaining,” says Bauer.
The tension is unmistakable. But he makes it to the bottom, removes the blindfolds, and bows to the crowd, an enormous grin on his face. Though the Royal Canadian Circus doesn’t have any animals in its show — aside from one act that uses horses — Bauer clears the air on the previous treatment of their circus animals. “We’ve never mistreated them, we never harmed them. Anyone with any education about animals knows you can’t get something from an animal by beating them. They’re gonna either be nasty at the end, or they’re not gonna do it. They’re going to shut down. With animals, you get more with honey than with lemons.” What Bauer says rings true in the treatment of the horses. There is only one act where horses are used, with two horses being alternated throughout. The rider somersaults on one, backflips onto another. It lasts for all of five minutes, and the horses respond to the rider’s gentle directions. Some people may feel robbed that the animals have
But the animals aren’t the only ones who are exposed to dangerous conditions within the circus. Each and every performer takes a risk when they enter into the ring, whether that be riding bareback on a horse, riding a bike 50 feet off the ground, or, in the case of Bauer, defying gravity and chancing death on the Wheel of Destiny — an imposing apparatus that most people would balk at going near. “I’ve had the wheel for 32 years. The wheel and I have been to Europe three times, to South East Asia twice, with Cirque du Soleil in Russia twice, and shows here in Canada like the Montreal International Jazz Festival in Montreal.” Besides the wheel, Bauer has been performing daredevil stunts for over 35 years, including riding a motorcycle on a highwire and balancing on 90 foot poles that sway back and forth. But tonight, it’s just the
wheel. The lights dim and several crew members move into the ring, securing wires before the wheel is brought out. When the lights come back on, the Wheel of Destiny has appeared. It’s a large metal contraption, about 50 feet in length: on one end, a hollow ring with a diameter that can just fit a person standing up. At the other end, a smaller ring, about half the size of the other, for balance. The circles are connected by a web of metal resembling the large power lines that can be seen lining Discovery Trail, and are anchored to the ground by two metal legs that allow for the wheel to spin, head over tail. Bauer has transformed from Ringmaster to Daredevil. His black Ringmaster costume, which glitters from head to toe, had been exchanged; he’s now clad in what appears to be a black silk suit, with billowing white sleeves peeking from beneath his vest. He’s become on the outside what he harnesses from his innermost daring. All for the audience; for their merriment. Within seconds, he’s inside the wheel and his assistant begins to spin it. He goes toward the roof and as he reaches the top he’s suspended in the air, like an astronaut in space, before being propelled back toward the ground. After a few rounds he swings himself outside of the wheel and stands up, running along the outer rim as it spins, again floating into the air — gravity is subservient to the Daredevil’s tricks. At one point he stumbles, and the crowd gasps. The wheel is brought to a stop and he rubs
his ankle. But he doesn’t stop for long. He takes two pieces of black silk and ties them around his eyes, and the wheel starts up again. There are a few close calls, feet placed just slightly off as he runs. The tension is unmistakable. But he makes it to the bottom, removes the blindfolds, and bows to the crowd, an enormous grin on his face. The first slip-up appeared very real — there was a split second where everything could have gone horribly wrong. But the others are questionable. Were they truly close calls, or were they well-timed mistakes to capture the audience’s attention even more? Regardless, all eyes were on Bauer as he swung untethered through the air. As is apparent from tonight’s show, he’s taken some tumbles, but he’s come out rather unscathed — except for a close call in Atlantic City. “I fell off the wheel in 2000 in Atlantic City on a stage at the Tropicana Casino. It was a stage show and the wheel came down and there were some cables that were too close to my rigging...my right foot hit it and threw me out to the side, and I rode it down but I got screws in this knee and a crushed elbow.” But even that didn’t deter Bauer. “I’ve had a couple close ones, but nothing that made me say ‘Oh I’m scared, I can’t go up there anymore.’ I knew what it was, and it was time to fix it … I’m still in one piece.
A few bangs and bumps, a few bolts here and there. But I’m still doing it.” And despite the dangerous nature of Bauer’s performances, he’s not afraid. “I’m more concerned about my presentation...but then all of a sudden your ‘own’ takes over, and it’s you, it’s how you move or how
from keeping the circus going. “It’s a passion, we all love it, we’ve all been working together for many years...we’re so thankful the audiences have been so happy with what we’ve presented. It’s great, a great feeling.” For Bauer, the reaction he gets from the crowd is enough to help him push through
“...gravity is subservient to the Daredevil’s tricks.”
you dance.” Especially at the show tonight, the audience can see the very real threat of physical harm. But what we don’t think of is behind the scenes, how the circus functions when the lights are off and the tent comes down. “It’s such a big expense. People might get the impression that ‘Oh, they’ve got full houses, they’re doing great’ but if you only knew how many expenses go into bringing this show here. With the fuel alone — with the drivers, with the office staff, with the marketing, with the artists, plane tickets, setting up...the food, the beverages, the novelties, everything that goes into it, if we don’t have decent houses, it’s almost impossible for us to function, to bring the show here.” Yet that isn’t enough to deter Bauer or the rest of the crew
the tough parts of performing. “What we’ve been having here is these full houses, jam packed, and you could do a three show day and say ‘Oh my legs are killing me, my head is hurting, we’ve done so many shows,’ and all of a sudden the audience give you this reward.” And of course, taking the circus across Canada is an experience in itself. “The traveling is beautiful, seeing all these beautiful parts of Canada that are so picturesque. It’s like looking at a postcard.” And Bauer is proud to be a part of it all, whether that be standing atop a wheel, suspended in air, or watching the faces of the crowd light up. “It’s the oldest form of family entertainment. It’s never been censored. It’s still nice when I’m out there and I see grandparents and grandkids sitting there, and nobody’s got their phone on,
they’re just going ‘Wow, it’s all live.’ Things can happen, you never know in a live performance.” “We’re very proud of this show. And I think the audience will feel the same way. They might think ‘Royal Canadian, well that’s a big name, something to live up to’ and we do. There’s a lot of love, a lot of talent.” Again, Bauer is right. There is a lot of talent. As we walk out of the big top, the crowd buzzes. The rain has started, but no one seems to notice. Everyone is smiling and laughing. Everyone is happy to have come. The Royal Canadian Circus is touring through Canada until Aug. 6, 2018. You can find out more about it on their website, https://www.royalcanadiancircus.ca/
CULTURE
Cassie de Jong — Culture Editor culture@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 2018
Music video release party //
A not so “Bad Decision” after all
Casinos plays a few opening songs before their music video is unveiled. (Cassie de Jong/The Cascade)
Local band releases new music video at the Kariton Art Gallery CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR
On Thursday, June 14, local favourite rock outfit Casinos held their music video release party for their latest single “Bad Decisions” at the Kariton Art Gallery. The event was well attended, and fans had the opportunity to hear the band play a few songs before the unveiling of the video. In the hours before the event, the band sat with us to talk about the filming of “Bad Decisions,” and their evolution as a band. Can we start with listing the name of each band member and what you play in the band? Kier: I sing and play guitar. Ken: I play the drums. Skylar: I am the bass player. Zach: I play lead guitar and backing vocals. So this is a big premiere for you guys. Can you tell me a bit about how the filming of the music video went and your favourite parts about it? Kier: We shot this video at Castle Fun Park. We didn’t think it would be possible, it was kind of a pipe dream for us. Our call time was about four in the morning. It was fun, it was nice. I like being up early. Usually not that early, but yeah we showed up at 4 a.m. and we wheeled all our stuff in. It was surreal because this is a place that we all played Skee-Ball together as kids and it was completely empty. So we set up in the
batting cages and you’ll see the rest [in the video]. Ken: For me the most memorable thing about this was that we invited a bunch of friends and put a call out for extras for anyone who wanted to be in the video. Because I needed that for filming what they wanted their idea of the video to be. And I was thinking, okay, who’s going to want to come out at six in the morning or earlier to come and be in the video? But we ended up getting 20 to 30 people, which is way more than what I thought would show. I was really impressed and really blown away. It was really cool. And this was all able to happen because of the Fraser Valley Music Awards, correct? Kier: We were nominated for an FVMA in 2017, where Cassiar Film Co. and CIVL Radio presented the prize for a music video. To our surprise, they selected us. That’s how this all came about. We didn’t win an award, but we won that, so we are very grateful. So let’s go back to the beginning. How long have you all known each other and how and when did you start playing together? Kier: Zach and I are original members and we started playing together 10 years ago in 2008. Ken, we had jammed with because we went to the same high school, and he had his own band that we jammed with as well. Skyler, we had seen him around the music scene for a long time and thought he’d be a great fit.
So how do you think your music has evolved since you first started playing together? Kier: In our most recent iterations we have kind of characterized ourselves as this band that’s inspired by a lot of U.K. rock bands and indie bands. But I look back, and while the similarities do exist, there is something else. I feel like I need to change our bio. It’s become something else. Zach: When I joined the band, we were really playing with those Britpop kind of vibes, and that’s changed a lot over the past two or three years. We kind of need to do a bit of a re-evaluation of what our sound even is now because it has changed a lot. Skylar: We’re inspired. We know what we sound like, and we’re just going to put that in our back pocket or our toolbox. There’s a lot of different genres that we kind of draw upon in that sense. Like, for instance, just recently we played a couple of acoustic gigs, which we’ve never done before. So there’s definitely a lot of firsts for us. If we find something inspiring, we don’t let it stop us from experimenting. Zach: I feel like we’ve gotten to the point now where we know what a Casinos song sounds like. So we don’t have to write songs thinking about, “Oh, what other band is this like?” We can just think, “Okay this is a Casinos song.” We know what our sound is, we know how to play to that sound, and we also know when we’re playing too much to what a Casinos song is like, and when to take it in a different direction. We know what we are and how to embrace that or go
against that. Which is a cool place to be, I think. What has been your biggest challenge as a band, and how have you been able to overcome it? Ken: Lineup issues I think. There was a long time where we had a period of inconsistency with the lineup. We worked through it and we played some good shows during that period, so it wasn’t bad. We did a good job and played some good music. But it was hard to get that steady pace of working on new material and getting the ball rolling on recording stuff and everything like that until we had Skylar join us last fall. We’ve been consistent since then. It’s been a really good way to make sure we’re all united and moving forward while knowing we’re not going to need a temporary placement for some time. Skylar: It’s still difficult for us to schedule with everyone being in a couple jobs or a couple of bands. So we’re trying to maximize the efficiency we can get out of small amounts of time so we’re not wasting our efforts. Zach: Having said that, we’re probably the most organized band in the Fraser Valley. I even wager top 10 in B.C. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To see the full interview, please visit The Cascade’s Youtube channel
11
CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Community Event //
Honouring and celebrating our Indigenous history Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day JEN KLASSEN FEATURES EDITOR
On June 21, 2018, a National Indigenous Peoples Day event was hosted at Clearbrook Library in Thunderbird Memorial Square. Featured among the festivities was traditional dancing, jigging, weaving, face painting, and refreshments. It was a family-friendly event, and indeed many families turned up for the celebration. The event was sponsored by 14 different companies, including the Reach Gallery Museum, Fraser Valley Regional Library, and Fraser Valley Métis Association, just to name a few. The whole square saw vendor tents, laden with goods for sale, children with painted faces, and an assortment of organizations supporting and in collaboration with Indigenous peoples. The fiddle and the drums played, the bannock cooked, and people smiled. UFV held a precursor event for National Indigenous Peoples Day on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. Due to the rain, the main event was held in the cafeteria in B build-
ing on campus. Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School students flooded the space to experience the cultural event alongside teachers and other UFV students. With over 100 preteens present, the small space was packed, and the spirit of curiosity was palpable. Chris Silver is an Aboriginal support worker in the school district of Abbotsford. He is also from the Sumas First Nation, and emceed the event. “Stories are older than time,” said Silver. “You learn stuff from all over the world, yet how much do you know about the land you stand on today?” Present among the contributors were storytellers, elders, and dancers. Students experienced Métis jigging, traditional dancing, and heard stories in the Halq’eméylem language. David Gutierrez is the youngest male child of Tillie Gutierrez. He is a storyteller, a calling he has felt from birth. “The First Nations elders, when they were children, they were made to go to residential schools, were forbidden to speak their language and punished for
it,” said Gutierrez. “My mother was one of those elders. Our First Nations people lost their language. When many of those elders passed away they took the language and the stories with them.” Gutierrez was always near his mother when she would tell stories, and now travels sharing the stories that were passed down to him. He told a story of Skunk and the theft of his spring salmon to the students listening. The moral of the story was “to finish what you started.” “When my mom was a little girl, her mother used to tell her these stories in the language … and I would listen to her telling these stories,” he said. In addition to Gutierrez, Siyamiyateliyot Elizabeth Phillips read a story. First in English, then in Halq’eméylem. She is the last fluent Halq’eméylem speaker. This was in part due to the tragic loss of her mother during childbirth, her father sent her to be raised on Seabird Island by the Peters family, who were fluent in the dialect. She has spent more than 50 years working to preserve the language. On June 13, 1996, the Governor General
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of Canada proclaimed June 21 to be National Aboriginal Day. This offered Indigenous peoples an opportunity to share their rich, diverse cultures with family, neighbours, friends, and other community members. On June 21, 2017, the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, declared the renaming of the day to National Indigenous Peoples Day, which honored the international terminology given in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. “Every year, we join together on this day to recognize the fundamental contributions that First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation have made to the identity and culture of all Canadians. The history, art, traditions, and cultures of Indigenous Peoples have shaped our past, and continue to shape who we are today,” said Trudeau in his statement. Despite the overcast weather on both days, the spirit of the day and the passion behind the event refused to dim. Celebrations ensued that were enough to drive the clouds away. If only that’s the way meteorology worked.
Jr. News editor The Jr. news editor works with the news editor to assign, edit, and write on impactful topics that affect the local and regional communities.
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Arts in review editor
Have a passion for local arts and artists, underground poetry readings, and critiquing the relevance of kanye's whoopity-scoop? 12
cat@ufvcascade.ca
STUDY BREAK Crossword //
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 2018
Made by Cassie de Jong
ACROSS
DOWN
2: The largest island in Hawaii.
1: A beverage consisting of Sprite, orange juice, and grenadine.
4: An error made while typing that is often missed and found later. 7: The rising and falling of the sea. 8: A succulent plant that is often used in moisturizing lotions. 9: A play by William Shakespeare about a “Moorish” general in the Venetian army. 10: A small, sturdy motor vehicle often used by the military. 11: An ‘80s pop duo featuring George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. 12: A snack brand best known for Twinkies. 15: A deep red precious stone. 16: A room located directly under the roof of a building, often used for living space or storage. 17: A large white waterbird often described as graceful or a symbol of love. 18: The wheel or other steering equipment for a ship or boat.
2: A solemn promise regarding one’s future actions or behaviour. 3: An irrational fear of water. 5: A large national park located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. 6: An event superstitiously thought of as a sign of good or evil in the near future. 13: The coloured part of your eye. 14: The most basic unit of a chemical element.
LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 1: Panda 3: Chess 6: Lay-up 7: Louvre 9: Pawn 11: Pier 12: Duplex 13: Toast
Down: 1: Pulmonary Vein 2: Amp 3: Cardboard 4: Envelop 5: Smoke Detector 8: Endorphin 10: Narwhal 13: Tar
14: Nylon 15: Radar
Horoscopes // Astrological mysteries rudely interpreted by Lady May Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 People have been steering clear of you for fear of the nasty smell that accompanies your disheveled appearance. For the most part they seem to be pretty much correct in their assumption. You’re way past due for a shower my friend. Buy some soap.
Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 At the end of their life, most Taureans spend a grand total of five minutes past the pearly gates, decide that the politics are too clean cut up there, opt out, and return to Earth for life 2.0. You’ve all been branded as the most stubborn bunch in the zodiac for a reason. Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Geminis like to plan their lives out a little too much. Recently you’ve started to make little dioramas of your workplaces, complete with tiny versions of your coworkers, so you can pre-plan all your interactions for the day.
Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 You will find yourself uplifted by a strange extra boost in courage this week. Now is a good time to catch up on all those classic scary movies you’ve been putting off like The Shining or Psycho while you can stomach them.
Illustration by: Amara Gelaude
Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 All of your fashion choices have been a little off this week. You’ve always been a little different, but colour coordinating your pleather platform boots to your fanny pack is a little much. It’s time to re-evaluate your wardrobe. Seek professional help.
Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Summer is the season for lake days and bonfires. Remember that the next time you find yourself chained to your work schedule. My advice for you for this week is “Don’t forget to play with fire or you might get burned out.”
Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Lately you’ve been on a roll, it’s like you are incapable of being uncool, and you’re starting to annoy everyone with it. If you don’t cool it soon, I swear we’re all gonna come after you. You need to share your gifts.
Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Business deals are destined to work in your favour in your near future … for the most part. Whatever you do, don’t arrange any financial deals with friends or loved ones this week. The stars are not in position for these transactions.
Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Your luck with restaurant food has been less than fortunate lately. All you need to know about your last meal out is that I can faithfully tell you it wasn’t chicken. Start making your meals at home. For the most part it’s cheaper and somewhat healthier.
Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 With the recent passing of the summer solstice and the relative alignment of the sun and moon, do not concern yourself with other people’s opinions of you and your actions. You’re still kind of lame anyway.
Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Listen to your intuition this week. There will be a lot of choices to make and situations to make the best of. You have the power to make it through this, but also to place yourself directly in the splash zone when shit hits the fan. Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Your crush will confess their love for you, your family will win a small fortune, and world peace will be obtained. But you must first bring the editors at The Cascade pizza. … We’re held captive and they don’t feed us here.
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ARTS
Martin Castro — Arts Editor
arts@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Book Review //
CHARTS
SHUFFLE
1
THE SUBMISSIVES PINING FOR A BOY
AARON LEVY
2
NEKO CASE HELL-ON
3
DUMB SEEING GREEN
4
FOUNTAIN PULVERIZER (SINGLE)
5
LIÉ HOUNDS
CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy ruminates on the frustration of youth that brought us a Winnipeg-born phenomenon, known as Sethany, whose hiphop perspective may laugh in the face of traditional expectations of the stereotypical racial backgrounds of successful hiphop artists, or may just be satire. I can’t tell.
6
RINSE DREAM FEATHER DUST
7 8 9
THEIR PRIME
JENNY HVAL THE LONG SLEEP
11
SCHNTZL PAPER, WIND
12
REJECTED SANITY EP
13
JACK DE KEYZER CHECKMATE
14
SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE ONE SWEET THING (SINGLE FEAT. JOHN MOODS)
15
JUSTIN SALADINO BAND A FOOL’S HEART
16
JENNIFER CASTLE ANGELS OF DEATH
17
STEVE HILL THE ONE-MAN BLUES ROCK BAND
19 20 14
smrtdeath — “Drug Scars”
“See I’m shining, rocking these / Acne jeans, I’m off two beans / Rough start, just another day / I GODSPEED YOU! got drug scars on my effing face BLACK EMPEROR LUCIFERIAN TOWERS / In the glove compartment, got little bottles / And I’ma drink that stuff to kill my problems / COEUR DE PIRATE EN CAS DE TEMPÊTE, Yah, it’s ya boy / And they call me Lil’ Sethany.” CE JARDIN SERA FERMÉ Belladonnakillz — “Yeah Hell Yeah” JO PASSED
10
18
CIVL STATION MANAGER
Disney lied to us; relationships are labyrinthine adventures
Belladonnakillz may just be the turn of the millennium’s precursor to smrtdeath, as their oftsuicidal (and eventually passed after an overdose) singer Peter Moskalyk was obsessed with the dirty, dingy, lavish sensationalism of the underground drug and party scene while writing some killer tunes, hooks, and lyrical couplets. John Coltrane — “Giant Steps” A fella so brilliant that not only did he famously get kicked out of Miles Davis’ band for “nodding off” on stage from his problem along the tracks, but he also recorded one of the most challenging and theoretically complex jazz pieces ever to be recorded, covered, and discussed musically! Weezer — “My Name is Jonas”
From a writer so beloved that upon his death... Oh, wait, this guy never passed away, he just sold his soul to the dark overCHAIN WHIP lord of the underworld, and disCHAIN WHIP continued his vaunted history of COURTNEY BARNETT writing quick, catchy, meaningful and impactful little pop-rock TELL ME HOW YOU ditties that changed the world REALLY FEEL for decades. CANCER BATS THE SPARK THAT MOVES
CAT FRIESEN MANAGING EDITOR
Rachel Manley’s The Black Peacock isn’t the typical, tell-youeverything-up-front romance novel. It doesn’t have excessive and self-indulgent sex scenes, or volcanic eruptions of emotionality in the pouring rain. Instead of half-hearted carbon copies of romance novel archetypes, its characters are created whole, in earnest. The Black Peacock and its characters have depth — they deal with the intricacies of relationships over the span of the story, and how the boundaries of relationships are often blurred or undefined. The story begins on Peacock Island where Daniel, a writer and former professor has invited Lethe, his muse and the woman he’s had a decades-long love for, to come stay with him. From there, the narrative slips between present day and the memories of both Daniel and Lethe, so that the story somewhat resembles a puzzle that is slowly pieced together. What’s interesting about Daniel and Lethe’s relationship is
that it’s never been defined. Daniel has been in love with Lethe since the day he met her in university, but Lethe has been somewhat cooler toward him with random bursts of affection. Throughout their lives, they move from relationship to relationship, never with one other but always somehow finding their ways back to each other. However, the narrative focuses on more than just Daniel and Lethe’s relationship. There’s also Lethe’s relationship with her father (who she idolizes, regardless of the fact that he didn’t raise her), Daniel’s torrid relationship with Mamta, one of his students (which results in Mamta’s decline into madness), and Daniel and Lethe’s marriages (both of which are tepid, at best). This last point is important— it’s as if both spouses can see the inexplicable bond between Daniel and Lethe, regardless of whether the two are willing to admit it or not. Although the link between nature and relationships is subtle (notable is Daniel and Lethe’s separate reactions to their first steps onto the other’s territory -
Daniel at Erehwemos, Lethe’s family home, and Lethe onto Peacock Island), we do become aware of its significance through the peacocks on Peacock Island. Specifically, we see Othello, a peacock who’s been bred to be entirely black. Othello is eerily human, following Lethe around and preening for her, pretending he doesn’t like the attention when he does. Though he’s surrounded by dozens of peahens, he’s never once consummated his relationship with any of them. The connection between Daniel and Othello, in this way, is uncanny. One thing that may strengthen Daniel and Lethe’s bond is the presence of death in each of their lives. Both grow up motherless, and throughout the narrative, death continues to draw them together, most notably when Lethe’s grandfather Ernest dies, followed not long after by Nora, Lethe’s grandmother. Then there’s the suicide of Blanca, Lethe’s friend from university, as well as Mamta’s suicide— both of which are caused by unexplainable, incurable pain (shame and heartbreak, respectively), and both of which Daniel and Lethe blame themselves for. Although their relationship’s boundaries are quite undefined throughout, Daniel and Lethe do finally have sex near the end of the novel. It’s short, almost to the point that it could be overlooked if one’s not careful. Notably, this is done in the same ocean that Mamta drowned herself in, perhaps a subtle indication of the intricate relationships we find ourselves woven into, whether we like it or not. What The Black Peacock does is show us that relationships are complex, very complex, taking twists and turns through life and ending at a point, often death, where the boundaries of that relationship still aren’t clear. Relationships aren’t clear-cut. They’re messy, often tangling several people into the same narrative, regardless of whether they want to be connected to that person or not. It is clear, however, tha Daniel and Lethe are tethered to one another with an invisible cord that, though stretched across the world at some points, will always pull them back together.
ARTS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
Album Review //
Death Grips goes pop, sort of
Soundbites //
girl in red i wanna be your girlfriend
MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR
California’s noisiest trio has decided to dip their toes into the realm of (comparable) pop. Compared to a release as recent as 2016’s Bottomless Pit, Death Grips’ most recent record, Year Of The Snitch, tones down a lot of the disorienting shifts in pace and dissonant melodies found in their earlier records. It’s still Death Grips, though. For example, on the album opener, “Death Grips is Online,” vocalist MC Ride trades in his usual belligerent screaming for a more subdued monotone delivery, which — apart from the chorus — he adopts throughout the track. There’s also a consistent (bell? Guitar? Keyboard?) sample that gives the track two things that have famously irked new listeners in the past: a melody (of sorts) and structure. One of the most salient examples of what I’d hesitate to call conventional electronic/hip-hop blends is “Dilemma.” Although the track does make use of a dizzying amount of samples throughout, the majority of them complement each other, as opposed to working against the others’ grain. The record’s mixing also makes it a lot easier on the listener to discern just what exactly Ride is saying on each track (where before one had to concentrate almost individually on tracks to make out the screamed verses). “Black Paint” also makes use of more defined vignettes that give listeners a foothold in the listening experience, and if anything, the track could be considered more rock than it is rap. In this sense, Year of the Snitch proves more accessible than its predecessors.
On the other hand, tracks like “Hahaha” and “The Fear” work in direct opposition to that argument. Although the latter is still not as aggressive as, say, Bottomless Pit’s “Giving Bad People Good Ideas” or The Powers That B’s “I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States,” it still does recall the trio’s earlier, more grating origins. Mixing on the record makes the stillhectic percussion more palatable to listeners, especially when paired together with more straightforward synth work than previously explored, and most samples, such as in “Linda’s in Custody,” are reserved for vocal samples employed throughout tracks, and more-or-less entire (musical) phrases used as intros/outros. More than anything, Death Grips displays, if not a reliance, then a predilection for hooks on Year of the Snitch. This was evident previously. (The Money Store’s “I’ve Seen Footage” is essentially a disco track with Ride screaming over it.) Even on the album closer, “Disappointed,” the main chorus section is a long and catchy, albeit hectic, rock bit that could be featured on an early-’60s rockabilly cut. Of course, the track descends into noise soon after, but the takeaway is that it doesn’t remain contextless. (Although it’s arguable that it never has been contextless.) Functioning as modern music’s deconstructionist weirdos, Death Grips’ latest record might just convince you that there’s something beyond the veil of noise and uneasiness that surrounds the trio.
While perusing Spotify on a cloudy Friday, I stumbled upon a new artist, girl in red, and listened to her song “i wanna be your girlfriend.” On top of a bubblegum beat, girl in red sings about her love for another girl, Hannah. It’s nothing special, and sort of blends in with many other female-fronted Indie bands of today — yet there is still something in it that makes it stand out. Perhaps I’m just drawn in by the fact that this song (and most of her other songs) centre on being a girl who likes girls. In “i wanna be your girlfriend,”
girl in red sings “I don’t wanna be your friend I wanna kiss your lips / I wanna kiss you until I lose my breath.” Her lyrics are simple yet impactful — anyone who’s had feelings for a friend (especially one of the same gender), can deeply relate to the meaning behind “i wanna be your girlfriend.” girl in red isn’t unique — in fact, she sounds like many other female Indie artists around today. But that doesn’t mean the song won’t make you want to sing along.
Cat Friesen
Jay-Z & Beyoncé EVERYTHING IS LOVE I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge Beyoncé fan, nor a big Jay-Z fan. I think it has something to do with the amount of exposure that the couple gets. By any rate, I was hesitant to pay much attention to EVERYTHING IS LOVE, the joint project Beyoncé and Jay-Z released as The Carters. If Beyoncé’s solo career lacks a grounding element, and Jay-Z’s solo career wants for a measure of charisma outside the realm of braggadocio, then
together, the power couple balance each other out to the point that EVERYTHING IS LOVE accomplishes an effervescence rare in conventional pop releases. At only eight tracks, it’s a detriment to the record that it blends into itself, and each track sounds, after a couple of listens, like a Beyoncé / Jay-Z track. Whether or not that’s a deal-breaker is up to you.
Martin Castro
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The Cascade Event s Calendar Community UFV Events Music Art Culture Note: Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.
JUNE 27
Mission Folk Music Festival Volunteer Pre-Party @ Mission Springs Brewing Company (Mission), 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. HEDKS, Atodaso, The HEX, PR Punk Jams @ The Vineyard (Chilliwack), 6:00 10:00 p.m.
JULY 2
Open Mic Night @ O’Neill’s Home Cooking (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
JULY 3
Sketching the Head W/ Glenn Tait @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 2:00 4:00 p.m.
JULY 7
Abbotsford BerryFest 2018 @ Downtown Abbotsford, 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Human In Motion Fundraiser @ Earthtacular Rock and Gem (Mission), 11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Three for Silver and The Burying Ground @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 10:00 p.m. Dark Stone @ The Railyard (Mission), 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. Officer Trip w/ Myriad Of Whispers & Good Buoy @ Carport Manor (Abbotsford), 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
JUNE 28
Garden Purr-ty @ BC SPCA (Abbotsford), 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. Forgotten Ones: A Portrait of Himalayan Life @ G.W. Graham Theatre (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Echo Nebraska @ Field House Brewing Company (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Songwriters Unite @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 p.m. Sunset Yoga ft. The Strawberry Full Moon @ Maan Farms (Abbotsford), 8:00 10:00 p.m.
JULY 5
Ben Cottrill West Coast EP Release Party @ Field House Brewing Co. (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Bill Bourne @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 10:00 p.m.
JULY 8
WiL @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. Veneer (Winnipeg) & Casinos @ I-Lead Abby (Abbotsford), 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.
JUNE 29
Spirit of the People Pow Wow @ 46770 Bailey Rd. (Chilliwack), 7:00 p.m. James “Buddy” Rogers @ The Stage in Mission, 7:00 -11:59 p.m.
JULY 6
Burning Bodhi, Them Suits, Spit Of The Sin @ Gator’s Pub (Abbotsford), 9:00 p.m.
JULY 10
Sketching Buildings W/ Glenn Tait @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Wire Writing @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Art Night: Cut Canvas @ Fraser Valley Regional Library (Mission), 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
JULY 1
Wire Weave Pendant @ Strung Out On Beads (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Roller Derby Wrecking Brawl @ Landing Sports Centre (Chilliwack) 10:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. Downie Wenjack Space Opening @ Kariton Art Gallery (Abbotsford), 4:00 10:00 p.m. The Honey Tongues @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Half Year’s Eve @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 p.m. - Midnight Army of Sass presents QUEEN BEY @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. I-Lead Abby Bhangra/Hip Hop Fusion Dance Class @ 33775 Essendene Ave. (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
JULY 12
Ryan McNally @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
JULY 14
Mill Lake Cruise In 2018 @ Mill Lake Park (Abbotsford), 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Iron Mountain Music Festival @ 29110 Matheson Ave. (Mission), 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Brian O’Brien @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. Knudson & Connaughton Official EP Release featuring Ryan & Ryan @ The Stage in Mission, 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.