The Cascade Vol. 22 No. 27

Vol. 22 Issue 27

October 22, 2014 to October 28, 2014

Tasting like lettuce since 1993

BIRDSONG IS IN THE AIR

UFV Theatre explores love and death in the trenches of WWI p. 14 ufvcascade.ca

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NEWS News

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Opinion

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Culture

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Arts in Review Sports & Health

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Mission high school move

For Mission high school students, classrooms are about to get a lot more full, varied, and more likely to be taught by teachers specializing in the subject. But there’s a lot more to the district’s re-configuration, as student opinions on the campus shift show.

Has the information age changed the way we view plagiarism?

Plagiarism is a hypersensitive topic within universities. There are a few different components to the crime, but should all be weighted equally? Brittney Hensman takes a look.

Looking for a place in this world The hum of the library driving you crazy? Cafeteria too crowded? Contributors from The Cascade offer up their favourite secret (secret no more!) places to study on campus.

Vancouver band’s newest album worth a listen Brill Bruisers is the first album from the New Pornographers since 2010. Remington Fioraso finds it more upbeat than their previous albums, with songs that beg to be replayed.

CrossFit 411

It’s a program designed to hurt so much, it starts to feel good. CrossFit has taken the nation by storm, and Tori Thistlethwaite has the lowdown on everything you need to know if you’re thinking of taking on the challenge.

Provost accuses The Cascade of ignorance Forum speech illustrates lack of respect for student voices KATIE STOBBART

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“The Cascade, I think, illustrates two fundamental problems with the debate about skills and liberal education. One is that liberal education’s defenders are often ignorant about the applied origins and nature of a liberal education, and the other is that both liberal education’s defenders and liberal educators are profoundly — are sometimes profoundly ignorant about the nature of trades, and trades education. The truth is that tradespeople and trades educators and students can be just as, if not more creative than, say, a fine arts student.”

— Eric Davis, UFV provost and vice-president, academic Davis held up Issue 24 of The Cascade, describing the cover for those in the back of the room who might not be able to see it. Above are some of his opening comments from the Provosts’ Forum on Skills and Liberal Education held on the Abbotsford campus on October 15.

According to a description of the forum sent out two weeks prior to the event, the goal was to “engage with this debate [over the wisdom or folly of a sharp turn from ‘liberal’ to ‘applied’ education] not on terms set by others, but on terms that make sense to UFV and its students.”

One marker of a good opinion piece is that it provokes thought and debate. As the author of the editorial which spurred the above comments (“A university in name only: the re-engineering of BC education poses a significant threat to scholarship”), I was prepared for members of the UFV community to disagree with my stance, and was glad when a student and a faculty member wrote in letters, and more participated in com-

ments online or by email. I also had a good discussion with a welding instructor via email about education, its purpose, and the value of trades training.

However, Davis’ words do not participate in a thoughtful debate. Nor does standing in front of more than 80 faculty, administration, and alumni to belittle a student.

Before accusing The Cascade and anyone who shares its stance of “profound ignorance,” Davis shared his first reaction to the cover and its headline.

“When I saw the cover, I thought, ‘I don’t think the writers meant to be insult-

ing to trades students and trades faculty,’ but it actually is insulting … it suggests they aren’t creative,” he said.

He then went on to pick out a line from the editorial and make a wry aside to the audience. “Then an article inside the paper [the editorial] complains that the government is, quote, ‘funding training at the expense of learning,’ unquote. So it might come as a shock to trades students that they aren’t actually learning.”

Incidentally, I was specifically invited to the forum by Davis’ secretary — albeit the night before, via a third party. If I wasn’t going to get a warning or an opportunity

Cover image: Anthony Biondi

to defend myself, I suppose I should at least be grateful I was there.

Davis’ initial thought on seeing the paper was correct.

Our purpose in selecting the language we did for the cover was to wake people up to the fact that, no matter what any of us thinks about the values of liberal arts or trades education, the province’s vision for post-secondary education is short-sighted, ill-informed, and leads down a dangerous path. The syntax in “trading creativity for carpentry” (the cover headline) implies that someone is trading one for the other. Reading the featured article (“Trading priorities: Job-specific training grows while academic programs endure cuts”) makes it clear that someone is the provincial government.

The forum itself reiterated the need for liberal arts, with panelists noting the gap in literacy and other liberal arts skills in trades graduates.

Furthermore, representatives of the trades industry at the event were arguably successful in their vocations by virtue of combining trades and liberal arts education.

The goal of the Skills for Jobs Blueprint is not to foster creative spirit or to applaud students for innovation and design; it’s to train pipefitters.

You are, of course, welcome to disagree. But it’s not respectful or acceptable to single out any student at a public forum and declare his or her contribution to a debate ignorant and invalid. It’s not behaviour we would accept from a professor, and it’s certainly not acceptable from our provost.

If UFV is really interested in “engag[ing] with the debate … on terms that make sense to UFV and its students,” this was not a good way to start.

Volume 22 · Issue 27 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-Chief katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart Managing Editor valerie@ufvcascade.ca Valerie Franklin Director of Business Development joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson Webmaster ashley@ufvcascade.ca Ashley Mussbacher Copy Editor kodie@ufvcascade.ca Kodie Cherrille News Editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Opinion Editor brittney@ufvcascade.ca Brittney Hensman Culture Editor nadine@ufvcascade.ca Nadine Moedt Arts in Review Editor sasha@ufvcascade.ca Sasha Moedt Sports Editor catherine@ufvcascade.ca Catherine Stewart Production and Design Editor stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour Art Director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi Production Assistant shyanne@ufvcascade.ca Shyanne Schedel News Writer megan@ufvcascade.ca Megan Lambert Staff Writers alex@ufvcascade.ca Alex Rake vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Vanessa Broadbent Varsity Writer nathan@ufvcascade.ca Nathan Hutton Arts and Culture Writer martin@ufvcascade.ca Martin Castro Contributors Michael Blackburn, Taylor Breckles, Remington Fioraso, Jeremy Hannaford, Ashley Hayes, Emily Skillings, Jasmin Sprangers, Tori Thistlethwaite Printed By International Web exPress The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a circulation of 1500 and is distributed at UFV campuses and throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of over 50 university and college newspapers from Victoria to St. John’s. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of a prejudicial or oppressive nature.

Submissions are preferred in electronic format through e-mail. Please send submissions in “.txt” or “.doc” format only.

Articles and letters to the editor must be typed. 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. The writer’s name and student number must be submitted with each submission. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words if intended for print. Only one letter to the editor per writer in any given edition.

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, Cascade staff and collective, or associated members.

www.ufvcascade.ca

News

Briefs U of S provides free service during bus driver lockout SASKATOON — Saskatoon bus drivers have been locked out since September 20, but as The Sheaf is reporting, university students and faculty will be given the option to take the bus back.

A free shuttle service (at a cost of $10,000 a day to the university) is planned to operate for as long as the Saskatoon Transit dispute lasts.

U of C students criticize tuition hikes at budget town hall CALGARY — The Gauntlet reports that at the university administration’s presentation of the 2014-15 budget, a group of over 100 students showed up to challenge the institution’s claims that “market modifier” tuition increases are justifiable and necessary. While students called for involvement in the process, the decision to pass the budget is now in the hands of the provincial government and the university’s board of governors.

UFV presents 2015-16 budget this week UFV president Mark Evered has announced a budget information forum for the next academic year. The 2015-16 version will cover the third year of provincial funding decreases — $25 million for ‘15-16 doubles the $25 million reduced from UFV’s budget over 2013-14 and 2014-15. Presentation will take place at CEP (A2428) Thursday at 10 a.m. and on the Abbotsford campus Friday (B140) at 11 a.m.

The Cascade’s coverage will appear in next week’s issue.

Have a news tip?

Let us know!

Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

Annual Abbotsford Connect gives homeless a hand MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE

Even if the stories about the chicken manure incident have begun to fade into the past, Abbotsford’s homeless have not been forgotten.

Abbotsford Connect is an annual event that brings together various community service providers, faith-based organizations, and non-profit agencies to offer help to those who are homeless or in need.

Held on Saturday, October 18, this year’s event at Sevenoaks Alliance Church saw approximately 250 guests making use of the complimentary services.

Free services like haircuts, medical treatments, photography, and a kids’ corner had people lining up in the hallways of the church. Volunteers welcomed anyone who visited, directing them to wherever they needed to go.

“It’s about keeping their dignity,” an event greeter said outside the hair salon, where stylists were offering free cuts, trims, and makeovers.

As well, organizations that offer long-term aid — including Narcotics Anonymous, Service Canada, and the Salvation Army — had booths set up with representatives waiting for visitors to wander into the church’s sanctuary.

“Some of them wait all year to see a doctor,” chair of the event and UFV criminal justice alumna Megan Capp said, as the more immediate, practical booths filled up quickly.

“After those basic needs are

Image: Megan Lambert / The Cascade

Among the many other services it offered, Abbotsford Connect provided free breakfast and lunch to those in need. taken care of a bit, they can enjoy themselves and mingle with the other service providers.”

In a change from last year, this time there were no optical services. However, additions included a new bike repair service, a mobile hearing

clinic, and a “live-on-tour library” from the Fraser Valley Regional Library, which also provided background music in the parking lot.

A volunteer serving free breakfast observed that last year the church gymnasium filled up with people twice

throughout the day (the gym holds about 200), and that this year there weren’t as many attending the event. However, Capp says that while “last year there was more of an immediate rush of people, this year it was steady throughout the day.”

A population survey from earlier this year counted 151 homeless people in Abbotsford; however, this doesn’t include families living on or below the poverty line. Basic needs such as meals, housing, and clothing can be more costly than what minimum-wage earners can afford. Affordable housing, as defined by the Abbotsford Community Foundation, costs 30 per cent or less of a household income. However, a quarter of people living in Abbotsford spend more than that.

Most of the attendees at Abbotsford Connect receive income from disability and income assistance. According to Abbotsford Connect statistics, roughly half of attendees mentioned couch-surfing or living on the street as their place of residency, as opposed to basement suites or apartments.

Although the causes and solutions for homelessness and poverty are complex and require long-term attention, Capp says that for now, “[Abbotsford Connect] is what we can do.

“Seeing the pride and dignity in some of the participants shows me the value in this event,” she said.

UFV fails, according to “Campus Freedom Index Report” ALEX RAKE THE CASCADE

Last year, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) — a group whose mission is to “defend the constitutional freedoms of Canadians through litigation and education” — released its annual “Campus Freedom Index Report” for 2013, assigning UFV an F for its practices in terms of promoting free speech.

JCCF recently released its 2014 report with no improvement to UFV’s grade.

According to the current report, UFV fails again this year due to a lack of progress.

“They have not provided any indication that they will depart from past practices”

— that is, the practices JCCF deemed deserving of an F in 2013.

Explaining UFV’s grade, the report cites the university’s indefinite postponing last year of “an event organized by the campus club UFV Life Link due to security concerns arising from internet rumours about the possible presence of anonymous protesters.” UFV Life Link is an anti-abortion group run by students.

In addition to rumours of protest, UFV was given short notice that there was to be a speaker external to the university at the event. Jody Gordon, VP students at UFV, explained to The Cascade last year that “due to the short notice, [UFV] did not have enough time to

do a fulsome risk assessment to ensure the safety and security of [its] campus community and external visitors.”

JCCF president John Carpay wrote last year in a letter to UFV that “if a university implements a policy of cancelling events the moment it learns that protesters might be present at an event, the university is no longer a safe space for the peaceful expression of a broad range of diverse opinions.” Carpay also suggested that UFV Life Link ought to “commence court proceedings against UFV.” There is currently no word on whether UFV Life Link has taken, or plans to take, legal action against the university after last year’s controversy.

A conflict exists between the JCCF’s vision of campus freedom and UFV’s vision of campus safety. Both the failure to prevent disruptions through protests and cancelling an event due to fear of disruptions are infringements of free speech according to the report. UFV might have done the latter; however, the lack of time given to assess risks meant the university’s response was unlikely to succeed in either respect, if the protest rumours were credible.

The JCCF also assigned a D to SUS’s practices in both the 2013 and 2014 reports for its non-involvement in the issue.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Mission school re-configuration intends to create better course selection as district waits for new building MICHAEL SCOULAR

THE CASCADE

With a recent announcement that the Mission public school system will be undergoing critical reconfiguration, combining its three secondary schools while simultaneously splitting off grades to form the district’s first middle schools, students — as intended beneficiaries — are about to experience some disorienting change. “[In the district] we have about 1200 students from Grade 10 to 12, so when you spread them into three high schools, the course selection diminishes,” says chair of the school board Edie Heinrichs.

All three upper-grade schools (Hatzic, Heritage Park, and Mission Secondary) currently enroll students from Grades 7 to 12, which is not, the school board decided, the best use of space. Mission Secondary will be the site for all students from 10 to 12, and Heritage Park and Hatzic will become middle schools for Grades 7 to 9.

Developments over the past few years have skewed negative: enrollment projections for the region suggest a continuing decline, which, combined with the split grades and wide age range, has made for a combination of course cutbacks and unhappy parents. (Some have complained about the influence of senior students on children as young as 12 within the same school; meanwhile, the surrounding larger districts mostly use the middle school model.)

Jules Bouwers is a secondyear UFV student studying kinesiology, and saw options diminish as she moved toward graduation. “There weren’t a lot of options for your timetable,” she says. During her time at HPSS, Bouwers saw the film and television program eliminated, drama performances decline, and the lab assistant position at the school cut, which made practical experiments in biology and chemistry classes almost non-existent.

Emma Bisset, a Grade 12 student at HPSS, is experiencing the same in her last year before university. “The metalwork program’s been cut from our school, [and then] there’s not enough students for classes ... I was supposed to be in social justice, but that one got cut. I was looking into AP history, but again, got cut.”

Heinrichs says that by com-

Images: Michael Scoular

High school students, including those from the UFV-shared Heritage campus, will be moving to MSS. bining Grades 10 to 12, class numbers will be adequate to offer a broader range of subjects, and work can be started to regain lost electives and programs. And teachers within the schools who were being fit into different roles as course offerings were reduced should benefit as well. “Sometimes we were having teachers in front of classes and that wasn’t their specialty,” she says. “But now we’ll be able to put English major teachers in front of English classes, biology in front of biology.”

Extracurriculars, including sports teams, have been affected as well. Hailey Johnston, now at UFV, recalls not much going right with the school’s volleyball team. “I [was playing] at a fairly high level, [including] Team BC, but on my high school team we had players who just started or were very new at the sport,” she says. “In Grade 11, I had to play on the senior guys’ team because we didn’t have enough girls who wanted to play.”

Heinrichs says under the new system the single high school should be able to form both A- and B-level sports teams for students.

The evident positive change expected for Mission high school students is also accompanied by a major question:

Mission Secondary, the only building large enough to hold all Grade 10 to 12 students in the district, is also one of the oldest. Heritage Park was built in 1996 through a partnership between UFV (which occupies a part of the building and does not expect any changes as a result of this reconfiguration), the Clarke Foundation (whose theatre, housed inside, is used by the high school and the community for plays and concerts), and the municipal and provincial governments.

Like the university’s Abbotsford campus, it shares design principles only a few steps below the lofty architecture of the more-recently opened Chilliwack campus at Canada Education Park: high ceilings, large windows, rounded spaces, and a colour palette deliberately far from concrete.

Mission Secondary is the only building that could have made the 10 to 12 split possible, but is dated (1952) in design and is particularly unpopular among Heritage students who will be moving to the larger building. In a small survey of Grade 8 and 9 students, the most common response expressed a desire to stay in a smaller community where the space is familiar, and where people, as Bisset says, “have the same goals, the same ambitions.”

Alyssa (Grade 9) said, “I know that looks aren’t everything, but still … [it] would be nice to have it look more inviting.” The school’s lesspowerful lighting in hallways and locker-lined halls project a different image than Heritage’s compact organization, and will be an adjustment for students from Heritage and Hatzic arriving from different communities, whether from Mission’s rural areas, or the suburbs that neighbour Heritage Park.

The layout of a school can have an enormous impact on students, as Bouwers remembers from her time at Heritage.

“What I found going through school is because this is a newer building with newer equipment, I felt like the students did a lot better here — I really think it had to do with the environment that was put in Heritage, as ‘a very prestigious school,’” she says.

Heinrichs says that $1.5 million in upgrades will be applied to MSS, in particular to replicate the culinary arts kitchen at Heritage and to update the facility’s neglected wood and metal shops. But staying at MSS is not the ideal long-term situation.

A new building is desired, but provincial priorities for new schools are far from a sure thing. The Langley Advance re-

ports that newly constructed elementary schools in their district are so over-capacity, additional portables were required before the schools opened, and yet for this year there will be no additional funding for new schools.

Mission school board vicechair Jim Taylor says this plan had to move forward even without the promise of a better school building.

“I don’t see that coming,” he says. “What I do know is if we move to Heritage and put portables in, the government bases new schools on any empty spaces within your system, so the government looks at Mission and they’ll see Heritage as a high school with fourteen portables, they see Mission as a district with a full Heritage and a half-empty Mission Secondary School, and they simply would refuse to fund anything.

“If we move it to Mission, there is a faint hope ... it’s faint hope. It will be replaced before any other building in our district is replaced. And if it’s full, there’s a better chance it will be replaced.”

Heinrichs and Taylor are also both currently running for re-election as school trustees; the municipal election goes to vote November 15 with 11 candidates for five positions.

“We’ve had people say ‘What the hell are you doing, doing this reconfiguration just before the election — are you stupid?’ but no, we would rather do this during an election, because the election is a perfect time for the public to say whether they support it or not,” Taylor says. “The public should have a say in it, but we don’t hold a referendum every time we make a change, and so this to me works perfectly.”

Jim Pearce and Beth-Anne Cullen, the appointed principal and vice-principal for next year’s high school, are hosting monthly public forums for parents and students regarding course priorities and plans for the new school. The first takes place October 29, 7 p.m. at MSS. An all-candidates meeting for school trustee elections will be held at the Clarke Theatre October 22, 7 p.m.

With files from Mhairi MacDonald.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Website problems at SUS may lead to new staff position

VANESSA BROADBENT

THE CASCADE

Amenities at the Mission high schools differ: above, the Heritage Park campus features newer equipment.

Images: Michael Scoular

As well, the basic layout of the two schools: Heritage, above, is smaller, but boasts a more modern design. MSS dates back to 1952.

For the second time in as many years, the Student Union Society (SUS) has re-designed its website, this time moving from an image-heavy layout to a more conventional design with a slider and info pages.

However, the revamp has also resulted in the removal of all historical information, including archives of board meeting records, referendum information, and news regarding services. SUS president Ryan Petersen says this was unintentional.

“We’re actually putting [some meeting minutes] up today,” he said on October 15.

“It makes it hard for [students] to find information ... and we do apologize for that,” he says.

SUS board meeting and general meeting minutes from the past academic year are now online. Information beyond that is said to be available upon request from the VP internal, Thomas Davies.

Petersen says SUS has been looking at student union models at other universities, a number of which have a staff member in charge of media relations. The website and other information-sharing responsibilities would fall under the position.

“We [currently] have one student staff member whose job is to manage our website [Rodrigo Madrigal, SUS’s media and graphic administrator], and that’s a huge responsibility,” he says. “That [type of job] usually [goes] to a media relations portfolio.”

SUS media currently includes its social media accounts (Facebook, which is the most frequently updated of all its online sites, and Twitter) as well as its mobile app. The mobile app, which was introduced as a replacement for the print agendas SUS used to provide to students free of charge, had reportedly been downloaded over 800 times at the beginning of the fall. As the app was not developed internally — it’s the work of a thirdparty software developer — some students have balked at the app’s request for profile creation, which is then made viewable to other students who share course listings (as opposed to sharing a specific course section). Like other social media companies, the developer lists in its privacy policy that its primary deal-

Image: UFVSUS.ca

SUS has a new re-design, but info for inquiring students is lacking. ings are in user information: “As we develop our business, we may buy or sell assets or business offerings. Customer, email, and visitor information is generally one of the transferred business assets in these types of transactions.

We may also transfer such information in the course of corporate divestitures, mergers, or dissolution.”

Aside from basic calendar functionality and direct links to SUS’s Twitter account and notifications, the app features lists of links to campus services and schedules (which omit, among other departments, campus security and residency), and student groups, though only three have been listed on the app. The app’s social feed is mostly textbook-for-sale advertisements.

A campus map, sourced from Google data, is lacking in detail and incorrectly tagged.

As a result of SUS not having a designated PR staff, Petersen has taken on all of the society’s communications, even speaking for full-time staff.

A piece of SUS policy amended in March of this year says: “The president is the only person authorized to speak publicly on behalf of the [Student Union Society].”

CIVL Radio station manager Aaron Levy says this is not the best solution.

“If a student comes to me with problems, as a full-time staff member at CIVL, I don’t [redirect their questions], I give them answers to their questions because they’re stu-

dents and they’re paying me,” he says.

Levy has seen a number of SUS boards since he began work at CIVL in 2010, and doesn’t see elected board members as the best fit for media relations. “The students who are elected are in their roles short-term,” he says. “There’s only so much they know about so many different issues and there’s only so much they can give in terms of background and guidance to students if they weren’t there to work on those issues.”

Petersen is currently filling the role out of a desire for consistency, but admits that this responsibility on top of the other duties of SUS president can be difficult. “It’s incredibly stressful,” he says.

“But I am here because [students] have elected me to be here and have given me the task.”

SUS may create a media relations position in the future to help smooth out their current communication situation. Petersen sees this as an important decision for SUS, whose goals in past election campaigns have stressed improved communication with the student body.

“They [would be] there to do fact-checking and remember what’s going on and write up information that is clear, understandable, well-organized, and researched,” he says. “I would really like to have [that].”

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

SNAPSHOTS

Hashtag takeover

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Pedestrian’s plea

Jasmin Sprangers What’s so great about the number symbol and difficult-to-read, spaceless strings of words? Someone, please fill me in on this extremely annoying trend. I thought I was lucky enough to be spared by not having Twitter or Instagram accounts, but unfortunately I was mistaken.

Although it’s not as bad as it used to be, hashtags still dominate my Facebook newsfeed. One or two is somewhat understandable, but when you have three lines full of hashtags, it’s overkill.

I’m not telling you to stop using them, but maybe limit the usage to just two or three if necessary. Be courteous of your followers, and try not to kill their eyes with what looks like gibberish.

Call me a hater, but I like trying to read words that make some sense. #Silentrage #hashtagoverload #ugh

Stop blocking my view!

Say no to salad

Vanessa Broadbent

Brittney Hensman

Ashley Mussbacher

What do you get when you cross too many speeding drivers with no empty parking spots? The UFV parking lot.

It’s no secret that finding a parking spot close to any building is nearly impossible unless you’re on campus at least 20 minutes early. But let’s be serious, none of us have time for that.

I understand your class may start in less than five minutes and you’re still searching for a spot that won’t force you to walk almost a kilometre in the pouring rain, but please don’t nearly run me over in the process. Yes, I know you’re keeping your eyes peeled for an empty stall, but don’t forget to look for pedestrians too.

We’ve all been there. Eventually you’re just going to have to accept it and leave five minutes earlier with an emergency umbrella in your car.

“I’ll have a salad.”

What? A salad? I’m sorry, sir, but if you are taking a woman out on a date you cannot order a salad!

You see, unfortunately, women are susceptible to wanting to embrace their manly appetite; ordering carrot sticks and celery is merely a woman’s tactic to silence her inner fat person who screams for poutine and a milkshake. Yet when that woman goes on a date, she may on this special occasion give in to that voice.

But if you, sir, order a salad, it puts her inner fat woman in a big predicament. She will feel obliged to order something light as well.

Not to mention that if you get that salad, she may speculate this is your second date of the day, and on your prior date you already indulged in a mammoth burger without her.

Municipal election time is coming, and everyone’s gearing up for the big day when they can vote to decide who will run this little hamlet. It’s hard not to take notice of the scattered signs along the roadway: “Vote for me!” “Honesty!” “Integrity!” And all that jazz.

The issue is not what’s on the signs. It’s that they block visibility for traffic. I was trying to turn right onto a busy road and I had to stick my front end into the closest lane just to see around the large propaganda sign some guy was putting up. How can you have a maximum voter turnout when your voters are in the hospital because they didn’t see oncoming traffic behind your big-ass sign?

Go ahead and be aggressive in your advertising — that shows spirit. But be courteous to drivers and don’t place them so close to the road.

The AfterMath of a long wait in a restaurant MICHAEL BLACKBURN

CONTRIBUTOR

It was Tuesday and I was stuck at UFV’s Abbotsford campus for the day, so I did what I normally do: I took a stroll over to the wellknown campus pub for a bite to eat. I’ve been there many times before, walked through the doors of whatever letter building it is, and I am always greeted by the fresh smell of deep-fried food and the serenading sound of some student’s well-crafted playlist. I like reading there, studying there, and even just hanging out. It’s a comfortable place to sit and relax in the midst of university stresses.

When I walked through the doors I saw the comfortable leather couches completely vacant. There might have been 10 or 15 people in the entire place. The three staff stood around some tables near the northern most windows and a bartender kept busy behind the counter. However, there was something particular

about this day that irked me. It wasn’t the food or the smell, nor the people or the cleanliness. It was the amount of time it took to be greeted by a staff member.

I entered around 11:45 a.m.

Once seated I began working on some emails, then ruffled through the glossy pages of my favourite campus magazine as I waited for my server. At 11:58, I was finally given a menu and asked if I would like a drink. Thirteen minutes. It took 13 minutes.

Normally I wouldn’t complain as I understand the busyness of a restaurant; however, AfterMath wasn’t busy — it was dead. The staff were talking with some of the other customers and I wasn’t hiding amidst a crowd of previously helped patrons.

I once voted and signed petitions to keep this pub alive. I may have even suggested a riot if the pub had been shut down. I come here time and time again because of the atmosphere, the food, the prices, the couches, and because a portion of the SUS budget goes

Image: The Cascade

Prompt service is always important, but especially when there aren’t many other customers in the restaurant.

towards this place and I like to make sure that that money is being well-spent. But waiting 13 minutes to be greeted does bring up some concerns.

AfterMath needs to hold itself to a higher standard of service. In a world full of options, the only thing that will ever set you apart in most industries is your abil-

ity to meet the consumer’s needs.

Sadly, AfterMath, at one o’clock I was still hungry.

www.ufvcascade.ca

Wild animal attacks the result of sprawling human territory ASHLEY HAYES

CONTRIBUTOR

When someone is attacked by a wild animal, there seems to be a natural reaction to blame the animal, not the victim. Regardless of where the attack occurs, it always appears to be the animal’s fault.

If a wild animal (for the purposes of this article, meaning an animal that could potentially kill you, such as a cougar or a bear) is spotted in a residential area, there is huge media coverage, which often results in widespread panic even if an attack hasn’t happened. These animals aren’t wandering into our backyards for funsies — they are dealing with the depletion of their forests for the sake of housing developments and are having a hard time finding food as a result.

Any time I hear about a bear in a residential area, I always think of the movie Over the Hedge. In it, a hibernating bear has collected a stash of “people food” and a hungry raccoon named R.J. takes the opportunity to steal some Spuddies, the animated film version of Pringles.

R.J. is busted, and a plethora of woodland creatures have to go

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

into the terrifying human world “over the hedge” so that they can replace the bear’s junk food collection before he kills poor R.J. The animals in the film have had their forest encroached on and humans have moved into their territory — it’s so bad, they are eating potato chips instead of berries. While this isn’t exactly how it works in real life, bears and other animals often resort to eating garbage and people food simply due to a lack of options.

If a wild animal does happen to attack a human, killing the animal is not the answer. It doesn’t matter if the attack occurs in your backyard, on a hiking trail, or while you are out hunting the type of animal that attacks you; the animal obviously has a reason for the attack, and I highly doubt it is out of malice.

We still have enough forest land in BC that these animals can easily be tranquilized and then relocated, without any harm to the animal. Why we feel the need to get some sort of twisted revenge on these animals is beyond me — they are wild animals and we are in their territory, whether we think so or not.

Satire

Solve violence: end kissing

by Polly Tacal In the early stages of this year’s municipal election, one mayoral candidate in Burnaby is finally showing the courage to end violence, once and for all.

While other candidates for the top job in Burnaby are stressing the usual empty election pillars (improvements to transportation and affordable housing — how original!) Sylvia Gung’s sole focus is the betterment of the community: banning public displays of affection (PDA).

Gung puts it clearly and elegantly in her candidate statement: “She shows an effective mayor who uses any opportunity to empower citizens, since the position allows nothing for the real job — establishing wholesome society.” The rest of her statement can be found on the Burnaby city website.

One of the criteria for a wholesome society as set out by the BC Ministry of Perfect Communities is, of course, the total ending of violence in a given municipality. To this end, Gung’s proposed solution is to end the real root cause of violence. “[Ban] behaviours that hints [sic] sex / sexuality, even in-

Image: Angel_Shark/ flickr

cluding Bridal Kiss and walking hand in hand, that hurt public decorum and lead to further violence,” Gung writes as part of her platform.

Banning the bridal kiss will have a huge impact on the public wedding industry of Burnaby, but professional wedding planner Lacey Buckett says the tradition isn’t worth the danger involved in the practice.

“The last outdoor wedding I planned was at Deer Lake Park.

When it came time to lift the veil, a masked woman in the audience leapt up and tried to throw a brick at the bride,” Buckett reflects. “When it comes to marry-

ing in public spaces, I have to be both wedding planner and security detail. Last year, I had to get a gun license.”

But it’s not just newlyweds who are feeling the pain of affectionate public displays. Just last week Derrick Peasable, a stayat-home dad, was out walking hand in hand with his three-yearold daughter when a disturbed adolescent male began to beat at him with an exhaust pipe. Peasable says the physical scars don’t compare to the fear he now feels to hold his daughter’s hand.

“It was awful. Just awful. I can’t even hug her anymore — she’s so confused.”

PDA PhD Mark Smun said other places in the world have successfully banned public displays of affection, even using old lookout towers to scout for loving activity.

“In Russia they had a fellow watching from an arrow-slit with an automatic rifle to stop stuff like this. If Gung can manage to get that going here, well … then we’d be on our way to a safer community. Until then, it’s all just campaign talk.”

Paraphrasing shouldn’t be considered plagiarism BRITTNEY HENSMAN

THE CASCADE

In ancient history, the sign of a good, well-educated pupil was the fact they could reiterate the information their tutors had taught them. This was not seen as stealing their ideas.

We live in the age of information — it can be accessed through the click of a mouse, the tap of a screen, or the flip of a TV switch.

Perhaps this is why society, specifically in a university setting, is hypersensitive to the gravity and severity of plagiarism in student work. Copy and paste is a quick and easy fix for a generation whose demands are met at the snap of their fingers.

We paraphrase and relay information orally on a daily basis.

Children are conditioned to do this when asked, on the ride home from school, “What did you learn today?”

The relaying and retelling of information is a part of social interaction, community building, and raising awareness. This process keeps people informed and helps us successfully function in

Image: ed_needs_a_bicycle/ flickr

Copying and pasting from another source is obviously plagiarism — but what about repeating what you’ve been taught?

our world. But since oral forms of relaying information are not written down, it is not considered to be plagiarism.

In university, essays require an individual’s comprehension of the content they’ve sourced out

in order to communicate what they’ve learned in their own words (paraphrasing). This, in essence, is what professors ask of students when they assign an essay. Adequate research, along with synthesizing the information

into a paper, is a given. As part of that process, they paraphrase what they’ve learned.

This is not a case of copy-paste plagiarism. Though copy-paste plagiarism may be a reality amongst university students and must be dealt with in a serious manner, the claim that a lack of intext citations in a student’s paraphrased work is plagiarism is perhaps a hypersensitive response.

In an essay, a well-known historical fact such as “in 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte lost the battle of Waterloo” would be considered acceptable, but if a student referenced a more obscure historic event and did not cite the source directly in their text, they might be accused of plagiarism.

Being a university student automatically puts you in a position of retaining information and applying it. But the application of knowledge should be celebrated, not seen as a form of theft.

However, part of the problem lies in scholarly pride. Scholars who have devoted their lives to a particular study or topic want to reap the reward. While they do deserve credit for their academic

labour, the fact that they helped a student acquire knowledge should hold more value to them than the number of times they’ve been cited. However, this is not the case.

E.D. Hirsch makes an excellent argument in relation to this issue. He argues that if America went back to a “national core curriculum” or a common literary canon, as they had in the late 19th and early 20th century, there would be less scholarly speculation and scrutiny in regards to plagiarism. If the literary canon in North America were narrower, all students, professors, and teachers would be drawing water from the same literary well and people would not be as hypersensitive about where students got their sources.

It’s possible university expectations have devalued the beauty of learning, and as a result turned learning into a crime.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

New liquor laws will cause unemployment VANESSA BROADBENT

THE CASCADE

With the upcoming change in liquor sale laws in BC, shoppers will be able to buy alcohol with their groceries — or so it seems.

Grocery stores that will be able to sell alcohol must be located more than one kilometre away from liquor stores. This is one of the conditions of the new law. According to the Vancouver Sun, only two out of the 53 grocery stores in Vancouver, will actually be selling alcohol.

These numbers aren’t that different in the Fraser Valley. It’s only natural liquor stores would open next to, or very close to, grocery stores before the law was implemented. Amid the heated debate over whether alcohol should be sold in grocery stores or not, most people don’t realize that barely any stores will actually carry it.

But it doesn’t stop there. This could (and probably will) lead to many large grocery stores buying out independent liquor stores nearby. According to the BC government’s web page, the liquor store industry is responsible for a myriad of jobs: there are over 10,000 establishments in BC that hold liquor licenses. These establishments couldn’t afford resist-

Image: Wikipedia

Once liquor hits grocery store shelves, underage workers will struggle to keep their jobs.

ing a buyout. Not only will this create significantly fewer jobs in our province, it will hurt local

UFV SPEAKS

breweries that rely on independent stores to carry their product.

Another cause of unemploy-

If you could improve any one thing about UFV, what would it be?

Graham Huxley

“Don’t schedule classes so early.”

Jing Hie Liu

“More Chinese food in the cafeteria.”

David Kozier

“The student shuttle service.”

Shantelle Lacoursiere

“More couches.”

ment is the fact that alcohol can’t be sold by employees under 19.

Many students are employed by

grocery stores and most of them work evenings and weekends — the busiest times for liquor sales.

Grocery stores will be required to have additional staff members of age on site in order for alcohol to be purchased separately, which could be an inconvenience. In the end, this is only going to cause problems. Seeing as this will be a hassle for most grocery stores, it is possible we’ll see a decline in hiring employees under 19. This law is not in the best interest of young people in need of jobs.

Though grocery store sales will go up, it is possible shoplifting will increase as well. It’s nearly impossible for high school kids to sneak into the liquor store across the street and steal alcohol, but the same can’t be said for a grocery store.

Was it really necessary these laws be changed? It seems there are more cons to selling alcohol in grocery stores than benefits. Buying alcohol has never been easier for British Columbians. With over 1,400 liquor stores in BC, as stated by the Vancouver Sun, we would be fine without the sale of alcohol in grocery stores. If we consider cutting jobs and raising shoplifting rates in BC just for the sake of convenience, then maybe it’s us that need to change, not our laws.

Abhi Clair

“Plant more pink trees outside.”

Vessal Jaberi (BCSA president) “Wifi.”

“Wifi.”

Nathan Thomas

Manraj Mann

“Parking.”

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

New Arab club aims to strengthen global community at UFV ALEX RAKE

Upcoming

THE CASCADE

UFV now has an official Arab Club, which received its official approval from UFV two weeks ago. Aziz Alfadel, club president, says that the goal of the club is “to strengthen the unity of UFV’s Arab students, then to strengthen [UFV’s relationship with] the global community.”

Alfadel decided to establish the club when he discovered that there are several different Arab communities at UFV, but they do not know each other very well.

He noticed that other cultures, including the Indian and Chinese communities, had established clubs at UFV, and observed that a club would be useful for Arab culture as well, since there is an inherent difficulty in unifying Arab communities: “India is one country. China is one country. But in my situation, [the Arab world] is over 20 countries together.”

Alfafel says that another major goal is to accurately represent the Arab community.

“Sometimes the media gives a bad reputation about Arabs,” Alfadel explains. “We are trying to clear that image for Canadian and international students.”

Though Saudi Arabian himself, Alfadel decided against creating a club just for Saudi culture: “Some people ask me, why don’t you do a Saudi Club? But that’s very specific.” He explains that the Saudi community at UFV essentially has a club, since they all

Events October 22

Gwynne Dyer on the First World War

already know each other.

offering Arabic language lessons.

give students a Image: UFV Arab Club/ Facebook

One of the goals of the Arab club is to accurately represent the Arab community The club began to form September 8, and grew quickly. Alfadel says that “at the beginning, [he] thought there would not be many people interested.” Yet the club gathered 45 members within two days of its formation.

The Arab club welcomes all students. “From the name, you would think [the club] is only for Arabs,” Alfadel admits, “but we welcome Arab and non-Arab [alike].” Alfadel also stresses that all religions are welcome, and that it is a misconception that Arabs are exclusively Muslim.

In terms of the club’s potential projects, Alfadel likes the idea of

He says that they have “received so many requests from people who want to learn Arabic, [but are] still looking for people who could teach it.” He is also considering offering lessons on Arab history.

The club’s first major event, dubbed the “UFV Arab club Opening,” will take place on the Abbotsford campus, and will feature Arabic food, hookah, and bubble soccer.

“We want the UFV campus to be active,” Alfadel says. “I believe [many] UFV students only go to class, then leave the school.”

He hopes events like this will

reason to stick around.

The club’s opening celebration will take place Wednesday, October 29 at 1 p.m. on the Green, or in the gym if it’s raining. Offcampus events for the group will include paintball and skiing.

Anyone interested in the Arab Club can email them at ufv.ac@ hotmail.com, or find them on Facebook.

“We are willing to accept any comments, any feedback, any activities that our members are interested in,” Alfadel says.

Below the Belt

How can a spork improve my sex life?

ALEJANDRO ACROBAT SEXPERT

As a new way to spice up our love-life in the bedroom, my girlfriend and I decided to attempt “the spork” from the Men’s Health catalogue of sex positions.

The spork, better known as “scissoring,” requires the male to lie at a 90-degree angle below the woman. From here, the male then lifts the female’s right leg onto his shoulder and places her left leg between his knees. As a result, this unique sexual stance creates a spork-like shape.

Two things really stood out about the spork. For one, this position doesn’t focus on the female’s clitoris. However, the distance between the woman’s clit and the male body, due to positioning, allows the female to have full access to stimulate herself manually. Second, we noticed that the woman is able to lift or lower her left leg, controlling how far the male is able to penetrate.

Image: Mens Health/ Yahoo.com

The spork offers a Cirque du Soleil position without the complexity.

This allows the female to limit the actions of the male and ultimately determine how he will massage her G-spot.

Overall the spork — unlike some other sexual positions — was comfortable and lets both partners have distance between

their bodies. This helps prevent both participants from getting too warm during the performance.

This position allows the male to balance on one hand, leaving the other one free to roam his partners’ body. Even for those who aren’t as agile as Cirque du Soleil

performers, the spork creates a pleasurable experience for both parties.

Although the female position for the spork might be less awkward, the male role is a little more tedious to get into. For this reason, it is recommended that the spork be tried on a bed rather than a harder surface, like the floor. The spork allows both parties to be fully stimulated, but for some reason the overall climax isn’t as intense as traditional sex.

Also, in this position, it is nearly impossible for both the male and female to climax at the same time.

The spork does allow for that emotional connection; partners are able to make continual eye contact throughout the activity.

While the position may be slightly awkward in the beginning, especially when trying to get in position, the overall sensation makes the position well worth trying. The spork is a easy position to master, making beginners look — and feel — like pros.

Historian and journalist Gwynne Dyer will be at UFV Wednesday to discuss the scars that are yet left-over from the First World War. The lecture will span a hundred years of history, and shows how deeply Canada’s experience in the First World War affects our current perceptions of war and foreign policy. This free lecture, hosted by UFV’s college of arts, starts at 5:30 in B101.

October 23 Pecha kucha night at the Reach The Reach is hosting a night of discussion on paradigm change in the fast-paced pecha kucha style. Experts in the topic of making positive change will be showing 20 slides (lasting 20 seconds a slide) during short-and-sweet presentations. Presenters include Adelle Renaud, fashion designer; Randall Peters, the executive director of Run for Water; and Kayla Friesen of Abby Digs Homeless Village. The presentation, which is sponsored in part by UFV, starts at 6:30 and is $8 at the door.

October 25 Coffeehouse concert at House of James The Envision Financial concert series presents a double concert, with music from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. The night will begin with About Her Brothers, an alternative rock band from Langley, who are described as having an “intense longing for meaning.” If you want to know what that sounds like, stop in from between 5:30 and 7 p.m.

Later, About Elsay, a folk group based out of Vancouver, will entertain with a Celtic-inspired jazz duo. The event is free, and you can donate to the Abbotsford Arts Council or bring perishable food for Envision’s Full Cupboard program.

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CULTURE FEATURE

Discovering the bestkept campus secrets We’ve found the perfect spots for you to play hide-and-seek with your homework

by: Valerie Franklin, Joe Johnson, Nadine Moedt, Katie Stobbart photos: Anthony Biondi, Joe Johnson

What makes a good study space? Privacy, silence, natural light?

Whatever you like, UFV’s unusual layout means there are lots of comfortable nooks and crannies in every building and outside, perfect for doing your homework, reading, or just curling up with your phone for a few minutes before your next class. We explored the campuses and documented some of our favourite spots in the hopes of making studying for your midterms a little more comfortable.

Bay windows in A building Tucked away in A building, you’ll find these big bay windows at the end of the hallways on all three storeys. With carpeted benches, plenty of direct sunshine, and not too much foot traffic, these spots are perfect if you like plenty of natural light and a nice view while you study.

While the window seats aren’t as comfortable as a cozy library armchair might be, the peace and sunshine make it worthwhile. The downside is that there’s no table in front of you, so writing is difficult — but if you’ve got some reading to catch up on between classes, they’re perfect.

WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER OCTOBER 22, 22, 2014 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca www.ufvcascade.ca

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CULTURE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER OCTOBER22, 22,2014 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca www.ufvcascade.ca

Gazebo on the Green You’ve passed it a thousand times dashing to and from Tim Horton’s, but have you ever stopped and actually sat in the gazebo on the Green? Close to the cafeteria, the gazebo is a nice out-of-the-way spot to settle down with your lunch and work — although you might want to wait until spring. But as long as the weather’s nice, it’s perfect for any student who likes fresh air, shade, and plenty of greenery while they catch up on their readings. There’s no table in front of you, so this might not be the best spot for writing.

Pro: you can smoke.

Con: you might have to put up with smokers.

Meander along the campus marsh The branch of the main walkway that winds behind D building isn’t lined with colourful flowers. It doesn’t provide a good view of the rolling emerald lawn that carpets the centre of UFV’s Abbotsford campus. I would challenge anyone to describe the walk as pretty — yet the marsh is one of my favourite spots on campus.

Still water, thin reeds, and the murky reflections of evergreens provide a lesson in texture. Despite the smell — warm, a little unpleasant, and itself textured — I often pause before moving on to watch the silent water.

What could be living there? Is it a feature of the land that came before UFV, or is it some project of biology students past, later left to its own devices? It’s partly the mystery that keeps it in the back of my mind, as well as the reminder to seek out what might be hidden beneath the surface.

Chilliwack’s Aboriginal lounge While the Abbotsford campus may have a significant portion of UFV history and a much larger campus than Chilliwack, there’s no denying where the university is growing. In the newer A building at Canada Education Park lies the Aboriginal Centre; just take a left turn once you’ve entered the building from the east entrance.

The centre, an oft-underlooked place, is home to a great lounge that could stand to have more usage. In one corner of the lounge is a showcase of Aboriginal artifacts and a prominent drum. There’s a couch which appears to be excellent for catching a nap between classes, a fridge reserved for students to hold whatever their hearts desire, magazines to peruse, and finally, both an HDTV and a CRT television — perfect for sitting back and enjoying any non-HD content, so bring a Super Nintendo!

The secret stairwell The stairs at the far end of A building contain a secret coveted by young lovers and secret societies. Walk down to the bottom of the stairs and you’ll find a narrow concrete passage: gloomy, quiet, and perfectly private. This spot was introduced to me by an amorous beau, and it became our favourite place on campus to sneak off to between classes for “us” time.

While the ambience is anything but romantic — it has been dubbed “the well of human hatred” by some — it’s the perfect place for a clandestine visit. In all our visits there, we were only ever interrupted once. Even then, the echoing footsteps gave us sufficient time to disentangle and attempt to look nonchalant.

So whether you need to plan a coup d’état in secrecy or just want alone time with a special someone, consider using A building’s secret stairwell.

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STUDY CULTURE BREAK

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

CROSSWORD Get lost!

by VALERIE FRANKLIN 1 2

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ACROSS 4. Someone who’s going crazy is said to be losing these. (7) 6. YouTube, Facebook, and Tumblr are great at making you lose _____ of time. (5) 10. Seeing something revolting might make you lose your _____. (8) 11. If you’ve lost everything you own, you’ve lost your _____. (5) 13. A common method of execution in ages past: losing your _____. (4)

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1. What you lose when you’re handed a pink slip. (3) 2. Getting really, really irritated? Stay calm or you might lose this. (6) 3. Losing this is a rite of passage for some, while others wait. (9) 5. What you lose if the other team scores more points. (4) 7. You’ll have a hard time getting into your house if you misplace these. (4) 8. Losing _____ in humanity? Go watch some cute kitten videos to feel better. (5) 9. It’s easy for most people to put this on, and much harder to lose it. (6) 12. Got turned around on the path? You might have lost your _____. (3)

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EclipseCrossword.com

SUDOKU 4

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The Weekly Horoscope

Last issue’s crossword ACROSS 2 RELAXING 3 AXLE 7 TWIX 9 EXIT 10 STYX 12 OXEN 13 TAXES DOWN 1 XEROX 4 LATEX 5 PIXELS 6 BOXING 8 NIXON 11 TOXIC

Sudoku solution

1 2 4 6 3 7 5 8 9 8 3 7 1 5 9 4 6 2 6 5 9 4 8 2 7 3 1

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9 7 6 3 4 8 1 2 5 3 4 5 7 2 1 8 9 6 2 8 1 9 6 5 3 7 4

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Star Signs from Sybil la Clair

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: Never give up on your dream ... unless your parents won’t pay for it.

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: Never be afraid to ask for a hug.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Hold on to your hat!

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: The clock chimes with the sounds of your accomplishments.

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Come to the red room.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: Roar with the passion of a thousand suns ... but not during your midterm.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Your fish probably won’t become your counsellor this week.

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept 22: Your new shoes will keep your feet protected against frostbite.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Don’t worry if your Snapchat doesn’t make sense ... they don’t.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: Try not to drop your phone.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Catch up on your sleep; don’t be a real zombie for Halloween.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Keep your shoulder elf close. She’ll bring you good cheer and snappy comebacks.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV crim student shares stories from summer travels in Ghana JOE JOHNSON THE CASCADE

Jenna Gloch, a UFV criminology student, sat down with The Cascade to chat about her three-month adventure travelling to Ghana with Youth Challenge International (YCI) this summer. She got back on August 6.

What are some of the challenges that the people in Ghana face?

Well my project, we worked with three different cities and three different topics. We were based on Koforidua. That was our home base and we worked with the environment a lot.

The big issue in Ghana is trash and plastic waste because they don’t have any recycling or garbage programs. So people just throw it on the ground, and that’s normal. It’s … whatever.

And then once the trash builds up to an amount where they can deal with it, they just burn it. Land pollution becomes air pollution and it settles in their crops, and in their water, and they eat their pollution and they get sick. It’s just this circle that goes around and around.

And then we also talked about HIS and AIDS because that’s a very prevalent issue that they have there. And reproductive health and teen pregnancy, and birth control as well.

Is the primary challenge there the issue with garbage?

Yes, that would be number one. Then I would probably say reproductive health and teen pregnancy … Ghana in general is a very heavily Christian nation, and so sex is something very taboo. You do not talk about that. And so as a result,

Images: Jenna Gloch

Pollution and a lack of sex education were two of the issues Gloch encountered during her time in Ghana. they don’t educate their young people.

There was this other issue where we were giving a talk to 14- [to] 15-year-olds. My part was on birth control, and I was going to talk about condoms and the contraceptive pill as an emergency backup. The Ghanaian supervisor was forbidding our group to talk about that because young people shouldn’t know about that because they’re not married.

How did you find the people and the culture in general?

They were so wonderful. People always talk about how Canadians are so friendly, and by comparison Ghanaians are 100 times friendlier. They’re very social.

What were the day-to-day

tasks like on a workday?

Sometimes we were researching and preparing our workshop or upcoming presentations. Sometimes we were travelling; we were in meetings talking to people, saying, “Can we do a tree planting at your school? Can we workshop?”

There were a lot of days where it was just delivering letters and saying the same thing 14 times over. So, each day was very different in that regard, and that was exciting. We worked Monday to Friday and all five of those days could be different days.

What was the food like there?

Very [few] vegetables there … Lots and lots of rice. Chicken was the main meat. Sometimes fish. Gizzard intestine bits … I

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didn’t mind that. We were responsible for our own fruit; that wasn’t served at the homestay.

Traditional Ghanaian dishes, though, they had something called Jollof rice. It’s rice simmered in a red tomato sauce for hours upon hours, and that’s very good. They have these two absolutely horrid things, though. One’s called banku and the other ’s called fufu.

Any interesting stories?

I saw elephants. That was very cool because I love African animals. We went to Mole National Park for the weekend and Emily, one of my homestay sisters, and I went on this early morning walking safari … we had walked around for about an hour seeing tails disappear around bushes. Then all of a sudden I see grey legs and there

they were. We just hung out and followed these elephants around for about an hour and that was really, really cool.

We went to Cape Coast, Elmina, and Cape Coast Castle where the slave trade took place ... where the slaves went through the point of no return, and that was very sobering. We saw the dungeons where they kept the prisoners and when we were on the tour the guide said some archaeology students from the nearby university came in and had taken samples from the floor. He said they found such concentrated traces of semen, blood, tears, sweat, feces, it was just like every human bodily fluid, excrement, that they determined that an entirely new layer of the floor had been created and they actually had to dig down to find the original floor.

Do you plan to do more of these trips?

I would. Maybe not through YCI. I don’t know what I want to do with my degree yet, but I know I want to help people, as silly as that sounds. I’m very interested in international issues and third-world countries and human rights. I’ve been interested in the Holocaust and why that happened. There are genocides going on around us today.

I would love to go back to another country and help more in that regard.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Birdsong captivates audience on opening night ASHLEY MUSSBACHER THE CASCADE

UFV Theatre Department opened the doors to its first production of Birdsong on October 17 with a performance that held nothing back.

Based on the award-winning novel by Sebastian Faulks, Birdsong tells the story of a soldier in love. Lieutenant Stephen Wraysford is injured while fighting in the Great War and falls into his memories of his time with the beautiful Isabella. The performance portrays love in all its flawed glory, from wanting and longing to gritty and animalistic physicality.

Director Raina von Waldenburg blends the mechanics of a contemporary and periodic piece, utilizing everything on the stage. Actors played multiple characters, which made getting into the story difficult but nonetheless worthwhile. Once it’s clear there is no single pair of actors

Image: UFV Theatre/ Facebook

UFV Theatre’s first production of the year blends romance and war. we should be focusing on, the singular romance story takes a backseat to broader picture: love and war, intimately interlaced.

Having 16 actors play 28 characters allows for flexibility in personal touches on each character, how they wanted to

portray him or her. Instead of the actor imprinting themselves on the character, the characters’ different attributes were perceived depending on who was playing them at the moment.

The sense of unity was clear from the beginning, as even the warm-up was on stage. It

Finding the perfect boot for all seasons TAYLOR BRECKLES CONTRIBUTOR

Boots have become an all-weather accessory.

When we think of boots, our thoughts drift to snow, but boots are an investment that can be worn year-round, depending on the style and material you choose.

If you’re willing to travel, Ross (a clothing and shoe store in the States) is always reliable in terms of boot selection, no matter the season. They even stock them alongside gladiator sandals in summer, when the West Coast is basking in sunlight.

During summer you can still wear boots. I go for a suede material, which has a lighter feel. When going out in the evening, try pairing a summer dress with some suede ankle boots.

Hiking boots are another all-season fashion trend for those who are athletically inclined (or at least want to look athletically inclined).

They can be cute, and they’re very practical in terms of comfort and support.

When boot shopping, look for a cut and material that isn’t limited to the season for an investment in wear. During the fall and spring seasons, I typically choose leather or pleather boots — if you’re on a strict budget, go for pleather — in order to avoid soaking my feet to the bone. While suede is nice to feel and look at, it doesn’t hold up against the BC rain the way pleather does.

I found my best pair of black pleather boots at Ross in Bellingham. Knee-high with a slight heel for comfort and a zipper for added ease, these boots are magnificent. They’re also waterproof, which is definitely a feature to take into account when buying. Just because a boot looks cute doesn’t mean it will stand up to our weather.

If you’re a suede fan, don’t worry — you can also wear it in winter, as long as you’re careful to stay out of the slush.

The longer your boots are exposed to water, the sooner it’ll soak its way into your socks.

And if you’re determined to wear your suede boots throughout winter, protective waterproof spray can be bought at any shoe retailer.

achieved an atmosphere that was almost hypnotizing. The cast stood in a circle with two actors in the centre, and repeated anything they did from sounds to actions; the result was like a beating drum, or a heartbeat. The cast portrayed that sense of unity, carrying out their lines and following the stage direction, until the play began. The interjections of stage manager Cheyenne DouglasRuttan’s voice cutting through the scenes and introducing characters, deaths, and settings, felt like a loose thread needing to be snipped.

In The Cascade’s preview of Birdsong, von Waldenburg explains the breaking of the fourth wall in this performance.

Everything is visible to the audience: the warm-up, the stage directions, cues, and even costume changing. The stage directions were meant to feel like military commands, but until that was made explicit, they simply helped order the scene

and ground the audience in what and where.

The props were sparse, and often the audience had to imagine the scene: the battleground, the trimming of roses, the tunnel, the weapons; only the actors, audio, and lighting gave any hint to what was going on.

It forced the audience into the play, to imagine being there and being involved, and that made the experience poetic — lingering on moments that disappear too soon like muddled memories of specific instances in time when everything feels messy and hasty, but too beautiful to let go.

As von Waldenburg writes in the director ’s note, “Our story is about what it means to be together in this brief, precious, and expendable thing called life.”

Performances run October 18, 23, 24, 25 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on October 19 and 26 at 2 p.m., and October 21 at 12 p.m.

Student appreciation day endures despite bad weather MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE

The UFV Bookstore held its second annual student appreciation day on October 15, an event that both celebrated students and promoted the many services and products that the bookstore offers.

Starting at 9 a.m., the bookstore gave away free breakfast to the first 50 students to show up.

The turnout was decent despite the threatening clouds looming overhead. Breakfast was followed by a free yoga session which went from 10 to 11:30.

Multiple students turned out for yoga, and it seemed to be one of the more popular aspects of the event among students.

A fashion show was held starting at around 12, involving many UFV students. Following that, the a student talent showcase featured a variety of student performances. Among the highlights of the talent show were two young women performing dance, in a genre they described as African fusion, to positive re-

ception from the audience.

Event organizer Megan Bukta said the event was orchestrated because “students are the reason we’re here.”

Bukta also addressed the turnout of the event.

“It was good,” she said. “We got lots of ballots for door prizes. Last year we had more people during the fashion show, but last year we only had the fashion show.” Bukta added that many people planned to attend despite midterms.

Evidently, there were many more people present at last year ’s incarnation than were at this year ’s.

“Last year we had all 50 chairs filled plus standing room,” Bukta said, adding that the rain may have scared some attendees away.

Apart from the weather, the celebrations went on as planned.

As the event began to wind down, the bookstore held a raffle and gift basket giveaway at 3:45.

Among the prizes were two tickets to a Giants game, and a $250 gift card for the the UFV Bookstore.

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ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Film

Superior war scenes outshine lacklustre ending in Fury JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

Gruesome violence is common in war films, but Fury shows a seldom-portrayed aspect of the Second World War: a lack of empathy among soldiers.

The film opens with text explaining just how dangerous it was to be in the armoured division of the American forces, establishing its dark, gloomy tone within the opening minutes.

Set in April 1945, the film also shows the desperate, suicidal attempts of the German forces to prevail, even after the war has been lost.

Director David Ayer truly commits to pulling the audience into this living nightmare during the first major battle. The sound of howitzer shots zinging past or slamming off tank armour is terrifying, and the tank crew’s sense of fear is genuine.

The battles are extremely well-constructed and are complemented with modern film technology, building a great sense of immersion. The intensity that Ayer brought to End of Watch increases tenfold for this film. With its horrific imagery, Fury will be remembered even if you feel ill thinking about it.

But it’s the characters in Brad

Fury is not your typical Hollywood war film until the ending, which falls flat.

Pitt’s crew who break the norm of most war films. In the opening segment, they deal with the death of a crew member — but instead of grieving together, it fuels their rage against one another. This diversion from the normal “solid bunch of good guys” is disheartening to watch. No one talks about their homes or their families. They only talk about the other hor-

rors they have seen. These characters have all lost part of their humanity. The only remaining piece is the will to survive.

While it appears that they are hazing or simply bullying Logan Lerman’s new recruit character, they’re bringing him to a harsh realization of the world he has entered, voluntarily or not.

Fury removes, for the most

part, the Hollywood notion of justice and glory and heroes.

There are no heroes in this film — only men who are willing to do anything to survive. The acting in this film solidifies this notion tremendously. None of the characters truly have likeable qualities. These men aren’t happy-go-lucky marines. They are broken, they are scared, and they don’t know when it will be

their last day.

The pacing of the film is also top-notch, as it goes through several levels of hell before the final climax. With every minor triumph come terrible losses as Brad Pitt pushes his crew through horror after horror.

When the film isn’t producing amazing war scenes, it is a genuine character study of desperate, disheartened men.

The film holds its image until the final battle, when it turns into something out of The Dirty Dozen. Ayer unfortunately returns to Hollywood aspects as Pitt’s crew proceed to take on wave after wave of Germans in the final battle. What could have been the Saving Private Ryan of this decade turned into the ending from The Wild Bunch. While there is a message conveyed following the battle, it isn’t worth the loss of the previous vision.

But while its ending may be lacklustre, Fury provides amazing set pieces, some fantastic war sequences, and some modern-day storytelling of an age already decades past. Ayer has woven a tale in mud, blood and gore that will stand out as a solid war film.

Theatre

The canary sings for Carmen TAYLOR BRECKLES CONTRIBUTOR

Georges Bizet’s Carmen, called “the world’s sexiest opera” by the Vancouver Opera, played at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre early October.

A play filled with erotic passion, dance, and murder, Carmen definitely delivered!

I was a bit worried when I saw that there were two intermissions and a pause, I’ll admit. Trying to sit still for three hours, trying to not disturb the people behind you is a task, but sitting for potentially five hours is one big “nope.” Luckily, these breaks came every hour or so, which provided perfect timing to stretch when your limbs start to fall asleep.

Comfort throughout the performance, check.

The singers themselves were also good. From what I’ve found in other operas, there is always one singer that I find

The main actress’ voice was deep, which was a pleasant surprise.

Carmen (Costa-Jackson)’s voice paired well with her sexy dancing.

hard to stand. Either their tune hurts my ears, their voice doesn’t match the rest of the cast, or they just don’t sound particularly pleasant. However, there weren’t any mismatched voices in Carmen.The actress who played Carmen, Ginger Costa-Jackson, actually had an

That being said, when it came time to do some flamenco dancing, she wasn’t the best.

The plot was really fun as well. Like a typical opera, the main characters fall in love for no apparent reason, jealousy ensues, and murder is the re-

unusually deep voice for an opera singer, which was both surprising and pleasant. Carmen’s quite the seductive lady, so her deeper voice paired really well with her sexy dancing. At times, the other actors resembled stripper poles, it was that seductive.

sult. That being said, there were some nice twists in the show as well, although I won’t spoil those intriguing tidbits.

All-in-all, Carmen was a wonderful performance.

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ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Concert

CHARTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Sinoia Caves Beyond the Black Rainbow White Lung Deep Fantasy The Soupcans Incesticide II Flying Lotus You’re Dead!

Cheap High Ego Wholesale

Brody Dalle Diploid Love

Mac DeMarco Salad Days Ariel Pink pom pom n.213 Mixed Bag Sons of Magdalene Move to Pain

Dead Soft Dead Soft Johnny de Courcy Alien Lake Monomyth Saturnalia Regalia Leonard Cohen Popular Problems Caribou Our Love Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence Busdriver Perfect Hair The Raveonettes Pe’ahi

Shuffle AARON LEVY

CIVL MANAGER Weeks ago, The Cascade’s Brittney Hensman presented a song for me to potentially shuffle about, and I didn’t. In honour of that occasion, this shuffle is about stuff I didn’t do, until I did.

Bruno Mars “Grenade” Isn’t it surprising how upset Bruno often is? I mean, who’s dating this guy and decides that, whatever’s going on between them, they’re going to leave him in heartbreak and confusion? I guess this song doesn’t have to be about being left, but there’s a lot of pain. Go figure.

Billy Talent I FVRD musician extraordinaire and scene organizer Nic Mendonca once told me to check out the first Billy Talent album under that name. I’d already seen them once, headlining with Death From Above opening, mere nobodies at the time. One and a half years later I checked out I. I feel no different.

Ty Segall Goodbye Bread People have been telling me to check out Ty Segall and his various projects for ages. He has a lo-fi, sing-song aesthetic similar to the early Animal Collective work, like melodic Beatles with more effects on the guitars. I can see why people dig it so much.

Weezer “Tired of Sex” I’d already been alerted to this album by such luminaries as my high school friend group, as well as Matthew Good himself in a Manifesto blog post back in aught-aught. Though I didn’t pick up Pinkerton until the green album dropped, one bar into the opener I already knew what I’d missed.

Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon Matthew Good had also talked up one of the signature tracks on this record, “Money,” years before I ever really gave the album a serious listen, which happened while syncing it to The Wizard of Oz, which you really need to do if you haven’t. Don’t worry, I’ll wait, okay?

Crowd raps along to Joey Bada$$ MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE

When I heard that Joey Bada$$ was going to be stopping at the Vogue Theatre during his tour promoting his upcoming debut album, B4.DA.$$, I immediately bought tickets, which, at a $30 price tag, seemed more than reasonable.

I had an early dinner with three friends who accompanied me to the concert, and headed down to the Vogue in Vancouver, getting in around the 10 p.m. start time and making my way through the crowd, which grew to about 300 people.

Accompanied by fellow Pro Era members Nyck Caution, CJ Fly, and A La Sole, among others, Joey performed tracks off of his personal catalogue as well as songs recorded as the Pro Era collective and individual songs by his guest performers.

Early on, Joey performed several tracks off 1999, including “World Domination” and “Survival Tactics,” to which the crowd responded appropriately by freaking the hell out. “World Domination” was the first song performed that evening, which the crowd enthusiastically received, rapping along to virtually the entire track. The mood was set immediately with the opening phrase: “Who the fuck passed you the mic / and said that you could flow? / Point them out, bitch, I want to know,” which was belted out by the crowd with a ridiculous amount of energy.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the concert was that although Joey was the main reason most

Joey performed several tracks from 1999, as well as from his official debut album B4.DA.$$. people were there, he shifted between performing songs off his individual mixtapes and songs that other artists in Pro Era had recorded individually or with interchanging feature verses. A couple of songs were performed from CJ Fly’s Thee Way Eye See It mixtape, one of which, “Sup Preme,” had some of the most positive reactions from the crowd, probably due to the fact that Joey delivered his amazing verse live with a tenacity that had every person in the crowd going crazy.

One of the more calm moments came when the performers asked for a minute of silence from the crowd in honour of Capital Steez, who passed away in late 2012. The crowd, however, was apparently too

excited, as they only achieved at best 70 per cent silence, which Joey addressed jokingly by saying, “I guess ya’ll are just too turnt up.”

Other songs which were met by overflowing approval from the crowd included “Big Dusty,” the first single off of B4.DA.$$, and “School High,” which resulted in just about everybody in the crowd rapping along with as much vigour and enthusiasm as I’ve ever seen from any crowd.

Overall, the performance put on by Joey and the present members of Pro Era was probably one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve ever been to.

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ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

Arcade

Oculus Rift’s glitches don’t outweigh its possibilities JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

After all the extensive hype, the shortage of manufacturing materials, and the enormous amount of advertising promotions it has been associated with, the Oculus Rift still feels unfinished — but there’s much more to come.

Despite all of the games and simulations available on Rift application distributors, they were either non-functional or glitch-infested. This is to be expected for a device still in its second alpha development kit; the device is still meant to be released for the public in April 2015, so there is a fair amount of testing to be done.

While the number of games and simulations were few, the level of immersion was certainly surreal. In the first test simulation, I walked around a kitchen that was plaid white and had a photo of James Dean against the wall. As simplistic as that may sound, it was intriguing to move about with my head movements in this fake kitchen.

But looking at a certain plant from a certain angle caused a vision-freeze glitch when I move out of the infrared sen-

The Oculus Rift is glitch-infested and caused a bit of nausea, but has plenty of potential. sors. This is by far the biggest issue that the Rift has to face, as it can really twist your stomach.

A simple image freeze turns your cognitive senses completely upside down. The lack of movement despite actual movement causes instant dizziness and a loss of balance. Though

I was sitting in a chair, I felt I was going to spill my lunch all over the floor — a definite issue to fix. The risk of seizures and other rapid light-related illnesses has also increased with the Rift, which the developers are evidently aware of, as every application flashed a warning

prior to activation.

But the gameplay experiences that worked were exceptionally entertaining. A game we tried that has garnered a large audience was Dreadhalls, a simple horror game that tasks you with escaping a dark, gloomy maze which resembles the Windows

98 screensaver.

While it is extremely barebones, being locked in the world inside the headset intensifies the gameplay experience tenfold, especially with a horror game. The lack of light, the eeriness of a distant scratching noise, and hints of monsters all created a severely horrifying experience. Upon coming across a hollow woman, she gave chase and I backed up, trying to find the door from where I had come. It was at this moment that I realized I had the ability of using this visual device for its full intended purpose.

I turned my head around.

I was able to see the door and find my way to it. But instead of hiding, I walked into the monster to see what would happen. She screamed in my face (without audio), and the game restarted. A bit of a disappointment, but I had already experienced quite a fright.

There is still so much to be explored with this device, and so many more applications to be added. With this kind of experience already available, what will be next?

Borderlands: The Pre-sequel is nothing new, but still great MICHAEL BLACKBURN CONTRIBUTOR

“Execute plan shoot-that-chickin-the-head!” is one of the fantastic phrases Handsome Jack yells out during the early chapters of Borderlands: the Presequel. This latest installment to the Borderlands series continues on the the moon of Pandora, in a prequel to the second game, or sequel to the first game, depending on which way you look at it. This edition pairs you with the previously villainous foe, Handsome Jack. Aside from a humourously sadistic story that will probably unfold with gratuitous amounts of betrayal, killing, and dismemberment, it also has some great new features.

The first, and most ridiculous, is the ability to play as Claptrap the robot. Although it seems like a bad idea, Claptrap turns out to be a fun addition — in a Borderlands way. One of Claptrap’s first skills activates a random special that may or

The newest addition to the Borderlands series pairs you with an old foe, Handsome Jack. may not work in your team’s favour. These attacks range from Claptrap becoming a wizard, to forcing every player to unload their guns against their own will. There are more characters

to choose from, but who cares!

You can be Claptrap!

Next is the need of oxygen and the lack of gravity. At first I found the constant struggle to find oxygen annoying, but

it definitely adds a sense of urgency to the gameplay. The low gravity, however, is not a favourite at all. Sure, the lack of gravity in this game provides an interesting way of getting across larger gaps and craters, but it also messes with your sense of motion while trying to complete the simplest tasks. Even though I don’t enjoy this aspect of the game, it adds realism — the game is set on a moon, and gravity would be messing with your crap all day.

Another brand new feature, and definitely my favourite, is the gun grinder. It grinds guns. So, if I take three guns of equal rarity and put them in the grinder, a new (possibly better, possibly worse) gun will come out!

But how different is Borderlands: The Pre-sequel from Borderlands 2? It is, without a single bit of under- or overstatement, the exact same game. The start menus are the same, the gameplay and graphics are the same.

It still has slot machines, terri-

ble one-liners, bad puns, and an unrealistic amount of weapons to choose from. It is more of an advanced expansion rather than a brand new game — which was disappointing for a moment. I stopped myself while playing and thought, “This is the exact same. What the junk?”

Then I came to the realization that I loved Borderlands 2. What should change about it? That being said, do not expect anything revolutionary from this game or you will be sorely disappointed.

Overall, I find this game to be just as enjoyable as the previous installments of the franchise. It has a few new options, an exciting storyline, and has stayed true to its origins. If you liked the first two games, you will enjoy this part of the trilogy.

Borderlands: The Pre-sequel offers an attitude-driven, grotesque, post-apocalyptic continuation of an already fantastic series.

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ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

The New Pornographers’ new album deserves the hype bum, Brill Bruisers is more upbeat, with faster musical arrangements.

There is a significant influence of pop and ‘70s rock, and it focuses on mood rather than telling a story. It works.

Like in previous releases, A.C. Newman takes the majority of lead vocal duties, with Neko Case and Dan Bejar taking the reins for select tracks.

One track that stood out immediately for me was “Dancehall Domine.” Though quite repetitive, the track is catchy, with a cool synth solo.

Concluding Brill Bruisers is “You Tell Me Where,” the most interesting track on the album. The mix of vocals, variety of instruments, and lyrics are memorable, leaving a lasting impression — a perfect final track.

The best feature of Brill Bruisers is the playability factor. There is so much variation in the album,

REMINGTON FIORASO CONTRIBUTOR

I initially heard of the Canadian power-pop group the New Pornographers a decade ago, but it wasn’t until the release of their latest album that I started listening to them. Much like bingewatching an entire show on Netflix, I managed to go through their full discography. Better late than never.

The New Pornographers first emerged in the Canadian music scene with their debut album Mass Romantic in 2000. Fourteen years after their debut, and four years after their latest, the New Pornographers have resurfaced with the 13-track LP, Brill Bruisers, which included is the lead single and opening track of the same name.

In comparison to their last al-

it is easy to listen to the full thing without skipping through songs.

The standout tracks for me are “Champions of Red Wine,” “You Tell Me Where,” “Born with a Sound,” and “Dancehall Domine.” Overall, it is a solid album and there is a nice lack of filler tracks.

After listening to Brill Bruisers, I can understand the hype surrounding the Canadian group.

Although highly recommending the album, I would check out their previous releases as well if you have not heard them. I hope that you enjoy Brill Bruisers as much as I did.

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

Come to a writers’ meeting!

AK The Underachiever Blessings in the Gray

Ab-Soul These Days…

Blessings sees AK embrace a staccato, yet relaxed, cadence throughout the mixtape. Loaded with production that sounds like a cocktail party set in the clouds, the entire mixtape does a great job of highlighting AK’s best features: his precise rhyme schemes, tight cadence, and his ability to paint complex scenes and situations effortlessly. As opposed to his Underachievers counterpart, AK spits verses that are very controlled, yet still retain a very intense quality.

He takes the energy of an explosion and focuses it into a single spray of rhymes that propel themselves forward with precision and speed.

AK ties together multiple, expertly crafted verses into coherent narratives time and time again on Blessings, and does so with the air of someone who is not just comfortable, but at home when performing increasingly intricate verses.

Ab-Soul’s These Days... delivers a varied plate of tracks that all highlight the rapper’s skills. “Tree of Life” is a more straightforward track than what Ab-Soul usually delivers, which is good: it anchors the record with boom-bap production and great rhymes on Ab-Soul’s part. “Tree of Life” also features a sample of Joey Bada$$’s “World Domination.” “Twact” has more modern production, along with tight rhymes. “Twact” is the track off These Days… you’d most likely hear at a house party. “Sapiosexual” has more staggered production by comparison. However, it’s still a great track sprinkled with some great wordplay. “Stigmata” is a lot more laid-back than the rest of the tracks on the record, featuring a great verse from Action Bronson.

“Ride Slow” has Ab-Soul and Danny Brown spitting over dissonant production. Danny Brown’s verse is the highlight of the track, although Ab-Soul more than holds his own, as he does on the entire record.

Our weekly meetings where we assign articles take place every Monday at 8 a.m. in C1429.

Can’t make it? Email valerie@ufvcascade.ca.

MARTIN CASTRO

MARTIN CASTRO

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca

19

SPORTS & HEALTH

Grab your kettles, we’re having a tea party cholesterol, heart disease, wards off cancer, and possibly even fights viruses. These precious leaves could be the next big health trend. The flavour is very plain and offers the least amount of caffeine. Feel imperial knowing that this handharvested, cancer-fighting cup was long known as the “Emperor’s Drink” in ancient China, according to Teavana.com.

EMILY SKILLINGS CONTRIBUTOR

Besides water, tea is the most widely-consumed drink on the planet, and it could be making us healthier.

Each variety of tea seems to tout some sort of health benefit, and a few are even proven by science. While the list of new man-made flavours is constantly growing, we’ve looked into the four most common varieties to see just how tea can help us.

Black tea Best for: Waking up and tasting great According to WebMD.com, the classics like chai, Earl Grey, and English Breakfast come from darker, more oxidized leaves. Black teas usually have a robust flavour and provide a more mellow caffeine boost than coffee. Antioxidants in black tea are linked to reducing your chances of heart disease, but the amount of milk and sugar most people add to their cup can easily cancel out those benefits.

Green tea Best for: Energy and antioxidants If a more natural or plain taste is your preference, green

Image: danielygo/flickr

Contrary to popular belief, the UK is only the second largest nation of tea drinkers. Ireland is the first. tea may be the holy grail. Megan Ware, RDN, LD, registered dietitian and nutritionist, wrote in MedicalNewsToday. com that multiple studies have shown green tea to be full of catechin polyphenols, the same antioxidants in black tea. Green tea also defends against heart disease, obesity (the tea burns

fat!), cancer, and in some studies, Alzheimer’s. Green tea is made up of 30 to 40 per cent of the amazing polyphenols, compared to black tea’s three to 10 per cent. While somewhat boring, green tea is a very healthy addition to any diet.

White tea Best for: Light flavour and perhaps the fountain of youth?

White tea leaves are the most delicate and least processed of all teas. According to many websites such as WebMD, ScienceDaily, and PacificCollege. edu, white tea preserves way more antioxidants, reduces

Herbal teas Best for: Sleep and exploring Chinese medicine Meredith Dault writes in BestHealthMag that herbal teas skip the caffeine and antioxidant-bearing tea leaves, instead using dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots. It’s popular in Chinese and holistic medicine, and it seems every kind of herb has a health value. Peppermint, rosehip, hibiscus, ginger: The list of potential herbal teas is endless. The health benefits are less proven by Western science, but herbal teas are worth trying even just for taste. If all your tea tasting has left you a little buzzed, opt for chamomile tea before bed.

From reducing stress to preventing cancer, everyone has a reason to find their favourite tea. Now someone throw the kettle on!

What is CrossFit, anyway? A trainer’s explanation, part one lete, be sure that before starting CrossFit, it addresses the needs of your sport. I think the biggest downside is the cost.

TORI THISTLETHWAITE CONTRIBUTOR

It has a long-standing reputation for its hardcore workouts, and for being one of the most intense forms of exercise a person can commit to. Over the past decade, CrossFit has become an increasingly popular form of exercise. So, what is it about? I had the opportunity to interview a CrossFit trainer who wishes to remain anonymous, and they were able to supply me with everything you need to know about this program.

What is CrossFit? CrossFit is a general physical preparedness program; the idea is to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Most people benefit more from developing their weaknesses into strengths than continuing to train areas they already excel in. A well-structured CrossFit program aims to achieve this using barbells, kettlebells,

Image: runare/flickr

Some forms of CrossFit even include Olympic weightlifting. dumbbells, and your body itself.

What, in your opinion, are the benefits of doing CrossFit? What are the downsides, if any?

First of all, it will depend on how that gym programs. Most

gyms these days do their own programming, which leads to emphasizing different components of fitness. But generally, the average person will see substantial increases in strength, cardio-respiratory fitness, and body composition with a healthy diet. If you are an ath-

What do you have to say about the critics who say CrossFit causes rhabdomyolysis (Breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue)?

Exertional rhabdomyolysis has been associated with CrossFit for a while now. The ease with which the incidence of rhabdo can be avoided means there’s no excuse for gyms that have had it occur. Still, it’s infrequent compared to rates of occurrence found in things like marathon running. In any case, the real danger is progression to acute renal (kidney) failure. Rhabdo cases usually involve severe heat, dehydration, NSAIDs, people brand new to exercise, or those with an underlying condition which may predispose them to it. If none of these are the case, the programming is probably poor and the coaches aren’t paying

attention. As with any exercise program, check with your doctor first to make sure you are cleared to participate. Be sure any gym you join has an introductory program for beginners.

Do you have any additional information you would like me to include?

More relevant to someone looking to try CrossFit, or already doing CrossFit, are repetitive strain injuries. Things like tendonitis and the ilk are magnitudes more likely to occur than rhabdo, and similarly easy to prevent. Don’t do too much, too fast, which can mean days in the gym or extra weight on the bar. Don’t neglect to stretch, and make technique a priority.

The nice thing about weightlifting is that nine times out of 10, the most biomechanically efficient way to lift something is also the safest.

To be continued . . .

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SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014

Basketball teams continue pre-season action NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

The men’s and women’s basketball teams continued their preseason schedules this past weekend, and both had their negatives and positives on display.

The men’s basketball team got the chance to redeem themselves after just barely getting the win over Trinity last weekend. The Cascades played the Spartans on Saturday night and played a lot better, securing the win (80-61) off the heels of Manny Dulay, who registered a game-high 20 points to go along with his eight assists, five boards, and a trio of steals.

The large number of assists is credited to coach Adam Friesen for making the decision to reassign Dulay as a point guard for the game instead of his regular billing as a shooting guard. The switch is a common preseason move that most teams make.

It’s a way to “test the waters” and see how Dulay handles the workload at the point guard position.

“Manny’s ability to hit shots never surprises us, but he’s worked hard over the summer to expand his game,” said

Image: University of the Fraser Valley/flickr

The women don’t play again until November, whereas the men go off to Ontario next weekend.

Coach Friesen after the game.

The Cascades also received good contributions from Nate Brown, who collected 18 points and seven rebounds, and Kadeem Willis, whose eight boards go along well with his 11 points.

The game came at the heels of a tough 57-56 loss to the Windsor Lancers the previous night.

The Cascades carried a point

lead into the final 30 seconds, but were unable to secure the ball, allowing the Lancers multiple opportunities to get a last chance tip, which is exactly what happened. The Lancers’ Bradford Parker was able to find the net with just over nine seconds left in the game.

“Sometimes losses can really help you, and the message of rebounding and showing up

and being more physical in the paint is hitting home now that we’ve lost a game on a last-second rebound,” remarked Coach Friesen post-game.

The women’s basketball team played their last games of the preseason this weekend but didn’t fare much better than their male counterparts, dropping both games to the Queen’s University Golden Gaels and

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the UBC Thunderbirds.

The game against the Gaels saw the Cascades holding on throughout the majority of the game, but being unable to contend later on, ultimately dropped the game (75-61).

The game against the Thunderbirds was a lot more hotly contested, but it saw the Cascades give up a lead late and then fail to contain the Thunderbirds in overtime. The Cascades gave up 12 points in the overtime session, and were able to only score six. Although his team did drop a close game, Coach Al Tuchscherer had a lot of positivity after the game, “I thought we dictated the pace of the game for a long time, and defensively I thought we were super solid in making them take tough shots. Even down the stretch, I thought we executed at both ends of the floor.”

The men travel to Ontario next weekend to continue their preseason schedule, and the women don’t play again until their mid-November regular season opener.

With files from Dan Kinvig.

Volleyball teams open regular season NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE

The Cascades volleyball teams faced off against their crosstown rivals this past weekend.

The Columbia Bible College Bearcats were good competition for the opening games of the regular season.

The women’s team is expected to rebound this season after getting knocked out of the first round of the playoffs last year.

The team will likely feature a lot of new faces contributing, as they lost a few key veterans at the end of last season.

The Bearcats were not one of the teams that the Cascades women had trouble with last year, and the trend continued into this season as they were able to dispatch them in backto-back games. Their Friday night home opener was probably a lot more hotly contested than coach Dennis Bokenfohr probably hoped for; however, the Cascades were able to recover early and rebound after an up-and-down game. They buried the Bearcats in five sets.

“We were wondering what team would show up. We kind of had ups and downs all game long, so it was just fun to watch

Image: University of the Fraser Valley/flickr

The men’s team rewarded first-time head coach Kyle Donen with his first win this past weekend. them go out there and see who wanted to show up and play,” said Coach Bokenfohr.

He complimented one of the new Cascades, Michelle Zygmunt, saying, “Michelle had a heck of a serving run to start the set, and we kind of coasted from there.”

The second game of the weekend was where we were able to see the real Cascades team as they dispatched their rivals in

three straight sets.

“The finish was there in all three sets, and that’s a neat trait to see develop. You don’t know what you’ve got until they get the opportunity. Everyone got on the court, and we had a balanced attack,” Coach Bokenfohr remarked on the win.

For the men’s volleyball team, the biggest news of the weekend came on Friday night as they rewarded first-time head

coach Kyle Donen with his first win as coach.

“We came out with energy, and I think the crowd really helped us from the get-go. We kind of let it get away from us a little bit in that second set, but we found a way to rebound when we needed to. The guys really battled tonight, and kudos to them,” remarked Donen post-game.

The Cascades were able to knock off the Bearcats during the first game of the weekend in four sets, but dealt with loss in the same four sets the next night. The Cascades lost thirdyear Kurtis Stromdahl early in the second set to an undisclosed knee injury.

“At the time, he was our most stable passer, and that kind of changed the complexion of the game,” Coach Donen said regarding the loss of Stromdahl.

The women’s volleyball team is starting the season in the best possible way. They are 2-0 going into next weekend’s games, and the men are 1-1. Both teams play the College of the Rockies Avalanche next weekend.

With files from Dan Kinvig.

Upcoming

Event

Campus Recreation Program Students, staff, and alumni are invited to come down to the Envision Athletic North Gym this week for the first week of intramural tournaments. Register online at ufvcascades.ca/rec at no cost. The only entry fee is a non-perishable food item for the SUS food bank.

After registering, you’ll be placed in a team for the tournaments.

The intramurals will begin this Wednesday with basketball kicking it off at 4 p.m.