Vol. 22 Issue 32
November 26, 2014 to January 7, 2015
PLACE GIFT TAG HERE
Once again, our stylish Christmas cover doubles as wrapping paper, just for you! Wrap your presents with it. Tweet us a picture. We’ll enter you in a draw!
ufvcascade.ca
2
NEWS
News
Briefs National response to Ferguson injustice OTTAWA — Following a grand jury vote against indictment of a police officer who repeatedly shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager, in August, people across Canada met in major city centres to peacefully protest the decision. Montreal and Ottawa in particular saw large attendance. In Ottawa, the Fulcrum reports that “Organizers read the names of people killed by police brutality in Canada before observing a moment of silence.”
Carleton students vote in favour of fall reading week OTTAWA — The Charlatan reports that over 40 per cent of students voted in a referendum earlier this month, with over 85 per cent in favour of continuing fall reading week. Over 70 per cent voted in favour in a 2012 referendum to create the mid-semester break. Faculty and teaching assistants are also mostly in favour of it continuing; however, the final decision lies with Carleton University’s Senate. Their decision will be made on November 28.
Library fine increase With end of semester approaching, so too does the necessity of library fine payment. This time around, things are a little pricier: regular items like books have doubled from $0.25 / day to $0.50 / day, and the same goes for recalled items, from $1 / day to $2 / day. Periodicals remain the same, at $1 / day.
Sodexo’s at it again! Recovered from the library news? It gets worse. Anyone expecting cutlery or portable dining from the Abbotsford campus cafeteria will now have to pay for the “service.” While you’ll receive a utensil if you purchase a “meal” from Sodexo, take-out packaging and additional plastic knives, forks, and spoons will set students back $0.20 each. Happy holidays!
Have a news tip? Let us know! Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
SUS brings new tidings to the second-last board meeting of the semester
News
4
Your student goverment has returned from their trip to Ottawa ready to spark interest in voting, and with a slew of new clubs preparing to add to the campus commmunity.
Opinion
7
Fighting the “learners to earners” mentality
Culture
9
Arts in Review
17
Sports & Health
19
Kodie Cherrille speculates about the connection between the oil industry and the disturbing direction BC education is taking.
Got MALK? Abbotsford band MALK is heading in to the semi-finals of UBC’s Shindig. Martin Castro sits down with members to discuss their creative process and songwriting style.
One Direction only goes in one direction The boy band’s new album, FOUR, sticks to the same formula that brought them superstar-status success, but it works for “Directioners.’” Check out Haley Borchert’s review.
Wacky sports you didn’t know were a thing
You haven’t truly lived until you’ve competed in a race while sitting on top of a toilet chariot. Alex Rake tells us just what’s going on with a few of the world’s overlooked sports.
The right fight goes on forever KATIE STOBBART
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“Always in your stomach and in your skin there was a sort of protest, a feeling that you had been cheated of something that you had a right to.” — George Orwell, 1984 Despite the feeling that many protests I have participated in or observed had few longterm effects, I still believe protest is an effective tool for social change. There have been a number of protests recently. Occupy. Idle No More. There are protests about the economy, about education, about human rights, about the environment. As close as Burnaby, students and activists are risking arrest by defying a court injunction to protest pipeline developments on the mountain. Elsewhere, stakes are even higher. In Ferguson, violent demonstrations continue, especially after the November 24 decision by a grand jury not to approve crimi-
Volume 22 · Issue 32 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
nal charges against Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in August. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Hong Kong, two student leaders in the months-long pro-democracy protest there were arrested. High stakes and a lot to lose usually also means there’s a lot to be gained. But with so much conflict happening everywhere that seems to go on forever, it can seem hopeless. The people in power (governments and corporations, for instance) usually have time and resources that give them additional waiting power. People can only stand in the street — or on the mountain — for so long. On one hand, it’s encouraging to see so many people standing for their beliefs, rising against oppressive forces, and taking a stance to protect their vision of the world they want to thrive in. It can also be incredibly disheartening. Protestors are unjustly arrested; discouraged with legislation, red tape,
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
and court injunctions; and in some cases killed for their efforts. After everyone inevitably leaves the site of protest, it often seems little has changed in the grand scheme, even after small victories. It can be a hard beating to take, even for someone who’s not caught up in the centre. I worry oppression will win. I’m afraid we’ll forget what the fight is about, that it won’t really matter in the end: some of us get a black mark on our permanent records, some of us die, and some of us turn off the TV and shut it all out. I’m also afraid of protest. The ideal I’ve carried with me is an image of peaceful protest — but the violence building up and spitting out in almost every part of the world, from all sides of conflict, is something I don’t like to think about. I know I’m lucky not to be living it — at least not right now. I think it’s important to stand and defend what we think is right, but I fear it’s a fight that goes on forever. Following updates on protests
and conflicts on social media or even participating in protest feels almost futile — it would be easier to just turn away and focus on something else. Instead, focus on that idea of social change. Social. That doesn’t have to mean literally standing on the mountainside, even though that is one approach. It can also mean sharing it. Not on your Facebook wall, but in your conversations with the people you surround yourself with. Spread awareness of injustice and create a movement for change — a movement through the collective spirit. Often those who turn away do so alone. Instead, turn to other people. It’s not as immediate or fiery as the movements happening in the centre of conflict, but it’s a positive action. It’s a good starting place, because at the centre of a protest is the strength, will, and vision of the collective.
News Writer megan@ufvcascade.ca Megan Lambert
Printed By International Web exPress
Staff Writers vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Vanessa Broadbent
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.
alex@ufvcascade.ca Alex Rake Varsity Writer nathan@ufvcascade.ca Nathan Hutton Arts and Culture Writer martin@ufvcascade.ca Martin Castro Contributors Haley Borchert, Jeremy Hannaford, Daniel Holmberg, Riley Nowlan, Beau O’Neill, and Jasmin Sprangers.
Cover image: Anthony Biondi
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Former gas station to be site of new development
Image: Michael Scoular
The long-vacant Rise and Shine gas station at the King-McCallum Road intersection was recently demolished, leaving little more than a dirt pile. The building itself was unsalvageable and was the site of a fire in August 2014, but it sounds like there are big plans for the space. Part of the City’s U-District vision put forward in 2012 marks the spot as part of development that will occur gradually in the area surrounding UFV, and a rezoning proposal suggests there may be mixed commercial and residential use of the land in the future. Furthermore, a hearing at City Hall in January 2013 provided an opportunity for residents to voice their opinions on having a six-storey building in place of Rise and Shine. There would be commercial space on the ground floor with 94 apartment units in the upper floors, as well as parking. More details to follow in January.
Students create social media campaign to fight hunger ALEX RAKE
THE CASCADE
UFV global development students Cydney Myers, Kara Hanson, and Carolina Silva have created a campaign called Share My Next Meal to encourage donations to local food banks. The challenge is based on the way people often post pictures of their meals to social media. According to its Facebook page, “The challenge is to post a photo of your next meal with the hashtag #sharemynextmeal. Tell your friends who you will be sharing your next meal with what local food bank you are donating to. Then challenge three friends to do the same.” The challenge asks people “to donate a portion of the
Image: Vanessa Broadbent
You know it’s a real social media campaign when it has its own logo! cost of their meal to their local food bank. They can donate in person at the food bank, or
online on the food banks’ individual websites.” The creators of the challenge
recognize that “the idea of this campaign is very similar to the popular ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge campaign that exploded on social media in the summer,” and they “hope that this has the same effect.” “Although created in Abbotsford, we hope that this challenge will take off and help out many communities across the country.” According to the Chilliwack Progress, Share My Next Meal has already spread as far as Ontario, even reaching the US in Colorado and Texas, just seven days after its launch. By comparison, it took 20 days before popular figures began participating in the ALS ice bBucket challenge. More information, including updates on the food bank and homelessness situation in Abbotsford, are available on the group’s Facebook page.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
UFV groups come together to host planning and urban studies networking event VANESSA BROADBENT
THE CASCADE
Every student can relate to the dreadful feeling that comes with thinking about finding a job after graduation, and this is no different for geography students. That’s why the department of geography and the environment, as well as the Career Centre and the UFV Urbanists, hosted a planning and urban studies networking event on Thursday afternoon. The purpose of the event was to help students learn about their career options, as explained by Luke Garrod, fourth-year urban planning and geography student and treasurer of the UFV Urbanists group. “This is an event to get all of the urban planning students or anyone who is interested in the field of urban planning together to network, and to share ideas and also to get former students here to discuss their transition from school to work or vice-versa and what it’s like to go into the field,” Garrod said. The event featured a panel discussion of five UFV geography and sociology graduates, including current City
Image: Vanessa Broadbent
Geography students and graduates “networked” together under the A building boardroom lights. of Abbotsford planner Amy Anaka, and was moderated by Derrick Swallow, president of UFV Urbanists. Guest speaker Matt Boyd was also there to discuss transit planning in the Fraser Valley. The panelists
were asked questions ranging from everything from getting a master’s degree to challenges faced while job-searching. After the discussion, students could network with one another, an essential part of
every career, especially urban planning. Michelle Rhodes, associate professor of geography and the environment, explained that because urban planning is a “social kind of job,” it’s important that stu-
dents learn how to engage in those communications early on. “The networking event is intended to get students comfortable in that environment and to get them to a point where they can present themselves in a job interview with some skills already in hand,” she said. Networking can be essential to students, and UFV Urbanists is trying to help students do so. Scotland Galloway, third-year geography student and secretary of the UFV Urbanists, said that the Urbanists group is trying to provide a group for students with similar interests to connect with each other. “I think at the very least they get a sense of community, seeing students that are also interested in the same academic fields that they are, which can be difficult, I think, at UFV. It’s difficult to make those connections,” he said. Although there are no more planned networking events in the foreseeable future, students can get involved with UFV Urbanists through their Facebook group to learn more about planning and to meet other students who are.
SUS returns from Ottawa conference, shares details of new clubs, service idea VANESSA BROADBENT
THE CASCADE
Student Union Society’s (SUS) November board meeting focused on preparing for the upcoming SUS elections, as well as various projects they are hoping to implement in the upcoming year. A substantial part of the meeting was dedicated to updating the executive job descriptions for the upcoming student elections happening in February. Student interest has been low in previous elections, but SUS is hoping to change that next year, not only in student elections, but also in next year’s federal elections. During the SUS executive trip to Ottawa to advocate for stu-
SUS will be taking over the Angel Tree Program this Christmas. dents with CASA, SUS president Ryan Petersen noticed that political parties appeared to be more interested in what student groups are advocating for. “If we can increase the stu-
dent voter turnout, it gives them so much more reason to pay attention us,” he said. With Christmas just around the corner, SUS will be taking over the Angel Tree Program. In the past, the program has been run by UFV, but due to complications, SUS will be taking over. Petersen feels the program is too important to not continue. “SUS has stepped up to take on this program because we feel it is an important service ... it was last minute when we found that the university wasn’t going to do this anymore and we thought we need to make this happen,” he said. The only extra cost that will come as a result of running the program will be paying employees that get involved. VP internal Thomas Davies
shared news of new clubs forming on campus including Gleegion (a glee club), Athletes in Action, and a possible hookah club. Davies said he doesn’t see anything wrong with the hookah club as long as restrictions are placed on what substances are used on campus. “It would be fine, but ... if they are approved they will have some restrictions put on them to protect themselves and the university as a whole,” he said. Students can also expect to see a SUS IT service in the future, or at least a referendum regarding one. Kwantlen University’s student association offers an on-campus IT service (called Reboot), and SUS is thinking of doing the same at UFV. The service would be
focused on helping students with technological problems they may face, especially laptops or cellphones. The service would come at no charge for students, unless parts for repair need to be brought in. This would create around five jobs for students, as well as one outside professional. Many of these changes are still in the works and not yet solidified. SUS says that students can expect to learn more details in the upcoming semester. Their next board meeting, the last of the semester, is on December 16, 6:30 p.m. in C1429 on the Abbotsford campus.
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
SNAPSHOTS
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
Wrapping reduction
Media monster
Show some ‘spect
Holiday jeers
Beau O’Neill
Jasmin Sprangers
Brittney Hensman
Catherine Stewart
People die without our knowledge every day in every kind of horrific way. Right under our noses, the most heinous crimes are committed in the city we live in. Are you afraid? The news and media mills live off the negative power of the public’s fear and it’s up to us to know what is real and what is relevant. If we listened to the media monster, few of us would leave our houses out of fear of being butchered. But the news is a poor substitute for reality, and even if you hear it, you don’t have to listen. (DON’T LISTEN!) Lately everything’s a scandal, from Ghomeshi, to Sotloff, to Cosby. Like a cloud of noxious gas, the media’s fumes are creeping under the door, and I doubt there’s an app to help you filter the air. So just keep checking your phone and pretending the air’s fresh!
’Tis the season of Christmas lights, snow, joy-filled holidays, and wrapping paper! Oh, the wrapping paper and the general junk that accompanies gift-giving. It’s a wonderful tradition, but a wasteful one. We all remember the days of Barbies and Hot Wheels, and the packaging that came with them (and the horrid memories of trying to break into the boxes). As a society trying to be environmentally friendly, we use so much wrapping paper and other junk that goes straight into the landfill. This should be the first thing we start cutting out of our materialistic diet. As an alternative, use cloth bags. Though the fabric may be a bit more expensive, and it takes time to make, think of all the money you’ll save on wrapping paper. You don’t have to worry about wrapping super awkwardly shaped boxes, and the bags can be reused! If that’s not great, I don’t know what is. Spend the extra few bucks and make the recipient happy, as well as the planet!
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.” Aretha sang it because she felt the lack of it. And I’m singin’ it with her all the way. What’s with kids and their clear lack for authority for adults? You raise your voice, they raise their voice; you play around with them, they treat you like a jungle gym. Kids need boundaries. I’d say it’s due to too many options and negotiations. Kids have way too much say in the decisions that need to be made for them. They need to be told, not asked. Parents and adult figures should be the symbol of authority and kids have forgotten that what they say goes. End of story. But when authority figures lack consistency, waver, or give the child too many options, the adult’s authoritative voice loses its power in the eyes of the kid. A four-year-old doesn’t need to be asked if they want macaroni or a hotdog, they need to be told to eat it.
Christmas is approaching, and the stores are getting hectic. You may not have gotten a lot of rest the night before, or perhaps you’re hungry and cranky. Regardless of whatever has got you in a sour mood, the last thing to do is take it out on your cashier. Oh, they didn’t hear you the first time, or even the second time, and you have to repeat yourself? Calm your tits and don’t breathe angrily at them before just stomping out of there. Do you really think people who work in retail are actually happy to see you? No. They’d rather be out enjoying themselves instead of putting up with your grumpy ass. In light of the holiday season — even though this should be an all-year-round kind of deal — be patient with workers who are only trying to do their job. They are human, just as you are, and they deserve some respect.
A pep talk for preparing for finals Do we have our priorities straight? RILEY NOWLAN
CONTRIBUTOR
First of all — take a deep breath. Recognize you have made it through all your past semesters and you will make it through this one, as well. It’s a stressful time, but please don’t forget to take care of yourself. Study hard, but take bubble baths, drink multiple cups of tea, watch half an hour of a mindless sitcom, and then get back to work. I have never felt more stupid than I do during finals time at university. It drives me nuts. I pay all this money, do endless amounts of assignments, go to class, do the readings — and then finals roll around and I am convinced I haven’t learned a thing. I will fail all my finals.
Image: Julie Kertesz/ flickr
An A is not always the mark of knowledge gained. I’ve always been the type of student who strives for As, for that ego boost on the report
card that says, “You did it! You worked as hard as you could and here is your award.” That was
great, until the courses started getting harder and my priorities started to shift. At this point I have worked as hard as I possibly could and I know I won’t be getting any As this semester. This reality really bothered me until I had my mini end-of-the-semester breakdown, and then realized I had it all wrong. I was totally consumed with the idea of my grade. In my mind, if I didn’t get an A, then I had failed — but that’s just not the case. I realized this wasn’t the reason I had started university. I had started university in an attempt to learn more, and to educate myself about things which would add value to my life. I should be focused on walking away from a course having learned everything the course has to offer me, and it may not neces-
sarily be represented as an A on my transcript. I have received As in courses that I don’t even remember, and Bs in courses that have impacted me greatly. So as you enter your finals, try to take away as much as you can from the courses, and throughout this process, don’t forget to take breaks: get enough sleep, and leave the house every once in a while. As good as an A feels, it’s not worth your health and wellbeing, nor is it worth the incredible amounts of stress we all put ourselves through. So work hard, learn lots, and know, though finals are painful, you will get through them — hopefully, having gained valuable knowledge.
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OPINION
Satire
Complaints related to rotting innards, study finds REPP PORTER
CONTRIBUTOR
Christmas music is linked to the gradual rise of bowel deterioration in North America, according to a new study by the Deteriorating Entrails and Bowels Technical Society (DEBTS). “This is the fastest growing medical issue in Canada today,” said Dr. Julio Sturm, director of the study and head researcher at DEBTS, during a public announcement on Wednesday. “You often hear people complaining about having to hear Christmas music wherever they go after Halloween, and now, finally, we know it’s got something to do with the fact that they’re rotten inside.” According to Sturm, despite this great leap forward, DEBTS still does not know whether deteriorating bowels cause the aversion to Christmas music or if the complaining causes the deterioration. “There seems to be a circular relationship between the music and your guts. If you can’t stand Christmas music, you’re probably dying; if you’re dying, you probably hate the empty imitations of joy and the cheap, affected — oh Christ! My bowels!” he said, before excreting everything in his body and dying immediately at the podium. The study suggests that, while complaints about Christmas music have the most significant rela-
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
The starving student admission ticket
tionship with the deterioration of bowels, any complaining at all can affect and be affected by one’s innards. Sturm’s successor as head researcher at DEBTS, Dr. Morgan Kinder, said to The Cascade in an email that “we can observe these effects in the current protests going on about this pipeline issue people seem so concerned about. “If these people would only stop complaining,” Kinder continued, “there would be fewer incidents up in Burnaby Mountain.” Referring to the continued arrests of protestors on Burnaby Mountain, Kinder said this is a direct, positive result of DEBTS’ study. “Clearly somebody higher up understands the significance of our results. These protestors put their insides in serious danger by whining about business matters they couldn’t begin to understand,” she explained. “We should thank the justice system for putting the safety of our people before the selfish interests of protestors.” Kinder concluded that protestors should focus more on real issues, such as the prominence of Christmas music in the mall. DEBTS has created a scholarship in Sturm’s memory, eligible to any student who has been affected by deteriorating bowels, protesting, or Christmas.
Are you a master of putting things together? If you love fitting things together, The Cascade is looking for a Production Assistant to help with the design of our paper! Knowledge of in InDesign, Photoshop, and llustrator an asset. Send your resumé, cover letter, and three samples of your design work to valerie@ufvcascade.ca by December 12.
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
The best way to fight education revamp is to fight the pipeline KODIE CHERRILLE
THE CASCADE
An education revamp threatens scholarship for the sake of trades. An already-famished post-secondary institution has to “tighten its belt” once again after another huge cut in funding from the government. Habitual, incessant slashes to liberal arts and humanities programs that, by the day, look more and more like the complete disembowelment of a whole way of life. It’s been a fiscal doozy of a semester for UFV. Meanwhile, protestors have planted themselves on Burnaby Mountain, blocking Kinder Morgan surveyors from beginning their work on an expansion of the Texas-based oil corporation’s Trans Mountain Pipeline System. Those defying the BC Supreme Court’s injunction risk being arrested. These two scenarios are very closely related — they are both a pipeline issue. While one scenario seems obviously so, the other might need some explanation. To prepare the province for the pending jobs promised by the pipeline, the BC government has created a new education blue-
print, which intends to shift the emphasis of post-secondary institutions from academic to tradesoriented. The slogan they came up with was “learners to earners” — a slogan inherently contradictory when used in the name of education. That being said, the government is supposed to act in the best interests of its people. If it perceives the best interests for this province are those of the Kinder Morgan and Northern Gateway pipelines, then it is their responsibility to make those prospects a reality. This includes giving citizens the means to acquire skills that will help them capitalize on the project. But is it really in the best interests of the people? Looking at the huge outpouring of criticism and protesting, I question how many people are really behind this project, and in whose interests the pipeline serves. If this government’s decision represents the best interests of the people, why is there so much dissent? Is it possible the new BC education blueprint has a second motive? Is it possible the BC government sees the amount of criticism they face in investing in these pipelines, and have deliberately shifted the education system to
UFV SPEAKS
Image: Mark Klotz/ flickr
The pipeline controversy continues up the mountain and back. stifle critical thought? Whether this is intended by the government or not, critical thought will indeed be stifled if there is no education that directly fosters it. This sentiment echoes an editorial by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, which covers in more detail the educational implications of the revamp (“A university in name only: The re-engineering of BC education poses a significant threat to scholarship,” Volume 22, Issue 24). Interestingly, the discussion on
What is one of your family traditions that happens at Christmas?
Jon Miller
“We have this broken Santa thing — it’s a tray that you put presents on and it drives around — it’s an inside joke in our family. It never works but we still bring it out every Christmas and try.”
Cameron Pascoe
“Go to West Oaks Mall and buy like 36 cinnamon buns and cream cheese icing, and they’re all gone by New Year’s. One year my mom decided not to do it, and my brother, sister, and I went out, bought them, and surprised her.”
Ben Willms
“Every Christmas morning we have Froot Loops for breakfast after presents. They are under the tree, wrapped, and we unwrap it even though we know it’s there.”
Kelli Whitehead
education funding cuts has not, as far as I’ve seen, dwelled much on the pipelines. Rather, there is a sort of unfocused discontent among liberal arts students (or, at least, the ones I’ve talked to), as if it is directly the university’s fault. But no one at UFV wants to see programs fail, or get funding cuts. No one wants to see our professors — who have put so much into their students and community — be underpaid or let go. It is of utmost importance we recognize the source of such a
feeling of alienation: the pipelines. The BC government is putting out policies that are influenced by the pipelines. In expectation of specific jobs, the education system has been changed. If students are discontented with the change in education, it follows they should protest against the thing that effects those changes. This takes us back to Burnaby Mountain. It becomes clear, in this train-of-thought, why Kinder Morgan has singled out two SFU professors in the ongoing legal dispute. One professor teaches biochemistry, the other teaches literature. As such, they represent the two primary critical voices of the pipelines: environmentalists, and students with the capacity for interpretation and critical thinking — students ostensibly left out of the government’s grand, golden plan for BC’s future. Until we see that the promised pipelines are the direct influence of our declining state of academia, the education system will remain locked into the “learners to earners” mentality. How many people does the government have to displace in the name of cashing in, before we see that the pipeline, as proposed now, must go?
“We get oranges at the bottom of our stocking and when we are done, we eat the orange.”
Alexis Letkeman
“My great grandma will repeat the exact same story about how she killed ‘the turkey.’ It used to taunt her as a kid, and when she finally killed it for Christmas dinner, it was the best turkey she ever had. It’s the exact same story every year and she tells it while we’re eating.”
Chris Sakurdeep
“Ooooh, stay up late and play risk on Christmas Eve. It’s an all-out warfare — family break-ups!”
Jessika Schmidke
“It’s terrible, but getting drunk with my mom on Christmas Eve. She’s a procrastinator so she is wrapping presents and has to get drunk just to get through it!”
Titus Bozga
“We open presents on Christmas Eve.”
8
CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014
Non-profit organization Circle K comes to UFV VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
The Circle K club, a sponsored leadership program of Kiwanis dedicated to helping the community through service projects, has officially come to UFV. The organization is internationally known and has branches on every continent, as well as in nearby universities including UBC and SFU. This is the first semester of the club, and so far they have hosted various events on campus, including the Halloween and the Operation Christmas Child drives. UFV Circle K president Sahil Chawla has been busy planning upcoming events such as Christmas caroling and a secret Santa project, which will be coming up in December. “We’re still in the process of developing the ideas, but basically it will be where we want to give students a gift. It will be like a random act of kindness,” he said. Circle K is dedicated to raising funds for various causes and charities, and the UFV branch has a goal to raise $4,000. Although all of their events have been focused on student engagement, Chawla
Circle K is currently planning a Secret Santa project for December. is planning on having more fundraising events in the future. “We really want to be able to fundraise a lot of money and donate all of that over the whole year, and actually raise $4,000 and be able to donate that much,” he
said. Not only are fundraising events beneficial to the community, but also to the people involved. Chawla explained that by volunteering, “you actually feel like you’re part of the events taking
place and you’re having a contribution. Overall, when you look at it over the year, you’ll feel really good [about] it.” While Circle K would love to have more members, Chawla understands that it can be hard for students to find time to commit to clubs and associations. “I noticed that in university, everyone’s really busy, so they won’t be able to come to every single meeting, and that’s fine,” he said. For the remainder of the fall semester, meetings are held in U-House at 10 a.m. on Thursday mornings. Chawla explained that students can still access meeting minutes and get involved if they are unable to attend. “We also have our Facebook group [where] we post the minutes up so if someone can’t come they can read up and see how it was and if they missed anything,” he said. Students interested in joining can contact Circle K through their Facebook page. Chawla explained that the Circle K club is “a really good opportunity for students to get out and meet more people, as well as try something new.”
Workshop series explores mindful approach to anxiety reduction NADINE MOEDT THE CASCADE
The approaching exam season has many students turning to the old tropes of de-stressing, whether healthy or not. Alongside the stress of daily life, endof-semester papers and spectres of looming exams haunt our free time; we fall to carbs, cheap booze, TV escapism, and SUS-hosted puppy rooms to alleviate the tension. A series of workshops on the techniques of mindfulness, put on by UFV’s counselling department, offer insight on techniques to relax the mind and body as an alternative to more destructive means to reduce anxiety. I found myself attending in order to find a lower-calorie way to manage my end of semester stress, which is usually based in dark chocolate. The workshop had participants experience mindfulness in a safe and instructive environment, run by Eileen Burkholder of UFV’s counselling department. We were first asked to assume a position with ears aligning with shoulders and shoulders aligned with our hips. Our necks were tilted down and our eyes were closed to shut out distracting stimuli. We were told to be a “sack of
potatoes” in our seats: solidly their presence, and then let resting on our chairs, our ab- them drift past, bringing our domens soft. awareness back to the guid“This is not like a class,” we ing voice of Burkholder. Burkwere reminded. Remembering holder directed our attention is not the goal; rather simply to specific areas of our bodies, “experiencing what [we] are in channeling our breath through the moment.” our lungs to M i nd f u l ness, A study in the UK our abdomen, we were told, is legs, toes, into the “training of found that mindful- our very joints our minds to be and bones. in the moment,” ness based therapy is “You don’t says Burkholder. have to like or It is becoming as effective as taking want the expeaware of one’s rience,” Burmental and medications in stress kholder said, physical state by “just feel whattracking and re- and anxiety reduc- ever you are leasing thoughts feeling.” in a meditative tion, Burkholder said. This exercise, sort of approach; called a “body the exercise inscan” according volves resting one’s attention to Burkholder, has been strongon a specific focus, recogniz- ly correlated to increased job ing when your attention has performance, productivity, and drifted and returning it to your attention span, and is linked to focus. empathy and decision-making We were guided through processes. A study in the UK these steps via breathing ex- found that mindfulness-based ercises. Our attention was therapy is as effective as taking brought to Burkholder’s voice, medications in stress and anxiwho told us to rest our focus ety reduction, Burkholder said. on where our bodies touched The group later discussed the chair, and where our feet their experiences with practictouched the ground. When ing mindfulness. The discusthoughts or anxieties passed sion focused on the experience’s through our minds we were to ability to make individuals envision them as clouds: take aware of their already preshold of them, acknowledge ent state of mind. Burkholder
spoke on the ABCs of mindfulness. A is an event; her example was seeing a friend in the hall and saying hello with no response. C is our reaction, our interpretation of whether we are being ignored or the person didn’t see our greeting. Our reaction depends very much on B: mindfulness training. If we can acknowledge how we are feeling, if we are aware that we are in a sad frame of mind, we might work on keeping our interpretation of the event as positive as possible. Mindfulness is based on being aware of our mood and on how this effects our interpretation and reality. Participants were given mindfulness resources, exercises to use at home, and homework for the next session, which includes mindful eating. The workshop series will continue through the exam period, with sessions being held on Monday December 1 and 8, from 12:00 to 12:50 in B121. For more information and to register for the next session, contact Eileen Burkholder at eileen. burkholder@ufv.ca.
www.ufvcascade.ca
Upcoming
Events
November 26 VA exhibit opening The visual arts department is holding an open house for the exhibition of visual arts students’ work. The students will present their work alongside a glimpse into their creative processes and spaces. A core theme of “multiples” will unify the event, which takes place in the hallways of C building, in rooms C1403, C1042, and the S’eliyemataxwtexw Gallery (B136). Opening night is Wednesday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
December 3 Global representations of indigineity UFV’s visual arts department will be hosting a screening of film exploring represenation of indiginous populations and communities. The evening starts at 4:30 in B101 and is free to the public.
November 26December 17 Building a global community The newly minted global lounge in B223 is dedicated to building a global community at UFV and seeks your say on topics of global indigeneity and cultural representation. The lounge is hosting discussions from 11:30 to 1 p.m. every Wednesday. The afternoons will include free coffee, tea, and snacks alongside cultural events, food, discourse, games and music.
December 10-21 UFV presents A Christmas Carol UFV’s theatre department will perform its unique adaptation of the classic Dickens novel, A Christmas Carol. The production, directed by Paul Gélineau, will premiere on December 12 at 7:30 p.m., with preview nights December 10 and 11. Tickets, which start $17 for matinées, can be bought online on the UFV theatre website.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
CULTURE
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Dark surf noise pop outfit MALK on their inspiration and songwriting MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE
The Cascade sat down with members of local band MALK Alex Smith, who provides vocals and guitar, and Miranda Maria, who sings and writes songs. Other members of the band are Kyle Schick, Jaydee Bateman, and Lou Labbe-Bass. Where did the name “MALK” come from? Alex: It’s a Simpsons reference … I can’t remember the name of the episode. I wish Kyle was here, he knows [the reference]. It’s [something to do] with Bart. How did all the band members meet? Alex: Well, we knew each other from the local music scene … a little over a year ago we all ended up moving into a house together, in Richmond, actually, and we ended up starting the band there. So how long have you guys been making music together for? Alex: We played in bands together before this one. Miranda: I think my first time playing with you was when I was 14. Alex: We’ve all been making music on and off together for years. [MALK] is the final culmination. How would you describe the type of music that you make? Alex: I like to call it “dark surf noise pop.” I don’t know what that means, exactly, but [our music has some] ’60s surf-y elements, but with a lot of ’80s and ’90s alternative rock. So a lot of ’60s sweet pop elements with a bit of frenetic psycho-ness going on. Miranda: Frankenstein pop. What makes you get up in the morning and say, “I want to make music”? Miranda: [laughs] Waking up in the morning and feeling like shit, probably. Alex: That’s pretty spot-on …it’s the only thing that makes sense for me to do. Making music is itself the reason for getting up in the morning. It’s what I feel must be done. If you weren’t making music, could you picture yourself doing something else? Both: No. Alex: I think I’d be long-gone crazy by now. What are your main musical influences? Miranda: Tori Amos … Lyrically, it’s just [things like] poetry, books, anything. Alex: Musically, each member of the band brings separate influences … I mean, as a songwriter, the Pixies [are a big influence]. They’re one of the only bands that I’ve listened to since I was like 15 and I still get a kick out of them now. That means something, for sure. With your music, do you aim for a particular aesthetic? Alex: I feel like [our music] forms itself
quite naturally. I feel like when something aesthetically comes along, and it just works, we’re all usually on board with it. So it just clicks with what we’re trying to go for … I think people will put their own meaning on [our music when] they listen to it. So I won’t give away too much on that aspect and let people make their minds up themselves. What’s your songwriting process like? Alex: Usually the music comes first … Kyle, Miranda, and I will usually get together. I’ll bring close to fully formed music or half-formed music to the table, and we’ll work out vocals, lead guitar, and the lyrics together, so that’s usually how [we do it]. I suspect as time goes on that the process will become even more collaborative. What was the process of writing and recording your new record, and how is it different from your previous EP? Alex: Well, it’s a little bit of a spill-over … We re-recorded one of the songs [from the Prehistoric EP], and one of the songs we intended to put on the demo we ended up scrapping because we knew we were probably going to end up re-recording it. So the process really for this record is a kind of mixed bag. Any upcoming shows? Alex: Well, we’re playing the semi-final round of Shindig, which is CiTR’s Battle of the Bands, which is on January 20. Farther in the future, we’re planning [on playing] on the island in February … and then recording. Someone sits down, listens to your music for a solid 20-45 minutes, and then they get up and say one thing, what do you want that one thing to be? Alex: Crap. [Laughs.] Pretentious crap. [More laughter.] How can you sum that up? Miranda: I hope that it just, touches them, in any way that it can, you know? It could be anything that they’re thinking about or saying, as long as they feel it. Alex: Yeah, I don’t know as far as a statement goes … but even though it’s fun and catchy and pop-sensible stuff, I definitely want people to be affected by it and recognize the passion that’s [behind it]. And also the effort that’s been put into the songwriting. I’d like it if it made people think a little bit, you know? If you say one thing to any potential listeners or fans out there what would it be? Alex: Come to our shows. Buy our tape. Miranda: Yeah, haha. Alex: Well, check it out … and if you like it, support it. Come to a show and buy the record, or don’t, probably we’ll give it to you for free. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Abbotsford band MALK is playing in the semi-finals of Shindig, UBC’s competitive battle of the bands, on January 20.
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1 Ad Name: Forensics Info Session (Jan 2015) 2 Media: UFV Cascade (FreeMedia)
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FEATURE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
A sneak peek at the new SUB By Katie Stobbart and Valerie Franklin
O
ver the past few months, the exterior façade of the new Student Union Building (SUB) on the Abbotsford campus has seen the addition of glass windows, through which you can make out a suggestion of progress happening within — is that paint? A ladder tilted against the wall? A staircase! To dispel a little of the mystery and foster the anticipation building for the proverbial (maybe literal?) ribbon-cutting, The Cascade took a short tour of the inside. Something about the atrium and multi-purpose room To the untrained eye, the half-finished SUB still looks like a mess of construction equipment: there are buckets of paint here and exposed electrical panels there, wall cut-outs where air vents have yet to be installed, and wires everywhere. It’s a chaotic mix of plaster and concrete, with a thick plastic curtain closing off what will eventually be the boulevard entrance of the multi-purpose room, which faces the rear parking lot. From there we entered the atrium mall: a large, long room whose ceiling, not yet decoratively panelled in cedar planks, is three storeys high, balconies and offices stretching up overhead. This is where you can really see the vision for the building coming together. The airy, natural aesthetic is a blend of simple, modern elements: concrete, cedar, glass, and light — similar to the recently constructed CEP campus in Chilliwack. In the centre of the atrium, a wide staircase leads to the second floor, whose offices are all walled in glass windows. (I guess your student media sources will have to be especially careful about throwing stones in their new glass houses.) SUS president Ryan Petersen is looking forward to having a
central communal space for students to chat, relax, and work. “We don’t have that on campus. We have lots of little nooks and crannies everywhere but nothing too centralized like that,” he says. “This campus is wonderful and I do love it, but one of its shortcomings is that it’s just so disjointed. Everyone is off in their own little corner and nobody has that centralized hub where everyone likes to hang out, so that will be a really great focus.” The multi-purpose room will also provide a huge bookable space, which will offer a venue for seminars and events; Petersen notes it can be hooked up for lights and sound, and would be a more elegant option for holding banquets and events that have traditionally been held in the gym. He notes that everything from yoga classes to guest speaker lectures to kinesiology classes could be held in the multi-purpose room — even at the same time. “It’s sectional. It’s one giant space that can be broken up into three smaller spaces, so it does have that flexibility, of having ... different things running at the same time,” he says. Petersen adds that SUS is eager to hear from anyone who has an idea of what they’d like to see in the SUB in terms of programming, guest lecturers, services, and amenities. Eat, drink, and be merry Coffee-guzzling studyholics, rejoice: the SUB will feature an independent coffee shop run by SUS on the first floor. Upstairs on the second floor, you can expect a fuller meal experience in the new and improved AfterMath restaurant, which will be moving from its current location in the Envision Athletic Centre. AfterMath’s new digs will feature a new kitchen with a pizza oven, as well as a more spacious dining room, and — our favou-
Image: Ashley Mussbacher
The restaurant’s future patio; the roof above it will be a garden. rite part — patio dining with a full view of the Green. “Think [of a] Whistler lodge feel,” says Petersen. “Stone and wood and warmer tones ... a little bit more rustic.” The new restaurant won’t just look nicer — it’ll also feature a bookable dining hall in the back, industrial-grade kitchen upgrades, and more kitchen storage, allowing greater flexibility for the menu. Petersen notes that AfterMath’s current “awkward” location has hampered its busi-
ness, and the new restaurant is intended to be a central hub of activity in the SUB. “I have loved AfterMath ... but we’re really limited by what can happen there because of the space and the layout,” he says. “I just think this new setup will just provide a much more welcoming environment for people.” Like the rest of the SUB building, Petersen intends to make AfterMath a comfortable hangout space where students feel welcome to linger over their
Image: Katie Stobbart
The main entrance to the SUB’s atrium begins to take shape.
homework instead of being rushed out as soon as they finish their meals. “We want to be able to build these really nice environments that are just comfortable for people to spend time in,” Petersen says. And while AfterMath currently closes on Fridays due to a lack of traffic on campus, it may also see its hours expand if its new location is popular. “I know the building will be trying to encourage people to be there all the time, because we’re looking to be open seven days a week,” Petersen says. “That’s one of the big, exciting things. And to be open later, as well.” However, he notes that the final say will ultimately come down to their services director, Shane Potter. Finally, on top of all its other upgrades, the restaurant may get a shiny new name. “We’re looking at different names for both the coffee shop and the restaurant,” Petersen says. “If we’re moving into a new facility it’s going to be a different set-up, it’s going to be a different feeling and atmosphere.” Talk about transparency: your campus media One touted benefit of the SUB is that it will be a hub for student activity, with CiVL Radio, The Cascade, and the Student Union Society all moving to new offices in the SUB from their current homes in C building. But when we say transparency, what we’re really talking about are those aforementioned floor-to-ceiling panes of glass. The idea behind this design feature resonates with the classic portrayal of a radio station office (or a fishbowl, take your pick) in which you can actually see live, in-person interviews happening on the other side of the glass. The studio is right there. The invisible wall also
2010, 2008
In a winter referendum, the $35 SUB fee was approved
Funding was withdrawn for the SUB when government treasury suspended all provincial lending. This delayed the projected start date of 2011
2011
In December there was a referendum, which passed, to confirm $10 million loan for the SUB project over 30 years
2012
SUB design approved, to be LEED Gold Certified
2013
In January, future SUB site still a flat dirt pile, allegedly good for ice-skating
FEATURE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Image: Ashley Mussbacher
Image: Ashley Mussbacher
Image: Ashley Mussbacher
The second floor is the future home of CiVL and The Cascade.
The SUB’s huge atrium promises to be a spacious central lounge.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the third floor make it bright.
separates the second-floor thoroughfare from the new Cascade office, though instead of feeling like you’re watching a live interview, you may feel more like you’re watching the strangest sitcom you’ve ever seen. The third floor also features floor-to-ceiling windows, which let you survey the spacious atrium from above.
cussions regarding the name of the long-planned-for building, often circling around the possibility of third-party naming rights — so, allowing a corporate sponsor to influence the name of the building in the same way the athletic centre is named after Envision Financial. In 2013, a tentative proposal was on the table from an undisclosed sponsor, but was unsuccessful at the time (“SUS turns down third-party naming rights — for now,” The Cascade Mar. 13, 2013). The deal would have been an exchange of $3 million from the sponsor for 10 years in naming rights on the building. Then-president of SUS Shane Potter said at the time students should be consulted on such a recommendation. “I’ve got to reiterate the fact that the university students are putting in well over $10 million,” Potter said. “For me to unilaterally say yes to a fragment of that and allow a thirdparty company to name the building without [students’] consultation does not feel right to me.” Petersen suggests the name is a consideration, but not the main priority. “Right now ... it is the Student Union Building. Right now that is what the focus is. However, I think down the road we’ll definitely be [open to naming it after] members of the community if they want to donate money and have their name attached to the building,” Petersen says. “Maybe it’ll be
the Dr. Mark Evered building. Who knows?” While Petersen wants the name of the building to reflect the student body, he acknowledges that there are other options. “If members of the community want to step forward and show their support of the student community by donating significant financial assets, which can be put towards bursaries or grants or [whatever they choose], then maybe we can start that discussion,” Petersen says. “Maybe we can have your name attached to the building for a number of years, or maybe a room.” The SUB may even find itself with a corporate name. “Personally, I would prefer not to see that happen, but when it comes down to it, I think you need to look at what would benefit the membership more,” Petersen says, adding that SUS would only consider that option if there was enough money involved. “If maybe Envision steps up tomorrow and is like, ‘We’re going to give you $5 million and we want to see our name on that building,’ we’re like, yeah, sure, no problem. And then we could put that money to benefit our students. But if they’re like, ‘We want to give you $10,000,’ we’d be like, ‘Um, no.’” He emphasizes that the naming process comes down to a discussion with the membership about what they’d like to see. “That is their space,” Pe-
A touch of green One of the coolest features of the new building is a “green roof” on the small, triangular overhang above the possiblyto-be-renamed restaurant’s patio, where a garden will soak up the natural rainfall. It’s easy to imagine vines or moss cascading down the wall of the building past AfterMath diners. The day of the tour was planting day outside, and Jorge Candia, the project manager from Campus Planning who guided us through the tour, took some time to explain another efficient feature of the building: the permeable pavers being installed around it, which allow water to penetrate the soil underneath and drain away to a shallow ditch surrounded by plants. Excess water will be directed to the water detention centre (which is not, as it sounds, a prison for miscreant run-off but a water feature known by some as the swamp). Any overflow is then diverted to the storm drains. Picking the right name In the past, there have been dis-
2013
In May, groundbreaking was delayed when referendum set to confirm loan failed
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2013
In September, ground-breaking, complete with photo op
2013
SUS turns down a proposal for third-party naming rights
Image: Ashley Mussbacher
This alcove will be home to a coffee shop run independently by the Student Union Society. tersen says. “That is their student building. They contributed towards it, and they should definitely have a say in what they would like to see.” He urges students to contact their SUS reps if they have suggestions for how the naming process should be conducted. More than lounges and offices SUS’s plan is to pack the SUB full of extra services and amenities that will encourage students to spend time there. Petersen is eager to see information kiosks from student insurance provider Student Care, which provides the SUS Health and Dental Plan. Although the idea is still being discussed, Petersen feels it would be beneficial. “The kiosk [would] actually be a face-to-face interaction with a Student Care representative,” he says, noting that while students can access insurance information from pamphlets and the internet, face-to-face interaction is better for many people, especially new students intimidated by paperwork. The kiosks’ video screens would connect students to representatives who could guide them through the processes of filing insurance paperwork, as well as providing reliable answers to their questions. Even better is the idea of charging stations equipped with charging cables for the most popular devices — a place for any student to charge up their phone, laptop, or tablet
2014
Construction is fully underway with an end in sight
before it dies and takes their homework with it. “I don’t know what the feasibility of that is, but I’m really excited if we can get those in,” Petersen says. What happens now? The finish date is March 31, four months away — so what’s going to happen in the interim? Petersen explains students won’t have immediate access, since the process of services moving over still has to happen. “The physical building will be done in March, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll have full access to the building in April, because that’s when all the furniture and everything else starts getting moved into the building,” Petersen says. “So be patient. Even though the building is finished in March, we won’t really have full access [during the] summer months.” If the SUB is complete by the summer, Petersen says that he would like to have it open for student use so that any kinks can be worked out during the slow summer months — but come autumn, SUS and the university plan to celebrate the building’s opening properly. “It’s just such a milestone for the students here, and we really need to be proud of that and acknowledge that fact, that we were able to come together and we built a building together.”
2015
Current projected completion date
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STUDY BREAK CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
CROSSWORD Red and green
by VALERIE FRANKLIN
ACROSS 3. 4. 5. 7. 9. 10. 12. 13.
Don’t get this “incredible” green superhero angry. (4) The green-eyed monster — or what you might start feeling as your friends tell you about their Christmas vacations to Mexico. (4) Squishy red fruit popular in spaghetti sauce. (6) The planet which Curiosity is currently exploring. (4) Don’t roll past one of these red octagons – put the brakes on. (4, 4) If yours is said to be green, it means you’re a natural gardener. (5) In Flanders Fields these flowers blow. (7) Parts of a shirt that may be green, according to the old folk song / Christmas carol. (7)
DOWN 1. 2. 6. 8. 11.
You have about five litres of this red stuff in your body. (5) Key ingredient in guacamole. Mmm, guacamole. Powerful booze known as the Green Fairy. (8) According to this Muppet, it isn’t easy being green. (6) A clown, or someone who’s been out in the cold too long, might have a red one. (4)
SUDOKU ACROSS
7 7 1 4 2
8
1. ELEPHANT 3. PHOENIX 5. NYMPH 9. EPITAPH 11. HYPHEN 12. PHARAOH 13. SPHERE
5
6
5 3 9 8 1 5 7 7 5 8 6 4 7 5 3 6 9 5 8
4
DOWN 2. PHONY 4. TROPHY 5. NEPHEW 6. PHLEGM 7. GRAPHITE 8. PHYSICS 10. ALPHABET
3 6 7
2
The Weekly Horoscope
Sudoku solution
5 3 2 1 9 8 4 6 7 9 4 8 6 5 7 2 3 1 6 7 1 4 2 3 8 9 5
Last issue’s crossword
4 6
1 2 6 7 4 5 3 8 9 4 8 3 9 1 2 5 7 6 7 9 5 8 3 6 1 2 4
9
8 1 7 2 6 4 9 5 3 2 5 4 3 7 9 6 1 8 3 6 9 5 8 1 7 4 2
5 9
Star Signs from Moira Mysteriosa
Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: All answers lie in the sacred Konami Code: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start.
Gemini: May 21 - June 21: A Spongebob Squarepants tattoo may serve you well this week, if you have one. (If you don’t have one — why not?)
Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Go ice-swimming. You must nurture your inner walrus.
Cancer: June 22 - July 22: Don’t use Lysol wipes to clean your face. It burns! It burns!
Aries: March 21 - April 19: “Normal” Christmas traditions will leave you empty; painting yourself red and green and dancing to Jimi Hendrix will be much more fulfilling.
Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: Where do all the spiders go when it’s cold? Answer: your basement. Invest in a flamethrower.
Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Do not, under any circumstances, leave the house without a waffle iron this December. (You may want to invest in a carrying case for it.)
Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept 22: Patio dining under the stars is romantic ... when it’s not December. Buy a roof.
Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Your nightmares about giving speeches while naked are actually real. Seek help. Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: Wrapping your Christmas gifts in the cover of this issue of The Cascade will make the recipients love you even more. Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Bilbo Baggins is your spirit animal.
Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Don’t hire goblins to babysit. Did we learn nothing from Labyrinth?
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CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Dancing — and gambling — the night away at UFV’s Winter Formal DANIEL HOLMBERG CONTRIBUTOR
Pretend fortunes came and went, with some people hustling the poker table with over $20,000 Friday at UFV’s Winter Formal. The night was hosted by several UFV clubs and associations at AfterMath and the north gym. Previously known as the Casino Royale, the Winter Formal is very much the same event, with the addition of a dance floor. This year, the main attractions were the dance floor, the bar, two poker tables, three blackjack tables, and an unusual amount of empty space in the gym. After a while, it became rather difficult to join a game of poker, or blackjack, as the tables were mobbed by gambling enthusiasts. Last year, there were one or two more poker tables, as well as a few more blackjack tables and two roulette wheels. There was certainly no shortage of space at the event this year, but hopefully the organizers will see how popular the event was and will better accommodate the large number
image: Blake McGuire
Participants left with winnings which ranged from Star Trek to Harry Potter paraphernalia. of players next year. The casino itself was fun, as always. Everyone who came was provided with $2,000 of play money to use on the game floor. I
found that the money went a little too fast; the smallest denomination of chips was $100, so any and all mistakes were costly. The dance floor was in the cor-
ner of the gym, and after the night was in full-swing, the dance floor was packed with dancers. Two attendees who were well-versed in the art of dance schooled the rest
of the dancers with a few stunning tangos, and then offered to teach them some simple dance moves to do together. Unfortunately, there were a number of people who were somewhat disappointed that the night neglected to include any sort of formal dance music. But the music on the dance floor didn’t stop two students from swing-dancing, much to the amusement and bafflement of the other dancers. AfterMath also catered the event with the usual high quality we have come to expect, but also a rather long wait time. This was understandable due to the size of the crowd, but logical explanation doesn’t do much to settle a growling stomach. At the end of the night, raffle tickets were sold at the price of $1,000 a ticket. The prize spread was actually pretty good, with three or four Doctor Who lots, as well as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Adventure Time, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, gaming equipment prizes, and others. One lucky attendee won three separate prize lots with her $22,000 in winnings.
Impermanence Julie Epp Graphite on paper/Ink, acrylic on drywall The process of art is the collecting, sorting, designing, and the initiation of the actions and proceedings; the phases one has to go through to arrive at the final result. The actions one takes to create are, in fact, the art itself; these actions are pure and expressive. Large-scale work allows the artist to use their body, to move with the materials. The wall was created without the intention of permanence. A piece of paper, the initial starting point, can be removed, but the remaining drawing will be destroyed. This notion of impermanence allows me to give less focus on the end result and instead on the process of art-making.
image: Stewart Seymour
Recently The Cascade’s coverage has reflected the lack of public art on the UFV campus, but C building has seen many examples of student artwork crop up in the last few weeks, including this mural by Julie Epp.
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CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
UFV’s A Christmas Carol to be a bright, whimsical take on Dickens’ holiday classic MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE
If you’ve caught the humbug, UFV’s production of A Christmas Carol is looking to provide a cure for it with a dose of holiday cheer. So much cheer, in fact, that the actors are stretching their smiles and doubling over in laughter to keep the winter whimsy fresh for the audience. Director Paul Gélineau notes that although this particular version of the story is bright and playful, he admits his original vision was more cryptic and enigmatic than it is presently. “That balance is done with finding moments with the actors that allow the funny to become poignant. That’s just timing and good acting,” he says. The A Christmas Carol set is a sizable multi-tiered house; some platforms are slanted to add a Seussian feel to the play’s quirky and fanciful atmosphere. Although the set is mostly fixed, actors move three portable lamp posts to set different scenes, and a door in the centre of the set changes position. The costumes, undergoing final touches in time for “tech week,” are from a cooler colour palette, so the audience can expect lots of blues and greys. But with no lights, props, costumes, or sound cues at this stage of the rehearsal process, the actors work on their line delivery, physical blocking, and the timing of their responses to each others’ gestures — while in their bathrobes and pyjamas. Gélineau says that actors in professional theatre companies often look at the set and props at the beginning of rehearsals, which helps them adapt to the director’s take. “You start looking at the play through those coloured lenses,” he notes. “I was seeing it a little bit darker than it is in terms of where Scrooge is, and in the process he becomes more likeable quicker than I thought.” Gabriel Kirkley plays Ebenezer Scrooge — a feisty businessman who undergoes a change of heart through a series of reflections by ghostly visitors of Christmas past, present, and future. Gélineau notes that Scrooge’s appeal with the audience is congruent with Kirkley’s approach to the role. “It keeps it in the realm of what
the theatre wants to do with it,” he continues. “It’s fun, you can bring your family to it, you’ll have a great time, and you’ll laugh, and it’s not threatening in any way.” The original adaptation for the massive Royal Shakespeare Company has the actors narrating the story as part of a chorus. However, given the size of UFV’s theatre department, Gélineau had to slightly manoeuvre the structure of the script. Three narrators, played by Eli Funk, Aaron Froc, and Dayna Tea, float in and between scenes, telling the story and watching as members of the ghost world. In addition to casting UFV students, A Christmas Carol includes young children and adult community members. “This particular group is especially good at being a solid ensemble,” Gélineau notes, despite the age gaps. “There seems to be a fairly good respect for everybody’s sort of experience and background — the stage management team is being especially good with managing the kids.” The play will run December 10 to 21. Tickets are available online.
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ARTS IN REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
TV
Over the Garden Wall a dark, whimsical fairy tale SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE
Over the Garden Wall begins with two brothers wandering through a dark and eerie forest called Unknown. The eldest wears a cape and a red, conical gnome-hat. His young brother wears a teapot-hat and carries a large frog. They are lost, searching for their way home. They find a bluebird who talks and the rambling Woodsman, who warns them of “the Beast.” Over the Garden Wall is a 10-episode miniseries created by Patrick McHale, creative director of Adventure Time. It aired on the Cartoon Network in early November, and you can be sure the Cartoon Network hasn’t seen much of shows like this. It’s like something out of a British children’s fairytale, mixed with hints of Hayao Miyazaki. We don’t know who these boys are, and where they are going — and we don’t know if they themselves know. Over the Garden Wall is a wander through the forest, where every clearing holds mysterious cottages, creepy villages, or a leisure boat carrying well-todo frogs. The brothers — Wirt and Greg — navigate the dangers of the forest with only one purpose: finding a way home
“Over the Garden Wall is a wander through the forest, where every clearing holds mysterious cottages, creepy villages, or a leisure boat carrying well-todo frogs.”
Elijah Wood voices the protagonist, Wirt, who is lost with his brother in the Unknown Woods. before they become lost forever. The gloomy and foreboding Woodsman warns them of this. The forest, or perhaps the Beast that haunts its shadows, has a way of holding onto its lost travellers, but only when all hope is gone. Wirt, the eldest brother, in his teens, is voiced by the master of trepidation — Elijah Wood. Wirt is a comical character in one sense; he is pessimistic and sometimes hysterical, prone to pausing to recite beautifully
angst-ridden poetic soliloquies. His brother, Greg, is no Samwise Gamgee. Greg could only be six or seven; he’s innocent, blithe, and basically the exact opposite of Wirt. There is an unexplained discord between them. Here is an interaction that sums it up: Wirt: “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I’m a boat, on a winding river, twisting towards an endless black sea. Farther and farther, drifting away from where I want to be — from who I want to be …”
Greg: “Oh. I didn’t know that. Did you know that if you soak a raisin in grape juice, it turns into a grape?” Wirt and Greg meet all sorts of creatures and people. Some are dark and evil, while some seem that way but are not. The brothers are stalked by the Beast and the Woodsman, who is — mysteriously — always near when the Beast is. Every episode brings the brothers to a new mystery, meeting new creatures. Most of the plotlines are
dark, and there is no buildup or even the slightest hint of who Wirt and Greg are or where they come from. The only unifying element of each episode is the presence of the Beast, and, in later episodes, the dialogue between the Beast and the Woodsman. It’s in the final episode (I’d say, without giving anything away, that it is for good reason) that we learn about Wirt and Greg’s past. Things fall into place. And then it’s over too quickly. I watched the entire mini-series in one night. Over the Garden Wall has a very particular mood, and once you get into it, you’ll want to stay in it. It’s a perfect fall/winter show: cold, dark, and foggy. I’d definitely suggest taking a gloomy, rainy evening and watching it all in one go.
Cascade Arcade
This War of Mine combines history with zombie survival JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR
There have been numerous zombie survival games released in the last year, each with its own unique take on survival gameplay. But sometimes, instead of surviving zombies, a game can push the player to survive the elements of human depravity. That’s the ever-constant challenge of This War of Mine. This War of Mine is a sidescroller survival game developed by 11 Bit Studios. It is based on the Siege of Sarajevo, the longest recorded siege of the Bosnian War. You control a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged Eastern European city. But unlike most zombie survival games, these people are not soldiers. They have little to no combat experience, and the few weapons to be found are unreliable. The supplies never add up to the amount you need, and you are often raided in the night and
robbed of the few possessions you have. This War of Mine, oddly enough, captures the core teamwork aspect and the constantrisk factor of Faster Than Light (FTL). Almost everyone is untrustworthy and you are constantly forced into searching risky areas in order to survive the next day. But while FTL was admittedly a simple game, This War of Mine has many layers of complexity. While the characters were merely tools in FTL, the characters in This War of Mine slowly reveal more about themselves through the actions and events they engage in. Giving a face to these characters creates a deeper connection with them, enveloping you in their struggle to survive. The game has two main aspects: maintaining a living situation and searching for food and supplies. The player can send out one group member each night to a single location to search for necessary items. But that member can only bring
“The game is constantly questioning the player about how much are they willing to do and sacrifice to survive.” back a certain number of items. The choice of either not going hungry for the night or having enough components to build a water distiller or a makeshift weapon is a constant question you must ask yourself as a player. When you return, you must tend to your sick, try to make tools or food with whatever you could scavenge, and listen to the local radio to hear about how dire the situation truly is. Questions of what you truly need also pertains to the people you meet. Sometimes you will come across violent looters and feel warranted for defending yourself. But then there will be times where you will steal from those who only wish to be left alone. 11 Bit Studios’ goal for
this game was to capture the horror and moral depravity of those who were trapped in Sarajevo. The game is constantly questioning the player about how much are they are willing to do and sacrifice to survive. This War of Mine has fantastic survival gameplay mechanics and creates a realistic and heartwrenching atmosphere. Rather than using the Siege of Sarajevo as a simple set piece, 11 Bit Stu-
dios creates a compelling world and captures the grit and the horror of such a situation. The game is very difficult to “win,” and it is quite emotionally distressing, but it leaves the player with an experience that won’t be forgotten. This War of Mine is certainly one of this year ’s biggest surprises.
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ARTS IN REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Dine & Dash
KoJan Sushi offers a creative menu and huge portions SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE
CHARTS
Shuffle
AARON LEVY
CIVL STATION MANAGER
in Drag 1 Monkeys Hated at Home 65 2 Buck Neverlove
3 Incognito Amplified Soul Stott 4 Andy Faith in Strangers
5 Cowards Ruins 6 TVSeedsOn The Radio 7
Flying Lotus You’re Dead!
Jacobin Club 8 New Soldiers of the Mark Priest 9 Judas Redeemer Of Souls
10
Cheap High Ego Wholesale
11 Viathyn Cynosure 12 Laika Somnia 13 14
Where Giants Once Stood Live Above Devin Townsend Ziltoid 2
for Refund 15 Return Return For Refund Nailheads 16 The Finish ‘em Off with a Bat! Rebel Spell 17 The Last Run Matilda 18 Kill #Punk#Zombie#RocknRoll
CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy is excited to hear the first broadcast of Unlocking Your Truth with Dr. Lesley, a psychic call-in show airing Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. on 101.7 FM and CIVL.ca! Here are some future and past songs for your pre-exam week listening. Prince “1999” When this song was written, it was predicted that people would party differently in 1999, or, for some reason, 2000 and beyond. Do we? I don’t know … Will Smith predicted that we would do the same, and then, hold up, it was 1999, and it was, well, the same! Methinks … Black Mountain “Bright Lights” From the album In The Future, a closer that lasts over 15 minutes and is perfect for campus/community radio bathroom breaks or programmers who are late for their programs to get settled in. Do not use in this fashion. Lightning Dust played at UFV’s 40th Celebration, BM members included. Run the Jewels “No Crown” “Can’t pick up no crown holding what’s holding you down.” Michael Render wants to remind you to let go of the past in order to be comfortable with your future, and beyond that to be able to prosper in that future. Limp Bizkit said, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Sublime “Hope” “Wait for someone who can turn you on, he’s gonna make you feel the way you wanna feel.” Some rare mid-late era Sublime that’s more punk than ragga, Mr. Bradley Nowells imagines a future where his day comes, and he stops being that boy who girls don’t want a future with. Matthew Good Band “Symbolistic White Walls” “I’ve got a psychic, and she says I’m lonely, she says my destiny inside of me is turning out all wrong” – the pre-chorus from MG’s first “hit” single post-C-Fox and his early Seeds competition showing. Apparently at the time he was already telling people to expect him to be cheap and seethrough.
I always thought Presto Cucina would go out of business. If you wanted second-rate Italian, you’d go to the Old Spaghetti Factory; if you wanted something a bit fancier, you’d go to Paliotti’s, where they’d have some form of customer service. I was surprised to see in Presto Cucina’s place at Five Corners, a new sushi place: KoJan Sushi, which opened in early November. I think Abbotsford is getting to the point where there are more sushi places than churches, and that’s saying something. Either KoJan really liked Presto Cucina’s décor, or they didn’t have time to redecorate. When you walk in, it looks like an interesting cross between rustic Italian and elegant Japanese. The brick-work and indistinctly Italian pictures clash with the sushi bar and chef hats behind the counter. I stopped in for lunch with my fiancé. The server was very friendly, and immediately sat us down. This might have been because the place wasn’t exactly bustling — there was only one other group besides us. They were playing classical music; I think I heard Schubert. The location is really nice if you are seated beside the window. It’s bright, and
for some reason I like watching people wait at the slow lights of Five Corners, getting more and more annoyed ’til they finally gun through on a green light. I’m sure I’m not the only one. The menu boasted both sushi and Korean food, as well as interesting-looking burgers — a bulgogi burger, teriyaki burger, and a rice burger, all served with fries. The majority of the menu catered to sushi tastes, but there was Korean mixed in, and the menu was extensive. The lists of combos and party trays were very diverse; in addition to the usual lunch and dinner boxes, combos catered to certain tastes, such as the Old Fashioned Combo (California, dynamite, salmon-tuna maki) and the Rainbow Combo (rainbow roll, salmon, tuna, and ebi nigiri) as well as a Veggie Combo for vegetarians. I just came for sushi, though the burgers and Korean food looked so tasty that I resolved to come back and try them. The Chef’s Special section — especially the basil chicken and sweet-and-sour pork — looked interesting, too. I was definitely impressed with the creativity and variety of the menu. The prices are decent: between $4 to $8 for rolls, and up to $14 for the special rolls. The burgers were $11, and the teriyaki was between $11 and $14. Not low prices, but I’d pay that for good food. I
ended up ordering a box special. Their lunch box specials are sold all day, and range from $12 to $16. My miso and sunomono salad were good, though there could have been more tofu in the sunomono. They came in funny dishes, white with the words “give thanks.” This was the subject of speculation for my fiancé and I. I was surprised at how much food eventually came out. The rolls were big, and the teriyaki was heaping. The server came back again and again to refill my green tea. The chicken teriyaki was delicious; the sauce was rich and dark. I was on the fence about my California and dynamite rolls. They were big, but the proportions were a little off — there was too much rice and not enough stuff inside the roll. Not only that, but the rice didn’t have enough sushi vinegar on it, so it ended up tasting a little bit bland. I dipped my rolls into the teriyaki sauce a lot. I think my order was just too boring, and that’s why the food was a little bit boring. Next time, I’m going to try the interestinglooking menu items, like the jalapeno tempura, the feta cheese roll, the kimchi and bacon fried rice, or the lobster roll. I left very full and with a lot of leftovers. The service was great and the food was plenty — I just need to find the right menu item.
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ARTS IN REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Album Review
Love it or hate it, One Direction sticks with their usual pop aesthetic in FOUR
Soundbite
We Were Promised Jetpacks — Unraveling
HALEY BORCHERT CONTRIBUTOR
One Direction, the insanely popular boy band from the United Kingdom, has released yet another album, entitled FOUR. It is a fitting title as it is their fourth album and they have been together for four years. This seems like a long time for a boy band to stay at the top of the charts, or to stay together at all. Most people do not understand the One Direction craze sweeping the world right now and wish it would end, but as a lover of boy bands and One Direction, I can tell you it is not going anywhere. Harry, Liam, Louis, Zayn, and Niall began their career on the hit TV show X-Factor in 2010. Even though they didn’t win, they still managed to achieve impressive international success. Because of devoted fans and social media, word spread of the music group all over the world and they were able to develop a cult following known as “Directioners.” The band has now reached mega-superstar status and is worshipped by millions of girls (and I am sure a few boys) everywhere. One way 1D has remained successful is through Twitter. With over 21 million followers as a band (Harry Styles has over 22 million alone), they keep in constant contact with the fans that jump-started their success, while promoting their new music and merchandise. On top of that, they have released two movies, a book, and a perfume line — they also give back to charity regularly. Last year, they released “One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)” for Comic Relief, and this year they teamed up with Band Aid 30 to sing “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” Their good looks, laid-back personalities, and talent have also helped to keep them in the limelight, obviously. While 1D has an edgy, bad-boy vibe that is very appealing, they are also surprisingly relatable, goofy, and ordinary to go with their incredible charisma. The fact that they were regular people before X-Factor makes them even more likeable. Some people love to disagree, but they are also vocally talented (some members
MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE
What 1D lacks in album-naming creativity, they make up for in candid goofiness. more than others), and everyone knows that boys who are good-looking AND musically talented are untouchable. While it is true that I’m swayed by their good looks, charm, and angelic voices, I was disappointed when I heard their first single from FOUR, “Steal My Girl.” I was hoping it would be a little different than their previous music, but FOUR feels strikingly familiar and offers nothing new. The songs talk about the same issues as before — girls — and they have the same light-hearted, overly pop feel that wears thin after too many listens. Love is the all-encompassing topic of the album; every song deals with it in one way or another. In a few songs, the idea of feeling young is intertwined with the idea of love, but the repetitive, corny themes and metaphors make the album seem dull and uncreative. Some songs, such as “Where
Do Broken Hearts Go” and “Girl Almighty” are extremely catchy and danceable, while other songs like “Fool’s Gold,” “Night Changes,” and “Ready to Run” drone on and leave the
“Most people do not understand the One Direction craze sweeping the world right now and wish it would end, but as a lover of boy bands and One Direction, I can tell you it is not going anywhere.”
listener wanting more. “Change Your Ticket” and “Clouds” feature surprisingly enjoyable guitar sections and sound more pop-rock than pop. The only
song I found interesting and original was “Act My Age.” While it is overly synthesized, the group sings as one voice, harmonizing nicely. The upbeat musical interludes sound like an Irish jig, while the choruses are slowed down with heavy bass and the verses are backed by a bluesy piano. It also isn’t strictly about girls, giving a much-needed and enjoyable change. If you don’t like pop music targeted to young females, you probably will hate this album. As a Directioner, I am content with FOUR. It is the same kind of music that I enjoyed from them in the past, but I am disappointed there is nothing fresh in hardly any of the songs. It’s a decent Top 40 pop album that holds its own alongside 1D’s previous stuff. So far, the reception of FOUR has been very positive among fans, showing that the One Direction Infection will not be cured anytime soon.
Unraveling is We Were Promised Jetpacks’ third studio album, released exactly three years after their last album, In the Pit of the Stomach. WWPJ has not only moved on from the fuzzy, punky indie rock of In the Pit of the Stomach, but lead singer Adam Thompson has apparently shed his ridiculously thick Scottish accent, which I always found suited the band quite well. There’s a lot of angst in Unraveling, characterized by the constant drum beat and the instrumentation. The record has an all-encompassing feeling of odd melancholy throughout (see “Peaks and Troughs”), which is great; there’s a feeling of uneasiness which makes for a very enjoyable and immersive listening experience. Songs like “Keep it Composed” and “Bright Minds” are also funky in comparison to WWPJ’s previous work. Overlapping instrumentation also plays a key role in the composition of tracks on this record, which is highly reminiscent of bands like Foals, while at the same time being original. This is a great record for nights, or really any time when one is able to calmly observe one’s surroundings. The record very strongly conveys a feeling of isolation even while you’re surrounded by its packed, full instrumentation and vocals. There’s a lot going on in this album. Even the vocals add to the loneliness of the record. It’s not a sad loneliness, however; it’s a very warm, very personal loneliness. Sometimes it’s good to be alone with your thoughts; it’s good to let your imagination wander off into its more sombre parts. This record, particularly songs like “Night Terror” and “Moral Compass,” facilitate that beautifully.
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SPORTS & HEALTH
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Wrestling takes centre stage in first national tournaments NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE
The UFV wrestling team, the newest addition to athletics, has quietly dominated in their first few tournaments of the year. The limited competition available for the team in Canada has given them the opportunity to travel south and showcase their talent against top-tier American talent. Fortunately for the Cascades, they have Jasmit Phulka. He’s one of the best wrestlers, not only in BC but in all of Canada, and has dominated in early action this season. It began with the Cascades’ first national tournament at the University of Calgary, where Phulka won his first gold medal of the year in the firstever tournament in Cascades’ wrestling history. Phulka was dominant in the first weekend,
Image: UFV
The wrestling team dominated in their first national tournaments, and will be back in action after the break. securing three victories in his three fights, and giving up only one point to his competition in the 82 kilogram weight class. Coach Raj Virdi commented on the skill and talent of Phulka, stating to Cascades Media, “I
expect him to be one of the best wrestlers in the CIS, regardless of who he faces. I expect him to crush his opponents, and he did.” Second was a tournament at the wrestling capital of BC: Si-
mon Fraser University. SFU is a historical wrestling powerhouse, and has always been the staple of wrestling in Canada. Again it was Phulka leading the way for the up-and-coming UFV wrestling team. He dominated in the 86 kg weight class, winning the gold medal again and putting his name out there as the dominating force for UFV wrestling. The tournament also saw UFV wrestler Rohit Thandi impress in the 61 kg division, earning himself a fourth place finish in the tournament. Coach Virdi had high praise for his squad after the tournament, saying to Cascades Media, “The whole team wrestled well. For their age and experience, they did fairly well. It was a tough tournament — it’s not just for university students, it was for any athlete aged 18 and up. Some of them were world team members from the US and
Canada.” The third and biggest tournament so far this year recently passed in Forest Grove, Oregon. The first international tournament of the year for the Cascades saw them pitted against their toughest competition yet. For the third consecutive tournament, the Cascades were represented by — at this point, their star player — Phulka, who stormed his way to a semifinal contest before he was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury. The discrepancy in athletics between American and Canadian schools is apparent in a lot of sports; the American school often dominates its Canadian counterpart. However, the UFV wrestling team is the exception, and following their return to action after the Christmas break, we can expect big things from this squad.
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SPORTS & HEALTH
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 www.ufvcascade.ca
Chess-boxing, goat-bashing: weird sports you’ve never heard of ALEX RAKE THE CASCADE
Popular games like hockey and football are great, but they are so prominent in our culture that it is easy to forget that there are other sports out there, some of which are delightfully weird. Learning about the unusual not only helps to contextualize the usual, but it can refresh a bored mind. The following are some of the more wonderfully weird sports of the world. Chess boxing First developed by Dutch performance artist Iepe Rubingh in 2003 after reading Froid Équateur (a French graphic novel by Enki Bilal), chess boxing is a hybrid sport intended to test both the brain and brawn of competitors. The World Chess Boxing Organization’s motto is “Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board.” Players alternate between four-minute rounds of chess and two-minute rounds of boxing until somebody is KO’d or checkmated. Canadian filmmaker David Bitton is currently exploring the history and controversies surrounding the sport in a documentary called Chessboxing: The King’s Discipline, which he is funding through a Kickstarter campaign. Dunny Derby The Dunny Derby is a 250-metre toilet race held at the Out-
NATHAN HUTTON THE CASCADE
Image: Richard West
In the Dunner Derby, teams of five design and build their own outhouse-chariots. back Festival every second September in Winton, Australia. Teams of five design and build their own outhouse-chariots, which one person rides while the rest push and pull. Teams usually have a theme and dress up in costumes. Prizes are awarded to the winner of the race, the team with the best presentation, and the fastest or the slowest in what is called the “Constipation Stakes.” There have also been similar Dunny Derbies in the US and UK. Octopush Love hockey but hate ice? Underwater hockey, called “Octopush” in the UK, is the game
for you. It is played in a swimming pool, between two teams of six. Players wear snorkels and handle a heavy puck at the bottom of the pool with tiny, paddle-like sticks called “pushers.” Because the game is played underwater, Octopush is not very spectator-friendly; organizers have been working to solve this problem recently. A man named Alan Blake invented the sport in England in 1954 in order to keep his diving club active in the winter, and the first world championship was held in Vancouver in 1980. Buzkashi No longer will you have to let your leftover goat carcasses go
to waste, thanks to the sport of buzkashi (literally “goat-bashing”). Usually consisting of two teams of four to five players on horseback competing to drag a goat carcass through a goal, there are many variations of this polo-like game; sometimes it’s a free-for-all where individual players compete for points, and the length of the game can be set anywhere from about an hour to several days. Played mostly in Central Asia, it is the national sport of Afghanistan. Interestingly, the Taliban banned buzkashi in Afghanistan during their rule, deeming it too cruel a game.
Tips on a successful fitness journey from a personal trainer RILEY NOWLAN CONTRIBUTOR
Many people find that no matter how hard they try, staying healthy and active will always be a challenge. The key to success might not be as hard as people think. An interview with Morgan Hodge, a strength and conditioning coach at Engineers Bodies in Port Moody, helped prove this theory true. He divulged that his position as trainer and coach goes beyond the physical. He says, “I am more of a counselor or psychologist, as opposed to a trainer.” The best approach for some people to get motivated is to be dragged to the gym and getting screamed at until they’ve abandoned their lazy ways. This isn’t the best way for everyone. Some people require different techniques to get properly motivated. A nurtur-
Intramural program amping up in action
ing and encouraging approach instead of the up-in-your-face drill sergeant approach is more fitting for some. Morgan had not alluded to a specific exercise combination or calorie count that would equal that perfect body. Instead he believes clients need to make their minds strong in order to reach physical strength. “I follow two principles: pursue excellence and the notion of ‘getting your mind right,’” Morgan explains. He says that everyone should be trying to pursue excellence. As we reach one goal, we should create more. This really makes sense; even if we fail in our fitness goals, we should continue to make new ones. You may not be in the amazing physical shape you see with bikini competitors, but exercising is not only to look good, but to feel good. You can
achieve better endurance and physical strength the more you keep at it. Morgan wishes more people accepted the journey. There will be ups and downs, successes and failures, but with a strong mindset and a longing for excellence, goals will be reached. “It’s going to be fucking hard! It’s going to take a lot of hard work and energy, and you will feel like quitting many times,” Morgan sympathized. “But if you have worked on getting your mind right, and respect the journey of excellence you are on, then deep down you will love every second of it.” The tips to success taken from the conversation with Morgan are the following: 1) Train your mind. When we give up on a workout, we blame it on the physical. Our muscles are sore, we are tired,
but we are a lot stronger than we allow ourselves to believe. When we give up, it is because of a weak spot in our mindset. It’s not our body lacking endurance. 2) You gotta move! It’s what we are made for. Exercise should be our go-to mood enhancer, yet most of us reach for the remote or computer instead. Life is about growth and experiences, not screens and fast food. 3) As Morgan would say, “Once people understand and respect it’s a journey, not a destination, then they will be successful in their fitness goals.” The secret has been uncovered, and truthfully it wasn’t a secret at all. The things that lead to success in fitness are the things that lead to success in any aspect of life: a clear, focused mindset, acknowledgment of the journey ahead, and a desire to pursue excellence.
Walking through the gym feels like trespassing on sacred ground reserved only for athletes who represent the UFV Cascades and the coaches who mentor them. The new intramurals program gives students the opportunity to join in athletically while having something fun to do. The program is open to all students, and costs only $2 to participate in certain events, while others are even free. But even if students can’t pay the $2, the athletics department will be accepting donations of two cans of food or non-perishable food items. Although the action has already begun, students can still join in. The 1st annual ping-pong tournament is an event that looks to bring in plenty of students, taking place December 2. With both tournaments costing only $2, it is likely we will see a large number of students competing for the title of best ping-pong player at UFV. Other events include soccer, pickle ball, and basketball. They occur on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. The last soccer game of the semester was scheduled for November 24, while pickle ball was on the 25, and basketball was on the 26. Note that pickle ball is the only event of the three that will require the payment of $2 or two food items. Any students wishing to get involved in the brand new intramural program need only bring their form of payment and their student ID. If students are interested in getting involved with the school and meeting new people, the intramural program might be one of the best ways to kick-start the full university experience. The end of the month promises stress and a lot of hard work for students, and the intramural events is a way to blow off steam. Intramural participants can expect to have many more events coming up during both the exam period and the winter semester, including perhaps the Canadian staple: hockey. With many events upcoming, students looking to get involved have every chance to see some action in a competitive athletic forum on campus with the intramural program.