The Cascade Vol. 23 No. 29-30 by The Cascade

Vol. 23 Issue 30

November 18, 2015 to November 25, 2015

Maintaining the integrity of the yod since 1993

AFTER AFTERMATH Has UFV ’s new restaurant forgotten its roots as a humble campus pub?

p. 11-14

BARSAMIAN RETURNS Renowned Canadian journalist revisits UFV to talk ecocide, and media as a “weapon of mass distraction”

p. 4

SUPPORT FOR MOVEMBER GROWS UFV athletes are sporting new ‘staches to raise even more funds for cancer research

p. 6

DONUTS OVER DIETS Just eat more or eat less, and forget about the fads

p. 23

ufvcascade.ca

NEWS News

Opinion

www.ufvcascade.ca

Moustache madness What do you get when you combine university athletes and November? A lot of money being raised, that’s what.

Goats? Goats. Sonja Klotz describes the untapped potential of bringing goats to UFV.

Culture

Sexercise is super

Arts in Review

A blast from the past

Chatting with an athlete

Sports & Health

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Did you know sex is awesome and good for your health? In-house sexpert Xtina has more.

Drew Bergen has a bone to pick with Halo 5, and Harvin Bhathal gets nostalgic about When Harry Met Sally.

Basketball guard Manny Dulay has the word on the court about balancing games, student life, and charitable initiatives.

Intimate portraits of terrorism may unintentionally glorify perpetrators EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

To the credit of most major news organizations, the names of the eight men responsible for the Paris attacks last week have so far appeared as little more than footnotes in most prominent news articles. Maybe that’s because it’s taken time to confirm their identities, or because eight names don’t fit well into a punchy headline — or maybe it’s because the focus of journalism is shifting away from the perpetrators of terrorism and toward their victims. If this is the case, it’s the result of a public outcry that has spread across Facebook and Twitter over the last several years, particularly in light of the rise in shooting rampages across the United States. In response to the Aurora, Colorado theatre shooting in 2012, grieving parents of the victims started the No Notoriety project, an activist group dedicated to preventing the media from sharing the names, photos, and stories of shooters and instead focusing on the victims. “Recognize that the prospect of infamy could serve as a motivating factor for other individuals to kill others and could inspire copycat crimes,” No Notoriety’s website urges readers. “Keep this responsibility in mind when reporting.” Journalists are human beings,

Editor-in-Chief (interim) valerie@ufvcascade.ca Valerie Franklin Managing Editor (interim) katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart Business Manager jennifer@ufvcascade.ca Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Production Manager brittany@ufvcascade.ca Brittany Cardinal

Editorial

VALERIE FRANKLIN

Volume 23 · Issue 30 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

and they have a job to do. Most of the time they do it admirably, but too often terrorism is seen as a juicy story rather than a tragedy — one that can be dragged out for weeks as journalists unearth every available detail of the attackers’ lives like paparazzi. The resulting articles are often sensationalistic, motivated by a desire to get more clicks (and thus sell more advertising) by naming the perpetrators, hunting down their photos on Facebook, digging into their personal histories, and interviewing their friends, coworkers, neighbours, and families for a thrilling glimpse into the mind of a murderer. Although perpetrators’ identties usually aren’t as widely shared in cases where there are multiple attackers as they are when there’s a lone-wolf shooter, articles like CBC’s “Paris attacks: What we know about the attackers and suspected accomplices” (November 17, 2015) demonstrate that there’s always a market for this kind of contextual knowledge. The article lists the eight attackers by name (including the two who are, as of press time, still alive and at large) and briefly summarizes their backgrounds before and after radicalization. There’s nothing wrong with the quality of the article — but the fact that it’s standard for the media to give terrorists the notoriety they want is alarming. Within the CBC article is a quote attrib-

uted to the Telegraph in which an anonymous source states, “[One of the Paris attackers] and I played cards together, we laughed and joked. He talked to everyone, he was very generous ... [he] used to go to discos, he would drink alcohol, smoke. But he stopped drinking alcohol in the last year.” What purpose does this information serve? Intentionally or not, it humanizes the perpetrator. Dunbar’s number, known colloquially as the “Monkeysphere” thanks to a popular 2007 article by David Wong on Cracked. com, states that the size of the neocortex in primates correlates to a certain maximum number of people to whom we can relate socially — somewhere between 100 and 250 for humans, fewer for other primates with smaller neocortexes. When we learn details about a person’s likes, dislikes, and values, even if it’s someone we’ve never met, they brush against the periphery of our Monkeysphere, becoming more “real” to us. Is that what happens when we read about terrorists’ hobbies and personalities and families in the news? Maybe that’s why we find this style of sensational journalism in the wake of a massacre so alluring — because the danger is a little bit closer, a little more real, like watching Shark Week in an IMAX theatre. But as the No Notoriety project points out, it’s possible that introducing readers to terrorists in this way

could inspire future attackers. It could be argued that on a practical level, investigating and revealing the personal histories of attackers helps spread awareness about what warning signs to their friends and families — but it also creates an environment in which people who are fantasizing about or planning acts of terrorism anticipate celebrity treatment if they’re successful. Additionally, any attack in which the perpetrator is Muslim automatically seems to receive greater media attention, contributing to the rapidly growing fear and hatred of Islam in the West — which is arguably one of ISIL’s greatest objectives, as it spurs radicalization of new potential recruits. Whether or not we can definitively state that the media contributes to a culture of glorifying terrorism, these intimate portraits of terrorists in the news should be reconsidered, if only for the sake of respect to the victims and their families. Journalists should tell the larger story of why and how the attack happened, and leave the attackers’ identities as an educational but tragic footnote. Editor’s note: We regret to announce that Kodie Cherrille has stepped down as Editor-in-Chief. Valerie Franklin will be serving as interim Editor-in-Chief in his stead until the hiring process to fill the position is completed in December.

Image: Christopher Bowley / Flickr

Copy Editor kat@ufvcascade.ca Kat Marusiak News Editor (interim) vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Vanessa Broadbent Opinion Editor alex@ufvcascade.ca Alex Rake Culture Editor glen@ufvcascade.ca Glen Ess Arts in Review Editor martin@ufvcascade.ca Martin Castro Sports Editor vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Vanessa Broadbent Webmaster brayden@ufvcascade.ca Brayden Buchner Video Editor mitch@ufvcascade.ca Mitch Huttema Production Assistant danielle@ufvcascade.ca Danielle Collins Advertising Rep ishpreet@ufvcascade.ca Ishpreet Anand News Writer megan@ufvcascade.ca Megan Lambert Staff Writer jeffrey@ufvcascade.ca Jeffrey Trainor Contributors Esra Al-Abduljabar, Angelique Basson, Drew Bergen, Harvin Bhathal, Michael Chutskoff, Dave Cusick, Julianne Huff, Sonja Klotz, Ekaterina Marenkov, and Rachel Tait. Cover art by Brittany Cardinal Printed by International Web exPress

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a circulation of 1,500 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.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Equalities Resource Centre concept revisited in light of new Peer Resource and Leadership Centre NEWS

BRIEFS Inaugural Town and Gown event hosted by UFV alumni association raises $40,000 ABBOTSFORD (UFV) — UFV’s inaugural Town and Gown fundraiser raised $40,000 for scholarships for UFV students. The event, which was held in the Great Hall in the Student Union Building on Nov 12, saw over 230 attendees. Two UFV alumni were also recognized by the university and the UFV alumni association. The 2015 Distinguished Alumni award was given to Dr. Mike Hildebrand, assistant professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, and the Young Distinguished Alumni award was won by Alex Reimer, an electrician who runs his own business and serves as an electrical inspector. —UFV Today

UBC AMS boycotts food services VANCOUVER (UBC) — UBC’s Alma Mater Society (AMS) is campaigning to boycott UBC’s food services in response to recent international tuition hikes. The AMS is holding an information campaign to inform students about the issue and encourage them to be more cautious of where they spend their money. The workers’ union which represents nearly 2,000 support staff on campus, CUPE 116, argued that the boycott is negatively affecting UBC employees, some of whom are students working part time. — The Ubyssey

Hope campus closes due to poor weather conditions HOPE (UFV) — Severe weather conditions on Tuesday, Nov 17 saw the closure of UFV’s Hope campus, as well as the downtown Chilliwack Five Corners campus. The Chilliwack CEP, Mission, and Abbotsford campuses remained open. The university reminded students to take caution when travelling to and from classes, as weather conditions can vary in different parts of the Fraser Valley. With winter approaching, students can check campus closures on ufv.ca.

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MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE / PHOTO

The concept of an Equalities Resource Centre (ERC) on the third floor of the Student Union Building (SUB) came to fruition last year with an open letter signed by a handful of student groups, but that vision for the space could be replaced by a student health clinic. On Friday, November 6 a few members of the UFV Pride Collective and UFV Feminist Initiative club met on the floor of U-House to discuss options for an action plan for the ERC, in light of an article published on November 4 in The Cascade. The article, “SUS discusses possibility of student clinic on campus,” was about a proposal from local doctor Darin Cherniwchan for a student health clinic on campus. At the October Student Union Society (SUS) board meeting, the directors listened to the idea, posed questions, and discussed suggestions as to where the health clinic could go. One suggestion was to put it in a small set of rooms on the third floor of the SUB. This is the same space that the UFV Pride Collective has been lobbying for since spring of 2014. President of the Feminist Initiative Kyle Stamm spearheaded an open letter campaign at that time to the university, saying that UFV needs a safe space on campus for marginalized students to go if they experience prejudice or discrimination, which could also function as a learning and resource centre to promote awareness about human rights and social issues. The idea passed through the SUS board of directors, and an “equalities committee” was

formed, but the centre has not opened, though the SUB opened in April 2015. At the October board meeting, SUS VP external Sukhi Brar said that because conceptually the ERC and a Peer Resource and Leadership Centre (PRLC) have similar features (both are services that respond to student need and refer them to more information and resources), it could be redundant to have both centres. The first floor of the SUB houses the PRLC, comprised of an office space and reception area. It started operations at the end of October and is currently running on a $50,000 grant from Coast Capital Savings that can be renewed for up to three years. It is run by a staff member who oversees the centre, work-study students, and student volunteers. Volunteers undergo a five-day training session and two specialized monthly training sessions. The goal of the resource centre is to direct students to services and / or resources within UFV. In its current framework, director of Student Life and Development Kyle Baillie stated that the PRLC could partner with other initiatives that cater to specific student needs —for example, workshops with UFV’s Positive Space campaign or peer counselling. SUS president Thomas Davies later explains that even though the spaces of the PRLC and the ERC are different, their overall objectives would be similar. “In particular, they [will] have particular designated trained staff on those items, which is something we couldn’t have even provided with our model. So the central premise of what

we were envisioning as the ERC and what the board had approved as an ERC, that is where the overlap exists,” he says. The idea of using the space initially considered for the ERC for a student health clinic instead was floated at the board meeting. A health clinic had been informally discussed at SUS in 2013, the same year the SUB broke ground, but there was no serious follow-up. Now, SUS has a proposal led by a medical professional who has written support from a few departments at UFV. This has caused concern within the UFV Pride and the Feminist Initiative groups. Stamm says that the two student resource centres would not be as alike as they seem. “If [the PRLC] were to expand to include a safe space, they can’t provide that with what’s actually available there,” he says. He noted that the large and open glass area in front of the centre as well as the small lounge in front of Student Life offices could make the area feel too open to discuss matters of a potentially sensitive nature. The third-floor space experiences lower foot-traffic than the first, has no reception desk, and is completely enclosed with one public room and two office spaces. According to the SUS press release in April 2015 that announced the dedicated space for the ERC, the original idea for the centre was to house resources in a public area, dedicate one office to members of the Pride Collective and Feminist Initiative who are volunteering to staff the centre, and one office for the equalities officer who, with the help of the equalities

committee, would oversee the inclusion and mandate of the centre. However, Brar says the equalities committee has had trouble meeting this semester — partially because the original equalities officer Sunny Kim (who is now the clubs and association officer) left the position. Brar says SUS is in the process of hiring for the position again, and that may contribute to the committee meeting more regularly. “It hasn’t been decided by the committee,” she says. “There hasn’t been an official equalities [committee] meeting because that’s chaired by the equalities officer, who is yet to be hired.” Many other universities have designated spaces for their LGBTQ communities. SFU’s Out on Campus, for example, has a lounge with couches, a small kitchen with a microwave and complimentary tea, and a resource library — most of which is run by student volunteers. However, in light of the new health clinic proposal and the idea that students in crisis or facing discrimination can be directed to resources through the PRLC on the first floor, the handful of members from the Pride Collective and Feminist Initiative have discussed other options for acquiring a dedicated space. In the end, they motioned to look into becoming a not-forprofit organization. This could potentially allow future students in the Pride Collective to find and negotiate space on campus with UFV and sign a memorandum of understanding with the university to use it.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

“We will ultimately choke on the fumes of our own waste” David Barsamian delivers a crash course on ecocide and why we need to question the media ANGELIQUE BASSON CONTRIBUTOR

“Humankind is an asteroid on its way to completely destroying the earth,” said David Barsamian in a seminar titled “Ecocide: The War on Nature” on Tuesday, November 3 at UFV’s Abbotsford campus. Barsamian is the founder and director of the award-winning radio show Alternative Radio, as well as a journalist, writer, and activist. This was his second presentation at UFV; the first was in 2014. The seminar, which was organized by the faculty of science, the Centre for Environmental Sustainability, and English professor Prabhjot Parmar, took place in the lecture hall in B building, where Barsamian gave his presentation with his books and a UFV poster in the background. His lecture focused on the effects of humanity on nature, and the ignorant behaviour of major corporations and the media in response to this important issue. To begin his lecture, Barsamian highlighted how this past July the Fraser Valley experienced not only a drought, but the highest temperatures on record to date. Emphasizing that we “cannot put a stock market price on fresh air, water, or untouched land,” he argued that these extreme changes were due to climate change, and that immediate action is required in order to prevent more forest fires. Barsamian is also known for his

work with political commentator Noam Chomsky, with whom he shares a critical view of modern consumerism and the power of the media as a manipulative force. He described the capitalist economic system as being “on a crash course with the world” and referred to the media as a “weapon of mass distraction.” He predicts that “we will ultimately choke on fumes from our own waste” because modern society is too distracted by the overload of entertaining but useless information in modern life, rather than paying attention to what matters. For example, one of Barsamian’s points that shocked the audience was that the world’s biggest fracking companies are situated right here in Canada. This information was unknown to most of the audience. According to Barsamian, the distracting force of the media prevents society from deciding, as a united front, to take action in defence of the environment. He fears it will only be when “Granville Island is completely submerged in water” that it will dawn on people that the planet’s climate is changing because of humanity’s reckless misuse of resources. Near the end of the discussion, there was a 20-minute question period during which Barsamian was inundated by questions from audience members wanting to know about the possibilities of solar energy, the correlation between agriculture and climate change, and how they could make a change. Image: Anthony Biondi

The beat on Barsamian: a short interview HARVIN BHATHAL CONTRIBUTOR

Following his lecture “Ecocide: The War on Nature,” David Barsamian offered The Cascade some perspective on how his personal background and travel has affected his work as an activist and writer. What had the biggest influence on you as a radio broadcaster and writer? My family background. My parents were refugees, escaping the Turkish genocide of the Armenians in 1915. In 1921, they met in Beirut and got married, coming to New York right after that. I was born there in 1945. Growing up, in the background, there were horrible things that happened to them. They lost everything. They lost their parents, their land, their memories, their brothers, their sisters. There was this huge hole in the family psyche; the shadow of the past was very strong. I always wanted to know what happened [and] why did it happen. My parents, like the other Armenians I

knew in New York, were rural people; they were country bumpkins. They didn’t go to school. They didn’t have a geopolitical understanding of why the Turkish state targeted the Armenian minority for extermination. I wanted to know those things because I couldn’t get any answers from my parents or the people around them. They would just say, “The Turks, they hated us,” and [I would think], “Okay, they hated you. Anything else? Is there any history there? Did the Armenians do anything? What were the circumstances?” Not having that filled out left this vacuum that I wanted to fill, so I started reading and asking questions, and educated myself about not just the genocide of the Armenians, but history in general. You’ve been to many countries around the world. What’s been your favourite country so far? I have a particular attachment to India, even though I’m banned from travelling there. I love the music, I study the

sitar, I love raga, I love Urdu poetry. I love the openness of the people. I have a lot more friends in India than I do in the United States because friendships are deeper. If you bond with someone, it’s not a 36-hour thing. Just today, I got an email from someone I haven’t seen in five years saying, “We’re missing you, we’re thinking about you.” I don’t get those emails from Americans. The first time I went was in 1966 and I’ve been to India about 20 to 24 times. I lived in Delhi with my teacher in the late ‘60s, from 1967 to 1970. Some of my best friends were refugees from West Punjab and Sialkot. I remember one of my dear friends, he lived across the street in a gulley, and he was a tailor. Baldev Singh from Sialkot. He would talk about Punjab the way my parents and relatives talked about Armenia. It was this magical place people were happy, the water was so pure. The air was so clear, the fruit was so sweet, the flowers were so fragrant. Everything was like heaven, and it really reminded me of the atmo-

sphere I grew up in. I noticed that refugees recreate their homeland and transform it into something that it wasn’t. It becomes this precious memory of wonder, of awe. I met a lot of people from West Punjab, from Lahore, Pindi, Peshawar, from Multan. They were all in Delhi; millions of Sikhs and Hindus went to “true India,” and a lot of them went to Delhi. I would hear all of these stories about how great the reetha was, and the corn, and the pomegranates that grew so sweet like sugar, and the grapes. It’s like a magic land. Having visited so many countries and explored so many cultures, what are your thoughts on religion? I consider myself a spiritual person, but non-religious. The dharma is the Earth. We have to save the Earth, we have to protect her; she is in great danger. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Prof Talk

Blurring borders, gaining ground John Belec talks local geography, partnering with American students, and the shift to student-led learning RACHEL TAIT

CONTRIBUTOR

Prof Talk is The Cascade’s oral history series, featuring the people best qualified to talk about what UFV has been like over the course of its first few decades: its professors. John Belec has been a geography professor at UFV for 24 years, is published in several academic journals, and specializes in human geography. What brought you to UFV? I was teaching at a university in Ontario. There was a job ad for a geographer. At that time, in 1992, UFV was expanding; they were converting from a college to a university college. So ‘92 was a year of major expansion, and there was a record number of hiring in ‘92 to ‘93, and I was one of those people. How do the courses you’re teaching now differ from when you started teaching? There has been only one change: I no longer teach the introduction to human geography. Otherwise all the other classes I teach are the same. In fact, if I go back to Ontario where I started teaching 32 years ago, there has been a continuity in those courses. What kind of changes have you made in your teaching approaches or methods over time, or have you found one style that works? I have been more conscious of giving students more responsibility for charting their course, and I think that reflects the times. Thirty-two years ago there was a greater expectation that the person at the head of the class was the authority, the expert — whereas one obvious change is the realization that students have, and need to have, and should have, more power in their relationship. This has been a major change. Have there been any colleagues or students that have been particularly helpful or influential in what you do as a teacher? Yes, there have been two professors: Da-

Image: Wikimedia Commons

vid Gibson and Doug Nicol, who were the original owners of my department. Both of them were extremely influential in giving me, first of all, a sense of this place, because I was not familiar with southern British Columbia. I had never been here before. Also, they had a student-centred approach that came from their history. They were older than I was, and they developed this perspective and ability. I learned a lot from them about this place, but also how to approach students in the classroom.

of Americans and Canadians.”

ticular order. The first one I will mention is that I have been studying the Canada / US border. I have been working with a colleague at Western Washington University, Patrick Buckley, and he and I developed a course to bring the Brown University students on his side and Canadian students on my side from UFV into one class. One week we would meet at Western in Bellingham, and one week at UFV in Abbotsford. We would become one group of Americans and Canadians, and we did quite a bit of research. The students and Patrick and I were looking at the impact of the border in our regions. That is one. The second is that I am interested in the role of the federal government in housing through legislation, so I have been studying the impact of housing policy in this region. Thirdly, I am quite interested in the development of Abbotsford, especially the creation of new neighbourhoods in the Townline area.

What kind of projects (research, pedagogy, course development) have you worked on at UFV? There have been three things, in no par-

While we often talk of UFV as a single entity, each student or teacher will take something different from it. How would you describe what you’ve taken out of UFV, and how you’re still changing it?

“One week we would meet at Western in Bellingham, and one week at UFV in Abbotsford. We would become one group

I guess the main thing, the dominant thing, is that connection that UFV provides to the local community in many different ways through my research — but also, for me, it brings the community alive in a different number of ways. It is an interface, a connection. I would certainly lose that, I think, if I was not a member of this community. I am a really strong supporter of student-directed research. I think that the huge advantage UFV has over our competitors is that we do provide ways, especially in my department, for students in the upper years especiallyzz, to become part of the research the faculty are carrying out. I think if I had all the resources, I would allow more students to be part of both the faculty-directed research and the student-directed research — to provide ways of promoting student-oriented research activity in whatever area drew them in. Geography is usually human or physical, so there is a lot of environmental research and also social research bringing those two together, and it’s quite valuable. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ll fit right in. All UFV students are invited to write for The Cascade! Come to one of our writers meetings at 1 p.m. on Mondays in room S2111 (at the top of the stairs in the SUB), or email katie@ufvcascade.ca to be added to our mailing list.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Fundraising with facial hair UFV athletes come together to raise funds for prostate cancer research through “Movember” VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE

For most students, November means only one month left until Christmas break, but for student athletes at UFV, it’s all about growing moustaches and fundraising. Movember is back, and this year UFV Cascades athletes are working to raise more funds than ever. “It’s for prostate cancer,” Dayton Pagliericci, middle on the men’s volleyball team, explained. “What guy who can grow a moustache doesn’t want to grow a moustache, and have the excuse to grow that moustache? So if you’re going to do that, you might as well do it for a good cause.” Pagliericci, along with the rest of the men’s volleyball team, are working hard to raise funds for the Movember Foundation, a global charity benefitting prostate cancer. “As a team, we’re all growing the mustaches,” he said. “Last year we set up a team account and we raised around $300.

We didn’t do that this year. We decided to go for our single selves. Right now, I’m at $150 just by myself and the other guys are working their way up there.” Some athletes, like men’s basketball guard Manny Dulay, are stepping up their game this year. Dulay gave donors the opportunity to vote with their dollars for which style of moustache he would wear, as of the teams’ November 14 home game. “I asked everyone to donate, and then everyone that donated got to pick between four ‘staches that I chose. Whichever ‘stache raises the most money, I’m going to pick that ‘stache and I’ll do that ‘stache from that last home game to the end of November,” he said in a Q&A interview with The Cascade (page 23). The four moustaches included sideburns, a handlebar moustache, a curled moustache, and a beard with a goatee. “The one that’s winning is the one with the sideburns and the ‘stache so I’ll be looking pretty ugly for the next couple weeks,” Dulay said.

Although the voting was only open until November 14, Dulay noted that he is still fundraising until the end of the month. “People can still donate,” he said. “I’m hoping to raise around $500 again. Right now I’m about half way there.” Both Pagliericci and Dulay have participated in Movember for the past few years, and have had their fair share of moustache varieties. “I’ve done the handlebar, I’ve done the greasy pencil-thin moustache,” Pagliericci explained. “This year I thought maybe I would try to be presentable looking, so I have more scruff going on. It’s my best year.” But Pagliericci also explained that looking presentable isn’t always the goal. “It’s pretty much the guy that can be the most pervy-looking or ugly-looking wins, but obviously in the end the cancer foundation wins,” he said. For Dulay, growing a moustache has a more personal connection. “The ‘stache to me is important because

in my culture, the Sikh culture, if you have a nice ‘stache you get some props,” he said. “It’s kind of cool doing that, but at the same time, it’s kind of cool trying to help.” Although growing a moustache is fun, it’s the fundraising that really matters to Dulay. “Obviously, I don’t want to have this cancer in my future, I don’t want my dad to have it, I don’t want my grandpa to have it,” he explained. “I want to prevent this from happening so I’m going to do whatever I can.” While the athletes are working together to raise funds, anyone can participate. “You can make an account at movember.com,” Pagliericci explained. “You throw a picture up of yourself with your glorious moustache.” Pagliericci and Dulay, along with many of their teammates and fellow Cascades athletes, will be accepting donations until the end of the month. Donations can be made at the athletics department, as well as online at movember.com.

Credit: Pixabay

THE CASCADE IS SEEKING AN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PAY: $300 / ISSUE

The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) sets the editorial direction for the paper, is ultimately responsible for all published content, and writes the editorial for each issue of The Cascade. The EIC works with other executive staff, editors, and writers to produce the paper. The EIC is also the public representative of the paper. The position is paid an honorarium of $300 per issue, and the length of term is from January to August of 2016. Applicants must: • be registered in at least one course for credit at UFV during the winter semester. • be available to work varying hours, and to maintain an office presence for at least 25 hours per week, especially on Mondays and Tuesdays; applicants should be aware that job duties will likely require a greater time commitment. • be able to deal effectively with the Cascade Journalism Society, university staff, students, and the general public. • demonstrate strong literacy skills and excellent command of the English language; an editing test will be administered in the interview process. • have knowledge of all relevant laws and journalistic standards concerning libel. • be able and willing to work with a diverse group of volunteers, and to resolve conflicts when they arise. • have a strong vision for the future and editorial direction of The Cascade. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and sample editorial to Katie Stobbart at katie@ufvcascade.ca by December 4 at 11:59 p.m. The editorial should be between 500 and 750 words, written specifically for this application, and directed at a student audience.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Child’s Play 24-hour gaming marathon puts the “fun” in fundraising GLEN ESS

THE CASCADE

Over the course of 24 hours, stretching from Friday, November 6 to Saturday, November 7, the Great Hall of the Student Union Building (SUB) played host to the eighth annual Child’s Play 24-hour gaming marathon. The charitable event has been traditionally hosted by the computing student association (CSA) (formerly CISSA, the computer information system student association), who were joined this year by the eSports valley club (ESV). With the extra space and personnel, the event dwarfed its predecessors in both the variety of games being played and the number of attendees. Over the course of the night, the Great Hall was consistently full of peo-

ple playing video games, card games, board games, and combinations thereof. Raffles were held throughout the night with prizes including miniature figures, music lessons, nerf guns, a ukulele, and a Wii-U Mario Bundle as the grand prize. All the proceeds from the raffles, donations, and dinner tickets for the Canoe will go to the Child’s Play charity, which provides toys and games for children in hospitals all over the world. Graham St. Eloi, the CIS student who first brought the Child’s Play gaming marathon to UFV and has played a lead role in organizing each successive incarnation, says the event has seen huge growth since the first Child’s Play gaming marathon in 2007. “It started as a little sleepover

thing to get the university community together,” he says. “I just really wanted to grow, and develop the community, especially at University House.”

“It started as a little sleepover thing to get the university community together.” In its first years, the event only saw a couple dozen attendees and generally raised less than $200. In comparison, last year’s event raised over $3,200 — making the total raised at UFV over the years over $10,000. St. Eloi says his personal goal this year

was to break $8,000, which would make a total of $20,000 that he has helped raise. This year’s gaming marathon raised $4,338 from UFV students, falling short of the $8000 goal, but still providing a significant contribution to the Child’s Play charity. St. Eloi says the biggest change with the organization of this year’s event was having help from the ESV, who came in to build and manage the LAN, which attracted even more of UFV’s gamer community. To accommodate the increase in attendance, this year the event was held in the Great Hall of the SUB, which officially opened at the beginning of the Fall 2015 semester — a big change from the cozy but cramped space of U-House. “[The SUB has] a lot more

breathing room, a lot more capabilities for us, hardware and logistics wise,” says St. Eloi. With eight years of organizing the Child’s Play charity fundraiser behind him, St. Eloi is set to graduate, but hopes the UFV tradition he’s played a key role in establishing will continue after he’s gone. Many of the students who participated in this year’s event had attended previous events. “They’re coming back because they know this a good event, this is a good cause,” St. Eloi says. “I’m proud to say I started it so long ago, and I’m so happy that it’s grown to the scale that it has.” And based on this year’s event, the sky is the limit for this most enjoyable of campus traditions.

Local Remembrance Day ceremonies see high turnout GLEN ESS

THE CASCADE

The sunny autumn morning of Wednesday, November 11 saw Abbotsford’s Thunderbird Memorial Square packed from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m for the city’s annual Remembrance Day ceremonies. The Civic Plaza was filled with over 3,000 people paying their respects to the many soldiers who have given their lives in war — so many that they stretched up the hill, into the parking lot, and overflowed past the Abbotsford Public Library. As cadets from 861 Silverfox Squadron, the local branch of the Air Cadet League of Canada, stood at ease, the ceremony proceeded with singing by the Pacific Mennonite Children’s Choir, a Punjabi prayer of peace by the Khalsa Diwan Society Sikh Temple, a fired salute, and a bagpipes-and-horn combination. The ceremony was led by Reverend Art Turnbull, chaplain of the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Soldiers from Abbotsford who lost their lives in war have their names inscribed on the cenotaph that stands in Thunderbird Memorial Square. Like every year, their names were called out by a young sergeant from the 861 Silverfox Squadron who stepped up to the mic and recited them from the honour roll. The wave of names flowed continually, only pausing

when it was time to announce the end of one roll call and the beginning of another. The list of men from one war was replaced with the next generation of young men who fought in the next conflict, from the Great War, the Second World War, and even the conflict in Afghanistan. Between each list, the young sergeant paused, and a veteran would state in an almost soothing tone, “They [the soldiers] do not answer, sir.” Following the end of the honour-roll, the veteran recited In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, the poem that has become synonymous with Remembrance Day. After this, it was time for wreaths to be laid at the cenotaph to honour all the names inscribed upon it, as well as the host of others who had, and have, seen their lives impacted by war. The long list of wreath-layers included representatives from UFV, the City of Abbotsford, the Red Cross, the RCMP, and the Sumas First Nation. Each approached the cenotaph, escorted by members of the 861 Silverfox Squadron, and added a wreath to the growing pile. Finally the ceremony was brought to a close, and the Silverfox Squadron paraded away with their buttons gleaming in the sun. The ceremony’s closing statements included the poem Prayer For Peace by LaoTse, which states, “If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations.”

Image: Pixabay

CORRECTION: “SUS discusses possibility of student clinic on campus” (Issue 28) In the November 4 issue of The Cascade, it was noted that, at their board meeting, the Student Union Society “discussed the possibility of moving the clinic into the space that had previously been considered for the Equalities Resource Centre (ERC), as it was seeing low usage by students.” This is untrue, as the ERC is not open for student use. We have clarified the error online, and apologize for any confusion it may have caused.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Trudeau started following through on his promise of real change on day one MICHAEL CHUTSKOFF CONTRIBUTOR

On November 4, 2015, Justin Trudeau and his cabinet of ministers were sworn into service of our country. His swearing-in broke many traditions, which may be a sign for change. Instead of the PM and his ministers showing up one by one in separate cars, they all showed up together in a bus to show unity in the cabinet. And for the first time in over ten years, the doors of Rideau Hall were open to the public, and those who waited outside were able to watch the ceremony from giant TV screens set up for them. The most noticeable change however, is Trudeau’s promise of gender parity in the cabinet. He appointed 15 men and 15 women into his cabinet — it is the first time in Canadian history that both genders are equally represented in the cabinet. During a brief question period after the ceremony, a reporter asked why Justin Trudeau appointed an equal number of men and women, to which he cleverly responded, “Because it’s 2015.” Despite having the most diverse cabinet ever when it comes

Image: Arthur John Picton

The most noticeable change to Trudeau’s new cabinet is the gender parity and diversity of its members. to age, gender, sexuality, and backgrounds, some critics say that he picked his ministers based on social pressures instead of merit. Well, compared to Stephen Harper’s cabinet, each minister actually has relevant skills associated with their position. For example, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s new minister of national defence, actually has

combat experience! He served the Vancouver Police Department as a detective for 11 years before joining the military, where he served as a lieutenant-colonel in the armed forces. So, instead of having pencil-pushing bureaucrats overseeing the defence of our country, we have a combat veteran who understands what it truly means to put lives at risk for

the safety of many more. From a family doctor becoming the minister of health, to a former medal-winning Paralympian overseeing sports and people with disabilities, each minister has been carefully selected and placed into areas where they will excel. The fact that people are complaining about equal representation of genders in this

day and age is rather sad. Justin Trudeau didn’t just blindly throw people into random positions; he appointed those who he believed would help develop progress in our country, while keeping gender parity in mind. Another interesting thing to point out during the swearingin ceremony is that some of the ministers decided to skip the line “So help me God” while reading out their oaths. While this ruffled some people’s feathers, I believe it’s important to not only respect the different races and religions of the people of Canada, but also of those who hold office in Parliament Hill. After all, they are a reflection of the diverse values of Canadians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is already fulfilling his campaign slogan of “real change” by changing the stuffy way the swearingin ceremony is conducted, as well as by appointing a diverse and qualified group of ministers to help run the country. If this is a sign of the way Canadian politics are changing, perhaps the future will prove to be better for our great country.

Remember, remember ... the most anti-climactic fifth of November EKATERINA MARENKOV CONTRIBUTOR

Thursday, November 5, the hacktivist collective Anonymous revealed a list of 350 alleged Ku Klux Klan members in a Pastebin drop. For a while, the hype took over the internet. Hours before the official list was revealed, Gabriella Coleman, an anthropology professor at McGill University and author of two books on Anonymous, stated, “If [Anonymous is] right, this is huge. If they’re wrong, it’s huge — they’re going to be massively discredited.” I was curious to see who these people were, but I ended up being highly disappointed upon discovering that Anonymous’ top-secret names weren’t exactly as ground-breaking as I had anticipated. For the most part, the Facebook profiles I was linked

to were of white, middle-aged skinheads clad in tacky WalMart brand camouflage and wielding some sort of weapon in their profile picture. Also, eagles. There were a lot of cartoon eagles and confederate flags. After recovering from the assault of red, white, and blue on my retinas, I was able to critically examine what exactly I had just witnessed. Nothing revolutionary, that’s for sure. Anonymous stated the reasoning behind their actions in their official Pastebin drop: “We want to remind you: This operation is not about the ideas of members of the Ku Klux Klan, this is about the behaviours of members of KKK splinter cells that bear the hallmarks of terrorism … We do see their humanity, we respect their right to free thought, and we know their fear

of others is wrong. We also know their behaviours strike fear, anxiety, and terror into others. This will no longer be socially tolerated.” Yet this isn’t the early 1900s; the Klan isn’t infiltrating society anymore. Anonymous claims that they “want to change the world,” yet from quickly scrolling through the footprints these bigoted people made on their social media accounts, it was easy to see that Anonymous didn’t quite yank the hood off of anyone, so much as put two and two together for those that somehow couldn’t see it. (Perhaps it was all that camo.) In a statement, Anonymous proclaimed that they had used “human intelligence,” “digital espionage,” “social engineering,” and “publicly available information” to conduct their research, which turned out to be

just a fancy way of saying, “Facebook. We scrolled through Facebook profiles that lacked privacy settings.” An official Twitter account for Anonymous, @Anon6k, tweeted, “It’s important to know whom you’re working with, do you want a member of the KKK working in a school? Or as a police officer?” Employers should be doing background checks on who they’re hiring to begin with, and all the information Anonymous revealed is public anyway. So far this leak has done more damage than good. It paved the way for the hoax leak that occurred on November 2, 2015. This false leak jeopardized the lives and careers of people who weren’t ever affiliated with the Klan. That list included nine US senators and other public officials. Anonymous was quick to deny their involvement with

that list, but it raises the question of credibility regarding the official leak, which already has one found error: Ben Garrison, a libertarian cartoonist, who ended up on that list because one of his drawings was altered to portray white-supremacy (and was further spiralled into a meme on 4chan), which was what prompted Anonymous’ knee-jerk reaction to place him on the list of bigots. All this being said, I respect Anonymous. I respect their rebellious badassery and refusal to conform to “the system,” which is probably why I was expecting more dirt. But so what? Now the world has a master-post of some racist individuals. What’s it going to do with it?

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Images: Danielle Collins

A bit of encouragement

Get fit, drop Netflix

Social media’s nothing special

Wet winter is coming

Rachel Tait

Melissa Ly

Esra Al-Abduljabar

Catherine Bell

It is not easy for full-time students at university to study and hold down jobs simultaneously. In a schedule where work and school overlap each other, the stress can be overwhelming — especially when there are major assignments, mid-terms, and final exams approaching. Coupling that with family life and a shell of a social life, where does one find the time to breathe, much less sleep? However, from personal experience I have found that having a part-time job and being a full-time student has taught me to be more responsible with time management, to have empathy for those whose workload is much fuller than mine, and to prioritize what is important in my life. The sacrifices and hard work students put into their studies and jobs create well-rounded young men and women who are pursuing worthy goals. In any span of time, whether it is one year, two, four, or more, the student life will be looked back upon as both a humbling and rewarding experience. So carry on, and work hard!

If I were a doctor, I would prescribe people to cut one hour of their Netflix watching per week and go to the gym instead. Especially you UFV students — yes, you! With the SUS U-Pass, there are five recreational centres in Abbotsford, Mission, and Chilliwack that students can go to at no extra charge. This includes being able to use the pools, weight rooms, fitness classes, and other amenities at these facilities for free. At times I feel completely addicted to Netflix, but at the end of the day, going to the gym benefits me more than Netflix ever will. Even when I think I am too tired and unmotivated to go, when I drag myself to do some exercise I find myself re-energized by the end of it. It’s a great break and destressor from being glued to a seat and studying so hard. Above all, I am in love with my newfound bicep definition — and glutes!

You wake up in the morning and scroll down your Facebook page. An hour later, you realize you’re still scrolling, and logout! You open your book to study when you hear the sound of a notification, and wonder if it’s from that Instagram post you made three minutes ago. You check your Instagram and scroll for another hour. Again, you take notice, log out, and get back to your book. Your mother comes to your room, asking you to go shopping with her; you refuse because you are busy. Your mother leaves you alone and you return to reading people’s comments on your photos. Now let’s think: you wasted your study time for an online world — something that’s not real — and then wasted time on social media instead of bonding with your mom. Is it still true that social media connects us to people? Or does it separate us from what’s real? I think if you want to be known and want to be something big, do something big! Posting online about all the things you’re doing won’t make you special.

The fall season is well underway, and the winter rains are beginning to start. Even though it’s been raining almost every day for weeks, I still see people rushing around campus without an umbrella, coat, or even a hood! It’s important to keep yourself (and your expensive textbooks, and your laptop) dry during the wet season. When you have to go outside in the winter in the Fraser Valley, you should always assume that even if there isn’t a cloud in the sky, the weather could be terrible and rainy later, and so you should always bring an umbrella or waterproof jacket. Even if you don’t mind getting wet, your electronics and books definitely do. If you are thinking of selling your textbooks after the semester ends, you can usually get a much better price for them if they aren’t water damaged. It’s also important to make sure your bag is waterproof or at least water-resistant if you’re carrying books or electronics, because the wet could soak through and dampen your things. Staying dry is important not just for your own health, but for the longevity of your things.

Why UFV should go Greek ANGELIQUE BASSON CONTRIBUTOR

UFV has just built the wonderful Student Union Building as a space for students to gather — but in comparison to other universities, I still feel there is a social aspect missing. Even though I engage in conversation and new friendships every day on campus, I don’t think I belong somewhere within UFV yet. There are many clubs and teams available, but for students who do not have a specific skill or interest and just want to get to know other students on and off campus, where do they go? I looked to other universities in BC, and I noticed something different: Greek life. Fraternities and sororities are generally associated with partying and seen as a childish

indulgence, but from what I have learned from UBC and SFU, Greek life is not that at all. Some fraternities and sororities at these universities are strictly academic social structures for members only, and do not exist to host huge parties. In fact, in a 2012 Ubyssey breakdown on Greek life, Gene Polovy, president of UBC’s Inter-Fraternity council, said that they “don’t want to be taking people in who are just there to party.” It is a group of people that will support you no matter what, and are determined to keep up a high GPA as a group. They strive for excellence in the classroom and in the community, and that positivity shines through new and alumni members. According to a general history of fraternities given by the San José State University website, they were often referred to as “secret societies” that got together to discuss

and prepare for aspects of careers that their professors did not teach in class. Throughout the years these societies spread and became networks of supporters, with brothers and sisters that vowed loyalty to each other. Although many years have passed, students who take their membership seriously are still equipped with skills that can be extremely helpful in their future careers. To be able to lead and work in a large group of people can sometimes be stressful, but Greek life teaches students to accept everyone’s differences and utilize each member’s unique skills. Even failing in these situations is useful; students are able to fall over and over again, and still have that support group to pick them up off the ground so they can begin again. Leadership and interpersonal skills are essential in

today’s society, so I was confused as to why all universities don’t have this wonderful social network. To have a large group of people who will always have your back through thick and thin is very hard to come across, and Greek life makes that easy. For students looking to enhance certain aspects of life such as the social, personal, networking, academic, philanthropic, and mentorial, joining a fraternity or a sorority can be a solution. With all of these benefits, UFV should most definitely partake in embracing Greek life to allow students to find their second family, turning the university into a home away from home.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

So this is Christmas, and what have you done to our cups? DREW BERGEN

CONTRIBUTOR

I’m sure we’ve all heard about it by now: Starbucks decided not to wish you a merry Christmas through their cups, and people got mad. In fact, one may say a lot of people got mad based on how much publicity this got, right? Well, it can’t be said for certain exactly how many people got mad. But I can tell you how this all happened. One day, Starbucks decided, “Hey, let’s just do red cups this year instead of any decorations. I mean, it saves money on ink, and people are just going to put sleeves over the cup anyways.” Then, one guy noticed, and got angry enough to post a video on Facebook that got shared around a lot. Again, I can’t say how many people agree

with them, but from the media I’ve seen, I believe I can safely say that the percentage of the population making fun of this situation eclipses the percentage of those who actually agree. Either way, this is something neither Christians nor anyone else should be giving the time of day. Practically everyone is going to be slipping a sleeve over the cup anyway, and so their only exposure to it is when the barista hands it to them; they get a nice sparkly sense of holiday spirit, and then they forget about it ten seconds later. It’s insignificant, and speaking as a Christian, we don’t need companies like Starbucks acknowledging the holiday like that. I find it obnoxious that people will latch onto these silly little things and not let them go. I’m

one of those people that get annoyed by these silly, popular news stories that get way more attention than they should as a consequence of the era of Facebook. But unfortunately for anyone who’s sick of seeing so much about this, there’s a good chance this topic is going to remain in your newsfeed for a while because it’s so silly. I don’t care if cups wish me merry Christmas or not, and neither should anyone. These are cups for a chain of coffee shops; Starbucks is free to put whatever they want on them, and whether the cups wish you a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, it will not affect anyone. The world will not come to an end. Image: Starbucks

No. None of this matters.

Humour

Head over hooves: why UFV needs goats SONJA KLOTZ

CONTRIBUTOR

Everywhere you look on the internet there are many pictures, videos, and witty captions of goats of all breeds and sizes. We have all seen the infamous YouTube video of goat sounds harmoniously blended with Taylor Swift’s hit song, “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Once people discovered the entertainment value, they couldn’t help but join in on the party. Wired UK declared 2013 “The Year of the Goat.” In response to that, Nerve.com recognized what seemed to be a “herd mentality” of people falling head over hooves with goat memes and videos. I, for one, am a true fan of this phenomenon. More specifically, I am a strong

advocate of bringing these wonderful creatures onto our very own UFV campus. Not only are they adorable and obnoxiously entertaining to watch, but they can also contribute to our environmental sustainability initiatives. Owning a goat can increase one’s self-esteem, create a sustainable social network, provide therapeutic functions, and, of course, generate income, according to a 2011 study by Robyn Elizabeth Winsor and Morten Skovdal that appeared in the Western Kenya Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. More importantly, the human-animal bond creates a sense of security, comfort, and joy. Just as dog therapy has positive psychosocial effects on stress reduction, a goat has

therapeutic value, while also going above and beyond the call of adorableness by adding to the environmental and economic sustainability initiatives here at the UFV campus. Just imagine going from one lecture to the next and suddenly being greeted by a smiling goat. I don’t know about you, but my stress levels would most likely go down enough to feel rejuvenated for my next lecture. Seeing goats can also increase one’s self-esteem when it comes to personal hygiene; no matter what you may think about yourself, know that you will always smell better than a goat. Environmentally, goats are the most reliable and durable creatures when it comes to creating beautiful landscapes. They are hardcore mountaineers, and they

clean up the brush and tread upon places no human dares to go. As stated on the Eco-Goats website, “Grazing goats are very effective at eating the kinds of excessive weeds and brush that pose a risk of unwanted fires ... Goats eat year round, but the best time to use goats depends on the vegetation to be removed.” According to a 2009 CNET article, the Google Corporation brought in 200 goats as an alternative method for mowing their large landscapes in beautiful California. I don’t know about you, but bringing in 200 goats to mow your lawn sounds to me like way more fun than always hearing a huge lawnmower go by when you are in the middle of programming the world’s largest internet search engine. No matter what you are studying or

working on, I believe that goats grazing right outside of your window allows a sense of peace and tranquillity. There would be nothing more perfect than to have goats on our university campus, especially as we’re surrounded by farmland. How fitting would it be to have them mowing our large lawn, and fertilizing the land, while also providing milk, cheese, and other natural resources for our very own café? I say UFV needs to do something out of the ordinary. If we want to be known for something in the Canadian world of post-secondary prestige, let’s be the first university to have goats and decrease our carbon footprint on a regular basis. Let’s goat for it!

Capra aegagrus hircus: useful, environmentally friendly, and adorable

Image: Jlhopgood / Flickr

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Keeping history in mind will help the Canoe stay on course by Katie Stobbart p. 9 to 13

March 2010 – “Casey’s on Campus was not includ-

ed in the 2009-10 SUS budget because it was thought that it would close after the new pubs opened nearby. In the end however, it was decided that Casey’s was an important part of student life on campus...” – SUS Budget 2010-11 SUS budgeted for a total loss of $20,000 for the 201011 fiscal year; actual loss for the year was $163,990.40.

May 2011 – Casey’s closes for the summer to avoid carrying a deficit. January 2011 – Casey’s violated its food-primary

license, was fined $1,000, and went “dry” from January 20 until February 11, 2011. “Casey’s was eerily deserted during its peak hours last week, no longer a buzzing social hub but silent and study hall-like ... One student from Baker House Residence — Faisal Elhumaida — certainly found that the lack of alcohol was affecting his social life; said Faisal, ‘I don’t actually drink alcohol, but I used to enjoy every Thursday ... right now I just stay at home.’”

“There is every intention to open Casey’s in the fall — full force, full throttle, and in the best shape it’s ever been.” – Carlos Vidal to The Cascade in 2011

– Jennifer Colbourne, “Casey’s runs dry,” The Cascade Timeline continued on page 12.

“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” —Michael Crichton It may seem like a strange quote to begin an assessment of a campus restaurant. Yet even in the context of UFV’s campus pubs and politics past, history is a vital resource for the construction of our future. UFV’s new student restaurant, at a glance, is remarkably different from its predecessor. The brightness, cleanness, and openness of the Canoe have replaced the dim, grungy, and cramped Aftermath (formerly Casey’s). Instead of dumping your stuff at any old table and waiting for a server, a smiling student employee waits by the entrance to take you to a seat. Decorative glass partitions bearing river reed impressions replace the commissioned student mural (now whitewashed) and death star decal of the old campus lounge. The SUS-funded campus restaurant, when it moved up from the first floor of the Envision Centre to the second floor of the new Student Union Building (SUB), took on new vibes as well as a new name. But the identity change feels a bit like an erasure of the campus restaurant’s history, instead of just a move and a makeover.

Judging the Canoe by its cover: aesthetic and atmosphere Despite the aimed-for swank feel, the Canoe does suffer from a few atmospheric glitches. The Canoe’s logo seems to juxtapose the look of the venue, and the red scrawl of “Campus Restaurant,” emblazoned on the glass that separates the space from corridor and atrium, invokes a generic cafeteria-like tradition of aiming too short of real restaurant class — you always know what’s behind that font won’t live up to the façade. As a comparison, look at the logos of real, higher-end restaurants — you’ll find clean, simple fonts to match a modern aesthetic, understated because there’s no drive to compensate for what’s inside. But my real problem with the restaurant’s aesthetic is not strange fonts. It’s that these remind me of what I would prefer from my campus lounge: a laid-back, quirky, comfortable place to grab a bite to eat while studying, or hole-up and listen to a dimly-lit poetry reading while the rain beats at the exterior windows. In other words, a lounge, rather than a restaurant. I’ve heard a few people mention in passing that, while the new restaurant is nice, they’re not exactly going to go in there in their pyjama pants with an essay to write. The atmosphere problem is not just cosmetic. The image of a place can be lived

with or altered at a low cost. More concerning are the longer-term choices made for the space. Newly purchased furniture is already, two months after opening, showing a lack of longevity; at least three tables have small pieces of folded up cardboard or foam wedged underneath one leg and, despite this handiwork, are still rickety. I’ve asked to move tables to avoid the possibility of tipping water all over my schoolwork. And huge television screens viewable in almost every part of the restaurant make it difficult to concentrate, even on conversation. Once, while eating there, I flinched subconsciously (to the amusement of a friend) when someone in the small projector image above my head threw a dart in my direction. The Canoe isn’t an appealing place to hole-up and have that much-needed drink while pounding out a paper or poring over notes; it’s no longer friendly to time-biders nursing a plate of nachos (now missing from the menu) among friends before class starts. It seems more the sort of place SUS or UFV administration might bring nonstudents, visitors from off campus, to look out over the Green (in a kind of “everything the light touches” way) and talk about the glorious new Student Union Building and everything accomplished by virtue of its splendour.

The SUB, at least, seems to be achieving its aim of bringing students together in one place. While I’ve been given many occasions to hold my tongue in cheek, I am pleased to see that students are happy with the space and, so far, using it. But I’m afraid that with the restaurant, SUS has forgotten the lessons of its not-so-distant past, and aimed to make it more of a business than a service. The time Aftermath shut down Aftermath was established in place of Casey’s campus lounge in 2011. While the move from Aftermath to the Canoe was tied to a literal move of physical locations, Aftermath replaced Casey’s as a result of financial turmoil. For a few years, SUS’s financial management was grossly mishandled. As covered in The Cascade those years ago, the deficits run by SUS (which included but were not limited to the U-Pass and Casey’s) were compensated for by taking money from other lines: notably SUS’s capital fund, which lost $300,000 over a threeyear period, leaving it at about $15,000 in November 2012, and a Health and Dental reserve fund, which was supplemented by residual Health and Dental fees after student claims were paid. (See “The Aftermath decision” by Dessa Bayrock, The Cascade, in print January 9, 2013.) Continued on page 12.

September 2011 – In an at-

tempt to turn the campus restaurant around, Casey’s on Campus is reborn as Aftermath, with Brad Ross newly minted as manager. However, SUS also didn’t budget for Aftermath to run at a loss, trusting that solely a change in management would be enough for the restaurant to break even.

October 23, 2012 – By this

Between 2009 and fall 2012,

SUS’s finances were mishandled, with multiple program deficits being compensated for from other budget lines; SUS’s capital fund, for example, was nearly depleted, losing $300,000 during this period.

date, Aftermath had already spent $67,000 of a budgeted $80,000 loss for the fiscal year (April 2012 to March 2013). Even if it closed immediately, it would be over budget, having to pay out about $20,000 in severance and contract cancellation fees.

November 2012 – SUS holds an extraordi-

November 14, 2012 – There

nary general meeting (EGM) in the Aftermath space, at which the debate on what to do about Aftermath is formally discussed. At the meeting, the VP finance Sam Broadfoot stepped down “due to [his] involvement in numbers that were published.” The Froese motion (below) was passed by a vote of 47 for and 18 opposed.

are nearly 400 members on the “Oppose Closure of Aftermath Socialhouse” Facebook group.

The Froese motion was proposed by computer information systems students association (CISSA) then-president Derek Froese. The multi-sectioned motion rescinded a decision made in October to close Aftermath for the rest of the year on November 30, and adopted a new budget to allow the restaurant to stay open, as well as a number of other related provisions.

Continued from page 11. Aftermath came into being in an attempt to break even. The campus lounge has always run deficits, a phenomenon not unique to UFV or SUS. A new manager, Brad Ross, who had considerable experience and competence in restaurant management, was expected to turn things completely around. And, in many ways, he accomplished that, even though the restaurant still failed to break even (it was suggested afterwards that the aim to do so was unfeasible in the first place), and Aftermath’s future on campus was called into question. In 2012, measures had to be taken to prevent the closure of the campus restaurant, and in retrospect it seems to be one of the most recent times students on campus notably broke through the fog of widespread apathy — the only occasion since to provoke the same probably being last year’s decision to close UFV’s Writing Centre and replace it with the Academic Success Centre. SUS’s November 2012 extraordinary general meeting (EGM), where the future of Aftermath was discussed, saw students crammed into the Aftermath space with standing room only, and lasted five hours. Some argued in 2012 that if the restau-

rant couldn’t sustain itself, SUS should allow its extinction, but the general consensus was that, somehow, the campus pub should be saved. In June of 2012, Ross reflected on the differences between running a traditional restaurant and running Aftermath, and argued that the campus restaurant needed to be viewed as a SUS service rather than a business. “If you were to look at all the things that SUS puts money into on campus to create an atmosphere of community … Aftermath is the single largest attended, most popular event SUS hosts on their budget … and the only event SUS generates that does at least have that potential of sustaining itself over time,” Ross said (quoted in “Closed on campus: doing the math on Aftermath,” by Paul Esau, The Cascade, in print June 6, 2012.) Then-president of the biology and chemistry students association (BCSA) Jennifer Martel, who was one of the organizers of one of the more successful annual events on campus, the Big Bang (held at Aftermath), agreed on the campus lounge’s worth as a resource for student engagement, calling Aftermath UFV’s “biggest tool for building

community” on campus (quoted in “SUS to divert additional money to save Aftermath until permanent solution can be reached,” by Nick Ubels, The Cascade, in print Oct. 31, 2012). After measures were taken for SUS to survive fiscally, and the restaurant was closed for the remainder of 2012, Aftermath prevailed, reopening in 2013 with new management after a few bumps, and the reigns changing hands a few times. In 2014, improvements were made to the menu and quality of service, and under the management of Adi Brar, Aftermath aimed to encourage more clubs and associations to come in and host events. Lessons from the parable: clubs and associations The lessons learned by Aftermath are ones the Canoe should not forget in its attempt to best its predecessor. What made Aftermath a service worth saving? It was a place that was (usually) mindful of student budgets, offered decent and often intriguing food options, and a place for students to gather comfortably. As mentioned above, in 2014 Aftermath expressed an interest in encouraging clubs

and associations to host events there. “There will be a lot more events and a lot of participation from clubs and associations,” Brar said in September, when Aftermath reopened after the summer. “We’re trying to be open and friendly, and accessible to them” (quoted in “Aftermath reopens for the new semester with to-go items and an expanded drink menu,” by Vanessa Broadbent, The Cascade, Sept 10, 2014).

“Aftermath is the single largest attended, most popular event SUS hosts...”

The campus restaurant needs to be viewed as a SUS service rather than as a business.

April 2014 – Aftermath’s operating budget was

September 2013 – Aftermath re-

Summer 2013 – SUS commisApril 2013 – Brad Ross resigns as

manager of Aftermath, taking a position he had been previously offered with a subsidiary company of Sodexo. Aftermath closes for the summer.

As president at the time and vice-president in 2013 of the English students association, I can attest that Aftermath was a preferred location for holding events — the crowd of people who came out for the event was bolstered by the regular clientele; the venue already had refreshments on-site; the atmosphere was intimate, comfortable, and familiar; and there was no fee or financial requirement for clubs and associations to host there. Back in 2012, part of the conversation in print around the lounge addressed charging a hosting fee as a way to generate additional revenue. However, it was pointed out by Ross that this was more of a “shell game”: ultimately, student associations would apply for event funding from SUS to cover the same fee SUS was charging to host events at its campus lounge. But the Canoe operates with a similar kind of shell game; while there’s no outright charge for a club or association to host an event there, there are minimum order requirements that may inhibit groups from using the space. In an email, Cam Stephen, SUS’s current restaurant manager, explained how this works. “Booking the private dining room [which

sioned UFV students, particularly from the visual arts students association (VASA) to create a mural in the dark rear area of Aftermath, to make the space friendlier and to showcase student talent.

opens with a new management structure. Predicting a customer count similar to the previous year, Aftermath was swamped on its first day, with some students waiting over an hour for food as orders piled up. The grand opening was rescheduled. Over the course of the fall semester, Shane Potter, thenpresident of SUS, filled in as the interim manager, then the job went to Reace Buchner.

holds 12 people and is recommended for small events] requires a minimum order of $100. That can be done either through catering or directly off the menu,” Stephen wrote, citing staff wages as a reason for the requirement. Members of this year’s English Students Association (of which I am no longer a member) were allegedly told by Stephen in person that booking the full space requires a minimum order of $200. They say they were told that, should the event attendees not order enough from the menu to make the requirement, the group would be charged the remainder. The association’s next step is consistent with the shell game logic: apply for event funding from SUS that takes the minimum order requirement into account, or, unfortunately, find a new space. These sorts of charges were called out, too, in 2014 (see April in the timeline for an excerpt), in an editorial by Dessa Bayrock, then Editor-in-Chief of The Cascade. As noted, above, such charges to student groups are always linked to covering staff wages, but the idea of the shell game still stands. It’s also worth noting that student employees of the campus restaurant are already paid by student fees — why

$130,000. SUS’s proposed (and then approved) student endowment scholarship, which awards $10,000 per year to a single student, elicited the following response in an editorial by Dessa Bayrock, then Editorin-Chief of The Cascade (below). “Perhaps most interesting to me is where SUS plans to get this scholarship funding from. “Aftermath. “... This year Aftermath has an operating budget of around $130,000 — plenty of room to play around in. [Thomas] Davies says Aftermath has been running consistently under budget this year and won’t need as large a subsidy next year. “But hold on just a tick. How has Aftermath been running under budget? “They raised their prices, no longer including tax in the price of alcohol. They’re no longer open on Fridays, despite the fact that closing severely limits the food options on campus. They’ve hired students as managers and assistant managers, paying an hourly wage instead of a salary. Initially starting the school year with weekly pub nights on Thursdays, now the pub closes at the regular hour unless a student group books an event. They’ve started charging student groups — and SUS! — to use the space, quoting staff wages in their reasoning.”

charge the people who are already paying from another line in SUS’s budget? Stephen did say, in his first email, that rules for booking the full restaurant aren’t currently firm. “For booking The Canoe directly we don’t have any set policies at the moment. We are working on those requests as a case by case basis,” he wrote. However, having the requirement in the first place, whether or not it’s set in stone, seems to be an indicator of a less welcoming atmosphere for clubs and associations to host events in the campus restaurant. Even though it doesn’t make a lot of sense to charge students to use an already student-funded space, there are these obstacles placed in the way of achieving one of the most valuable tenets of having a student-funded campus restaurant: it’s a site for student activity. The minimum requirement may not seem like a lot, especially considering the price of many menu items, but if a hosted event doesn’t bring in the expected turnout for some reason, that can result in an unexpected cost after the fact. And given the history of poor student engagement and flopped event attempts at UFV, that scenario is not hard to imagine.

More to learn, too, on the plate, and the price For a student lounge, the prices at the Canoe are a bit ridiculous and illogical. Yeah, it’s (sometimes arguably) cheaper than going to a “real” restaurant, and it’s supposed to be better than the cafeteria, but there are a few examples of pricing that just don’t make any sense. The mac and cheese is a huge bowl of cheesy pasta served with garlic bread, and it’s a bit cheaper than a grilled cheese sandwich, which is just cheese and regular bread. Four chicken strips served with fries costs more than stir fry. And, at $9.99, it’s about the same price as an entire box of frozen chicken strips from the grocery store, which usually comes with a lot more chicken and not much more effort. It seems like one hell of a markup. It’s also worth noting that during those times of fiscal uncertainty, when there was a huge student drive to save Aftermath, restaurant staff prepared soup and some other offerings in-house to cut costs instead of ordering frozen options, and students literally ate it up. Continued on page 14.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca Image: Anthony Biondi

Aftermath wasn’t pretending to be anything more than it was, and it was a place for students not to have to pretend either.

2015-16 SUS Budget (Draft) Line 26. Food Services Subsidy -$79,700 “In the Student Union Building, SUS will operate a licensed restaurant, a coffee shop, and a catering service. Over the past three years, the subsidy required for Food Services has fluctuated between $94,000 and $160,000, and this year the restaurant is on pace to require $88,000. Of note, the BC Government announced on March 12 that a 1.95% increase to the minimum wage would come into effect in the 2015/2016 year, which will eliminate a small portion of the savings achieved. The operational efficiencies achieved this year will carry over into next year in the SUB, and we will continue to provide choices to students for on-campus food – and now coffee, too!”

April 2015 – SUS released its annual budget, with September 2014 – Improvements

were made to Aftermath’s menu and quality of service, and a new manager, Adi Brar, aimed to encourage clubs and associations to come in and host more events.

a new food services subsidy (above). However, the description of the subsidy includes additional services and strains on funding, but allows for fewer losses than previous budgets have done. Note also that the excerpt above is from the draft of the budget, since the approved budget provided by SUS did not include rationale for each line. The amount in the approved budget is consistent with the draft.

September 2015 – The Canoe

opens for the first time in the new Student Union Building. The old Aftermath space has been transformed into a fitness centre. The future of the campus restaurant remains to be seen.

Continued from page 13.

The Canoe’s menu options are also kind of … boring. I’m reflecting back on the early days of Aftermath, which had the “Ridonkuliss” burger, a burger with grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun*, and the oddly named “Jersey Shore” panini. While I’m not necessarily recommending the Canoe start adopting wild menu options and rename all its dishes, it does strike me that, down to its menu, the campus restaurant

seems to have lost rather than gained the kind of relatable character Aftermath once had. Yeah, the service kind of sucked sometimes, and occasionally they burned their nachos. But it wasn’t pretending to be anything more than it was, and it was a place for students to hang out and not have to pretend that they weren’t stressed and “hangry” and procrastinating on all their assignments and just in general need of a

pint or a sleeve. SUS needs to reflect a little on what the campus lounge is actually for, and why students are okay with putting their money into it, not just by eating there, but by footing the bill for its fiscal shortcomings. Not so long ago, students felt a campus lounge was worth fighting for, even if it meant making cuts to other areas. Many of the names that appear on the record with

regards to the Aftermath debate of 2012 are still on campus, some still in leadership positions. It’s not unreasonable to ask SUS to remember that the campus restaurant, or lounge, or pub, or whatever name you want to call it, is not a business first; it’s a service. Right now, the overall feeling I get from the Canoe suggests otherwise.

*Note: Near time of print, the Canoe did add a downsized grilled cheese burger to its menu, consisting of a burger patty inserted in a grilled cheese.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

India and the

Great War A forgotten history

VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE / PHOTOS

When most of us think of Remembrance Day, we don’t think of India, and we definitely don’t think of Indian soldiers fighting in the First World War. English professor Prabhjot Parmar explained that this is a common situation. “This is a history many may not even identify with because they no longer are aware,” Parmar said. “In our schools, we were never told that Indian soldiers went and fought … It’s a significant contribution that has been overlooked; largely forgotten by the West.” Over the past year, Parmar, with the help of Shelley Stefan and Grace Tsurumaru from UFV’s visual arts department, has been working hard to put together India and the Great War, an exhibit that has been on display in Building C of the Abbotsford campus, as well as for nine days at the Reach Gallery Museum, where it has seen 2,000 visitors. The exhibit features a combination of photographs of Indian soldiers during the First World War, as well as a slideshow presentation of letters they wrote home to their families. While the photographs provide visual

insight into the war, Parmar found that the letters were just as important, being the soldiers’ primary means of communication with their families at the time. “That was the only way to have any contact,” Parmar explained. But the photographs also help memorialize soldiers who would otherwise be forgotten. “These nameless people who are depicted, who are captured in these photographs, I don’t know [their names],” she said. “It’s a small way of remembering them.” Parmar explained that she personally felt compelled to design the exhibit. “It has always been a part of me, so to speak,” she said. “I grew up in a military family and I have ancestors who had served in the First World War.” One of those ancestors was Parmar’s grandfather. “My sister and I, we thought our grandfather had just made up these things,” she explained. “We used to wonder at seven or eight years old, how does this old man know about Paris?” Parmar emigrated from India to Canada in 1993. After attending a Remembrance Day parade in which some of the participants were Sikh veterans, Parmar was surprised at the knowledge surrounding the

Indian veterans. “When the parade ended and as the veterans entered the Legion Hall, just as they were about to enter the premises, one of the representatives stopped the Sikh veterans and told them, ‘Please remove your headgear,’” Parmar explained. “In 1993 the turban was already a recognized word and symbol in Canada. Coming from an establishment that has association with military, air force, and navy, I was really surprised. It became a major issue. They didn’t let the soldiers in when they said, ‘No, this is not a hat, this is a turban.’” It was this response that caused Parmar to begin thinking about bringing the story of India’s involvement with World War I to Canada. “The level of ignorance was stunning,” she said. “What is happening in Syria these days, all those areas were carved out of existing kingdoms during the First World War, interestingly enough, with the help of Indian soldiers.” Although the exhibit has been successful, Parmar’s initial goal was to raise awareness about India’s involvement in the war. “We have a saying in India that knowledge will only increase if you share it with others,” she said. “Students, they are our future. I already know all this, but what

good will it do if I keep it to myself and it dies in me? It is better that I share what I have learned from others.” Parmar explained that despite the involvement of a large number of South Asian countries, they tend to be forgotten when commemorating the war. “When people commemorate the First World War, or for that matter the Second World War, who do they think of?” she explained. “How many times do we think about the Moroccans, or the Senegalese, or the West Indians, or the Indians, or the Malaysians, or the Singaporeans, or Chinese for that matter, who died, and it wasn’t even their war? No one was knocking on their door. India wasn’t [threatened] at all. It becomes very significant.” Although remembering our Canadian veterans is very important, Parmar reminded that it is also important to remember veterans from other nations as well. “When we are remembering, we are forgetting about a large number of soldiers,” she said. “We are not commemorating those 74,000 from India and many, many others from other places. “It’s important that it is talked about,” Parmar said. “When we say ‘In Flanders Fields’ we think about poppies, but do we think about Sikhs or Muslims?”

Photos include the following historical documents: “Sanad — Certificate of Appreciation for services rendered (recruitment)” by Rao Balbir Singh during the Great War, © Haryana Academy of Culture and Arts; “A Scribe Writes a Letter for a Wounded Indian Soldier,” © Pavilion Museums, Brighton and Hove; “The Great War Memorial and Recognition Plaque” installed in Dholbhaha, Punjab in 1918; and the “Dedication Plaque” at the 29th Punjabis Memorial Hospital, the latter two of which were originally photographed by Prabhjot Parmar.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Around the World in 80 Days with two former UFV actors between a university setting and a community one? Catrina: A lot of the students will usher and come and see the show over and over; sometimes they’re required to see the shows. So you are performing for your peers. Thomas: In terms of connecting with the audience, there’s a huge difference, because of the style of the theatre. UFV’s is more intimate — depending on the scene, you can look into the audience’s eyes and share a moment. Catrina: You wouldn’t have the same experience at UFV that you have at Gallery 7.

GLEN ESS THE CASCADE

Local theatre company Gallery 7, now in its 25th year, has built itself a reputation for putting on professional, sleek, and, most importantly, entertaining productions. Its season opener Around the World in 80 Days has been highly requested by audiences in the five years since it was last performed as part of Gallery 7’s 20th year, and now it’s back on stage. Stunning choreography, lighting, and sound, as well as some truly gorgeous costumes served to accentuate the performance of the cast: the dashingly bombastic Mr. Fogg, the sweet Aouda, and the comedic carrying-ons of Passepartout and Mr. (Detective!) Fix. The performance didn’t shy away from some absurd forms of humour, such as Fix using a blackboard to explain the concept of the international dateline, or the statement “snow began to fall” being followed by an extra walking on stage and throwing confetti at the main cast. The audience loved every minute of it, if the laughter bouncing off the walls of the Abbotsford Arts Centre was any indication. Following their final performance, before a well deserved rest, cast members Catrina Jackson (Aouda) and Thomas Smith (Passepartout), both of whom are recent graduates of UFV’s theatre program, offered their perspectives on the theatre life, both on stage and behind the scenes. What are some of the differences between UFV’s theatre program and Gallery 7? Thomas: There’s definitely huge differences. You’re always strapped for people in the backstage processes in community theatre, but in UFV you have plenty of people backstage. Catrina: The backstage people are just as important as onstage, and often more important! I’ve done quite a bit of backstage work, I’ve done a bit of designing, a lot of costume design. What was it like transitioning from UFV to Gallery 7? Catrina: If you want to go full professional, you do have to go to Vancouver — but we’re getting experience as if it was a higher calibre than community theatre. It’s more professional than regu-

Image: Gallery 7

lar community theatre. Thomas: Community theatre is sometimes comparable to a high school level, but [Gallery 7] is totally a springboard into the professional world. How do you balance contributing to Gallery 7 and your lives outside the theatre? Catrina: I find it a little easier. I come from a theatre family — my mom’s designed the props, and my husband did the sound design for this show. But I know for other people, especially people with kids, you’re coming home at 5 and making dinner and then rushing out to the theatre for 6:30 before coming home at 10. But it helps that you find a family in theatre, and you have friends who can help. Thomas: It’s totally worth it. Is there a pressure in competing for roles? Thomas: There are definitely times that you read a script and

go, “Yeah, I want that role,” and five other people have come to the same conclusion. But for me, I don’t read a script and I’m like, “Oh, I want the lead” — I just want the character that speaks to me most, will provide me with a new challenge, and will ultimately be the most fun to perform. Catrina: I’m in the same boat. If I don’t like the lead, why would I want to do that? Why stress myself out when I could find a quirky character that I love and fine-tune it to perfection? What’s the most important thing directors look for? Thomas: I would say that talent is huge, but you also have to come off in the audition as someone who the director wants to work with. If you come off as a bit of a diva, or that you’re going to hog all the attention, then you’re probably not going to be cast. Catrina: Directors are looking for “plays well with others.” How does the audience differ,

You guys cycle through a lot of positions on-stage and backstage. Why is that? Catrina: At UFV you have to work backstage, to put in your time, and you need to build your trust with the theatre company. My first show at UFV I was a dresser, but people see your devotion and then you can move up from there. You learn more about different aspects about the theatre. There’s so much more to theatre than just being on stage; that’s a tiny, tiny part of it. Thomas: It’s a huge team effort. Catrina: It helps you as an actor understand what the other people are going through, for a lot of the people who are onstage, onstage, onstage, you can turn into a little bit of a diva. Thomas: For the people who are only doing acting, they don’t realize how much work the other backstage people are doing. They don’t have time, they’re busy! Catrina: Probably busier than you! What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give UFV theatre students? Thomas: Don’t be a diva and work well together with others! Be friendly and have lots of fun, and enjoy it while you can! If you don’t take advantage of it while you’re in it you’re gonna regret it later. Catrina: Yeah, don’t be a diva. And if you don’t get cast, it’s not the end of the world. And by watching other people’s work you learn a lot. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

UPCOMING

EVENTS November 19

Alumni Expert Speaker Series: Women in Policing Alumni, faculty, and students share their experiences and learn from one another about careers in policing for women, and the fight for gender equality in the RCMP. The presentation will take place in the Great Hall of the Student Union Building from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

November 12 to 29 Argonautika Book your tickets now for UFV Theatre’s Argonautika, a thrilling stage adaptation of The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts. Remaining evening performances run on November 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees are November 22 and 29 at 2 p.m. Weekday matinees are November 17 and 25 at noon. Tickets range from $11 to $23. For more information call 604-795-2814 or email theatre@ufv.ca.

November 20 to 22 West Coast Christmas Show Trying to get your Christmas shopping done early? The West Coast Christmas Show at the Tradex brings together over 200 exhibits featuring holiday gifts, fancy foods, and decor ideas. Running from November 20 from noon to 9 p.m.; November 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and November 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $6 at the gate or $5 online at westcoastchristmasshow.com.

November 21 HighStreet Christmas tree lighting Drop by HighStreet from 5 to 6 p.m. for their third annual Christmas tree lighting celebration, with entertainment including an 80-piece marching band, dancers, stilt-walkers, and Santa Claus himself. Free admission.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Mission Christmas Craft Market: a little something for everyone JEFFREY TRAINOR THE CASCADE / PHOTO

Hand-painted glass, buckwheat hull pillows, sock monkeys, and magnetic jewellery may not be items that you think have a common link, but all these fascinating creations could be found at the 34th annual Mission Christmas Craft Market. Held on November 7 and 8, the Mission Christmas Craft Market housed over 115 vendors in the lobby, cafeteria, and gymnasium of Heritage Park Secondary School in Mission, which is also connected to UFV’s Mission campus. Walking through the maze of crafts was almost overwhelming, as there were people and vendors everywhere, and anywhere you looked you could spot something that you had never seen before — for example, Greg Morris’ sculptures created completely out of single pieces of aluminum wire, and Dennis Macki’s lathe wood turned bowls. Besides these more eclectic art pieces, there was also a wide array of more “traditional crafts” such as jewellery and knitted clothing, as well as an abundance of food,

from Christmas cookies to Indian curries. This diversity is something coordinator of the event Doreen Phelps noted was important to the event’s success. “We [look to] put different things in … we have a limit to how many jewellery, and how many sewing, and all that we have,” she said. Phelps has been a coordinator of the event for over 20 years, and took over when the creator of the market, Peggy Staber, passed away. Phelps has seen it move from its humble beginnings in the now-demolished agriculture building where the Mission Leisure Centre stands today, to one of the most well-attended Christmas craft markets in the Valley. Over the past few years, the market has grown to include vendors from not only the Fraser Valley, but from Greater Vancouver, Salmon Arm, Kelowna, and even Vancouver Island. Phelps attributes the event’s continued growth and success on her and her volunteers’ ability to maintain a community atmosphere, even as the event grows larger. “We have a very good name all of sudden … I think it’s because we try very hard in communicating personally,” she says, adding

that she orefers not to just communicate via e-mail. “We do a lot of personal talking to the vendors themselves, and I think that’s kept it as a more country and community event.” The Mission Christmas Craft Market is also the earliest in the Fraser Valley, but Phelps doesn’t see that as the sole reason they get over 5,000 attendees a year. Both Phelps and co-coordinator Shirley Mitchell noted that in the end, the market is meant to be a fun experience, and something attendees will want to come back to year after year. “There are people I have seen here for years and years, and we try to make it so it is friendly, Christmassy, and fun,” she said. As for the continued growth of the event, Phelps is cautious about expanding the event too much more, as she wants to continue with the eclectic mix of items she has now. “Sometimes bigger is not always better,” she says. “There is one more hall that we could potentially use, but it would have to be different crafts or different talents than we have now.”

Mission kicks off this year’s Christmas market scene.

Below the Belt

Sex saves lives — no, seriously XTINA

SEXPERT

Aside from the obvious and outstanding gratification, sexual release — whether with a partner or with yourself — is extremely beneficial. It can relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and induce a state of euphoria. In fact, refraining from sexual release can have detrimental effects, including anxiety, paranoia, and depression. People who have sex more frequently also have higher levels of certain antibodies which defend your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders. Researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex twice a week had higher levels of these protective antibodies when compared to students who had sex less often. Great sex can make you feel extra sexy, but it also makes you look more radiant and even

Image: liss_mcbovzla / Flickr

A headache is no excuse; sex is a great natural pain reliever. younger. Yes, readers, sex can be a sort of beauty treatment. In women, estrogen levels increase, causing hair to shine, and skin to appear more youthful and beautiful. Sex can also be a physical workout. Depending on positions and intensity, a sex session can burn

200, 300, or even 400 calories. It will also tone your muscles and make you stronger. Maybe skipping the gym to stay in bed with your partner isn’t so bad after all. And to entice you a bit more, consider this: during a rigorous bout of lovemaking you will likely

sweat. Maybe this will be a slight dew on your forehead, or maybe you will be making puddles in your belly button. Either way, if you’re sweating, you are expelling toxins, renewing your body, and refreshing your pores. Got a headache? Sex is a natural painkiller. An orgasm is 10 times more effective at relieving mild to moderate discomfort than a typical painkiller. Immediately before orgasm, levels of oxytocin rise by five times, releasing a huge gush of endorphins. These chemicals reduce pain, from a minor headache, to arthritis or migraines. Migraines also disappear because the pressure in the brain’s blood vessels is lowered during the act of sex. And ladies, this natural pain reliever also works particularly well to relieve menstrual cramps. In addition to these short-lived benefits, sex also has long-term protective factors. In women, the increased estrogen present during sex lowers your chances of devel-

oping heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and osteoporosis. In men, frequent ejaculation and sexual activity are linked to a lowered risk of prostate cancer later in life. A study conducted by Harvard Medical School found that men who ejaculated 13 to 20 times monthly had a 14 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ejaculated, on average, between four and seven times monthly for most of their adult life. Those ejaculating over 21 times a month had a 33 per cent decreased risk of developing prostate cancer than the baseline group. So there you have it. Sex equals healthy, happy people with glowing skin and toned bodies. Many of these health benefits, however, depend on climax, so diligently plugging away until you reach orgasm is really the most responsible thing you can do. Think of your health!

CULTURE

CROSSWORD

by KATIE STOBBART

3 4 5 6

www.ufvcascade.ca

In the interest of time

1 2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

ACROSS

Last issue’s crossword

2. This kind of timeline assumes a zero point, like the Big Bang, and an infinity point. (11) 5. This shrivelled fruit could also be a pleasant social engagement — or just another crossed-off square. (4) 6. A clock with hands — and Canadian spelling. (8) 7. A period of two weeks. (9) 9. A popular punishment for naughty children. (4, 3) 11. A bird does this, as does time. (5) 12. Another colloquial way of saying 24/7. (5, 3, 5)

ACROSS 3. SPIELBERG 6. SHINING 7. PATHSOFGLORY 8. MONOLITH 10. TOMCRUISE 11. PHOTOGRAPHY

DOWN 9

1. A seemingly endless period of time; how long it takes to write a tough exam. (8) 3. Ridiculously old-fashioned; before the Flood, even. (12) 4. There’s no time like this. (7) 8. The amount of time one must spend in a penitentiary, for example. (8) 10. The first word in a well-known nursery rhyme concerned with time and a rather industrious mouse. (7)

DOWN 1. DROOGS 2. NICHOLSON 4. VIETNAM 5. DRSTRANGELOVE 6. STEADICAM 9. LOLITA

EclipseCrossword.com

The Weekly Horoscope

Star Signs from Sirius Lee Trudeau Gemini: May 21 to June 21: Hobbies may distract you from your work this week, which could not only affect your next test score, but you may just become lost in a postapocalyptic wasteland.

Libra: Sept 23 to Oct 22: I’m not the only one who knows what you did last summer. Make it right already, or the past may come back to haunt you...

Pisces: Feb 19 to March 20: You will meet someone named Leopold this week. They won’t actually give you their name unless you ask, but there it is.

Cancer: June 22 to July 22: Buy a blanket this week. Preferably red. Trust me, it will come in handy later.

Scorpio: Oct 23 to Nov 21: That Halloween costume you wore? Yeah, you should wear that again. For the remainder of November. For uh, reasons.

Leo: July 23 to Aug 22: If you’ve been thinking about joining a barbershop quartet, there’s no time like the present.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 to Dec 21: Don’t be fooled by those phone scams; you know no credit card company or bank would ever lower an interest rate to 1 per cent.

Virgo: Aug 23 to Sept 22: Those reoccuring dreams you’ve been having do mean something. Don’t ask me what, but according to Freud, it probably involves sex.

Capricorn: Dec 22 to Jan 19: The colour blue will hold significance for you this week. Also the number pi. And possibly blueberry pie.

Aries: March 21 to April 19: If you cross a black cat’s path this week, you may give it bad luck. So pay attention!

BY ANTHONY BIONDI

SPACED

Taurus: April 20 to May 20: Early playing of Christmas carols may make you want to punch someone. Just don’t get caught; the holidays aren’t as jolly in jail.

FIND MORE SPACED ONLINE AT WWW.ANTHONYBIONDI.COM

Aquarius: Jan 20 to Feb 18: It could potentially be vital to your health that you avoid rabbits this week. Especially white ones. With big, sharp, pointy teeth.

ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Book

CHARTS Sylvia Platters 1 The Make Glad the Day

2 Deerhunter Fading Frontier Vy 3 ElReturn to the Moon

4 Madchild Silver Tongue Devil New Groovement 5 The The Orange Album

6 Jonghyun Story Op. 1 Moon Run 7 Half Sun Leads Me On

8 Shamir Ratchet 9 10

War Baby Death Sweats 10,000 Horses Le Grand Silence

Lund 11 Corb Things That Can’t Be

Undone Timesuck Simple Life

Keef 13 Chief Finally Rolling 2

14 EXO Lightsaber 15 UNIQ EOEO 16

Téléphone Maison Translucidopathe

17 Waingro Mount Hood Galaxy 18 Young Falsework

19 Girls 20 U.S. Half Free

Homeshake Midnight Snack

Shuffle DAVE CUSICK PROGRAM DIRECTOR / THE PODFATHER

Since this week’s issue is focusing heavily on the Canoe, I put together some songs having to do with other types of boats and nautical themes. The perfect playlist to eat fish & chips by! Split Enz “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” New Zealand new-wave band Split Enz released their bestknown single in 1982. The song’s title alludes to the time it took to sail from Europe to Australia and New Zealand — as well as being a metaphor that refers to lead singer Tim Finn’s nervous breakdown. Harry Belafonte “Banana Boat Song (Day O)” Hey, did you know that the most common type of banana could be wiped out by disease in a few years? Tracey Ullman Show Cast “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” Before The Simpsons was a halfhour sitcom, it was a series of twominute segments peppered into a sketch comedy show in the late ‘80s. Tracey Ullman is a British comedian with impeccable comedic timing, who can disappear into a variety of roles. Her show was wonderfully nuanced; it took the time to develop characters before having us laugh at / with them. One of their best sketches is on a New York subway which breaks down. Ullman, to keep everyone in her car from panicking, leads everyone in a sing-along of a number from Guys & Dolls. REO Speedwagon “Can’t Fight This Feeling” If you ever find yourself ten years old, and the girl you silently had a crush on for two years has moved away to Chicago forever, just listen to this song on repeat. Especially the line, “It’s time to bring this ship into the shore, and throw away the oars forever.” The Lonely Island with T-Pain “I’m on a Boat” I mean, you can’t really mention boat-related songs and then not include this one, right?

With only pictures, Sidewalk Flowers tells a simple but sophisticated story KATIE STOBBART

THE CASCADE

At some point in the process of growing up, picture books become disregarded as legitimate reading material — they are supposedly for children, for those not yet prepared to embrace the full complexity of words without illustrative support. It’s a sad phenomenon, because there are some wonderful picture books being published whose stories can be as enlightening and emotionally potent for adults as they are for children. Some of these, like Sidewalk Flowers, are arguably more sophisticated for their lack of need for words at all. Sidewalk Flowers is a collaborative effort by Jon Arno Lawson (a poet primarily known for his children’s poetry — I highly recommend Down in the Bottom of the Bottom of the Box), and Sydney Smith. The story emerged from an actual walk in Toronto taken by Lawson, and his seven-year-old daughter Sophie; Lawson was struck by the walk’s potential as the premise for a wordless story, and Smith, as the illustrator, had the task of putting it to paper. The summary on the back of the book is apt: “A little girl collects wildflowers while on a walk with her distracted father. Each flower becomes a gift, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter.” Aside from the visuals, one of the most striking qualities of Sidewalk Flowers is its poetic aesthetic. It recalls the way the process of poetry, as represented in the three lines of haiku, was once described to me: first, the observation, the oh! moment; then notice some quality about it, ah; then notice what you have noticed — finishing the ohm of understanding. In this book, there is an intense focus on the minute, emphasized by Smith’s meticulous attention to detail, with each separate image becoming a striking, intimate moment as poignant as haiku.

Lawson’s poetry for children is remarkable for its ability to entertain whim and play while maintaining respect for the intelligence and intuition of his audience — respect, in other words, for their humanness. This is reflected in a piece he wrote for the publisher, Groundwood Books (a division of House of Anansi) regarding the development of Sidewalk Flowers. “It seemed symbolic to me — Sophie finding colour in the grey world, and then giving away what she’d found — and she didn’t seem to be conscious of what she was doing at all, which also seemed important.” This idea of unconscious generosity struck me while reading the book, as the story seemed moved by a kind of simple, human kindness that sheds bright colour not only on the illustrations as the story proceeds, but on the state of our world and humanity. After all, doesn’t that say something about our nature, that those qualities do not need to be taught, and can arise spontaneously? Smith’s illustrative style is well-matched to the story. In his own piece written for Groundwood, he describes the images he creates for the book as a kind of “love letter to Toronto,” which is his second home after Nova Scotia. Smith pays great attention to shadow and light in black and white, and watery flushes of vivid colour to pull the reader’s eyes to what the child in the book apparently notices: first mere flowers bursting out of cracks in the sidewalk, then a woman’s flowery dress or a yellow taxi, then whole swaths of a city park. But I like to think the gradually increasing amounts of colour in the book actually represent what the busy, distracted adult notices thanks to the attention of his daughter: first he recognizes that she is picking flowers, then he starts to notice what she notices about the world. The story becomes not only a commentary on our nature or representative of a particular aesthetic, but a lesson on the way we can see and interact with the world if only we pay attention, and what children can teach us.

ARTS IN REVIEW

S undBites

Alpine

www.ufvcascade.ca

Mini album reviews

Deerhunter

Yuck

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Justin Bieber

Fading Frontiers

Purpose

Alpine is an Australian indie pop band from Melbourne, Victoria, that formed in 2009. The band’s most recent album, Yuck, features songs that are an excellent representation of how indie pop groups should harmonize. “Foolish” makes use of different tunes throughout the song, and lyricism that isn’t too repetitive. One issue that I have with Alpine’s work is how some of their songs almost put me to sleep, because there isn’t much going on besides the chorus being repeated over and over again. However, the voices of vocalists Phoebe Baker and Lou James work together flawlessly on “Crunches.” The rest of the band members’ controlled musicality also complements the vocalists’ voices beautifully, those being guitarist Christian O’Brien (bass), Ryan Lamb, Tim Royall (who plays keyboards, guitar, and percussion), and Phil Tucker on drums.

Indie rock band Deerhunter’s newest release, Fading Frontiers, hinges heavily on dream-pop elements. Deerhunter treads this sonic realm well, and churns out track after track of stellar, chilled out, lean–your-headback-and-relax, reverb-laden pop. However, labelling Fading Frontiers as a “dream-pop experience” would be unfair, as Deerhunter have successfully melded an array of influences and instrumentation into their latest release. Tracks such as the Radiohead-esque “Leather and Wood,” and the vintage, psych-rock feel of album closers “Ad Astra” and “Carrion” help successfully break up the monotonous dream pop flow of the record. These variances ultimately elevate the album above others in the genre. Despite these positive points, some of the more experimental moments are awkward. The best example of this is the track “Snakeskin,” which comes off as a clumsy and disjointed wannabe ‘80s funk anthem. But despite moments like this, Fading Frontiers has more than enough highs to make up for the record’s occasional lapses in quality.

Justin Bieber released his fourth studio album, Purpose, on November 3, 2015 in collaboration with Jack Ü (Diplo and Skrillex). His new songs contain beats that are very original and immensely different from those in his other albums. His single “I’ll Show You” sounds intriguing, because it’s almost an attempt to improve Bieber’s public image by showing a more down to earth side of himself, and reminding people that he is, after all, human. “Sorry” also has unique beats that catch the listener’s ear using a lot of effects and musical instruments. It’s definitely a song that is made to be repeated over and over while driving in your car. It doesn’t compare to Adele’s type of music, which revolves around powerful vocals, but rather relies on its originality and lots of work to see a good outcome.

Esra Al-Abduljabar

Jeffrey Trainor

Esra Al-Abduljabar

Nostalgia

When Harry met Sally: the advent of the rom-com HARVIN BHATHAL

CONTRIBUTOR

Note: Spoilers. 2015 marks the 26th anniversary of When Harry Met Sally. One of the most popular films of the ‘80s, it was one of the first of its kind: a romantic comedy discussing the age-old question of whether or not men and women can be “just friends.” Giving merit to the question, sex was the proverbial elephant in the room. The thought of an 11-year friendship turned into a relationship on the screen seems as if it would be agonizing to watch. However, the film is far from painful, as the seamless transitions between years are perfect. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film grossed a total of $92.8 million in North America, seen as a success in comparison to its budget of $16 million. But the question remains: is it a timeless classic? The answer to that is rather complicated. While the movie has aged like a fine wine, the concept has not. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the premise of the film resonated with the audience well, but today women are more frequently respected as being equal to men rather than being synonymous with a prize: sex. This is one area where the film hasn’t aged well; after all of the heartbreaks

We’ll have what she’s having. and bonding, Harry and Sally do end up together, as the main characters in many rom-coms do. However, this ending isn’t truly necessary. The film could have ended showing the amazing friendship the two possessed, but for the sake of a “happy ending,” the two fall in love with each other. It’s a shame how in Hollywood, staying friends is seen as a negative. Even to this

day, the same notion echoes through the industry in movies such as Just Friends and What If, and to a different extent, Friends with Benefits and No Strings Attached. But despite that criticism, When Harry Met Sally remains one of the best romantic-comedies of all time. The film thrives on its witty dialogue (specifically in Billy Crystal’s acting of Harry) without over-

sentimentalizing it. There is an essential balance between sadness and comic relief that other films often fail to accomplish. The dialogue could not be more perfect; it propels the plot and character development all throughout the film. It’s well-crafted and well-acted by all characters, major to minor. The on-screen chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is noticeable in every way, most obviously in their banter, which ranges from adorable to hysterical to morose. The excellent acting and dialogue is not forgotten, even over 20 years later. In addition, the soundtrack ties everything together. There is no question as to whether Frank Sinatra is a timeless classic; his music embodies New York (no pun intended). The scenes where Sinatra’s music plays in the background add the perfect touch of drama, beauty, and grace. Though the concept is outdated in the sense that more men and women are friends now than in previous generations, the film as a whole transcends time barriers. Besides, it’s a welcome change from the rom-coms of today’s Hollywood. That’s not a knock on the movies of today; the fact is that the simplicity of Rob Reiner’s film is undeniable. When Harry Met Sally is what it is: a rom-com about two friends falling in love with each other. It is, in every sense, the quintessential romantic comedy.

ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Album

What a time to listen to Drake and Future! MARTIN CASTRO

THE CASCADE

If there’s one artist that’s on top of the rap world right now, it’s undeniably Drake. The mythology that Drake created and surrounded himself with on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late — effectively romanticizing Toronto as a city deserving to be shouted-out in the same way rappers rep Atlanta, New York, and Chicago — is only further built upon throughout What a Time To Be Alive, his joint project with lean-sipping Atlanta rapper Future, who himself consistently shines on the project. “Digital Dash” sees Future adopt a blatantly aggressive stance: “My niggas ain’t nothin’ but some bangers / I sit in the trap with the gangsters / You don’t come ‘round here cause it’s dangerous / I be hangin’ ‘round here and I’m famous / Gotta keep the trigger by my finger.” The production, all oscillating sirens, trap snares, and a glossy, everpresent bass, pushes the track on with a calm-yet-unflinchinglypowerful momentum. Drake’s verse is a perfect introduction to the attitude that the rapper has for just about the entire project: “These bitches be nagging the kid / Fuck it, it is what it is, / if

you get hit you get hit / I don’t forget or forgive.” Drake’s confidence, or what some might call over-confidence, is a direct continuation from what he displayed on If You’re Reading This it’s Too Late, and as far as What A Time To Be Alive is concerned, it’s all justified; it turns to willful arrogance in “Big Rings,” which comes off as one of the most belligerent tracks on the record. “Live From The Gutter” sees Future give the listener a frankly sobering depiction of the consequences of his lean habit: “I watched my broad give up on me like I’m average / I went back inside the attic count it up and started laughing,” “A fiend for that lean I ain’t started drinking beer yet / They bust the trap (house), I live there / Came out clean, I ain’t clean my nigga, still there.” This attempt of Future’s to address his problem with lean is both explicitly self-aware, and painfully descriptive: “Wake up in the house, look up, I see bales everywhere / I see girls ... I see scales ... I see hell everywhere.” This is an addict we’re listening to, and he knows it. Both Drake and Future shine on “Scholarships,” but for different reasons. Drake addresses his need to stay in the public eye’s good

graces: “I need acknowledgement / If I got it then tell me I got it then / Mayor coming to the house, nigga please watch your mouth / I’m the one without a doubt.” However, where Future’s full verse comes off as inferior, the hook once again reflects his struggle with substance abuse: “I fell in love with the dodie, I fell in love with the rollie / These demons they callin’ my soul, I said fuck all of you hoes.” Future’s imagery is harrowing, to say the least. What’s more, I can pinpoint his flow on this track as the one thing that made me listen to the project more closely. “Plastic Bag” is the least-energetic track on WATTBA, but it works exceedingly well as the stereotypically belligerent, misogynist rap equivalent to songs like “Earth Angel.” That said, Future and Drake both spit laid-back verses that are all bravado, and quite honestly some of their most entertaining. “I’m The Plug” features one of Drake’s best, most focused verses on the entire project. Short though it is, this is Drake more than backing up his earlier claims. “Jumpman,” however popular, is probably one of the most overrated songs on WATTBA; it’s repetitive and uninspired, and dull as far as

With verses discussing topics like drug addiction, What a Time to Be Alive is only this shiny on the surface. production goes. “Jersey” is hands-down the best song on the mixtape. The production is sleek and powerful, and Future’s flow fits the track seamlessly, both rhythmically and melodically; catchy as anything. And his delivery of, “First I got married to money, then I fell in love with that dirty, extendo, extendo, extendo, the clip gotta hold like a

30,” as well as the chorus, serve to summarize how understated yet essential Future’s role is in this project. With the success of If You’re Reading This, it’s Too Late, and Future’s Dirty Sprite 2, as well as the approaching release of Views From The 6, all I can say at this point is: folks, what a time to be alive.

Television

Don’t run screaming from Scream Queens

JULIANNE HUFF CONTRIBUTOR

Well, Ryan Murphy is at it again. If you thought that Glee had no plot line and terrible drama, prepare yourself before you venture into the world of Scream Queens. Created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, Scream Queens is a fusion of satirical humour and terrible horror scenes. With big names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer, Nick Jonas, and Murphy’s favourite star, Lea Michele, one would expect the show to be something big. Scream Queens centres on the Kappa House sorority at Wallace University, which is plagued by a murderous villain dressed as a red devil. Ridiculous drama ensues as the killer runs around campus, claiming victims every episode. IMDB describes it as “part black comedy, part slasher flick … a modern take on the classic whodunit, in which every character has a motive for murder … Or could easily be the next blood-soaked casualty.”

Can’t decide if you want horror or humour? Why not both? Even though the humour is outlandish and some of the effects are inadequate, the show somehow hooks people in. Do you want terrible drama and great satire? Do you want to see people die in crazy ways, including loss of extremities, or strange instances where the victim knows the killer? The comedy-drama comes off like a mix of Scream and Scary Movie.

And if that doesn’t sway you to at least give the show a chance, consider the fact that you get to see Lea Michele be a strange character in a back brace, or that you are continually left guessing whether Nick Jonas’ character will die or not. Perhaps the idea of seeing Emma Roberts finally shed her “nice girl or rebel” attitude, and instead adopt that of a critical and selfish sorority

leader will entice you. I had simply planned to watch a single episode, but was hooked by the satire and slasher flick deaths, which are not quite as gruesome as true horror movies. As I watched more episodes, my brother joined for a quick watch — and then got mad at me when I watched a single episode without him and deleted it off the PVR. If you don’t want to take my word for it, Rotten Tomatoes audiences have given the show a 75 per cent rating. Although it’s not the highest, that is a decent rating from one of the websites most trusted by university students for the truth about movies and TV shows. So if horror comedy is your thing, you might want to give the show a chance — despite the seemingly ridiculous commercials. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be pulled into the show, wondering who the killer is along with the characters and the rest of Scream Queens’ growing audience.

ARTS IN REVIEW

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Album

Slack rock or slacker rock? Kurt Vile’s latest feels unfinished JEFF TRAINOR

THE CASCADE

From humble beginnings in Philadelphia, slack-rocker Kurt Vile emerged into the music scene along with his close friend Adam Granduciel, who is best known as the front man of the rock band The War on Drugs. In many ways, Vile’s solo tunes emulate a close similarity to The War on Drugs, but Vile takes that old school Americana rock vibe to an even more laid-back and chilledout space. This seeps into all of Vile’s releases, including his latest, b’lieve i’m going down, giving them a very unique and sparse feeling. However, on this album, this sparse sloppiness is taken to a new level even for Vile, which ends up leaving the record feeling like a collection of demos. It feels like an incomplete album, filled with half-baked song ideas that, with greater attention and time, could have been formed into more full and interesting pieces. The best track on the album is the opener, “Pretty Pimpin’.” This is Vile at his best — pluck-

ing his guitar, rambling on about his style, and backed by a strong and steady drum and bass beat. However, the strong composition of “Pretty Pimpin’” is not a representation of what’s to come on b’lieve I’m going down, and marks one of the album’s few clear and engaging moments. Yes, there are tracks such as “Dust Bunnies” and “Lost My Head There,” which contain some catchy rhythms and enticing instrumental moments, but these attractive points are unfortunately the exception, as most of the album fails to draw you in. My primary issue with this record is the unpolished nature that is carried throughout it. I am aware that it is Vile’s style to be “mellow” and “carefree,” but b’lieve I’m going down takes this too far. At times, it feels like we are just listening to Vile experimenting in his jam space, and that anything he plays or comes up with during his practice session is tracked for the record. It essentially gives the impression that Vile sat down day after day, and whatever he finished by day’s end was put on the album. Tracks like “All

in a Daze Work” and “Stand Inside” are perfect examples of this, as both wander aimlessly for five minutes, never shifting in melody, aesthetic, or emotion. After about two minutes of listening to the ramble, you are left begging for the song to be finished, wondering why it was included on the record. Vile has previously been successful at incorporating long, wandering pieces into his records, such as the track “Wakin on a Pretty Daze,” which spanned over nine minutes but never felt like it was dragging on. The issue with b’lieve I’m going down is that these long, drawn-out ideas never develop into anything worthwhile, which is unfortunate both for Vile and the listener. If you’ve listened to anything by Kurt Vile before, you probably already know what you’re going to get with b’lieve I’m going down. However, if you are new to Vile’s work, I would suggest you steer clear of this record, as it will only deter you from checking out some of his better work.

B’lieve i’m going down feels more like a collection of demos than a full album in its own right.

Video Game

Halo 5: friends not included DREW BERGEN

CONTRIBUTOR

Halo 5 is the second game in the new trilogy of Halo games since the reins were handed over from Bungie. As with Halo 4, Halo 5 has a starkly different feel to it from Bungie’s contributions to the franchise, yet manages to stay true to the age-old series of shooter games we have come to know and love. However, some of those changes came at quite a price. To begin, Halo 5 is an incredibly smooth, polished game. With stunning visuals, crisp sound design, and 60 glorious frames per second, it’s a game that nobody can say looks bad in any sense of the word. Every gun has a nice, strong, punchy feel to it, the enemies move and act with personality and flavour, and the game feels like a well-polished experience with all its bases covered. One noteworthy experience is the melee attacks. Punching stuff in Halo 5 is one of the most satisfying actions in almost any video game; there’s a huge force behind every hit that you can feel, and nothing satisfies more than shoulder-tackling a grunt and watching it fly off a cliff. This, combined with the gunplay, seals the deal for a very well-made shooter experience that’s sure to keep you entertained for some time. The campaign itself is fairly good. There isn’t much to say without spoiling the plot, but overall, the way the plot mixes multiple different themes together leads me to feel like it has its narrative priorities mixed

Overall, Halo 5 is one hell of a game — but only if you don’t mind playing online or alone. up. This becomes very clear as one theme is made to feel like the major plotline, only for it to be pushed off to the side by a completely different narrative theme. Overall, it jumbles up the tone quite a bit. On the flip side, how the game incorporates the series’ lore as well as plots and characters from the books themselves feels very natural, and

makes for a deep and believable universe. The multiplayer aspect is very enjoyable as well. The new “Warzone” game mode makes for very chaotic, enthralling matches, and with each gun given its proper niche and execution, nothing feels overtly better than any other option, giving players a good selection to pick and choose

from based on their preference rather than what’s best. The new vehicles and maps make for a very fun experience. Halo 5 also has four-player co-op practically written into the campaign, making this game ideal for online multiplayer. I suppose I can’t beat around the bush anymore — Halo 5 does not have local multiplayer of any kind. You cannot hook multiple controllers up to an Xbox One and enjoy some good ol’ fashion Halo couch multiplayer with your friends. Halo 5’s multiplayer is purely an online experience. This decision was made in favour of those fantastic visuals I mentioned earlier — so that Halo 5 can be a game that operates on a 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. This is going to be a large deal-breaker for a lot of people, and while the game itself is very good, I simply cannot recommend this game if playing it with your friends on one TV is what you hope to do. Halo 5 is a great game; it’s very well crafted and very polished, and makes for a very solid experience. While the story may not be up to snuff, the campaign holds up very well. Unfortunately, without local multiplayer, Halo 5 feels like a truck without a flatbed, an El without the Camino. Regardless, it’s a very fun game, and if you’re interested more in the campaign and the multiplayer, I encourage you to pick up a copy. If you want to play this with your friends, but not online, though, there really isn’t anything I can say for you.

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Eating healthy is a question of calories BRAYDEN BUCHNER

THE CASCADE

Listen up. Diet is simple. Diet is king. Diet is what governs your weight. It doesn’t matter how much you work out if you aren’t eating right. Are you overweight? Eat less. Are you underweight? Eat more. Granted, you should make sure you’re eating a healthy amount of healthy foods, but we’ll just be thinking about calories for a little while. A magical number exists that tells you how much to eat. It’s your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It’s measured in calories per day. If you’ve ever heard the “2000 calories a day” thing, that’s because the average adult male needs approximately 2,000 calories a day to sustain the processes they need to sur-

vive. That means that if your TDEE is 2,100 calories, and you eat 2,000 calories of food, then you’ve used 100 more calories than you’ve gained. Since energy cannot be created or destroyed, that means you’ve used 100 calories of stored energy. To simplify it, let’s assume that’s 100 calories of body fat. You’ve burned fat by literally not doing a goddamn thing. Sounds fucking golden, right? In other words, at its base level, diet is just calories in, calories out. If you need to gain weight, eat a few hundred calories over your TDEE. If you need to lose weight, a few hundred calories less. Sure, you also need to think about protein, carbs, fats, minerals, etc., but right now, we’re talking simply about weight. Now, what I’m not saying is

starve yourself. Do not starve yourself. Seriously, eating disorders are no joke. Also, don’t take everything I’m saying to heart. I’m not a doctor. I don’t know shit for sure. Talk to your doctor about your diet and health, not some guy masquerading as a dude who knows things. Now, what I am saying is fuck fad diets. Fuck diets in general. Diets don’t work unless you change your diet for good. Doing a juice cleanse isn’t going to do shit except make you poop more for a day. Y’know why you lost six pounds when you did a juice cleanse? You lost all your water weight. That’s it. You’ll make that back up in a few days. To lose weight you have to eat less calories consistently. That’s it. That’s all. It’s hella fuckin’ simple. Food is delicious, I know. It’s

image credit: crashkirby888/deviantart

hard not to eat an entire pizza. If you consistently make an effort to eat the number of calories your body actually uses, you’ll see an improvement to your health and

body. I’m not going to tell you how much you should be eating, though. To be safe about it, that’s a conversation you should really be having with your doctor.

Manny Dulay balances sport and school, with time left for “Movember” UPCOMING

EVENTS Every Monday Hip-hop dancing

The UFV hip-hop dance club welcomes students of all skill levels to participate in hip-hop dancing. Classes are held every Monday evening from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall in the Student Union Building. More information can be found online at facebook.com/ groups/ufvhiphop.

Every Wednesday Free yoga classes Join the UFV yoga club for free yoga every Wednesday. Classes are from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Great Hall in the Student Union Building. For more information visit the yoga club’s Facebook page at facebook. com/ufvyogaclub.

Ongoing Organized drop-in sports Now that school is back in gear, drop in sports are beginning again. Stop by the Envision Athletics Centre to join in basketball, pickle ball / badminton, soccer, volleyball, rugby, or ball hockey games. No registration is required and anyone with a valid UFV campus card can participate. For more information and to see the full schedule visit ufvcascades.ca/ rec.

ESRA AL-ABDULJABAR

CONTRIBUTOR

As the Cascades men’s basketball team finishes off their second home weekend of the season, Manny Dulay begins his fourth year as a guard for the team. The kinesiology student talks to The Cascade about his beginnings with the sport, as well as his Movember fundraising initiative. How did you get into basketball? I was playing soccer back in grade two, and my dad’s good old friend from back in the day had his son playing too. They saw how tall I was, and told me that my height would be good for basketball. That’s when I started playing basketball at YMC in grade three, and from there I started getting a little bit better and better and ended up here. What do you like about the sport? It taught me a lot of lessons in life, such as how to deal with certain things. There’s a lot of thrill behind it, and it also has a fun aspect. How has the training been going so far? We’ve been running a lot, but it’s been good. Like any other team, we had a bit of early struggles finding our roles since we have a couple of new players, but I believe we’re headed in the right direction.

What are you looking forward to most this season? Well this year, out of all the years I’ve been here, has been one of the most open years to win nationals, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we would accomplish that goal. I think we have a solid team, and I think we have the capability of winning Canada West and nationals. But it’s just about doing it, and that’s what I want to see. I want to see how we can accomplish our goals. We have certain goals to make out, and I think this is actually the year we can accomplish a lot of them. What have been your favourite moments or games with the Cascades? Last two years we made Canada West semis. Each of the semis have been a different experience to me. The last two were tough for me ‘cause I didn’t play at the performance that I wanted to play at, so obviously they weren’t that enjoyable. My first year, the first round, we went to [Saskatchewan]. We were the underdogs even though we thought we had a really good team. We ended up winning the first game, lost second game, our best player went out, then we ended up squeaking out a win against one of the best teams in all Canada West, and that was a fun experience for me. How do you find time to balance sports and school? Maybe even a job?

It’s tough. I did struggle with school the first couple of years. The thing I learned is how to plan my time, and I learned how to understand what each aspect of my life needs. Basketball needs you to train and work out, and to watch game film; there’s a lot of stuff behind that. And for school you have to plan out homework for each class, and plan out how you’re going to do your assignments. So planning is the biggest thing for balancing it all, and when I have work it’s just about sucking it up and going to work, and trying to make some money. Do you think you’ll pursue basketball professionally after university? It would be a decision in the moment, and depending on what the offer looks like. I would love to continue playing basketball, but it would have to be the right situation — family wise, and for myself as well — and a lot of factors. If it’s the right situation, I would totally pursue it. Can you tell us a little about the “Movember” initiative, and how you’re offering people a chance to vote with their dollars? I’ve done Movember for the last two years. The first year I did it without actually setting up an account or anything to raise money and stuff. Last year I raised $500 on Movember account. This year, with the help of our therapist and the UFV staff, we’re doing this thing where we

are giving you guys a selection of ‘staches. You can find that on a poster by the UFV therapist group, and there is one on my Instagram page and Movember page. Pretty much, it’s four selections: you donate money — you could donate through my Movember account, or you can donate to anyone involved at UFV, like the therapist or any of the UFV staff. When you donate, you pick a ‘stache. So if I donate $10, and let’s say I select ‘stache number one, $10 go to ‘stache number one. And whichever ‘stache raises the most money, that’s the one I will do on November 14. It’s quick, so we’ve only got a week left — that’s unfortunate — but that’s our last home week of November, so I’m going to pull it out for that game, and we’ll see how much we will raise. I’m at about $169 right now. Anything you want to say to UFV students wanting to try basketball out? Understand that it takes a lot of hard work and it’s not something that is just given to you to have the skill; rather you have to put in the work to be able to do it. But it’s an enjoyable sport and if you like it, go after your passion. And if you feel like you could be successful, ask for help. At the end of the day, it’s all about how hard you work and how much time you invest in the sport. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Cascades men’s soccer takes home bronze medal VANESSA BROADBENT

THE CASCADE

The UFV Cascades men’s soccer team took home a bronze medal last weekend after defeating Trinity Western University (TWU). This marks the second time that the team has taken the final spot in the Canada West conference. The Cascades defeated the TWU Spartans on Saturday, Nov 7, at the UBC Thunderbird stadium with a final score of 2-1. The Cascades’ two goals were scored by fourth year midfielder Connor MacMillan in the 46th minute and second year midfielder Michael Mobilio in the 72nd minute. The game followed the Cascades’ semi-final 3-0 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds the previous night. “I’m pleased with how the season’s gone,” head coach Tom Lowndes said. “We set some pretty high goals of obviously making nationals, and we fell just short of that, but finished the season with a bronze medal.” This was also Lowndes’ first season as head coach, as previous head coach Alan Errington retired last season.

“It was a really solid first year, and I hope to build on that,” he said. “The players accepted me, and we got off to a good start. And as the season grew, we became more confident. You could really see when we played that they were willing to fight for each other.” The game also marked fifth year player and team captain Colton O’Neill’s final game in his university career. “He always gives you one hundred percent and he’s a really good player,” Lowndes explained. “The kid’s a winner. He’s just a fantastic player. He’s been a privilege to coach for the three years that I’ve been here, and he could play at the higher level, one hundred percent.” Lowndes explained that with a little more consistency in their performance, the team could likely make it to nationals next season. “Consistency was our problem at times this year,” he explained. “We had a really good result, and then a not so good result or performance. It’s just finding that level of consistency that UBC and UVIC have. We’ve got the players, and we have the ability.”

Images: UFV Cascades

SCOREBOARD

UPCOMING GAMES

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Volleyball

Women’s Volleyball

Nov 13 UFV Cascades vs. MacEwan Griffins W 74-64 Nov 14 UFV Cascades vs. MacEwan Griffins W 97-56 Nov 13 UFV Cascades vs. MacEwan Griffins W 72-61 Nov 14 UFV Cascades vs. MacEwan Griffins L 63-59 Nov 13 UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers L 3-1 Nov 14 UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers L 3-2 Nov 13 UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers L 3-2 Nov 14 UFV Cascades vs. CAM Chargers L 3-1

Fri Nov 20 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves (away) Sat Nov 21 7:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves (away) Fri Nov 20 6:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves (away) Sat Nov 21 5:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UNBC Timberwolves (away) Fri Nov 20 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away) Sat Nov 21 3:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away) Fri Nov 20 6:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away) Sat Nov 21 1:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. COTR Avalanche (away)