Vol. 23 Issue 27
October 28, 2015 to November 3, 2015
Pondering pimento pits since 1993
stories of mental illness: the student experience p. 10-11 The Cascade apologizes Last week’s coverage of delays in program approval did not meet our own standards
p. 2
The ill effects of air A UFV-hosted panel explored the link between Fraser Valley air pollution and your health
p. 5
Halloween is CANCELLED The self-referential Repp Porter explains how the Conservatives are involved
p. 8
ufvcascade.ca
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Low turnout for 2016-2020 Strategic Research Plan forum
News
5
Opinion
8
Culture
14
Why does Marty McFly get a cool future and we’re stuck with this shitty one?
Arts in Review
16
Sicario is tense, taught, and utterly satisfying
Sports & Health
19
Strength of gluten-free fad may be fading
The Strategic Research Plan public forums saw low attendance this month, resulting in a low amount of student input for funding and priority for potential research opportunites.
Majority rules, or majority stinks? Drew Bergen makes his case for why a minority government would have been a better result this election.
Editor-in-Chief kodie@ufvcascade.ca Kodie Cherrille
Glen Ess talks Back to the Future Day, and explores whether the future is all it’s cracked up to be.
Managing Editor (interim) katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart
Mitch Huttema praises Sicario’s use of silence to build tension and intrigue.
While a gluten-free diet is essential for those with an intolerance or allergy, Vanessa explains how the fad for non-allergic dieters may be coming to an end.
Business Manager jennifer@ufvcascade.ca Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Production Manager brittany@ufvcascade.ca Brittany Cardinal
Editorial
Using the right words is as important as the story itself
Copy Editor kat@ufvcascade.ca Kat Marusiak News Editor megan@ufvcascade.ca Megan Lambert
The Cascade erred in our coverage of the program review process KODIE CHERRILLE
Opinion Editor alex@ufvcascade.ca Alex Rake Culture Editor (interim) vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Vanessa Broadbent
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As journalists, it is of utmost importance to choose our words carefully, and to be mindful of separating report from commentary, fact from emotion. In the last issue of The Cascade, we covered the October 16 Senate meeting, where it was reported that six UFV program proposals (bachelors of media arts and education; majors and minors for indigenous studies and peace and conflict; majors for theatre and agriculture), that had been waiting for approval by BC’s Ministry of Advanced Education for a year, had not been approved, and were instead sent to the Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) for review. In 2013, UFV was given exempt status, which means the university had met the ministry’s criteria of providing high-quality degree programs, along with a regularized and rigourous review process for them. Proposals from institutions with exempt status bypass the regular DQAB review that nonexempt institutions are put through, saving roughly $8,000 per proposal, and a process that can take six months. But when the minister has concerns about the proposals, they get sent back to the DQAB for review. We ran the news piece with the headline, “Six program proposals rejected by province.” The word “rejected” carries a connotation of flat-out refusal, which was not in line with what actually happened. This sensationalized our portrayal of the events. Last week’s editorial was also focused on the “rejection.” In that piece, I wrote about the possible frustration students might have, hearing the degrees they might be working toward are being delayed. The Cascade aims to serve UFV’s student body, and we act on that aim when we provide unbiased news coverage that clearly conveys the facts. We report what we report because we feel it is in the best interest of the students — not because we want to stir the pot. We did not achieve that aim in our word choice and the extrapolation that followed. We sacrificed accuracy for impact, when it should be the other way around. Impact is meaningless without accuracy. What we did achieve was undue confusion and frustration among UFV administration, Senate, faculty, and most importantly, our
Volume 23 · Issue 27 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529
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 Staff Writer jeffrey@ufvcascade.ca Jeffrey Trainor Contributors Esra Al-Abduljabar, Harvin Bhathal, Drew Bergen, Catherine Bell, Glen Ess, Pierre Jamal-Ouellet, and Melissa Ly Distributors Vanessa Broadbent and Tia Oostenbrug Cover art: Brittany Cardinal
Printed by International Web exPress
Image: Katie Stobbart
“A newspaper compromises the trust and respect of its readers when it inaccurately portrays the truth.” student readership, and for that, I apologize. A newspaper compromises the trust and respect of its readers when it inaccurately portrays the truth. I am also deeply sorry to everyone who has faith in The Cascade as a source of reliable journalism. A fundamental tenet of journalism is to keep accountable the institutions that serve us. But, while doing so, we must keep ourselves accountable, as well. Our reporting must be measured. As this
newspaper’s editor, I have not exercised due diligence to the matter at hand, and subsequently allowed our service to lapse. We will continue to report on matters that are relevant to UFV students, and we will show restraint when the situation calls for it. Let us move forward, wary of what our words can do.
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.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28,2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
“Dead like dinosaurs”
UFV forum addresses the future of textbooks and online resources
NEWS
BRIEFS SUS Get out the Vote campaign collects feedback from students ABBOTSFORD (UFV) — As part of the Student Union Society (SUS) Get out the Vote campaign, Elections Canada set up tables in a few hallways on campus and helped organize three allcandidates debates in Abbotsford and Chilliwack for the federal election two weeks ago. According to VP External Sukhi Brar, SUS collected 1,007 student pledges to vote, and by some students filling out sections of the ballot, SUS conducted more than 800 phone calls and text messages to students on Monday, October 19 reminding them to vote. SUS is also in the process of surveying those students and collecting their feedback, asking them if they voted, and why.
Drug addiction centre seeks more spots, some neighboring residents express concern ABBOTSFORD — The LIFE Recovery Socety Association Centre is requesting funding from the province to add 12 more beds to its existing centre in central Abbotsford. The assisted living centre helps women recover from drug addiction, offering counselling and support for women coming clean. However, some residents are opposing the project, concerned about the cigarette smoke, noise, and potential criminal records of the women in the centre. The facility is in close proximity to TenBroeck Elementary, and parents and children live in the surrounding residential area. Abbotsford City Council will vote on the proposed expansion on November 2, 2015. — The Abbotsford News
Concordia University to see austerity strike from student association MONTREAL (CUP) — On Friday, the school of community and public affairs students’ association (SCPASA) at Concordia University voted to strike against funding cuts during the first week of November. The association motioned to strike in solidarity with other student unions and public sector unions in Quebec, but specifically to oppose the $36.6-million in funding cuts since the 2012-2013 academic year, as well as the charges from the university against other Concordia students because of their participation in previous strikes this year. The SCPASA will strike from November 2 to 6. — The Concordian
Have a news tip?
Let us know! news@ufvcascade.ca @CascadeNews
KODIE CHERRILLE
Affleck remarked that OERs are not consistent across disciplines, so it’s necessary to pay close attention to the material. Harper replied that, while this is a current issue, because of the open-source nature of the materials, mistakes in content are able to be edited or corrected. “It’s kinda like Firefox,” he explained. “Because it’s opensourced, people are always tweaking it to make it work better.” In the spirit of OERs, Harper said that he would be fine with sharing his OER-sourced course with others. “Though maybe [I would share it] with a ‘Thanks, Dave!’ note at the bottom or something,” he added with a laugh.
THE CASCADE
What if the reading material for your classes was accessible online, completely free of charge? UFV held an Open Educational Resource forum last Friday, October 23, hosted by UFV copyright librarian Martin Warkentin. About 15 people were in attendance . OERs are teaching and learning resources — like textbooks in PDF form, journals, articles, or online courses offered by other universities or other online services like Wikipedia or Khan Academy — that are available online at no cost to users. Users are encouraged to redistribute and alter their own copies of OERs to better fit their learning environments. Department head of mathematics and statistics Ian Affleck, kinesiology professor David Harper, and SUS VP external Sukhi Brar sat on a panel to discuss the advantages and challenges of bringing OERs into UFV classrooms. David Harper uses OERs in their classrooms, and Brar was invited to speak on her advocating efforts for open access at the student level as well as provide a student perspective to the discussion. Textbooks on the path to extinction Brar was quick to say that reason number one for open resources is to save money — and that many students would likely agree. “Costs have definitely been a barrier to course selection. I know that this drives a lot of student decisions,” she said. “I’d love to take an art history course, but when a textbook costs $400, I just can’t do it.” Affleck agreed, saying information that doesn’t change in
Image: Danielle Collins
Like Firefox, David Harper says, open-source educational materials are subject to adaptation to better fit the learning needs of users. subjects like history shouldn’t be overpriced. “I don’t think there should be a price tag on knowledge that’s hundreds of years old,” he said. In the audience, director of ancillary services Cameron Roy confessed that — as the manager of the UFV Bookstore and therefore the middleman between publishing companies and students — he feels “guilty by association” with textbook publishers. “We look like shills for them,” he said. “We want to hound the publishers and tell them that they’re putting themselves out of business.” UFV director of teaching and learning Maureen Wideman echoed that sentiment. “Textbooks are dead,” she said. “Dead like dinosaurs.”
Open resources in classrooms Classrooms that embrace OER have the added challenge of incorporating interactivity into the classroom. Harper then talked about his online physiology course, which is fully interactive and uses only OER-sourced material. The course would require students to finish assigments before accessing the next reading. “I rebuilt my course from scratch,” he said. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s a good exercise to rebuild things from the ground.” The wide access to OERs means that a wide range of people with the time and ability can design OERs, and that raises the concern that using them can affect their credibility and quality.
Taking the plunge head-first into an open pool of resources Brar has been an outspoken proponent of OER not only as a student, but also as a member of consultation groups like UFV 2025. “I think not having open sources would be an injustice to students,” she said. She supposed that because universities are “risk-averse” institutions, the uptake for OERs has been slow. But she urged that if students want to see the use of open resources, they should compare their own textbooks with open sources, and discuss OERs with their professors. “If students push for it, it’ll get the wheels turning,” she said. Harper agreed, noting that the change is nearly inevitable. “Once we hit a critical mass with this, and once most course material is online, students will begin to say to their professors, ‘You’re going to make me pay $400? Are you crazy?’”
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 valerie@ufvcascade.ca to be added to our mailing list.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Prof Talk
Tearing off the “commuter campus” label English professor Rajnish Dhawan on community, expressing yourself, and making your degree worthwhile JEFFREY TRAINOR THE CASCADE
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. Each week we’ll interview a professor from a different department, asking them what UFV was like before it was UFV, and how they expect things will continue to change here. Rajnish Dhawan is an English professor at UFV who specialises in drama and creative writing. Dhawan has taught at UFV for six years and has extensive experience in India teaching English. What initially brought you to UFV? Fate? [Laughs.] I came to Canada in 2009 and I was working in Edmonton. I saw a posting for a creative writing instructor, and then I called [UFV] and they said that post had been “filled up, but still send your resume.” So I sent my resume. There was one course they were really looking for someone to teach, which was an intro to drama course, and I had a little interview, and they offered it to me. At the same time, I was offered two courses at Grant McEwan University in Edmonton, so it was either less money and better weather, or more money and terrible weather. So the new immigrant in me said, “You know what? -40 degrees is too much. Forget the money, go to the valley.” I will credit John Carroll for that. I remained a sessional for about two years, then someone resigned, and there was an opening. I was hired as a regular in 2011, so I’ve been here for six years. So that was a big change, coming from India to here? I have been teaching at the post-secondary level since 1997, so I had 11 years of experience before I came here. When you’re new here, you’re looking for a survival job, and radio became that. I actually still do radio here on CIVL Radio; I do a show now which is actually the first Hindi show CIVL Radio has produced. It’s a chat / talk show with music. I’ve done radio here with John Carroll as well; it was a comical, satirical show called, “We have the WMD.” It ran for a season then we ran out of steam, but yeah — that’s how it started. When you started at UFV you were just teaching intro to drama; was that a class you were really interested in? Oh of course. That was actually one of the reasons I took this position, other than the weather. Grant McEwan University was giving me sort of English 105 courses. My PhD is in drama, [and] I wanted my first teaching experience here to be in my field of specialization, and I knew I would enjoy this more than teaching any other course. The next semester, I added on creative writing, South Asian literature, and after that, classical literature and Homer. The range keeps getting
broader and broader. So as I said, my PhD is in classical dramatic theory, the study of Greek and Sanskrit, so that makes me a classicist. But I like drama in all forms that encompass creative writing, and South Asian studies are also natural to me, so that fits in pretty well. Since you started at UFV in 2009, what are some of the major changes you’ve noticed within the university? It’s expanded. And in terms of the major change, which I still think has a lot more potential to grow, is the level of student engagement. It has grown over the six years I’ve been here, but it is still nowhere near where it should be. It’s an encouraging trend, but it’s a speed I’m not really happy with. I try to do my part. I hate the commuter-campus style, I personally want to remove that tag; tear it off. I grew up in an environment where student engagement in campus activity was way higher, and I know that it is very valuable for you when you leave university. My theory is everyone has a transcript; it’s the other things that matter.
“I want to be associated with a campus that is alive, where people feel comfortable.” Image: Facebook, used with Dhawan’s permission.
Have you noticed your teaching style change over the years, especially with the rise of technology? Style, say at a subjective level, doesn’t change much. I like to engage students in discussion. I like to create a comfortable environment for discussion. In my first lecture I tell them nothing should hold them back from voicing their opinion, because if they can’t do that here, where can they? Even if it’s not popular, they should voice it and let the people respond to it with their own opinions — then we can reach consensus. If it’s not on the very politically-correct boundary, apologize in advance, and say it. This is the place where you can safely say something and learn from each other. That is one aspect of my style. The other is entertainment: I don’t like bored faces. I try to make them as enjoyable as possible. Fortunately, the classes I teach are enjoyable — that helps. I started using technology that I never used in India. Sometimes we showed videos, but rarely. I have taught online, but I’m not too dependent on it. I use it sparingly, like a little bit of a spice; it is not the actual dish! Generally, I feel the learning experience is more face-to-face, personal, and interactive. The more we engage, the better.
My students know that there are official office hours, but they know they can meet me wherever they find me. So if they find me in Tim Horton’s they can have a chat with me, or the SUB nowadays. I think that is important, which is another change that was missing in my early years at UFV. Students, even if I encouraged it, they found it difficult to have an informal chat with faculty, which I didn’t understand why that was. What have you taken out of your time at UFV? We have a wonderful department, which is one thing. This is my fourth job, but I’ve never had such a wonderful, collegial atmosphere, ever. It’s a comfortable place as well, it’s encouraging. I know there are always issues with bureaucracy, and government policies and such. But generally speaking, it’s been very comfortable to teach and research. What research was that? Well, last year I wrote a play, John Carroll directed it, and we had 26 volunteers from the university who performed on stage. Most of them students, but a couple faculty and staff members as well, and a couple people from the community also played roles. The photographs are still by the library. That event would not have been possible if there wasn’t uncondition-
al support for an idea. To imagine a play with 31 characters and with no money to make it with, then three departments in the university coming together to help out, and then students jumping on the bandwagon, was great. That gives you so much confidence that you can pull off certain, unimaginable things. Do you think this shows that student engagement is getting better here? I feel that, I really feel that. It’s still at about 20 to 25 per cent, but when I came here it was like, five per cent. I would like to see 80 to 85 per cent. That trajectory is slow, but at least it’s a trajectory, and that is good to know. I’m hoping the U-District works out, and this commuter campus thing goes away. I don’t want to be associated with a commuter campus — I want to be associated with a campus that is alive, where people feel comfortable. I feel comfortable here. University should give you that feel-good factor, that feeling that this is my place. It’s not that, “My classes are done and I should get out of here as soon as possible.” It’s like, “Okay, my classes are done, but I still want to be here.” It’s a fun place to be, and it can be an even more fun place to be. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28,2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Science on Purpose
Clearing the air on air pollution MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE
“You’ve got a beard,” panelist Michael Brauer quipped when a young man asked if he should be wearing a mask to protect him from air pollution while he rides along the Fraser Highway during Bike to Work Week. “All that air is going around it.” Brauer, a professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, was one of six speakers at UFV’s greenSPEAK air quality forum on Monday, October 26 at the Abbotsford campus. About 65 people — mostly members of the community — came to hear local experts discuss the data trends and potential health hazards in the Fraser Valley airshed. The common denominators in each 10-minute presentation were that ozone, greenhouse gas emissions, smoke from wood, and exhaust from motor vehicles are large contributors to air pollution in the Fraser Valley. Brauer presented data showing that proximity to air pollution is correlated with chronic diseases like heart failure and cancer — and that increased exposure to pollution can only elevate these risks. “[Air pollution is] not the primary thing that’s impacting our health,” he said. “But what makes it important is that we’re all exposed to it.” The amount of exposure can be determined by something as simple as how close you live to a major highway. Brauer explained that people living in a 50-metre proximity to a high-traffic road can increase their risk for major health problems — attributed to breathing more polluted air on a daily basis. “Moving away is like quitting smok-
ing,” he said, showing a graph where people who lived close to major highways for an extended period of time had significantly more health issues than people who lived elsewhere or who had moved back and forth. He said that children living in proximity to busy roads also see health problems. Increases in low birth weight and preterm birth, bronchiolitis, ear infections, and asthma in children who lived close to dense traffic were all attributable to increased exposure to air pollution. Researching air pollution can be tricky; there are thousands of emissions and factors which vary in both region and season that influence air quality. The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) has six stations that measure emissions and pollutants in the eastern region of the airshed. Carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide, particulate matter (dust, pollen, mould, organic compounds, metals, etc.), ozone, and diesel emissions are all prominent enough to be detected and measured in Fraser Valley air.
“Moving away [from the highway] is like quitting smoking.” FVRD Environmental Policy Analyst Rebecca Abernethy explained that although some emissions are decreasing, the ozone, greenhouse gases, ammonia, and particulate matter found in the air have all been rising over the past 20 years.
Image: Wiki commons
She said despite the Fraser Valley’s natural collection of pollution from both Metro Vancouver in the west and the US Cascade mountain region in the south, it is still important for people in the Fraser Valley to help improve the air quality. “It will make a difference if we reduce emissions here as well as across the airshed,” she said. “It goes in all directions.” The Fraser Valley saw several air quality warnings this summer when forest fires from the Okanagan and Washington state area had thousands of hectares of wood smoke polluting the air. Senior scientist Sarah Henderson from Environmental Health Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control presented some of her research concerning forest fires — noting that these seasonal flareups directly affect the health of residents in the province. She said that prescriptions for Ventalin, a blue puffer used to treat asthma symptoms, significantly in-
creased during this period as smoke is aggravating for people with respiratory conditions. The other speakers were Ken Shaw, a manager from the Fraser Health Authority, and Graeme Veale from the BC Ministry of Environment, who mainly spoke of policy management surrounding air quality. A question period followed; other than some inquiries about garbage incinerators and farming practices, audience questions centred around what locals can do at home to avoid polluting the air. The simplest advice was to refrain from burning candles and incense, or using air freshener to cover up odours. “All you’re doing is putting chemicals into the air,” Brauer said.
Low turnout for 2016-2020 public forum for research planning MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE
Although the Thursday session of the 2016-2020 Strategic Research Plan forum on October 22 at the Chilliwack CEP campus was cancelled, the following Monday session pushed forward. However, it only saw six attendees, one of whom was a reporter with The Cascade. The Strategic Research Plan outlines the way research at UFV is aligned with the university’s institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) and places priority on certain aspects of research at a teaching university. In the 2010-2015 plan, the research office placed emphasis on the integration of student and faculty research, and seeking more research opportunities, like grants, for students.
Director of research in the department of research and graduate studies, Brad Whittaker, says that in terms of UFV’s operating budget, drafting a guide for the scope and range of research is concurrent with a guide for monetary resources. “One of the reasons to have this plan is to see where we’re going to put the resources,” he said. The forum was the last of three scheduled for this month to collect public feedback on the research plan. There are no more public forums currently scheduled, so the next steps for the 2016-2020 Strategic Research Plan will be for its completion by Spring 2016 and its approval by the UFV Research Advisory Council, the UFV Senate, and the UFV Board of Governors. With files from Alex Harte.
CORRECTION: On Wednesday, October 21 in issue 26 of The Cascade, we published a headline that read “Six program proposals rejected by province.” This is incorrect, the headline should have read “Six UFV program proposals to undergo further review.” We apologize for any confusion this has caused.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Safety awareness comes down to student engagement MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE
If you walk down the hall, you might occasionally notice exit signs or the odd fire extinguisher. But if it becomes time to respond to an emergency, you might have to recall what you learned in high school. UFV supported some safety initiatives at the beginning of this semester — most notably the fire drill at the Baker House residence, its participation in the BC Shakeout, and the increase in advertising for UFV Alert. However, these are motivated and organized by the university and are not necessarily mandated or regulated by the province. According to the BC Fire Code, only one fire drill is mandatory in post-secondary institutions. Unlike the K-12 school system that have several fire, earthquake, and lockdown drills (some at random), universities in B.C. are left to adopt their own individual emergency management practices. Twenty-three post-secondary institutions, as well as four outof-province institutions, meet every three months as the BC Post-Secondary Emergency Planners to discuss health and safety procedures, but these meetings are also voluntary. UFV does not have its own emergency management program as of yet. However, UFV security is working to adopt the British Columbia Emergency Response Management System (BCERMS), based on the Incident Command System, a fire response system from the U.S. BCERMS is a training program that draws from security materials from the Justice Institute of BC, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, the Canadian
Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and the Provincial Emergency Program. In addition to adopting emergency management systems, the director of security and emergency management, Brian Leonard, works with UFV departments to promote emergency initiatives. “It’s about building capacity,” he says, referring to the way UFV has started practicing safety procedures more regularly throughout the years. “I know we had a lockdown drill, I want to say in 2013 or 2014 — our first lockdown drill at the university.” Leonard says that every year something improves — for example, in the last four years, UFV did not have designated assembly areas. This year, they do. He says that in addition to security, logistic and facilities staff are trained in the Incident Command System, so buildings will have people to direct students, staff, and faculty in case of an emergency. Residential assistants in Baker House are also trained to handle emergencies within the campus residence. Leonard says there are about 50 wardens in total who work among UFV campuses able to respond to safety risks and warnings. “To be honest, [students] find their way to the assembly areas,” he says. “But let’s be realistic; they’re coming from the K-12 system where they’re already used to that drilling.” However, students are not given mandatory safety talks in classes or at orientation. It’s difficult to have every student participate in safety drills, as a majority of students are rarely on campus at the same time for an extended period of time.
THE CASCADE IS SEEKING PAY: $75 / ISSUE
Image: UFV Flickr
For example, UFV security had to postpone the scheduled fire drills for this Wednesday, October 28 because of conflicts with midterms. “If people want to, we’ll drill twice a year,” Leonard says. “We also want to be conscious not to disrupt [classes].” Simpler than drills, the electronic warning system, UFV
Alert, is in line with other postsecondary institutions who also take advantage of the popularity of cell phones. But out of approximately 16,000 UFV students, only 1,260 have signed up for UFV Alert. Leonard says that safety awareness comes down to a common problem within UFV as a commuter campus: student engagement.
“Lots of post-secondary [institutions] recognize that there’s a need for this,” he says. “We get as much information as we can out to the students and staff.”
The Cascade is looking for a production assistant to be part of our team. Under the supervision of the production manager, production assistants provide support with paper layout and graphics. Availability on Mondays and Tuesdays is preferred. Some knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite is an asset. Please send a cover letter, resume, and at least three original design samples to managingeditor@ufvcascade.ca by Friday, November 13. Must be a current UFV student enrolled in at least one class in both the fall and winter semesters to be eligible for employment.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28,2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
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NEWS
SUS EGM fails third quorum attempt MEGAN LAMBERT THE CASCADE/PHOTO
On Tuesday, October 27 at 5:30 p.m., the Student Union Society (SUS) hosted its third attempt this semester to meet quorum at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The previous two attempts in September also failed to meet quorum, so later that month the SUS Board of Directors passed a motion to change the time of the EGM from the morning to the afternoon — beginning the process of attracting quorum again. The first attempt on Tuesday required 94 students to make quorum, but about 45 students attended. The EGM is rescheduled for next Tuesday, November 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Student Union Building.
Elected positions on the CJS Board of Directors • • • • •
Student representatives (5) - Must be a student currently enrolled at UFV in good standing.* CJS alumni representative – Must have held but no longer holds a staff position at The Cascade, and was not forcibly removed from their position. One staff or faculty representative – Must currently hold a paid position at UFV.* One community representative – Must reside in the Fraser Valley. One continuity representative (proposed) – Must have previously held an elected seat on the CJS board of directors
*No director may be an elected official or employee of SUS or CIVL for the duration of his or her term, nor paid
The Cascade Journalism Society (CJS) is the governing board of The Cascade. Each year, students have the opportunity to gain governance experience by running for a position on our board of directors at the CJS Annual General Meeting. The board serves The Cascade in an advisory capacity, and ensures financial and legal requirements are adhered to; the board does not influence the content published by the paper. Five student representative positions are available on the board. The expected commitment is one year (from the beginning of December 2015 to the end of December 2016). To find out about other available board positions or for more information, contact current President Katie Stobbart at katie@ufvcascade.ca. Even if you are not interested in taking a leadership role with the CJS, please consider attending our AGM, which will be held Monday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m., Location TBA. All students who have paid their CJS semesterly fee are able to attend and vote. The tentative agenda for the meeting is posted below, as is a list of opening board positions, briefly described. Please also stay tuned for the posting of our proposed bylaw changes, to be made available on the Governance page of ufvcascade.ca by no later than November 2. If you would like to run for a position with CJS, please send a brief statement of interest and qualifications to katie@ufvcascade.ca, along with your student number if applying to be a student rep.
staff of The Cascade, nor a voting member of the UFV Board of Governors, UFV Senate, or a UFV administrator.
Tentative AGM agenda 1. Call to order 2. Approval of Minutes from Date AGM 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Reports 4a. President – K. Stobbart 4b. Treasurer – D. Ward-Hall i. 2014/15 Year End Financial Report ii. 2015/16 Budget Update 5. Regular business 5a. Appointment of an auditor 6. Special business 6a. Proposed changes to bylaws 7. Election of 2015/16 Board of Directors 8. Adjournment
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Liberals in office:
majority rules, or majority stinks? DREW BERGEN
CONTRIBUTOR
The Canadian federal elections saw quite the upset in our government, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party winning a majority government with a whopping 184 seats, and the previously governing Conservatives only managing 99 seats. Even though the party I voted for won, I have mixed feelings over this election because they won a majority. Trudeau is something new for Canada. He’s young, he’s ambitious, and he’s good-looking. Trudeau, as a person, is one that I greatly respect, not only for his campaigning strategy (he decided to shy away from smear-ads unlike other nominees past and present), but for his approach to parliament and his overall demeanour. His promises of removing the first-past-the-post system in favour of different ways of determining government, combined with his approach to the Syrian crisis and many other policies, have convinced me that we have elected
Image: wikimedia commons
With one party’s voice so loud, what keeps them in check? a good man for the job. But when it comes to governments, I have realized that I much prefer a minority government to a majority government. A minority government is when the leading party has not won more than 50 per cent of the seats in parliament, meaning that if they wish to pass a law, they cannot just do it based on their own party’s votes alone. Instead, they have to rely on another party to
back up their proposed policy in order to see it passed. This is where a minority government has its advantages. It means that the leading party simply cannot pass whatever they want; they need to choose policies and proposals that at least one other party will agree with. They need to make compromises that, in the end, will result in policies that appeal to more parties and, as a conse-
quence, to more Canadians. This means that the leading party cannot be as extreme with their ideals in their policies; they need to be considerate and willing to make compromises. Think for a moment what changed for Canadians to hate Harper. What happened that made Canada suddenly convinced that they wanted this Netflix-loving prime minister out of office? Was it his policies
and treatment of other parties? Probably, but the Conservatives were in office for an entire decade, so why would this suddenly come up now? Maybe it was because the last term that Harper served was his first in a majority government, and we got to see him passing policies against the wishes of so many Canadians. Of course, this is not to say that the Conservatives lost because they managed to step on too many toes during their majority government, or that Trudeau will suffer the same fate. All this means is that the ending of the 2015 federal election is no time to breathe a sigh of relief — it means that whether or not Trudeau decides to fulfill his campaign promises is not guaranteed, as there is not much holding him accountable for fulfilling said promises. Trudeau could very well become the next Harper. Only time will tell.
Satire
Halloween is cancelled due to election results REPP PORTER
REPORTING IN
Halloween has been cancelled this year in an unprecedented act of grumpiness from Conservative Minister of Holidays, Mel Perdador. “Burn your costumes, throw away your candy, and tell your kids they’re staying home on the 31st,” Perdador said in a private press conference this morning. “If Canada doesn’t want to have fun with the Conservative party, it’s not going to have any fun at all!” Posters announcing Halloween’s cancellation have begun appearing in bulk across Canada, especially near hubs of Halloween celebration such as university campuses and strangers’ backyards. The posters, which simply read “HALLOWEEN IS CANCELLED GO HOME” in particularly large font, have already caused a great deal of backlash against the Conservative Party of Canada, even if in their last few days of majority power. Party supporters have reportedly been the victims of all kinds of tricks (instead of treats) since the beloved holiday’s cancellation, in-
cluding but not limited to being surprised by teenagers jumping out of bushes, and being haunted by the spirits who inhabit the burial grounds upon which they build their homes. Yet the Conservative minister of holidays is in no way affiliated with the Conservative Party of Canada, according to fine print located at the bottom of Perdador’s website. Still, Halloween remains cancelled until the self-appointed minister of holidays is appeased by the mass dissatisfaction of the
Canadian public. UFV, which was to have been host to several Halloweenthemed events this week, is projected to suffer a 200 per cent drop in student engagement due to the cancellation of every Halloweenthemed event. Morgan Limberg, UFV student and member of the English students association, worries that “without our Halloween events, the campus will be dead. There will be nothing to talk about. The student new paper will have to rely on its satires
Image: alegria2014/pixabay
for content, which I’ve noticed unfairly incorporate real people, and which are becoming increasingly self-referential.” Perdador, aware of the particularly detrimental effects of her decision on “commuter campuses” like UFV, argues that it is the price Canadian students must pay for voting: “I have nothing against education. Cancelling Halloween is not a move against education but a move against students, who can sometimes be little shits who screw up elections.”
Justin Trudeau has responded personally to the Halloween controversy on his public Facebook page, shrugging off Perdador’s decision and promising that, as soon as he can, he will “look into” making Halloween a statutory holiday. Critics fear this will be a slippery slope for Trudeau. “What’s next?” questions local expert Scott Protter in several passionate emails to The Cascade this afternoon, “Is Trudeau gonna make marijuana a food group and abortion a national sport?” Perdador says yes; she has already issued a follow-up poster that says “BRACE YRSELF FOR THE ABORTION WAVE!” which she expects will appear in UFV hallways in the next couple weeks, just in time for Remembrance Day. Although Halloween is cancelled, UFV’s clubs and associations insist they will move forward with this week’s events in spite of politics, and hope students will stick around campus to attend a few of them.
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
SNAPSHOTS
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
Images: Danielle Collins
He’s a Liberal Looker
Smoked out at UFV
Taekwondo is not childish
Interest in video games (-3 to charisma)
Jeffrey Trainor
Catherine Bell
Melissa Ly
Drew Bergen
Since Justin Trudeau’s win, most of the conversation surrounding his triumph over Stephen Harper has been about his looks. This climaxed when a British newspaper called the Daily Mirror asked its readers, “Is Justin Trudeau the sexiest politician in the world?” Some of this could have been done in jest, but why is it the first thing the global media talks about when it comes to Trudeau? There’s something very shallow about it. It takes you back to your days in high school when some people in your class would label the new kid the second they entered the classroom; and apparently the label being given to Trudeau is the “hot politician.” Unfortunately, it takes away from the primary messages of his campaign, and shines the spotlight away from the promises he made to Canadians on the campaign trail. So please, media, can we grow up a little bit? We are not in high school anymore. We should be able to get past superficial judgements.
The rainy season is starting, and this time of year is the worst for both smokers and non-smokers. Smokers have to choose between obeying the law and staying under a dry awning, and non-smokers have to walk through a potentially dangerous cloud of smoke every time they exit a building. There are many people on campus whohave asthma or other issues, and get terrible headaches or worse from the smoke. Smokers are supposed to stand at least three metres from the door, but there aren’t extended awnings on buildings or any new structures to accommodate this. It can be hard to walk through covered areas because smokers are clogging the path. Old ashtrays and butt-outs were originally put right next to the doors, and haven’t been moved since the new law came into effect. Plus, fines for smoking are rarely given out anywhere, not just at UFV. There isn’t enough motivation for smokers to obey the law, and non-smokers have to deal with the miasma. With the impending legalization of marijuana it could get even worse, because the haze could be both dank and tobaccofilled should someone bring it to school. I hope a solution is considered soon.
It has recently come to my attention that there is a stigma around Taekwondo: that the martial art is childish and only suitable for children. I joined Taekwondo as a young adult, about one-and-a-half years ago, and am offended by this misconception. Perhaps the stigma does have some leverage in that some Taekwondo schools use the martial art as a guise for daycare. On the other hand, in my experience, there are instructors and schools that are genuinely passionate, and teach a variety of skills that have real-world applications. If one can find a respectable school, then Taekwondo is definitely worth learning, even if you are an adult. Courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit are the five tenets of Taekwondo. These are admirable qualities in any person — there’s nothing childish about that.
When I am asked what my interests and hobbies are, most people are ready to jump on and agree with TV shows, movies, and books. Yet, mention video games, and an invisible switch is flipped that carries with it a multitude of negative connotations. I suppose I have the media to thank for many negative stereotypes towards “nerds” and people interested in video games; but to think that it’s actually more socially acceptable to say you binged on Netflix for three hours than to say you played games for the same amount of time with a friend or two is pretty baffling. Games have grown a lot over the years into something more fulfilling, and if you’re one to knowingly or unknowingly look down upon them, maybe try to give them a fair shot for what they’re worth. You may surprise yourself.
Bad recommendations
from strategic voting websites ALEX RAKE
THE CASCADE
Congratulations! Strategic voting worked! Well, mostly. One of the main arguments against strategic voting was that polling information could be incorrect. This was true for my riding. The major strategic voting websites, strategicvoting.ca and votetogether.ca, urged voters in the Mission–Matsqui–Fraser Canyon riding to vote NDP. Yet, on voting day, the real competition was between the Conservatives and Liberals. The information on these
websites simply wasn’t recent enough. In the two weeks leading up to the election, after the public forums, it seemed pretty clear by word of mouth that most people were either going to vote Conservative or Liberal. Why didn’t strategicoting.ca reflect this? According to their “reason behind the recommendation” page, a huge factor they relied on is previous election results. Since the 2011 election showed a lot of potential in my area for the NDP compared to the Liberals (that is, 10,771 votes versus 2,824), the recommendation was weighted away from the party that actually won.
But with four years’ difference between now and then, it would have been wiser to rely more on current polling information. By polling more often and closer to election time, the data would be more accurate. Of course, this would require a sort of standardization of polls so as not to give inconsistent results. This means understanding who does or does not engage with the polls, what the methods are of gathering data, and how to consolidate polls with differing results. I don’t regret supporting the movement this election because, for the most part, it worked. Rid-
ings that would have gone to the Conservatives were tipped in another direction and, ultimately, we have a new majority government. The only thing I do regret is taking the websites’ word for it when they said who was likely to win. Understanding the imperfection of the recommendations is the voter’s responsibility, but providing accurate information is on the source. If Trudeau doesn’t follow up on electoral reform and strategic voting again looks like something necessary, we have to find a way to fix this problem of out-of-date information. More recent and
more frequent polling would be a good step, for example. Also, strategic voters ought to be more demanding of their sources for up-to-date recommendations if anything is to change at all. Hopefully it won’t come to that, though, because we shouldn’t need to vote strategically. We need a new, more democratic electoral system that makes strategic voting ridiculous. Otherwise, we’ll just play the same game over and over again.
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FEATURE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
Mental illness and the university student The connection between being a student and mental illness runs deeper than just the stress of university. The Globe and Mail reported that 15 per cent of university students will be diagnosed with a mental illness while they’re in university — and that only includes the students who sought treatment. The report also showed that 90 per cent of students admitted to feeling overwhelmed in the past year, and 50 per cent said that they felt completely hopeless. To top it off, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Canadians under the age of 24, with 9.4 per cent of students having seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 1.3 per cent having attempted suicide. But despite these numbers, students everywhere pretend that everything is okay. We come to class with our plastered
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on smiles and talk about how great life is, even when we know it’s not. CTV News’ Tom Kennedy accurately addresses this issue as “the onerous and still very present mental health taboo that may make students pause before admitting a problem and seeking help.” There is no foolproof guide to overcoming mental illness. But as students ourselves who recognize and experience the challenges of depression and mental illness, we know how helpful it can be to have good company, and work together to leave a dark room. So in this special safe space feature, we have gathered a handful of stories to let you know you’re not alone.
Introduction by Vanessa Broadbent Design by Brittany Cardinal 9.4 per cent of students having seriously considered suicide in the past year 1.3 per cent having attempted suicide Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Canadians under the age of 24
My best friend is restlessly creative and hilarious. She also has manic depression. Anxiety has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Every day, I used to wake up
knowing I would eventually feel sick-to-my-stomach anxious. I would have to deal with at least an hour of feeling nauseated, sweaty, and scared of what could happen … but you know what? Nothing ever did. Despite nothing ever happening, I always found a way to convince myself that the next time was the time things would go wrong. This happened multiple times a day, and I accepted it as my life. However, one day a friend of mine noticed I was “being weird,” and for whatever reason, I spilled the beans. To be honest, this was the best decision I ever made. I used to think that talking to others about what’s wrong was so cliché, but perhaps there is truth to it. I told them how I had been feeling, and funny enough, they said they’d experienced it too. From there, I talked to more people, and found out that I wasn’t alone; and best of all, there were ways to manage what I was feeling. After talking to my doctor, I found a way to do what was best for me. I would be lying if I said I was “cured” or anything; that’s not the way mental health works. You can’t just turn it off, and it’s always going to be there in some capacity. But talking about it and realizing you’re not alone is a good way to start feeling the way you want to feel.
It’s hard watching someone you know go through depression and not try to fix it yourself. When I
found out that my best friend was struggling with clinical depression, I didn’t know what to do. Part of me felt like it was my fault. Would she still feel the same if I had tried harder to be a better friend? The other part of me thought that it was my responsibility to “fix” everything. Despite my efforts to constantly cheer her up and always be ready for her to talk to, her situation wasn’t getting any better, and the stress of a failed long-term relationship and flunking out of college certainly didn’t help. When she told me that she wanted to move, I felt crushed. This wasn’t just a move to the next town over, she wanted to move across the world. And she did. But it turned out that moving away was exactly what she needed. Starting over in a new place, far away from the things that triggered her depression, helped her get the fresh start she needed. Although I miss her every day and hate that all we get is the occasional Skype conversation, nothing beats knowing that she’s happy, even if it means I don’t get to spend as much time with her as I’d like to.
She careens from one emotional extreme to another. She would impulsively buy things that she couldn’t afford. She would have bouts of insomnia, isolate herself in her bedroom, and have panic attacks. In March, she was admitted to the psych ward. I found that out from a text: Hey. Won’t have my phone for a while. I’m at the psych ward. I’ll call you Monday. She never called me that Monday. I found out later that day that she was fine, and that she’d be out soon. I felt relieved. When she got out, she still didn’t call. I felt hurt. I finally called her, a week later. She talked about how weird the place was at night. She believes in the catharsis of comedy. Comedians like to point out the fuckedup things human beings do. When the audience agrees with the comic, they laugh. The conversation came to a point where I had to tell her. It hurts when my best friend is in a state of distress. I feel betrayed when she says she’ll talk with me later about it, and she doesn’t. It makes me feel like I can’t help. I didn’t know how selfish that sounded. I was on a variation of a power trip. She apologized, and then explained. Things just are what they are sometimes. Talking about your state of mind all the time was weird. Going to the psych ward was weird. The feelings that came out of nowhere, and the meds prescribed to counteract them were weird. Friends who demand an explanation as to why things are weird were weird. I found myself agreeing with her, and the laughter came naturally. It always does.
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FEATURE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
“I used to think that talking to others about what’s wrong was so cliche...”
15%
90 50%
%
of university students will be diagnosed with a mental illness while they’re in university — and that only includes the students who sought treatment. of students admitted to feeling overwhelmed in the past year.
said that they felt completely hopeless.
“...but realizing you’re not alone is a good way to start feeling the way you want to feel.”
I do not have an anxiety disorder, but from time to time it feels like an elephant
is sitting on my chest. My brain freezes and my insides feel scrambled. I have classic symptoms of anxiety like chewing my nails, speaking quickly and in fragments, or not at all, and breathing in rapid and shallow breaths. It seems obvious, but just trying one kind of self-calming exercise is not enough. To effectively move through feelings of anxiety, it’s important to target each of these areas (the mind, the gut, the breathing) to keep all your bases in check. I’ve started doing 10-minute breathing exercises each morning. Not only does this wake me up, but it helps me not to jump out of bed in a state of dread or panic, thinking about all the things I have to do that day. I’m trying to treat that gut feeling with a couple of things. First, I’m trying not to drink too much coffee. Caffeine is usually a magic productivity liquid, but when you’re already nervous, it can amplify those feelings, and give you a physical sensation of unrest that can only make things worse. When I do have that gut feeling, I try to just sit with it and notice what it’s doing. Sometimes it feels like it’s moving around, and sometimes it feels like a big rock. Acknowledging that physical feeling is helpful when you’re trying to conquer your anxiety — like making a list or a schedule of all of your homework rather than just haphazardly trying to accomplish everything at once. As for my mind, I try to make lists to help me put things in focus, but sometimes staring at a long line of items can make you feel hopeless about finishing before you even start. I have tried closing all of the tabs except the ones I need on my computer, folding the list so only one item shows at a time, and even writing step-by-step instructions for how to accomplish something. (Example: Step one, open your email; Step two, find your assignment; Step three, read the assignment, etc.) Dealing with anxiety is like getting dressed — using pants to cover your head probably isn’t effective, so why would one kind of exercise work for every symptom of anxiety?
My mom has a long history of mental illness on her side of the fam-
ily. Her sister committed suicide a few years ago, and her brother abuses substances and struggles with addiction. My mom was diagnosed as bi-polar, and she also suffered from postpartum depression after she had me. This caused her to be both angry, inconsistent, and self-deprecating when I was growing up. My mom was very sensitive, and reacted poorly to things that triggered her. For example, she once sobbed on the couch for an hour after the cat scratched the fabric because she felt she was a failure in life, and couldn’t even keep her furniture looking nice. Her illness made her act out violently in both words and demeanour. She said hurtful things and made poor choices when it came to how to discipline me, or how to interact with my father, her family, and her co-workers. A lot of things she said were so painful for a child to hear, that some people might consider them unforgivable. It wasn’t really my mom who said and did those things. My mom was also a person who taught me to be kind to everyone. She always praised me when I did something well, she always hung up my art projects, and she always woke me up by singing “Happy Birthday to You” on my birthday every year — even last year, when she called me on my cellphone at 8:00 a.m. the morning of. My mom is so much fun — she would dress up in costume to go to Harry Potter movies, and she was great at hanging out with my friends and I. It has taken me many years to recognize that she didn’t truly mean most of her hurtful actions. It takes time, but when those memories pop up it’s important to remember it’s not your loved one who is really choosing to do these things — it’s the illness talking.
UFV counselling: UFV offers personal counselling and self-help resources to students struggling with mental illness. For more information or to make an appointment, visit ufv. ca/counselling. UFV crisis support: Students experiencing a personal crisis can visit UFV’s crisis support. Drop by room B124 in Abbotsford (604854-4528) or room A1318 in Chilliwack (604795-2808) between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Crisis phone line: The crisis phone line is open 24 hours a day, every day. 604-9548855 or toll free 1-877-820-7444. “PAWS” for a break: Mac, a registered therapy dog, is on campus every Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. in room B214. For more information call 604-854-4528. Abbotsford Youth Health Centre: The AYHC provides counselling services for young adults up to the age of 24. They host a free drop in clinic (no appointments necessary) on Tuesdays from 3 to 7 p.m., and Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1945 McCallum Rd.
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STUDY BREAK CULTURE
CROSSWORD 1
www.ufvcascade.ca
Heed the warning, hear the siren
by MEGAN LAMBERT
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3
ACROSS
4 5 6 7
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
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Last issue’s crossword
1. Remember the trio? Paxton, Roberts, and Jo. (10) 5. Take me down to the ________ (if you dare). (7) 9. Lawyers (of the tiger variety). (5) 11. Don’t drink this, but maybe make soup. (4, 5) 12. Tip of the tongue, the teeth, the ____________. (4) 13. For example: Hocus pocus! Alakazam! (5) 14. A Canadian arts and culture magazine. (6)
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ACROSS 2. 4. 7. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
MOON PILLOW TEA STARS. MIDNIGHT REM REST DARK
DOWN
DOWN
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2. A hit Disney song. (5, 3, 3) 3. Nature spirit: a pixie, a sprite! (5) 4. Don’t get crabby! (10) 6. Titanic, Andrea Doria, Hunley, and others. (9) 7. Scurry (hurry). (7) 8. Sexy half-fish, surname Gilmore. (7) 10. The best in his school. (8)
12 13
1. 3. 5. 6. 8. 10.
SLIPPERS NIGHTLIGHT BLANKET TEDDYBEAR YAWN MIDTERM
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EclipseCrossword.com
The Weekly Horoscope
Star Signs from Sybil la Claire Gemini: May 21 to June 21: If you find yourself fighting the urge to sing on the bus a week, stop. You won’t get the negative responses you expect. But be forewarned that it is unsafe to ride on the top of a moving bus.
Pisces: Feb 19 to March 20: Leave your cell phone at home for once. Just not on purpose. That’s never fun.
Cancer: June 22 to July 22: It’s almost November, but everyone knows you secretly don’t care. You really need to work on keeping secrets.
Scorpio: Oct 23 to Nov 21: Things might get icy between you and a friend. But it’s not supposed to snow for a while still, so it might just be more frosty than anything.
Aries: March 21 to April 19: It’s not that you don’t look good in your Halloween costume, you’re just too cool for it. Maybe pick a new one with more sparkles.
Leo: July 23 to Aug 22: Your pyjama pants may be comfy, but they’re clearly not the most practical option. Besides, it’ll be a little awkward trying to get them out of the fishtank.
Sagittarius: Nov 22 to Dec 21: Costume parties are only fun if you’re wearing a costume. Unless there’s candy. If there is, wear a costume in which you can hide the most candy.
Taurus: April 20 to May 20: Avoid talking to any cashiers this week, especially if they ask you about your pets. In that case, just turn around and run.
Virgo: Aug 23 to Sept 22: Is Halloween overrated? Are all nonstatutory holidays overrated? Is life overrated? The Harper Moon thinks you should say yes.
Capricorn: Dec 22 to Jan 19: If you see any sunshine this week, try to walk on it. Your socks will stay drier that way.
Libra: Sept 23 to Oct 22: If you’ve become addicted to pumpkin spice everything, it’s time to slowly ween yourself off. Also, don’t admit to anyone that you’ve become addicted to pumpkin spice everything.
BY ANTHONY BIONDI
SPACED
Aquarius: Jan 20 to Feb 18: Polar bear swims sound good in theory, but not on paper. So if you have any essay questions on your midterms, avoid talking about polar bear swims.
FIND MORE SPACED ONLINE AT WWW.ANTHONYBIONDI.COM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
CULTURE
Envision concert series goes out with a twang VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
Abbotsford isn’t known as the most accommodating city for live music, but the Abbotsford Arts Council (AAC) is working hard to change that. This weekend marked the final concert of the AAC’s Envision Financial Coffee House and Concert in the Park series, and it ended with a full house. Local musicians Kat & Tony brought their acoustic folk and blues music to the SippChai Café on Saturday. Sophia Suderman, the new executive director of the AAC, explained that the concert series strives to provide a performing venue for talented local artists from a variety of genres. “[Musicians are juried], so the quality is great,” she added. “It’s nice to be exposed to some different music. Everyone has a band that they follow, but it’s nice to just come out and see what other people have put on the table for you.” This year saw 37 bands performing and over 45,000 attendees in total, according to Suderman. Part of the reason the event was able to feature so many bands were the double
park performances, a new addition this year. In previous years, the park series that take place during the summer, only featured one artist or band each week, but this year the AAC changed that. Every concert in the summer showed two acts. The event also partners with Envision Financial’s Full Cupboard initiative to raise funds and awareness for local food banks. “It’s just a great way to participate with the food bank and get people involved, and a way to get contributions,” Suderman explained. “I think the whole partnership of it has been really good.” Suderman explained that at this point, the AAC is unclear if the current concert format will carry over into next year. “Now that it’s ended we’ll do a debrief and we’ll see if that’s something they want to continue doing or not,” she said. “It’s hard to say at this point.” Suderman attributed some of the series’ success to its reliable schedule, noting that for some, it has become a calendar staple. “I think something that’s really positive about it is the consistency of it,” she said. “There are a lot of regulars that come out; there are a lot of people that plan their nights around it.”
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CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Below the Belt
Bumping fuzzies: exploring furry fandom XTINA SEXPERT
A furry is a person who dresses like, and takes on the characteristics of an animal. Some furries dress up in full animal suits, or “fursuits,”while the majority stick to wearing partial suits, including tails and ears. This is both for comfort — a fursuit can get pretty hot over extended period of time — and to avoid the price of the attire, which can cost as much as $10,000. Anthropomorphic animal characters created by furry fans, known as “fursonas,” are used to enhance the experience. These fursonas are especially important when engaging in furry roleplaying games. These games are generally non-sexual activities that include chasing, petting, grooming, cuddling, and pretty much anything you would imagine your pet doing. Sometimes they engage in sexual activities with each other. This can be full intercourse, oral, anal, or a furry favourite: assuming the standard animal mating position and dry humping. Originating in the early ‘80s at a science fiction convention, furry fandom has exploded among gamers and internet interlop-
ers. Hundreds of websites link furries across the planet and allow for online communities that can lead to face-to-face meetings and local activities. According to countless websites and blogs dedicated to the furry lifestyle, conventions are the best place to meet other furs. Pittsburgh hosts the largest annual furry convention, with over 5,000 in attendance. Furry conventions allow furries to socialize; buy, sell, and share art; and participate in workshops, which include an array of howtos including, “Methods for coming out as a furry” and “Animal simulation that will lead to sexual stimulation.” Furries seem to be perceived as highly erotic, sex-obsessed members of a creepy fandom. I guess the feeling is that there’s just got to be something nefarious and kinky going on underneath all the cheery, cartoon-like suits. It seems there is a common, disgusted reaction to furries and their behaviours, but why is one kink considered more perverse than another? Furry fandom has a fairly large following with dedicated members. In the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver area alone, there are four different groups who belong to online communities and meet regularly.
So we have established that there are potentially hundreds, or even thousands, of furries grooming and dry humping each other all over the Lower Mainland; but what is it they love so much? What makes them put on the ears and tail and channel their inner raccoon, bunny, or fox? In an article on quora.com, Matt Davis, a professed psychology major and a practising furry, offers an explanation. “Furries are most often adults who were rejected from early developmental social structures when they were young,” he writes. “This, of course, happens quite often in our society … In the absence of friends and social structure during childhood, a furry adopts the only alternate friends and structure available to them at the time — television cartoon characters.” Being a furry is a habitual but harmless lifestyle. It’s no stranger than being into feet or liking golden showers. As long as it’s consensual and no actual animals are involved, what business is it of ours how these critters explore their sexuality? That’s right; it’s not!
EVENTS October 29 Feast of Screams
Join the UFV Circle K Club in celebrating Halloween this year at the Great Hall in the Student Union Building. The Feast of Screams will feature music by DJ Hark, door prizes, as well as a haunted house. Proceeds from the event will go to support Project Eliminate. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
October 29 All Hallows’ Read
“Great Scott!”
Time-travel movies of the past predicted a much cooler future
GLEN ESS
The UFV English Student Association, the Louden Singletree, and the English Department have joined forces to host All Hallows’ Read. Bring your spookiest short stories to the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies. The event begins at 7:00 p.m.
October 30
CONTRIBUTOR
Wednesday, October 21 was a pop culture milestone: it was Back to the Future Day. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it’s the day that Marty McFly, the lead character of the time travel instant classic, Back to the Future II, arrives in “the future.” Of course, Back to the Future Day has become something of a joke, with several internet hoaxes using Photoshop to alter the date shown on the DeLorean’s dashboard, and making claims that the big day had arrived. But this time, it really is the day, and it’s … well to be frank, it’s a little lacklustre. Part of the appeal in any time travel based sci-fi flick is the expression, the imagination, and the creativity that the filmmakers put into crafting their vision of humanity’s future; from the dystopian settings of Blade Runner and Terminator, to the more optimistic, sleek aesthetic of Star Trek. The future is something that we can all look forward to. But Back to the Future II, released in the bygone era of 1989, set the bar way too high for the year 2015. Think about it; we don’t have hover boards like the ones in the film, or Jaws 19 (yet). We’re definitely lacking in those departments. Although we’re close, 2015 hasn’t seen fit to make automatically resizing, self-lacing shoes available to the public yet (although Nike has created a pair that lace up at least,
UPCOMING
Film screening and critique with UFV Feminist Initiative Join the Feminist Initiative in a spooky film screening and critique of Practical Magic. The event runs from 12 until 2 :00 p.m. at the Great Hall in the Student Union Building. but they won’t be availble until 2016), which will be so much easier than the ridiculous waste of energy that is the chore of lacing up your shoes — who has the time or energy to tie up their shoes? And before you get all smarty-pants on me, Velcro doesn’t count, because you still have to do the fastening yourself. Get to it, science! And while you’re at it, get fashion to make double-ties a trend! All jokes aside, Back to the Future II suffers from the same sort of issues that other films using time travel as a plot device have struggled with. Namely, if you place the “future” setting too far forward, it becomes far too different from the present day for it to be relatable. Or alternatively, if the “future” is placed too close, the film veers towards naively optimistic in regards to human ingenuity, or it becomes too negative a depiction. The truth is (and this especially applies to Back to the
Future II), this medium of film is a hit-andmiss predictor. We don’t have flying cars, but we do have flat-screen televisions, our printers are better than the ones in the movie, and the Chicago Cubs even made it to the playoffs (although they probably won’t go any further). So what do you think? Did 2015 live up to the hype that Back to the Future II gave it? Have we flopped, failing to meet the expectations of a more hopeful past? It’s easy to see both sides of the argument here. In any case, we’re driving off into the uncharted waters of an uncertain future now and we’d best not rush it, because, in the immortal words of Christopher Lloyd’s Dr. Emmet Brown: “When this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you’re going to see some serious shit.”
November 4 Peace and conflict studies present Yonatan Shapira UFV’s peace and conflict studies department will be screening the documentary Little Town of Bethelehem, which will be followed with a lecture by guest speaker Yonatan Shapira. The event will be at 4 p.m. in B101 on the Abbotsford campus. For more information contact Steven.Schroeder@ufv.ca
ARTS IN REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
CHARTS Vy 1 ElReturn to the Moon
2 Destroyer Poison Season 3 YACHT I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler
4
New Order Music Complete
Blonde 5 Yukon On Blonde Baby 6 War Death Sweats Indian 7 Neon VEGA INTL. Night School
8 Ought Sun Coming Down 9 Greys Repulsion is an Astronaut 10 God Helios Erebus
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Deerhunter Fading Frontier
Day 12 Howie Lanterns of the CPU 13 Children Synth Camp Puppet Society 14 Lost Life Among the Fallen
15
Leaves Elsa Never Come Down
and Colour 16 City If I Should Go Before You
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Folly & the Hunter Awake
18 Obsidian Time Erodes 19 Litterbug The Scent of New Skins the Facts 20 Fuck Desire Will Rot
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Shuffle DAVE CUSICK
PROGRAM DIRECTOR / THE PODFATHER
Not only does Halloween fall on a weekend this year, but also on the night the clocks “fall back.” Which means your party’s going to need an hour extra of songs. Here’s a few to start. Spoon “The Ghost of You Lingers” Spoon’s sixth album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is so sing-along-able, and yet so rich. It sold nearly as many copies as their prior two albums combined. But rather than settle into giving the people what they want, they followed it up with 2010’s Transference, a more challenging record, but one that more than satisfied their longtime fans. Ray Parker, Jr. “Ghostbusters” Ghostbusters should be taught in every film class. A well-crafted backstory, thorough but quick exposition, mostly practical special effects, well-defined characters with clear motivations, and hilarious dialogue. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve at least seen the “Pumpkin Dance” video on YouTube, right? Ministry “Every Day is Halloween” One time, some friends and I dressed in all black, put on some white foundation and black makeup (yes, me too), and went downtown to a goth club. We tried to “pass” for a while, but decided that it wasn’t worth the effort, and started playing Uno at a table instead. Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers “The Monster Mash” When it was released in 1962, the BBC banned this song from its airwaves for being “too morbid.” Now, my daughter’s elementary school does a dance to it every year. Harry and the Potters “Christmas Shopping for Dobby” I was in my 20s when the Harry Potter books started coming out. Why, I thought, spend my time reading children’s books (with no nostalgic value) when I could be out angsting? My daughter and I are big fans, and now we have a soundtrack, too.
Cascade Arcade
Life is Strange revolutionizes the role-playing genre HARVIN BHATHAL
CONTRIBUTOR
In my years of playing video games, never has one evoked such serious emotion. Dontnod Entertainment’s Life is Strange is a roller coaster of emotion that challenges real-life concepts that video games in the past haven’t — at least successfully. The graphic adventure game is an episodic interactive drama that spans five episodes. It is centered around main protagonist, Maxine Caulfield, who discovers she has the ability to rewind time — a mechanic used as not only a gameplay conceit, but as a clever thematic device as well. With the ability, the player is able to change whatever Max experiences to what they like. Every choice that is made leads to the butterfly effect — in chaos theory, it means that a small change in one state can result in large differences in a different state. The game doesn’t use its own logic; it stays true to the scientific standard. As in this case, the attention to detail in every aspect is second to none. Rather than the gameplay, Life is Strange focuses on story, and character arc and development as its central points, which creates a game where the player is emotionally invested in the characters. Themes of nostalgia and inner struggle are conveyed throughout, giving a sense of relatability. The genius of the game is that it reflects the lives of teenagers who play it. Max’s best friend, Chloe Price, is the other main protagonist in the game, and while her character isn’t likable, she is a fantastic portrayal of a teenager facing hurt and an-
ger caused by the death of a loved one. Everyone has, or knows of, someone in his or her life who is going through, or has gone through, something similar. The game’s relatability forms a personal connection with the player — a connection that not every game can achieve. It needs not be said that playing with time has its consequences. Early on, Max realizes that she shouldn’t have an over-reliance on her powers, and later on, that she can’t change the past because it was unfortunate. Life is Strange teaches us that no matter how much you want to change your life through your past, you cannot, and even if you could, there’s no guarantee for a better life — life can never be perfect. It may be difficult to understand, but it’s a part of growing up as a teenager. While life isn’t perfect, the artwork used in the game is, and it is ingenious in terms of being right out of a teenager’s notebook. Perhaps the most different — and personally, my favourite — aspect is the music. Inspired by the Pacific Northwest autumnal mood, the music of Life is Strange is composed of modern indie folk music, featuring artists such as Syd Matters, Message to Bears, Mud Flow, Sparklehorse, and Local Natives. The music intends to create the perfect atmosphere, and “permeates through every layer of story, art, and sound,” says Jean-Maxime Moris, co-founder and creative director of Dontnod. While there are flaws such as the lip-syncing and minor blips in the story, they do not take away from the overall quality. Life is Strange is a revolutionary video game, and has set the precedent for future interactive games.
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ARTS IN REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Movie
Sicario unfurls with masterful intensity MITCH HUTTEMA THE CASCADE
Sicario: si’ ka.rjo — A spanish word for hitman or assassin, and the latest film from Denis Villeneuve. In the past several years, we have seen an increase in screen time for narcotic-centric media; examples include Breaking Bad, Narcos, and the Wire. Along that same vein comes the latest film from Denis Villeneuve, Sicario. This film tells the story of FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) as she teams up with government official, Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), and the secretive Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) to fight the drug trade from Mexico firsthand. One of the industry’s most prodigious directors of photography, Roger Deakins, helped bring Sicario from the mind of Villeneuve to the screen. Following his trademark style, the framing of Sicario is handled with precise intention to show, or hide, from the viewer elements of the scene that elaborate on the dialogue and meaning of the scene at hand. This meticulous control creates the level of cinema that every filmmaker strives for; layering of visual, auditory, and psychological attributes that work together to define and set apart the medium of film. Visually, Sicario echoes No Country for Old Men and Fargo: the same wide angle shots of the landscape and a similar muted colour palate are employed. Colour in this film is reserved for moments of tension or action, and is otherwise beige or washed out to match the dry, barren setting of the film along the Mexican border. While colour was reserved for the more exciting sections of the film, the soundtrack doesn’t necessarily follow suit. Some of the most tense and unbearably raw scenes of the film were devoid of any music, and taut with the silence. Supposedly, Villeneuve edits the first drafts of his films without any soundtrack —
this is clear even in the finished cut of the film as there is a clear visual and psychological power present in the most intense sequences. There are times when every member of the audience falls prey to the old clichés of sitting on the edge of their seat, forgetting to breathe, and unconsciously chewing on whatever they happen to put in their mouths. This is not to say that this film is unnervingly silent, or that every tense moment is silent. In fact, the soundtrack for this film is masterful, and borderline experimental at points. At times, the soundtrack ventures into the same territory as There Will Be Blood, with drumbeats that start to ramp up your heart rate, and audio that less resembles music and moreso sound effects. One of the essential themes of this film is related closely to the protagonist, but is at the same time also very detached from her. This film is not feminist, but it does make a feminist statement. A film about war, drugs, and power, Sicario doesn’t focus on the importance of the protagonist being female, yet with the way the story unfolds, this becomes an essential piece of the puzzle. Casting light on the rule bending of the American military (and by extension, the American government) in a bid for control, this film manages to make a point of how much of a man’s world that politics and the military really are. The protagonist acts as a surrogate for the audience in the film, and thus each experience the main character goes through has an increasingly powerful effect on the audience as the film progresses. It is incredibly difficult to say much about the theme or plot of this movie without spoiling the experience of seeing the film unfurl. Suffice it to say, this film is well worth watching, and offers a perspective not often explored on war, the drug trade, and the human struggle for control.
Album
Fetty Wap’s debut album is undeniably catchy, front to back PIERRE-JAMAL OUELLET CONTRIBUTOR
Fetty Wap is an anomaly: rarely do we see a debut artist have a meteoric rise even close to what the “Trap Queen” rapper has experienced in 2015. To start, that same debut single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and is even more of a rare commodity in the sense that it is one of the few American rap songs to successfully break through to Canadian mainstream radio. While many rappers would find it difficult to follow up that major success, Fetty Wap brought us “My Way,” and “679,” both of which would later find themselves in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. His latest single, “Again,” has peaked at number 33 on the same chart, making all four of his singles Top 40 hits — a major accomplishment in its own right. The most
Fetty Wap’s debut is catchy as hell. astounding fact of his young career came after the release of “My Way,” which made Fetty Wap the first male rapper to have two concurrent top ten hits as a lead artist since Lil Wayne in 2011.
While his rise is reminiscent of Drake’s early days with Young Money, in an era of sing-song rap (Snootie Wild, K Camp, Rich Homie Quan, to name a few), Fetty has managed to separate himself from the pack. While his lyricism is simplistic and on par with the vast majority of the others, Fetty Wap has managed to differentiate himself through his excellent ear for melodies and vocal intonation; most noticeably on “My Way,” but for those who haven’t treated themselves to that album yet, the best example of this on Fetty Wap would be on “Jugg.” But the high points of this album don’t stop at Fetty himself; his beat selection is extremely complimentary to his style. If there is one thing that could be improved upon, it would be differentiating the tempo of his flows along those beats — at the moment, all the songs can sound the same (the same issue many had with YG’s debut
album, My Krazy Life) and blend together. However, Fetty did what he does well, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for out of a debut album. It seems that he’s noticed this on his own, though, as his freestyle over Future’s “Trap N*ggas” beat was an excellent change of pace, and a good example of how an artist can maintain the style that made them popular while still altering a few things here and there. This writer’s personal favourites from the album are “Jugg,” “679,” “D.A.M.,” as well as, “How We Do Things”, although I’m sure each and every one of the songs on this album will make their way into my iPhone rotation. If you’re looking for an album full of catchy songs from front to back, then Fetty Wap’s self-titled debut is the album for you.
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ARTS IN REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Albums
Time travelling with Leon Bridges Coming Home merges nostalgia and modernity MARTIN CASTRO THE CASCADE
Leon Bridges’ newest record does not sound like it was released in 2015. It also doesn’t sound like it came out of Fort Worth, Texas. As a matter of fact, the Georgiaborn 26-year-old shares less with his contemporaries than he does with another southerner: Mississippi native and soul legend, Sam Cooke. “Coming Home,” the first track on the 10-track LP, sees Bridges croon his way through a sweet little three-minute opener, full of yearning and the spongy, heartbroken soul of Otis Redding. I half-expected to see The Temptations as a featured act somewhere through the project. “Shine” makes use of horns and a chorus to give Bridges’ voice a less refined quality. Here, the polished trumpets are traded in for more earthy saxophones, and Bridges’ voice adapts accordingly. While an organ trembles
in the background, Leon lets his voice, not so much his lyricism (as touching as it is), do his speaking for him. At this point, most peo-
ple would be thinking, “But wait, this is nothing new. There’s nothing in this record that I can’t find in something 60 years its senior.”
And most people would be right. There’s nothing in here that is explicitly building upon the conventions of soul or blues. But it is that simplicity, that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude which is adapted throughout the record, that lets Bridges shine. It doesn’t matter if what Bridges is doing on this record has been done before, because Bridges is doing it so well that the form becomes the message. The record is equal parts nostalgia and futurism. “River,” for example, is more closely related to the acoustic ballads singer-songwriters are so fond of nowadays, but Bridges strips it down further: a single guitar and a tambourine provide a sparse backing for Bridges to fill with his own instrument — his voice. The addition of a choir during the chorus, which might have gone unnoticed in R&B’s current incarnation, is explicitly present in “River.” If there’s anything that characterizes Bridges’ sound, it’s that it is patient, and completely
Destroyer takes a nostalgia trip GLEN ESS
CONTRIBUTOR
Dan Bejar’s 10th album as Destroyer, Poison Season, is an album that’s full to the brim with nostalgia. Predominantly a classic, peppered with ‘50s style jazz and orchestral-influenced crooning, the record at times veers in towards ‘70s rock. For the most part, Poison Season is melancholic and contains a palpable feeling that Bejar is lost deep in thought — almost consciously holding back the album from letting loose, as if he’s second guessing himself. When Poison Season does ramp up, it resembles an old-school classic rock album, mirroring the likes of Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Bob Seger, and Billy Joel; piano-driven rock that crashes down on you like a tidal wave. However, such moments are rare, and the record seems to deliberately hold out on them, limiting them to only three songs: “Dream Lover,” “Times Square,” and, “Midnight Meet The Rain.” Barring these three songs, there are only a handful of moments during the other, far more jazz influenced tracks where the mu-
sic temporarily kicks into high gear. “Hell” and “Archer On The Beach” both contain hints of this, but not to the same intensity as the aforementioned trio of songs. A common thread throughout the album is the use of horns, which take centre stage throughout each of Poison Season’s thirteen tracks, much like Destroyer’s 2011 release, Kaputt. Bejar’s vocals veer between an airy, breathlessly smooth croon — best seen on “Solace’s Bride” and “Girl In a Sling” — and a brasher, more ragged, hoarse style seen during Poison Season’s more explosive moments, most noticeably on “Dream Lover.” Of course it wouldn’t be a Dan Bejarpenned album without pithy, easily quotable lines. From “Dream Lover,” we see an almost deadpan, “Aw shit here comes the sun,” as well as a matter-of-fact, “You’re sick in the head.” And in “Solace’s Bride” he calmly and quietly goes through the following: “Stars blink, stars go wild and expire / Stars get made from fire,” which rolls off the tongue with ease. Callbacks to prior songs abound between the album’s opener,
“Times Square Poison Season I”; middle track, “Times Square”; and final track, “Times Square Poison Season II,” which neatly adds to the album’s cohesion while also highlighting how much of a difference delivery and tempo can make in how a song is perceived — with “Times Square” being much more upbeat, and faster than the opener and closer. Overall, Poison Season is a continuation of Kaputt. While the album is consistently excellent throughout, it also seems to be confused as to what kind of sound it’s aiming for, with the classical, smooth jazz sound at odds with the quicker soft rock trio of songs that appear almost at random across the album. Highlights included “Dream Lover,” “Times Square,” and “Midnight Meets The Rain.” Glen Ess also hosts Rhythm & Rhyme on CIVL 101.7 FM every Friday from 4-6
sure of itself. “Flowers” jumps from straight soul to the early rock of the late ‘50s. The Shirelles’ influence is felt throughout every inch of the track. Simple, yet aided by a more prominent electric guitar, the track works not only as homage, but also as a development on the aesthetic that gave birth to the rock of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. “Lisa Sawyer,” however, is probably the best track on the entire record. I might just be a sappy person in general, but the softly-spoken, feel-good love song does everything it’s supposed to do. Bridges might as well have recorded the bulk of the record in 1962. The pacing of the track, though, is the main attraction. In a modern soundscape where even ballads are crafted to be danceable, Bridges takes his good time teasing out the narrative, and the resulting track is as sweet and reflective of its influences as you could ask it to be.
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SPORTS & HEALTH
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Chatting on the court with Mandelyn Erickson ESRA AL-ABDULJABAR CONTRIBUTOR
With a new coach and a new roster, the Cascades women’s volleyball team is gearing up for a new season. Veteran athlete Mandelyn Erikson, a middle on the team and a third year English and psychology student, opens up about her history with the sport, and what fans can expect to see in the upcoming season. How did you get into volleyball? In high school, many of the school coaches said, “Oh hey, you’re tall, you should try this sport and that sport,” and volleyball was one of them. How long have you been playing volleyball? I started playing volleyball competitively in grade 10, and before that, I played kind of a little bit here and there. That’s when I started playing club and got interested in the sport. What do you like about the sport? I like that it’s a team sport, and getting to work together towards a common goal, which is fun. I mean, I’m very competitive, so that also helps. How has the training and preseason been going so far? It went pretty well. We had our home opener this past weekend. We came out with two wins, and it was nice to see some of our training pay off. What are you looking forward to most this season? We have a new coach [Mike Gilray] and we also have a lot of new faces that came on to the team this year, so I’m excited to see where it goes, and what happens — and what we can do with it.
What have been your favourite moments / games with the Cascades? That’s kind of hard to pin down, one game or moment that’s been my favourite. I mean, every game is exciting. Definitely this past weekend with the home opener; I started, which was super exciting for me, and it was exciting to see our training pay off. How do you find time to balance sports and school — maybe even a job? I live by my planner. I do have a job on top of my schooling and sports. I write so many lists I can’t even count them. I live through organization, and my planner just keeps me on top of things and tells me when I have to do things — and when I have the time to do it. Do you think you’ll pursue volleyball professionally after university? Probably not. I do love the sport, but that is a huge time commitment, and that would mean putting my career on hold, which I don’t really know if I’m ready for. Do you have any advice for UFV students wanting to try volleyball out? It’s a great way to be a part of a team, and you kind of get to go into a community — the sports community. All the teams pretty much interact and talk, and it’s nice to kind of come and get to know people without having to work that hard to make friends.
Image: Tree Frog Imaging
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SPORTS & HEALTH
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Free from gluten-free Are we finally ending the era of gluten-free everything?
UPCOMING
VANESSA BROADBENT
EVENTS
THE CASCADE
We all know someone who eats gluten-free — probably because they’ve made a point of telling us more than once. It seems as if everywhere we look, we’re bombarded with gluten-free options to nearly everything possible, and droves of passionate social media users telling us why we should choose them. Popular science website “I F**king Love Science” makes the claim that we may be nearing the end of the gluten-free bandwagon craze. The website reported this weekend that no studies have been able to prove that there are any health benefits of eating gluten-free if you don’t have an intolerance to gluten.
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
“[Gluten-free] products have become extremely popular with the wider public, under an aura of being a “healthier” option,” the article stated. I won’t deny that gluten-free products are necessary. I have a friend that suffers from celiac disease, and she can’t eat anything containing gluten at all. But I also have a significant number of friends who have never been, in any way, diagnosed as having an intolerance to gluten, but for some reason think that they do. The craze began when stars like Ryan Gosling and Gwyneth Paltrow were rumoured to be eating only gluten-free, despite being undiagnosed with celiac disease. Since then, it seems as if almost everyone has joined
in with the anti-gluten mindset — so many that it’s become a $90-million industry in Canaday with seven million Canadians claiming to eat gluten-free, despite the fact that only 35,000 Canadians are diagnosed with celiac disease. The fad has even caused popular brands including Kelloggs and Campbells to change their recipes to include more gluten-free options. Celiac disease causes those affected by it to suffer from intestinal inflammation if they eat anything containing gluten. But studies have found that without the gluten intolerance, gluten doesn’t affect the body in any negative way. So essentially, people have been spending the last few years buying supposedly healthier, gluten-free options
for twice the price, for no reason. Maclean’s magazine also reported on the issue, and explained that by leaving gluten out of their diets, people are also missing out on a lot of other essential nutrients, like zinc and potassium. The magazine suggested that the reason glutenfree eaters claim to feel healthier after switching to the diet actually has nothing to do with gluten, but is because they generally start to eat more whole foods and cook healthier as a result. While it’s good that people are striving to live healthier lifestyles, it’ll be nice to finally have a break from being bombarded with hundreds of reasons to go gluten-free — until the next fad diet, that is.
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.
Scoreboard
Men’s Basketball: Oct 23 UFV Cascades vs. Winnipeg Wesmen W 71-64 Oct 24 UFV Cascades vs. Manitoba Bison W 72-67 Women’s Basketball Oct 23 UFV Cascades vs. Capilano Blues W 75-48 Oct 24 UFV Cascades vs. Western Mustangs W 64-55 Men’s Soccer Oct 23 UFV Cascades vs. UVic Vikes L 3-1 Oct 24 UFV Cascades vs. UBC Thunderbirds T 1-1 Women’s Soccer: Oct 23 UFV Cascades vs. UBC Thunderbirds L 2-1 Oct 24 UFV Cascades vs. Uvic Vikes T 2-2 Men’s Volleyball: Oct 23 UFV Cascades vs. Douglas Royals L 3-2 Oct 24 UFV Cascades vs. Douglas Royals L 3-0 Women’s Volleyball: Oct 23 UFV Cascades vs. Douglas Royals L 3-0 Oct 24 UFV Cascades vs. Douglas Royals L 3-1
Image: security / Pixabay
Upcoming Games:
Women’s Soccer: Saturday Oct 31 4:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. UVIC Vikes (home) Men’s Volleyball: Friday Oct 30 8:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. VIU Mariners (home) Saturday Oct 31 7:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. VIU Mariners (home) Women’s Volleyball: Friday Oct 30 6:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. VIU Mariners (home) Saturday Oct 31 5:00 p.m. UFV Cascades vs. VIU Mariners (home)
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SPORTS & HEALTH
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca
Kinesology Day promotes student health Kinesiology and Physical Eduaction Student Association hosts second annual Kin Day VANESSA BROADBENT
THE CASCADE / PHOTOS
University isn’t easy, and the ever-looming thought about finding a job after graduation sure doesn’t help. No matter what department you’re in, this is the same and Kinesiology and Health Science students are no different. That’s why the Kinesiology and Physical Education Student Association (KPESA) hosted the second annual Kinesiology Day. The event, which was held at the Canada Education Park (CEP) campus in Chilliwack last week, featured interactive games, fitness tests, free yoga classes, a
guest panel, and, of course, free food. Marissa Corea, KPESA’s vice president, explained that the event equips students with the knowledge necessary to making an informed career choice. The panel of UFV alumni and kinesiology or health science students offered their advice to the audience. “We have a panel of UFV alumni who’ve graduated from here and they’re doing different things in the field,” Corea explained. “It lets you know what your options are.” Even the interactive games and fitness tests were designed to be
beneficial to health science students. “With fitness testing, you can find out what you’re going to be doing later on in the program,” Corea said. “In the 400-level classes, you’ll be doing [oxygen uptake testing], so you can see what to expect.” In order to secure funding for the event, planning had to start in August, and despite a few bumps in the road, Corea felt happy with the success of the event. Although the goal of Kinesiology Day was to help students learn more about the program, members of the KPESA are hoping to raise awareness about their
association on campus, and that’s proven to be difficult now that most health science classes are at the CEP campus in Chilliwack. “Since it’s moved here, there’s not a lot of student engagement so we’re just trying to get people excited about it,” Corea said. “We just want people to be involved and have a student association that has events for health sciences [and] for kinesiology students and people are excited about it and happy to be here and they don’t just have their head down, studying all the time.” Corea, along with many other students, found that becoming involved in a campus association
has improved her university experience, and noted that KPESA is attracting a strong core of students. “I think its easier to make friends if you’re involved in a student association,” she said. “We welcome everybody in and we’re excited about it.” If anything, Corea explained that the KPESA hopes to at least have opened students’ eyes to how interesting kinesiology and health sciences can be. “We’re all human, we all have bodies, and it’s interesting to learn about them.”