The Cascade Vol. 23 No. 3

Vol. 23 Issue 3

January 21, 2015 to January 26, 2015

Narrating the epic journeys of strangers at 3 a.m. since 1993

All the best, 2014 GAMES - FILMS - ALBUMS - RESTAURANTS - BOOKS p. 11-20 ufvcascade.ca

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NEWS

News

Briefs Target closing will have wide-reaching effects

FRASER VALLEY — After two years, Target stores across Canada are closing. Over 17,000 employees across the country are being put out of work, and many of those part-time workers are students. The locations in Abbotsford and Chilliwack are also affected by the bankruptcy, beginning their liquidation process in the coming weeks. The Cascade will cover this story as it affects UFV students in our next issue.

Students stranded by new shuttle

ABBOTSFORD — Students hoping to use the new Langley shuttle service were left waiting for hours Monday, January 19, after the last three return rides of the day (2:30, 4:15, 6:00) were no-shows. “The Chilliwack drivers tried to call their manager, and she tried to call [the Langley] driver,” but no contact could be made, said Lindsey Ubels, one of the students left in Abbotsford.

Another student, Derrick Flynn, added that with no word from SUS or Impark, the company that runs the shuttle, students were left in limbo. After it became clear no bus service would arrive, Impark arranged for taxis and reimbursements for students left behind.

As SUS facilitates but does not manage the service, staff did not have information about the reason for the missing trips, but president Ryan Petersen calls this a good learning experience. “For [external] companies … we sometimes fail to think of a backup plan in case something goes down,” he says, adding that while no phone contact exists after SUS offices close in Abbotsford at 4:30 p.m., SUS services director Shane Potter monitors its various twitter accounts throughout the entire day. Questioning the reliability of the service is, at this point for Petersen, “premature,” but he says that SUS will have discussions about the incident, of which Impark has said “there will not be a reoccurrence.”

Towne Cinema Centre scheduled to close ABBOTSFORD — The Towne Cinema theatre in Abbotsford is closing after 40 years in the city. Landmark Cinemas Canada has set February 7 as the last day for the theatre. Ticket sales have been dwindling due to the new Cineplex in the Highstreet shopping centre on Mount Lehman road. What will occupy the space next is yet to be determined.

Have a news tip?

Let us know! news@ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Long-term (institutional) memory loss

News

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UFV is celebrating its history, but where are the historical records?

Opinion

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Architecture is the gestalt

Culture

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Sports & Health

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Valerie Franklin explores how culture and construction are intertwined, and how Abbotsford fails on long-term curb appeal.

A new look at religion of peace UFV visual arts student Meshaal Alzeer focuses on Western stereotyping of Islam in his new exhibition, Portraits of the Unknown.

Mitch Huttema has the story behind the paintings.

Pool noodle swordfights

Hate exercising? Try hitting a consenting person with a hard pool noodle, suggests Anthony Biondi.

Vote no, because you deserve to know SUS’s referendum campaign for new fee is information-poor KATIE STOBBART

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

So, have you heard about the new referendum?

It’s hard to assess the degree a message is able to saturate the student community at UFV, but generally speaking, it’s hard earth to water around here. For that reason, information must be clear, informative, and almost excessively distributed ... especially when it’s necessary to make an informed decision on a proposed new fee.

From January 25 to 29 on myUFV, the Student Union Society (SUS) will hold a referendum asking students to pay an extra fee adjustable for inflation.

According to a December 24 press release which was never sent to the student press but is available on SUS’s website, the referendum question will be: “Do you support the creation of a student technical support (IT) service for $4.98 per semester, adjustable for CPI inflation?”

This information is not available in its entirety on any other promotional material distributed by SUS about the referendum since, which includes two posters and two short Facebook

Volume 23 · Issue 3 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

Editor-in-Chief katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart Managing Editor valerie@ufvcascade.ca Valerie Franklin Director of Business Development joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson Production and Design Editor anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi Copy Editor kodie@ufvcascade.ca Kodie Cherrille

posts. There are no tweets from the SUS Twitter account about the referendum. Furthermore, neither of the posters calls this a referendum. The main poster being distributed is called the “UFV Student IT Support Centre Proposal” and makes no indication that a new fee will be created in the same way we pay fees for inter-campus shuttle services and the Student Union Building (SUB) in addition to the main SUS fee.

To be fair, there were tables around campus last week where students could ask questions of SUS representatives about the IT services “proposal,” but mainly it seemed these were to push a certain side of the story: the one that stresses students use technology and therefore there should be technology services provided by the student union, the one that says this will be cheaper than going to Best Buy to chat with the Geek Squad, the one that says VOTE YES. There are two main referendum strategies one can use to ensure the result goes a certain way. One is to enable ignorance, the other to pump up the positives. SUS has decided to use both. They enable ignorance by

News Editors michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular megan@ufvcascade.ca Megan Lambert Opinion Editor alex@ufvcascade.ca Alex Rake Culture Editor nadine@ufvcascade.ca Nadine Moedt Arts in Review Editor sasha@ufvcascade.ca Sasha Moedt Sports Editor catherine@ufvcascade.ca Catherine Stewart Video Editor mitch@ufvcascade.ca Mitch Huttema Webmaster ashley@ufvcascade.ca Ashley Mussbacher

failing to provide appropriate, detailed, unbiased information so students can make an educated choice. As for pumping up the positives, one only has to look at SUS’s main poster. The information about the “proposal” is a block of text to the right of the page and says students should check out the website for additional information. And granted, they did put the voting dates on an orange bar to make it stand out. But the prominent elements on the page are the images to the left showing a series of sad tech, and the orange semicircle, reminiscent of a sunrise, at the bottom proclaiming: “:) @ SUS IT Services!”

I would be surprised if most students had much of an idea that a referendum is even running. What SUS should be putting out is a poster which includes the actual referendum question, the voting dates, and a short description of the service. Having information tables is a good idea, but those tables should be focused on delivering information, not a sales pitch attempting to sway students who actually notice the table by making comparisons to corporate services.

SUS is right: it is cheaper to pay $5 per semester for a service I might possibly use someday in the event my laptop crashes at school, provided the next step after the “proposal” is approved is to hire people who know what they’re doing. But of all the services we could bring to campus, charging students a new fee for an IT repair station seems frivolous, especially considering the university offers several large computer labs for students without computers, as well as other resources at Educational Technology Services. I’d much rather see SUS turn its focus to really pressing for student engagement and serving student needs.

If they really want to hold a referendum for another campus amenity, why not a small oncampus grocery store?

But whether or not you think there should be an IT service in the new SUB or anywhere else on campus, you should vote no in this referendum, because SUS clearly has no respect for your right to make an informed choice, or to be aware of the referendum at all.

News Writer vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Vanessa Broadbent Varsity Writer nathan@ufvcascade.ca Nathan Hutton

Printed By International Web exPress

Production Assistants shyanne@ufvcascade.ca Shyanne Schedel eugene@ufvcascade.ca Eugene Kulaga Advertising Representative jennifer@ufvcascade.ca Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Contributors Dessa Bayrock, Martin Castro, Remington Fioraso, Josh Friesen Simon Grant, Jeremy Hannaford, Daniel Holmberg, Emily Scoular, Stewart Seymour, Jeffrey Trainor, Tim Ubels, Jasmin Sprangers, and Jess Wind.

Cover image: Anthony Biondi

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a circulation of 1500 and is distributed at UFV campuses and throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of over 50 university and college newspapers from Victoria to St. John’s. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of a prejudicial or oppressive nature.

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

Articles and letters to the editor must be typed. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. The writer’s name and student number must be submitted with each submission. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words if intended for print. Only one letter to the editor per writer in any given edition.

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

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

With SUB, student union plans to change “feel” of Abbotsford campus

Correction

Info session includes coffee, clubs, and asks for more student feedback MICHAEL SCOULAR

THE CASCADE

Four months before the projected opening of the Student Union Building (SUB) in Abbotsford, Student Union Society (SUS) held an open info session for students. The event — the first of its kind since construction began in September 2013 — took place on a Tuesday night in AfterMath.

About two dozen students were in attendance, many of them from student groups, which have a keen interest in how the space will change the way events are held on campus.

VP internal Thomas Davies, who provided an overview and fielded questions, emphasized that many of the specific rules and organizational policies for the SUB are not yet finalized.

However, floorplans were made available to browse, and a main goal was articulated: a centralized meeting and event space for an often-dispersed student body.

“The kind of feel we have around UFV is very institutional; it’s very structured,” Davies said.

“It’s going to be different in the SUB, and it’s going to be much more inviting, and it’s going to be a place where you’re going to want to go and spend your free time.”

The building’s design, visible in stages to Abbotsford students walking past the gym and D building, and with a near-complete exterior since the beginning of the winter semester, will be familiar to those who have seen the wood-panelled walls of UFV’s CEP campus or Chilli-

Image: Megan Lambert

The SUB will have spaces for clubs and associations to use. wack Secondary. The same goes for many of the building’s services and occupants that will be moving in, opening up spaces throughout the rest of campus: AfterMath, the food bank, offices for SUS and student media and, as part of the university’s partial funding of the building, the Career Centre, Academic Advising, and Student Life.

Questions from students, then, mainly concerned the brand new pieces of the SUB and what will happen to already existing student spaces throughout the rest of campus.

A coffee shop, like AfterMath, will be operated by SUS independently of Sodexo and the university, and will attempt to tailor its offerings to student requests; Davies mentioned free-trade options were being explored.

The current plan for the new club and association rooms, which was met with some de-

bate, is to grant eight groups space in the SUB, with the selection of these student groups up for annual review. The selection would be up to a committee, but the point was raised by one student that moving in and out of the SUB could become a privilege that separates the ability of groups to attract members, hold events, and advertise. As well, through either a student group or a university department, there are spaces for math, computer science, business, and psychology students elsewhere on campus, as well as more general humanities and science study areas. How these would work in tandem — or not — was, like the entire plan, said to be not yet absolutely set.

Of the services set to move, Student Life raised the most interest at the event. As it currently operates out of U-House, the future of that building as a student lounge area is yet to be determined. “What happens to UHouse is unknown,” Davies said.

As well, while the possible sale of naming rights was explored by a prior SUS board in 2012, Davies said it will simply be the Student Union Building when it opens in May. As a comparatively small number of students attend classes at that time and through the rest of the summer, the SUB’s full launch as a congregating area and potential origin of student activity will not be seen until the start of Fall 2015.

In “As student groups attempt to grow organization and communication emerge as barriers” (Issue 2), the wrong version of the article was printed. The correct version in its entirety is available at ufvcascade.ca and includes additional comment from Samuel Harder of the UFV garden club: Harder adds that groups can expand the real work of doing things related to an academic interest beyond the limited time allotted to directed discussions and lectures.

“To sit down with other people and talk about ideas and plans and things you want to see happen is a pretty great thing that doesn’t happen in a classroom. You go to a science lecture and you’ll learn about the cell for an hour and 20 minutes, but you don’t get that [exchange] of ideas. You can find it if you’re involved in a club.”

The correct version also includes comment from Aaron Levy as follows: Posters may not be the best form of advertising for clubs and associations, but they are one of the only options. Aaron Levy, CIVL station manager, doesn’t think hanging posters up around campus is very effective.

“There are a lot of posters around in general. Students are walking around, they don’t generally think about getting involved on campus ... I think it’s more effective to talk to people one on one,” he says. “I

think students just don’t have time in general, specifically on a campus like this where engagement isn’t something that’s always happening.”

Clubs’ and associations’ other main way of communicating with students is social media. Nearly every university student has a Facebook account and checks it on a regular basis, making Facebook the perfect platform for campus groups to interact with students. Levy thinks Facebook can be more successful when trying to engage with the modern student.

“Facebook is actually kind of relevant because they can just click and find out more information about it, where [if] you’re looking at a poster, you’re usually directed to an email, a phone number, something where you have to go do more research,” he says.

While Facebook may be a powerful resource for student groups, only 36 — fewer than half — of UFV’s clubs and associations have active Facebook pages. Furthermore, while SUS’s website does have a list of all clubs and associations on campus, no email addresses, links to websites, or any way of directly contacting the groups without an intermediary is given. This makes it even more important for campus groups to make sure they create a strong online presence.

Calling for Teaching Excellence Award Nominations Once again UFV will provide an award to an individual in recognition of teaching excellence. Those eligible for nomination include all UFV faculty and lab instructors who have completed two years of instruction, or sessional instructors who have completed the equivalent time.

Nominations will be accepted from faculty, students, alumni, and staff.

Selection criteria include mentorship, attention to student learning in the instructional environment and

Dr. Andrea Hughes

Recipient of the 2014 UFV Teaching Excellence Award.

in coursework, respect for students, integration of scholarship, and professional activity.

Nomination packages can be downloaded from ufv.ca/tlc/teaching-excellence-awards or picked up from Ruby Ord (G104 – Abbotsford campus). Completed nomination packages should be submitted to the attention of Ruby Ord, Administrative Assistant, Teaching & Learning, Abbotsford campus (G104).

Deadline for nominations is Fri, Feb 6, 2015 For more information, contact Ruby Ord at 604-504-7441, ext 4382 or email ruby.ord@ufv.ca 3497-18

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV history fades to black without archives With no records program and no funding, library holds on to small piece of institutional memory

Michael Scoular STORY / PHOTOS I have come to realize that an archives is not something that you can give a summer student three-and-one-half months to organize and present in an accessible manner. Furthermore, an archival collection of an institution such as Fraser Valley College does not cease to grow when time, money, and space allotted for it has been used up. There is always an urge to reconstruct the past ... old records and documents are needed and used by new members, therefore, they must be accessible and stored in a manner so as to preserve them. — Ed Sanders, “Why Establish an Archives” (1977) Behind two doors covered with blinds in the upstairs stacks of the Abbotsford campus library sits the most readily accessible archives of UFV’s 40 years. It covers less than half of a row of shelving, and exists despite there being no active archives program at UFV, nor a qualified archivist among the university’s staff.

While the lack of a fully organized archive is not a new development at UFV, it has, as an integral part of an academic environment, been explored multiple times in the past, the first in the early years of the institution. Ed Sanders’ proposal came just three years after the formation of Fraser Valley College, when a new dedicated campus build-

ing had yet to be built and existing documents or historical accounts would have been few and short. However, its main points remain unaddressed after decades of expansion: that in order to be successful, the archives must be separate from the library, it must be managed by a dedicated archivist, it must be able to collaborate with and receive contributions from the various departments throughout the university, and requires a climate-controlled archival space, not simply storage, as is the case for the university’s holdings in Chilliwack, which are larger in volume than the Abbotsford library’s collection, but unidentified and unorganized.

The most recent concentrated effort to change this occurred 10 years ago when Kelly Harms, an archivist from the Chilliwack Museum, was hired as a consultant to assess the state of UFV’s records, which lay in several locations, some completely unorganized or in poor condition. Harms identified four main archival holding locations throughout the institution, the worst of which, the garage at Friesen House, was infested by rodents and insects, and outlined a plan for the next decade, including policy and a potential budget.

www.ufvcascade.ca

“An archives repository provides a safe and accessible location for records of enduring value, which contributes to overall historical awareness within the institution, as well as the broader community,” he wrote in a rationale contained in his closing report. “This is especially important in light of the retirement of many long serving faculty and staff. The accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and experience of founding faculty needs to be recognized and preserved, in order to better understand the origins and development of the institution.” Harms also recommended an archives applied studies program at UFV. Following these findings, the damaged materials were assessed and restored, and the current collection in the library was started.

But since the 2006-07 academic year, no further work has been funded.

This has left the archives under the management of librarian Mary-Anne MacDougall and logistics manager Bob Peters. “I am not a trained archivist ... [archivists] have a very different approach to information management from what librarians do,” MacDougall says. “[Bob] is not a trained records manager. As far as permanent retention with an archival destination, it’s not his job, and it’s not my job, but we do it because we know there’s a need.”

While the archives are in a better location now, the historical re-

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cord of the people that worked at and attended UFV continues to be added to, and, MacDougall notes, is not being saved. As staff and faculty retire, with no formal policy for archival collection or donation, the most common practice is for documents to be shredded.

“It’s just what people do,” MacDougall says. “They don’t want to take the stuff with them, and there’s no process, there’s no archival program — and Bob can’t manage that, that’s way beyond his scope.”

Similar cases appear in Harms’ report. Photographs lack dates, locations, and other contextual information, and as time passes, fewer people remain who could identify what the photos show.

An attempt to compile the history of the athletics program was met with “enormous difficulty” due to a lack of records. And due to a lack of space, 17 of 18 boxes of documentation of the building of the Mission campus were destroyed.

An historical perspective can also change the way decisions are made at different levels of the institution. MacDougall describes how, in order to interest the administation in archival work, they presented documents to thenpresident Skip Bassford showing previous discussions about the potential purchase of Canada Education Park for UCFV, suggesting that as a university encounters many of the same types

of problems and decisions, background on how the university has dealt with similar issues in the past can only help.

“We don’t realize that if there was ready access to this information, we [would] have a better idea of where we’ve been,” MacDougall says, “because the new people that are coming in are not going to have that kind of institutional memory.”

The university continues to be aware of the archive situation.

The library advisory committee created an archives and special collections subcommittee in 2011 to discuss the situation again, but due to a feeling that budget reductions and similar priorities would not result in a commitment to any structured plan as outlined in the past, the subcommittee has not met since September 2011.

“Everyone thinks it’s an important thing, but not to the point where financial resources are going to be allocated to it as opposed to something else,” Kim Isaac, one of the university’s librarians, says, adding that provincial funding reduction and the reality that an archives achieves long-term, rather than immediate benefits have only made an archives program less likely.

“I think as an academic institution and an important community agency that’s been in existence now for 40 years, we should have something,” she says. “It could be minimal, but it should be more

than we have right now; it should be an identifiable space and we should have done something with those archival materials to make them retrievable and to know what we have.”

University administration was not available for comment by press time.

Elsewhere, in local museums and in the library’s heritage collection, there are community newspapers that document some of the events and changes at the university, but these are mostly limited to funding reports, the announcement of new programs and cutbacks, and an annual article on the student enrollment for the new year. Still, in the absence of an organized archives accessible and directed toward use by students and the community, those are the items that will reach a wider public. Closing his 1977 report, Sanders is particularly blunt, saying, “Without an [institutional] program, there is little use in collecting bits and scraps, cataloguing them, and calling them the Archives.”

There are academic debates over the use of archives more generally, particularly with regard to how much is lost by focusing only on printed documents. Sanders included in his proposal an idea for tape-recorded oral histories, but, like the rest of his report, this would rely on an employed archivist and potential student positions. Today, digital archives have

changed the way we think about preservation, but electronic forms require no less expertise and attention from archivists as storage formats change and data expires or is removed online.

For now, MacDougall has other (funded) projects to focus on, including digitization of centuryold community newspapers, map preservation, adding to the library’s heritage collection, and a repository for UFV’s academic output each year. She sees in the scanning and making available of old copies of the AbbotsfordSumas-Matsqui News, a project done through UBC’s digitization centre, an act similar to what UFV’s archives would potentially provide: “If you look in them, you see the whole life of the community unfolding in its pages.”

One particular advantage that archives have as carriers of collective memory (besides their persistence) is that they can lie unnoticed and undisturbed while individual memories fade, while collective memory is refashioned, or even while there are conscious efforts to efface memory.

Archives may be of most value not when collective memory persists, but when they provide the only sources for insight into events and ideas that are long forgotten, rumoured but not evidenced, or represseed and secreted away.

— Margaret Hedstrom, “Archives and Collective Memory” (2010)

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV to charge tuition for ESL and ABE courses MEGAN LAMBERT

THE CASCADE

UFV will charge tuition for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in Fall 2015.

In 2008, the Ministry of Advanced Education created the Adult Basic Education policy, where high-school equivalent courses at post-secondary institutions would remain tuitionfree for adults and ESL students wanting to upgrade their skills.

But in December 2014, the provincial government lifted the policy that prohibited postsecondary institutions from charging tuition for high-school level courses. Pre-college math, science, and English cost roughly $25.

Universities across BC are now able to charge post-secondary level tuition for students going back for upgrading or who need basic English language training; however, courses will remain tuition-free for adults who do not have their dogwood diploma.

Nikhil Rawat is a UFV student upgrading his high-school level chemistry to continue with his

Image: pixabay.com

Tuition for ESL and ABE courses may limit access to education studies in engineering.

“For my case right now, financing is a little bit tight right now because my wife’s on maternity leave [and] I’m a full-time student,” he says. “So, I’m reliant on student loans or whatever savings I have.”

Dean of faculty access and continuing education Sue Brigden notes that UFV has been budgeting for reduced funding from the provincial government.

“We expect the reduction to our operating grant to be approximately $320,000, but this has yet to be confirmed,” she writes in an email.

Brigden says the tuition collected from students will be treated in the same way as all tuition revenue at UFV. “A portion goes to the program area offering the course, and a portion goes to the service and administrative areas of the university,” she says.

The government is offering grants for financial assistance for low-income students, including a new non-repayable grant called the Adult Upgrading Grant (AUG), available to upgrading and ESL students. As with student loans, applicants disclose their household income, whether

or not they live with their parents, and if they receive student loans.

Even with cheaper courses and student loans, Rawat notes it’s difficult enough to manage with a full course load on a one-person income. “Everything was straight on savings that I put aside from my house or my car to be put towards [university courses],” he says. “If I were in that situation again having to pay for a $600 course — that’s a lot of money to pay.” He then goes on to say, “adding a kid in the middle of that, that’s quite a lot of money.”

In the case of a potential grant, the post-secondary institution the applicants are attending determines the amount given to students — not the government.

Depending on the circumstance, the grant can amount to the entire cost or just a portion of the tuition. The AUG could also potentially conflict with students collecting income assistance.

Students upgrading with high school diplomas can usually apply for entry-level jobs to assist them in paying their tuition. In a 2013 developmental student outcome survey, 55 per cent of ABE

students worked part-time to help finance their education.

However, new immigrants may not have the same opportunities. Many workplaces require basic English language skills — without training, many ESL students will have to pay tuition while relying on other sources of income.

The report also states 21 per cent of ESL students had their education interrupted for financial reasons. Parents undergoing English language training were more likely to rely on personal savings, tax credits, or income assistance, and younger students relied on family and friends.

In the 2012–13 academic year, roughly 1,750 UFV students took pre-college and ESL courses.

However, in light of the tuition increase Brigden says, “in my opinion, enrollment will likely soften once we start charging for courses.”

The amount of tuition for each course is yet to be determined.

The Fall 2015 academic table will be available at the beginning of the summer.

Prof Talk

Andrew Gutteridge on pedagogy and the high-school-university transition VANESSA BROADBENT

THE CASCADE

How long have you been teaching at UFV? This is my 26th year.

What do you teach?

English. I’m an Americanist but my practicum, my research, is in Victorian. I also teach classical backgrounds.

Have you taught at any other schools?

I have. I began at SFU and that was in the very early days as a sessional. I’ve taught at the odd place here and there.

How has UFV changed since you’ve worked here?

It’s a lot bigger. The students seem to have changed too. A lot of incoming students are not sufficiently prepared, and so we have to drop our standards year after year, for we have to get the students through, we’re told.

But I’m not sure it’s a given that all students who leave Grade 12 have an aptitude for academic pursuits. Some have an aptitude for a trade. There’s nothing better about getting a degree than [there is about] finishing an apprenticeship, but many think that a piece of paper from a university is superior. Some people are just not

cut out for university (and some of us are not cut out for a trade), but we have to get them through anyway — which can be misery for everybody concerned.

How have you found that UFV compares to other institutions where you have taught?

It used to be more teaching for us; that’s one way it’s changed.

We were recognized as teaching professors. Now there’s more of a shift towards, we have to do all of what we were doing [as teachers], but we also now are regarded as research professors. Often the two can’t go together because when you’re teaching, the energy that goes into the teaching is so exhausting and it’s … against the kind of quietness that you need for the reflection and research.

That’s one of the changes. How does it compare to other institutions? Well, it is a good place for a student to be. We are permitted to give students time and because of the smaller class sizes, we can know students and that’s wonderful. Depending on how we teach, it is possible to include everybody in the classroom. It depends on the pedagogical position of the teacher.

Do you find that the advancement of media and technology has changed your interactions

with students?

Yes to a certain degree, but it doesn’t take long for students to adjust to the absence of technology. They very rapidly will cooperate with its absence and are able to function without media, without this constant stimulation ... They are able to adjust to words and to create in their minds what words should be created.

How would you describe your teaching style?

Well I’ve always taught Socratically and that is ... I know what I want to elicit and I’d rather elicit it from students than give it to them. By questioning, I can get them to think about something and that for me is my most important task — to awaken those powers of intuition, of emotional intelligence as opposed to the intellectual intelligence that seems to rise at a high school level, which probably says little of anything about the true nature of intelligence.

I also use a lot of collaborative learning. I simply do small group learning and that includes everybody because each person has a task, each person has a voice.

The group works as individuals, in which they would respond in writing to questions that I give them and then those individuals pair to see what they’ve written,

and then I put the two pairs in a group of four and they can blend what they’ve said so they can present it to the class. That way everybody is heard and often those who are the quietest in that group have the most to say. Generally, about five to 10 per cent of any given class will participate.

That means you’re excluding 90 per cent of the students.

An education is not a passive activity. I can instruct, but I can’t educate. That’s something the student must do. I can remove some of the obstacles. I can encourage, I can cheer on the side, but unless the student is active, he or she will not get an education. I can’t give it to them, and by this comes learning. I can get them involved and I can break that passivity which can become a habit.

What is your opinion on standard evaluation compared to other universities that use a curve?

I don’t encourage it. You don’t need to grade in a curve. It’s not fair to them. You could have a class of all As — you wouldn’t, but it’s theoretically possible.

It’s possible in democratic right.

When you’ve taught at a variety of places, you have a sense of what’s required at each level and when the student has met the requirements for that. I don’t

think we need to pay attention to what other universities are doing.

We’ve gone through the university system ourselves and we’ve had some experience and we have an idea of what our standards should be. Should our standards be lower to accommodate? I don’t think they need to be; I think we need to be challenged. That’s why we need to challenge students and [instead] we want to allow the students to be comfortable.

We can’t go anywhere unless we let go of what we find comfortable. If the stress level is always making students feel comfortable then we’re not doing the students a service. As I tell my students, if they get comfortable in my class, I’m not doing my job and I’d better get out. They’ve had too much of that in high school, building a self-esteem that’s not based in reality. Self-esteem is fine if it’s based on reality.

What is your approach to marking and evaluation?

I mark thoroughly so a student can see why he or she got the grade he or she put in it. I don’t give out grades that students don’t get themselves. My job is to find those grades so in a sense; it’s a process of discernment.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

7

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

SNAPSHOTS

Joaquin gets the shaft

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

We’re Canadian, right?

Thank God for Chapters

AfterMath surprise!

Mitch Huttema

Daniel Holmberg

Anthony Biondi

Katie Stobbart

One of the things that gets me most riled is when talent is not recognized like it should be. Awards shows are a load of crap when it comes to recognizing talent. Specifically this year I am pissed off about Joaquin Phoenix missing out on a nomination for Inherent Vice. I mean, come on! The man smoked fake dope the whole movie and was the most believable baked hippie I’ve ever seen (including in real life). What is the point of having awards ceremonies if real talent gets set aside to make way for blockbusters or emotional content? I think a huge reform is necessary. Give Joaquin a break, give Oldman some credit, and for goodness’ sake; would someone give Leo an Oscar?

I like to think I’m a Canadian person; I try to be friendly, smiling and greeting to most of the people I encounter. On an off day, maybe it’s just a head-nod. But far too often I am met with a startled or confused look in response to my friendly greeting. Plenty of people even just straight up ignore me, and walk past as if I were not even there.

Now, I’ve got a thick skin, I can live with the fact that not everyone I encounter wants to be my friend — but we’re Canadians. Aren’t we supposed to be some of the friendliest people in the world? When did we lose our friendliness? Why did we lose it? As far as I can tell, everyone is trying to pretend that our friendliness doesn’t exist.

I once heard some writers at a Vancouver conference exclaim, “Thank God for Chapters-Indigo.” They were despairing over the steady slump of the print book industry.

Yet, now, the Chapters on Robson Street in Vancouver is closing. The big, three-storey one.

Why not close all the stores on Robson?

Since the closure of HMV, it seems that all the cool stuff down there is slipping away.

Thanks to egregious rent prices in Vancouver, we have now lost the biggest Chapters in the Lower Mainland. The flags will be at half mast, and there will be weeping. It was a big location, but what is the fate of print books if the biggest book chain in a greatly populated area can’t pay its rent?

They said, “Thank God for Chapters.” But, now I’m praying to God they survive.

This semester I decided not to frequent AfterMath anymore. I was unhappy with most of the menu changes they made in the fall.

The campus lounge has admittedly been the butt of jokes and plaintive conversations about the lack of good food options all year. But this week I was desperate; I was out of groceries and had no time to shop. So I went with a friend to AfterMath … and was pleasantly surprised. Changes I was dissatisfied with had been reversed, and new options were added. On the last page of the menu there are two new sections: vegetarian and gluten-free items. The server mentioned the gluten-free tortillas don’t hold together as well as their flourbased counterparts, which I’ve experienced at a few places. But the option is there, and the burger buns are pretty good. So kudos, AfterMath, for thinking of the students — keep us in mind when you move to the SUB and someone inevitably asks, “Should we change the menu?”

Abbotsford’s future heritage buildings may never exist VALERIE FRANKLIN

THE CASCADE

Buildings are not only geographical landmarks but cultural ones.

They orient you in both space and time, telling you not only where you are but who the city is — its age, its origins, the battles it’s weathered, its relationship to the surrounding landscape.

Architecture is essential to the gestalt of a city’s personality, the unique sense of identity that is greater than the sum of its parts.

I spent most of last week there attending a conference with some other members of The Cascade’s team, and we braved the shockingly cold temperatures to explore the Parliament buildings, the Rideau canal, boutiques and bookshops, sidestreets and statues. Staring up at the worndown stone walls and historic

spires of its heritage buildings, I was struck by a sense that this was a city that knew exactly who it was. Even as modern malls and highways have grown up around its historic centre, Ottawa’s cityscape is studded with old stone buildings, many of them bearing plaques identifying them as heritage sites.

Like many Canadian cities that boomed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Ottawa has preserved its architecture from that era. Similarly, Victoria and Vancouver both have thriving downtown centres full of stately heritage buildings, some of them over 100 years old. And while we were in Ontario, a pair of friends slipped away to nearby Montreal for an evening and came back raving about its cobblestones and elegant old buildings, which are often described as the most beautiful in Canada.

But smaller towns and cities that weren’t blessed with beautiful architecture from before the 1950s often have little physical connection to their own history.

Abbotsford’s own historic district consists of two square blocks of original old-timey façades downtown and its other historic buildings include a few ancient, sagging barns dotting the Sumas prairie. The buildings downtown are protected, as they should be — but it seems like half a century ago we simply stopped building places that were worth preserving. The city’s identity has been weakened by ugly buildings and malls. The commercial district of South Fraser Way could belong to any city in any country in the world.

It could be argued that Abbotsford’s sense of place is rooted in the farmland surrounding it — but the neon strip of franchise

stores and cookie-cutter housing developments slithers farther and farther into the Agricultural Land Reserve every year, it seems. How long will it last until we’re no longer the city in the country, but just the city? And how will we remember where we came from then?

The problem is that we’re not continuing to develop beautiful places that will one day be heritage buildings, whether commercial or residential. I’m not concerned that Abbotsford doesn’t have enough heritage buildings right now; that’s not something we can fix. But I am concerned that in 100 years, our great-grandchildren won’t have any sense of the places their great-grandparents lived in. They won’t feel that tingle I felt on the streets of Ottawa, the sense of connection to the place’s history, because our current system isn’t

building structures to last. Everything is based on an economy that requires buildings to be continually torn down and rebuilt every couple of decades. It’s not only environmentally unsustainable — it also destroys the continuity of culture.

Architecture is important for the present as well. If we built more places we enjoyed being in, buildings that weren’t simply filled by chain stores moving in and out of them like hermit crabs scuttling to new shells, we’d all be a little more in love with the Fraser Valley. We’d care more about what happened to our city, maybe we’d vote more often, and many of us would be less likely to dash down the highway to Vancouver as soon as we graduate.

8

OPINION

ABE soon to be more expensive: victory for UFV CONTRIBUTOR

From the beginning, I opposed the provincial government’s 2005 policy prohibiting universities from charging tuition for ABE, or “Adult Baby Education.” Adult babies are weirdos who wear diapers and make me sweaty and I hate them and never understood why UFV was offering them cheap education while I had to pay ungodly amounts of money for my grown-up, half-finished business degree.

But what joy to discover that not only has the government lifted this policy, but that UFV will now be among the institutions charging these developmental deviants more for what the rest of us had to pay for — basic high-school education! Speaking of which, I knew somebody from high school who became an adult baby, and there’s nothing about him that suggests a greater need for basic, affordable, accessible education other than the fact that his fetish is disturbing and he never responds to my emails inquiring about it.

The fewer breaks we give adult babies, the stronger our community will be. Dr. Clara Friar, local expert on babies,

www.ufvcascade.ca

Letter to the Editor

Satire

SCOTT PROTTER

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

argued on one of my midnight Facebook statuses that a more educated population can only strengthen a community, but she was certainly referring to actual babies and not bizarre adults sucking on bottles and excluding me from their parties (how does excluding me build community?). Let’s not allow them any social capital where they don’t deserve it so they might stop existing and we don’t have to suppress thoughts about them all day long anymore.

Perhaps the argument will be made that UFV ought to continue offering Adult Baby Education without hiking up the price, disappearing grants or no, since student fees already cover the costs of running the courses, but this ignores the fact that universities shouldn’t offer this education in the first place. What I really mean is that we can learn a lot from Russia; recently they’ve decided not to give driver’s licences to sexual deviants like adult babies in order to reduce the staggering amount of accidents on the country’s roads. At the same time, any non-deviant with the money can buy a licence without the whole arbitrary testing process. This is the sort of model our society — and truly all systems — should strive toward:

UFV SPEAKS

Image: Sissy Samantha Clarkson/ flickr

vastly increasing the chasm between the lowly and deserving so that the deserving don’t have to deal with people who don’t matter.

Also, if anybody wants to, uh, “talk” about adult baby stuff, just send a message to NotScottProtter on FetLife. I’m basically available all the time.

I want to thank Vanessa Broadbent for a great feature on student clubs & associations, some important issues were identified.

Student engagement on campus is quite the challenge; I agree that a low number of students in residence is a huge factor in our engagement levels. Baker House residents, along with international students, are among our most involved students. With a community building focus we can further improve our overall student engagement.

With regard to some of the operational challenges involving SUS, I have some good news.

First, to start a new group, no official meeting is required. We require a minimum number of members to help validate the group’s authenticity for access to limited resources (e.g. funding, room bookings). Only re-registrations require an annual meeting, and those groups are already registered and have full access to funding/poster boards.

Second, I was concerned to read some students may be under the impression we would not allow them to advertise or book space for the purposes of creating a new club. We do allow new (unregistered) groups trying to attract members to book a room and advertise, they just need to get in touch with us for arrangements. Third, we happily will pre-approve club funding that

is contingent on proper registration, which should give some peace of mind.

Prohibiting either of those would be extremely detrimental to new groups, which is not what I want. I welcome anyone to come by our office to discuss this with me to make sure this information is available and clear to all of our members.

I also agree that the process for clubs could be streamlined.

Why should we put hurdles in place for students who want to be a part of e-gaming, celebrate Japanese culture, or any other mutual interest they may share?

I will talk with the Clubs & Associations Officer and bring this forward to the Clubs & Associations (CLASS) Committee for further suggestions and feedback on how this can be done.

I believe SUS has improved this year in its support of and collaboration with student groups.

The Clubs & Associations Handbook is a great new resource, and I will update it to better communicate what I’ve outlined here.

The student government, operations, clubs, and associations all have improved over recent years, and I hope to continue to work collaboratively towards an improved student experience at UFV. Thomas Davies SUS Vice President Internal

Are you involved in any clubs or associations at UFV?

Sunny

I’m currently one of the executive members for the International Students Club ... You connect with so many people, and [if I hadn’t gotten involved] I wouldn’t have the kind of opportunities that I’ve gotten here and [met] the kind of people I’ve met thanks to networking and building relationships with people from those kinds of places.”

Shafiq

I’m not involved. There are benefits, I know that. Just never got the chance to get involved, but I’m starting to.

Jenika

We don’t really have time to do group stuff, but ... I think there’s lots of things to do here. If anything, I’d probably join the intramurals because it has to do with sports, but other than that, I don’t know. If it was more advertised, I think people would be like, “That’s sick!” and join it.

Danielle

RE: “As student groups attempt to grow, organization and communication emerge as barriers” – January 14 2015

We’re part of the basketball team, so that’s pretty much all we do.

Rachael

I haven’t looked into them, honestly. Probably time, I’m pretty busy with a full school schedule and work. If I did, probably some kind of artsy club. I’m a VA student, that’s my thing.

Jordann

I haven’t tried to join any, because I don’t really know what’s going on.

Lena

I’ve attended a few VASA meetings, but that’s it.

I feel like the stuff they want to do is worthwhile, but I’m not as into it as they are, so I’m not really into it like they are.

Nicole

I’m not involved in any clubs or associations. If I was going to be involved it would probably be with the kinesiology program. I’m kind of somewhat getting involved right now; they have a bunch of stuff going on with campus rec.

9

STUDY BREAK CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

CROSSWORD Jaywalking

by VALERIE FRANKLIN

ACROSS 1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

8.

Tournament with lances. (5) Cool, often improvised music genre. (4) Dried beef snack. (7) Fluid from fruit. (5) Important neck vein. (7) Archie’s best buddy. (7)

DOWN 1.

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Gelatinous sea animal with a sting. (9) Crushed mint drink of the South. (5) Civic responsibility in court that no one wants to be picked for. (4, 4) Japanese martial art all about throwing your opponent. (4) Eastern island home to sushi and samurai. (5) Running at a leisurely pace. (7) Fruity spread that’s great on toast. (3)

SUDOKU ACROSS 1. FREEZE 3. PEEP 5. GEEK 7. CHEER 8. SPEEDO 9. BEEF 11. PEEKABOO

6 1 7

9 8 9

7 2 1

7

DOWN

7 6 2

1 2 4

Last issue’s crossword

4 9

6

The Weekly Horoscope

2. SLEEPING 4. PEEL 5. GREEN 6. WEED 7. COFFEE 8. SNEEZE 10. FREE

Sudoku solution

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

5 7

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

1

8 4

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

3 2 8

Star Signs from Moira Mysteriosa

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: A murder of crows darkens the late winter sky. A single feather falls.

Catch it and your destiny will be revealed, for good or ill.

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: This week is very unlucky for you.

Get in bed, turn on Netflix, and try not to step outside unless you have to. Astrologer’s orders.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Avoid exposure to hip-hop at all costs this week.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: Saltwater taffy will be the end of your fillings. Beware the dentistry bill!

Aries: March 21 - April 19: Aries, Aries, Aries. What are we going to do with you? At least try to behave yourself this week.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: Squirtle is your spirit animal.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Painting your entire face in red and black swirls will surely catch the attention of your beloved.

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept 22: Despite the growling, don’t look under your bed. You’ll be happier this way.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Your favourite Capricorn is up to their usual tricks. Don’t believe a word they say.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: Purchase an oboe and serenade your friends’ misfortunes with mournful solos. No one will find it annoying. Trust me.

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Get more sleep. With those dark circles, the raccoons are beginning to think you’re one of them.

10

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Peer Pleasure

Sexual compatibility requires a little give and take YOURS TRULY THE CASCADE

I’ve been wanting to try some new things with my partner for a while.

He’s a little conservative in bed and since the honeymoon phase has faded I’ve been getting a little bored of what he has to offer in that way. I’m pretty adventurous in that regard and have been in previous relationships, but I’m pretty sure I’m one of the first he’s been with. I’m worried I’ll shock him (not in a good way) if I bring up my interest in light bondage / anal play. How do I bring up that I want to try different things without hurting his feelings? Do I break up with him if we’re not sexually compatible?

Dear Sexually Frustrated, My first concern with your letter is that you don’t seem to be in-the-know about your lover’s sexual history. This is problematic when it comes to your desire to be a little more adventurous in bed.

How many partners have both of you had? What are some experiences you liked and didn’t like?

Image: Wikimedia.org

What do you want to share or avoid with your current partner?

This conversation is vital to the health of your relationship, and it’s a good way to open up the discussion of new things you’d like to try. Start the conversation by talking about your own history, and he’ll return the confidence.

When you bring up your desire to

spice things up, be positive. You can say that you really enjoy being with him, and you’d like to try some new things together. Make sure that you aren’t putting pressure on him to do something he’s not comfortable with.

If he’s totally not into any of that, do you break up with him?

It really depends on the type of

relationship you have. If this is a sex-not-love type of relationship and it’s just not doing it for you, it may be time to let him down easy. If it’s something more, don’t make any rushed decisions.

According to sex and marriage clinicians David Schnarch and Ruth Morehouse, sexual compatibility is the ability to adapt to your partner’s needs. Couples aren’t just either sexually compatible or not, and it’s not a matter of preference in liking some sexual behaviours and not others.

This type of compatibility can be “nothing more than simply finding someone who has similar sexual hang-ups and limitations, and promising never to grow,” write Schnarch and Morehouse (NBC).

This flexibility becomes crucial when the sexual honeymoon you mentioned wears off; as Scharch and Morehouse write: “think of sexual compatibility as two people being willing to stretch themselves sexually, rather than stick with the same old things they like in common.”

Communication can bring about that sexual compatibility you’re looking for, if you’re willing to be patient.

Next week with Yours Truly: There’s this guy in my history class that I’m really hitting it off with. At least I think so. We’ve been assigned the same discussion group. I want to show him I’m interested, or ask him out, but I’m worried that if he’s not into it or things go south, it’ll make things incredibly awkward in class.

Please advise!

—Awkward Historian Do you have a similar experience you’d like to share? Want to contribute with your own advice?

Feel free to write in and be published alongside my advice in the next issue of The Cascade.

Send your questions, scenarios, or responses to: peerpleasure@ufvcascade.ca

Marie Curie lectures consider diasporic identity and belonging SIMON GRANT

CONTRIBUTOR

UFV’s Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies presented three lectures

by Marie Curie inital training network scholars Monday, January 12. The lectures discussed fiction and film, but the contents — the struggle to ascertain identity and belonging within a diaspora — can easily relate to people in the real world.

Cultural boundaries as constructed spaces Ruby Rana, an early-stage researcher and doctoral fellow at the University of Mumbai, examined the strengths and weaknesses of religious, racial, and moral boundaries.

Using the 2008 film Ocean of Pearls by Sarab Singh Neelam, she focused on how “boundaries are markers of constructed spaces constructed most often for political purposes.”

The film follows Amrit Singh, a young transplant surgeon who moves from Toronto to Detroit for work, as he tries to integrate himself into Western culture by abandoning his traditional Punjabi Sikh culture.

The film, and Rana’s paper, ex-

Image: Simon Grant

Image: Wikimedia.org

Transnational adoption and constructing the self Holly Morgan, a PhD candidate and Marie Curie early-stage research fellow at the University of Munster, presented her dissertation on the effects of transnational adoption on identity and belonging. She studied the work of Indian author Bharati Mukherjee, whose work focuses primarily

on how transnational adoption “contributes to the way that family, motherhood and self are constructed,” according to Morgan.

Morgan also related the effects of transnational adoption on culture and identity.

“The recent increase in international adoption makes it especially obvious that the adoptive relation evokes the quintessentially North American issue of communicating culture across bloodlines,” she noted, adding that adoptees are left “socially na-

plored the implications of crossing cultural boundaries and the repercussions of separation that result.

ked in relation to their country of origin.”

Familial ties and queer belonging The third lecturer, Melanie R. Wattenbarger, a doctoral fellow at the University of Mumbai, interpreted what she called “the traditional story of diasporics: trying to maintain familial and cultural ties to India” through the lens of queer identity and the want to belong. Much of Wattenbarger’s work focuses on identity within contemporary Indian literature

Image: Simon Grant

and film. Her presentation examined two novels of Farzana Doctor — Six Metres of Pavement and Stealing Nasreen — where “readers are introduced to the lives of the queer characters made public” as they struggle for acceptance within their old culture and their adoptive culture.

The lectures at UFV were offered in conjunction with the University of Mumbai, University of Munster, and the Diasporic Constructions of Home and Belonging (CoHaB) project.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

11

FEATURE

Contributors Dessa Bayrock Anthony Biondi Martin Castro Kodie Cherrille Remington Fioraso Josh Friesen Jeremy Hannaford Mitch Huttema Joe Johnson Nadine Moedt Sasha Moedt Emily Scoular Michael Scoular Jasmin Sprangers Catherine Stewart Katie Stobbart Jeffrey Trainor Tim Ubels Jess Wind

12

FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

BEST VIDEO GAMES

1

Shadow of Mordor

Never before has the concept of revenge-killing been so wellexecuted and addictive. This game offered the first real “nextgen” experience with the Nemesis System. Every encounter was unique and every reward was different. This system created a terribly addictive “one more thing” element that was a constant

2

Dragon Age: Inquisition

bonus to this game. With the combat mechanics of the Batman Arkham games and a souped-up version of Assassin’s Creed-style traversing, Shadow of Mordor creates a brutal and addictive experience. — JH

3

Shovel Knight Dragon Age: Inquisition is a fantasy RPG for everyone. The Mage-Templar War is still ongoing from the second Dragon Age, along with over 100 hours of new subplots. Inquisition provides a beautiful, bigger map and smooth gameplay, and focuses on character development and a well-crafted storyline over pure button-mashing. You control your journey and face many different consequences for your choices. Despite the second game being a disappointment, Inquisition takes the Dragon Age franchise to a whole other level, and some might even say it’s better than the first. — CS

It’s always inspiring to see a Kickstarter game succeed far beyond expectations and continue to provide more new content for free in response to all the support it received.

Shovel Knight was not only a great game but it also provided one of the best game soundtracks of the year. The game featured fast-paced but thought-provoking sidescroller gameplay along with some great puzzle situations. Its presence might not be as well-known as other titles in 2014, but it still should not be overlooked in any way. — JH

FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

4

The Banner Saga

5

Dark Souls 2

6

Super Smash Bros Wii U

7

Hearthstone

8

This War of Mine

9

South Park: The Stick of Truth

10

With one of the most intuitive and beautiful art styles of this year, The Banner Saga was a game that went beyond expectations, and delivered a fun and compelling experience. The Banner Saga was most notable for its ‘80s cartoon-nostalgia look, but it also contained exciting and challenging strategic gameplay. The Banner Saga also pro-

Dark Souls 2 was guaranteed to make this list because to make it to the game’s finale, you have to have died at least 100 times. Dark Souls 2 improved on every aspect of the first game and added even more. Amazing visuals and creative boss battles aside, this game provided some

After a disastrous financial year in 2013, Nintendo desperately needed a jump to get the company moving again. They did that and more with a stellar list of game releases, including Super Smash Bros for the Wii U. Besides making the console finally fun to enjoy, Smash Bros provided loads of extra content beneath an already well-

With a constantly engaging user interface and a plethora of different strategies and combinations, Hearthstone came out swinging as one of the best card game style video games in years. The visual animations for each card are unique and polished. Though only released this year, it already has one of the biggest communities on Twitch,

Rarely do games really capture the idea of trying to survive the way This War of Mine does. This War of Mine mirrored the events similar to that of the Bosnian War, creating a bleak, desperate and engaging experience. Its survival components and ever-changing scenarios keep you on edge as you merely try to survive another day.

Licensed games have been known to be lifeless shells of the source material and nothing more than a quick cash-grab. That couldn’t be further from the truth with The Stick of Truth. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with some great game design from Obsidian Entertainment, have made the best-licensed game ever made for the

One Finger Death Punch

One Finger Death Punch was one of the most fun games of the year, and it only consisted of hitting two mouse buttons. This game is a nod to the kung-fu movies of old as well as the guilty-pleasure violent stick-figure games of yesteryear. Despite a simplistic premise, this game offered hours upon hours of different levels and challenges. The

13

vides a multi-layered story, with many characters and locations. In this fantasy world where almost every battle decision mattered towards the story, The Banner Saga was both a technical achievement as well as a great game. — JH

of the most frustrating gaming moments of 2014, and yet players were more than happy to play through them over and over again. — JH

tuned game. Harkening to the days of Melee while still providing new mechanics and features, Smash Bros Wii U is just the beginning for Nintendo’s return to the top.

— JH

and for good reason. Combining simplistic card attributes with complex layers of strategy, along with perfect balancing options, Hearthstone was one of the most enthralling games of the year despite its simplicity on the surface. — JH

This War of Mine was an entertaining game, but at the same time, it evoked an emotional element that was rare for games this year. — JH

previous-generation consoles. It didn’t just emulate the show; it was the show. With outrageous humour, ingenious tie-ins to past episodes, and great customization, The Stick of Truth was just as fun to watch as it was to play. — JH

combat itself was always changing, with some fantastic visuals, destructible environments, and hilarious kungfu noises. And with an insane survival mode, this game was extremely addictive, guaranteed to put adrenaline in your veins. — JH

14

FEATURE

4

Interstellar

Interstellar is transparently the work of someone immersed in the photography of Walker Evans, Philip Kaufman’s the Right Stuff, and the epics of D.W. Griffith.

Nolan’s editing collapses space and blots motion into the shape of dreams. But in his anti-conflict replaying of

5

Birdman

6

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

7

Lucy

8

Whiplash

9

10

Beyond its incredible script, Birdman is edited to look like it was filmed in a single take, giving it a feeling of veracity and instability, a mood mirrored in the drum score.

The characters portrayed by Keaton, Norton, Watts and Stone all deal with intense emotional issues that makes them seem split; two halves of one whole. But the most

Princess Kaguya’s a ruthless time-accelerated survey of life on earth, looking back with small, but intense sympathy for the long summer days and societal traditions of 20th century Japan. A watercolour portrait of art in progress, a corrective to the solipsism of Boyhood, a movie that, like many of Studio Ghibli’s best works, could be titled

When Morgan Freeman, poetically describing the intelligence of dolphins and presenting ridiculous information so professionally it could double as an actual TED Talk, begins the countdown of percentage points that do not accurately represent human brain capacity, it has less to do with the meaning of Luc Besson’s little Tree of Life than with the film’s movement as an action movie.

They’re reel markers, and only there for their rules (to be In Whiplash, Miles Teller plays an aspiring jazz drummer invited to the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in search of greatness. Like Robert De Niro’s character Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, Teller plays the obstinate and unrelenting Andrew, and butts heads with his cutthroat mu-

Selma

As Selma is an historical biopic, it can be easy to overlook how much of a distinctive, out-of-step work it is. DuVernay, in depicting Martin Luther King’s arrival in Alabama in 1965, places people in every corner of the frame as the film’s principle subjects. DuVernay sees domestic life and political action as interconnected spheres, and sees political action as not merely the influence, rhetoric, and symbolism of one man, but an endless negotiation with

Gone Girl

The first half of Gone Girl finds that place where reality meets confused nightmare; Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) has disappeared, and her hulking husband, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) finds himself being held responsible for murder in the poisonous eyes of the public. The story is told in layers, through police investigation and media

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

fumbled love, Nolan comes to resemble most closely the improvised families in M. Night Shyamalan’s work so often derided, but rooted, as Interstellar is, in an off-kilter world of symbols, memories, and re-opened possibilities. — MS

impressive aspect of Birdman is the direction and writing.

Alejandro González Iñárritu makes Birdman more than just a riff on blockbuster adaptations of comic book by exploring the lives of those trying to make it in our cruel and unfair world. — TU

In Dreams Begin Responsibilities, Princess Kaguya’s mixture of loss and wonder as it closes a chapter of animated history is endlessly strange: through Joe Hisaishi’s score, it almost sounds like rejoicing. — MS

thrown out the window). Driverless car chases, hallway fights without a single thrown punch or bullet fired, and, just to mix things up, the unseeable cell phone signals of Paris displayed as rainbow telephone wires reaching to the clouds: Lucy is unpredictable in the sense that it is a movie piloted by a single creative mind with no interest in seeing the line between goofy and sublime. What is it about? Academic research, of course. — MS sic instructor (J.K Simmons), who turns the motivating teacher cliché on its head. Whiplash offers an enthralling, visceral glimpse into onstage power struggles between an instructor and his musicians, right through to the year’s best final sequence. — TU

people. That DuVernay tackles all this, taking an historical event and imagining all its implications instead of the most popular one, and transforms it, from the weight and meaning of its violence to the spirituality of its characters, as a cinematic inquiry of how to frame people, events, and spaces, suggests not a work depicting the past, but one attempting to describe how this same work is, must be, part of the present. — MS frenzy, the audiences’ sympathies shifting with points of view. Nick Dunne wavers between unwitting, clumsy introversion and violent narcissism; Amy, who has always been under pressure from her parents to achieve perfection, is at once sympathetic and terrifyingly unbalanced.

— NM

Read the full top 20 online at ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

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FEATURE

BEST MOVIES

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The Grand Budapest Hotel GBH is a clever exploration of the passage of time. It’s framed with the dreary present, as a journalist tracks down the story of the Grand Budapest’s slow decay. We are swept off to the hotel’s glory days, before the devastation of war reaches its famously discreet and wonderfully pink doors. Lobby boy Zero (Tony

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Boyhood

Richard Linklater has proven himself to be our primary guide to time travel. He’s shown an uncanny ability to demonstrate the subtleties of how time affects us all. The persistence and determination of all involved in Boyhood’s 12-year production is admirable and deserves the attention it is receiving; however what is more remarkable is the film itself.

A film so modest, light, and carefree and yet so powerful, Boyhood is the antithesis of the modern Hollywood blockbuster characterized by pomposity and heavy handedness.

Here is a film that never claims it is telling us anything and yet in the end tries to tell us everything. — JF

Revolori) is swept into adventure with Concierge Monsieur Gustave, and their journey is filled with romance, intrigue, friendship, and daintily choreographed fights and murders. GBH is filled with lonely people who find each other, if only for a brief time that lives on in memory. — NM

3

Snowpiercer

What makes Snowpiercer it so fantastic is it’s not just a linear quest that wears its metaphors on its sleeve. Director Bong Joon-Ho does a masterful job showing, not telling, Curtis’ (Chris Evans) inner struggle as he toes the line between fighting the system and realizing he’s just another piece holding it all together. The most heartbreaking parts come when the real price of a seemingly “balanced” system is revealed: the people exploited and robbed of the chance to see life any other way. A masterpiece in subverting the expected route of the modern action movie. — ES

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FEATURE

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www.ufvcascade.ca

BEST ALBUMS Spoon — They Want My Soul

After a four-year absence, Spoon returned in 2014 with They Want My Soul, one of their loosest recordings to date. Britt Daniels returns to Spoon with a new psychedelic groove along with new keyboardist/guitarist Alex Fischel. They Want My Soul feels more like a follow-up to 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. “Rent I Pay” and “Inside

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

The War on Drugs — Lost in the Dream

Out” open the album with a one-two punch, in classic Spoon fashion. They Want My Soul is deeply entrenched in Spoon’s signature organic sounding recording, with a warm bass, crisp drums, and crunchy guitars, with room for progress and innovation to make this album one of the year’s best. — TU

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D’Angelo and the Vanguard — Black Messiah The War On Drugs are today’s ultimate definition of Indie Americana. After a decade together they’ve released their third album, Lost in the Dream. Continually progressing, this is their finest work, and, while a bold statement, one of the best albums of the decade. From beginning to end Lost in the Dream is consistent with its haunting chords and cool melancholic lyrics. This album yearns to connect with the listener and stir emotions. The track “Red Eyes” is very likely known to most who follow this genre, and even those who don’t.

But other tracks are just as noteworthy such as “Under The Pressure” which, sitting at just less than nine minutes, is a transcendent, driving, masterpiece. — JJ

When a major artist goes a decade without releasing new work, it gets pundits and critics and explainers searching for answers. The answer is pretty simple: musicians make music, they don’t always want to release a recording of it.

D’Angelo saw, in 2014, a reason to give people his music again. A direct response to white-on-black murders across the US, it doesn’t emulate the revolutions of mediated images or mantra speeches, but offers, “collectively,” the gift of voicing something too-long silenced: “All we wanted was a chance to talk.” Other lines provide a space for hearing what pop and indie spheres alike tend to force to the margins: emotion with a political reason for existence. — MS

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FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

4

Taylor Swift — 1989

5

Jenny Lewis — The Voyager

6

Run The Jewels — Run The Jewels 2

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The Pains of Being Pure at Heart — Days of Abandon

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Future Islands — Singles

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Sun Kil Moon — Benji

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1989 is Taylor Swift’s first pop album. “Wild Dreams” emphasizes the bad boy who leaves like in “Trouble,” but unlike “Trouble” there’s a sense of nostalgia and longing in lines like, “say you’ll see me again even if it’s just in your wildest dreams.” The song “You Are In Love” is

In an era of music that has lost emphasis on the warm and rich blend of vocals and instrument, Jenny Lewis’ Voyager is a reprisal to her own generously sensitive sounds.

While there are elements of current indie pop, there’s also ‘90s college rock and ‘70s folk rock. Each track on Voyager is a glimpse into a story. While all of that may present a

Run The Jewels 2 wasn’t meant to be a commercial hiphop record. It wasn’t meant for radio, and it sure wasn’t crafted to sell millions of copies. RTJ2 is simply the product of two good friends, both of which happen to be phenomenal lyricists, doing what they do best. RTJ2 was everything we expected it to be: gritty, passionate, and hard-hitting; an unapologetic synthesis of two rappers’

With two bright and bombastic records to his name, Pains frontman and sole-remaining original member Kip Berman turns down the reverb dial on Days of Abandon.

Berman deals more with heartbreak and misfortune on Days of Abandon. When I saw Pains live in concert, Berman opened his set to almost no fanfare, simply walking out on stage alone and playing his acoustic guitar in the

In 2014, Future Islands received a payoff for their years of non-stop touring, starting with a killer performance on the David Letterman Show. Islands performed “Seasons (Waiting On You),” which quickly became the quintessential summer indie jam of 2014. The strength of the record comes not in the uniqueness or the complexity

Benji is a first-rate balancing act. On one hand, you have sex, rock n’ roll, and suicide — on the other hand, fried frog legs, crab cakes, and the Postal Service. It’s the most honest self-examination a songwriter has offered in years, where inanity is portrayed in equal measure to insanity.

Mark Kozelek’s frankness can be unnerving, like when

St. Vincent — St. Vincent

Annie Clark, AKA St. Vincent, has spoken in an episode of Marc Maron’s podcast, WTF, podcast that her newest album is her turn towards extroversion. That claim permeates everything in her new self-titled album. The production’s a digital bubble bath of pop deliciousness.

Though detractors might call the new album a step down

my personal favourite, because it reminds me of Bruce Springsteen’s “Secret Garden,” and the way Swift sings the lyrics is beautiful. Overall the album is well-paced with songs you can’t help to dance and sing to, and others that make you melt. — RF

fractured album for some artists, Lewis has the vocal talent and song-writing abilities that bring these different sides into a cohesive piece of work. Voyager represents everything Lewis needed to express and the stories she needed to tell. — JJ

undeniable skill and high energy. If ever the term “overkill” was applicable to any one record, Run the Jewels 2 is that record. And we’re better off for it. Killer Mike and El-P walked in, did their thing, and left, not bothering to look over their shoulders at the chaos that ensued.

— MC

shadows, with most of the audience unsure of whether all the other members had been stopped at the Canadian border. Once the rest of the new lineup joined him onstage, it was clear: pains was evolving beyond shoegaze and was began the process of refinement instead of repetition. — TU

of the album, but in the rawness and realness. Despite the cosmetic and often multi-leveled electronic palette behind the vocals, the mashing drums and cutting bass combined with Samuel Herring’s vocal creates a very grounded feel. A very human album from a very human band. — JT

he recounts his teenage sexual encounters in “Dogs.” But fucking won’t hide the fact we’re fucked. Unresolved tragedies build, and there’s no ready answer that can resolve how cruel this world may be, so we busy ourselves with redundancies to forever avoid the hurt. Phew, time to bust out those crab cakes. — KC

from the more cerebral jams of Strange Mercy, the delightful digital brass romps “Digital Witness” and “Rattlesnake” prove damn good counterarguments. With her newest outing, accessibility and quality become synonymous terms, and St. Vincent lays the groundwork for a surprising venture into pop. — KC

Read the full top 20 online at ufvcascade.ca

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FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

BEST RESTAURANTS 1

Yummy Sushi

It’s pretty easy to find a Japanese restaurant in Abbotsford, but after Yummy Sushi there’s not much reason to shop around. The menu is diverse, offering a wide collection of elaborately displayed gourmet rolls and hot dishes. If you’re dining in, the atmosphere is open with large windows and comfortable booths. Prices are on

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Afterthoughts

par with other dine-in sushi restaurants in the area, but they take the experience a step further with the complimentary volcano roll that accompanies your meal — always enough for every diner to enjoy. It’s the little touch of extra that earns Yummy Sushi a place on this list. — JW

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Duft & Co. Afterthoughts specializes in cheesecake, rotating through some 60 varieties. A customer favourite is the Vancouver cheesecake: the classic plain, topped with a choice of Afterthoughts’ specialty sauces and doused with whipped cream.

While Afterthoughts also offers breakfast muffins and a lunch menu with soups and sandwiches, their desserts are their crowning jewel. Try a divine almond Copenhagen, a freshly baked pie, decadent trifle or the perfectly flakey turnovers in peach and apple blackberry. There’s also a glutenfree cheesecake option. The store itself has plenty of cozy seating, and is always comfortably busy. Sit by the window with a specialty coffee drink and a piece of cheesecake for some excellent people-watching. — NM

Since opening one year ago, Duft & Co. has gained a substantial following. With the popularity of its golden buttery croissants and homemade doughnuts, it’s the sort of place that has to close early because it’s sold out of everything by 4 p.m. Duft & Co. is no one-trick pony; its lunch menu fills up the downtown Abbotsford location on a daily basis, with soups, sandwiches and flatbread pizzas. They also offer artisan coffees made with their own flavourings. On top of all that, the people are genuinely nice (the owner works the front counter daily). Duft & Co. is Abbotsford’s own Parisian bakery — with much friendlier service. — NM

FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

4

Mitch Millers

5

Sagano Sushi

6

Mission Springs

7

The Yellow Deli

8

Wendel’s

9

O’Neill’s Home Cooking

10

Sumas Mountain Coffee

I have never been disappointed with a meal at Mitch Miller’s; its salads are as good as its main courses, but what I keep coming back for is the breakfast. They make the best eggs Benedict, with perfectly soft poached eggs and creamy hollandaise made fresh in restaurant. One of the greatest features of the restaurant, though, is that most menu options (including the eggs Benedict) can be

Abbotsford is not lacking in sushi restaurants, but sadly most of them are a la carte. Sagano is a great all-you-caneat option for those looking for a little more variety. The fish is always fresh, the service is quick and attentive, and the rolls are stuffed tightly with a good amount of rice. Lunch is cheaper than dinner by $10, but the menu

There is no brewpub to rival Mission Springs in the Valley. It’s an easy-access building, situated right on Highway 7. The décor is outstanding with its wooden siding and random assortment of paraphernalia. But really, it comes down to the food. The menu is very fairly priced and offers generous portions. Being a brewpub, they

The Yellow Deli is a wonderful place to grab a coffee or a simple bite to eat. With a homey atmosphere, homecooked meals, and affordable prices, it’s a hit! Whether you’re there with a significant other or accompanied by textbooks and earphones; it’s a great place to be. The staff’s super friendly, and your coffee cup is always full.

The fact that Wendel’s is located in pretty Fort Langley is one just one part of the charm. They also serve a damn good cup of coffee. Plus, half the shop is a little bookstore. While the pastry selection is varied, they aren’t the stars of the show. The wraps and sandwiches are made with gourmet ingredients like roasted garlic mayo, cara-

O’Neill’s is a long-time UFV favourite. We’ve watched it grow from a little sandwich shop run by Vern O’Neill to an expanded sandwich shop with several employees, but the classic sandwich remains as beloved as ever. With a delicious sweet potato bun and the melding of flavours in the ham, cheese, and egg, you’ll never taste a breakfast

Sumas Mountain Coffee Company Inc. roasts all their own coffee in-store. The espresso is mellow and smooth, and the baristas are laid-back, experts of their craft. Every latte is topped with a beautiful design. The atmosphere is perfect for studying, meeting with friends, or curling up in one of the lounge chairs with a book. Possibly the best

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ordered gluten-free, making it a great dinner spot for those with allergies or dietary restrictions and preferences. I also often find myself appreciating the clever layout and ambience of the restaurant itself: the tables are arranged at different levels and divided in ways that take as much advantage of the space as possible without giving the room an overly crowded feel. — KS

changes slightly at dinnertime to allow you to order an unlimited amount of any special chef roll you like. You know, the ones that are normally $10? Have as many as you like. This is definitely the best all-you-can-eat sushi place in town. — AM

have unique and amazing hamburgers and sandwiches, as well as pizza and pastas. The appetizers are also to die for. It truly is hard to find another place that offers the quality of food that they offer. To top it off, you can also order any of the superb Mission Springs beers to accompany the delicious food. — JJ

The food is great and affordable, and you can dine almost 24 / 7 (they are closed on Saturdays), so hey — need a coffee, sandwich, and a killer piece of cheesecake at 3 a.m.? You now know where to go! — JS

melized onions, brie or pepper jack cheese, quinoa, bean sprouts, and roasted meat. Try the wild salmon wrap with bean sprouts and quinoa. Sit down — you get free refills on coffee — and enjoy the friendly, peaceful atmosphere that comes in a little historic tourist town. — SM

sandwich so good. O’Neill’s provides a great, colourful experience, and attracts Abbotsfordians from all walks of life. The walls have awesome local art, the owners are invested in what they’re doing, and hot damn — that sandwich. Eat in or take out. — SM

part about this place is the giant roaster in the back of the shop. The owner and baristas are often found fiddling dials, pulling levers and dumping giant bags of beans into it, filling the shop with a glorious aroma. — MH

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FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

BEST BOOKS Yes Please Remember how great Tina Fey’s Bossypants was? Fey’s partner in crime Amy Poehler’s debut memoir is just as good. Yes Please gave me true feminist joy. Poehler isn’t as raunchy as her fellow comedian memoir-writers — Sarah Silverman, Caitlan Moran, Mindy Kahling, Tina Fey, Lena Dunham — but her humour is on point. It’s the type of humour that makes you pause, then nod approvingly in that classy way (then sip your red wine). Poehler’s got lovable charisma, authenticity, and heart. She’s good to her fellow female comedians. She doesn’t tell all but she tells enough, especially considering she was divorcing Will Arnet at time of writing. It’ll sit alongside Silverman’s The Bedwetter, Fey’s Bossypants, and Moran’s How to Be a Woman on the shelf of candid, hilarious memoirs by women I love. — SM

Annihilation The Southern Reach trilogy is a masterful work of science fiction art; surprisingly, the entire trilogy was published in only one year.

This series offers a wide range of well-developed characters, each with stories to tell within the greater narrative. Vandermeer expertly weaves a thrilling tale with moments of poetic prose and a lingering atmosphere of unnerving weirdness. From beginning to end it holds the reader in a sense of wonder and revulsion, mindfulness and dissonance. —AB

The Back of the Turtle

1996

The same authorial playfulness and complex cultural layering that marked Green Grass Running Water is strong and alive in King’s The Back of the Turtle, but it’s paired with the glint (and occasional slice) of steel that hovered beneath the surface in the former work. With it he aims unflinchingly at the wrong in the world.

One of the things I love best about King is his ability to juggle the globe (and its contents) on the back of one hand with his pen in the other.

However, as much as his myth-twisting, allusions, and other literary elements make him a top-notch story-weaver, it’s the storytelling that really makes him a master. The narrative is unfailingly approachable and crisp (in-joke!), and it strikes a perfect balance among the funny, the serious, and the human. — KS

This is Sara Peters’ first book of poems, but you’d never be able to tell. She presses the serrated edge of language to the soft skin of our alleged innocence, bleeding confession; she explores the darker, often half-buried elements of childhood and human experience with a fresh, sharp voice. It’s a collection I keep lending out as an example of good poetry, and one which I return to often, still decoding meaning even after having read it a few times over. Its layers and complexity may require a little more effort from the poetry-reading novice, but it’s unique, striking, and worth the attention. — KS

The Strange Library

Foodville

On the heels of Murakami’s other (strikingly disappointing) 2014 release, Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, this slim volume is a breath of relief; we find ourselves back in the fantastical, unlikely, and slightly off-putting world of magic realism that carries Murakami’s best works. The tale is short, simple, and ominous: a boy attempts to check out a library book and is tricked into the labyrinthian basement, where a menacing librarian keeps him hostage and threatens to eat his brain. Beautiful and uncanny illustrations add an extra layer to the story, making it more of an art project or chapbook than a novel. The result is clear: Murakami’s still got it. Long-time fans will love this book, and newcomers will find it an easy introduction to this classic author’s beautifully unsettling work. — DB

If you like to read non-fiction on occasion but don’t want to dedicate yourself to hundreds and hundreds of pages, Vancouver has an answer: Nonvella, a local indie publishing house that distributes short nonfiction pieces of about 100 pages, or the length of a novella. Timothy Taylor was one of the first on the Nonvella docket, and his casual and conversational book about the food scene and history of Vancouver hits the spot. It’s the perfect bite-sized break from academic writing, and you walk away feeling more knowledgeable about something relevant to real life — after all, food is not only a part of everyday life but can be imbued with intense cultural meaning. Diving into the background of Vancouver’s food scene with Taylor is a fascinating and delicious ride. — DB

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Holy Moly Matrimony

When and how to spill the engagement beans NADINE MOEDT THE CASCADE

You’re engaged! Your family’s going to wonder why it took so long, your friends are going to wonder why all their friends are getting engaged, and your ex will probably post an annoyingly vague status about his or her feelings on the matter.

But first, you have to tell them.

And unless you want a few ruffled feathers, you’ve got to do it right. Your family might have a “finally” reaction, but they want to be able to have that reaction first. Your family, friends, and acquaintances will equate how you tell them with how you feel about them. If you think this should be about your relationship, think again. This is a special moment for a lot of other people.

Before you begin, make sure you talk it over with your spouseto-be. Talking about your expectations is crucial at this point in your relationship.

The communication tools available to you range widely, from a face-to-face chat to a phone call to an impersonal mass email or

Image: Chinkerfly / Flickr.com

Announcing your engagement? Do it right and avoid ruffled feathers.

Facebook post.

To start, consider the people who will most likely be affected by the news. If there are children involved — from this relationship or a previous one — they should be the first to know. Don’t be overbearing; tell them calmly, ideally in a fun family setting.

According to (rather outdated) tradition, the bride’s parents should be the first to know. My advice, however, is to take your news to the people who will be the most happy for you. If your parents have hated your future

spouse from day one, maybe start with someone who will want to celebrate with you, like a sibling or close friend. Taking your news to someone who will react poorly might introduce doubt to your decision, or leave you with bad memories of sharing your news.

If you do expect your family to react poorly, you now have to make the decision about whether to tell them alone, or with your lover in tow. Having your spouse-to-be present might afford you some protection — your sharp-tongued family might not

say the first hurtful thing that comes to mind. If it’s something you can deal with and your lover can’t, it may be best to brave the storm alone.

The mass email or Facebook post should be left for absolute last. If you have a hundred family members, tell the ones you are close to in person or over the phone and send an email for the others. Facebook posts can often come across as a little braggy, especially if you have an unpared list of 500 friends, mostly from high school. That guy you met at a hostel in Rome two years ago doesn’t need to know that you’re about to be married. Tell who you need to tell, share your engagement photos if you like, and the others will find out naturally.

As much as it might not seem important (especially if you have that you-and-me-against-theworld thing going on), sharing your news and celebrating with family and friends is one of the best parts of getting married. Do it right and enjoy the limelight!

There will be paint: Art Battle Chilliwack gets messy STEWART SEYMOUR CONTRIBUTOR

The room at the Hampton Inn was packed with attendees, space was tight, and the atmosphere was energetic; Art Battle 208 was about to begin.

Six easels were set up near the centre of the room — the final round consisting of four easels.

Running along the floor was a clearly marked yellow border, separating the audience from the art battle zone, where the artists painted. However, the audience was encouraged to circle around to view the artists as they painted. CIVL Radio station manager Aaron Levy emceed the event.

Art Battle, a competition between artists to paint the best picture in a short period of time, started in 2009 and has since spread to major cities across the country, but this was its first time coming to Chilliwack. In total, 12 artists competed in the event taking place. There were two rounds consisting of six contestants and a final round of four finalists — one ultimately being chosen to compete in the regionals. The audience could vote their choice of winner by phone using personalized codes on their tickets, or there was a voting booth in which you could vote in person.

The winners of each round were determined in quick fashion.

The real value of the event was watching the artists paint from start to finish. Each artist had his or her own unique style in applying acrylics to the canvases.

Some splashed paints, while others used broad brush strokes.

With only 20 minutes allotted per round, artists had to think quickly and consider their choice of colour and the timing in which acrylics dried. Counting down the end of a round sounded like a countdown on New Year’s, and the crowd was lively. At the end of the night, there were a total of 16 paintings, ranging from abstract to landscapes to portraits.

Following the competition, the paintings are then auctioned off individually to the highest bidder.

Artists Zwany Mauritz, David Vegt, Stephen Wimbush and Shannon Theissen were the four finalists. At this point in the art battle, the artists were clearly enjoying themselves. Once the round was finished, spectators got to have one final look at the paintings before voting. Shannon Theissen was declared the winner, earning a cash prize and a spot in the regionals. I asked if she was happy with her final piece. “I am, I’m excited. I won so it’s wonderful.”

Zoë Howarth, who organized and co-ordinated the event, made Art Battle 208 possible. I asked how she thought the response has been.

“Overwhelming,” she replied.

“We sold out a week and a half ago, which is unheard of.” Besides living in Chilliwack, Howarth indicated that she brought the event “to promote artists in the smaller communities and that way they get a chance to compete in the regionals.”

Howarth already has another art battle event planned for March with seven participating artists already confirmed.

Upcoming

Events January 22

Film screening: Slavery by Another Name The history department’s film series Slavery, Race and Civil Rights in America continues on Thursday with a screening of Slavery by Another Name. The documentary, based on a book

by Douglas A. Blackmon, argues that slavery continued beyond the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and in fact continued well into the 20th century. The film will explore the forced service of Southern US black men and women in the American Civil War and World War Two. The free screening takes place in B121 from 3 to 5 p.m., and will be followed by discussion. All students are welcome.

January 24 Family Literacy Day at Clearbrook library The Clearbrook library and the Reach Gallery Museum are holding a family-friendly celebration of literacy this coming Saturday, complete with balloon sculptures and face-painting. Bring your kids or little sibs for live music, free refreshments, an improv theatre group from the Second Story Theatre and the launch of Literacy Matters’ Read What You Love initiative. This free event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Image: Stewart Seymour / Flickr.com

January 28 Career and life planning workshop Unsure about what you want to do post-graduation? Don’t have that five-year plan in place?

UFV’s counselling department has your back. Department members are offering free career assessments from January 28 through March 3 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Contact UFV Student Services for more information and to book your appointment.

Image: Stewart Seymour / Flickr.com

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Portraits of the Unknown aims to paint a peaceful Islam UFV visual arts student Meshaal Alzeer on his portrait series — and why it matters now more than ever MITCH HUTTEMA THE CASCADE / PHOTOS

There is a tendency in Western culture to forget the contributions of Eastern civilization, and to paint an unflattering portrait of Eastern culture.

In his series, Portraits of the Unknown, UFV visual arts student Meshaal Alzeer brings to light the inherently peaceful and intelligent nature of Islam through portraits of little-known Islamic inventors, innovators, and scholars, which focuses on various stereotypes pinned on Islam by Western society.

Alzeer grew up in Saudi Arabia. He notes that the media can misrepresent so much, especially when it has exhaustive power over popular opinion. In his interview with The Cascade, Alzeer said the media can “make you hate your blood brother and love your enemy.”

The paintings in the series feature ancient Islamic scholars who receive little to no credit as cultural contributors in the West.

The first, Alkhawrizmi, was a big player in mathematics and was believed to have invented algebra, which he used to create systematic solutions for linear and quadratic equations. According to Alzeer, Einstein’s work was heavily influenced by Alkhawrizmi’s discoveries. Because of this relationship, Alzeer chose to portray Alkhawrizmi with his tongue out, just like the expression in Einstein’s famous photo. Alzeer used a bright colour palette to further establish a link between Eastern and Western cultures, drawing from a style reminiscent of pop art.

Abbas ibn Firnas, the subject of the second portrait, was the first man to successfully attempt flight, whereas the first musings on the topic are generally attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. The third man, Ibn al-Haytham, made significant advances in optics and wrote a defining and lengthy text on the subject. We begin to notice a pattern of the sidelining of Eastern contributions and the glorification of white men’s derivation of their works. But this imbalance wasn’t always the case.

“In the golden ages, Muslims, Jews, and Christians worked side by side in peace on study and innovation,” Alzeer says. “Islam encourages the pursuit of knowledge, to be at peace with different cultures and religions.”

Alzeer notes that the image of Islam as a violent religion could not be farther from the truth. The depiction of Muslim scholars in his paintings is a timely reminder that Islam is not the bloodthirsty religion portrayed in the media.

“What’s happening now is that there are a lot of people who are

extremists who took the idea of Islam in the wrong way, who are not educated enough, who took verses from the Quran and interpreted them in their own way,” says Alzeer. “Right now I just want to deliver the message that Islam is based on peace, knowledge, [and] forgiveness.”

While the killings in Paris are of course a tragedy, he says they are also an opportunity for him to connect with the viewers of his work and act as an avenue of discussion over the true nature of the religion of Islam. Often, and especially in recent times because of the shootings, Alzeer says he is

asked, “Does the Quran really say that? Are you really supposed to kill non-Muslims?” He says now is a great time for the gallery to open, as the topic is prevalent in everyone’s mind and he hopes to draw much attention.

“As for Paris, I have nothing to say. Nothing. It’s crazy.”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

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SPORTS & HEALTH

The next generation’s health could go up in smoke Unregulated electronic cigarettes mean trouble for Canadian youth JOEL MACKENZIE THE PEAK

BURNABY (SFU) — From British Columbia to New Brunswick, electronic cigarettes have stirred up political debate and controversy.

While these might look like a blessing for those trying to quit smoking, they may also be the start of a dangerous trend amongst Canadian youth. The product remains unregulated and available to all ages, leaving myself, as well as healthcare officials across the nation, wondering when and if the government will intervene.

Despite the novelty of e-cigarettes, disturbing stories are emerging of how this product may affect children. This winter, an 11-year old South Delta boy purchased an e-cigarette at

a local store. His parents were horrified to find the boy as he tried to blow smoke rings with it at home. After the boy’s father attempted to return the product, he was denied a refund on the grounds that the store owner did not violate any provincial regulations.

A bit shocking, no? Since there are currently no restrictions on this product, vendors have been offering the inherently adult product to children.

These vapour-producing cigarettes appeal to youth as they come in a variety of kid-friendly flavours (such as grape and cherry), and they can be purchased at any local drugstore.

Since e-cigarettes legally cannot contain nicotine, they were deemed harmless when they first hit the shelves. However, this is a premature conception of the potential dangers associ-

Image: Andrew Zuliani

ated with the trend.

After years of anti-smoking campaigns, the world began to see a decrease in its smoking population. This happened because kids were educated about smoking; from an early age,

adults started warning of the dangers of nicotine and smoke.

Now, after all this progress, we risk seeing a reversal in the way kids view cigarettes.

With every innovation comes a trial period where you learn

how society adapts to the product. E-cigarettes present a slippery slope that may lead from fun flavours to tobacco. They look like real cigarettes, and are held like cigarettes — what’s to stop young people from experimenting with tobacco after doing so with e-cigs? By making this product available to youth, we may actually desensitize the next generation and open the door to a revived smoking culture.

Seeing these products used outside of their intended purpose — to help people quit smoking — makes me wonder whether they will lead to a generational movement towards a world where “lighting up” is a social norm. Although e-cigarettes have the potential to help smokers quit, the government should hastily intervene and restrict them as 19+ products.

24

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 www.ufvcascade.ca

Pool noodle swords make for epic fights ANTHONY BIONDI THE CASCADE

Regimented exercise is about as much fun as stirring a pot of soup on low heat for four hours. I hate it. As far as I know, most people feel about the same way, unless they are truly dedicated. However, there are solutions.

Pool noodles are a summer item, so they may be hard to find during the winter doldrums, but they are the key to entertaining exercise. The kind with the hole in the middle can be used to perform a near full-body workout for very little cost. All that’s needed are a few broomsticks to shove in the middle, and a willing victim.

The pool noodle sword is one of the best exercises I know. The arms especially feel it after some time of controlled swinging. My brother and I grew up beating the crap out of each

other with broomsticks. We started out striking wildly at assorted body parts, resulting in a multitude of bruised fingers and knuckles. Not only was it great for cardio, tiring me out within a few short minutes, it was also great musclebuilding for the arms and shoulders. It was only later that we added the pool noodles for protection.

With just a bare stick, flinching is often the result. No one likes straight pain, and this is where the noodle comes in. It makes a violent beating relatively painless and makes the experience much more exciting. It’s no longer a grind against your own pain threshold, but a grind against your endurance.

Your brooms may break, but that can be an advantage; I found one of the best methods was to have one opponent with a six-foot noodle sword, while the other has two short foot-and-a-half-long noodle swords. The goal is simply to defeat the clearly advantaged person. Straight

Breaking: Students aren’t getting enough sleep CATHERINE STEWART THE CASCADE

If school is good for anything, it’s for screwing with your sleep schedule. It’s a common misconception that the average amount of sleep needed every night is eight hours. In actuality, we need more like nine and a half. How much do we actually get? About six. This averages to roughly 24 hours of sleep a week that we miss out on.

According to WebMD.com, sleep will not give you immunity from disease.

However, you will be at lower risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity. You’ll also be in better control of your weight. When you’re overtired, you have less energy to cook healthy food or to exercise.

Something a lot of people don’t know is how dangerous it is to be tired. About one-fifth of car accidents are a result of drowsy driving, since you lack your usual perceptiveness and judgement.

This equals one million crashes a year, 500,000 injuries, and 8,000 deaths a year in the US, reports a study on health by Harvard students.

One of the main causes of lack of sleep is simply not being able to fall asleep at night. BusinessInsider.com has a few

tips to help get rid of this issue. First of all, remove the tempting electronics from your bedroom. This means no sitting on the bed to do homework on your laptop, and mainly no phones. This is probably the toughest, since we treat our phones like our firstborn children.

But once you’re curled up in bed, your mind and body prepare to work. If you also use your phone as an alarm clock (like everyone else does), that needs to stop, too. If you start to get restless at any point during the night, you’ll start playing on your phone.

Is something on your mind keeping you up? Write all your thoughts down.

Try turning the temperature in your room down or opening your window, and count down from 100 in increments of three. It will occupy your mind and tire you out.

If waking up in the morning is something you struggle with, it’s tough to get used to. Try to have something to motivate you, whether it be a morning exercise or the promise of a fantastic breakfast you cannot possibly pass up.

It’s also a good idea to leave some of your homework from the night before to finish up in the morning. This way your school schedule doesn’t have to ruin your sleep schedule, and you can turn it around for your own benefit.

Image: Wikimedia.org

fights are also exciting, and with a little epic music, you can find yourself recreating awesome fight scenes from movies you enjoy.

There is a technique to sword-fighting, though, and practicing will greatly improve the exercise. For instance, a standard for sword fighting is to control your swing. Do not swing so your whole body goes with it; the best method is to swing hard, but with only enough strength so that you have the ability to stop your sword before the end of its full arc. The stopping of the swing is what truly works the arms. Swinging wildly takes no effort, but stopping is a challenge. Also remember that a direct block (simply holding your sword in the way of another sword) is usually not the best idea. It takes no effort, and generally yields little result against a truly fearsome strike. Swinging it to perform a parry (pushing the sword away by manoeuvring yours) takes more effort

and yields better results. Finally, keep an eye on where you are going. Simply standing next to each other and swinging without moving is not a likely scenario for a sword fight. These fights should be dynamic and require you to move around, one person pushing, the other retreating. Keep an eye on where you are going and don’t back into walls.

Circling around your opponent not only prevents that from happening, but also gives you range of movement. Move around a lot. It will get your body moving more, and you will feel the strain in your upper body.

By the end of most pool noodle swordfighting sessions, I feel like I’ve run at least 10 blocks. It’s partly what has kept me in shape, despite my sedentary lifestyle. It’s both fun and rewarding. Injury is probably inevitable, but who cares.

Toughen up and get out there!