The cascade Vol. 25 issue 23

SEPTEMBER 27 TO OCTOBER 4, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 23

Makin’ look easy since 1993

l u f s Blis m a e r D pg.

Chilliwack fitness

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More changes to CEP fitness centre

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Q&A with 10 Soul Mates Saskatoon rockers sit down for a talk

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

Antisocialities 14 You don’t Alvvays have to hit the mark dead on.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Editorial // STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca Managing Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Satinder Dhillon satinder@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca Online Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca Staff Writer Aleister Gwynne aleister@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Junior News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Higher education and getting high

Opinion Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca Feature Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Culture & Events Editor Cassie De Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Varsity Writer Rachelle Strelezki rachelle@ufvcascade.ca Staff Writer Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Ekanki Chawla Ryan Chandler Cover: Caleb Campbell Back Cover: Caleb Campbell

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 25 · Issue 23 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor.

Writers meetings are held every second Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. 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. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On Monday, B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced that the province will gather info from municipalities, the public, and stakeholders about cannabis use. The province has given itself five weeks to get the feedback it needs to draft legislation for the spring legislative session.

According to the Vancouver Sun, Farnworth said, “This is a critical issue for British Columbia and British Columbians, and we’re operating on a very tight timeline — July of 2018 is not that far away.”

You already know about Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act. Its intention is to provide legal access to the dank stuff, while regulating and controlling its production and sale, by next July. As federal law changes, how will university policy adapt?

No doubt UFV has sparked up conversation about cannabis on campus. Crafting a policy will be challenging.

Even now, smoking policies vary between institutions.

While Emily Carr and Trinity Western University have entirely smoke-free campuses, Simon Fraser University and UFV both only require a minimum distance away from building entrances.

Expectations already exist, but not formal policy. Students are expected to not come to class drunk or high. For good reason too, showing up unhinged is beyond disrespectful. Of course that will stay the same. But what about the Canoe, the gazebos, Baker House? UFV’s residence currently allows alcohol in the privacy of one’s own room.

Will the reefer be treated similarly?

The CBC reported, also on Monday, that Health Canada is going to launch a campaign warning youth ages 18-24 about the risks of cannabis use. Under the proposed act, 18-year-olds may purchase cannabis.

There’s a lot of concern about how the drug laws will affect youth. In an editorial by Dr. Diane Kelsall, interim

editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Kelsall writes that Canada’s new pot laws will harm young people, whose minds haven’t fully developed.

“It is toxic to neurons, and regular use of marijuana can actually change their developing brains,” Kelsall writes.

According to the American Psychology Association, a number of studies have found evidence of brain changes in youth who smoke pot.

However, a new study by the Université de Montréal, published in Development and Psychopathology, a Cambridge University Press journal, last December found that smoking pot after age 17 seemed to have little ill effect.

Maybe 18 isn’t so bad.

How have other institutions addressed the policy issue?

Nearly 30 states already allow recreational pot use, but most U.S. universities maintain their zero-tolerance drug policies. For good reason? Maybe.

In 2015, the Journal of Psychology of Addictive Behaviours published a study that suggested marijuana users miss more lectures and tutorials than non-users, and the more pot they smoked, the more their studies suffered.

Would prohibiting marijuana on campus protect young minds, or does it hold onto an old model that unfairly punishes otherwise upstanding citizens? This is a tough question of ethics.

Maybe pot isn’t bad for a university brain, but it doesn’t help a university GPA. At what point does the university place itself into the role of protector of students from personal decisions? That’s not exactly the institution’s role, but academic success is.

What’s the future of cannabis in higher education? To find out, UFV should begin to consult students about their thoughts on marijuana use. Going beyond that, UFV should open dialogue on marijuana use, the health risk, and addiction.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Professor Profile //

NEWS BRIEFS

Ron Dart and wisdom Mountains, philosophy, and education

TV stations violated ethics code by airing Abbotsford school stabbing The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has ruled that both CTV Vancouver and Global BC violated ethics codes including the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Violence Code and the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada’s Code of Journalistic ethics by airing a cellphone video of the stabbing that occured at Abbotsford Senior Secondary school on November 1, 2016. After review, it was deemed the video was “unnecessary to tell the story,” as well as being disrespectful to the victims and their families.

-Abbotsford News Craig Toews takes on VP external position UFV recently appointed a new vice president, external: Craig Toews comes into the role already having 29 years of experience here at the university, as well as a passionate commitment to the institution and its students.

Toews is the head of several areas such as government, corporate relations, and community, and his responsibilities include community outreach, campus planning, resource development, and overseeing communications, marketing, and more.

Jackie Hogan, president of UFV, stated: “We’re very pleased to see Craig in this role. His dedication to students, the university, and the Fraser Valley is exemplary and we know his experience and focus will help UFV continue to be a leader in education in British Columbia.”

- UFV Today

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ron Dart grew up near Algonquin Park, in southeastern Ontario. In his 20s he travelled as a ski bum. Eventually he settled in Switzerland, embracing the great Swiss alpine tradition.

Returning home to Canada in 1974, Ron found work in the Canadian Rockies leading mountaineering trips. At the time, he studied to become a certified mountain guide.

Ron is thoughtful and steadfast. He’s is a prolific writer and has authored over 30 books. And though he now teaches in the department of political science at UFV, stepping into university took a nudge.

Ron didn’t complete high school and his biggest takeaway was that it wasn’t very useful. Not until his wife suggested he try out a semester of university had he thought about enrolling. The mountain cabin that Dart and his wife lived in was full of books — the continuity for Dart’s life-long pursuit of understanding.

Ron noted that the magnificence of Algonquin Park had a lasting, profound impact on his life. It is the same wild beauty known intimately by the Group of Seven painters.

The Group believed that the best creation of Canadian art would come from immersion within Canada’s wilderness.

Similarly, Ron has spent years of his life living in Norway’s far north, with the Sami people; in the Swiss alps, skiing; in Canada, both in the Rockies and Algonquin Park.

What interesting places have your travels taken you?

I spent time at Martin Heidegger's hut in Germany — probably one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century -— he would bring his best student out of Fribourg. His great contribution: he was very critical of certain analytical approaches.

His interest was very much what’s the relationship with the contemplative to the active, and the role of the mountains as a metaphor of stillness and quietness, of stepping away from the hurly burly of the Valley, of city life.

In these different modes of existence city life is the busyness and the demands, and we often then define ourselves by our accomplishments; our identity comes from that business in the city. Who are you when all of that is gone? So when you go to the mountains, there’s no more demands, the busyness is gone — Who am I when all of that’s stripped? — what T.S. Elliott calls “Being distracted through distractions by distractions.”

How does Heidegger’s work deal with today’s busyness?

Heidegger was very interested in what the West has become in terms of its hyper-driveness, or the dominance of what he

called “vita activa,” or the addiction to busy, busy, busy — externally or internally, we can’t stop. We keep popping the pill of one busy thing after another. When you leave that behind and all those things are stripped away, then who are you? That’s when people get quite jittery, it’s almost like they’ve come off their drug. They gotta’ move around, they’ve got to find their iPad or their phone or their book. It’s because we’re so drugged on the vita activa, that when we let go of that, the symptoms of an addiction occur.

What’s in the psychology of mountaineering?

The soul longs for something more than university, than society, can give you. There’s a hunger for something a little more human. Sometimes the structure of civilization prevents people from knowing themselves and being closer to the living reality of nature.

How is being in the mountains similar to education or professorship?

Universities are good on knowledge, information, facts, essays, and papers. But a person can have a BA, MA, a PhD, and not be wise. So what’s the difference between education as wisdom, as knowledge, as facts and stats? And then what’s the relationship with the contemplation of wisdom? A person needs to learn to contemplate what they learn. We have to overcome things to reach a new level of knowledge or self-understanding.

Mountains become a metaphor of wisdom, of insight, of selfunderstanding because they are something to be overcome.

How do you go about leading a mountaineering trip or your classroom?

It depends on people’s temperament. Some people you have to sit with and encourage them along, let them know they can do it, just a step at a time. Some people think big picture and then they can't conceive how a little step will get them where they want to go. They just think this is too big for me, or the mountain is too big, or the weather is too nasty. If you think along those negative thoughts, inevitably you become impotent and paralyzed.

It’s finding each person’s place of optimism where they can find hope. And that’s different for different people. That’s where a leader has to be able to read individuals in a group fairly quick, in terms of both their despair points or their cynicism points.

A teacher has about two or three weeks to figure out the personality of the class, who’s who, and how to move them around to work as a group. That’s part intuition, that’s part reading people.

This interview was edited for length and clarity

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Fitness Centre //

New fitness options on Chilliwack campus Drop-in classes and an on-site fitness centre replace the previously offered Cheam Leisure Centre pass for Chilliwack students JESSICA BARCLAY JR. NEWS EDITOR

UFV is ramping up their fitness options on the Chilliwack campus after cutting ties with the Cheam Leisure Centre last April. Access to the Cheam Centre is no longer offered as part of the Student Union’s U-Pass after the centre asked for an increased fee from the Student Union Society (SUS).

The initial plan was for SUS and UFV to partner, and replace this option with a fitness centre at the Chilliwack CEP campus. While UFV and SUS have invested in a weight room at CEP and in some fitness programming, the change hasn’t been beneficial for all Chilliwack students.

“Us CEP students pay the same fees as the Abbotsford campus students, but don't get near the same benefits,” Carlene Clark, UFV nursing student wrote in an email.

“The Abbotsford students still have access to gyms, as well as programs like Zumba, and spin classes and the recreation program supplements this.”

Without the Cheam Leisure Centre, CEP students no longer have access to a pool, regular fitness programs, and 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. operating hours.

“The students who attend only the CEP campus only have "access" to the classes run through the rec program.

Most of these classes are run throughout the school day.

Students in programs such as nursing or certified dental assistant have set schedules, and are most of the times in

classes from 8:30-3:50 daily, so almost all of the classes are out of question,” Clark said. “If we are paying the same as Abbotsford students, we should have access to the same amount of amenities they have.”

The original Cheam Leisure Centre annual fee was around $61,000. According to Gill, the budget draft called for approximately $15,000, which has been redirected to acquiring equipment, although the final numbers are not yet in.

Like the Abbotsford fitness centre, the Chilliwack one will house the equipment needed for a full workout, including free weights, fitness balls, treadmills, weight machines, and ellipticals. Unlike the Abbotsford campus fitness room, however, which has a membership fee of $40, access to this new fitness room will be included in the cost of the U-Pass for all UFV students.

The room has been set up in Q building, and will be open as soon as student staff can be found to run it.

“That’s the biggest challenge,” said Cheryl Van Nes, UFV’s program manager of campus recreation and wellness, “but we are getting close.”

Gurvir Gill, SUS president, said that he also looking to partner with YMCA when it opens again in 2018 after renovations. The YMCA offers a fitness room, pool, and a range of drop-in activities that Gill hopes would supplement the planned fitness options on campus in Chilliwack.

“We’ll try to see if they’re willing to partner with UFV so we can give students these other things that they’re

missing out from the Cheam Centre,” said Gill. “If we get a good deal, it would be a good opportunity.”

For the meantime, on-campus fitness classes and drop-in sports are being offered, with a fitness room in the works.

The selection of fitness classes has been expanded on from previous years, and include power fusion, a boot camp circuit, dance fit, and pilates. The classes will continue to be held in the black box room. Drop-in sports will also be offered in the newly renovated RCMP gun range, currently dubbed “R building.”

A fitness incentive, REACH, is also being trialed as part of the new fitness options this semester, for both Chilliwack and Abbotsford students. Students can attend events, or log personal fitness hours for a chance to win prizes, such as parking passes, hoodies, and gym memberships.

“We’re running the challenge to encourage students to participate in their own personal wellness,” said Van Nes. Both Van Nes and Gill believe that these solutions are currently working for students, but will be watching to make sure the program continues to be enough for students’ fitness needs.

“It’s a bit of a Band-Aid solution right now, in my opinion,” said Van Nes. “But I think there definitely is a vision for more for students.”

Stories worth paying attention to

#FollowTheRules

#HomelessCount

NEB issues warning to Kinder Morgan The National Energy Board (NEB) issued a warning to the company building the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion for installing mats in streams to discourage fish from spawning where the pipeline is to be built, reported the CBC. The warning said to stop installing the mats until approval from the NEB has been given to the company.

In an email, Trans Mountain spokesman Ali Hounsell says the spawning deterrents were considered a "preventive measure" to reduce the environmental impacts from construction, adding the company is working on a response to the NEB order.

Greenpeace Canada energy strategist Keith Stewart said it's hard to believe that Kinder Morgan didn't know or failed to check to see if its anti-spawning strategy was allowed.

-the CBC

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#DamBudget

Homeless in Vancouver up 30 per cent in three years Over the last three years the homeless population in Vancouver has increased by 30 per cent. The official 2017 Metro Vancouver homeless count announced that there were 3,605 people did not have a home, up from 2,777 in 2014.

The survey showed that 34 per cent of respondents were Indigenous, with only 2.5 per cent of the local population holding Indigenous status.

"Bottom line: The homeless crisis continues to grow despite the efforts and commitments to stem the tide," Greg Moore, Metro Vancouver's chair and the mayor of Port Coquitlam, told a news conference.

-the Globe and Mail

Tough decision for Site C dam As preliminary report from the British Columbia Utilities Commission says the Site C dam is on schedule, but identifies risks to the budget and schedule, the Tyee reported. The BC Utilities Commission raised concerns about the budget and schedule moving forward.

The report also presented 73 questions for BC Hydro, which BC Hydro hopes to work toward answering.

“Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Michelle Mungall acknowledged Thursday that the cabinet has a tough decision ahead on whether to continue with construction, while the Liberal MLA for Peace River South, Mike Bernier, said the government is creating uncertainty.”

Mungall said the review of the $8.8-billion dam was overdue since the previous government exempted the project from BC Utilities Commission scrutiny.

-the Tyee

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Federal Politics //

Symbols and appearances don’t matter PANKU SHARMA STAFF WRITER

They say a case against Jagmeet Singh for leadership of the federal NDP is Quebec’s discomfort with religious symbols.

Now, this is a little rich considering that their legislative chamber still prominently displays a crucifix behind the Speaker’s chair, and also a little suspect when you think about how an acrossthe-board stance against the display of religious symbols by public office holders does advantage those whose faith doesn’t emphasize the wearing of symbols or signifiers. Many of the faiths that do make that an important touchstone just happen to be not Christian, for example.

Funny how that works out eh?

Now, the idea is that you don’t want the appearance of faith having a role in decision making, power, and authority. But if ideology shapes the policies proposed, which lead the laws enforced, then won’t a person’s individual faith always play a role regardless of whether or not they are openly practicing? It’d be one thing if Jagmeet was the leader of a political party only for Sikhs — but he’s trying to become the leader of the NDP, which has balanced the religious convictions of its members with a commitment to a neutral state that respects Canadian’s rights.

(Charlie Angus, a Catholic, was denied communion by his church for voting in favour of same sex marriage.)

I think this kerfuffle is mostly superficial, which doesn’t speak highly of the assumed (I mean, they could surprise us, pundits have it wrong at least half the time) voting habits of Quebecers and “Old Chicken Stock” Anglophones. They seem to be more concerned with the appearance of impartiality, secularism, or whatever else conveys good governance, than with understanding the real motives, interests, and outcomes of that governance.

I mean, in a roundabout way, I think there is an inverted parallel to the furor over Trump’s behaviour and professionalism. Yes, he’s a small-minded, useless, blaring asshole. But he also has the same small-minded, destructive, and gross policy goals as countless politicians before him. They just didn’t go on Twitter, and kept their ugliness hidden. And it seems that for every nasty outcome of his power, there is a disportionate amount of time spent complaining about how he announced it. Trudeau gets a pass on so much — from weapon sales to broken promises — because of these lowered expectations on respectability.

To sum up? We should let go, we should focus on the outcomes that matter. A person may or may not wear their ideology on their sleeve; but their sleeve might not tell enough anyways. Bush was a friendly scamp, didn’t make him any less of a war criminal.

Procrastination //

The underappreciated skill of wasting time JEFF MIJO

OPINION EDITOR

In the week before last’s issue of The Cascade, Martin Castro wrote about compartmentalizing information, and the struggle of juggling multiple projects.

In particular, he wrote that he’s “not the best at juggling multiple, long-term goals or projects,” but is “alright at working intensely, and without sleep or relaxation for entire days.” And while I don’t have his force of will to pull all-nighters, I generally consider my own work ethic to be similar, but where Martin finds the juggling of multiple projects to be the tough part, that’s not where the massive workload that all of us, as university students, are dealing with, gets to me.

I’m a terrible procrastinator. I don’t mean that I leave everything to the last minute, either: I mean that quite literally. I am terrible at procrastination. I can do it, and I certainly do spend a lot of time that I could (and should) be working scrolling mindlessly through Twitter, but I have a hard time turning “work mode” off in my brain, and doing something fun.

My grades are pretty good, my bosses here at The Cascade seem to like my work, but that’s because if there’s something that needs to be done, I have to do it.

While that’s all well and good for those parts of my life, it can make it awfully hard to relax, to exercise, and to do things just because they’re fun, which are all vital to making it through university in-

tact. While Martin mentions going without sleep or relaxation for a few days, and working on overdrive is a great skill to have when papers are almost due and exams are looming, it’s not so good for your mental or physical health to push yourself that hard all semester long.

Especially in this hyper-connected world, it’s hard to get away from your responsibilities. I’m a planner by nature, so using tools to keep on top of everything is absolutely helpful, but it can also become a looming cloud over my head. I have a Google calendar set up to coordinate everything: it has my classes, due dates, meetings, events, and scheduled work time for each class. It emails me reminders about the important things I can’t forget, and is available at a moment’s notice on my computer or phone. It’s fantastically useful, and I haven’t turned in an assignment late yet. I also obsessively check it multiple times a day, not to see what I have to do at that moment, or if I’m free a certain day in the future, but just to remind myself of what’s coming up.

So, this semester, I’m setting myself some goals. Maybe, instead of giving 110 per cent in every class, on every assignment, I can give 95 per cent or 90 per cent and still do fine. I’m going to try to set aside at least one day a week as a minimal work day, with nothing scheduled that needs to be done that day. I’m going to try not to let socializing outside of work and school fall to the wayside like it did last year. I’m going to exercise beyond just walking to and from classes with a heavy backpack. I’m going to read for fun, watch movies without multitasking, and actually beat a video game for the first time in ages. I’m not planning to slack, by any means — I don’t think I’d know how if I tried — but on top of the skills I’m going to be picking up in my classes, I want to practice the difficult art of pushing my work aside and saying “I can do that later,” and then to actually relax, and enjoy that time I’ve carved out for myself.

I still have a few years of university left, and I’d rather not burn out before I get there. I know I’m not the only one in this boat at this school, so I’d encourage all my fellow perfectionists to be a little selfish when planning out their time. Give yourself an hour to do something that you used to have time for.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Natural Disasters //

Too close for comfort How prepared are we really when disaster strikes?

ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

A month and a half ago, residents of the Fraser Valley awoke to white skies, a red sun, oven-like heat, and the scent of burning forests. It was an unsettling reminder of the destruction occurring on our doorstep, while the B.C. interior was consumed by wildfires. Yet even then, it was difficult (for me at least) to truly grasp the gravity of the situation. While I can’t speak for the thoughts and feelings of others, I noticed that the people around me, apart from occasional complaints about the smoke that filled the air, were very calm and collected, and we continued about our usual business like there was nothing wrong. I can’t help but wonder, should we have been more worried?

Natural disasters have been all over the news lately. First the wildfires here in B.C., then the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean being pounded by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and now the earthquake that struck Mexico.

It is hard to fully apprehend the damage that has been done, and lives that have been disrupted or ended, if you haven’t experienced it first hand. These are all other places, and disasters only happen in other places, until

they happen here. I’m sure that the people a few klicks to our east thought the same, until they were burned out of house and home. I’m sure the people in Houston thought the same, until they were flooded out. I’m sure the people in Mexico thought the same, before their houses came crashing down around them, and so on.

I can see why people have this attitude. We all have enough to worry about in our daily lives. Most of us have enough on our plate at any given time without agonizing about unlikely eventualities. So, we prioritize, and that is fine, but these things still bear thinking about, and we shouldn’t let low priority become no priority.

We have been lucky so far, but our luck won’t hold out forever, and for us here in the Fraser Valley, it may run out sooner rather than later. Here there was smoke, but there was no fire. However, the next blaze could ignite in our backyards, and we have been having very dry summers of late. The Big One could strike at any moment; we did have that tremor the winter before last. The Fraser might flood its banks next spring, especially if the massive snowfall and rapid temperature swings of this year are any indication.

Imagine if you got a phone call in the dead of night telling you that your home is in the direct path of a natural disaster, and that you have just one hour to evacuate be-

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fore it hits you. Can you get dressed, packed, and out of town within the time limit? Do you know what you need to bring with you, and what to leave behind, potentially to be lost forever? If your home is ruined, do you have somewhere else you can go? Knowing the answers to these questions if and when the time comes could save you time, money, even your life.

It would also be prudent to make some preparations beforehand. Have an escape plan. Put together a bug-out bag. Make a stockpile of food and fresh water. Invest in a home first aid kit. These are relatively small things that could make a big difference down the line.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do is get into the right headspace. You, your family, and your community are not immune from disaster and tragedy, and the sooner you come to grips with that, the better off you will be when (not if) it finally happens. I suspect most of you will read this and forget about it. I probably will too. Even so, one more warning, in addition to all the others we have seen so far, can’t hurt. Though honestly, if a bloodred sun in the sky doesn’t make you sit up and take heed, I don’t know what will.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Future stuff is hard

Pumpkin spicin’ up life It’s officially fall, and you know what that means: pumpkin spice inevitably creeps into our lives, oozing its way into everything from coffee to candles; there are even pumpkin spice Doritos. If you can taste or smell it, you bet that pumpkin spice can be added to it. I, for one, love pumpkin spice. Not in a “it’s fall so I’m going to go HAM for two months” way, but as a basic component that can “spice up” (see what I did there?) your life all year round. Oatmeal a little bland? Pumpkin spice! Not sure what to

Brief bits of bite sized brevity

add to your soup? Pumpkin spice! Mint toothpaste got you down? Pumpkin spice! But you can’t have pumpkin spice without the haters, right? The ones who say pumpkin spice is basic, pumpkin spice is overdone, pumpkin spice will rot your teeth, and no, Cat, you can’t inhale pumpkin spice to gain special powers.

And maybe they’re right, to some extent, but I’ll be damned if I let someone else tell me what to put in my coffee.

I’m halfway through the last semester of my undergrad, and if there’s one thing that’s clear it’s that four years of university have not, for all the knowledge they’ve imparted on me, taught me how to quickly make decisions about my future. For example, I would love to dive into a more focused study of the topics I found particularly thrilling throughout my studies here. (“Thrilling” is perhaps not the right word, given that what drew my attention most were the opportunities for critical dialogue and interpretation that structuralism afforded me.)

Then again, I have literally all the time in the world to do what I want. Sure, I need money and a roof, and if I could, I’d like to retain some semblance of a social life, but perhaps I’ll pack my bags and teach English overseas, or spend endless days hunting for a day job, only to quit and write about it until someone pays me to do so.

Hey, as far as complaints go, these are alright ones to have.

Martin Castro

Cat Friesen

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

New signs, same behaviours A few months ago, SUS enacted their plan to change the washrooms on the second floor of the Student Union Building from binary male/female to genderneutral washrooms. I have no issue with the change, and fully support the idea of gender-neutral restrooms becoming the norm. If they’d been that way since the building opened, I think that would have been a fantastic way to make everyone feel more comfortable. However, old habits die hard, and despite the change, there doesn’t seem to be any change in who’s actually using the facilities yet. I haven’t seen anyone who presents as femme entering or exiting what was formerly the men’s room, and I know I’d feel out of place pushing open that fogged glass door to what used to be the women’s room. As a university, UFV obviously has a high turnover in who’s using these rooms, and as new students come in, they won’t know which room used to be which. But for the time being, all that seems to have actually changed is that the urinals vanished over the summer, and it’s interesting to note how many people, myself included, are still tied up by ideas of gender, despite our best efforts.

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

A sweeter sweater

Jeff Mijo

This is the unofficial, pre-announcement announcing of my early retirement. For several years now, I’ve hunted for the ultimate knit sweaters. With each new discovery from any of the big name thrift stores, my standards increased.

Pennsylvania’s Woolrich, New York’s Rag and Bone, Naples’ Isaia — they were all nice. I’d wear them hard, wear them out, then move onto something either more exotic or elegant. My purchases became far more particular as I discovered $1,000 sweaters for $16.99.

But I will toil in the soil no longer. Today I wear a 40 per cent Mohair, 40 per

cent merino wool, 20 per cent acrylic masterpiece of Scottish knitted pride.

It drapes over my torso rather than looming outward. The shawl collar is full-sized, not flimsy, hanging helplessly from an improperly shaped neck. I imagine the creator had a name for each individual stitch, and knew each intimately.

I’ve outdone all other sweaters, I’m ready to retire. It’ll be far more productive for me to sit in an easy chair during the day, lounging after early morning strolls, smoking a briar pipe. This is my resignation from the pains of labour.

Joel Robertson-Taylor

7

Blissful Dream a

human

side

By: Joel Robertson-Taylor

I

t’s Sunday. We arrive at Campbell Valley Park, the south valley entrance. Adjacent to the entrance is the Lochiel Schoolhouse, a one-room wood cabin, painted yellow. A popular elementary school field trip location, it’s where third grade students learn about the scripted version of 1920s education.

I remember the actress-teacher pretending to give Jared the strap for lighting a firework at recess. That was a highlight.

Near the parking lot there’s a garden house.

This part of the park is groomed, it has the distinct appearance of a city park. The lawn is mowed, the shrubs are pruned, the path graded.

It’s late morning, the mist has just been coerced off the meadows, making room for our party. Casey invited me for a community event and potluck; she made both of our contributions. I carry a box of potluck essentials — tortilla chips, prepackaged salad, and a ceramic casserole dish of mac n’ cheese, its lid secured in place by two opposing elastic bands.

In the valley, the prominent north shore mountains and the southern tip of the Garibaldi range don’t exist. Nothing to the south either, there’s no horizon. Surrey, Langley, and Abbotsford, the urban sprawl that their names bring with them are all but real. In the valley, it’s impossible to see beyond the valley. There are no place-markers, no perspective — we could be anywhere.

We unpack at the old orchard picnic area.

A troop of ladies hurry to set up tables, table cloths, and a cooking station. One of them expresses concern about a skunk in the area.

Another scoffs, and says it’s marijuana. They cackle; a few are appalled that someone would bring drugs to a family park. They rattle away with their dishes and desserts. It’s cute.

I step back from the (dis)organizing. Then I step even further away, down Shaggy Mane trail. It’s not the season for shaggy manes, but the trail remains.

The main paths are densely populated by casual walkers and Sunday joggers. The squir-

8

of

the

fentanyl

crisis

Design & Illustration by: Caleb Campbell rels here are brave and fat. I walk down into the valley. Fewer people travel deeper into the park, most of these paths are equestrian, and they smell like it.

Even when no one’s around, in the forest, you’re never alone. Trees lurk behind trees — spying, whispering to anyone who might stay long enough to listen.

Lower into the valley, on the edge of a fern grove, a woman stands off the trial, contemplating the cedars. Shade-tolerant bracken ferns keep the cedars’ feet company.

“Mornin’,” I say.

“Yes,” she responds. Her voice is rough, and her accent scratchy.

I stop walking. “Yes it’s morning, or yes, move along?”

“Her face is like furrowed bark.”

She turns to face me. Is she offended?

Her face is like furrowed bark, like the lone Douglas-fir she stands next to. Her eyes, with deep swells underneath, are full and aged.

“Do you walk through here frequently?” I ask.

“I used to, when my kids were young.”

Her dense black hair stretches the length of her back. It lays straight and heavy, reaching for the ground. Though stout, she’s gentle.

“Yeah, I came here more often when I was a little guy.”

She was quiet. Where her dark skin isn’t spotted with age, it glows. And when she leans into the sunlight, she absorbs it, and sends it back out. But her black eyes are defiantly solemn.

“What’s your, where’s your family originally from?” I ask, interested in origins.

“Indian, you can’t tell?”

“Indo-Canadian?” I ask. She must be a mosaic.

“Does it matter?”

I guess not, but I’m not sure what she meant. Did it matter? We pause to let a group of tourists walk by. The three kids of the group have bags of seeds they throw at the squirrels.

This is why they’re fat — the squirrels, not sure about the kids.

“I come here to pray,” she says once the group passes, and stillness returns. “We lost our son last year, here I’m comforted.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t imagine that. It’s a peaceful place here, though.” Her openness surprises me. I introduce myself. She says her name is Sue. Sue’s son died last year this week, she says. I wonder how, but I keep my questions to myself.

“Our family would go for walks on weekend evenings here,” Sue continues. “Andy had the strongest connection to nature.”

“I’m close to Andy when I’m here. He’s easiest to imagine running down the trails.”

I picture a little dark boy whipping a stick around, discovering caterpillars, snails, and stinging nettle. I made the same discoveries.

I’m afraid to ask how he died, but I must know.

Is it impolite to ask? Better to ask than to speculate, I reason.

“Was it an accident?” Immediately I feel stupid.

“Yes, drugs,” she says, in a matter-of-fact kind of way. “I come here to breathe. I’m more fortunate than Andy’s dad. He just doesn’t come home unless he needs someone to vent at.”

He converts it into diesel, I thought. Women can take grief as grief — that’s what Helen Simpson writes in “Early One Morning.” She says that women can grieve, but men won’t; men repurpose or reprocess, or whatever they do, they make rage out of their loss and pain.

“What did he take? If you don’t mind me asking,” I say, changing the subject away from the dad.

“He was the good boy; his sisters were the troublemakers.”

As those who grieve do, Sue was slow to disclose. But unexpected connections have a way

of hastening relationships. This is what I gathered: Her son, Andrew, was her youngest child, he had two older sisters. Their father worked away from home, up north or in Alberta, maybe both, he sounded like a trucker.

The family moved to Langley while she was pregnant with Andy. I notice Sue seem more comfortable, so I take a risk, “How old was he?”

“Eighteen.”

At eighteen I took a job in a truck shop. Wages were comparable to street-level dealing; not all my friends had trade opportunities. If they didn’t have them, they made them. Most didn’t last long.

We paused again to let a team of horses pass.

“Howdy.”

“Hey, nice day,” I responded.

“Always is.”

Sure, I thought. Until it isn’t.

“I didn’t know he was using. It was just grass before. And I don’t stop thinking about what I could have done.”

What Sue feels isn’t unusual. A close friend of mine OD’ed on heroin five years ago, those that didn’t know about his problem before his death crumbled in guilt. Half his family ceased being a family.

“Your one thing is to protect your kids.

I couldn’t, and it kind of makes me feel like a failure as a mom.”

The thing about guilt is almost everyone feels it. An article published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, titled, “Death by Drug Overdose: Impact on Families,” says that when family members aren’t aware of any drug problem, after overdose, they feel helpless, guilty, and angry; they feel solely responsible. As opposed to those that do, who often subconsciously prepare for an end. Sue had nothing to prepare her.

“What was he using?”

“Ecstasy. It was tainted though, it had that fentanyl in it.” The word jerked me into sensitive awareness. Nobody saw it coming, not even Andy, I realized.

What a disgustingly far-reaching problem, I thought. In February, 108 people died from overdoses in B.C., then 120 deaths in March. By June, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson called the fentanyl crisis a “bloodbath,” and as of August, there has been 706 overdose deaths.

According to the B.C. Coroners Service, non-fentanyl-related overdose deaths had been stable for several years prior to 2016; total overdose deaths hovered somewhere around 290 a year. Last year, 575 OD deaths were caused by fentanyl alone, and this year that number may double. Fentanyl can be a hundred times more potent than morphine.

That makes trial-and-error dosing a pernicious game.

Street drug samples tested by Health Canada now regularly show traces of synthetic opi-

“The thing about guilt is almost everyone feels it.” oids. It’s in practically everything. And that’s what makes the crisis horrific, any recreational user could fall victim. Overdoses were once contained to a certain breed of user, and although a morbid thought few would admit to having, many saw it as a natural cleansing.

But tonight, it could be your child.

Sue asked if I knew that the majority of overdose deaths were men. I didn’t, but it’s true. Males accounted for 82.8 per cent of these illicit drug overdose deaths, according to the coroner’s report. It also says that 56 per cent occurred in private residences.

Andy overdosed in his family’s washroom. I imagine him convulsing, knocking over scented candles and soaps with names like “a thousand wishes” or “blissful dream,” all while desperate for something real to hold onto.

One moment he’s

panicking in front of the mirror, like a child panics in realization of the permanence of a shattered window, the next, he lays empty on a flushed-pink bathmat.

But Andy was lucky. His family mourned the loss, others might have mourned their embarrassment. Families who lose a member to overdose often struggle to reconcile with the stigma. Whether stated or not, people wonder: was it the parent’s fault? Why didn’t he have the help he needed? We look for something or someone to blame. It makes it exceedingly difficult to find the kind of community of support that Sue needs.

“You’re a kind boy, your mom must know it,” Sue tells me, seeming to say, “you wouldn’t do such a stupid thing, would you?”

I thought about smoking pot with my friend five years ago. Not here, but it could have been. We were in another park. I knew about his mistress; we talked about life expectancy if he started shooting up, while tossing a Frisbee on a Sunday afternoon. He died two and a half months later.

A brace of ducks speak when Sue or I don’t. I can’t tell if they’re laughing or wailing. Thirty metres away, the barbecue continued. The wind pushed leaves around dejectedly. Burgers hiss away on the grill nearby.

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Music //

Q&A with Soul Mates

Get to know your local music scene CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

Last week, on the night of September 20, Saskatoon band Soul Mates made an appearance at Carport Manor on their Western Canada 2017 tour. We managed to snag 10 minutes of time from band members Tyler Baptist, Jeshaiah David, Pat Eaton, and Colin McGuirk McNeil to ask them some questions about band life and their history. Here is what they had to say.

Can you tell me the names of each band member, and what instrument they play?

Tyler: We have Tyler on vocals, Jeshaiah on guitar, Pat on bass, and Colin on drums.

What genre of music do you consider your work to be?

Tyler: We are more like punk rock or hardcore, but leaning more on the rock and roll edge of things. When we started, we didn’t want to say we sound like this band or that band, but people have compared us to stuff like The Wrong Sort and Blacklisted.

How long have you all known each other? How did you form the band?

Tyler: We all came together around 2009. We formed Soul Mates in 2011, so it’s been just over six years now.

Jeshaiah: Three of us were previously in another band called Nice Behavior. We had a bass player move away, and then from there we started writing some new songs, and we’ve had a few member changes since then.

Who writes your songs?

Tyler: We kind of write together, but Jeshaiah will come in with riffs, and then we’ll come and piece stuff together from there.

Usually, we don’t have songs fully developed before he’s bringing stuff to the table.

It might just be a riff, so you kind of work off of that, or other people from the band, like Colin for instance, he plays drums, but he brought us one guitar riff for one of the tracks that ended up being “Empty.” I write all the lyrics around the songs as we’re writing, based on my emotions, and what I feel I’m getting out of that song. So I don’t pre-plan my lyrics or anything like that, I just write to the music itself.

What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

Tyler: Most of our themes, especially on our latest album Snake Oil, revolve around fighting with your personal demons, or regretting relationships and such. Some stuff comes from personal experiences, but we’ll come up with certain lyrics, and try to base a story around that. So it doesn’t necessarily relate to anything specifically.

Has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

What has been your biggest challenge as a band? How have you been able to overcome that challenge?

Tyler: Our biggest challenge is really just getting ourselves out there, and finding time to tour. We’re trying to do more now, because the funny thing about Soul Mates is, we’ve been around for so long, and we took five years to basically just write and record our first record — especially since we had two previous members who were fathers — and it was hard to tour and get them out on the road all the time.

So we’ve been trying to branch out and do more weekend stuff, and get our name out there.

What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands and start touring?

Tyler: Just do it. Pick up an instrument if you don’t already know one, learn it, and find friends who you like playing with.

That’s the biggest thing, find people you enjoy playing music with.

Jeshaiah: There’s something to be said for taking your time on learning how to play, but on the other hand, don’t take yourself too seriously.

Tyler: There’s no need to be a perfect musician to play in a band, you can learn as you go.

Jeshaiah: There’s nothing better than touring to make a band tighter, and to help you learn how to play together. Play every night that you have available. If you have the opportunity to tour a lot, then that can really help your progress.

Tyler: And, regardless of if you want to tour or not, that shouldn’t stop you from playing with your friends and having fun.

Jeshaiah: Keep your stick on the ice.

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?

Tyler: Our Bandcamp is soulmatesnoise.com. We’re also on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @soulmatesnoise.

You can find us on Apple Music, iTunes, and Spotify, as well.

It is important to recognize that while Soul Mates may not be from here, they are supporting our local music scene by playing here. Keep up the good work local music fans. There is always something cool happening out there, if you keep an eye out for it.

Tyler: Yes and no. We’re still relatively in the same genre, but I think when we started out we were definitely more aggressive, and more on the hardcore end of things. Our newer stuff is definitely more melodic, and a little more evolved.

Jeshaiah: We started learning how to use space in songs a little bit more, just like letting some notes breathe a little more. It creates a certain feel to it, rather than just blasting through everything as fast as you can.

Seminar //

Dr. Gwen Point, UFV chancellor, to speak this Thursday

EKANKI CHAWLA CONTRIBUTOR

As we celebrate 150 years of Canada, it is also time to reflect on our country’s longest inhabitants — First Nations. As part of the Faculty of Science Dean’s Seminar Series, Dr. Gwen Point will speak on the progress Canada and its First Nations people have together made in addressing Aboriginal issues, and the serious challenges that remain unaddressed.

On Thursday, September 28, Dr. Gwen Point will bring her unique perspective on this topic to the University of the Fraser

10

Valley Abbotsford campus. The event will be held in the lecture hall (room 101) in B building. Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

In addition to currently serving as the UFV chancellor, Dr. Point has an extensive background in government and community support. She is a well-respected and well-recognized Stó:lō leader, mentor, and cultural advisor. She has contributed her deep cultural knowledge and experience to numerous books, conferences, workshops, and communities, often as an invited keynote contributor. Dr. Gwen Point holds a BEd from UBC, an MEd from the Univer-

sity of Portland, a doctorate in education from SFU, and an honorary doctorate from UVic. Her connections to our university stretch back decades. To name just a few of her roles, she’s been a student, a member of the Board of Governors, a faculty member, and an Aboriginal curriculum coordinator. Dr. Point has also held a number of provincial government and regional posts supporting education, child and family services, and First Nations communities.

This seminar is offered with the intent to educate community members on recent Canadian history that will help us collectively make change for a better future.

Greg Schlitt, acting dean, faculty of science explained that, “The faculty of science is providing the venue towards broadening the reach of this education. We seek to bring germane and important topics before as wide an audience as possible [through this series].”

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Write for a Living //

Abbotsford Arts //

Professional writers coming to UFV to share their secrets

Arty Awards Preview

JEFF MIJO OPINION EDITOR

Writers, and those interested in starting their journey down the path of a writer, are invited to gather at UFV Abbotsford’s U-House on September 28 to learn about turning their words into careers, with advice from a panel of industry experts.

The event is a collaboration between the English Students Association (ESA), the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC), Louden Singletree, and The Cascade.

“The event was proposed by PWAC Fraser Valley, based on the outstanding success of a similar event that ran at UFV a few years ago,” explained Michelle Superle, assistant professor of English at UFV, and one of the event’s organizers.

That previous event, hosted by the communications department and the ESA, was also called Writing for a Living, and took place in March of 2014.

This year’s event will take place from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., and will feature professional writers from a range of fields.

In consultation with the ESA, Louden Singletree, and The Cascade, Superle established what the evening should focus on. “There was remarkable consensus and overlap — everybody was eager to learn about how to get started setting up a foundation for earning a living as a writer right away, everybody wanted practical take-away tips to begin applying right now, and everybody was interested in opportunities in varied genres (beyond fiction/poetry and traditional journalism).”

The writers speaking at the event are Cate Pedersen, writer and editor at Modern Agriculture Magazine, and freelance writer at Copycate; Robyn Roste, media

and marketing manager at Insight for Living Canada, and freelance writer at Robyn Roste; Katie Stobbart, manager at Red Press Society, and freelance writer at QuiQuill Communications; John Vigna, author and freelancer; and Jess Wind, communications instructor at UFV, and freelance writer at QuiQuill communications.

Attendees will first hear from the panelists in an hour-long discussion about their personal experiences and accomplishments, followed by a second hour where the audience will have a chance to ask questions. Afterwards, everyone will be given time to mingle and chat one-onone with the panelists and other attendees. The free event will also feature prizes (including donated UFV apparel from the bookstore), snacks (courtesy of Choices Market and the ESA), and wine (supplied

by The Cascade).

“I’d love to see students feeling excited and inspired about the possibilities of earning a living as a writer — in ways they hadn’t considered before,” explained Superle, emphasizing that such opportunities do exist. “Many students also mentioned that they are looking for evidence to share with their friends and family that earning an English (or communications, or arts) degree is valuable, and will lead to lucrative employment — so, if attendees walk away convinced of this, then that would also spell success,” she concluded, adding that such friends and family members are welcome to attend as well.

Writing for a Living takes place September 28 at UFV Abbotsford’s U-House, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

The 13th annual Arty Awards will be held on Saturday, September 30, at the Reach Gallery Museum. The awards aim to celebrate artists, and art-supporting community members, throughout the Fraser Valley.

Harry Doupe, this year’s Arty Awards coordinator, spoke to The Cascade about the changes the Arty Awards have gone through lately.

“This year, the categories changed to better reflect the community, and to cover a wider representation of the Abbotsford arts community. The awards generally cover an incredibly wide variety of genres and crafts,” said Doupe.

A cursory look at the Arty Awards nomination categories online would yield a list of Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, and Arts Advocate awards as well as a Lifetime Achievement award. Doupe said the categories were drawn up to include as many artists as possible.

“The awards generally cover an incredibly wide variety of genres and craft,” Doupe explained.

This year, however, has seen an increase in nominees for two categories in particular, Emerging Artist and Performing Arts, which is in keeping with Abbotsford’s tradition of musical and visual arts talent.

Doupe noted that anyone can nominate themselves, but the bulk of nominations came as a surprise to many finalists.

“In a great many cases, people don’t know they’ve been nominated by someone.

We had a nominee celebration a couple of weeks ago, and the big question was Who nominated me? Anyone that thinks someone is worthy of further recognition can nominate someone.”

The surge in nominations came hand in hand with a push on the organization’s side for experienced, impartial jurors. “[We wanted to cut down] on the amount of people who already go in with preconceived notions because they may already know people in the category,” said Doupe.

Expertise, said Doupe, was equally as important a factor as impartiality in choosing this year’s jurors.

“[We] wanted to open it up to get the best people possible to choose who the nominees are in each category. People who in each situation have a great amount of acclaim, and are the best … and to be looking at the work that the people in the Valley are doing.”

In addition to the role they play in helping to build a connected community of artists within the Fraser Valley, the Arty Awards serve as a springboard for artists. Doupe said visibility is one of the most apparent benefits afforded to the nominees.

“It opens up their art to a much wider range of viewers,” said Doupe.

“Again, for those that are in the Abbotsford Arts Council, or run the Kariton Art Gallery, the amount of people they are unaware of who are in these categories is a great eye-opener. There are so many people they’ve never heard of who are doing so much great work in the community.”

As for the artists themselves, Doupe said that increasing awareness can be a particularly encouraging force.

“The amount of awareness that the nominees garner out of their nominations … is a big push to them. Many have never had anyone look at their art, and now all of a sudden here’s this much wider path of visibility [available to them].”

However, the Arty Awards don’t focus solely on the creative side of art in the Valley. The Arts Advocate award aims to celebrate community members who champion the arts through organizational and advocacy roles.

“You don’t have to be the top creative person in whatever regard either, somebody who helps out a lot, there’s a place for them to be honoured for their commitment to the arts community.”

This, said Doupe, should encourage any community members invested in the arts to attend the Arty Awards when they are held at The Reach Gallery Museum on Saturday, September 30.

“Anyone in the arts should attend the awards to see the wide variety of stuff that’s there. Maybe you’re a better fit for the arts community than you think you are.”

Seminar //

Gabor Maté – Prisoners of Childhood: Reconciling Justice with Trauma, History, Healing, and Resilience.

RYAN CHANDLER CONTRIBUTOR

It was an overcapacity auditorium, with people standing and sitting on the floor for Maté’s lecture on September 25. The presentation started with five rehabilitated exconvicts sharing the traumatic experiences they have overcome, which led to their previous bouts of addiction.

All their stories were fascinating, but I

think everyone in the audience was taken to another place when one of the ex-cons, a man who had been incarcerated for 33 years, recalled his first-hand experiences with residential schools in northern Saskatchewan. As someone who always believed that everyone is responsible for their own fate, hearing personal accounts of sexual abuse from ages as early as five makes it hard to believe that anyone can live a normal life after that.

When Maté took the stage, he began with a bold statement: “Every three weeks in the U.S., a 911 call happens because of overdose.” The rest of his talk focused around three main points: how Canada’s correctional system is more punitive rather than rehabilitative, that there are different perspectives from medical professionals and government employees on the topic of addiction, and how a person’s brain development is directly related to the environ-

ment they were raised in. He would often come back to his main argument, which was that people who suffer from addiction only drink, smoke, or shoot up to help cope with pain. It was an amazing speech.

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STUDY BREAK Crossword //

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Made by Jeff Mijo

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Dripping saliva

1. Surname of actor Willem

3. Single point of light on an electronic screen

2. Sandwich-like cookie

6. Related to earthquakes 8. Dr. Octopus’ first name 9. Vault for storing valuables

4. Coloured part of the eye 5. Beam of light 6. Name of Vancouver’s large park

12. Capital of Ukraine

7. Aquatic creature, or to trick someone with a false identity online

14. Soviet Union acronym

10. Striped cousin of the weasel

15. Jewish language

11. Underground, long-term body storage

16. Single or double-occupancy enclosed boat

13. Popular credit card brand

17. Not a child

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 1. Basic 3. Lobster 5. Emu 6. Gnocchi 8. Awesome 9. Rad 11. Excuses 12. Young

Down: 1. Bone 2. Caboose 3. Luggage 4. Raiders 7. Chomsky 10. Dong

Illustration by: Amara Gelaude

Horoscope //

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Lady May

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 It’s incredible how much good you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit. Go out and do a good deed unnoticed, and good fortune will find its way back to you.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Your ability for accomplishment will follow with success, but don’t get too ambitious.

Remember to be mindful of the present, or your future will suffer.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 A stranger is a friend you have not spoken to yet. Keep your eye out for someone special this week, and introduce yourself. New friends come in all forms, sometimes in the last form you would expect.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 A tall stranger will soon enter your life to grant you blessings. Keep your chin up so you do not miss them.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Adversity is the garden of virtue. Don’t get caught up in your problems this week.

Instead, focus on the solutions. Each obstacle is an opportunity to grow.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 You can make your own happiness, but sometimes you don’t have to. Happiness will find its way to you this week. Sit back, and watch things in your life fall into place.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Clarification is key to solving your dilemma.

If you feel you are right, stand by your beliefs with tenacity. The truth will be revealed soon.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Difficult challenges await you this week, but do not fret. Facing adversity is what will give you strength. You will emerge from this more durable than before.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 You will be taught life lessons this week.

An exciting adventure will provide new opportunities, and create untold memories and lasting friendships.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Today, it’s up to you, and only you, to create the life you wish for. Do not accept anything but the best, but only take what you need.

Do not be greedy.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 The greatest risk is not taking one. Serious trouble will bypass you this week, use that chance to go out of your comfort zone and take on that daunting task you’ve been avoiding.

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Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Wealth awaits you very soon, so now is the time to try something new. Treat yourself to something you have never tried before, and be pleasantly surprised.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

TV Review //

A masterpiece with bad marketing CHARTS 1

WOOLWORM Deserve To Die

2

B.A. JOHNSTON Gremlins 3

3

FAITH HEALER Try ;-)

4

ALVVAYS Antisocialites

5

CHAD VANGAALEN Light Information

6

TUNIC Boss

7

FOONYAP Apropos

8

TIMBER TIMBRE Sincerely, Future Pollution

9

SNAK THE RIPPER From The Dirt

10

BETH GARNER Snake Farm

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BLESSED EP 2

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY YEOMAN O’ THE MISTS

In honour of the greatest failed showman of all time visiting Abbotsford for the first time in nearly two and a half years tonight (Wednesday, September 27), below is a list of incredible songs by a time-tested lyrical, musical, and performance artistical genius. He once also told me during a show at Aftermath, now that sliver of a room at the back of the Envision Athletic Centre that faces the SUB, that I had the voice of an angel, and the perfect face for radio.

B. A. Johnston — Hot Nerd This song could be seen in two ways. One is that it could be objectifying to women, implying that the “nerd” who B. A. happens to find to be “hot” in his eyes, would be in some way less of a desirable person if she didn’t satisfy his physical expectations.

B. A. Johnston — Eye of The Douchestorm

On the other hand, that song really is that and only that, as deKRISTIN WITKO scribed above, so this song may actually be more self reflection Union than initially appearing at first blush. Fortunately, we know that VANILLE My Grandfather Thinks B. A. is an upstanding young gentleman who does not abide by the I’m Going To Hell behaviours described therein.

SHOOTING GUNS B. A. Johnston — Your RoomShooting Guns mate’s a Couche-Tard VAGABON B. A. does, however, fail to mince Infinite Worlds words when it comes to describing his dissatisfaction with the WHITE POPPY The Pink Haze Of Love nocturnal tendencies of his potential one-night-not-standing’s roommate, nor is it beneath him KAMASI to title the song in which he does WASHINGTON so in such a way as to recall both Harmony of convenience stores and ableism.

Difference SHEER MAG Need to Feel Your Love

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PRADA WEST Clouded Thoughts

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LIDO PIMIENTA La Papessa

B. A. Johnston — Deep Fryer in My Bedroom Really, all of the above can only be in jest, seeing as B. A. has the self-efficacy to come clean about his in-room-health-code-violation of a kitchenette. The relentlessness with which he repeats the prologue to this song’s live performance identically, show after show, displays a serious audacity unmatched in humanity.

PANKU SHARMA CONTRIBUTOR

Darren Aronofsky’s newest feature mother! has, and will continue to divide audiences. Part of me can see why people might be frustrated with the film, as marketing and trailers really pushed the film as some sort of home invasion or cult story — stylistic, but familiar. I think those sort of expectations easily sour audience’s reactions, regardless of the quality of the film on its own. The expectation of a monster, or something more tangible in It Comes at Night (another horror film released this year) by way of the trailers had the same effect on me.

However, when it came to mother! I went in completely blind, but with Darren Aronofsky’s flair in 2014’s Black Swan still fresh in my memory. I think that helped. To those considering seeing this film: purge all expectations from the trailer from your mind. You won’t find a tight narrative, or anything at all typical about this film. You’ll find an experience, questions, and an example of why film as an artistic medium should be valued.

Without giving anything away, both for your enjoyment and because of how hard it would be to try to explain, the story deals with Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence’s relationship with each other, their home, and the people outside it. There are many lenses through which you can view this film, and every new interpretation I hear adds to the richness. There are allegories from the Bible, the selfish relationship of artist and muse, male and female roles, and the tensions between the private and public. I left the theatre thinking a lot about how in today’s age, we rely a lot on external validation, and the pursuit of an Instagram-worthy relationship, natural disasters, and why I have a weird fear of frogs. I think every viewpoint and fresh set of eyes will draw something worthwhile from mother!, and perhaps with more coherence than even the director and writer could have intended.

There is much more substance to this than in the usual works that often draw the praise of pretentious arts majors like myself. I usually hate everything, but I was never able to escape the film’s un-

easiness long enough to really gripe on the pacing or acting choices.

It wasn’t just the “story” itself that left me shook, but the talent behind the camera, and the effectiveness of the meat and potatoes of the filmmaking. I felt anxious and stressed as soon as the film started, with the close shots of Jennifer Lawrence making her way through the house inducing a feeling of claustrophobia. The masses of bodies, visual tremors, and noise throughout the film further intensify that feeling — leaving the audience incredibly uncomfortable.

There is a nightmare-like aspect to the film itself, not in the abruptly shocking way of something like IT, but in the overwhelming feeling of dread during a dream when you are running towards a door that just gets further and further away, to when the only thing between you and the vastness of space is rice paper. The last act of the film becomes increasingly frantic and surreal, and will have your heart racing. Some have criticized iconography and imagery in the film being heavy handed, but I quite enjoyed many of those last scenes and images. It reminded me a lot of the sequence into Bexhill from Children of Men that evoked the torture images from Abu Ghraib. While on the nose, they were an effective gut punch that said a lot in just a few frames. A bit of a spoiler, but I will warn that there is a sequence involving violence against an infant and child that might not be suitable for some, and left many in the theatre I was in shocked.

I honestly think the mood and consensus on this film will shift, and that we will regard this as an achievement of artistic vision. There are many moments in this film that I look back and think could only have been achieved in this medium. There is no poetry, no novel, no painting that could have conjured some of those moments and frames. I think the standard for films of this type has been raised; metaphors, brooding, and horizon shots aren’t enough anymore. You have to take risks.

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Album Review //

Concert Review //

Antisocialities tries too hard to be social

Above and Beyond — group therapy 250 Above and Beyond brings their 250th podcast episode to the Gorge Amphitheatre, and it’s amazing.

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

I don’t think Canadian indie-pop darlings Alvvays realized what they’d done when they made “Archie, Marry Me” the lead single on their 2014 self-titled debut. The glitzy, faux shoegaze pop ballad gets it right on so many levels, that it isn’t hard to see how excited the band must have been after recording. In choosing to hoist the slow-dance anthem above their heads from the get-go, Alvvays made sure that absolutely everyone would be familiar with Molly Rankin’s somehow energetic-yet-tired croon of “Hey, Hey! Marry me, Archie!”

The band also shot themselves in the foot by releasing that track because, as far as its commercial release and exposure was concerned, it overwhelmingly towered over virtually every other track on their debut record.

Enter Antisocialities, the little sophomore record that could.

The record’s second single, “Dreams Tonite” immediately does away with any questions of stagnation on Alvvays’ part. The track’s sugary synth-pop is so sufficiently far-removed from the more earnest second-wave shoegaze pop of its predecessor that it evades comparisons altogether. By changing lanes, Alvvays circumvents having to compete with “Marry Me, Archie” head-on.

This is the case throughout most of the record, as most of the content of its predecessor, bittersweet and unreservedly vulnerable, is replaced by an alternative preoccupied with appearing friendly, or approachable.

Even though “Hey” is a half-decent track by today’s standards, the about-

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face which it signifies is troublesome.

While Alvvays hasn’t yet shown irreversible signs of trading in the quiet dissatisfaction that ran timidly through the background of their debut record for a plastic smile, this newer, friendlier version of Alvvays is troublesome.

These more cheerful tracks, plucked right out of a late 80s GAP Kids advert, are seemingly designed to garner mass appeal by eagerly (but not too eagerly, and despite a modicum of restraint) throwing themselves into the same canyon of escapist pop upon whose walls the mangled and broken corpse of the band that was once Metric now lies, wistfully humming 2012’s “Lost Kitten” to itself, as if Synthetica wasn’t already the first stage of failure for that band.

Alvvays stands at the edge of this precipice, and despite pitfalls like “Not My Baby” and “Hey”, manages to survive its proverbial brush with death and walk away from the incident with some composure. This is due in large part to the tail-end of the record, which embraces the more grounded aspects of the band’s earlier material.

“Already Gone” for example, is a great example of how a pop-ballad can balance shoegaze morals and radio-friendly delivery. “Saved by a Waif” also manages to put forward an energetic alternative to its monochromatic cousins (namely “Hey.”) Strangely, if one ignores the one-horse tracks on this record, those that seem to be the result of Alvvays phoning it in, Antisocialities reveals itself to be a reasonable step forward by the band, but one that leaves them standing on unsteady ground.

JESSICA BARCLAY JR. NEWS EDITOR

EDM belongs in an amphitheater. If I get to be picky about it, it belongs in an open-air amphitheater, under the stars, at the top of a cliff overlooking a rocky canyon.

When I heard English trance trio Above and Beyond would be celebrating the 250th episode of their podcast Group Therapy Radio at the Gorge Amphitheatre just outside of Seattle, I bought tickets the second they became available.

As my first EDM show ever, Above and Beyond had always held a special place in my heart, and in my study playlist.

It’s hard to be into electronic music and to not have heard of Above and Beyond. DJs Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki have won numerous awards for their brand of progressive trance, and a spot in DJ magazine’s top artists list since their debut 13 years ago.

In addition to being good at everything trance, the Above and Beyond members also host their own weekly podcast, Group Therapy Radio, which is a twohour-long music collection of the trio’s recent top track picks, along with a little of their own newest works. The show features a guest artist, usually following in the trend of trance and deep house, with the occasional EDM artist thrown in.

Every 50th episode, the podcast is replaced with a live show at an international venue. The guest DJ mix is subbed out for two days of top artists from around the world.

The show has previously been housed in some absolutely stunning locations, such as Madison Square Garden in New York City, and the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. But nature can often do it bet-

ter, as is the case for the Gorge. The pristine view of the Columbia River Valley and world-renowned natural acoustics were a perfect pair for the melodic and, at the risk of sounding cliché, euphoric sound that Above and Beyond brought to the stage.

There is a palpable sense of calm and wonder at the Gorge. Surrounded by miles of desolate, empty farms, you really feel as though it’s just you, your friends, and the music.

Above and Beyond’s show featured some of their old classics, including “We’re All We Need” and Grum’s “Price of Love,” and kept the crowd singing with Marty Longstaff’s “Tightrope.” But, sticking with the spirit of the podcast, the trio worked in some more recent hits from around the world. The show saw the return of Richard Bedford with an energetic new track “Northern Soul,” as well as “Signs of the Fall” by Spencer Brown.

And, of course, an audience member was chosen to come on stage and given control over when the drop would happen in “Blue Sky Action,” becoming a king for a day before 20,000 fans screaming “Push the button!”

The Group Therapy Radio podcast is amazing. It’s worth a listen; the group is uncanny at picking out the next biggest trance hits. But when you’re there, standing before a natural wonder of the world, it’s obvious that trance is meant to be listened to in the open air, surrounded by friends.

In the eternal words of Above and Beyond artist Paavo Siljamäki: “Let music unite us all. That’s what it’s all about.”

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Concert Review //

Bojack Horseman: a re-examination A second chance for a show about second chances

ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF REPORTER

Bojack Horseman did not make a good first impression on me. I started watching back when the Netflix exclusive show first debuted in 2014. For those unfamiliar, Bojack Horseman is an animated show set in a world inhabited by both anthropomorphic animals and humans, but is oriented towards an adult audience. The titular character is a washed-up TV actor struggling to find meaning and happiness in his life, while wrestling with his deeplyflawed, self-sabotaging nature. Also, he is a horse. Unfortunately, the show felt like a typical, paint-by-numbers “Hollywoo” (not a typo) sitcom that didn’t bring anything unique to the table, other than the “our world, but with furries” gimmick, which I thought was underutilized. So, I stopped watching after half a season.

More recently, Bojack Horseman has been getting mentioned due to its portrayal of mental illness. So, I decided to give the series a second chance, and see what it has to offer.

To begin with, it is important to understand that the series is constantly changing and evolving, even from episode to episode. Characters come and go, how much and what type of humour changes, and while characters do often find themselves stuck in a rut, they do experience significant change in their lives. Therefore, watching a single episode, or even a single season, is not enough to capture the full depth and breadth of what the show can, and does, offer.

One example of the variety that can be found in Bojack Horseman is in the humour employed. The show includes every type of humour you could imagine: witty, slapstick, meta, topical, absurdist, and es-

pecially dark. Oh, and puns, lots and lots of puns, most of them animal-related. If the show does have a specialty, it would be black comedy. A lot of the gags are rather morbid, twisted, and potentially offensive.

Of course, it isn’t all fun and games on Bojack Horseman. My interest wouldn’t be renewed if it was. The series goes to some very dark and disturbing places that aren’t funny and, importantly, aren’t meant to be. I think the examination of mental-illness that has people talking refers to Bojack’s clearly disturbed mind.

His self-destructive ways, combined with his need to satisfy his ego and gain admiration from others, leads him to do some truly terrible things that cannot be forgiven or made better. At times, the viewer wonders if Bojack can somehow turn things around, or whether the selfdestructive spiral will only continue.

However, it is not all about Bojack (much as he would like it to be). The show has a cast of unique characters with their own interesting quirks, flaws, and outlooks on the world. Some of the things they say are very profound and thoughtprovoking. Many of the thoughts and feelings expressed by the characters really resonate on a personal level, and many of their questions and concerns are ones that I have had myself.

That, I think, is the show’s greatest strength. It holds up a mirror to the doubts and struggles many of us face in real life, and it can be a relief to find out that one’s own fears and flaws are not unique to oneself. That’s why, if there is another season, I would keep watching.

Bojack may be hard to root for, but a part of me wants to see if he can make things better after all.

Album Review //

No more soft skeletons in the closet CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton is the solo project of popular Canadian singer/songwriter Emily Haines. She is more commonly known as the lead singer of Metric, an indie rock band formed in Toronto in 1998, and a Canadian music staple. They often make appearances at major Canadian music festivals, and play national events such as the live Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa.

In 2006, Haines took some time off from Metric to produce her solo project’s first album Knives Don’t Have Your Back. While this was not the first time Haines had released solo music, this album marked the birth of Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton, under which she has released all of her solo work since. The album appealed to both seasoned Metric fans and newcomers alike, as its style can easily be compared to other Metric albums.

However, in her solo work, Haines opts out of catchy guitar riffs, and instead favours acoustic piano melodies.

The album was never toured officially, nor did it receive a lot of media attention until long after its release. However, several small shows did take place over the years.

Choir of the Mind is Haines’ latest creation. This is the first full album we have seen from Haines’ side project

since its initial debut in 2006. Song titles such as “Minefield of Memory,” “Perfect on the Surface,” and “Choir of the Mind” speak volumes about the album’s theme of mental health, as opposed to the socio-political themes in Knives Don’t Have Your Back. Haines names any and all contributors in today’s society that negatively affect our minds, such as consumer culture and unhealthy relationships. She also mentions the effects of fame on her life in the song “Siren,” with the lyric, “I only wanted to be known.” Haines has hinted at her distaste for fame before. A prime example exists in the song “Blindness,” off the Metric album Fantasies. In this song, she states, “I wanna’ leave but the world won’t let me go.” This may explain the manner in which she has chosen to perform this album.

On September 18, CBC Music posted a video on YouTube of one of Haines’ live performances for Choir of the Mind. To create a more personal atmosphere, the audience was kept smaller than 100 people, and was held at Crow’s Theatre in Toronto, rather than a large stadium or commercial music venue. The smaller space allowed for a more personal and relaxed relationship between Haines and her audience. The show is presented more like a play than a concert. In between songs, Haines rises from her piano to interact with different lighting cues and props that have been set up around the stage. Spoken word

poetry fills the space during these transitions, both spoken live by Haines, and pre-recorded. The words seem to represent Haines’ innermost destructive thoughts about herself. Her own voice mocks her, calling her a child, unorganized, always late, a drunk, and many other insults. However, just after halfway through, the performance makes a distinct shift. Haines suddenly blows out various candles onstage, packs a backpack, and follows a path of light made to look like a road. From this point on, the songs shed their depressive theme, and instead take on a painfully honest, but uplifting tone.

There are no more skeletons left in this woman’s closet. In this album, Haines bares all when it comes to her battles with depression and self-worth. She tells us the tale of her darkest hours, and how she has chosen to overcome them. What is interesting is that she has not chosen to leave her emotions in the past. Instead, she no longer feels shame in feeling them, and uses these feelings to drive her forward, fueling her creative spirit and desire to do better for herself. This is a message many young people need to see; that the road to better mental health is not easy, but it is do-able.

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