The Cascade Vol. 25 Issue 24

OCTOBER 4 TO OCTOBER 11, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 24

Dancing with ourselves since 1993

Q& A

Trevor with Carolan pg.9-11

ACE research 3 Industry and education collaborate through a B.C.-wide research network

B.A. Johnston 15

Scorn for Zorn 19

He came, he played, he conquered. We talked to him too.

This new TV show really isn’t that great, apparently.

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 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 Distributor Liam Ritchie business@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

Art at UFV There should be way more of it

Junior News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca 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 Shivam Duggal Jesse Boyes

Cover: Caleb Campbell Back Cover: Caleb Campbell

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 25 · Issue 24 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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I noticed a small painting project going on between A and B buildings — on the brick wall near the benches. It made me wish there was more of it. A mural does a great job of breaking up the monotony of institutionalism.

There is not enough art on UFV campuses. The campus is situated in a beautiful place, but there’s not enough art on it. What I imagine are massive murals across UFV buildings, though I do mean all sorts of art. Put a sculpture installment near the King Road entrance roundabout drop off; paint the north wall of E building psychedelic colours; display sculpture projects beside UFV Abbotsford’s interlocking paths or in CEP A building’s courtyard.

Visual Arts 390 (Community Arts Practice) painted a mural in the Campus Recreation tent at CEP, and on the storage sea cans near the Student Union Building (SUB) and C building. Visual Arts 232 (Sculpture and Extended Media II) is the class responsible for the various sculptures placed around campus at the end of the semester — easily my favourite time to be on campus. Despite major underfunding, the VA program still does what it’s supposed to.

The City of Abbotsford has partnered with VA 390 every year since 2010. Think of all the massive murals UFV could have if courses like VA 390 painted something on campus each semester.

I will say there are pieces of fine artwork around UFV, most are just hidden in low traffic parts of campus — in conference rooms or offices. The third floor of the SUB,

for example, features a stunning series of three paintings. The theme of the series is the misrepresentation of Islam, and features three paintings of Arab scientists from the Golden Era of Islam, painted by a UFV alumni — yet it’s hidden away, way up on the third floor. The S'ELIYEMETAXWTEX Gallery in B building is generally in use, which is nice.

But what I’m talking about is public art. Art that gets put on a wall and it stays there until someone else puts art on the wall overtop. It’s sort of like graffiti, but graffiti is generally a dirty word — until you think about the most artistically positive and cultured cities in the world: Queens, New York; Paris, France; Zürich, Switzerland — they all allow graffiti in certain parts of the city.

I’d love to see UFV’s student talent boasted across UFV buildings. Let them make a statement, push some boundaries, explore art, explore passion. Tell the story of students’ creative growth and their journey as an artist. Murals tell a story worth sharing — blank walls do not.

There should be so many art projects and commissioned murals around UFV that I start wandering around campus for the sights.

Let’s add some soul to this campus. It’ll sound like a better idea as the great ennui of winter returns. Also, take down the WWI trench.

Summation: Employ graded UFV students to decorate their place of learning with what they learned. And I wanted to say that VA 390 and VA 232 are my favourite classes at UFV, though I haven’t taken either.

“Murals tell a story worth sharing — blank walls do not.”

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Agriculture //

NEWS BRIEFS

UFV scientists receive research grants Three UFV scientists, Dr. Lucy Lee, Dr. Derek Harnett, and Dr. Olav Lian, received grants to continue their research from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Dr. Lee, the dean of science, will continue her research on developing cell cultures of fish olfactory cells. Her cell lines are used to study the effects on environmental contaminants on fish.

Dr. Lian will continue to focus on using luminescence dating to study the evolution of B.C.’s coastlines, and the possible future effects of climate change.

Dr. Harnett received funding to continue his investigation of quantum chromodynamics. “My work is discovery research aimed at a better understanding of the strong nuclear interaction,” he said.

Research network opens up options for agricultural students and faculty

JESSICA BARCLAY JR. NEWS EDITOR

-UFV Today Dr. Gabor Maté speaks on addiction and healing Dr. Gabor Maté, renowned addiction expert, spoke at UFV Monday, September 5. His presentation, titled “Prisoners of Childhood: Reconciling Justice with Trauma, History, Healing, and Resilience,” featured personal experiences from five ex-cons, and his own opinions on addiction and rehabilitation.

Maté spoke of the flaws in the Canadian correctional system and its conflicting views on addiction, and the effects of a person’s environment on the brain's development, according to The Cascade.

Maté believes that addicts are only addicts to cope with trauma and pain.

A video of the entire presentation is available to view online at blogs.ufv.ca.

-UFV Today

The Agriculture Excellence Centre (ACE) at UFV joined a network of researchers and educators looking to improve agricultural communication, education, and research across British Columbia.

The network is made up of seven post-secondary institutions, including Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia. Their goal is to work on collaboration, open communication between institutions and the industry, and improve agricultural educational options for students.

“We all have our strengths, and they all overlap,” said Garry Fehr, director of the UFV Agriculture Centre of Excellence.

“UBC has a lot of applied biology, and people who work in climate change. So, they’ve perhaps got a different focus than say, Kwantlen University does, who has a lot of focus on small lot agriculture and urban agriculture.”

The communication network allows professors to connect students to businesses looking to hire interns or co-op students, and to researchers within the university looking for student assistants.

Fehr believes that going out into the community and utilizing skills learned in the classroom is an important part of the agricultural educational process.

“You get to put it all together,” said Fehr.

Nine students were hired during the last winter semester to work in the Surrey BioPods, and on various projects. One student worked with remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technology to map out small parcels of unused farmland around the Fraser Valley. Other students conducted a case study on possible high value crops that could be grown on the small pieces of land.

For researchers at UFV, valuable connections are being made between the network and the agricultural industry.

“Too often, if you’re in academia, you don’t really have time to be out talking to industry about what’s going on,” said Fehr.

By opening the communication channels, Fehr hopes that researchers will be able to look more closely at specific problems limiting economic success in B.C., and applying their skills in correcting them.

UFV’s major contribution to the research network so far is through the construction of the Surrey BioPods, at the John Volken Academy in Surry. The partnership allowed for the funding of the 15 acres of dedicated research space, consisting of two greenhouses connected by a header house.

“You can test the new idea fairly quickly and easily in the small space without too much of a cost and without worrying about the loss of production,” said Fehr.

SFU recently conducted research on wasabi production at the greenhouse. The product is difficult to grow, often seeing extensive problems with mould and fungi in traditional greenhouse farming methods.

“Most wasabi that you get in sushi restaurants around North America isn’t wasabi, it's horseradish dyed green,” said Fehr. “If we can start growing it here, it’ll be a high value crop.”

Other research includes working with strawberry production in a grow tower. The 12-armed vertical growing system, developed by Affinor Growers, could increase productivity by over 20 times the traditional ground growth methods.

One of the participating engineers believes she has figured out how to reduce the energy cost of growing in a greenhouse.

The method will be tested over the winter, and will likely be reported on in the spring.

Discussion has also been started for who will conduct research in the pods next spring. Kwantlen University plans to begin a project, as well as a private engineer who plans on working with aeroponics, trying to grow plants outside of water and soil.

Aeroponics is a different way of approaching growing, where nutrients and moisture are sprayed directly onto the roots. This could help reduce the amount of nutrients used.

In the future, Fehr sees the network project introducing a more integrated postsecondary education experience, and building a better connection between researchers and industry.

He sees the network continuing to look directly at issues that harm food security, and affect the economic success of B.C. agriculture.

“Too often, if you’re in academia, you don’t really have time to be out talking to industry about what’s going on”

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Bachelor of Science //

New major in science Computing science major to be offered at UFV JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The computing science major in UFV’s bachelor of science program was approved and will be offered beginning September 2018.

On August 25, the Ministry of Advanced Education approved UFV’s bachelor of science major in computing science (BCS). The program was first sent to the ministry after approval from UFV Senate in November 2015.

The BCS program will be job-skills oriented, and will emphasize applied and practical teachings, but there will also be a strong focus on critical thinking, Peter Geller, UFV vice-provost and associate vice-president academic, said.

“There’s at least one course that looks at the social and cultural implications of technology, so being a good bachelor's degree it’s not just the applied skills,” Geller said.

“There’s also opportunity to think about what one’s role would be in terms of computing science and digital technology within our society and culture.”

The program will require students to complete a final capstone project. In this, they’ll solve real-world programs, while developing their own project.

“This is something that would really assist with students’ employability,” said Geller.

In the program, some important concepts covered will include privacy, security, hacking, ethics, big data processing, and machine learning. Within the BCS major, there are three concentrations: systems and security, artificial intelligence and data mining, or programming languages and software.

Though ministerial approval took nearly two years, it went faster than past program reviews.

“It can be a lengthy process,” Geller said. “First it goes

to the degree quality assessment board, a ministry advisory board. Following that, they make a recommendation to the minister [of advanced education.]” “[The approval] was a long time coming, we’ve been waiting on the ministry for that, and we received it pretty quickly once the new minister was in place,” president of UFV, Jackie Hogan, said at the September 22 Senate meeting.

Before being sent to the Ministry of Advanced Education for approval in November 2015, the BCS proposal went through multiple working groups and evaluations within UFV. “In this case, the program is a bachelor of science degree, so there’s involvement from Greg Schlitt, the acting dean of science,” Geller said. “It relies on some of the expertise that’s in some of the existing computing informations program, which is in professional studies. Gabe Murray was head of the program working group when they were working on the program.”

There are two main bodies that govern what the field of computer science is, and what a student in the field would need to learn. Geller said that during program development, the association for computing machinery and the institute for electrical and electronics engineers were both referenced to ensure the degree would stay consistent with other institutions’ programs.

Before the BCS major is offered in Fall 2018, two new faculty positions created with the program will have to be filled.

Geller said that the year also gives them an opportunity to recruit students, whether from within, or outside of UFV.

Stories worth paying attention to

#LobbyBan

#ChallengeAccepted

Two-year ban on lobbying The new B.C. government introduced legislation that would keep cabinet ministers and their staff, along with senior bureaucrats, from lobbying the government for the next two years.

The reason for this bill, according to Attorney-General David Eby, is to “enact a strong, sweeping prohibition so that former publicoffice holders cannot unfairly use their knowledge and connections.”

The B.C. Green Party election platform included imposing restrictions for lobbyists, and the NDP has adopted the legislation as a part of the cooperation agreement between the two parties.

-the Globe and Mail

#Catalonia'sSecession

First Nations challange Trans Mountain pipeline

Spain's King condemns Catalan leaders as thousand protest

With Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline moving forward, First Nations, environmental groups, and local governments appeared in a Federal Court of Appeal in Vancouver last Monday.

Spain’s King Felipe VI accused Catalan secessionist leaders of breaking democratic principles, and dividing Catalan society on Tuesday, according to the Globe and Mail.

Chief Ian Campbell of Squamish First Nations pointed out that the federal government lacks the consultation and consent of the First Nations, which has pushed them to protect their land and water in the courtroom.

“Seven First Nations, the cities of Burnaby and Vancouver, and two environmental groups are asking the court to overturn the federal government's decision to approve the expansion of the $7.4 billion pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby,” reported the CBC. -the CBC

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Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest the violent police crackdowns against the banned independence referendum, held Sunday.

The 49-year-old monarch made his comments during a televised speech — a rare occurrence, as he rarely intervenes on politics.

The police crackdown against voting injured at least 900 people.

-the Globe and Mail

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Beverages //

Save-On… wines?

Is liquor friend or foe in your local grocery store?

CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

Recently, the Abbotsford Save-On Foods on Sumas Way began in-store wine tastings to promote their new wine section. The section has been open for approximately two and a half months, and has become very popular with residents of central Abbotsford. Back in March of 2017, the B.C. government changed its liquor laws to allow alcohol in grocery stores, the only catch being that all grapes must be grown within B.C., and all farming and production must adhere to the standards of the British Columbia Wine Authority.

The question here is whether or not allowing liquor into local grocery stores is a smart move. Alcohol still carries a reputation as a leading risk for cause of death, especially in young adults. The number of young people drinking and driving has seen a decline over the years, thanks to media campaigns such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), but it is a

practice we unfortunately still see. Issues such as these become more likely when alcohol is more readily available, which is exactly what happened when grocery stores started carrying it. It is also valid to point out that local liquor stores will see a significant decrease in sales if Save-On and other grocery stores continue to sell liquor. Save-On Foods will certainly not suffer without wine sales, but B.C. liquor stores and private businesses alike will have difficulty competing with them.

All this is more than enough to convince any shopper that the convenience factor may not be worth the risk. When the liquor laws initially changed, I must admit I had been a bit skeptical. However, the Sumas Way Save-On blew me away with not only their selection, but also their presentation, attention to detail, and commitment to local wineries. If liquor is to be allowed in grocery stores, this is the way to do it.

Store associates were able to provide a bit of background information on their

new section. While Sumas Way is the 15th Save-On to begin selling Vineyard Quality Assurance (VQA) wine, it is considered their flagship, the biggest one in the fleet.

Nothing I saw there gave me reason to doubt them. The wine selection in the Sumas Save-On dwarfs what is available at any other local liquor store in Abbotsford.

Which is made even more astonishing by the fact that every wine is VQA certified, and grown and fermented in B.C. You can find bottles from over 160 wineries across the province, which is only a fraction of what is available in B.C. More impressive still is their attention to detail. Wineries are organized in alphabetical order, and meat and cheese pairings are made available, with staff who are qualified to help you make the correct choice. Prices per bottle range from under $15 to nearly $500, with the most expensive selections under lock and key. The store has begun to offer regular wine tastings to promote the existence of their wine sections. These are usually held on either Fridays, Saturdays,

or Sundays.

This is an experience you would not find at your local liquor store. The selection is too vast and organized to be compared to other businesses. The section is also patrolled regularly by staff, and all shoppers purchasing wine are asked for ID at checkout. This effectively keeps liquor out of the hands of minors. All staff are “Serving it Right” certified, and can therefore handle the issues presented by the sudden accessibility of wine in SaveOn stores. Their training and knowledge is based on the premise of keeping liquor sales safe.

While the presence of alcohol in your local grocery store may pose some element of risk, it is also an integral part of shared meals such as romantic evenings, and family gatherings. A system such as this could be of great benefit to students and young people if it continues to be handled with safety and responsibly in mind.

Events //

Look who’s talking (at UFV) JEFF MIJO OPINION EDITOR

Last week, so many people showed up to hear Dr. Gabor Maté speak at UFV that I saw disappointed people turned away at the door. Evered Hall reached capacity. Earlier in September, Elizabeth May drew big crowds when the UFV Greens invited her to speak. At the beginning of the year, a crowd lined up out the doors to hear Margaret Trudeau tell her life story, with members of the public even required to pay for tickets. And every week, UFV students, professors, and guests from a wide range of academic disciplines give talks to no-doubt disappointingly small audiences.

Of course the big names, the nationally (or internationally) famous people draw more crowds. Members of the general public, by and large, aren’t looking to spend their afternoon going to a university to hear a lecture from somebody they’ve never heard of. But we aren’t members of the general public, we’re students at this university, supposedly here to learn and expand our minds, and yet we pass up chances almost every day to hear experts talk about their fields.

I was Culture & Events Editor here at The Cascade for the past year, and a big part of that job was knowing what was happening at this school. Sometimes an event slipped by, or snuck up on me, but on the whole I think I did a pretty good job at keeping the pulse of what was happening and when. And let me tell you, there is no shortage of speakers giving presentations at this school. Sure, they might not be exactly in line with your discipline, they may not easily tie into your classes, but you’ll learn something.

Knowledge can’t be grouped into simple categories, despite our efforts. There’s a massive overlap

between fields that you might not be able to see from the outside, but dip your toe in, and suddenly the dots start to connect. Last January, I went to a talk at UFV by George Jacob, a museologist (that is, someone who designs museums). I’m a media and communications student, so I went mostly for the purpose of covering it for The Cascade. But even in that event, I found conversations relevant to my studies — museums are a form of communication in their own right, and one uniquely able to shape the context of a person’s exposure to a topic. A library sciences student might get something completely different from that same talk and the discussions on the value of archiving even the most mundane objects. A political science student might consider how the museums Jacob showed from around the world reflect their locations, and a business student might enjoy the talk about the massive industry of running museums.

But most people did not get any of those things from Jacob’s talk; there were only 20 people in the audience, and that’s if my memory is feeling generous.

By all means, let’s keep bringing in these highprofile, famous speakers now and then to drum up some excitement. Their knowledge is by no means less valid than anyone else’s, purely because of their notability. But, at least once this semester, try to look at the events page on UFV’s website, some club’s events on Facebook, or even an event preview here in The Cascade, and then actually go to an event. Yeah, we’re all busy, but stay at school for a couple hours after class, and help fill up the audience for these speakers. They may show you your field of studies from an entirely new perspective.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

International studenting //

International education: an address to and from an exchange student SHIVAM DUGGAL CONTRIBUTOR

Canada is quickly jumping up the ranks in terms of being a dream destination for immigrants from around the world, especially among the South Asian communities, where it is lovingly called “Kanedda.” Canada’s policies concerning immigration are quite welcoming, in contrast to many other countries where borders are being re-established with the use of colossal walls. As a result, I’ve seen interest in international education skyrocket. That rise in international education is one of the several factors that give Canada its reputation as a multicultural country. But are international students feeling as welcome as promised?

In Punjab, moving abroad is a career — and no, that’s not a metaphor, it’s actually a career. It’s far more work than anyone in high school would ever expect. What’s even more astonishing is that high school students are completely clueless about the details of the journey they’re seeking to embark on. Culture shock is one of the numerous things international students must deal with.

There are so many first experiences as you try to adjust that it’s difficult to conclude if you liked them or not. It happens all the time. We can all try to like them, and pre-

tend to “blend in,” but initially, we all feel intimidated.

Thankfully, Canadians are very accommodating people.

(So far so good!) Even coming from a nation that has one of the biggest economies in the world, and has made some great strides in establishing infrastructure in the recent past, the first couple of days in Canada were still a moving experience that will be ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life. But I think we all can agree that it takes some time to sink our teeth into an entirely diverse sociocultural environment.

Another potential issue is the language barrier, but for UFV students, that’s covered by English qualification examinations. Nevertheless, some have a hard time coping with a foreign accent. The real problem is that formal language examinations fail to test the candidate’s knowledge about very fundamental cultural terms, slang, and phrases. Because, let’s face it, nobody speaks their mother tongue like a news anchor.

Managing expenses and living on a tight budget are quintessential hallmarks of student life regardless of whether you’re domestic or international. It’s one more thing to worry about, in addition to dealing with academics, activities, a job, and doing your own laundry.

Plus, here in the West, where commodities don’t exist in a fixed-price market, it takes a little while to figure out how much things cost, and how many of them you really

need. The first couple of weeks are normally about buying way too many, or too few, groceries. It gets much easier once you come to terms with the fact that you cannot avoid certain expenses. Another aspect of dealing with finances is getting used to the new currency. Even after living here for about a month, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between coins. The value is in way too small fonts, the 5 cent coin is bigger than the 10, and just about as big as 25 cents. What’s a loonie? And a toonie?

Stepping out of the house for the first time, and moving to some place far away from your family tends to be scary and depressing at first, but these are challenges that you have to face to see a better you. Trying to give in to the new culture, and being more receptive to that environment, rather than fussing about everything, is the best way to deal with it. Sure, you can join clubs and volunteer, but in the end, it all boils down to your own mindset.

The experience may start with some bad days, and independent life may prove quite challenging, but it’s only a matter of time, and you’ll adapt to this system. If you let yourself explore, you will not believe what capabilities you had in yourself, and what this world holds for you.

UFV Cascades Scores:

Women’s soccer: 1-1 against UBC Okanagan

Schedule:

Men’s soccer: Cascades won 2-1 over TRU

Men’s soccer schedule: Women’s soccer schedule: Friday, October 6 vs. Trinity Western Univer- Sunday, October 8 vs. Trinity Western University at 7:15 p.m. at TWU sity at MRC Sports Complex at 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 8 vs. Trinity Western University at MRC Sports Complex at 4:00 p.m.

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fill a gap When vintage gives vantage to in your program inner thoughts

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Humour //

fill a gap

Hoops just got easier to jump through PANKU SHARMA STAFF WRITER

Activist movements and political organizations are abuzz with recent advances spearheaded by a student initiative right here at the University of the Fraser Valley, which repurposes existing technology that were previously used to measure alcohol levels.

They stumbled upon this new potential technology accidently, during a joint venture with Kwantlen’s Sommelier Program which was attempting to not only measure a person’s inebriation, but also the types of alcohol they had drank and their tasting habits.

“We had a few first-year sociology students on the team, and they began noticing trends and correlations between our findings, and greater public attitudes on social justice issues,” said fourth-year chemistry and criminology student Aly-

sha Stuben, adding, “it was crazy; stuff like drinking IPAs was directly related to sharing ‘All Lives Matter’ posts, while pale lagers meant you have strong opinions on pit bulls. The results became even more effective when we paired them with a polygraph test and military grade mood rings as part of the procedure.”

Ten months of research, and open source collaboration with universities across the world, has brought about a test that is even more advanced in its measurements.

“Just blow into the hole,” instructed Evan Grewal, an engineering student from UBC, during a recent tech demo hosted by George Soros in Vancouver. “We’ll be able to chart not only your political leanings, but also your level of native support for issues like healthcare, defence spending, and decolonization efforts. The red LED on the side there will light up if anything problematic pops up.”

“Soon, it will even be able to tell if you’ve sincerely used a racial slur in the last 48 hours,” somberly noted electrical psychology major, Chad Urinestrong, one of the other demonstrators. “We’re just trying to figure out how to match that against the subject’s privileged status and musical tastes so there’s no false positives.”

However, not everyone is excited about this technology and its potential. Many critics have warned of its ability to be misused, or the results fabricated — not to mention cascading effects on society and culture at large.

“So what, is everyone going to be forced to get tested now?” demanded perpetually disgruntled professor Jordan G. Peenerson. “That’s very 1984, and quite possibly an attack on my rights. I don’t understand where they — I mean hims — get off in putting up these arbitrary hurdles to acceptability. It’s unprecedented, and has never before existed in society.”

“Between this, Twitter histories, and Russian-led data mining on Snapchat, the next generation of politicians will be molded into milquetoast nerds brainwashed by a politically correct zeitgeist,” warned political pundit Steven Sonogram. “There’s no way this test can ever be 100 per cent accurate, and even it it was, I don’t think anyone is thinking of the ethical implications of what using this — in terms of law enforcement, public trust, and culture as a whole — really means.”

However, the developers and students behind the technology, which has now been informally referred to by the team as the “purity test,” remain dissuaded by critics. Progress has ramped up in the past months, as organizations like Our Momentum and Change Forward scramble to find the latest advantage, before looming election seasons across the globe.

in your program fill a gap

in your program Athabasca University has over 850 courses for you to choose from to meet your needs. Monthly start dates of undergraduate courses fit into your schedule so that you can work at your own pace.

Fill the gap and save a semester.

go.athabascau.ca/online-courses open. online. everywhere.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Study tips from a super student

Left out Being left-handed is a cool, funky character trait that makes for an easy conversation starter, but otherwise doesn’t matter, right? Nope. Maybe this is a holdover from when people thought us lefties were possessed by the devil or whatever, but society hasn’t gotten over punishing us just yet. I want to buy a new phone case, one of those folding wallet-like ones that can hold some cards, but they all fold on the left, so people who use their phone left-handed have to awkwardly fold the cover all the way around the back, or

Brief bits of bite sized brevity

fumble around with their worthless right hand. Notebooks are awful too. Those full-sized page ones with the ring binding are painful to write in the way they’re “intended” to be used — I have to turn mine upside down so that my hand isn’t wresting on the binding.

Come on, society, stop punishing us for this. We’re likely not that much eviler than anyone else, just a bit more sinister.

Jeff Mijo

Although it feels like the semester has only just begun, for many of us midterms are already right around the corner. Having spent a fair amount of time studying (and panicking), I feel qualified to offer my fellow classmates the following study tips: Studying in the classroom you will take the exam in helps memorization, as does chewing a specific flavour of gum, and using the same writing tools. Eat dinner. Chips are not dinner. Coffee is not a food group.

Professors are there for a reason. If you’re stuck on something, they are delighted to help you out. Being present shows motivation for the class, and helps them remember your face. Go in during office hours with specific questions. “I’m so lost” is not a question, so I’ve been told. Just highlight it, it’s probably important. Stay organized to avoid last minute panic. Keep a planner of important deadlines and “to do” lists, and use different colours for different tasks. Take brain breaks. Study actively; just reading information is the absolute worst way to commit it to memory.

Finally, and perhaps most essentially: Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, walk around, and go find some coffee. It will all be over soon.

SNAPSHOTS

Jessica Barclay

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Emphasizing empathy How do you debate with someone that they should be a more empathetic individual?

How do you convince callous people to care? Appeal to their selfishness by trying to explain the benefits of being considerate, of the greater good?

I’ve never required a reason to help others, never needed incentive or threats of punishment in an afterlife for not doing so.

Life can be tough, and my motivation is the knowledge that in some small way, I made another’s a little less rough. I’m also so grateful for any consideration I’m shown, and want to return it in kind.

There’s something that makes us more than just slightly advanced biological organisms, a big part of that being our capacity for kindness and understanding. Perhaps some could be content wrapped up in a “fuck you, I’ve got mine” attitude, but how is beyond me, and I’m glad for that.

Human empathy is a beautiful thing, one the world seems to be desperately lacking sometimes. And while there are practical reasons for it, we shouldn’t need them.

As Henry David Thoreau once put it: “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”

Digital afterlifes I just realized that I get a high off of closing tabs. Any tabs will do — Chrome, Firefox, Safari — I just love sweeping through 38 tabs, en masse. It’s like browser genocide, mass tab eradication. It’s a symbol of a job completed, a paper handed in, a useless inquiry settled. What better way to celebrate than to watch eight tabs of Sage Knowledge, 10 tabs of UFV library searches, and an assortment of Wikipedia or YouTubes for reference, disappear into Tab Hell.

Kat Marusiak Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

8

Browser History is like Hell for tabs.

Interesting thing about Browser History is it can be emptied. Where do the tabs go after Hell? Maybe there’s a Tab Heaven after Tab Hell; maybe a second chance for tabs. Or, they could disappear from existence altogether.

So it’s not like a big high or anything, hardly a buzz, but it’s enough to wake up the senses just a touch. That’s why I like closing tabs.

Joel Robertson-Taylor

Q& A with

Trevor Carolan

Early in the summer, I talked to Professor Trevor Carolan, and asked about the psychology of literature, social activism, Cascadia/bioregionalism, and ancient Chinese divination. Dr. Carolan will soon publish his 21st book. He teaches wide-ranging and practical writing courses at UFV including Literature and Ecology, Creative Non-Fiction, and Literary Journalism. For 17 years, he has taught at UFV after previously teaching Trans-Pacific Cultural Ecology at SFU. Eager to understand more about some of the main focus areas that Carolan has been interested in researching and writing about as a result of more than 40 years travelling and studying Asia, I asked him if he would answer some bigger questions. Midway through summer, with the green still yellowing in the sun, he and I wandered to the centre of campus where the big ginkgo tree still flourished its succulent, fan-shaped leaves. Ginkgo biloba, believed to be the oldest of all living tree species, has long been a source of traditional medicine, Carolan noted. We sat under the tree, contemplating philosophy, the nature of human history, and our place in it.

You’ve remarked on consciousness, and the use of the I Ching, The Book of Changes. Its focus on synchronicity resembles Carl Jung’s idea of the acausal connecting principle between energies, personalities, events, and probabilities.

Jung used the term “coincidence of opposites.” Does this relate to Daoism?

How about your creative process as a writer?

The German colonial trading concession in China was at Shantung, where Confucius originally hailed from, and German-speaking scholars were among the first Europeans to settle deeply into what they were learning of Chinese culture and ideas. Similarly in India, adventurous British scholars also began discovering that, beyond mere mercantile interests, a vast trove of knowledge was also available including very profound ideas about the human condition. Some early English scholars began reading the wisdom of India’s holy books, and worked to translate them into English — the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads. German scholars studied Daoist ideas from China, and in 1924 Richard Wilhelm translated the I Ching into German.

Our best English version comes from an excellent rendering of this into English by Carey Baynes. The I Ching is one of the world’s oldest, most significant books, and in Asia is used to this day in helping shape matters of public policy, as well as personal lives.

Jung grew interested in the ideas of probability and possibility. I think what he understood is that the way that you consult the I Ching, for example, is in itself a deeply, psychologically concentrated exercise in selfscrutiny. We’re asking our self a specific question. We’re looking for an answer, but the answer to a lot of these things is often inherently there in the question. So he understood that there is a symbiosis between what the seeker brings to this occasion in looking for guidance, and in the answer that is going to be intuited from consulting this ancient text. I believe that’s what Jung saw in the possibilities of that type of probe. Regarding “opposites,” this suggests duality. Instead, Daoism looks at nature and the human drama in terms of polarities, with these simply being part of a larger, unified whole. From wu chi, the great primal spaciousness or “emptiness” comes the tai chi, the Great Energy of recombinant patterns, or what some call “the ten thousand things” of the world. You see this in the practice of Tai Chi Chuan. Morning-times, we work through this meditative series of movements to return to the chi wu lun, the fundamental unity and equality of all things. My engagement as a writer comes from this same inspirational flux — basic creativity, the Muse, the Dao: all together.

So Confucianism came before Buddhism?

I’ve been reading about classical Chinese paintings, especially from the Tang and Sung dynasties. About how instead of reproducing the world in their art, painters and poets like Wang Wei try to reproduce the sense of being in the world…

The intriguing aspect about Chinese art is how much of the canvas they leave blank!

They don’t try to fill it all in. They concentrate on this one particular, rare moment, here, this one image here, within a considerably larger space. They may only use 40 per cent of the space and leave the other 60 per cent blank.

What an intriguing approach — to work with the emptiness versus that other idea where you have to fill in every detail, like your elementary school teacher saying you’ve gotta paint the colours right off the edge of the paper. It’s all in Lao-tzu’s little masterwork, the Dao de Ching. There’s value in both approaches, but from a philosophical or aesthetic perspective, there’s great beauty in leaving some things unresolved. It concentrates focus much more attentively on the central information that the painter is dealing with.

Was Japan influenced by some of those same ideas later on?

Assuredly it was. Emperors in Japan would hear reports of what was going on in China from merchant traders and so on, different possibilities. Periodically they’d send a wise monk or delegation over to China with gifts so that they could bring back news of what was happening. One of the things they wanted to learn about was the new idea of Buddhism, which had come from the Himalayas.

Sometimes, such ideas would take root and find favour. Then, after another shift, Confucianism or Shinto, the way of the spirits, would surge again. Within this evolutionary dynamic, a necessary co-existence of ideas would unfold to one degree or another.

During the Axial Period in human history, at around 450 to 400 B.C., a tremendous intellectual efflorescence took place in China, India, Greece. Think of the Golden Age of Athens where you’ve simultaneously got great thinkers, leaders, philosophers, tragedians, writers — Socrates, Plato, the lot. At roughly that same moment in China, they’ve got Confucius, there’s Lao Tzu, the venerable Daoist master; there’s Sun Tzu, the military tactician, then Mencius. Meanwhile, in the Himalayan foothills area, there’s Gautama Siddhartha, a prince of the Shakya people, who becomes known as the Buddha, working out his path of self-realization. All these great individual traditions are unfolding more or less simultaneously. As Buddhism begins to flourish, it travels north to the Chinese world, and slowly begins a long interweave with Daoism and Confucianism. So in China, when you talk about Chinese religion, they typically say san jiao gui yi, or “three-in-one” tradition. You visit temples or shrines to any or all of them as appropriate.

Was it your Tai Chi master, Ng Ching Por who taught you about this?

Yes, he was Daoist, from the Southern Mountain tradition. In his daily life, he followed Confucian propriety regarding appropriate social conduct. Confucius, of course, is concerned about how to behave righteously within your family, within society, your community, within your nation. It’s the path of conduct. Master Kung, as Chinese people know him, teaches that we’re to behave benevolently and respectfully, and this extends from our own roles to those of the emperor who is responsible to the Jade Emperor for his heavenly mandate, the tian ming. It’s at the spine of Chinese civilization and The Analects, or Lun Yu, is a beautiful compendium of his teaching. Traditionally this path of conduct marries with Daoism, the old Indigenous and shamanic wisdom of the Chinese people — their observation of the cosmos, the heavens, the passing of the seasons and how they influence things. Daoism has its own pantheist gods and goddesses. If you’re a fisherman going out to sea, maybe you utter a prayer to the sea goddess, or paint a little image on your boat. That’s Indigenous lore, and it tends to unify itself in a way of learning to live in harmony with our environment — with our place. From that we get China’s system of traditional medicine, or its feng shui, the art of placement — learning where to best plant the tree, or where not to put the door to your new house. As a side-note, Alan Watts wrote very well about such Asian wisdom traditions. His books are quite accessible.

So people go to Confucian temples where they’ll have family memorials, pay respect to their grandparents and ancestors; then you can go to the Daoist Temple with its colourful deity figures. There’ll be a place to say prayers, make an offering. And we can all go to enjoy the stillness of the Buddhist temples.

The great Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin Temple on the road to Steveston is wonderful, like a holiday visit to Asia. There’s the huge religious images people revere, clouds of incense. It’s lovely to hear the monks and nuns chanting — like visiting the seminary on the mountain in Mission to hear the monks chant vespers. So, as Hakuin Zenji, the Japanese master says, “Truly, is anything missing now?”

The Buddha taught a way that hopefully can help you to live in a way that is, for one thing, easier. In your book of poems Celtic Highway, in a chapter titled Old Masters it says “About suffering they were never wrong…”

Still, ideas will collide.

Political or religious, new social ideas — they’ll collide. But there will also be new contact. What is it Hegel says? First there’s thesis, the idea; then antithesis, the other idea; then synthesis. China is the great absorber. One of its strategies when invading hordes attacked from the Asian wilds was to holler “…Hold on a minute, hold on a minute! Before we start all this mayhem — can we talk? We’d like to invite you for dinner.” You put on your most lavish dinner, show them your gracious hospitality, you bestow gifts, and of course you bring out your beautiful young women… “Can we become in-laws?” Sometimes it works, and China is still around, still a mighty presence when many others aren’t.

The subtext to your book New World Dharma is about creating a new metanarrative for a global age. What does that mean?

For more than 45 years I’ve criss-crossed the planet, and met some remarkable teachers. One of them once told me the secret of the universe. I’ll share it with you here: Everything is connected. We’ve had all kinds of historical dominance — Mediterranean, Roman, European, Christian, Mongol, Islamic, American, you name it — and this has brought many different flavours to life, good and ill.

Look at the state of things right now: are we really getting where we want to go as a planet? Communications technology has made it a global world now. Don’t we deserve a new, fundamental narrative for the way we live our lives together, one that’s beyond ideology, and is appropriate for our 21st century — a meta-narrative that emphasizes the interdependent nature of existence, the way in which everything is connected to everything else.

That’s way overdue, isn’t it?

So then where we want to go is to be connected / cooperative?

What’s the option, more head-bashing?

More exploitation of the poor, the oppressed? The teaching from the natural world — if we plan on sticking around as a species — is the recognition of interdependence. Solutions are often like the matter of health — sometimes the more interventionist, Western treatment, that’s pretty hard and invasive, works; sometimes the more intuitive Asian or Indigenous style works. We need both. Rather than stick with one idea to the bitter end, you go with what’s best for the situation. But you don’t blow up the other one. Like Deng Xiao Ping, the leader who emerged following the Maoist revolutionary period in China said, “Who cares whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse?”

We tend to resist the new. But we need some new approaches to old, unresolved problems. Look at how police officers are telling us “The war on marijuana isn’t working…let’s legalize it and take the gangsters out of it. And if there’s going to be any money made out of it, let’s put it into our social systems and try to do something constructive with it.”

We’ve even got police officers saying “We need to deal with this fentanyl nightmare that’s happening. Maybe we need to be prescribing heroin.” I mean, who would’ve believed this 15 years ago? Until very recently, police repression of drug use was absolutely draconian. Suddenly, you have them saying we need to think in a different way. Well, they’re the clean up squad, the ones who get called in to clean up the mess. When they start saying things which are so radically different, then probably we ought to listen to them. They’re trying to tell us something.

That’s the opposition thing again: polarity of opposites. A lot of young people are upset by the police because they just want their freedom; but freedom…in a sense it comes from a certain amount of structure, right?

Freud says this in Civilization and its Discontents: You get unbridled freedom or license to do whatever you want, and well, you know, imagine the chaos. So, he argues that in society we agree to live within systems of limits.

We can’t live in a state of chaos, or with moronic people continually pursuing their own brutal appetites.

Ah! That’s from W.H. Auden’s line in “Musée des Beaux Arts.” It’s based on a painting by Bruegel. I finally got to see it, study it in Brussels. He’s teaching us to look really closely at things. Anyway, he has this line, “about suffering they were never wrong,” because when you live a long time, you’ve seen a lot. That’s why we talk about wise elders. They know what it’s about.

Jung, in Memories, Dreams, Reflections, mentions Lao Tzu, and says that the archetype of the wise elder who has seen enough is eternally true.

Experience is a great teacher. You can tell a kid “Don’t touch that hot thing there that I’ve been ironing these shirts with,” or “Don’t put your finger near that electric socket.” You can tell people 47 times, yet they’ll still come up and go “What is this thing?” and they touch it — WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! You never forget it! There’s nothing like authentic experience!

You put your finger in the socket — You get the shock! You’re never going to do that again.

Upside, authentic experience is one of the things that young people get from travel — from heading out in the world and doing things for themselves, versus living a fairly contained life. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but some people are more searching by nature. There may be great value in that too. It’s worked for me. I’m also reminded too though, of another wily old elder who taught me that there are wise old Zen masters living quietly in the mountains disguised as melon farmers.

That’s a good story.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

UFV across the globe //

UFV Students Abroad

Madison Stewart on sustainable development in Peru

CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

On Tuesday, September 26, at UFV’s Abbotsford campus, we were given a glimpse into the lives of the Indigenous population of Peru by student Madison Stewart. Stewart is a fourth-year global development student who has spent years building an impressive background in development, volunteer, and coordination roles.

I was able to attend one of three presentations she organized. The information was clear, concise, and fascinating throughout the full hour and a half. Her presentation discussed the formal research she completed for her Global Development Studies capstone course, which consists of combining developmental theory and practical experience, while working with the rural Indigenous communities in Peru. Stewart’s role as a marketing coordination intern in Peru, and her work in marketing new products to workers and consumers, was in partnership with the organization Mosqoy.

Mosqoy is a non-governmental organization (NGO), whose mission statement says they work “towards global sustainability and resilience by empowering local

culture.” Mosqoy works with the Quechua population in the Andean mountains of Peru.

Students and individuals working with Mosqoy can be involved in three sections of the organization: T’ikary, Q’ente, and Mink’a. T’ikary is the youth program in which Mosqoy works to educate Indigenous students, allowing them to visit larger cities to study subjects such as arts and tourism. Q’ente encompasses their work in textile revitalization, which consists of the buying and selling of textiles worldwide, and giving jobs and empowerment to local Indigenous women. The third program is Mink’a, their knowledge exchange, which aims to teach people around the world about how to be mindful of one’s footprint while visiting foreign countries.

During her presentation, Stewart described her experiences working in Q’ente, where she traveled to remote communities in the Andes’ such as Cancha Cancha, Parobamba, and Pitukiska.

The textile component of this organization is the money-making element. The women in these communities are commissioned to make fabrics that are then used to create small items such as bags and wal-

lets that can be sold to tourists and help sustain these women and their families. It is important to note that Mosqoy does not purchase anything dyed by non-traditional means, which helps to keep the culture alive.

I asked Stewart what research she did in order to prepare for her role, and she stated, “To prepare for my role in the organization of Mosqoy, I had studied development at UFV for three years, specifically development issues in Latin America.”

Thanks to her studies, she was able to attend the UFV Peru Study Tour in the spring of 2015.

“On that trip, [Professor] Geoffrey Spurling mentored me through my directed studies on rural development in the Vicos community of Peru, and I also met with the Canadian-Peruvian NGO, Mosqoy, for the first time.”

Stewart explained that any level of international development isn’t without its challenges.

“Our biggest challenges were often linked to communication. So much communication goes into these kinds of projects, whether it be between the board of directors or with local communities,” said

Stewart. “Mosqoy works within a community-based development structure, which means that decisions must be made collectively — this is necessary, but it slows down the process.”

UFV students thinking of taking their studies abroad can gain a lot from experiences like Stewart’s. There is a lot to learn from living among other cultures. Students are fortunate to have opportunities available to us such as this presentation, so we can gain insight into what goes into a trip abroad.

“I think any student who is hoping to work in development abroad must begin to understand that specific country’s history,” said Stewart. “I am lucky to have had significant background on Andean history prior to working in Peru. This knowledge helped me to better understand the political economy of the country, and the continued stigmas regarding Indigenous lives.”

More information on studying abroad can be found at the UFV International office in room B223, Abbotsford campus.

Photo: Facebook

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Art of the Month Art of the Week is a recurring feature that highlights the visual arts work of UFV students.

In conjunction with the Visual Arts Student Association (VASA), The Cascade chooses the works of multiple artists to be featured each week. To submit your work, please send an image, 50 word bio, 150 word artist statement, and image list with titles, mediums, sizes, and dates of creation (must be within the past year) to:

artofthemonth@ufvcascade.ca.

Limit of three submissions per person, per month.

Selected works may be displayed at The Cascade lounge, in room S2111 of the Abbotsford UFV campus. The deadline for submissions is October 25.

Artist statement: I am interested in the methodology of painting — the boards, paper, and canvas, the application tools, the mediums, and the various ways to apply the variety of paints. At the moment, I am exploring the use of expansive arm and hand movements when applying paint to canvas. This acrylic piece was created with curving gestures, resulting in an outward and downward flow. The sense of space, and the arcing marks on the canvas, are emphasized by the juxtaposition of vibrant colour over the neutral background.

It is left to the observer to decide if the image has a basis in reality, or is just a pleasing combination of colour and gesture on canvas.

Are these feathers, or perhaps falling water,

or just one of those crazy abstract paintings that any child or chimpanzee could produce?

I strive to create artwork that encourages the viewer to pause, contemplate, and create their own story about the work. My ultimate goal is to stimulate imaginations.

Bio: I began painting in 1989, and am now working towards my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of the Fraser Valley. I volunteer and serve as a member of the Board of Directors with Mission Arts Council, and am an active member of Federation of Canadian Artists. Acrylics, collage, photography, and print are my favourite mediums. My works are part of collections in Japan, Great Britain, and Canada.

Flow

By Sharon Clarke

Acrylic on Canvas 18 x 24 inches

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Carving //

Raphael Silver carves his way to victory

Arty Award-winning visual artist speaks on firefighting, house post exhibit MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

On Friday, September 29, the Abbotsford Arts Council held a house post raising ceremony at the Kariton Art Gallery, officially unveiling a recently carved house post, the newest addition to the gallery.

The Kariton’s house post, carved by Raphael Silver, was commissioned by the Abbotsford Arts Council as part of Canada 150 celebrations, and was funded by the Abbotsford Foundation and the City of Abbotsford.

House posts are poles which have been decoratively carved, like totem poles, but are usually found, unlike totem poles, inside structures as opposed to in front of them.

Raphael Silver, the Sumas First Nation artist behind the carving, was present at the Kariton Art Gallery over the summer working on the house post, and is also the recipient of the 2017 Arty Award in the Visual Arts category. This house post is an addition to more publicly accessible artwork

by Silver in and around the Fraser Valley, including the carving of salmon currently at the McCallum Road roundabout and Fraser River Heritage Park’s post arch.

Silver, who started painting seriously around the age of 13, had his first paid public art project, a 20-foot mural, commissioned at the age of 15.

“From then, I started picking up the carving just from my dad. I started mimicking my dad carving when I was like eight, when I first got knives.”

Despite the carving of a house post being a practice steeped in tradition, Silver sees himself as a more contemporary artist than a traditional one.

“I don’t really follow the traditional guidelines,” said Silver. “I use traditional structure, but I use a more stylized technique.”

This form of stylized carving, as evidenced by the Kariton’s new house post, takes practical skills, and applies them to the creation of a work of art which is both traditional and contemporary.

“A lot of people don’t see [carving] as a

craft,” said Silver. “What I and the people that I emulate create [is a] very contemporary, very stylized art. Certain carvers you would call craftspeople, but there’s another group of carvers that are creating something very unique.”

Apart from his career as an artist, Silver has spent the past couple of months piloting helicopters, aiding firefighting forces trying to curb the nation’s various forest fires.

“Most of my flying was actually done in Alberta. There was a shortage of pilots there because everybody was in B.C., but I was in 100 Mile and 108 Mile at the start of the season,” said Silver. “Once the heavy fires started, I was mostly stuck in Alberta.”

This season’s fires, said Silver, were beyond any he had seen before.

“It was unbelievable. I was grounded in north Alberta, because the smoke there that was coming from B.C. was so bad that we couldn’t see enough to get off the ground.”

Silver recalled seeing 108 Mile at the be-

ginning of the fire season almost in disbelief.

“Seeing it on the second day of the fire was pretty unreal. I drove there through roads that were shut down to everybody, but because I was with the helicopter company, they let me through. The whole place was a ghost town. [There was] smoke and fire on buildings, it was pretty crazy.”

That hair-raising experience, said Silver, lends perspective to his career as an artist.

“That’s where the balance comes in. Flying is both very structured and by-theseat-of-your-pants. You’re always facing constant unknowns,” he said. “My art career is something that’s generally very relaxing, and I get to be in touch with myself.

The art, I have control of.”

Kariton Art Gallery’s house post is now on permanent display, and is accessible to students and community members alike.

With files from Cassie de Jong

Photo: Facebook

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CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Music //

B.A. brings a wild night to Carport Manor CAT FRIESEN COPY EDITOR

On Wednesday, September 28, Abbotsford’s Carport Manor was graced with the presence that is B.A. Johnston, an artist who has been putting on wild, comedic performances for close to 18 years. The audience was not disappointed; B.A. entered the room with sparklers, crushed beer cans on his head, and rolled on the floor, all while singing and interacting with the crowd (which included helping several attendees guzzle their drinks). This was before he managed to strip off his multiple sweatshirts, and do the splits in the middle of a crowded carport. But before things got wild, we got to sit down with B.A., and ask him a few questions.

When did you start playing shows in Abbotsford, and how did you find out about us? The music scene used to be very minimal here.

It would have been seven years ago, between six and eight years ago. It must have been something to do with Aaron [Levy], I think. I don’t even know how I know him.

It was so long ago, I think it must have been when I was getting in touch with college or community radio stations. I’d usually get a couple emails like “why aren’t you playing here” and I’d think to myself, “oh, people play there?” I didn’t get the sense that there was much going on.

How did you start doing the performances that you do now? You certainly put on a unique act.

I have the market cornered pretty good.

All my friends, when I was really young, they were all in bands, so I was kind of jealous of them. But I couldn’t play instruments, and no one wanted me to be their singer, so I was like “well, I’ll do it by myself.” It kind of evolved from that, that was a long time ago, and the show has kind of changed into what it is now, which has been consistent for the last ten years or so.

When you started, were you nervous about playing shows? What about now?

I used to get more nervous when I first started. I still get nervous now, but it would have to be something that’s really odd, like, Quebec City makes me nervous because I don’t speak French. You kind of think about it and it’s like “oh my god, no one speaks English here.” Or sometimes I play all ages shows, and I get a little nervous if everyone’s really young, because I’m so old.

It seems weird, sometimes. And I’m going to England for the first time to do shows, and that makes me nervous. But if I play Regina, I’m not nervous. More just that I’m nervous that I’m in Regina, probably.

Photo: Facebook

I’ve seen you perform before, and it gets pretty wild. What’s the wildest or weirdest thing that’s happened while you were playing a show?

of weird.

It’s usually kind of the same, usually wild for someone else is like, they might try and kill you, which happens about once a year. You get someone who’s very angry. I had a guy this summer at a beer festival do a sit-in where he wouldn’t leave the stage, and usually the bouncers assume that it’s a plant, and it never is, it’s usually a lunatic.

Another one: there’s a bar in Regina that has a balcony, and I climbed up it, so it’s basically like climbing up a story, and then some guy tried to push me off, I don’t think he realized that I would have died. I think he thought it was funny, but at that point I had climbed up, and I didn’t know how I’d get back down. Sometimes when you climb things, like a cat, you don’t really think about exit strategy. So that was kind

Straws. I don’t know if I like silly hats.

Or maybe I do, maybe on the right person, but everyone can enjoy silly straws. You know the group of dudes, and they have the one wacky guy with the wacky hat? I never trust that guy.

Okay, important question. Silly hats or silly straws?

How has your act, and you as a person, evolved since you started performing?

I changed a lot. When I first started I was more of a folk singer, so it was just me and my guitar. Then, I found the keyboards under the stairs at my mom’s and I didn’t want to carry the guitar anymore. If I played keyboard, if people get sick of one thing, then I can go back and forth, and

then I got the Walkman because I didn’t want to carry more keyboards. Like, two is enough, so I put keyboard sounds on a CD. And then you do little tricks, like with the sparklers, and if the audience likes them then they become part of the show. I was really nervous about the sparklers at first, and then I realized that their sole purpose is to be put on children’s birthday cakes.

B.A. Johnston’s new album, Gremlins 3, is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and through his website, bajohnston.ca.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

15

STUDY BREAK Crossword //

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Made by Jeff Mijo

ACROSS

DOWN

1. The leaning tower of _ _ _

1. Object used by actors in a movie or play

3. Norse God of Thunder 6. “Mighty Wings” by _ _ _ Trick 7. Winne the _ _ _ 9. What’s green, and has layers like an onion?

2. Curved structure 3. Autocorrect fixes your _ _ _ 4. Capital of Italy 5. Not a peach

11. 2011 Matt Damon and Kate Winslet movie

8. In between the Stratosphere and Troposphere is the _ _ _

12. Song played by two people

10. Garment for a hand

14. Greek God of Thunder

12. Author of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”

16. _ _ _-watching Netflix 17. A speech impediment 18. Black, white, and actually a dolphin

13. A unit of measurement equal to 1/16 cup 14. 3x4-10+5-7= 15. Book series by Brian K. Vaughan

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 1. Drool 3. Pixel 6. Seismic 8. Otto 9. Safe 12. Kiev 14. USSR 15. Yiddish 16. Kayak 17. Adult

Down: 1. Dafoe 2. Oreo 4. Iris 5. Laser 6. Stanley 7. Catfish 10. Skunk 11. Crypt 13. Visa 14. Used

Illustration by: Amara Gelaude

Horoscope //

Astrological mysteries rudely interpreted by Lady May

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Learn to appreciate what you have now. Most Aries were concrete speed bumps in a past life.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Change can hurt, but it creates a path to something better. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to tip your server an extra toonie.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Hard work rewards your future, Netflix rewards you now.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 A dream you have will come true. But keep your head out of the gutter, it’s not that one.

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Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Every mistake is a chance to learn. You will learn a lot today.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Only you can understand the answers to the questions inside your head. The voices aren’t positive what you’re talking about anyway.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 A smile is a passport into the hearts of others.

Don’t forget yours or you’ll find yourself in trouble with border security.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 A chance meeting opens a new door to success and friendship in your life. Just remember to make sure it’s not a revolving one.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Make good and honest decisions this week.

Nothing dumbfounds people quite like common sense.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Your high standards spell success. Just quit scrubbing every item you own twice a day with a toothbrush.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Your shoes will make you happy today. Don’t ask me how.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 You will become great if you believe in yourself. A Pisces is usually a better Madonna than Madonna.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Album Review //

CHARTS 1

BLESSED EP 2

2

WHIMM A Stare Ajar

3

MALK Born Elated

4

FAITH HEALER Try ;-)

5

NASHLYN Work It Out

6

SAINT SOLDIER Duality

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MASON Impervious

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COLD SPECKS Fool’s Paradise

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HOODED FANG Dynasty House

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY HYPHENATED-SPECIALIST

For the second year in a row, CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy not only emceed the UFV Bookstore’s customer appreciation day, but walked the catwalk as a UFV apparel model! Here are four songs that relate to modeling in one way or another!

Queens of the Stone Age release long awaited seventh studio album

Hole — “Celebrity Skin” This was the first song that I ever really knew by Courtney Love, and through it I discovered the sordid tale of her and Kurt. Rumours abound with regards to the potential of Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan ghost-writing on this record, but who knows whom to believe anymore.

Lit — “Miserable” Maybe not a model in the strictest of senses, but gracing the video of this catchy little piece of 1990’s pop punk is she who did everything from Baywatch, to her own sexy private security firm sitcom, to sex tapes with Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, to modeling, like Anna Kournikova!

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PROTOMARTYR Relatives in Descent

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ALVVAYS Antisocialites

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SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE Yummycoma

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FOONYAP Apropos

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FAKE FRUIT Sack Lunch Demos

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PHONO PONY Death By Blowfish

I’m pretty sure this guy either was/is a model, or just could be.

He’s even got the trademark Cindy Crawford style “beauty mark,” or did, before he had it removed, but is that even something he did, or just an urban legend like with the Manson rib removal thing?

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MIKE MCDONALD Play This

Right Said Fred — “I’m Too Sexy”

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DEERHOOF Mountain Moves

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THE MCKEE BROTHERS Moon Over Montgomery

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KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH The Kid

If you’ve ever been accosted by people either online or in real life, complimenting your fashion style, overall looks, or general attitude in a way that is somewhat overbearing (and perhaps even just a little bit creepy), you might agree that, like Right Said Fred said, you’re “too sexy,” right?

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KAREN LOVELY Fish Outta Water

Enrique Iglesias — “Hero”

CAT FRIESEN COPY EDITOR

Villains, Queens of the Stone Age’s long-awaited seventh studio album, has been in the works since January 2014. After months with no news, and the band going on hiatus to work on separate projects, Villains was finally released to the public on August 25, 2017.

There was plenty of suspense around the release of Villains, given that the album took over three years to complete. QOTSA were relatively tight-lipped about their upcoming album, the only evidence being a teasing comedy skit they released in June 2017, which featured Josh Homme, the vocalist, being administered a polygraph test by Liam Lynch, a long-time music video director for the band. During the test, Homme is featured lying (badly) about the upcoming album, and viewers are given a short preview of “Feet Don’t Fail Me,” the album’s first track.

The choice to open the album with “Feet Don’t Fail Me” couldn’t have been an accident; the slow, eerie buildup of a steady drum beat and sludgy guitar, leading into the fusion of energetic guitar riffs and Homme’s smooth vocals, grabs the listener’s attention and anchors them there. The song begins with the lyrics, “I was born in the desert, May / 17 in ‘73 / when the needle hit the groove / I commenced moving / I was chasing what was calling me,” referencing Homme’s age (44), and the numerous years he’s spent on music projects. The chorus, “Feet don’t fail me now / one foot in the gutter / one in the clouds,” may be Homme’s way of asking the audience (and perhaps himself) not to forget about him — not just

yet, anyways.

“Feet Don’t Fail Me” fades perfectly into the second track and featured single, “The Way You Used To Do,” a song filled with soaring, Presley-like vocals and foot-tapping guitar riffs. It’s clear why this song has some of the highest hits on Spotify; it’s catchy in a fresh, in-your-face way that compliments the album’s leisurely pace, especially “Hideaway,” and “Villains of Circumstance,” which retain some of the slow, almost romantic sounds from their previous album, …Like Clockwork.

One exception to this is “Head Like a Haunted House,” which sounds like a combination of The Dead Kennedys’ “Police Truck” and the Misfits’ “Dig Up Her Bones”; the funky, surfer rock guitar chords are entirely unlike anything else on Villains, and perhaps any of their previous albums as well.

Characteristic of Homme, the lyrics “Say ‘man, don’t even think about it’ / push the pesticide / Xana-dos and Xana-don’ts” display his wild side; Homme is known for his “sex, drugs, rock and roll” outlook on life, and isn’t shy of broadcasting it to anyone who will listen.

Considering the length of time QOTSA have been together, Villains does a great job of avoiding staleness. All the songs are catchy in their own unique way, and carry their own style, while still retaining the classic sound that QOTSA has woven into their music since their first release. After numerous side projects, a hiatus, and seven studio albums, QOTSA prove that they know how to create an exciting and fresh take on their classic sound, and that their age has done nothing to hinder how hard they can rock.

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Netflix Review //

Some scorn for Son of Zorn

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

Lately, Netflix hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to keeping the quality of their original programing consistent. Yes, I’m as excited as the rest of you for the October 27 mass release of Stranger Things’ second season, and yes, I’m impressed by the streaming platform’s (now network’s?) voracity in releasing such a varied array of programing, particularly when, in the shadow of Stranger Things and Orange is the New Black, the Netflix masthead has become synonymous with good writing and high production value.

Unfortunately, many of the service’s latest releases have missed the mark. The reason for which, I believe, is couched deep within Netflix itself, deep within its own raison d’etre. First, let’s consider what Netflix has become: a production powerhouse focused on branding the living hell out of what it puts forward as “original programming.” For the most part, “original” here means “something not released by another distributor.” Therein lies the rub, because Netflix is for the masses. As much as its line-up of original programming might speak to you on an individual level, Netflix isn’t making these shows just for you (or even just for a small community of dedicated watchers). Netflix throws barrels of cash at productions that will do one of two things: win awards, or appeal to the masses.

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Sometimes, as with Stranger Things, these two focal areas meet, and a wellwritten, engaging TV show is born. Notice that most of the time, however, Netflix appropriates an idea or story not endemic to their catalogue. A writer or producer walks up to them and pitches a complete vision, which Netflix then rejects or embraces.

This “build it and they will come” attitude serves to explain the prevalence of original documentary features on Netflix: there’s always someone ready to capture a story taking place.

It’s the stories that aren’t already taking place — stories that need to be conceived of and written — that pose the most pressing problem.

“Son of Zorn,” one of Netflix’s newest additions to its catalogue of animated programs geared towards more adult audiences, is a beautiful exercise in sleight of hand.

Ostensibly about Zorn, (a He-Man rip-off) and his relationship with an estranged teenage son, the show is devised in such a way so as to trick viewers into thinking there’s a plot behind the interactions of moving, talking, shapes on the screen.

This criticism is biting, yes, but hardly unwarranted.

Narratively, “Son of Zorn” purports to be genre-specific (the ultra-machismo of the main character calls to mind cartoons of decades past like GI Joe and He-Man), but the show attempts to deal with parenthood in exactly the same way that Arrested Development did with Michael Bluth and his

son George Michael — a well-meaning but oblivious father constantly embarrasses his son (in the case of Zorn, by refusing to relate to his son through anything other than monster-slaying and barbarism: a tactic that’s ineffective in the same way that screaming English at residents when visiting a foreign country in an attempt to be better understood is ineffective). More damningly, it’s characteristic of lazy writing.

Dressing cookie-cutter stories up to suit a specific genre isn’t a new trick (in fact, it’s been used to sell the rom-com genre to audiences for decades), but “Son of Zorn’s” transgression comes down with twice the force of any rom-com, because it knows it’s a fraud. There’s no adventure or real drama in “SoZ’s” plot, only the illusion of drama, presented to us with the subtlety of a cartoon barbarian trashing his office at a temp agency, and later denying his involvement in the slicing of the fax machine, sheepishly trying to draw attention away from the four-foot-long broadsword propped up against the wall when confronted by his boss. A sword, by the way, which is just as superficial and cartoonish as every action of Zorn’s in his quest to gain his son’s acceptance. (An acceptance which is invariably granted to him in later episodes out of convenience, if nothing else.)

Any attempt at self-reflexivity afforded by the titular character’s cartoon body appearing in the real world is acknowledged and promptly thrown out the proverbial

window, along with any plans of displaying even a single character on the show as multidimensional. Instead, “Son of Zorn” opts for signification in lieu of actual dramatic engagement. The viewer is painfully aware of Alan’s (Zorn’s son) awkwardness, Zorn’s brash short-sightedness, an ON/ OFF switch between endlessly rolling eyes or a sharp judgemental gaze which serve as the only indicators of Linda’s (Zorn’s ex) current mood, or the hemming and hawing of Craig (Linda’s boyfriend, and an online psychology lecturer), who, for no apparent reason other than a scriptwriter’s compulsion to capitalize on the rising trend of anti-intellectualism in Western society, gleefully comments on his emasculation at the hands of Zorn with an air of superiority that only adds to the caricature.

Realizing it squandered some 10 episodes drilling these qualities into the viewer’s perception of its characters, “Son of Zorn” picks up and delivers in four episodes a plot marred by twists and plotpoints which, try as they might, fail at reassuring us that we haven’t just been conned out of hours better spent trying to pair up that pile of mismatched socks in the laundry room.

I don’t know man, just don’t watch this thing.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017

Netflix Review //

Atypical: a sore subject

Sensitivity with a sledgehammer ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

Atypical follows the story of Sam, a typical teenage boy in a typical family in a typical suburban town. Sam decides that he wants to start dating. There is just one problem: Sam has autism.

I wanted to take a look at Atypical because I am on the spectrum myself, and I wanted to see how a show where the central premise is autism portrays my condition. The results were complicated, but if I had to pick one word to describe Atypical, it would be “cringeworthy.”

To give credit where credit is due, it is obvious that the show’s producers did their due diligence in researching autism, and took pains to portray it both realistically and sympathetically. Autism is a complicated condition, and no two cases are alike. Some (like me) are high-functioning enough that you might not know they were autistic unless you were told, while others are so severely handicapped that they can’t even speak. It goes without saying that when it comes to autism, it is hard to generalize. The core aspect of it though, is that autism impairs one’s ability to pick up on social cues, to moderate one’s behaviour to society’s expectations, and to effectively express one’s emotions. This forms the central conflict of the story, wherein Sam struggles with his own handicap in the hope of finding a romantic companion.

TV Review //

Atypical’s portrayal of autism gets many details spot-on, or nearly so. For example, narrow and intense interests (Sam’s is the polar regions, and penguins in particular), irritation by bright lights and loud noises, and literal-mindedness, to name a few. I also like the underlying message that autism is not a disease or disorder, but is the mind working in a different way, hence the title Atypical. Not all the characters see it this way deep down, of course, and I can understand why it would be hard to have such a positive outlook if you know someone living with autism of the low-functioning variety. Luckily for Sam, he is highfunctioning enough that he has a chance of overcoming his handicaps. On that note, the show’s producers have Sam in late high school, which is about the same time that I really started to get a handle on my own behaviour, so they chose an excellent age for an autistic coming-of-age story.

That being said, the show makes a few minor missteps in its portrayal of autism.

For example, yes, it is true that a particular word or phrase can become stuck in our heads on repeat, but never have I stormed out of my front door, and blurted it out to the stranger that happened to be there.

However, as I said before, autism is a highly variable condition, so my own experience may not be the best measure.

Unfortunately, I think the writers of Atypical lost sight of the neurotypical forest for the autistic trees. There is a lot of potential in the side plots of the other char-

acters, such as Sam’s mother, who doesn’t think Sam has what it takes to live independently, and tries to sabotage him, or his father, who has never really been able to come to terms with his son’s condition.

Unfortunately, it all goes out the window by having characters who display highly shocking and antisocial behaviour. Many of the characters display a lack of common sense and self-restraint that I find baffling and horrifying. Perhaps my own neurosis makes me unable to comprehend gardenvariety human foibles. Alternatively, it could be deliberate on the writer’s part.

“We’re all weird” is a message that comes up more than once, but that message is usually delivered with all the subtlety of a train wreck.

The moment I stopped watching was when Sam’s friend from work, Zaheed (who I am surprised isn’t fired or arrested for lewd conduct given some of the things he says and does) is about to enter a strip club with Sam (cue intense neon lights and loud music from within, and never mind that they’re both in high school, and likely underage), because Sam has gotten it into his head, based on another’s advice, that he needs to see a woman’s bare chest and genitals before he can have sex with his new girlfriend. I am not making this up.

You know that feeling when you’re having a nightmare and say to yourself, “Forget this, I’m out,” and then wake yourself up? Well, this is the moment I “woke up,” because based on what I had seen before, there

wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that this scene would end well.

Now, the above scene may be an extreme example, but honestly, pretty much the whole show feels like this. It’s like a breakneck journey from one social catastrophe to the next. Even when things do go smoothly in the end, the nerve-wracking anticipation that it could, and probably will, go haywire is just as bad. I don’t know if this is another autistic thing or not, but when people embarrass themselves in movies or on TV, I feel embarrassed too out of empathy, unless it is clearly intended to be comedic, which Atypical is not. A contributing factor is my discomfort in seeing my condition, of which I am very selfconscious, laid bare, warts and all, on the small screen. Top that off with my mortal fear of embarrassment and rejection born out of my lifetime of trying to cope with my condition, and you have a show that was torture for me to sit through; and this why I would call Atypical “cringeworthy.”

Atypical may have done a good job in spreading its message, but making all of us feel like an autistic person being suddenly thrust on stage and given the mic at a live rock concert in a foreign country during a fire drill is not the best way to go about it.

When it comes to positively and accurately representing autism, Atypical succeeds; but as enjoyable entertainment, it falls short.

Star Trek: discovering how much fan service is too much Premiere feels familiar, but there is potential for something new PANKU SHARMA STAFF WRITER

The only “Star Trek” series I have seen in its entirety is “Deep Space Nine” although I have seen one-off episodes of “The Next Generation,” and read a lot of Wikipedia in my spare time. I didn’t like the new J.J. Abrams films, and the only older one I’ve seen was “Nemesis” — which I enjoyed.

“Discovery,” as the newest addition to a long lineage of “Star Trek” television series, tries to balance the expectations of the fandom with the reality of modern television.

That means the retreading tropes that for some will seem charming— technobabble and sparky console stations— but that might be jarring or annoying for others (count me as part of this group). It signifies a reliance on callbacks, easter eggs, and a pleading need to generate the same level of wonder that the series was able to achieve in the past.

The problem is we’ve had years of great sci-fi in television and film that has raised the expectations and standards of audiences. You want gritty moral musings, and meditations on big ideas? Not only have most of those been done in past “Star Trek” series, but we’ve also had “BattleStar Ga-

lactica” in the meantime. You want hard science and compelling tense action? “The Expanse” will be coming back for its third season next year, and is amazing in that regard.

As is appropriate for 2017, the considerable amount of buzz around “Star Trek: Discovery” had more to do with the ongoing culture war regarding representation in media than it did expectations of the series as sci-fi. Reactionary fans and outraged hucksters alike bemoaned the diversity of the revealed cast as social justice warrior overreach and pandering to an insecure, needy, and easily offended audience.

And here I thought we hadn’t yet mastered projection technology.

Personally, I thought it was pretty cool to have two female leads, both of whom were women of colour. While not perfect, “Star Trek” does have a reputation of pushing the culture forward, and being progressive.

Both of “DS9’s” central leads in latter seasons were black men, and that was in the ‘90s. The characters aren’t made any worse or less compelling by the sex and race of their actors — that’s mostly up to the writing staff.

The two-episode premiere of “Discovery” follows the command crew of the USS Shenzhou as they face the first direct con-

tact the federation has had with Klingons in 100 years. First Officer Michael Burnham (played by Sonequa Martin-Green), a human raised by Vulcans after her parents died in a Klingon raid, pushes for confrontation against the wishes of Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Doug Jones also gives a solid performance as the First Science Officer Saru, who comes from a new species that is known for their propensity to avoid violence. The acting is good, at least for a network TV show, but I believe the actors themselves are held back by the script and direction more than they are by their abilities.

Stilted and unnatural conversations are almost a “Star Trek” staple, along with forced attempts at “funny banter” and dialogue that is sometimes laden with exposition rather than nuance.

The Klingons, who for long-time fans are much different than the space bikers we’ve seen in past series, present an interesting opportunity for showing a new side of the species. T’Kumva (Chris Obi) is a zealot who wants to unite the 24 great houses, and restore a unified Klingon Empire against a common enemy. However, their dialogue is almost all in Klingon, and their makeup is incredibly heavy and complicated, which limits how much the actors can truly “act.”

I wish they had used the conceit of dialogue between Klingons being in English, and in full Klingon when talking to the humans.

In all, I didn’t hate “Discovery’s” premiere, but at the same time, I wasn’t really drawn in or given much to be excited for. It felt cheap, familiar, and very much like a regular cable sci-fi series. However, I think there is hope in the opportunities inherent in exploring yet-unseen aspects of the early years of the federation (this takes place after “Enterprise” and before “The Original Series”), and also in what seems to be a tonal shift in the coming episodes.

We haven’t even seen the USS Discovery yet, but previews for the season betray a darker and more serious storyline that will focus more on the characters and less on the trappings of the genre.

Hopefully it moves somewhere more meaningful, but if the premiere is truly a representation of the series — and not just a prologue and setup for Michael Burnham’s story (what the battle of Wolf 359 was for Benjamin Sisko in “DS9”) — then I think most people would be okay lowering their expectations.

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WHAT?!

Are you trying to tell me that

“amendment” mean, DOESN’T mean, Immutable, unalterable, changeless, irreversible, ironclad, unending, unending

unchangeable, set in stone, untouchable, permanent, invincible, unamendable?