The Cascade Vol. 25 Issue 27

OCTOBER 25 TO NOVEMBER 1, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 27

h c r o t a Shining

Out before three since 1993

g

into the world of Tinder

9 8 . g P Coffee Tims debranded at CEP, replaced by Spirit Bear.

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Can CanCon? 7

Dark history

Netflix in Canada. Will anything change now that Canada has demands?

Canada’s Dark History, a killer new podcast that you should check out.

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Editorial //

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Satinder Dhillon satinder@ufvcascade.ca Copy Editor Cat Friesen cat@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 distributor@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca 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 Corey Norlander

Cover: Caleb Campbell Back Cover: Caleb Campbell

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 25 · Issue 27 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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Trust It’s like a chain, when you break it, you need to weld it back together but you can’t JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I’m ashamed to say that I only just now fully understand that where I am really may not be where someone else is, emotionally speaking. Maturity helps with that. It also helps with amending a torn relationship, which is really hard; I’m not sure if it can be done, not by my own willpower alone, at least. That’s the thing about seeing things differently than someone else.

It sounds obvious to anyone who has blown out more than four candles on a birthday cake — it’s less obvious when you’re a selfish know-it-all.

I know what it’s like to have trust brutally torn apart — feels like losing an organ, we often say the heart. But I can’t live without a heart, I can live with a repressed awareness of things not being alright — sort of. Live with in the sense that my daily chores get done (mostly), I make my appointments (usually) on time, I’m still breathing. But am I thriving?

Knowing that feeling of abuse, that toxic emotional overdose, playing Judas, makes it even harder to reconcile with the fact that I’m the one who needs to initiate the reconciliation. It means I have to be humbled, instead of sheepishly asking, “I’m capable of that?” feigning ignorance like some delinquent school boy.

Really, can trust be rebuilt? The thing is, once trust erodes, you can’t really repair the damages. We pretend like it’s possible, but it’s not. Healing trust is effectively this: you ask someone to overlook a deliberate manipulation of their good nature. Yikes. That’s why relationships that persevere impress me. Friendships that last a lifetime are awesome, and friendships that keep no record of wrongdoing?

Those are divine.

This is a lamentation, because inside I have a virus, slowly eating away at my conscience, only when I can’t distract it.

I’m expecting life to be better when I’m better. Hopefully we can pull that off, together.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Campus Coffee //

NEWS BRIEFS

Tims gone from CEP Spirit Bear coffee with big community involvement

UBC revamps programming to better transition arts students into university UBC has revamped their Coordinated Arts Program (CAP) to better help new students transition into university life. The firstyear program previously offered a standard timetable of social sciences, humanities, and creative and performing arts classes, a coordinated assignment schedule, and a dedicated study space for students.

The structure has now been changed to include weekly alterations between peer-mentor led tutoring specific to individual groups and guest speaker sessions. A variety of topics will be discussed, from study and research tips to mental wellness and time management.

The goal of the project is to give students the opportunity to network with each other and tackle first year problems together as a group. The program also intends to increase accessibility for students seeking advice and assistance from peers or professors.

-the Ubyssey

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In September, the UFV Canada Education Park (CEP) campus in Chilliwack saw its Tim Hortons café debranded. It was replaced by the Spirit Bear Café.

The reason for the debranding was Tim Hortons’ restrictions on foods that could be sold from their storefront. Although Tim Hortons moved a lot of volume, their options were not on par with the value and choices at the Abbotsford campus.

“On the Abbotsford campus, you talk about all-day breakfast or burgers, all the entrees, and the fresh from scratch cooking that we have here. We just weren’t able to do that out in Chilliwack, because we had a set menu that the Tim Hortons put in place,” said Cameron Roy, director of ancillary services.

Debranding from Tim Hortons, Roy said, was a completely mutual decision between UFV, UFV’s food services provider, Dana Hospitalities, and Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons in Abbotsford G building will remain as it is.

At UFV, Tim Hortons is operated like a franchise under Dana Hospitalities, so there is no competition between Dana and Tim Hortons.

Abbotsford A building’s coffee kiosk was also renovated over the summer to expand into another Spirit Bear Café.

Previously, the kiosk was called the Roadrunner Café.

The furniture and renovations for the Spirit Bear Café cost about $30,000, which came out of UFV’s Pedagogy Investment Fund.

In an email, Craig Toews, UFV vice president, external, said, “As part of UFV’s Pedagogy Investment Fund, and recognizing that more than 50 per cent of learning happens outside of the classroom, we set out to change our eating areas from a ‘high school mess’ to an active learning environment, with furniture and configuration that activates the space.”

Since the café change, some students have expressed concern about the cost of coffee. Roy said he has had some complaints out of Chilliwack since replacing the Tim Hortons, mostly regarding price.

“There’s a premium on the coffee. One of the things I’ve heard is the price is similar to Starbucks,” Roy said.

Spirit Bear coffee prices are costlier than both the previous Tim Hortons and Roadrunner café. However, Roy noted that organic and fair trade always comes with an added cost.

Spirit Bear Coffee Company is a First Nations-owned, completely organic and fair trade coffee roaster, based out of Richmond, B.C. UFV pays a licensing fee to Spirit Bear to use their name for the café, and Spirit Bear sells the coffee through a partnership with Dana Hospitalities.

“[Spirit Bear] is an amazingly progressive company. It’s great that we’re in partnership with them,” Roy said. “The university should be proud of their relationships with Spirit Bear, in all that they're doing.”

Paul Biglin, co-owner of Spirit Bear Coffee, said that being in a university is a big deal for his company.

“Having a university identity that we’re a First Nations company, and we do what we do in our community is a big deal for us,” Biglin said. “We fight the big guys all the time. We’re fortunate to be selected by the university, it’s a big deal for us.”

Spirit Bear invests a portion of their profits and resources into their own communities. Spirit Bear helps fund environmental protection for the spirit bear, a black bear that is cream coloured, and revered in First Nations communities. They also help fund drones for whale research, and donate to the First Nations snowboard team and the Highway of Tears program.

“As a First Nations company, we have to look after our own communities first.

If we don’t help build our community, we won’t have a community that will help us grow,” Biglin said.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Business //

UFV HR major now CPHR accredited QUINTIN STAMLER BUSINESS MANAGER

The bachelor of business administration’s human resources major gained accreditation for the fall semester by the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) B.C. and Yukon. In an interview with Dr. Kirsten Robertson, I found out what efforts went into obtaining the CPHR accreditation, as well as opportunities and benefits the CPHR B.C. and Yukon will present for students at UFV. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about your role at UFV? I guess I have a couple of roles. In terms of teaching, I’m an assistant professor in human resources and organizational behaviour (HR-OB), which means I teach a broad spectrum of courses within the HR major and organizational studies minor, starting with your first OB class, up until some of the upper level classes.

Administratively, this is my third year as the area chair for HR-OB, which means I help coordinate faculty in the area. We figure out how many of each section to offer, if we are going to make changes to the program, which courses would be required, and how many courses we should have in each aspect of HR. Not that I make those decisions, but I go back to the area, lead the discussion, then bring that information forward to the curriculum committees. I’m often liaising with the faculty, helping find sessionals to cover courses where we need additional help, making changes to programs, updating course outlines, all of that.

Can you explain what the CPHR B.C. and Yukon is?

Since you took intro to HR, it used to be called the CHPR, now they have changed it to CPHR. It is essentially the same organization that it used to be, but what they do is, they are the professional body for human resources, kind of like the Chartered Professionals in Accounting (CPA) is the major professional body for accountants. In order to be a CPA, you need to go through their training program. The CPHR is looking to do something similar in terms of the HR profession here in B.C. and the Yukon. It is not currently national, different provinces have their own provincial bodies, so CPHR B.C. and Yukon is the organization that we would be dealing with here in B.C. They do tons of stuff. They would give you the CPHR designation; that would be passing the knowledge

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exam, you have your HR major degree that you have done reasonably well in, and then you must get at least three years work experience. They manage that whole program, but they also do a lot of professional development. They run seminars for HR people, they have mentorship programs, they often help connect people who are looking for an HR job. You can connect through their website to companies that are looking to hire people in HR, so they are the overall professional body for HR. How did we get the CPHR accreditation?

It was kind of a bit of a process, but it went really smoothly, and everyone was really great to deal with. It started out fall of 2016, in the HR profession. It is not as formalized as accounting, but we have seen a transition over the last few years. If you are hiring an HR person, companies used to say “a certain number of years of work experience and CHPR designation preferred.” Over the last few years, it is starting to become more and more expected that you would have that designation, basically more of a job requirement. For our students, who are graduating and looking to start off in HR, if they can have anything towards getting that designation, it looks really great on their applications and resumes. I talked to a couple of students who expressed interest in doing the CPHR, and were wondering if we had an agreement in place — at the time, we didn’t. So, I kind of thought, why not, let’s look into finding out what it would involve, who I need to contact.

I approached the CPHR, and they sent me some information. I took it back, and we talked about the opportunities, we talked about some of the constraints that would come with accreditation, and there was enough support in the HR area that would move it forward. We wanted to see if we could come up with an agreement that would benefit our students, benefit faculty, benefit the organization, and we negotiated on aspects of that agreement over last semester, making sure the wording was right, making sure our students would get something valuable out of it. It would have been in summer that we finalized it, and it officially launched this fall. It was a process of going back and forth with the faculty, and the CPHR and administration here, and just making sure that we would agree with stuff that we could do, we could deliver on. We also wanted to make sure the CPHR would be there to support our students, and would be there to offer our students benefits that would go beyond just the next few months, but

really look into helping them in their careers.

What do think is the most valuable benefit?

Students will say that it’s getting the exemption from writing the exam, because by the time you graduate you kind of want to be done with exams; it takes another thing off your to-do list. But, probably what could benefit the most is the liaison and the mentorship opportunities; for example, I compare it to accounting. There is a fairly standardized process that you go through: you apply for a job, it goes through an articling system, and then they get their CPA. In HR it’s a lot more variable, we don’t have the same standardized system that students go through, so I think the biggest challenge for them is getting that first HR assistant job. One of the best ways to do that — which I always emphasize, but it is easy to forget when you are busy with classes — is having networking opportunities with people who are currently HR professionals, who are working in companies. If you can talk to them, get to know the people who are working jobs they will ultimately want to do, get to know organizations that are hiring, and have those connections that can help them get their foot in the door. That’s probably the most challenging aspect of moving into HR as a career: the first job, the first couple years. Where do you start, what kind of HR do you want to practice? Those connections with the professional community will be really helpful.

How do students pursue this?

(CPHR) Students who are interested in pursuing their CPHR designation need to graduate from the BBA HR major with at least a 70 per cent average in their program. After graduating, they can apply for exemption from writing the National Knowledge Exam component of the CPHR exam. They also need to have maintained at least two years of consecutive membership in CPHR B.C. and Yukon. Students graduating in June 2018 should join now, and can still obtain exemption (while students who graduated in June 2017 may also be able to gain exemption on a case-by-case basis by contacting CPHR B.C. and Yukon). To obtain the discounted student membership rate, students should contact one of the academic advisors in the School of Business for more information. After that, students need just three years of HR related work experience, and they can obtain the CPHR designation

SUS //

By-elections nearly here

By-election start date to be a discussion item at this week's board meeting JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After five months of delay, the SUS by-election nomination period may begin as early as next week. At the upcoming October 26 SUS board meeting, the by-election nomination period start date will be brought up as a discussion item.

Jaleen Mackay, SUS vice president internal, said that the nomination period will likely begin Friday, November 3, though according to their policies it could technically be called as soon as today.

The SUS board may chose to call a by-election at any time, in accordance with their policies and bylaws, if there are any vacant positions. SUS has 13 positions, and almost all of them are currently vacant.

SUS election policies only require by-elections be called when there are less than three elected members on the board — but at any given time, there are three hired members on the board. Any other time, by-elections may be called at the will of the board if there are any vacant elected positions.

“Technically we didn’t need to call a by-election, but I thought it was a good idea. Currently our board consists of eight voting members, in the summer in consisted of six,” said MacKay. “The issue with that is literally half the board are paid executives. Another thing is when people don’t show up, we can very easily lose quorum.”

SUS election policies stipulate that the nomination period for SUS elections takes place over two weeks, with the start date determined by the board of directors. A two day review period follows immediately after.

The campaign period then runs for two weeks with voting taking place over three or four business days after the campaign period.

On this timeline, by-elections would be completed by mid December.

“Leading up to now” In June, MacKay intended to move forward with the by-election plans, but the board meeting cancelled due to a lack of quorum. At the July board meeting, only four board members attended. MacKay said she didn’t want to call for a by-election when only one non-executive member was in attendance.

In August, MacKay said the board couldn’t wait any longer, so despite another four member board meeting turnout, they called for by-elections.

The vote was put in the in-camera session, and as a result wasn’t made public until September. A job posting was made for a chief electoral officer (CEO) shortly after, and this week a CEO was officially hired.

“I tried to start this in May, and we were only just able to get the CEO position filled now. It might have happened one or two months earlier if we had been able to vote in June, but there was no board meeting in June.

That's precisely why we need people on the board, because we’re losing quorum whenever we miss people.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Stories worth paying attention to

#PopularPills

#LiberalPromises

#RaceToTheStand

Popular prescription opiate retains old branding

Promises kept, promises broken: Trudeau at two years

Data shows race matters when awaiting trial

Percocet pills, a prescription narcotic, are being labeled with the markings of a drug company that hasn’t existed for almost 20 years: TEC. TEC pills are one of the most desired prescription drugs among street users, and can sell for $5 to $20 per pill.

“Harm reduction advocates are concerned the outdated TEC branding is being used by the drug’s current manufacturer only because of the prescription pill’s popularity on the streets,” according to the Toronto Star.

The current manufacturer, Teva Canada, claims this is untrue, and it does not market its pharmaceuticals to illicit users. Although Health Canada has said a company can change its markings at any time, a Teva spokesperson said the company generally does not change markings, “in order to avoid unnecessary changes to products with an established stability profile.”

The Liberal government, headed by Justin Trudeau, has reached the midpoint of its term.

The government came into office in November 2015 with big promises for change. Some promises they have kept, and some have fallen short.

The Liberals have established a non-partisan process for appointing new senators, with a process that could allow Canadians to apply.

They successfully re-established the long-term census, a tool used by researchers and the government with information on Canada’s population. The Liberals also passed Bill C-4, restoring previous regulations to Canada’s labour groups.

Despite having promised 1,813 times during Trudeau’s 2015 campaign, the Liberals failed to follow through on their promise for electoral reform. Their 2016 budget committed only $175 million to skilled trades training, short of their promised $775 million. Also, the Liberals’ promise for free post-secondary education for military veterans has been revealed to have tight restrictions on eligibility, frustrating many veterans looking to further their education.

In more than half the categories in recently released bail data, black inmates in Ontario will spend a longer time waiting in jail for trial than white inmates. Categories include crimes ranging from homicide, to fraud, to impaired driving and traffic offences.

“Government officials admit it’s yet another systemic barrier faced by minorities as they maneuver through the justice system, and they are working to find solutions,” the Toronto Star reported.

The trouble may lie in the difficulty faced by many to find a surety, a friend, or family member who agrees to supervise the accused individual, and pay a sum of money if bail conditions are violated.

“African-Canadians are dramatically overrepresented in unemployment, underemployment, and poverty rates,” said Anthony Morgan, who specializes in human rights law at Falconers LLP.

- the Toronto Star

- the Toronto Star

- the Tyee

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Student housing //

Putting a roof over your head

The costs and benefits of different living arrangements ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

The biggest and most urgent question we university students want answered is how am I going to put a roof over my head? That’s why we’re all here, really, so that with the shiny piece of paper we (hopefully) get at the end, we can finally answer the question of where our rent or mortgage money is going to come from. In the meantime, we still need a place to stay, and it isn’t always clear what the best options are.

Owning your own home is obviously the gold standard, and it isn’t hard to see why. There are many advantages to owning your own home, such as privacy, and the freedom to decorate and improve your property however you like. Perhaps the biggest advantage is financial — you only have a finite number of payments to make, and you can “cash out” and sell the home (hopefully at a profit) at a later date.

Unfortunately, homeownership comes with a hefty buy-in cost, and that price is only going to go up in the Fraser Valley, now that the real estate speculators have

gobbled up all of the low hanging fruit in Vancouver. If you want to buy a house in the Fraser Valley, it’s pretty much now or never. Sadly, most of us aren’t in a position to make that kind of investment, and won’t be for a long time, so we may need to consider other options.

Renting is the next step down from ownership. It has the advantage of privacy and some freedom, as well as smaller upfront costs. However, rent is expensive these days, and so this option may still be out of reach for many of us, especially those who want to live close to the city. No matter what, you will need a stable and adequate income, which is hard to get at the same time as a degree. Even so, you don’t have to pay as much at once, but you may end up paying more in the long run.

Unfortunately, utilities, maintenance, and upgrades are largely out of your hands. If your landlord cannot or will not provide these, you are not allowed to do them yourself.

Alternatively, you could take advantage of the dorm rooms available at UFV. It does mean more in student fees, but it is still less than what you would pay in rent.

This option does have its downsides, such as crowding and noise. On the other hand, it saves on commuting to school, and it is a good opportunity to finally get away from your family, get a taste of independence, and have new experiences with your peers.

Another popular option, which I myself am taking advantage of, is to continue living with one’s family. This is probably the cheapest option if it’s available to you, since your parents or guardians will be subsidizing your living costs. However, this is also the most confining lifestyle, since you have to share a living space with other people who have more authority over it than you do. While continuing to live with one’s parents into adulthood isn’t as stigmatized as it was in the past, there is still an expectation that you will move out at some point, and not being able to be free and self-sufficient can weigh heavily on one’s self-esteem after a while.

Some people decide to think outside the box. I recall a piece in The Cascade a while back about a student who decided to live out of a van. This is admittedly a cheap option, but one still has to pay for

fuel and vehicle maintenance. It is also an existence lacking in creature comforts. I imagine not having access to a bathroom would get unpleasant really quick.

There are also certain variables to consider. Location can have a major impact on how attractive any given option might be. Owning a house in a seedy neighbourhood, or in the middle of nowhere, may not be worthwhile. Likewise, the people you have to live with can have an impact.

Perhaps you get along famously, or maybe you are counting down the days until you can be rid of them.

Wondering about where you are going to live in the near future might keep you awake at night, but just remember that there are options for whatever your resources and preferences might be. That being said, you will likely have to make some sacrifices. It all depends on what you need and want from a home, and what you value in your lifestyle.

Apocalypse later? // Address: 20027 Fraser Hwy, Langley, BC V3A 4E4 Phone number: (604) 434-8105

Planning for the future

How I learned to accept our fate and the unjust tax of the walrus reaver clan

Looking for a pre-owned vehicle? Scared that it wont run? You can trust us here at Milani Norman Coquitlam.

We only deal with the best used cars in the lower-mainland!

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PANKU SHARMA STAFF WRITER

Unfortunately, there have been quite a few times in recent human history where we have been on the brink of losing it all — a button push, phone call, or tense moment from annihilation. Much of the past year has felt like a throwback to the times of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but without the expectation that all participants understand the concept of “mutually assured destruction.”

This might be worse than the looming threat that was the Cold War; everything now just seems inevitable. Global warming, mass extinctions, and now, a baboonass president who might mistake the big red button with the Staples “easy” button. America has routinely made people all over the world less safe: arming death squads, terrorists groups, dictators, and causing instability for profit that has culminated in body counts in the millions.

But now, even our First World privilege of being oceans away from the misery won’t be enough. Tweets will be the end of us, or at the very least, this life and existence that we have come to know.

It seems fitting then, that in addition to bleak prospects for traditional employment, access to capital, and prospects of retirement, that there be a shift in collec-

tive focus and expectation.

True responsibility now, for my own future, and that of my children and grandchildren, means spending no more energy on trying to understand what an RRSP is. The safe investment now isn’t land, gold, or mutual bonds — it’s water filtration systems, it’s camping gear.

Your grandchildren aren’t going to be thankful that you ended up saving your money at a Credit Union. They’re going to be thankful that every cent from their family tree went into a Chevy Volt with a hood made entirely of solar panels. How else will they guarantee a life that isn’t under the thumb of the local Guzzolene Warlords in the Mad Max hellscape that will be North America? It’s not going to do much for the environment at that point, but they will be able to put distance between themselves and the irradiated bear-men and hooven-flesh-apes that roam the top crust of the dead husk we called Earth.

I know what you’re thinking, I’m being optimistic. Closer to the truth is that we go out in a flash, or a slow descent without the drama. A big bang, or Children of Men without Clive Owen. That’s probably the safest place to leave our expectations, and if we get anything better, at least we’ll have something to be grateful for.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Canadian Content //

Humour //

Can Netflix CanCon correctly?

Condensed courses causing craziness

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS IN REVIEW EDITOR

Online streaming platform Netflix announced in September that it would pledge to spend $500 million over a span of five years producing content in Canada. In return, the Canadian government is giving Netflix... something. What that is, we don’t know yet.

Pundits have speculated that perhaps Netflix will start producing content under the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) CanCon regulations, which require that television stations in Canada air a certain percentage of shows which are made in Canada, and are comprised of distinctly Canadian content.

Netflix, however, isn’t a station. Part of the reasoning behind coercing a station into producing or highlighting Canadian content is that, at the time it airs, viewers are stuck with that option. Sure, they can change channels, but they can’t cut out the existence of or exposure to that one particular Canadian aspect of television, only ignore it.

Tabling questions on whether this practice is beneficial in terms of fostering cultural bonds between Canadians a la Marshall McLuhan’s imagined community, it appears that, like many of its programming decisions, Netflix’s partnership with the government of Canada reflects an economic agenda, rather than an ideological one.

Hopefully, some of this money might go to Canadian creators (writers, filmmakers, editors, what have you), but whether that will or won’t happen isn’t clear at the moment, nor is it clear in what capacity Canadian creators would work with Netflix, or how much autonomy they would have.

The fact of the matter is that Netflix isn’t going away. Many Hollywood production companies ignored the service when it started producing original content, but increasingly the platform has begun attracting writer-directors pitching ideas that Hollywood deems economically unsound investments. The Cinderella-story behind Netflix’s most successful original production,Stranger Things, is almost exactly that: producers write a series, pitch it to T.V. networks, are asked to axe the focus on children and horror, and refuse to change the focus of their writing to fit a more marketable aesthetic. Netflix caught wind of the series, and that’s all she wrote.

But will it be as easy as that when courting Canadian writers and filmmakers? In addition to creating a “Canadian Movies” menu section (a move that, according to the CBC, the office of heritage minister Melanie Joly said Netflix is considering), will Netflix scope out fresh Canadian stories, told from a Canadian perspective, whatever that perspective is?

That remains to be seen.

Even more importantly, if, when the hand has been dealt, we find out Netflix has prioritized familiar Hollywood narratives and aesthetics, short-changing would-be Canadian voices, will it matter to you? Will you voice your disapproval by tweet, or will you put your wallet where your mouth is?

I have no definitive answers, but it would be nice to once in awhile recognize VPL’s central branch, or the Orpheum, without being told by subtitles that they’re buildings in Massachusetts or Vienna.

That would be a start.

Hyper-Condensed Courses having mental side effects ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

Getting a post-secondary education is a time-consuming business, but UFV’s own Dr. Raymond Auger claims to have found a way to instill the educational content of a full-length course, in less than one quarter of the time.

“I knew there had to be a better way,” said Auger in an exclusive interview with The Cascade. “Most students will skim and speed read the assigned material, so I decided to implement this as one half of my strategy. Since this is what students instinctively do, it must be the best way for them to learn. The other half is the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ A picture can convey more information more quickly and more accurately than a written description ever can. Combined in a ‘pressure cooker’ environment, this teaching strategy produces more than the sum of its parts, like milk that is compressed into delicious caramel.”

Auger explained his method to us.

Classes consist of four-hour sessions, Monday to Friday over two weeks. These are followed by a homework assignment due at the beginning of the next session, and concluded with a final exam held sometime on the third week. Students are placed in special chairs that keep them immobile, and administer mild electric shocks to keep the student focused and energized. Their eyes are held open with clamps, and are periodically lubricated by a teacher’s assistant. This is to prevent their gaze from wandering,

or falling asleep. The students are then shown special videos that are six hours in length, played at 1.5x speed.

The trial run of the new Hyper-Compressed Courses (HCCs) conducted over the summer showed promising early results. Nearly all students passed their assignments and exams with flying colours. Auger considers this an unambiguous success.

However, students of Auger’s HCCs have started showing troubling symptoms and behaviours since the trail program ended. One former student woke up in a luxury hotel room with no memory of how he got there; one was found in a trance-like state, typing the words “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” ad infinitum; and another allegedly tried to commit suicide by throwing himself out of a third-story window.

Many others have reported feeling dizziness and nausea whenever anything reminds them of the course material.

We spoke to a former HCC student, who identified himself only as Alex.

“It’s a sin!” he said. “It’s a sin! The human mind was never intended to take in this amount of info at once. I can’t take it anymore. Dr. Auger has to be stopped!

It’s a sin!”

This may prove troublesome for the HCC program. While the short-term results are undeniable, the knowledge gained by students through this process is rendered useless if it drives them to madness every time they think about it.

So, given that the negative effects are no worse than with conventional courses, the HCCs are likely to continue.

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.

www.athabascau.ca/course

7

2:48 AM

100%

h c r o t a Shining

g into the world of Tinder

Local student braves Tinder for journalism, leaves only slightly singed

By: Cat Friesen

Design by Caleb Campbell

I’ve never been one for online dating. I have a hard enough time using social media accounts; mine are often relegated to the last app page in my phone, left to collect dust. On top of that, the amount of free time I have during the semester is minimal at best, and I’d rather use that time strengthening existing relationships, or working on hobbies. Having said that, I’m not one to say no to making new connections; I love meeting new people and trying new things, whether that be finding a new coffee shop downtown, or taking an impromptu road trip to the Oregon coast.

However, Tinder fascinates me.

It’s a way to connect with anyone in your area, many of which you’ll have never known to exist before.

You could meet someone who’s so perfect for you that you’ll wonder how you never met them before. Or, you could meet someone you wish you’d never met. It’s kind of like Russian roulette, but less

dangerous. (Probably.) So, for the sake of journalism, I decided to dip my toes into the vast ocean that is Tinder.

But before I leapt in, I asked a few acquaintances what they’d experienced. Andrea, a 24-yearold UFV student, said that though she had numerous matches to choose from, most of her interactions on Tinder were either “horrifying,” with potential dates bombarding her with messages when she didn’t reply for several hours, or lackluster, with the conversation “fading out as quickly as it began.” Leah, a 21-year-old UFV student, called her experience with Tinder “mediocre at best.”

Drew, a 22-year-old UFV student, had a different experience.

Though he swiped through hundreds of potential partners, he only matched with “about 10 per cent of them, maybe 15.” Those whom he did match with were too shy to message first, and often replied with only a few words,

a Tinder profile is an invitation for creeps to wedge themselves into your life, as though this welcomes them to send concerning messages to others. To an extent, anyone making a Tinder profile has to expect that they will meet some people they wouldn’t interact with on a day to day basis (and that’s what it’s about, right? Meeting new people), but it’s not an invitation or a valid excuse to be a creep, and no one is “asking” for harassment.

On that cheery note, I forged ahead and installed Tinder. I’d used it intermittently throughout the years for same-sex partners, often using it for a couple days and then forgetting about it for weeks (or months) while I focused on university. My old profile was still there, but I changed it to fit better with my current situation: “Poly, pan, writer, avid reader, lover of cake. Let me take photos of you and drag you to local shows.” It was simple, but it covered all the bases.

As I said, I’d only ever used Tinder for same-sex partners, but this time (for journalism, and my evercurious mind) I switched my preferences to include male and female. The people I’d had conversations with in the past were always kind and considerate; we shared stories of trips abroad or failed cooking recipes, traded favourite book titles, and bonded over our love of cats. Everything I’d experienced up until this point had been encouraging and exciting.

No one ever questioned why I was polyamorous or pansexual, or made accusations about my life

double major in psychology and creative writing, and that I have no plans of being a stay-at-home wife. The date quickly ended, to our mutual relief, I’m sure.

Luckily, I matched with some wonderful people as well. Amazingly enough, I matched with several women that didn’t live 30 km away, and went on dates with three of them. I met the first one, Leah, for coffee at Oldhand.

We talked for hours about everything: books, writing, baking, embarrassing childhood memories. She’s currently working on a creative writing degree at UFV, and enjoys photography in her spare time. I met Rose, my second date, at Little Saigon, and we bonded over horrible movies; she also enjoys movies with bad acting, and we were thrilled to learn that we both loved ***The Stuff. (If you haven’t seen it and enjoy bad movies, give it a watch.) Jessie, my third date, and I went to Hemingway’s. We sifted through the bookshelves together for nearly two hours, and I came out of it with a new friend who I can trade poetry and short stories with. Overall, I’d say these dates were highly successful, and I’d love to see each of them again, whether on a date or otherwise. They were all really cool people, and I’d love to get to know them better.

One problem I had with switching my Tinder to include both men and women is that the matches with men far outstretched the matches with women. For every hundred men I swiped through, there were about five women. Granted, I know from past experience that there are not a plethora of women seeking women on Tinder based in Abbotsford, but this is ridiculous. Of

mindlessly scrolling through something we have little to no interest in? All we’re doing is wasting time, procrastinating from our next assignment or task. It’s a passive way to placate ourselves, and to check out when we no longer want to be in the present moment.

Our habit of mindlessly scrolling can be linked to how many people treat relationships now — as a passive way to drift through life, or as a distraction or time filler. By taking the timeless practice of dating, and turning it into another social media app that promotes unconscious scrolling, we’re turning relationships into a peripheral activity, something we do when we have 10 minutes free before class. We are diminishing the importance of relationships, and the amount of time and energy we put into them. We don’t often commit or form attachments; these are challenging to do when you’re toggling your attention between the dozens of matches you have.

Another problem that Andrea had, as with practically all of my female friends that I asked, is that many found themselves the target of unwanted sexual attention instantly upon matching with someone. Instead of a simple “Hey, how’s it going,” or commenting on something in their profile, the match decides to open with lewd, unwarranted remarks, some of which are blatant sexual harassment.

What makes a person think that it’s acceptable to bombard someone with unnecessary, troubling messages online? Is it the anonymity, or would they be like this in real life, too? I’ve heard people say that creating

not appearing to be invested in the conversation at all. Noah, a 25-year-old UFV student, experienced a similar situation as Drew.

Unfortunately, Andrea, Leah, Drew, and Noah weren’t the only ones who expressed these views.

Nearly all of the people I asked had comparable experiences.

Why is it that so many people use Tinder, and just as many report having little to no luck actually connecting outside of the app?

Many people, myself included, cite that we are “too busy” to bring another person (or people) into our lives. So, why are we using Tinder, then?

I think Tinder is turning into no more than another social media app for us to scroll through.

Like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, we like and scroll unconsciously as a way to distract ourselves from our daily tasks. It becomes habit, a way to shirk responsibility, and to let ourselves “relax.” But what’s relaxing about

choices.

Unfortunately, this time was different. I had several people (all male) argue with me about why I was wrong for being polyamorous, that I was a tart (seriously), and one even said that I was pansexual “just to get attention,” or that I was “confused.” Cool. I was also called a few undesirable words, including but not limited to bitch, whore, and “see you next Tuesday.” And you know what the best part of it is? They didn’t even open with a “hello” or a “how are you,” they wasted no time telling me what they thought of my life choices. I have to wonder, did they only swipe right on me so that they could share an opinion of

“I was worried that we’d meet in person and they’d be dangerous.” me that I definitely didn’t ask for? Again, this comes back to the question of anonymity: would they have said those things to me in person, or do they feel safer because they’re hiding behind a screen?

As an article from Learning Theories shows, anonymity plays a huge role in how people act and react online. There’s even a name for what spurred these inappropriate outburst: online disinhibition, which is the phenomenon of absence of restraint when speaking with others online. This occurs because both the person lacking restraint and the person receiving the result of this are relatively anonymous.

Really, they are dehumanized; there is no tangible person in front of them, only a bio and strategically chosen photographs behind a screen.

Because of this unfavourable experience right out of the starting gates, and due to unfortunate events that I know many of my female friends and acquaintances share with me (ie. men not respecting boundaries), I was a little wary of actually meeting men in person. Even if they seemed to be an okay person from our minimal online interaction, I was worried that we’d meet in person and they’d be dangerous.

Maybe it isn’t fair to pigeonhole men into this category, but by how often problems with boundaries arise, I think it’s fair to be cautious.

Having said that, I did go on two dates with men I matched with. One date, Andrew, was relatively enjoyable; we hung out on the UFV campus and ended up talking about LGBT+ rights, and deep sea creatures for an hour, and still, as we parted, I felt no more than a friendly connection with him. The second date did not go nearly as well. I was supposed to meet Scott at Cactus Club at 6 p.m. He showed up half an hour late with no explanation and proceeded to talk at me about his job (business), his ex (a hag), and himself (wonderful, apparently). I also learned, through no desire of my own, that he thinks feminists hate men, and shouldn’t go to university because they belong in the home, cooking and cleaning for “their man.” I, of course, informed him that I have a

course, this was only a problem pleasantries. Of course, there are because, as I realized through this the conversations that are interexperience, I’m really not interest- esting and meaningful, but sloged in connecting with individuals ging through the majority that who identify as male, at least not aren’t is exhausting.

I think that one of the biggest through online means. I’d rather meet men organically through misconceptions about Tinder is school or events in the commu- that it’s “just for hookups.” Hownity, where I can feel out their ever, swiping through potential personality for myself, not hav- matches, I noticed that many, ing to guess at who they are by a if not all, of the bios stated that short bio and some photos (which they were looking for anything can be very telling, mind you, but from friends to long-term, serinothing beats in-person interac- ous relationships. Of course, that tion). At least I was learning from “ I came out the other side my experience.

Another problem I had with (relatively) unscathed” using Tinder is that it’s ***absolutely draining. After even 10 includes hookups, but out of the or 15 minutes of swiping, I felt people I matched with, I don’t rewiped. Incidentally, the same way call any stating in plain terms that I feel when I’ve been mindlessly they were looking for hookups. Of scrolling through Facebook or In- course, they may have opted to stagram. You’re bombarded with leave that out of their profile and dozens of matches within a matter bring it up in conversation instead, of minutes, many of which you will though I never encountered that.

So, what did I learn during my then have a mediocre conversation with that doesn’t always get time with Tinder? You’re going to past the initial back and forth of connect with a lot of new people

with different interests, values, and beliefs than you have, but you’ll also find people who you share everything with, and that you’ll feel you’ve known your entire life. Depending on how you handle social interaction (and social media in general), it might be a completely exhausting experience, or an exciting adventure into the world of relationships.

And no, it’s not just for hookups. If you’re lucky, you’ll form new relationships, friendship or otherwise, with wonderful people you’re glad to have met.

I’d say my experience on Tinder was positive. I met many interesting people, several of which I plan to keep as friends, one who may turn out to be an excellent travel buddy, and one I’m growing quite attached to. For someone who was so resistant to committing to a weeks-long trek into the world of dating apps, I came out the other side (relatively) unscathed, but now, I’m more than ready to see the flame icon flicker out.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Digital fidgeting I don’t have (or at least don’t make) as much time for video games as I’d like to since starting university. The days where I could sink my teeth into a good RPG for hours a day seem to be behind me, but there’s one game’s play-time counter on Steam that keeps steadily growing. I’m terrible at multitasking, and even worse at not fidgeting, so sometimes I just need something to distract my eyes and hands while listening to a podcast, or watching an hour long lecture for class. And for that, I turn to PopCap’s 2007 pachinko-like hit Peggle (or more often the 2008 sequel, Peggle Nights). I’m not normally into this kind of game, but Peggle just clicks with me. I’ve got some 340 hours logged between the two games.

I’ve beaten them both, mastered every challenge, and “aced” every stage. There’s literally no goal the game sets forward that I haven’t done. It’s not skill, either — just persistence. So, I make up my own challenges, like playing through every level in sequence with each of the different characters. Now I’m out of ideas, but I just keep playing. It’s not satisfying anymore. I’m not strategic about it. But, it’s a great distraction for my eyes and fingers while I’m focusing on something else.

Brief bits of bite sized brevity

Bibliophile’s retail therapy

Jeff Mijo

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

I’m really glad that cannibalism isn’t more popular than it is.

Today’s young folk like new experiences, and experiencing new cultures. Sometimes it’s like a competition, to have been to the most remote place, eaten the most unique food, etc.

In some parts of the world, people eat other people. It’s rare now, so I guess human is sort of an exotic meat. Considering how twisted Western civilization is, I’m both happy and a bit surprised that little mom-and-pop artisan tribal meats shops haven’t capitalized on the lust for individuality.

What if people were sold in cafés? It would be a very different culture than fast food people: mmmm, deep fried McPeople Fingers. I think café people would be alright, but look what America did to coffee culture and pubs. If you could get a proper herb and garlic rack of man in Provence, we’d get deep fried feet on a stick here.

One thing I’m curious about is this: would it be more ethical to eat free-range people, or farmed people?

si·lent (ad.): Not making or accompanied by any sound.

I’ve noticed some recent confusion on the purpose of the silent section of the library. Whispering is not silent. Quiet music played over speakers is not silent. Phone calls are certainly not silent. So then why have these noisy intrusions invaded my silent sanctuary?

There are countless places to make noise around campus: the entire downstairs of the library, the green, empty classrooms, literally any hallway in any building on the entirety of the UFV campus.

I am not in the silent study area for the quality of the graffiti on the work stations.

I am there because I can’t focus anywhere else. So please, take your phone calls outside and leave your bored friend elsewhere, because you might not be failing organic chem, but I am, and you’re not helping.

Jessica Barclay

10

Aleister Gwynne

Café cannibalism

Silence is golden

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

Last week, the Rotary Club was holding a book sale at a mall near where I live, so I decided to check it out. I really enjoy shopping for books. In fact, taking home a new tome to read would be an essential component of my perfect day. Going to the library is just as good, but the public libraries are too far away from where I live, and UFV’s library is no good if you want a novel to read. So for me, it’s pretty much the local Coles (limited selection), or book sales like these (few and far between).

The funny thing about this is that I don’t even read half the books I buy, and half the books I do read I only get halfway through.

A lot of the time, acquiring the book brings more pleasure than actually reading it. It’s a shame really, I don’t read nearly as much as I used to because I don’t have the time anymore, or at least it feels like I don’t. I really ought to finish all the half-read and unread books overflowing from my cluttered bookshelf, but I just can’t resist the allure of finding something new, and bringing it home with me. If I keep up like this, I’ll end up sleeping on a hoard of books like some kind of literature dragon.

Joel Robertson-Taylor

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

In memorium //

CIVL Radio dedicates broadcasting studio to two late volunteers CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

In 2015, CIVL, UFV’s campus radio station, lost two cherished volunteers in less than three months.

In March of that year, they lost Chuck Anger. The Boogety Shoo Blues Show host was known throughout Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley as an involved member of the community, and as a music lover and patron. He had suffered from ongoing health problems.

Shortly after in May, Dakota Leslie, who was a volunteer at CIVL from 2014 to 2015 and the host of CIVL’s The Generation Z Show, was struck by a vehicle while longboarding with friends. The incident occurred just days before CIVL was set to broadcast from their new studio in the Student Union Building on UFV’s Abbotsford campus.

Neither individual was able to broadcast from the new facility. So, CIVL felt they needed a way to keep their legacies alive within the new space.

On Thursday, Oct. 19, CIVL Radio broadcasted a live dedication in their office to recognize the passing of the two volunteers, and to thank them for their work at CIVL. The station announced last week that their broadcasting studio would be christened the “Anger-Leslie Broadcast

Studio” in memory of the two. Leslie’s family attended the studio to witness the occasion.

Two days before ceremony took place, Canadian music legend Gord Downie of the tragically hip died at the age of 53. Aaron Levy, CIVL Radio station manager, took a moment to acknowledge Downie’s passing, and his impact on Canadian music before commencing with the dedication.

The dedication was in affiliation with the Fraser Valley Music Awards (FVMAs), and by extension, the second annual FVMA Battle of the Bands. The champion of this year’s Battle of the Bands will be named the Dakota Leslie Live Performer of the Year. Levy said CIVL is proud to host the second annual FVMAs. During last year’s event, the station was contacted by Leslie’s sister, who explained that the Leslie family wanted to make a generous contribution to the Fraser Valley Music Awards. In hopes of supporting local music and arts in the Fraser Valley, they made a $750 donation to the CIVL FVMA Battle of the Bands.

The money they donated became the grand prize for the competition. This year, CIVL will match the $750 for the winner of this year’s Dakota Leslie Live Performer of the Year award.

Recognizing and remembering the legacy of Chuck Anger and Dakota Leslie by dedicating the CIVL studio is a symbolic

and meaningful action. As attendees placed the plaque on the studio door, Levy asked listeners to “Think about the impact we can make in our communities, the impact our communities have on us, the support they need from us to keep them going, and those we’ve lost and

want to keep appreciating.”

The dedication was concluded by the studio playing the song “Simple Man” by shinedown in Dakota’s memory. The song was chosen by members of the Leslie family as a way to best represent their relative.

S’eliyemetaxwtexw //

UFV artists tackle sensitive issues through art on campus CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

On October 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., the opening reception for Skin Tactility, an exhibition by UFV visual arts students Sidi Chen and Paige Caldwell, took place at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery on the Abbotsford campus.

According to the exhibition statement, this show is about what we, as human beings, are able to experience using our eyes and skin. “Skin Tactility” is a term used here to discuss the issues hidden in society, and by extension, under our skin. These issues include topics of mental health, sexuality, social disconnection, cultural isolation, and self-recognition.

When asked what inspired the two to work together and produce this show, Chen stated: “We were classmates for a while, and we’ve been working in the same figurative theme for a while. I looked at her work, and I found some very common grounds [in] both our work. We were able to cover similar issues, although our approach is very different.”

Chen also said, “I invited [Caldwell] to do a show with me with the proposed title of ‘Skin Touchness,’ which we eventually changed to ‘Skin Tactility.’”

Chen and Caldwell have two very different artistic identities. Chen identifies as male, gay, and grew up surrounded by traditional Chinese culture, while Caldwell is female, straight, and raised in Canada. Chen describes his work as “colour expressionism,” and Caldwell’s work features “cold, sharp, and sensitive lines.”

Both artists’ paintings mainly display figures. Caldwell mostly works with a female figure, while Chen’s figures do not have an assigned gender, unless specifically stated in the work’s title. Aside from the use of figures, the two artists’ paintings work well together because of their contrast.

Caldwell’s work uses very rough textures and materials, and lacks the vibrant use of colour as seen in Chen’s work. The stark differences even amongst the similarities indicate that both these artists begin their thought process from very different perspectives, yet end up with complementary results.

We asked each artist to stand by the works considered their favourite in the show, and to tell us a little bit about why they chose the one they did. Caldwell stood by Balancing Act, a piece composed of acrylic paint and charcoal on plywood.

“I think it’s my favourite one so far that I’ve done because it’s my most re-

cent one. My earlier ones were drawing-based, and [since then] I started getting into a little bit of painting. I feel like this one is a better combination of the two,” Caldwell explained.

“It’s a little bit more cohesive with the two figures. The composition I really enjoy as well. [I like] the shine that the gloss medium gives it, and I like the aesthetic of this one especially.”

Chen chose to stand by Self-portrait in Lost Manner, an oil painting on canvas.

“I know I’ll always work with colours, but sometimes I get to a stage where I start to use so much colour that I start to hate it. You can see this as a self-portrait — and it’s very colourful and very vibrant, very vivid.

I see that my facial expression in the picture was very sad, not satisfied, and depressed. It’s kind of a turning point of how I started to look back into my own practice to see how I actually use colour, and what it actually means for me to use so much colour.”

Issues such as depression and social disconnection are not very easy to talk about. Through their work, Chen and Caldwell have found a voice and tone that tackles the subject well.

The exhibition will be on display in the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery at UFV’s Abbotsford campus from October 16 to November 3, 2017.

11

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Art of the Month

Artist statement: This piece was inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World. In this novel, a scene is depicted in which a velociraptor, the dinosaur in the drawing, is illuminated by a flash of lightning. The book was written so well that it implanted an idea in my mind, which I mulled upon for months. I debated whether I could truly capture the shock and horror of the original description, but in the end, I chose to take a leap of faith. The piece took me a total of four and a half hours to complete. The title of this drawing was inspired more by the movie rendition than by any similar lines in the book. A character in the film yells those specific words to warn the other individuals on the expedition not to risk the path through the tall grass, for he knows what dangers lurk within. Both book and movie truly inspired this drawing.

Don’t Go Into The Tall Grass

By Danyka Van Santen Pen Art of the Month 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 month. 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.

Bio: I have been drawing, painting, and working with any medium I could get my hands on since I was about three years old. That’s not to say that I practice often. In fact, it is the opposite of what I do. I tend to go weeks without creating anything substantial, and by pure luck I turn out something that I am pleased with. So far, luck has stayed on my side.

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.

Cascade Events Calendar

Note: Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook.

If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.

Oct 25

Nov 1

Nov 7

Future of Food: Global Food Systems and Food Security: @ Student Union Building (Abbotsford Campus), 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Curator Talk - Legacies on the Lake Exhibit @ Trethewey House (Abbotsford), 6:00 7:00 p.m.

Advising Centre Open House @ Room S3117, SUB 3rd Floor (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Métis Day Awareness @ Room F124 (Abbotsford Campus), 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Publishing Panel featuring Carleigh Baker @ Student Union Building (Abbotsford Campus), 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Long Night Against Procrastination @ Academic Success Centre (Abbotsford Campus), 4:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Oct 26 Pumpkin Carving Contest @ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford), 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Oct 27

Nov 2 Palestine Film Series “The Iron Wall” @ Room B121 (Abbotsford Campus), 3:30 pm Nov 3 The Vintage Barn Market at Christmas @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 4:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Fourth Annual Native Art Gala @ Ruby Creek Art Gallery (Agassiz), 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Nov 4

Gender and Society Network Event @ Room C1429 (Abbotsford Campus), 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

A Formal Affair: Masquerade Ball @ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford), 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Practical Photography: Understanding Exposure @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 1:00 4:00 p.m.

Nov 10 Remembrance

Day (Observed) – UFV CLOSED Play: Peter and the Starcatcher (Opening Night) @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 7:30 p.m.

Intro to Chalk Lettering Workshop @ Community Room Highstreet (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Oct 28

Nov 5

Nov 14

Free Try It Out Class @ The Goddess Movement (Abbotsford), 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Halloween Costume Party @ Finnegans Pub & Grill (Abbotsford), 9:30 p.m.

Hedley, Shawn Hook, and Neon Dreams @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Graphic + Digital Design Portfolio Workshop & Info Session @ Heritage Park Centre (Mission Campus), 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Oct 31 Downtown Abbotsford’s Trick Or Treat @ Montrose ave. & Essendene ave., 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

12

Play: A Flea in Her Ear by George Feydeau @ Chilliwack Players Guild, Time TBA Nov 18

The Vintage Barn Market at Christmas @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Grand Opening of Temple Entertainment @ 2603 W Railway St (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m.

- 5:00 p.m.

Visions of Truth and Fantasy Book Launch @ Clearbrook Library (Abbotsford), 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Four Year Anniversary Party @ Townhall Public House (Abbotsford), 10:00 p.m. - 12 Midnight

Nov 16

Nov 8

ArtHAUS @ The Reach (Abbotsford), 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Mollys Reech Halloween Party @ Gators Pub (Abbotsford), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Fraser Valley Hallowe’en BandJam 2017 @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 6:00 - 11:59 p.m.

Nov 6

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

UFV Town & Gown Fundraising Dinner @ SUB (Abbotsford Campus), 6:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Nov 12

Nov 15 Palestine Film Series “Stone Cold Justice” @ Room B121 (Abbotsford Campus), 3:30 p.m.

Self-Publishing Workshop @ The Reach (Abbotsford),

Nov 21 Presentation by B.C. Support Unit Fraser Centre @ Room A225 (Abbotsford Campus), 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Nov 22 Upcycle Your Dusty Gems @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Folio Thinking @ Room G113 (Abbotsford Campus), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

STUDY BREAK Crossword //

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Made by Cassie de Jong

ACROSS

DOWN

Across:

Down:

1: Delicious Mexican food eaten in soft or hard shells.

1: A claw belonging to a bird of prey.

3: To mend something with a needle and thread is to _ _ _.

5: What you feel after eating too many beans.

7: The opposite of yes.

10: Tool used to chop wood.

13: A short, common, friendly greeting.

15: A genre of music originating from Jamaica in the 1950s.

17: Human organ used to hear.

18: Black precious stone.

2: A male deer.

4: The lightest colour that is also the absence of colour.

6: Whiskey from Scotland.

8: Hockey team from Edmonton.

9: A spherical green seed that is also a vegetable.

11: Human organ used to see.

12: A remote-controlled, pilotless aircraft that is illegal to fly near airports.

14: The section at the back of a book with an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc.

16: A condition of chronic pimple breakouts.

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 1: January 5: daisy 7: Emmy 9: shoe 10: Ron 12: TNT 13: rein 14: puma 15: Aztec 17: pastime

Down: 2: acid 3: ruby 4: mercury 6: lens cap 8: Yukon 9: sheep 10: rat 11: nut 15: Asia 16: clam

Illustration by: Amara Gelaude

Horoscope //

Astrological mysteries rudely interpreted by Lady May

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 A single phrase you speak will make someone close to you happy. It is not the phrase “Dude, man…,” which you use way too frequently.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Good things are being said about you. Don’t listen to anything a Taurus says though, as they often mutter about things that never actually happened.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 A pleasant and temporary change is in store for you. This is the only time of year when impersonating Dr. Who in public, while high on sugar, won’t get you arrested.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Fame, riches, and romance are in your future. Hollywood is in the cards, but so is unemployment. I can’t tell you which comes first.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 You could walk on water if you believed in yourself enough, though I recommend practicing in a bathtub before stepping off a cruise liner just to impress your friends.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 You will discover a sum of money online this week. Those cash offer ads from Bill Gates are totally real. Click one. I dare you.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 A dependable friendship will prove the foundation of success in your career. They will be necessary to help hide the bodies

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 Something you’ve lost will soon turn up.

Don’t get your hopes up though, it’s likely the left sock of your favourite pair that you’ve been missing for months.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 A friend’s presence is comforting to the mind.

However, this friend knows what everyone is thinking at any given time, including you.

Beware.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Look for new outlets for your creative abilities. Steer clear of spray-paint for the next little while, though. Recently, many Scorpios have begun vandalizing their own homes in the name of Banksy homage.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Your happiness comes from the large number of friends you have. This is also the case with fries, though the more friends you have, the less fries you end up with.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 You have a deep appreciation of the arts and music. You also have a huge collection of CDs you’ve never listened to. It’s long past time to sort those out.

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ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Podcast Review //

CHARTS 1

Faith Healer Try ;-)

2

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith The Kid

3

The Souljazz Orchestra Under Burning Skies

4

Alvvays Antisocialites

5

Decatur Badder Than Brooklyn

6

Blessed Daytrotter Session

7

Nashlyn Work It Out

8

Ghost Twin Plastic Heart

9

Beth Beth

10

Mauno Tuning

11

Hooded Fang Dynasty House

12

Jom Comyn I Need Love

13

Ariel Pink Dedicated to Bobby Jameson

14

Mac DeMarco This Old Dog

15

Soft Glass Orange Earth

16

Pon the Rebel Shelf Life

17

XCephasx The Space Between the Walls

18

The Ape-ettes The Ape-ettes

19

Timber Timbre Sincerely, Future Pollution

20

The Belle Game Fear/Nothing

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SHUFFLE

AARON LEVY

SOCCER ENTHUSIAST

After last week’s fearful proclamation on the proclivity of the New York Yankees to sometimes ascend to divine seasons of championship quality playoff performance, CIVL station manager Aaron Levy breathes a huge sigh of relief this week, as we not only see the pinstripes extracted from the 2017 playoff picture, but also bear witness to a truly magnificent series of starting pitchers taking the hill — from the Astros’ Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel (pronounced like “tidal,” with k’s instead of a “t” and “d”), to he who is turning into the greatest left-handed pitcher not named Randy Johnson since Sandy Koufax, right down to the ageless Rich Hill, and the man with the most strikeouts in the least Major League service time, Japanese ex-pat Yu Darvish.

These are games to tune into for strike one.

Jimmy Barnes & Tina Turner — Simply the Best I mean, first off, who doesn’t just worship the air that Tina Turner’s multi-platinum pipes resonate their tone through? Like Clayton Kershaw, and Koufax before him, Turner simply is the best in her field. From “Proud Mary” to “Private Dancer,” no one tells their story like she always has.

The Killers — The Man Under no other circumstances would this song ever enter my chronicles of shuffledom if not to pay loving homage to the incredible starting pitching in this year’s World Series, where every single hurler taking the bump each day can legitimately sing this song to themselves unironically during warm-ups.

The Philosopher Kings — I Am The Man I’ve almost certainly shuffled this little-remembered but classic canpop anthem before. It’s also absolutely certainly a much better way to get across the generally selfpromotional, self-aggrandizing obnoxium (my word, patent pending) residing within the bravado and pomp of both of these hopefully tongue-in-cheek songwriting attempts.

David Bowie — The Man Who Sold The World Astros “Ace”(?) Justin Verlander may be either heralded or berated as one for whom this song’s title might be applicable; sure, he was traded at the very last second, not a free agent signing, but after over a decade in Detroit, he’s nearly untouchable now in search of a Series.

Prying at Canada’s dark history The Secret Life of Canada shines a light on our country’s underreported history.

JEFF MIJO CULTURE AND EVENTS EDITOR

There are some things we can probably all agree are distinctly Canadian: Tim Hortons, even if we don’t drink it; hockey, even if we don’t watch it; and highlighting the fact that we’re not American, even if we sound like it. One of the ways that we as Canadians love to prove how not American we are, is our history. Oh, you guys had a war that killed upwards of a hundred thousand people to become a country? Yeah, we just waited a bit longer, and signed some documents. Also, we burned down the White House. But, even as we brag about our “duller” history, or take pride in Canada’s post-World War II identity as a peacekeeper, we all know that Canadian history has a far darker side. The thing is, for those of us with no personal connection to it, our knowledge often stops at that simple, surface-level acknowledgement.

Enter The Secret Life of Canada, a new podcast that “looks at all the people, places, and events regularly left out of Canadian history,” and certainly doesn’t shy away from that darker side as it does so. Launched at the end of August, the series only has two full (half hour) episodes so far, as well as two short “Shout Outs” discussing notable Canadian women, but don’t let the low episode count deter you. Each one is packed with thoroughly-researched, well presented history.

Hosts Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson tackle tough subjects, and they discuss them head-on. But, while they touch on some truly heart-wrenching topics, they do so with genuine history-nerd interest, and great chemistry. They also share their sense of humour, which skillfully walks the miniscule line of preventing the podcast from becoming unbearably grim, while always remaining respectful of the subject at hand.

The two main episodes currently available deal with two popular Canadian vacation spots: Banff, Alberta, and Ipperwash, Ontario. Without delving into the details too much, Bowen and Johnson discuss the history of these places in comprehensive detail, making the most of the roughly 30-minute-long episodes with conversations that touch on multiple points throughout history, and include interviews with both locals and experts.

The Secret Life of Canada should be essential listening for any Canadian, especially those who have been to and enjoyed these places, or plan to in the future. Bowen and Johnson emphasize that they’re not trying to ruin your fun, either — their goal is simply to shine a light on a relatively unknown history, and it’s almost guaranteed that if you listen to either of these episodes, you’ll gain a new awareness of parts of Canadian history — which extend well beyond Banff and Ipperwash — that you never knew.

It’s not only the information contained within the podcast that is invaluable if Canada hopes to

right its historical wrongs, either. It’s the emotional connection that the hosts of The Secret Life of Canada are able to inject into our country’s past, and the enthusiasm they bring to the table.

At the end of the second episode, they encourage listeners to research the history of their own family or town, and if more Canadians did just that, they would have a far better understanding of why we as a nation have so many of the lingering issues that we do.

Take, for example, Mission. I’ve lived in Mission my entire life, and even as a bit of a history (or, at least trivia) nerd myself, I’ve looked into its past before. There’s a lot of fun tidbits to be found, like how the city’s founders envisioned it as a future metropolis, and named it “Mission City.” So for a time, it was “the Village of Mission City,” and then “the Town of Mission City.” History is fun! But, what I didn’t know growing up, was that every time I spent a summer day in Heritage Park thinking about how cool it was to see actual ruins in person, what I was really looking at was the foundations of a residential school. It was one of many across Canada where Indigenous children were sent after being forcibly taken from their families, to be stripped of their culture and assimilated to white, Christian ways of life, often suffering terrible abuse all the while. This school, St. Mary’s, was in operation until 1985, less than a decade before I was born.

This isn’t the distant past, but I never even considered it. I knew the foundations were from a school, but when I was showing my fiancé around town for the first time, and she asked if it was a residential school, I said “No, I don’t think so.”

Because surely I’d have known if there had been something like that here in Mission, right? I sincerely doubt I’m alone, either. Do the people gathering in Heritage Park for the Mission Folk Festival every year know about the atrocities committed in that same field? Do they realize that the face of Mission’s population was drastically altered when its then-sizable community of Japanese-Canadians was sent to internment camps during World War II, and had their land seized by the government? These parts of history are real, and happened to people in our communities relatively recently.

So, I encourage everyone to listen to The Secret Life of Canada, and to let Bowen and Johnson share a little bit of our country’s history with them, then to think critically about the country they live in. You’re still allowed to be a proud Canadian, and to love your hometown or your favourite vacation spot. Just please also make an effort to understand what made that town or spot into the place it is today.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Movie Review //

Wind River is more than it appears PANKU SHARMA STAFF WRITER

Wind River is an engrossing (yet not perfect) thriller, and the third in the trilogy of modern Western films written

by Taylor Sheridan after Sicario and Hell or High Water.

It’s also the first he’s directed, which is evident stylistically in the lean approach he takes to what is shown on screen. You won’t find many dynamic shots or creative blocking — but in a way, the simplicity fits the Westernnoir tone of the film, and also gives room for the script and themes to breathe.

The film follows a murder investigation on the Wind River Indian Reservation by Fish and Game tracker Corey Lambert (Jeremy Renner) — a man haunted by the loss of his own daughter — and rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen). There has been a lot of controversy regarding the casting of this film, and that a story so rooted in the Native American experience and history has two white leads. Tribal Police Chief Ben (Graham Greene) and grieving father Martin Hanson (Gil Birmingham) are the only Native actors and characters to get any real amount of screen time. Even the murdered woman the plot revolves around, Natalie Hanson, is played by non-Native actress Kelsey Chow.

There was hesitation in these decisions. I think that Taylor Sheridan was keenly aware of Hollywood’s and the Western genre’s propensity for “white saviour” stories.

Early drafts played with the idea, but when it came to the screen, there was at least a self-awareness of the choice made. As one character remarks to Corey after he slips and uses “we” when relating to the struggles of the reserve — “The only thing Indian about you is your ex-wife, and a daughter you couldn’t protect.”

I don’t think the idea that it could be worse is any comfort — but 10 years ago, Jeremy Renner would have been playing a Native character. There is something to the idea too, that things might have gone off the rails and been even more problematic had Taylor Sheridan written this story trying to presume the perspective of a Native main character. While Hollywood definitely needs to open up to more authentic Indigenous stories, for what it is, Wind River treats its subject matter in a way that doesn’t seem exploitative.

There is something haunting about the landscape, the “snow and silence [which are] the only things that haven’t been taken” from the people of Wind River. Yet it’s not entirely grim or foreign; even with storms and heartache raging, the Hanson home on the reserve is like any other middle class home — pictures on the wall of the family,

Netflix Review //

a relative haven of comfort and normalcy. Corey is an outsider to both the land he stalks, and the comfort and community he can’t quite grasp.

Elizabeth Olsen is one of the few frustrating parts of this film; I don’t know whether it speaks about her ability and range, or if Sheridan failed in bringing out the best in his actors. Her character is written as being out of her depth, an outsider to this world who stumbles around, but has good intentions. Yet there was something about her performance that didn’t hit the mark; she strained to hit the emotional notes that the actors beside her managed with ease and subtlety. And on the topic of distracting performances, while I enjoy Jon Bernthal (who has a short but important role), I’m also getting tired of his phoned-in shtick in every movie. Maybe he’s getting typecast, but maybe he only knows how to play the gauntlet of surprisingly charming tough guy in the exact same way, with the exact same reflection and tone in every movie.

I’m not in any place of authority to say whether this film does right by the people and stories it seeks to highlight. What I can say is that aside from a few distractions, it was to me an effective spotlight on the themes of violence against women, exclusion, and our relationship as people with the land.

Album Review //

Gerald’s Game Rural Alberta ain’t that much fun Advantage bewilder with The Wild

PANKU SHARMA STAFF WRITER

Hot on the heels of IT’s theatrical release this summer, the direct-to-Netflix Gerald’s Game marks the second time in just as many months Stephen King’s name has popped up on the credits of a new release. So far, 2017 has seen the release of various King adaptations on the streaming platform. In what appears to be a safe bet on Netflix’s part which started with The Mist, another Netflix Original, Gerald’s Game capitalizes on the buzz created by September’s IT. I’m not even all that mad that King’s works are getting more adaptations — he’s written some good stories which I think would do well on television or as a movie. (This kind of thing tends to happen when you pump out cookiecutter novels like a one-man child factory.) What’s surprising is that they would choose **Gerald’s Game, a novel that many film studios have rightly stayed away from since its original publication in 1992, due to its frankly polarizing depiction of bedroom games gone wrong.

Right out of the gates, Gerald’s Game proceeds like a run-of-the-mill horror flick. A couple whose marriage has hit a stretch of blandness go up to their cabin in an attempt to rekindle old passions with the help of a nice steak dinner and, later in the bedroom, some handcuffs.

The handcuffs are Gerald’s idea.

Gerald’s kind of kinky.

That’s fine. You’ll find no judgement here, Gerald. Whatever floats your boat, man.

Except that we later find out that what floats Gerald’s boat doesn’t at all float Jessie’s (his wife), and she goes from hesitant participant in a lastditch effort to save a marriage through sexual exploration, to would-be victim

of marital rape in a matter of seconds.

Long story short: Jessie fights Gerald off and, in a shot that’s so painfully symbolic it manages never to move past just symbolism, she kicks him a good one. Gerald convulses and dies as a result of the Viagra he took, and any number of pre-existing conditions. (It’s best not to ask too much of this plot, really.)

By any rate, what started out with the possibility of opening up dialogues about non-normative sex play between consenting adults and its role in society turns out to focus most of its runtime on a terrified woman handcuffed to a bed in an isolated cabin trying to stave off a hungry dog who, for the moment, is content to chomp away at Gerald, and — seemingly out of nowhere — the nightmarish appearance of a pale man who might be some sort of ghost? Or a hallucination? At the very least, we think, he must be a poorlyexecuted metaphor.

His existence is never really explained, other than an assertion through voice-over which reassures us he’s a ghost/metaphor. Later, we find that out he’s real, and a serial killer (but also the personification of death), and for some reason we should be… scared? (Or maybe we ought to feel a sense of justice when he’s finally caught?)

For a movie that takes place in essentially one room, good God is Gerald’s Game beset by sloppy storytelling.

If you’re going to pick a Stephen King book to read, pick Carrie, Cujo, The Stand, or The Colorado Kid. If you want to watch a movie it’s The Shining, IT, or Stand by Me. Whatever you do, though, whether it’s on the page or the screen, don’t play Gerald’s Game.

COREY NORLANDER CONTRIBUTOR

The Wild is the latest offering from the Canadian folk-rock three-piece, The Rural Alberta Advantage. The wait for this album began last winter when the band put out a single, “White Lights.” Rather than launching a record shortly after, The RAA hit the road for what the band’s website describes as “a unique set of shows.” The band credits this tour with aiding strongly in the writing process of The Wild, and allowing the band to road test some of the songs before the recording process began. After almost a year since their first single came out, The RAA launched their fourth studio album, The Wild, on October 13.

The Wild demonstrates exactly what The RAA does best, while offering up new sounds the band has not explored in their previous three releases. Tunes like “Beacon Hill” and “White Lights” exude the band’s typical mixture of feverish drumming, intense four chord folk-rock acoustic guitar, dazzling but not overbearing keyboards, and bright vocals provided by lead singer and guitar player Nils Edenloff. This record is the first to feature Robin Hatch on keyboards, bass pedals, and backup vocals since the departure of Amy Cole last year. Despite the change in lineup, the band’s sound is largely intact, with the only noticeable difference being Hatch’s brighter and more prominent voice, compared to Cole’s softer melodies and coos.

Paul Banwatt’s drumming continues to be spot-on, and provides an unmistakable texture that makes tracks like “Beacon Hill” and “Wild Grin” feel like a boiler about to explode. Fans of percussion may find this album worth listening to for Banwatt’s drumming alone. Edenoff has stepped up his guitar game a bit with the addition of some intricate and percussive finger picking

styles on songs like “Bad Luck Again” and “Brother.” Hatch’s synth parts on this record are extremely powerful; from the dark and brooding percussion and bass break towards the end of “Brother,” to the screaming lo-fi tones heard on “Wild Grin,” the synth never gets lost in the mix, and is often given the chance to shine through where needed.

Lyrics follow The RAA’s typical style, and almost never feel too cliché or boring, especially when delivered in Edenloff’s signature meandering cadence and rhythm.

Songs like “Toughen Up” and “Wild Grin” show off a more electronic side to the band, with a strong focus on omnipresent droning keyboards. This attempt to freshen things up is met with mixed success. Where “Wild Grin” is victorious in presenting a more electronically-focused song, the fifth track, and latest single off this record, “Toughen Up” falls flat on its face. This song has a pretty generic alternative (and at some times even pop) structure that left a bad taste in my mouth. Coupled with the fact that the song moves way too slowly and contains one of the cringiest backup lyrics I’ve heard, makes this easily the worst track on the record.

Some listeners may argue that this record lacks consistency, or a strong theme. I would be inclined to agree. However, I think The RAA has done exactly what they set out to accomplish in taking the music to the fans. The Wild has the very concept of ever-changing conditions, trials, and tribulations of a long journey baked into its ethos. Overall, this record is a strong and effective follow-up to 2014’s Mended With Gold, and what it lacks in consistency when compared to its predecessor, it makes up for in attention to detail, and pure drive.

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