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A small percentage of the population decides who wins local elections, and you should exercise that power.
JEFF MIJO-BURCHBritish Columbia’s municipal elec tions take place on October 15. Across the province, eligible voters (Canadian citizens over the age of 18) will have the opportunity to vote for their local mayor, councillors, and school boards.
Municipal politics can appear bor ing. By their nature, local elections don’t have the same widespread coverage and political theatre as fed eral or even provincial politics. The audience is much smaller, and so is the media coverage. In a lot of ways, however, they're the most important elections that we have a chance to vote in.
Those numbers look low, but they are actually even worse than they sound; it’s important to consider a key word: eligible. In Abbotsford, 33,182 eligible voters cast a vote. CivicInfo BC lists the city as having 92,529 eligible voters. Statistics Canada’s popula tion count for Abbotsford two years prior, in 2016, was 141,397, with the population growing to 153,524 in 2021. Even using 2016’s population, that means approximately 42,869 people living in Abbotsford weren’t eligible to vote, either because they were too young to vote or they were not Canadian citizens.
ber of voters chose the course of their communities.
Canada.ca explains that the mu nicipal government oversees local services like parks, librar ies, roadways, local police, fire protection, and public transportation, while the school boards oversee our local school districts. Many of these are services that we interact with every day, but voter turnout in municipal elections is typically low: according to CivicInfo BC, in 2018, 35.86 per cent of eli gible voters in Abbotsford cast a vote. In Chilliwack it was 38.95 per cent; Mis sion was 31.71 per cent, and Langley Township only saw 30.42 per cent of voters par ticipate.
What all that math means is that 33,182 voters decided on how Ab botsford would be led for four years, impacting the lives of over 100,000 other people in the city. In smaller municipalities, an even smaller num
Why is turnout for municipal elections so low? It comes back to the lack of coverage and awareness, I think. It’s hard to find informa tion on potentially dozens of can didates for a wide range of roles. Local media can help. In this issue, Marie-Ange Routier writes about key points from recent public events, and outlets like the Fraser Valley Cur rent, who have compiled a detailed Municipal Election Hub with links to candidate websites, social media, and interviews. Some organizations also endorse candidates, like the B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) who have recommended several candidates in most ridings across B.C. Word of mouth is also power ful in local elections: speaking from personal experience, one like-minded friend shar ing their opinion on social media can have a huge im pact on my vote.
This month, many of you reading will have the chance to vote in your first municipal election. Take half an hour out of your day to research the candi dates so that you can help steer your community in a direction that aligns with your values. Your vote counts more than ever in local elections.
Illustration by Gabriela GonzalezSenate is the academic governing body of UFV, with the uni versity president and vice-chancellor, Joanne MacLean, as the chair. They are responsible for making decisions on everything academic, including: approving new courses and programs, approving changes to programs, and setting entrance require ments and the academic calendar. The Board of Governors, which looks at the business side of the university, is advised by Senate on matters of mutual interest.
All at the university are welcome to attend Senate’s public meetings, held once a month. Senate makes decisions that im pact the daily lives of both students and faculty. This article will recap the main agenda items of the hybrid Senate meeting that took place on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.
The motion for the Department of Arts Studies to have its name changed to the Department of Arts and Integrat ed Studies was unanimously passed by senate. This new name change was first addressed on June, 8, 2022, where it was suggested for a motion for Senate to vote on by the Academic Planning and Priorities Committee.
According to Professor Hannah Celinski, department head of arts studies, courses such as University 101, Arts 299 and Portfolio 399 have contributed to why the Gener al Studies diploma and the Bachelor of Integrated Studies program were added to Arts Studies. Celinski explained that these courses can be combined with both programs.
The seven year strategic enrolment management (SEM)
plan for 2023–2030 was the main item that was voted on and discussed by Senate. According to Dr. James Man digo, provost and vice president academic, the SEM Plan was created in light of the anticipated increase in stu dent population, both international and domestic. It is projected that there will be a 25 per cent increase over the span of ten years and the goal of the SEM plan is to help students on their academic journey.
In the SEM plan, Senate outlined various goals that they hope to accomplish in areas such as “student recruit ment, admissions, retention and graduation,” according to the 70-page SEM plan. One objective that will impact students is the fifth proposed goal under “UFV Student Experience,” which is to bring the numbers down on the waitlist, especially for popular classes.
According to the SEM plan, UFV will create a yearly “waitlist progress report” which will pinpoint popular courses that tend to have long waitlists for classes stu dents are required to take. As many courses have not been offered every semester, UFV will also make it a priority to resolve waitlisted students waiting for a year before being able to register for courses that are needed to graduate.
Dr. Joanna Sheppard also brought up concerns on be half of the Chilliwack campus. Sheppard pointed out that the campus does not currently have an on-campus resi dency for students at this time and highlighted the lim ited affordable food options available. Sheppard asked what UFV plans to do in relation to the other campuses
in the seven year SEM plan.
Chair Dr. Joanne MacLean, the president and vice chancellor of UFV, addressed the housing issue as be ing a complex one, and that the Mission, Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses were considered as candidates for additional student housing, but Abbotsford was ulti mately chosen as the best location to build more student housing. MacLean explained that for now, there is not a need to build student housing due in part to the amount of programs offered there, as well as the student popula tion.
The Applied Ethical and Political Philosophy minor (AEPP) was also suspended for two years on the grounds that there were not enough instructors to teach the essen tial courses and there was not a big enough turnaround for enrollment. Talks about possible changes made to the public policy minor will also be conducted during this suspension time period.
Changes to the Master of Arts (Criminal Justice) pro gram were also made during this month’s meeting. Five of the courses were updated and four new ones were ap proved for the program.The Masters of Arts (Criminal Justice) program now has 30 credits instead of 32, and in cludes more supervision compensation. All these chang es took place during the suspension to the program that began in 2020.
Donated gently used and new items help support students at UFV
RACHEL TAITThere is a donation program known as the Trades Tree of Compassion running on the UFV Chilli wack campus at the Trades and Technology Cen ter. The Trades Tree of Compassion was created by Leah Whitehouse, a support clerk in the culinary department, to support trades students by provid ing students in need with donated tools, books, workwear, etc.
“[The Trades Tree of Compassion and the dona tion box is] at the bottom of the big stairs, right in the big lobby area of the cafeteria,” said White house.
Working for the University of the Fraser Valley for 22 years, Whitehouse’s first job was at the UFV bookstore at the (now closed) Chilliwack north campus. She has also worked as a janitor and a sup port clerk. Whitehouse describes her role as a sup port clerk being the equivalent to a “trades mum” who makes sure students have enough to eat and are healthy.
She has helped students in need by providing meals for students who cannot afford it. Her goal to continue to support students has grown to in clude running a donation box for students on the CEP campus.
In Whitehouse’s journey working at UFV in vari ous jobs, she identified that trades students specifi cally need additional support when it comes to get
ting access to tools and other supplies. Whitehouse has been running this initiative since 2017, with the goal of helping as many students in need as pos sible.
Whitehouse mentioned that some of the students in the trades program work long hours during the week, need to support their families, and may not be able to afford expensive tools, workwear, boots, etc.
The wooden drop-off box for donations is sim ple in design, with its name written clearly on the front. Behind the box is a welded tree that hangs on the wall.
The tree hanging on the wall behind the dona tion box was created by Professor Matt Olafson, with the help of some of his students, for this do nation program specifically. Whitehouse said she wanted the tree to not draw unnecessary attention to itself, but still attract students who need the do nated goods.
“I talked to the welding department and they were right on board, of course, with making a beau tiful sort of symbolism right on the wall there,” said Whitehouse.
Whitehouse refers to the tree as an olive branch, and explained how she wanted to create a support for students that would be less embarrassing, by giving them the opportunity to go through the box and simply take what they need without having to ask for assistance or support.
As of Oct. 1, 2022, the CO VID-19 travel restrictions have been lowered. Travelers that are going in and out of the country will not have to provide proof of vaccination, undergo pre- or on-arrival testing, commit to quaran tine times, report if they have any signs of COVID-19, un dergo health checks, or wear masks in planes and trains. The announcement came on Sept. 26 and was followed by backlash and accusations of cowardice toward the govern ment due to the removal of the policy, but also a request to still voluntarily follow the guidelines. Air Canada has announced that they sup port the decision, which has further stirred the outburst response.
- Emmaline Spencer
The Student Life depart ment and Student Union So ciety collaborative initiative, the UFV-SUS Foodbank, has branched out and is now host ing a breakfast program. Every week from Tuesday to Thurs day there will be a set up of free breakfast at UFV Abbots ford’s Student Life Lounge in room S1111. The program will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The only request is that students bring their own con tainer and utensils as there is a very limited number avail able on site. Cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, snacks, and more can be found at the breakfast pro gram. For more information foodbank@ufv.ca.
Some of the items that typically are donated in the Trades Tree of Compassion donation box include tools, tool boxes, books, work attire, safety vests, work gloves, boots, hammers, wrenches, and drills.
“I always have to have a look over it, make sure it's all certified safe to be used in trades,” Whitehouse ex plained.
Whitehouse also mentioned how students have also donated items to the Trades Tree of Compassion in the past as a way to pay it forward and help their fellow students.
“I always tell them, hey, when you're cleaning out your garage or anything like that in the future, remem ber the donation tree. If it helped you, maybe you can help somebody else,” said Whitehouse.
When asked what she hopes for the Trades Tree of Compassion in the future, Whitehouse explained that she hopes that the legacy of this donation program will continue to grow even after she leaves the institution and that people will help each other more.
“I have lots of kids that come back and they say how much it helped them and they appreciate it,” White house mentioned.
Whitehouse made it clear that anyone is welcome to donate new or gently used supplies and students are encouraged to come and see what is available in the donation box for them to take and use.
“I love it when I see that the kids are taking from it, ‘cause that tells me that they need it. It's being used and I'm fulfilling that, which is awesome. It just fills my heart,” said Whitehouse.
Whitehouse is currently the only one running the donation program and she hopes that more students will hear about this support resource in the future. She said that if anyone has questions or wants to contact her to learn more about the Trades Tree for Compas sion, they can do so by emailing her at leah.white house@ufv.ca, calling her locally on extension 5452, or at 604-846-5452.
Three member Abbotsford mayoral debate, and the candidates running for office
At the end of September, a series of debates between the Abbotsford mayoral candidates was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 28, 2022 and by the Student Union Society at UFV on Sept. 29, 2022. The three candidates present were: Ross Siemens, Manjit Sohi, and Troy Gaspar.
Candidates Siemens and Sohi answered questions and presented their ideas and plans regarding issues such as the transit system and bike safety, crime, addiction, homelessness, affordable housing and rent, business, industrial and agricultural development, natural disaster prevention, climate change, and more. The majority of Siemens points referred to the current and ongoing work of the council while avoiding any promises for the fu ture, and the majority of Sohi’s points, refer back to his publicly available “10 point action plan,” which is the collective actions he in tends to enact once elected, centered around streamlining development in Abbotsford on all fronts. Both Siemens and Sohi were clear in their views and plans for these issues, whereas Gaspar mainly answered questions with “no comments.”
When asked about why students should vote for them, the answers varied. Siemens believes that his double term as a city council mem ber, as well as his experience as a
multi-generational business owner, gives him the experience needed for the position of mayor. He wants to revitalize the historic downtown with hopes that job opportunities might be created for students and youth. Siemens said that there is a conversation happening currently on the topic of affordable housing, where the possible solution would be smaller suites or co-op living.
Sohi has a wider focus in mind. He is concentrated on affordabil ity by making rent, services, and buying homes more affordable in Abbotsford. His plan includes the development of an “entertainment hub” to keep youth and students from needing to commute to Van couver for things to do on a Friday night. Sohi said that if there are things for the young community to do, affordable rent in the communi ty, and opportunity for their future, the young will remain in Abbots ford thereby helping the develop ment and growth of this town.
Gaspar seemed confused by the question. His answer stated that “the children” should look to him as a positive influence, and then followed up with a disjointed com ment on affordable housing and shelters.
When asked about their views for future youth involvement in Ab botsford, only two commented; alot of which resonated with their earlier points. Sohi referred to his “10 point action plan,” emphasizing acceler
ated development, creation of rec reational facilities and the impor tance of keeping the youth engaged. Siemens on the other hand referred back to current involvement with the young people of Abbotsford by informing everyone present about the relationship with “CityStu dio Abbotsford,”Abbotsford’s cur rent youth council, and how the city council is involved with high schools at the moment. There were no mentions of any future initia tives. Gaspar did not answer the question.
All three candidates want to be mayor for different reasons. Ross Siemens believes he is the best qual ified to continue the current work that city council is doing in Abbots ford. Manjit Sohi has a “10 point master plan” he wishes to use to ac celerate changes and development in Abbotsford, to help those in need currently in Abbotsford as well as create an environment of growth for the future generations. Troy Gaspar has a “bucket list'', and being mayor is on it.
At the all-candidates-meeting held at the Garden Park Tower on Sept. 30, 2022, the candidates for city council were given two min utes to present why the community of Abbotsford should vote for them. Many of the candidates presented personal details on their families
and past work experience, which was extensive. The highlights below rep resent the priorities, values and goals of the candidates and what they wish to accomplish. Only eight of these 21 candidates will be elected for city council.
Four of these candidates represent an electoral organization that have worked together in campaigning as a team with a unified goal. This team is called “Abbotsford First.” They state their goal as guiding “the City in achieving its stated vision as the ‘Eco nomic and Cultural HUB of the Fraser Valley.’”
His main point and focus was to express his desire to give back to the community of Abbotsford.
Although Barkman did not use his two minutes to share his goals as a city council member, he did speak to the importance of voting, and shared his extensive service resume.
As a member of “Abbotsford First” she focused her speech on their goals towards the longevity of the commu nity as well as a positive development of this town in the forms of residential, industrial, and agricultural growth.
As another member of “Abbotsford First,” she spoke to their strategic fis cal plan and ended on a note about the
importance of public safety concerns the team wishes to address in con junction with affordable housing and persuading the provincial govern ment for better mental health services.
She wishes to ensure all voices (re gardless of demographic) be heard by the council, and she plans to work hard and be of service to these voices.
Evans read a passage from a book by David Suzuki and proceeded to talk about the environmental issues he wishes to address..
He expressed his concerns with the rise in security positions through out superstores, malls, and hospitals, and claimed that these are preludes to global economic collapse, which has already begun under the form of weather warfare.
Her main goal is to establish, sup port, and strengthen the develop ments and programs within Abbots ford that clearly communicate a sense of home in this town by being a voice for the people.
Gibson talked mainly on the trust that has been put in him by many in the community to represent them in different forms and levels of civic ser vitude, and he trusts the community of Abbotsford to vote for him so that he might continue representing the people's interests..
He wished to point out that a min imHe wished to point out that a mini mum of two seats at the council level would be changed, as well as the posi tion of mayor, and proposed that his experience on the council since 2005 will give some stability and guidance to the transition to come.
McLauren passionately declared that the world is changing, and with that change, Abbotsford is in need of a leader that has fresh new ideas, di verse perspectives, and multiple solu tions, and he believes he is the right candidate for the job.
She wants to see Abbotsford devel op with the small business commu nity to make the town more business friendly, more affordable and safer for everyone.
Mund announced that he will do everything in his power to make Ab botsford a safer, family-friendly, con nected community.
Tom Norton Norton, a retired RCMP officer, was not able to attend nor did he have any one speak on his behalf..
Pimm focused his talk on the dis cussion of bringing out the SkyTrain to Abbotsford and presented an al ternate solution he wishes to explore, which would be to expand on the West Coast Express system already in
place instead.
Patricia Ross
She believes that creating a sustain able community — where housing and job opportunities are balanced, economy and sustainable quality of life are parallel, and our agricultural heritage compliments environmental values — is important and that she can get the job done.
She wishes to focus on the health care concerns of the community as well as improving accessibility in Ab botsford.
Sidhu is determined to develop and improve Abbotsford’s parks and rec reational facilities.
She vocalized her relevant experi ence qualifying her for the job as well as resonated with the goals and val ues of her previous colleagues on the “Abbotsford First” team.
Dao Tran Tran wishes to give back to the com munity that welcomed him.
His statement was read by a sup porter, who thanked the community of Abbotsford for showing up as well as directing it to look to his colleagues from “Abbotsford First” for a clear picture on their goals and values.
Oct. 2–8 is mental illness aware ness week (MIAW), an annual public education campaign de signed to “help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of men tal illness” and start a “national conversation.” Part of that reality includes the fact that 1 in 5 Ca nadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. I also just so happen to be one of those Cana dians, and I have some thoughts as my timeline fills slowly with #MIAW content.
First, I’d like to make a distinc tion. As headline after headline has warned about the declining mental health of Canadians throughout the pandemic, there’s been a lot of buzz about “mental health support” and the growing demand for it. This makes sense. There is a desperate need for better resources to help folks manage their mental health, and I think it’s great that people are thinking of mental health as being just as important as physical health.
However, I have noticed that the line between “poor mental health” and “mental illness” has been get ting blurrier with each passing year, and I’d like to offer some perspec tive, through the means of clumsy, over-simplified analogy.
Let's say lately, I struggle to catch my breath sometimes when I go for walks. For many reasons — some beyond my control and some well within it — I am not in very good shape. So lets say I then start to make use of resources — online workout classes, fitness logs on my phone, and even an accountabil ity buddy or two who help me get up and get moving when I’ve been stuck inside for too long — to try and work around some of the chal lenges that I am facing and to im prove my fitness. It takes a while, but eventually I'm power-walking up the Abby grind like it’s no big deal.
Now, let’s say I have a friend that goes on walks with me, that is also in good health. She gets enough sleep, works out, drinks enough water, and never has a bag of white cheddar popcorn instead of a real dinner. But still, despite her fit ness, the friend is still really short of breath sometimes. It turns out, my friend has asthma — and while staying fit helps her deal with her symptoms, it is not enough on its own. Using her inhaler, regular check ups, and visits to a specialist every once in a while are necessary to manage her symptoms. This is getting kind of ham-fisted, but you get my point, right? The asthma is
an analogy for mental illness? The friend is actually me? Well, except the thing about the popcorn.
Everyone has health. Everyone has mental health, too. It goes up and down and we go through pe riods where we need to take care of ourselves, or even seek some treatment to help us work through a rough patch. There is a big dif ference between mental health and chronic mental illness. While selfassessments, self-guided therapy apps, and government funded men tal wellness initiatives have a very important role, if you or someone that you love has been diagnosed with a mental illness and needs support, then you understand how these things can start to feel like little more than a crutch for a fail ing healthcare system. For start ers, there’s the issue of access. In the Fraser Health authority, there are Mental Health and Substance Use Centres. In my experience, these centres can provide referrals to assessment clinics, and access to a limited number of counseling sessions for short-term treatment. Anyone who has tried to make use of these services before can tell you that waitlists can stretch for months or even years for what often ends up being inadequate care.
Where the system comes up short, government sponsored initiatives and community based services are trying to make up the difference, but it’s just not enough. Not to men tion the burden that co-ordinating this patchwork of resources puts on folks who are sick and already feeling isolated and overwhelmed. There has got to be something for those whose needs land somewhere between “three 50-minute zoom calls with a wellness coach” and a crisis line.
As someone who has spent the better part of my adulthood strug gling to get the right cocktail of support through inadequate work insurance packages, university services, community-based pro grams and self-help pamphlets… I am tired. Part of me feels guilty complaining, because I know that in many ways, I am lucky to have the options I do, and to live in a time when I can talk about mental illness in public without facing so cial repercussions. Destigmatizing things is great, but… affordable and accessible health care would be a lot cooler. Until then, I’ll just keep practicing my abdominal breathing techniques and hoping for the best.
Destigmatizing things is great, but health care would be a lot cooler.
“If you or someone that you love has been diagnosed with a mental illness and needs support, then you understand how these things can start to feel like little more than a crutch for a failing healthcare system.”
“There has got to be something for those whose needs land somewhere between “three 50 minute zoom calls with a wellness coach” and a crisis line.”
Illustration by Washington Reimer
On social media, rumours spread that Netflix was going to shift to a weekly release model. While this is unconfirmed at the time of writing, I believe it would be a great idea for some shows — both as a consumer and as a business model for Netflix.
If you’re unable to watch a show in one viewing or on the release date due to work, school, or just life in general, it can be difficult to avoid all informa tion pertaining to it. Temporarily unfollowing the show’s or the actor’s official pages cannot guarantee that spoilers will be avoided. Others can share posts about the show, or they can appear in the suggested posts as something you may be interested in. Family or friends can also share memes that have no con text, write their thoughts about episodes, or simply mention it in passing. Even if you are optimistic about limiting social media, it is difficult to quit us ing it if it's your principal means of communication or if you use it for work. By moving to a weekly or batch release for all of their popular shows, Netflix would allow leeway to watch a show at your own pace without falling too far behind everyone else.
While a show can be captivating and difficult to stop watching once you start, binge watching is not the most effective way to retain information from the show. Some scenes can be memorable or are very quotable, but important aspects of the plot, character development, elements of foreshadowing, or clues to what will happen can be missed. Binge-watching a show is similar to cramming for an exam: experts on memory have found that “cramming,” while helpful in improving recognition, is not a very efficient way to learn. Without giving ourselves the opportunity to reorganise information in a way that makes sense to us, we limit our ability to process new informa tion. The same can apply to long shows where there are many seasons.
Furthermore, when there is a gap of time between
new seasons, it can be difficult to remember the de tails of what happened in a previous season if you binge-watched it in one day. For example, Stranger Things has gone at least a year between seasons, with the most recent premier of season four this sum mer coming nearly three years after season three dropped way back in July 2019. Without rewatching the previous seasons, is all the information really be ing retained a year later? By having a weekly release model, there would be less of a wait between seasons for fans of the show.
As a business, the transition to a weekly release
model would be beneficial to increase social media engagement and organic promotion too. When look ing at Twitter directly after the release of Cobra Kai and Stranger Things, the series were in the trending topics. While they might remain in the “top” charts according to Netflix over time, are individuals still talking about it? If there are multiple release points for a season, viewers are engaged for longer periods of time. People talk about it and through this organic promotion, strengthen the longevity and momen tum of the show over a longer period of time. Also, viewers would need to maintain their subscription to avoid missing out, unlike the current model where hypothetically you can simply cancel after bingeing an entire series in a week.
While a weekly release model could backfire for shows like Dated and Related or Sexy Beasts that might not attract huge followings or huge numbers, Netf lix has experimented with “batch” releases already with Love is Blind and Too Hot Too Handle. For bigger shows like Cobra Kai, Bridgerton, and Stranger Things, having the option to watch weekly could extend in terest in the show, increase engagement, and help make it more memorable, while still leaving the op tion available for those who prefer to binge-watch once the final episode comes out.
REMINGTON FIORASO
A shift away from the binge might make sure we’re still watching
OPINION
“By moving to a weekly or batch release for all of the popular shows, it allows for leeway to watch a show at your own pace without fall ing too far behind everyone else.”Photo by: David Balev | Unsplash
SYDNEY MARCHAND
I stopped eating red meat when I was 12. I remember sitting at the dinner table with a pile of barbequed ribs in front of me, dis gusted by the image of bones piled high on a plate. As my family gnawed on the meat, I felt paralyzed by my repulsion. I connected the food to the animal it came from and the image was burned in my head. So, at the ripe old age of 12, I decided to cut red meat out of my diet and I haven’t looked back since.
It’s not a secret that vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based diets are on an upward trend. Besides the increased inter est amongst the general public, celebrities such as Billie Eilish and Harry Styles have proudly announced their plant-forward lifestyles. Selfishly, I love that plant-based lifestyles are becoming normalized as those like myself, who choose not to eat meat, are no longer ostracized for our dietary choices.
When I created this column, I wanted to open up a space that encouraged dialogue around how to be more sustain able and promote greener lifestyles. Veganism, however, is something that I have stayed clear of because I get that nobody wants to hear another privileged, 20-something white girl telling you how to live your life. But I also think it’s important to have a conversation about the hardships of the movement — the shit nobody talks about. Some times being a vegan is damn hard. Often an overlooked privilege that is not attainable for everyone, we need to consider the circumstances of a person’s life before criti cizing them for their consumption of animal products.
Although I grew up with vegetarian family members, I was first introduced to plant-based eating in my early teenage years. I was totally shocked at the lifestyle adjust ment I thought necessary in order to embody “the perfect vegan,” but I was determined to try.
This was back in the early stages of YouTube where Freelee the BananaGirl and the “Raw till 4” diet were at their peak. Anyone who has watched Freelee’s videos knows the bizarre nature of them; they promote eating a high fruit diet and cutting back on cooked plant food for its supposed health benefits. And while I agree that eating fruits and vegetables is incredibly healthy, I was thrown into the world of veganism from a very extreme and re strictive perspective.
Instead of eating one banana, channels such as Freelee’s encourage pounding back over 30 bananas a day along side an abundance of mangos, kale, and a variety of other raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables as whole, complete meals. It sounds crazy, I know, but with nearly 800 thousand subscribers, she had a massive influence on the growing veg an community, and I was certainly one of them. While years later, I can proudly say that I have found balance within the plant-based diet that works for me, my perspective on veganism has drasti cally changed.
Many people are quick to argue that it is a financial burden to make the tran sition toward vegan alternatives. This is arguably true if you are swapping out your animal-based chicken for faux chicken, but if you are ditching meat for whole plant foods like beans and legumes, the vegan option is consider ably cheaper.
This argument is only valid, though, if you are privileged enough to have access to these healthier options and the financial means to purchase the healthier food option in the first place. This is something that isn’t often brought up
when discussing veganism, but it is incredibly important. Without access to fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, people have no choice but to consume whatever will sustain them — be it meat, dairy, or eggs. Food insecurity is some thing that is happening here, in the Fraser Val ley. This is not a foreign concept to our local communities. Food deserts are described as communities that do not have healthy options available to them at an affordable and accessible rate. The most affected communities are those of marginalized groups, particularly Black and Hispanic communities. Factors that influence food deserts include things like access to transportation, community infrastructure, income, racial segregation, education, and employment; all of which contribute to the quality of life and accessibility of healthier options. It is a privilege to have a choice in what you consume; not everyone has such an opportunity.
Do I promote a plant-based diet? Yes, of course, I do. If you are in a privileged position that allows you to live close to grocery stores and are not faced with social and economic barriers, I would encourage you to make the
“We need to consider the circumstances of a person’s life before criticizing them for their consumption of animal products.”
“ Without access to fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, people have no choice but to consume whatever will sustain them — be it meat, dairy, or eggs.”
A month has gone by since the start of the semester. I am exhausted by the trek of traveling between Building K and the SUB. All of my in-person courses are hosted 10 minutes away, in that everenduring Building K. When I’m not in Building K, I’m being asked, “Where is Building K?” Some students ask me, “When did we get a Building K?” I over hear the comments, “Building K? How many buildings are there?”
Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. My legs may be getting exer cise, but my desire to return to a time when all my English courses were in Buildings B and D is ever growing. It felt simpler when I could easily cross be tween the two buildings and could rest or study in the nearby SUB. Now my semesters vary from courses scattered across buildings or being crammed into Building K.
Emmaline SpencerFor some reason this back to school has been incredibly abrupt, in my face, and dare I say, aggressive? It’s like an exciting false awakening dream, maybe similar to Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy, where I’m not sure if the action movie going on around me is just a dream. I’d love for my course load to be a dream. The rush hour has increased to near F1 speed, food prices and toilet paper bullying are at an all time high, there’s the threat of world war, and what? The person couldn’t hold the door open for me or say please and thank you? I must be dreaming.
Regardless, I get to choose my response. Life has taught me I don’t have to buy into any social expecta tion or narrative. I’ll have good, bad and even ugly days. I can stress or destress. The way I respond determines how I make my way through the world, progress in life or lose ground, smile or frown. In a world of new normals, I don’t have to give what I get, but I’ll certainly get what I give. Set goals, work hard, and enjoy the drive. Awake or not, I’m living the dream.
Steve Hartwig
Even after two years of living in my cur rent house, any visitor would think that we have just moved in due to the num ber of boxes that litter the corners by the windows on the main floor. They’re placed so that each one aligns perfectly to get the best sunlight and airflow so that Mosey, the calico bitch, has a vari ety of box palaces to sit and gaze out her windows.
One box to catch the morning sun, another placed just slightly under it and away from an open window so she can cool down. A shoe box, so that if she’s in
the mood can curl completely into a ball. A moving box to hide in, and her favou rite Pabst Blue Ribbon flat by the stairs so she can lie down and yell at anyone who walks in and doesn’t feed her right away.
Costco boxes must have a two to three week stay so that Mosey can get full use. Placed by the stairs to the ground floor and stacked in a way that lets Mosey choose between the top flat or the bot tom, depending on how long it's been between meals and how angry she is at us.
You can use the app or you can use the app
Continuing students and faculty this semester may have noticed something different about how they access their Blackboard hubs. When using a com puter on an off-campus network, ev eryone must now use another form of authentication in addition to their pass words every time they log in. For me, this happens through Microsoft’s Au thenticator app. Others have needed to use verification through text via their phone number. On its surface, this new requirement may seem genuinely help ful. Besides, two-factor authentication is a proven asset against online threats. However, the requirement part means that anyone without access to a smart phone for whatever reason also loses
access to many of the school-tools they need, and the whole thing is generally a hassle. In my case, the “I can’t use my authenticator app right now” button is no help either. Its two suggestions are both to ‘just use the app.’
Why a UFV student or faculty mem ber would need such stringent security measures for their Blackboard login in the first place is beyond me. Regardless, I cannot judge the security preferences of everyone, but then neither can any one else.
This may seem like an overreaction to many, and perhaps it is. Still, I don’t see the harm in letting us have a little more agency over our own security. An optout would be nice.
I don’t have to give what I get, but I certainly get what I give
By: Brad Duncan
The sun is setting over downtown Maple Ridge and the buildings are a hazy silhouette partially obscuring an amber skyline. Quinn, my smallish dog, is perched on the back of the sofa, gazing at the vista. He routinely takes in the scenery, but especially as day fades to night you’ll reliably find him here, peering off into the distance. He appears mindful. We humans often take photos of sunsets, apply a filter, add some hashtags, and then go back to whatever’s on T.V. Not Quinn. He appears fully invested in this time, seemingly embodying the #YOLO mentality we espouse but fail to manifest. We all get a finite number of sunsets in our lives, and he’s going to make the most of his.
Lately I’ve taken to sitting beside him in these quiet moments. I’m unsure if he appreciates my company or if my presence is an intrusion to his solitary contemplations — he only briefly glances at me as I settle into a pillowy nook. As darkness creeps toward the horizon, streetlights wink on, drawing his attention. Quinn can be high-strung, but at this moment he is serene. We both are. He makes me more thoughtful and more empathetic. My relationship with Quinn is a legacy — the modern embodiment of an ancient compact. It’s a primeval truce between disparate species that developed into a deep and lasting bond. It’s true that dogs would not be dogs without humans, but people would not be people without dogs. Like a river that carves out the landscape, altering its course over time, human beings have been intimately transformed through our canine connection.
We Canadians love our furry friends, but we often let them down. Unscrupulous breeding practices, fly-by-night adoption organizations, pet-restrictive housing, and soaring veterinary costs all feed into a
ago to witness the construction of the Pyramids of Giza. They were at home in the first human cities. Before anything resembling civilization, there were dogs. Fido was our first experience with domestication. Long before we were riding horses, cooping chickens, grazing cattle, or herding sheep, we had dogs. They are a remnant of a prehistoric time when we migrated with the herds and the seasons. They’re a throwback. Older than domesticated rice, wheat, or barley — dogs are older than agriculture.
system dubbed “the wild west” by Paws for Hope’s executive director, Kathy Powelson. “Shelters are full. Rescues are full. Fundraising has been really, really hard these past twelve months.” In the absence of adequate oversight, Powelson said animal welfare groups “really are left to fend for [themselves].”
Our relationship with dogs predates most of the milestones of our history. When Alexander the Great was conquering the Mediterranean, he did so with his loyal pooch, Peritas. Dogs were around 4,500 years
Nobody is certain just how ancient dogs are. Serious people disagree on just when, where, and how many times domestication occurred. Fossil evidence and recent DNA sequencing points to at least two distinct locations of domestication: Northern Eurasia, and East Asia, with an eventual interbreeding occuring down the line. The jury is still out. Trying to discern the history of Canis familiaris is like trying to figure out all the ingredients in a smoothie, in the precise order they were added, and in specific amounts. All modern dogs trace their ancestry back to wolves, but we can’t even agree on the process — whether they domesticated themselves by slowly acculturating themselves to us and our encampments; or if humans took a more active role, selectively capturing and breeding the tamest or least fearful individuals. The process could also combine a variety of means, and vary by location. It’s one of life’s great mysteries. Alongside humans, dogs spread around the globe. During the last ice age, they crossed the Bering land bridge with their migratory
“It’s true that dogs would not be dogs without humans, but people would not be people without dogs.“Brad Duncan with his dogs Quinn and Kave.
companions and populated the Americas. Fossil records suggest dogs were present in the Americas as far back as 10,000 years ago. As they spread across the globe, they adapted. Their humans helped the process along, selecting the individuals with the best traits based on their specific needs and environments. Social by nature, wolves were born to be part of a community; a commonality that aided in adapting to early human life.
One of my dogs, Kave, is half Great Pyrenees (or Pyrenean mountain dog). At 135 pounds, he dwarfs most other pets. Great Pyrenees were historically bred for the protection of sheep, and shepherds in the French Pyrenees mountains still rely on these dogs to help protect their flocks. Their ability to operate as an effective guardian also relies on a measure of autonomy, which means these dogs can be aloof, stubborn, and overprotective. This presents itself at home with his idea of play, which is to take the toy away from everyone else so nobody makes it squeak, or to bark incessantly at me when I attempt to swat a mosquito.
Violence of any kind is strictly prohibited in my house.
Selective breeding gave both humans and dogs an advantage, as over time, dogs’ inherent value as members of the collective increased. Over subsequent generations and as traits were either reinforced or suppressed, the loyal, hardworking companions we know today gradually emerged. For example, a border collie’s wit, agility, and ability to function as a team all aid in their ability as herding dogs and trace their origin to their wolf ancestry. The trick was getting them to treat their herd as a responsibility rather than prey, but the innate instinct to drive herds and pick out stragglers is innate. Not every dog needed to herd animals of course, which meant that the diversification of dogs exploded as human society developed and gained complexity. Some dogs were bred to be fierce protectors and were selected for their size and ferocity. Others, like the husky, were born to run. Dogs could protect the flock, alert the town, track game, catch rats, signal societal status, or just hang out by your feet.
Those instincts that became painstakingly hardwired come with significant advantages. For example, breed-specific characteristics can go a long way in helping a person select a dog that’s right for them. Belgian Malinois have very different lifestyle needs than a St. Bernard, and understanding that allows for humans to give their pups the best life possible. People with active lifestyles who desire a running partner would be disappointed with a dog like Kave because he’s a layabout. Similarly, he would be a terrible hunting partner, as he doesn’t fetch and is a natural peacekeeper. Mismatching dogs and people often results in dissatisfaction for all. Ideally, the standardization of breeds results in a harmonious pairing, as breed traits help to differentiate among dogs who are good with children, require different levels of exercise and stimulation, and varying levels of care. The problem is that in the quest to make breeds as reliable as German appliances, they’ve wandered into problematic territory.
A 1980 Chevy Corvette is a beautiful car. The sleek lines; the fat tires prowling under menacingly swollen wheel arches; it’s an exquisite blend of style and brutishness. If you find one today that’s been carefully maintained and detailed, it’s quite a sight. The only problem is that it’s not a very good car. The 1980 Chevy Corvette looks great adorning a bedroom wall, or slowly rolling past you on a sunny day at the promenade, but it’s a different story when you get under the hood. According to Mike Knepper of Car and Driver, “It’s not put together very well; the quality of materials would embarrass any Japanese econobox; it squeaks, creaks, and moans.” Michael Derosa, a writer at Hotcars said it had “one of the worst engines of all time.”
Four decades after those handsomely haphazard Corvettes started rolling off the line, an adorable puppy named Trumpet was born in Illinois to high expectations. Trumpet is a bloodhound of prestigious pedigree. In 2014, his father, Nathan, won the hound group at the famed Westminster Dog Show. In 2022, Trumpet won the hound group as well, before going on to win best in show. No bloodhound has ever won the title before. Trumpet may well be the last.
Westminster’s dog show has seen many thousands of contestants in its 145-year history. In its time, the pomp and pageantry has garnered much attention as the canine aficionado’s premiere pooch parade. The Westminster Kennel Club judges have, over many generations, cultivated rigorous and exacting standards for all recognized breeds, from wire fox terriers, to Great Danes. Breeders and handlers gather from all around, keen to show off their prized puppers in order to secure breeder bragging rights. This isn’t your neighborhood dog show. Puppies sired by a champion show dog fetch a pretty penny (up to US$25,000 as of 2016) which makes professional dog breeding an elite business with exacting standards.
Strict guidelines, along with investments in time, money, grooming, and training, has led to an ancestral arms race as breeds become increasingly distinctive. Desirable traits are reinforced through successive generations, as has been the norm for centuries, but now the premium is put on appearance — often at the expense of health. Line breeding (the interbreeding of direct relatives in order to foster a desired trait), is a practice that limits the genetic diversity in a population. Genetic diversity is critical to population resiliency; something that has seen a marked decline over the last century.
“Older than domesticated rice, wheat, or barley — dogs are older than agriculture.“Trumpet the bloodhound places first at the Westminster Dog Show in 2022.
Trumpet, Westminster’s recent champion, is of one such breed that has been particularly impacted by this ‘form-over-function’ mentality. The bloodhound is one of the breeds most prone to significant health issues, according to the Animal Health Clinic. They are predisposed to bloat, hip and elbow dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy (a degenerative neurological condition). Those sweet, droopy eyes are the result of excess facial skin that leads to eye problems like entropion or ectropion (when the eyelid flips in or out). Those big floppy ears result in infections, and their rolly-poley skin folds can cause skin-fold dermatitis. But Trumpet is a champion, and like his father before him, he can now look forward to the sweet life as a stud. He’s poised to pass on his genes to the next generation of bloodhounds, replete with any genetic baggage he might be carrying. The desire for championship genetic material often leads to popular sire syndrome, in which breeders scramble to deliver the next generation of top-dog talent. Any hereditary cargo or complications spread quickly through the gene pool. In the pursuit to make a best in show bloodhound — one deemed particularly special and handsome on the basis of how well his cartoonish features exemplify the breed — kennel clubs and breeders have come together to create a 1980 Chevy Corvette. They’ve engineered a living, breathing work-of art; a poster to hang on your wall — but the quest to create something subjectively beautiful has come at the expense of function. That may be fine in a car, but if Pixar represented ailing automobiles as sentient creatures, we’d likely regard them with pity. Somehow, we have a blind spot when it comes to the welfare of our best friends.
Wally Conron, the breeder of the first labradoodle, has serious regrets about his decision, telling ABC News, “I opened a Pandora’s box and released a Frankenstein’s monster.” Conron realized early on that unscrupulous people were capitalizing on the trend and breeding dogs to make a quick buck without due care. The labradoodle was initially bred to be the first hypoallergenic guide dog by combining a lab’s personality with a poodle’s coat, but the resulting population has an inconsistent temperament. “I find that the biggest majority are either crazy or have a hereditary problem,” says Conron. “I do see some damn nice labradoodles but they’re few and far between.”
Of course, if you’re spending the equivalent of a new Honda Civic on a dog, you can probably afford to give them the very best training, food, and medical attention… but many can’t and don’t. Exploitative breeders who are quick to capitalize on fads go to great lengths to cash-in on breeding trends, and some employ all manner of heinous behaviours to make a buck regardless of the ethics or long term health outcomes. Systemic health challenges only increase the already high cost of veterinary services, resulting in pets being surrendered to rescue organizations just to receive care. “I really wish that more of our colleagues in the sector would recognize that and shift away from requiring families to surrender their pet to that rescue,” said Powelson. “In order for the rescue to give them the veterinary care that they need…
that’s kind of standard practice.”
There’s no quick-fix to this problem. We want some reasonable assurances that the puppy we adopt will become the dog we expect, but it’s a double-edged sword. Line breeding helps to ensure favorable attributes are fortified, but it comes at the expense of the breed’s overall health. For example, many bulldog breeders rely on artificial insemination because females often lack the ability to support a male while mating. Boston terrier mamas reportedly require C-sections 92.3 per cent of the time, and around 60 per cent of golden retrievers get cancer.
Kennel clubs are rightly concerned, as many of our favorite breeds have been engineered to such a degree that they would go extinct without human intervention, but it’s hard to see these organizations as the solution. First, there will always be a market for dogs of ‘questionable’ parentage; and second, kennel clubs codified the very characteristics that resulted in many of these systemic issues. The Kennel Club, a UK-based dog advocacy organization has instituted Breed Watch, and placed nine dogs on its list of “Category 3” types. Breeds that fall under Category 3 are “considered to be more susceptible to developing specific health conditions associated with exaggerated conformation.” That means that the very features we prized and highlighted are the direct cause of their illnesses. Dogs on this list include pugs, German shepherds, and bloodhounds. Sorry, Trumpet.
We like dogs to look, act, and perform in specific ways, and there is a great deal of value in this for people and dogs alike. However, in our quest to create the perfect visual specimens, loyal companions, and status symbols, we’ve back-burnered our ethics. We choose appearance over health, playing roulette with their genes. We sentence our best and oldest friends to a life of discomfort, illness, and early demise, often totally unconsciously. Sitting with my dog while we observe the oncoming night, it seems inconceivable that they would do the same in our position.
Exploitative breeders who are quick to capitalize on fads go to great lengths to cash-in on breeding trends, and some employ all manner of heinous behaviours to make a buck regardless of the ethics or long term health outcomes.
“Over subsequent generations and as traits were either reinforced or suppressed, the loyal, hardworking companions we know today gradually emerged.“
Of course, I can’t know what Quinn is really seeing from his perch as his little body slowly deforms my couch-back; whether he’s reflecting on the walk he took earlier, or simply enjoys watching the seagulls. We communicate as best we can, but I can’t know what’s in his mind.
I like to think this time is meaningful to him, but I’m just projecting. There’s a communication gap we just can’t bridge. I know he is intimately aware of me, constantly attuned to my habits, tones, and behaviours. At night when the Xbox bleeps, a sound that always signals bedtime, he instinctively gets up from wherever he is and saunters into the bedroom. If I briefly stop petting his tummy, his head snaps around with a Bea Arthur glare. Should I fail to rectify the situation in a time he deems appropriate, he proceeds to his vocal objections. Training in my house is a two-way street.
Despite the language barrier, I can’t help but feel that our communication with dogs, although limited, is also far more honest. In our long drawn out process of social evolution, we Homo sapiens have developed numerous tools for subverting the truth in our daily interactions. It’s harder to lie to dogs. Sure, we can trick them by hiding a ball behind our backs or saying “park” when we really mean “vet,” but our canine companions see us very clearly.
Barnard College professor and author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, Alexandra Horowitz reveals that not only are dogs “very good at looking at our faces; they are also skilled at reading those faces to get information about the mind behind them.” Dogs consider what we see, and therefore what we know. They are more likely to sneak treats and misbehave in the dark or when we’re not around and they realize they aren’t being observed. Additionally, when we catch them, say, chewing our shoes or digging out our herb garden, their guilty reaction isn’t due to their behaviour, but our reaction to their behaviour. Horowitz conveys that “ducking their head, looking away, [or] frantically wagging their tail low between their legs… is not an indication of their guilt at disobedience, but of their sensitivity to whether we think they are guilty.”
A dog’s ability to read us has helped breeds to become more specialized. For example, working dogs enjoy performing tasks and the rewards that come with a job well done, and while ancient duties as guardians and herders persist, the modern world has provided new roles for dogs to take up.
Perhaps the most important job dogs perform today is that of guides. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) estimates that half-a-million Canadians are blind or partially sighted. Those who have sight loss must traverse a world that most people cannot comprehend, and while technological developments promote accessibility and create a more inclusive society, guide dogs provide emotional and physical
support, and mitigate many of the difficulties in navigating their homes, communities, and the wider world.
Guide dogs, however, require a lot of training, and even then, many prospects do not graduate successfully from the program. Guide dogs need to be intelligently disobedient, able to ignore a command that would court danger, like stepping out into traffic. The process is laborious, and as such, there is a shortage of guide dogs in Canada. Many guide dogs are bred and trained in the U.S., and the CNIB would like to see a real national investment on this side of the border. Due to the pandemic, many Canadian applications were put on hold. Diane Bergeron, president of the CNIB told the National Post, “we believe every Canadian who needs a guide dog should have that opportunity — at no cost.”
Service dogs come in many shapes and sizes. Some are trained to detect allergens, while others can sense an oncoming seizure or recognize a chemical change in our blood sugar levels. Service dogs also provide a tangible, yet difficult to quantify emotional support just by being themselves. Many therapy dogs spend time in care homes and hospitals to give comfort to residents and patients, and you can regularly find therapy dogs in the UFV library, thanks to St. John Ambulance.
It’s hard to imagine that a dog loves like a human does, with our conditional devotions and fleeting infatuations. The love of a dog is, by contrast, unadulterated. Quinn values my time and attention with an urgency I regularly lack. He’s bossy, petulant, and finicky, but also smart, snuggly, and infinitely affectionate. He’ll (hopefully) spend his entire life with me, while I’ll only spend a portion of mine with him, and yet he loves me like it’s the reverse — like every moment should be cherished, and every sunset might be the last.
The neighborhood now awash in artificial light, my apricot-coloured
A family looks to buy a dog at the kennel.
little buddy pads off to the bedroom to see what his brother is up to. The family dynamic in my house is all the more endearing for its strangeness. Thomas Hobbes famously stated that the life of man was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Our relationship with dogs tells me that there’s truth in that statement, but somewhere in our history, a wolf and a human agreed that the best way to get through it was together — and we never looked back.
It’s harder to lie to dogs. Sure, we can trick them by hiding a ball behind our backs or saying “park” when we really mean “vet,” but our canine companions see us very clearly.
“We want some reasonable assurances that the puppy we adopt will become the dog we expect, but it’s a double-edged sword. Line breeding helps to ensure favorable attributes are fortified, but it comes at the expense of the breed’s overall health.“
The FIA is in the process of deciding whether they will investigate Red Bull for going over budget in 2021 and possibly 2022.
While The Great Contract War for 2023 driver seats rages on, it has quietened down with the FIA’s final decision to deny Herta a super license (good deci sion), and the return to the fan and driver favourite night race, The Singapore Grand Prix. Known for its horrendous heat and humidity, last Sunday was hit with a torrential downpour that delayed the start of the race and left drivers with only one clear goal for the race: survive.
The Singapore Grand Prix continued its infamous streak of consistent safety car appearances every year the circuit has been on the calendar with three appearances last Sunday that kept the grid bunched up for amazing mid-field battles. Far in the distant lead, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were having an amazing battle for first. Ending with Perez standing on top of the podium, Leclerc in second, and Carlos Sainz taking third, scoring good constructor’s championship points for Ferrari. Max Verstappen’s seventh place finish means that he couldn’t clinch the driver’s champion ship in his worst end result so far in 2022.
Red Bull has jumped from controversy to contro versy between races as allegations that they and As ton Martin went over the 2021 season’s $145 million budget cap have turned the Silly Season’s already dramatic off-the-track year into a full-blown argu ment between Red Bull and their rivals, Mercedes and Ferrari team principals before last weekend, leaving the FIA with a very crucial decision to make hopefully before round 18 this weekend, on Oct. 9 at the Japanese Grand Prix.
After months of speculation led by Ferrari and Mercedes, the FIA have led many to believe that a decision as to if they will investigate Red Bull’s and Aston Martin’s alleged minor breaches and spend ing over last year’s cap will go forward today, or over the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
Team Principal of Red Bull, Christian Horner’s original statement was that he was “certainly not aware of any” over-budget spending, and has de fended his team’s allocation of funds last year. Claiming that his team’s budget was submitted last March and it’s the FIA’s job to declare any breaches. As well as saying that the reason why this process has been delayed until 2022 is due to the FIA’s im mature process of scrutineering.
Since then, Horner has said that other teams’ com ments on the matter have been “hugely defamatory” and unfair, threatening to take action against Fer rari’s and Mercedes’ comments over Singapore.
Mattia Binotto, team principal at Ferrari, and Toto Wolff, team principal at Mercedes, have certainly questioned and commented on Horner’s lines of rea soning behind the potential breach. Their main con cern is that any budget overspends that happened in 2021 could also be happening into 2022, and have been spent on the new regulations and cars this sea son.
Keep in mind, a ‘minor’ over-budget breach is a relatively small amount of five per cent which equates to around $7.25 million. F1 is a sport where every penny is scrutinized, fully calculated, and planned to where it would best be spent. Even be fore 2021, when there were no budget caps, having a significantly lower cap makes every penny all the more crucial.
“We’re using used parts, we are not running what you would want to run, we are not developing what we could be developing,” Toto Wolff told Sky Sports after Free Practice on Friday, Sept. 30.
“It was a huge, mammoth project to make the car. I don’t know how many tens of millions we had to restructure, reprocess in order to be below the cap, and if someone has been not doing that or pushing the boundaries, every million is a big disadvantage.”
Not only in tenths of a second off the team’s lap time, but Wolff also equates the cost to roughly 70 engineers and analysts, detailing that entire teams of employees were laid off in 2021, and more in 2022, to stay under budget that other teams went through as well. But throughout this, Red Bull has been able to make consistent upgrades to its cars.
The 2021 and 2022 budget caps were specifically introduced for equal footing in the competition across all teams. The new caps as well as the regu lated development time on bigger teams add to the equal playing field, that all teams and team princi pals agreed to. 2022’s budget and the following year’s caps are only supposed to get smaller, which means the FIA has to make a crucial and clear decision on how it will handle this situation that will define how teams view the budget cap regulations. The teams, even ones that bring in a lot of money like Red Bull, have to know that the punishments will fit the mag nitude of the crimes, and a breach in the budget is a massive one. With this being the first time a breach is a question, this decision will either reinforce the regulations or blow the principle of having a budget cap and harm the vision of a more equal and com petitive championship.
The UFV rowing club has begun a massive rebuilding operation since Lisa Roman took up the mantle of coach and director of the club after the previous coach, Liz Ch isholm, retired. Roman has a goal to build a well-functioning club, despite the chal lenges of people being unaware that the sport exists, and the taxes of a niche sport.
Langley-born, Roman started the jour ney that began with her taking an op portunity to learn about the sport at UFV Learn to Row lessons, similar to the ones she began coaching this year, before going on to Washington State to continue rowing. Roman has sat bow for Team Canada and attended multiple world championships, taking a bronze medal, two silvers, and was on the 2020 gold medal-winning team. Not only is UFV lucky to have Roman’s knowledge and connections within the sport, but also her self-proclaimed strongheadedness to grow rowing as a sport here in the Fraser Valley. This is motivated by her experience in navigating the possibili ties that can come from trying something you didn’t know that you could do before.
“I'm just doing whatever I can to provide opportunity,” Roman said about her role as the new coach and mentor to the potential athletes. “I was very open about anybody coming to these Learn to Row [lessons]. The start of university is kind of a weird age. You're out of high school, but you don't really know what you wanna do, it's a con
fusing stage of your life. And I think sports can keep you in that lane.”
Part of the initiative to rebuild the row ing club and give students opportunities has been the Learn to Row lessons that Roman conducted at the start of the fall semester, which was met with a positive turnout. Perfect timing before the start of rowing season starts to pick up and be chaotic.
The post-pandemic return of the Head of the Fort regatta that UFV holds annually in the spring, along the Bedford Channel in Fort Langley is a big draw for rowing, and a chance to spotlight the club and its ath letes. This coming year, rowing is offering a spring women's camp and an LGBTQ+ camp that will let participants go through a couple of months to go out, get trained, get coached, and race as part of the regatta. This will provide a good start for the Fall 2023 season, and get the last handful of students needed for the club.
“Anywhere between five and 10. As many as 16,” Roman said is all she’d need to have a good start for the club. “If I can get eight women so we can row an eight, we can actually contend in a lot of the cat egories of competition.”
While the Learn to Row lessons and Head of the Fort regattas have been suc cessful in the rebuild, the club has made additional progress since Roman has taken over. Fresh talent has stepped into rowing and begun to show promise. However, the hardest part has been facing the heaviest tax of all niche sports: they’re expensive.
A set of oars for one person to use can be $1,100. A single pair’s boat can be $10,000, whereas a new eight-seater shell is closer to $60,000, according to Roman’s experi ence. Programs like UFV’s don’t have tons of alumni or tons of funding; therefore, the ongoing support from students and out side sources is integral to keeping the club afloat.
Gaining this support would open doors for UFV rowing to be able to compete in more races and things can spiral from there as excitement around rowing will allow even a small program, such as this one, to become competitive.
A well-functioning club is an attainable goal that Roman believes can happen with an increase in interest. “I do think it's pos sible, we've got a couple of kids that I think will do really well and that'll be exciting. I think that will help grow the program more.”
The dream to be an official club comes with a small set of goals such as growing the interest of students and outside sup porters to acquire another coach that could tag-team train the current and new coming students and athletes.
“I think there are lots of people that were in my situation, starting university, doing a different sport, wanted to still be an athlete, but didn't really know what to do. A lot of athletes could excel in rowing, it's a good transitional sport.” Roman says about rowing. “It’s a sport where you excel as you get older. There are lots of oppor tunities. And it's very much an open play
ing field. I mean, as a coach or somebody that cares about the sport, I'm interested to watch these athletes grow from where they're at now and see where they can go with it and find out what they didn’t know about themselves.”
Students, you are encouraged to reach out and try rowing, it is great for those who are wanting to start their university lives, or jumpstart their athleticism and get into a hobby that will also get you jacked while rebuilding a program that will bring more interest to UFV.
Cascades soccer looks to repeat last year's strong finish.
STEVE HARTWIGCaptain of the Cascades’ men’s soccer team, Trevor Zanatta, spoke with The Cascade about soccer, school, and life after graduation. The 2021–2022 male athlete of the year leads the team in his final year of school.
Can you tell us about how you came to play or the Cascade?
I started playing soccer as a kid for a local club in Coquitlam. My parents have been instrumental and created the right environment for me to suc ceed on the field. I’ve also had a lot of influences through my grandfather, and especially my uncle [Sergio Zanat ta], who played for both the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Canadian national team.
Coach Tom [Lowndes] came to my club [Metro Ford] and ran a training session and was after a few players on
our team. He contacted our coach af terwards with who he was interested in. I was impressed with the training session and what Tom had to say. I knew I wanted to play for a coach that would make me a better player. Tom held a lot of confidence in me early on, especially my rookie year, where I got a lot of minutes early on.
You were awarded UFV’s male athlete of the year, tell us about that.
I received the 2021–22 UFV male ath lete of the year after a strong end to our season. Last season the squad started slow but we went on a long undefeated streak to make the playoff. We ended up finishing fourth. I had a good sea son supported by the team and [Coach Tom Lowndes] really drove us to suc ceed.
What’s it like playing soccer for the Cascades this season?
We have a good group of guys this season. We have a lot of rookies and
young players that are trying to fit into the squad, and get used to Canada West, so we are coming from a pre season where we’re training twice a day into the start of the regular season. It’s just part of the process of playing university soccer where you have to meet up with the demands of the level of play and the coach.
I like that [Coach Tom Lowndes] sets the bars high for players and keeps the competitiveness of the squad really high. He is extremely passionate and I think it influences all of us, where we focus so much on competing, winning games and reaching the playoffs every year.
But the guys are really excited about what we can do this season. In my five years, this is probably the most talent ed squad we’ve had.
We play fifteen games in the season and we’re six games in, so just about
at the midway mark and I think we’ve had a slow start, but we’ve had slow starts in the past and turned the sea son around … Looking back on last season we were slow out of the gate but went on an eight game undefeated streak to get in the playoffs, I think with this squad we can finish where we want in the standings.
I’ve always wanted to play profes sional soccer since I was a little kid, but I’m not sure I will end up playing professionally.
I’m in my last year of my criminal justice degree and I’m planning on go ing to law school eventually and that is likely the route I’ll go after soccer. The criminal justice program is very well known and UFV has been awesome for both [soccer and criminology].
to bring to fruition. “In the beginning it was a lot of emails to UFV athletic director, Steve Tuckwood, and Ashley Jones, the membership director at NACE.”
2023 is on the horizon and so are new opportunities for students at UFV. If you ever wanted to be a collegiate ath lete or are looking for a new opportunity to pursue, UFV student Gabriel Peters may have started the perfect pro gram for you. Peters is a third year media arts student who loves gaming and recently started an esports program at UFV.
Peters started his competitive gaming journey at the be ginning of last year playing on a team with his friends, some of whom were fellow UFV students, on the popu lar game Overwatch. Peters’ team performed well and was invited by the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) to participate in the next NACE starleague season.
After a successful season, Peters’ mind started to cook up ideas on how he could grow gaming at UFV and give stu dents a new opportunity to get involved.
Bringing an esports program to UFV was not an over night process and took Peters countless hours and emails
“Upon talking with Tuckwood and a few other people around the school, I decided I would take this on, which was something that gave us the opportunity to compete in this competition,” Peters said about the forming of the program.
Peters enthusiasm for esports is what makes this pro gram so exciting: “for myself, it's become a little bit of a second job, which is something I'm really excited to be do ing at the moment, working on building this program and seeing it jump from nothing to five full rosters and com petitive teams in just one semester was something I was really proud of and excited about.”
Esports is a growing sport with more and more viewers joining in each tournament. Gaming is a little bit different than your typical sport, but still takes many taxes on your body. Unlike physical sports, where being a defender in soccer has many differences from playing center on the
basketball court, esports athletes are able to compete in many games since more of the skills are transferable. This gives athletes lots of opportunities to play different games and also connect with different teammates. Peters dis cussed some of the things that esports athletes have to do offline to keep them at peak performance: “It's easy to feel like a gamer can just sit in their chair all day, but staying healthy and mentally well is really important for gaming and so contrary to the nature of a lot of us gamers, getting good sleep and having a good routine with exercise is re ally important.”
Some of the games that athletes are competing in are Overwatch, Valorant, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, with plans on adding more teams to participate in more esports. UFV esports is actively looking for new mem bers to join the team. If you are interested in joining UFV esports you can contact at: gabe@ufvesportsxkelownagas.com
When you are walking around the campus or scrolling through your social media feed you might see some of the athletes from UFV’s seven varsity teams and growing number of club teams. The Cascade spoke to some members of UFV’s women’s soccer team, in order to bring you the first edition of “Athlete Spotlight.” Here’s a chance to get to know some of the faces who compete for UFV’s varsity teams, and are killing it on the field.
Alannah Sydenham: Defender
Alannah Sydenham is a fourth year psy chology student who plays defence for the women’s soccer team. Sydenham was born and raised in Surrey where she attended and graduated from Panorama Ridge Sec ondary in 2019. During her time in high school, Sydenham played soccer for her school team and also for Surrey United BC
SPL, an elite soccer program based out of Cloverdale. Sydenhams communication is something that really stands out, whether it's on the pitch in games or during prac tice, Sydenham is always a consistent and loud voice on this team.
“I've always been a really vocal person and been comfortable taking on leadership roles. I want to go into a career where I can use my communication skills and talk peo ple through situations.” When you watch Sydenham play, you can clearly see that she is one of the leaders on the team and her teammates rely on her leadership and communication to help them dominate the field.
Jenna Mele is a fourth year criminal justice student who plays on the defence line for the women’s soccer team. Mele was born in Burnaby, but moved to Co quitlam at a young age. Mele graduated from Charles Best Secondary in 2019 where she played on their home team for all five years. Other than playing soccer for her school, Mele also played for Coquitlam Metro-Ford, a competitive club program for soccer. Mele told us that soccer gave her an opportunity to go to university when she might not have otherwise done.
“Playing soccer has given me so many opportunities, when I got the opportunity saying you can go to school, but you can also continue playing soccer, that was a re ally big selling point.” Mele explained how being positive and leading by example are some keys she tries to focus on when play ing. “I think leading by example is a big one that I try to do on the field. I really try to encourage everyone and hype everyone up even for the little accomplishments. I think just having that positive mindset playing in a game is so big.” Mele is the an chor on the defence and uses her positive
attitude to lead by example and keep her team motivated.
cer and school, managing all the travel ing and practices while also keeping my grades high, I'm just proud of myself and proud to play for the team and represent the school in that way.” Sahota explained that after she graduates from UFV, she plans on pursuing a masters degree.
Alannah, Jenna, and Kareena are just three of the amazing talents that we have on our women's soccer team. If you want to see them and the rest of the team in ac tion, make sure you catch the Cascades’ next home game against Trinity Western on Oct. 9 at Rotary Stadium.
Kareena Sahota is a fourth year crimi nal justice student who plays goalkeeper for the women's soccer team. Sahota was born and raised in Maple Ridge where she grew up playing soccer and basketball from a young age. Sahota decided to play soccer at UFV after graduating from West view Secondary in 2019. “I started playing soccer when I was super young. My par ents always enjoyed coming to my soccer games every Sunday, It was more like a family thing.”
Sahota’s parents immigrated from India over 25 years ago and raised two daugh ters. Sahota explained that her older sister, who is five years older than her, has been a huge influence and motivation in her life. In speaking with Sahota, it was clear how much it means to her to play on the team. “I'm super proud to be able to manage soc
Yes, Deconstructing Disability is a new column added here at The Cascade that will be running every other issue!
The University of the Fraser Valley is com mitted to ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment and learning experi ence for all, as stated on their website as part of their inclusivity action plan. Thus, the idea of forming this column sprouted to fruition. Deconstructing Disability will revolve around all things disability related within the UFV community, as that is a very underrepresented group. The UFV community focuses on various minorities, but disability seems to be one that is not heard of often or is forgotten altogether. A significant population of the campus commu nity have either physical or cognitive disabili ties, and those who are temporarily able-bod ied can not only become disabled at any point in their life, but may even become temporarily disabled in cases such as needing to use crutch es for a short period of time or use a wheelchair to navigate their world.
The column is one that is not a short-term
project, but rather one that can be carried on as disability culture isn’t going away anytime soon and it has begun gaining more attention and recognition. Articles within the column will range across a wide array of topics under the umbrella of disability within the post-sec ondary setting such as interviewing students with a lived disability on their time at UFV; speaking to professors about universal design within the classroom and class structures; ar ticles on the Accessibility Centre and lengthy processes for registration or accessing text books; a review of inclusive signage and ar chitecture on campus; service dog laws within campus, and more.
This column hopes to not only be a voice for disabled students and a place to provide more information, but aims to be a catalyst in educat ing the able-bodied population on campus and exposing them to a part of their community they may have felt uncomfortable with before. In addition to this, the column strives to be a great resource for UFV itself to create positive change and an equitable community for all.
As mentioned above, UFV has created an eq uity, diversity, and inclusion action plan as well as principles to guide them during this process,
and this column also wishes to add to and bolster the goals the university aims to achieve. Goals such as commit ting to identifying and addressing barriers to equity of access and op portunity, and providing supports for the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, senior university leaders, and university board and senate members, particularly from under represented groups. Notably, the fourth guiding principle commits to en suring that members of the UFV com munity are provided support in their educational progress, career progress, and success in leadership positions at our institution. Therefore, these articles can assist in identifying any challenges the community is facing and the supports that students require.
Any questions or want to propose a topic idea for the column? Reach out to me by email at jinnie@ufvcascade.ca.
From September 22 to October 31, Burnaby is hosting the Pumpkins After Dark event. The spooktacular light show begins earlier and earlier in the evening as the nights grow longer. Tickets for Pumpkins After Dark can be obtained online. The show is in association with Burnaby Halloween Festival 2022. The Cascade was invited to take an early look at the event before doors opened to the public.
Pumpkins After Dark is an illumination art event that makes use of pumpkin carv ings as a medium. The walk through at traction features over 6,000 carved pump kins that come together to form large and dimensional displays. The creations are
made and carved by Canadian artists. The carvings are a mix of real and high-quality foam pumpkins to make sure displays re main fresh throughout the event’s dura tion.
In addition to the hour-long walk through the pumpkin carvings, there will also be food trucks to quench your thirst and fill you with warming treats. While chowing down, there will be live pumpkin carving demonstrations and more interac tive displays to see.
At the walk, displays vary from spooky to elaborate feats of creative carving. Many of the displays feature fictional characters such as Dracula, Shrek, and Edward Scis sorhands. The displays are often grouped into themed sections. Some of the themes
seen throughout are the mythical crea tures, nature, and Canadian symbols.
The attraction is wheelchair and stroller friendly and has workers with flashlights to help guide guests around the darker corners of the walk. It is recommended that wheelchair users have assistance with them when coming as some parts of the path are bumpy and may be unsafe to tra verse alone.
The first ever Pumpkins After Dark was hosted in 2019 at Country Heritage Park in Milton, Ontario. The attraction is a won drous event that came from the mind of James Fraser, self-declared chief pumpki neer. Fraser is in charge of the layout and making sure that the content of the carv ings are appropriate for all while finding
a balance that keeps the spirit of a Hallow een event.
Fraser works in tandem with Joe Milana, creative director, who is in charge of the creation of the pumpkin carvings. Milana has several years of experience with pump kin carving and began experimenting with the concept of combining carvings to create larger displays, which led him to working with Pumpkins After Dark.
The award-winning event has multiple attractions set up across Canada. This is the first year it is being hosted in B.C., and Pumpkins After Dark expects a large turn out in the coming weeks. Get your tick ets and head on down to see what a little imagination and a whole ton of pumpkins can do.
The Pride Collective is UFV’s LGBTQ+ club that focuses on creating a safe and wel coming space for all students, regardless of sexuality, gender identity, race, or age. The club was recently reestablished in the fall of 2021, when current Pride Collective president, Roxy Granikovas, took over. Granikovas said, “The club is all about promoting inclusivity on campus and pro viding a safe space for LGBTQIA+ identi fying folks and allies.” The club is open to students, staff, and alumni.
In early September, Pride Collective hosted its first event of the semester, Sidewalk Chalk and Chill. Granikovas explained, “We collaborated with [the Student Union Society] and our topic was ‘what does inclusivity on campus mean to you?’ We had a bubble machine, and were giving away T-shirts, lanyards, stick ers, as well as providing folks with more information about our club, and everyone was encouraged to come out and partici pate, and write on the sidewalk outside of the [Student Union Building].” They continued, “We had a really great turn out and a lot of lovely words were written.”
The Pride Collective is collaborating with the Campus Recreation team to host weekly gender inclusive basketball ses sions. The basketball games will be hosted every Thursday in Building E from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In addition to the bas ketball games, a second collaboration has been formed to start a new weekly event, Inclusive Movement, that will start at 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays and lead up to the basketball games.
Granikovas said, “I'm really passion ate about mental health as well as physi cal health, so collaborating with Cam pus Rec has been really important to me personally. Just giving folks that oppor tunity to come out in a safe space and let them know that this is available to them because marginalized population folks haven't had the same opportunities to par ticipate in sports or sports teams as others or felt safe or included.”
In late October they will be hosting a Taylor Swift listening party. The event will be casual and have food to snack on while giving people a chance to socialize and bond over Taylor Swift.
In the works for spring 2023 is a Queer Prom. Granikovas described it as, “A queer prom will be an opportunity for folks to come out and dress up. A lot of folks didn't have the opportunity to go to their prom because of COVID, or they never had a prom happen, or a lot of folks felt like they couldn't go to prom with the people they wanted to go to prom with because of maybe not being out yet, or not feeling comfortable with doing so in high school or because of their families.” They contin ued, “So this is an opportunity for folks to redo prom or have prom for the first time.”
The Pride Collective is always open to everyone and endeavors to be a safe space. To get involved and keep up to date on all their events, connect on the Pride Col lective Facebook, Instagram, Discord, or shoot an email to prideufv@gmail.com for more information.
ANISA QUINTYNE
As newcomers, settling in Canada can welcome exhilarating experiences, as well as unforgettable challenges that pave new roadways for life’s many lessons. “Images of Newcoming”, a photovoice project led by researcher Brianna Strumm and the people working at Adult Education and the School of Social Work and Human Resources, seeks to encapsulate these intricate moments in ways that can be understood by all.
“I'd say a year or so, we've been work ing on doing this research,” Strumm said while recounting her memories of the pro cess. “It’s essentially a photovoice project, that’s the type of research we were con ducting to highlight and share the experi ences of newcomer women to Canada. So the women were asked to take photos of their experiences of belonging and exclu sion. So what does it mean to them, or how have they experienced belonging in Canada? And then the flip side of that is what are their experiences of exclusion in Canada?”
“And they brought those photos to our photovoice workshops, where we dis
cussed the meaning behind the photos for each of the participants. They were there to discuss with each other the meaning behind the photos, and so we had five groups of women participate in the proj ect, and about 30 to 40 women who partici pated all across the Lower Mainland. We had some workshops here in Abbotsford, we had some in Surrey, we had some in Burnaby.”
The art exhibition, which can be viewed at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery all through September and early October,
illustrates the intimate stories of these women and the moments which defined their place of being in Canada.
For some participants, adversity was a roadblock that challenged their sense of belonging. “For example, there is a photo of an empty hallway. And for one of the participants, this represented exclusion, not knowing her neighbours, her neigh bours not saying hi to her, things like that. Another example of exclusion might be not being able to work in a field that you've trained, to having to retrain or go back to
school.”
“On the other side, experiences of belonging are associated with maybe a language being spoken that they're famil iar with, or that is their language of origin. Eating food that is familiar or comforting to a participant was a feeling of belong ing… being with family, making a contri bution. So being a volunteer, that created a sense of belonging.”
When asked if there was anything Strumm had learned from working on this project, she responded with, “So much, really — it's twofold, right? For me, it’s about learning about how we reduce prac tices of exclusion and barriers for newcom ers, and the ways in which those show up and how we need to do better as a society. And on the flip side, the strength and the resilience of the women and the partici pants we met, of how and where and why they feel belonging, of getting a job or going back to school.”
“It’s amazing to see and just learn from both sides of their experience. It’s a testa ment to perseverance for a lot of the wom en in terms of their pathways to belong ing.”
on the emotions
When you didn’t
Having a sense of
Being thrilled about
Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19
the first few major due dates of the semester are closing in. The
box seems daunting, Aries, but you can get through this..
Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20
It’s time to weigh the pros and cons. Your time is precious, Taurus. Decide between what’s worth your time and what’s better off left in the drafts.
Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20
Take a social media detox and focus on your responsibilities
Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22
IIt’s fun to get in on all the drama and current social chaos in the lives of friends, family, or even social media celebrities — but take a step back and consider what that’s doing to your moral high ground.
Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22
You’ve heard it nearly a million times before, dear Leo, but we’ll say it again. Do not compare yourself to other people. If you look at someone’s assignment in comparison to your own, don’t change a thing. That could be an A in someone’s books.
Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22
Avoid taking on the responsibilities of other people as a distraction from your own.
Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22
Not everything has to be in perfect balance, arrangement, or order. It’s okay to be a little skewed. In fact, let’s throw out the scale entirely.
Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Trust your gut.
Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21
Don’t be afraid to get too clingy — knowing you, Sag, your version of “clingy” could just be asking someone how their day went.
Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19
Ground yourself and get some rest. Staying up until the a.m.’s isn’t going to make you more productive.
Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18
Try not to ghost everyone as a solution to your problems. You have a lot going on currently, but so does everyone else. Reevaluate the empathy you hold for other people.
Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20
You know those red flags you’ve been seeing lately? Yeah, you know which ones. Assess those before making any further commitments.
EVA DAVEY
On September 21, 2021, Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters opened their doors in Chilliwack, and a year later they celebrated their anni versary with the community. Despite only being open a year, they have already made a name for themselves within the community of Chilliwack and the café world. They have been named “Coffee Roaster of the Month” by online blog Commonly Coffee and also gained the title of “Best New Coffee Shop in Vancouver” in the 2021 Snobby Awards (by blog Vancouver Coffee Snob).
Yet, their location in the Chilliwack 1881 District was not the very beginning of Smok ing Gun’s journey. They used to be a pop up shop in Highstreet Mall located in Abbots ford and going back even further, Brandon Litun, the shop's owner, launched their first commercial roastery in Abbotsford’s Ravens Brewing. The success following these two projects then led to Smoking Gun being ap proached to open in their current location. This led to the question: why Chilliwack of all places?
“I never set out to start a coffee company, so it all happened organically which was pleasant and exciting. So it just seemed like a great opportunity to have a great spot in an area where we could really put down roots, and really experience this fast and upcom ing market”.
provided coffee for events such as a regional pride event hosted in Chilliwack Secondary School, and made their own one year an niversary a celebration that anyone could attend. Litun talked to The Cascade about t he connection between coffee and commu nity.
“I think at the heart of coffee historically the real power is in the ability to create con nection. I think it has way more to do with the connections than even what is served in the cup, but when all of those things happen together that's when beautiful things hap pen”.
Considering all this we wanted to know how their first year in their full-sized shop has been.
“The word that immediately comes to mind is dynamic, and in all the ways the word can be interpreted. It has been amaz ing to experience such a warm welcome from the Chilliwack community, and such a rewarding place to find ourselves. It’s a gift. It’s been a lot of learning for us ‘cause I never envisioned this happening. Now, obviously I have a lot of vision. We have a lot of goals and plans, but it’s been a lot of just discov ery. Dynamic in that way. To be trusted with peoples’ coffee rituals, we don’t take that for granted.”
The Cascade Kitchen is a student-run food column that brings you budgetfriendly recipes and cooking tips. If you want to see your own recipe featured next, get started by reaching out to culture@ ufvcascade.ca.
Now that October is here and Hal loween is just around the corner, it’s time to bake up a batch of Witches Fingers! This family favourite recipe is essentially a creative twist on a classic shortbread. I have made these every year since I was little and I al ways get a laugh out of seeing peo ple's faces when I serve these piled high on a tray. Get into the spirit and try them out this Halloween season!
Time: 1 hour
Makes: about 40 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter or dairyfree alternative (I use President’s Choice’s butter alternative for this)
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
½ tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ cup whole blanched almonds
1-2 tubes of red decorator gel
Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla until well combined.
2. Slowly mix in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Once combined, cover and refrigerate for 30 min utes.
3. Work with a quarter of the mix ture at a time and keep the rest in the refrigerator until you use it. Roll tablespoons of dough into long, skinny finger shapes and place on a greased baking sheet.
4. Press an almond into one end of the finger to create the nail.
5. Lightly press into the center of the finger to create a knuckle in dent and then with a knife, make small lines in the indented space.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1215 minutes or until the bottom is slightly brown. Don’t overcook these or they will dry out.
7. Let them cool for 5 minutes be fore lifting up the almond and squeezing a small drop of red decorator gel on the nail bed. Press the almond back in its spot and allow the gel to ooze around the almond.
8. Cool completely before serving.
A key part to what makes Smoking Gun impressive and different is the fact that they roast all their coffee in house at the café. Li tun brings up how roasting his own coffee has created positive personal experiences and great experiences with other coffee lov ers.
“It’s just such a beautiful way to create connections. Not only connections I found within myself and a lot of healing and a lot of self discovery, but then to be able to share that with other people, to create connections over this product… to take great pride in not only roasting the product that people can enjoy in their homes but being able to pres ent it in the café at that level is just a great privilege as well.”
Something that makes the roastery/café so special is the warm welcome custom ers receive as soon as they walk through the doors. The business is heavily involved within the community of Chilliwack and the events that are held in the city. They have
Another way Smoking Gun Coffee con nects with people in the community is their student perks program. Any UFV student can go to the shop Monday to Friday be tween 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. – 6 p.m. to get 15 per cent off beverages during their coffee happy hour. Just make sure to bring a student ID!
As stated above, the company at one point set up their first commercial roastery in Ravens Brewing, and ever since they have not been a stranger to collaborations. Litun alluded to a future secretive collaboration happening for the company this upcoming spring, but sadly no more can be revealed. Instead, we can happily report that they will be launching a new production roastery space, and while in-house roasting will re main, this new development offers an even brighter future for Smoking Gun. The com pany’s goal for this new development?
“Keep spreading the love, and try to get more coffee into the world.”
Follow Smoking Gun Coffee Roaster on instagram @smokingguncoffee for updates on the café/roastery and future projects.
Do Revenge, released on Netflix mid-september, has be come a hit with audiences. The movie, written by Celeste Ballard and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, follows two teen age girls who deciding to get revenge on people that have wronged them. To do so, the girls plot to exact vengeance on each other’s enemies to minimize the chance of getting caught. The flick stars Camila Mendes (known for River dale) as Drea and Maya Hawke (known for Stranger Things) as Eleanor. I loved this movie. Three out of four of my fa vorite movies are of the “chick flick” variety. While this could easily be placed in said genre it also differs quite a bit— (the soundtrack being one of the best I’ve heard in a long time—), it would be silly to pretend that this movie was perfect, with strong highs and awkward lows. How ever, despite its faults, Do Revenge sticks the landing for an overall enjoyable viewing experience. For every corny line uttered by a character (a reminder that adults still do not understand Gen-Z) there is another that perfectly encap sulates what makes this generation’s movies so good. The chemistry between the two leads is dynamite. Occasionally awkward dialogue lands even when it shouldn’t. Hawke’s delivery of the word “glennergy” is not something I ever planned on constantly being played on loop in my head, yet I am not mad that it is.
The costume department and cameos steal the show (Ex: Sophie Turner’s quick role leaving audiences want ing more). No real life teenager would be wearing these extravagant clothes, which serves as a callback to how previous chick flicks have fashioned their characters. Drea (Mendes) is the most clear example of this, as we see her
outfits become more outrageous the more her plans un ravel within the film. Additionally, seeing how Eleanor (Hawke) develops an edgier style the more her character is fleshed out is really satisfying. Another win for this movie is the soundtrack (it being one of the best I’ve heard in a long time) that is full of smash hits from The Cranberries to Olivia Rodrigo. Each song in the movie was utilized in a great way, and I hope whoever created this soundtrack got a huge raise at Netflix.
The movie is full of homages to movies such as Clueless, Mean Girls, and Heathers Do Revenge is a campy Netflix film that wears its imperfections with pride, proudly pay ing homage to its influences. During my watch I was even reminded how weird previous teen movies have been, par ticularly when Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character invokes her Cruel Intentions part (I actually gasped seeing this icon return to the screen). The homages never seem like they are trying to rip off the movies that have come before them, just simply honor them.
As previously mentioned, the chemistry between Mendes and Hawke is really what makes this movie so great, and it really helps the audience support such unlikable charac ters. The two protagonists are terrible people. Personally, I am a fan of unlikable protagonists. They lead the audience to be torn between rooting for them while also waiting for the penny to drop over their toxicity.
The film’s faults lie in the sometimes convoluted plot, alongside a predictable twist. This development feels cheap and last minute, and should have happened earlier in the movie or not all. It doesn’t so much as pull the rug from under the viewers feet, but instead loses a bit of steam half-way through.
Do Revenge explores something near and dear to my
Why both would have thrived under different circumstances.
AVERY DOW-KENNYTwo of the most highly anticipated fantasy shows currently on air have been unintentionally — and unfairly — thrown into a battle of the best. With Rings of Power on Prime Video premiering a mere week and a half after the eagerly await ed Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon on Crave, the two shows respectively drew in record breaking views. Though Rings of Power nearly tripled the global views of its competitor on premier night, receiving 25 million in comparison to 10 million views for House of the Dragon, the Tolkien adaptation has garnered an immense amount of criticism where George R.R. Martin’s creation has not.
From racism and revisionism to the disliking of the en tire show, Rings of Power has been everywhere in the media. As a fellow Tolkien enthusiast, I can understand the appre hension of some fans when it comes to the tales premier ing on screen, though I cannot say I have read all of the source material to compare it yet. However, the attacks on the revisionism of the original content have been garnered more towards the actors and subsequently their charac ters. The most common criticisms have been towards two of the main elves: Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova). When it comes to the powerful female commander, audiences are disillusioned that she would actually be as strong as she is portrayed. Perhaps this idea stemmed from her lack of action scenes in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, even though she held a power ful, God-like presence of undeniable strength in the films. Or perhaps these critics have not seen enough empowering women in film to understand that they can be as strong, if
not stronger, than the men.
As for Arondir, the issue is deeper than his character, and that is the issue of race; which both shows attempt to tackle. Arondir is not the only person of colour in his show — far from it in fact — but because he is front and centre as a main character, all the hate has been directed towards him. In my opinion, Rings of Power incorporates racial di
heart: feminine rage. Both protagonists have incredibly valid motivations for getting revenge, and the movie never indicates that they should feel bad about their feelings. The movie does a well rounded job of balancing celebrating the girls’ rage with criticizing how they exactly go about their revenge. This is refreshing considering most movies with similar plots end up with the feminine rage being pushed aside in order for the characters to gain forgiveness. Here they are validated in their feelings but not their actions. The last few scenes before the credits roll do not turn the leads into the good guys, but validates them instead. With the last twist (there are a couple) audiences may be prone to pump their fist The Breakfast Club style. Well, at least I did.
Overall the movie is an easy watch if you are a fan of movie characters being horrible people, aesthetically pleas ing moments, and getting any cool song from the last two decades stuck in your head. Cozy up, turn on Netflix, and Do Revenge
versity in a smoother, more intentional manner than seen in House of the Dragon where it comes across as tokenistic. In particular, there is a scene from the third episode where Velaryon and Targaryen troops are gathered. Within the sea of well-incorporated caucasian and Black extras the camera pans over the singular Asian character, delegated to a ge neric background role, standing amongst the soldiers. The scene felt like the producers were trying to say, “look guys, we did the thing.” The wider range and larger quantity of representation in Rings of Power makes it feel more natu ral, whereas, the one asian person in House of the Dragon (thus far) felt like an afterthought. Though they integrated the Velaryon diversity seamlessly into the show, it was the singular feeble attempt at a broader span of races that gar nered my reaction.
As I wait eagerly with many others for a new episode every week from both shows, I cannot help but compare the two. Some prefer the lighter, more mystical aspects that Rings of Power grants, but the large majority I have spoken to prefer the gritty, more intimate vibes of House of the Drag on that so many have missed from Game of Thrones, myself included. In my opinion, had I not been viewing them at the same time, I would have adored both fantasies equally. Unfortunately, given the close air times and the similar fan tastical elements, I have too often seen articles ogling House of the Dragon and slandering Rings of Power. I guess we have the finale of Game of Thrones to thank for that, with this pre decessor acting as redemption. Though, whether you are a Targaryen or a Baggins, we can all agree on one thing for certain: fantasy shows are the best.
ART D'ECCO
Hudson Mohawke - Cbat
OLSEN
This song broke the internet, and at least one Reddit user’s rela tionship this summer - though it was likely not the song itself, rather the use’s unhealthy at tachment to connecting it with his sex life, that did the dam ming. So, next time you burn a book, ask: me or the book?
Kelly McMichaelStepping Stone
SINGERS
PANDA BEAR
RAY
This artist did not win the Po laris Prize this year, but she was nominated for the original ‘long list’ of 40 artists, as well as the ‘short list’ of 10, and performed at the return of the annual gala last month, celebrating her de but solo record. What a smooth track.
Took long enough to shuffle, but multiple time Fraser Valley Music Award winners Loans have an al bum they released this year, and this song references a beloved local musician who ‘paid your dues and did your time, sang the blues, bitched and whined’. It’s kinda salty, but it’s 2022, right?
The Devil Wears Prada is an American hard rock/ metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio. The group gained popularity in their early days for their bru tal riffs, aggressive breakdowns, and vocalist Mike Hranica’s unique delivery of false chord screaming vocals. Their early work was almost exclusively metalcore, without any clean singing and harsh instrumentation. Later albums however, such as 8:18 and The Act, began incorporating atmospheric synths, slower paced songs, and more melody. On September 15, 2022, the band released their eighth studio album Color Decay. Having been a fan of all their work from the early hardcore days to their more recent melodic projects, I was eager to hear how this album would come together. Their previ ous studio album, The Act, quickly became one of my all-time favourite records, thanks to its deeply emotionally resonant lyrics, and beautiful melodic vocal incorporation from rhythm guitarist, Jeremy DePoyster. It does this all without sacrificing an un relenting heaviness. The leading singles from Color Decay were incredibly promising. However, I was not ready for just how beautifully written this re cord was going to be.
THE DREADNOUGHTS
A. D
BLUE MOON
More Saturday Night
KAMIKAZE NURSE Stimuloso
This guy. I still struggle to won der how modern identity politics and popular music converge to elevate artists that pay no mind whatsoever to sexual politics and gender norms while they climb the progressive social media ladder on platforms like Tik Tok popular with activists and ‘truth tellers’. Catchy tune.”
Color Decay may be my all-time favourite album from this band. The Devil Wears Prada further ex pand on the melodic soundscapes explored in their last record while delivering their most emotionally resonant lyrics to date. Duetting frontmen Mike Hranica and Jeremy DePoyster tackle themes of ad diction, trauma, grief, mental illness, and healing with meaningful reminders to not give up on hope for brighter days. As stated in an article with New Noise Magazine, the title of the album Color Decay references the breakdown and loss of visual colour we begin to experience at times of struggle. That concept hits close to home for me, having spent years perceiving the world in this oppressive grey scale visual tone while dealing with severe depres sion. I’m sure that many others have experienced something like this as well, particularly in the last few years. The song “Trapped” gut-punched my soul in the best way possible with its commentary on existential anxiety:
The heavy themes are matched reminders that better days are within our grasp, we’re not alone, and that things can get better. The ability to not shy away from reconciling with the darkness we live through and not allowing it to become overbearing is something I really appreciate out of this genre.
Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of The Devil Wears Prada’s music (in later albums) is the way they’ll a take a slow melodic verse section, and pair it with Mike Hranica’s screams. The combina tion creates a certain tension, while allowing Hrani ca’s vocals to take centre stage, and come through more clearly. A good example of this could be the song “Cancer.” The song subverts expectations for a metal track by placing Hranica’s screaming over the slower verses, and then having DePoyster’s calm ing, melodic vocals take over during the more ag gressive choruses. I find this combination helps the emotional content of the lyrics to have a stronger effect and give the listener a feeling of being im mersed in a waterfall of sound and feeling. “Fire” stands out in contrast the most, with its almost hiphop-like electronic drumbeat, haunting atmospher ic synths, and acoustic-guitar melody. “Exhibition” features a driving beat over a more crunchy, punky guitar riff through the choruses. “Watchtower” falls in line with some of the more aggressive work from their earlier material.
The Devil Wears Prada have more than delivered with this latest release. Intelligent, emotionally resonant lyrics alongside further sonic experimen tation that consistently hits the mark. The tracks found on Color Decay feel fresh, bouncy, and per fectly help usher in the fall season with suitably dark, yet hopeful messaging.
American metal act The Devil Wears Prada deliver the perfect al bum to cry to while chowing down on your Halloween candy
“…Your sight's blurry and you're hurtingIt feels like the world stopped turning Still trying to make the best of this place Don't say sorry, it's not your mistake Does it feel like a heart attack?
Like there's no way out and no way back I hate that you're being trapped by your issues But I'm here with you…”
talking bug, the story is at once very famil iar yet simultaneously very fresh. King sea sons this book with many references to old tales such as “Rumplestiltskin” and “Jack and the Beanstalk” as well as newer ones such as Lovecraft's “The Call of Cthulhu.”
The story lulled me into a feeling of nostal gia for stories told to me at bedtime, tales I read during summer breaks as a child, and the type of books I received at Christmas. This book brought me back to a place of magic. I wish I could forget it and read it again for the very first time.
All the chapters are titled in a very nononsense kind of way. Listing just the high lights to keep you guessing, and illustrated with a snapshot of what's to come. The illus trations are reminiscent of the etchings that decorate old stories in classical novels. Each chapter is divided into smaller subchapters, cutting up the 600-page novel into small bite-size pieces for ease of reading. I would consider the overall pacing to be of medium speed. King has a way of answering one question while creating two more, which I found hooked me into the story. Through out the whole novel I was eager to find out what came next.
into the action. The only downfall to this is that only two thirds of the novel take place under the well. This left me wanting for more.
I found the characters so well fleshed out, and so human that when the action hit, I couldn't let go of the pages. I found myself easily frustrated with some of the decisions they made, and felt myself empathize with their struggles. The overarching theme of self-forgiveness, making amends, and will ingness to do what is right, felt relatable on so many levels. King describes the imper fections of humans, relationships, and the decisions one makes while stumbling away from their character defects.
Like most King novels I found myself looking up words and referenced mate rial that I was unfamiliar with. This might sound daunting to some, but I found the added nuance and information added to the overall experience of the story. King’s refer ences to other literary works, when I look them up, always guide me to more stories I enjoy. He also includes Easter eggs to his own work, which always makes me smile.
us, whether it be regrets from our darker impulses or internal battles brought on by an inability to live up to our own moral standards, King succeeds in exploring these through the characters. Not every moral compass points north, some will guide you down a well and through the gray before bringing you back to sunlight.
Fairy tales and folklore have for gen erations been used to leave the mundane behind and escape into new horizons. In an interview from May of 2022, King said that the hope he had for this book is “for [his] reader to forget all their problems for a while and just relax and get totally im mersed in the story and get carried away to a different world.” He certainly accom plished this mission.
Stephen King’s new book Fairy Tale is the heart-warming tale of a boy and his dog, who venture down a well to a world of magic and wonder. Complete with a prin cess in need of saving, giant enemies, and a
In classic Stephen King fashion, the first portion of the story begins slowly but re mains enjoyable. Low expository foreplay gets you emotionally invested in the charac ters before throwing them (and the reader)
Stephen King is and will always be the “King of Horror,” however, this is not a horror book. Don’t set yourself up for dis appointment by going into it expecting to be horrified. Now, that's not to say this book lacks any dark passages. King thor oughly explores the dark well inside all of
This book was a feel-good, cozy read for me, but the real gut puncher which truly winded me was the last page. In his ac knowledgements, King refers to the fans of his that have passed from the pandemic that has affected so many over the past two years. It hit me right in the feels to think that the man who has written so many glorious nightmares has also written such a tale of hope. Here in Fairy Tale, King gives us a story of bravery, redemption, and a dream of magic. Doing so during a two-year night mare that has plagued our world makes Fairy Tale even more magical.
Note: Note:
Some of these events require tickets, and most are online. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details, including those about social distancing measures for in-person events.
Mental Health Screening Day for Students @ Abbotsford Campus
Cafeteria B105, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Engagement Expo @ Abbotsford Campus, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Drop in Badminton @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Virtual Career Fair Student Orientation @ Virtual, 12:00 - 1:00 pm.
Self Care Yoga @ E150, 12:10 - 12:50 pm.
Art Exhibit: Images of Newcoming @ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery Room B136, 12:00 - 5:00 pm.
Drop-in Advising with Paula Funk @ SoCA Student Lounge Room C1001, 1:30 - 3:30 pm.
CERA - Age-Friendly University Celebration @ Building K North Patio K170, 4:00 - 6:00 pm.
StudentCare Table @ SUB, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Summit Circuit @ E150, 11:30 am - 12:10 pm.
Art Exhibit: Images of Newcoming @ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery Room B136, 12:00 - 5:00 pm.
Writing as a Way of Healing for Students @ Abbotsford Campus, 1:15 - 2:30 pm.
Drop in Open Court @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
Drop in Spike Ball @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 2;30 - 4:00 pm.
Drop in Inclusive Movement @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 4:00 - 5:30 pm.
Game Night in the Global Lounge @ B223, 4:30 - 7:00 pm.
Passion Potluck @ Chilliwack, 4:30 pm.
Art Exhibit: Images of Newcoming @ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery Room B136, 12:00 - 5:00 pm.
Yoga Nidra for Students @ SUB, 12:00 - 12:30 pm.
WSOC at Trinity Western Canada West @ Langley, 5:00 pm MSOC at Trinity Western Canada West @ Langley, 7:15 pm
Dungeons and Dragons Walk-in @ Nerd Haven Games, 11:30 am.
WSOC at Trinity Western Canada West @ Abbotsford, 1:00 pm.
MSOC at Trinity Western Canada West @ Abbotsford, 3:00 pm.
Chilliwack Jets vs. Ridge Meadow Flames @ Sardis Sports Complex, 5:00 pm.
Thanksgiving
Self Care Yoga @ E150, 12:10 - 12:50 pm.
KIN Talks @ Chilliwack Campus, Room A1201, 1:00 - 2:30 pm.
Spin & Strength @ E150, 12:00 - 2:00 pm.
Zumba @ Abbotsford E150, 12:10 - 12:50 pm.
Drop in Pickleball @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 2:30 - 4:00 pm.
Drop in Open Court @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 4:00 - 5:30 pm.
Drop in Badminton @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Self Care Yoga @ E150, 12:10 - 12:50 pm.
Drop in Open Court @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 4:00 - 5:30 pm.
Summit Circuit @ E150, 11:30 am - 12:10 pm.
Drop in Spike Ball @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 2;30 - 4:00 pm.
Drop in Inclusive Movement @ Abbotsford, North Gym, 4:00 - 5:30 pm.
Game Night in the Global Lounge @ B223, 4:30 - 7:00 pm.
View our website for more details on current, local events.