The Cascade Vol. 21 No. 18

Vol. 21 Issue. 18

www.ufvcascade.ca

July 3 to July 16, 2013

Eating out of a stranger’s van since 1993

Gourmet or the highway

The skinny on Vancouver’s Food Truck Fest p. 10-11

Mission campus library closed due to funding cuts p. 3

The tough get going at Tough Mudder p. 20

2

NEWS News

Opinion

Arts & Life

Booby vs Human

Pee like a lady

Missy Spady looks into the beginnings of SUS’ plan to create a student food bank on campus.

A centralized place where students in need can go to fill their stomachs without having to feel awkward about asking for help.

It is slated to go into the recently approved student union building upon completion.

If you have a sibling, you probably both love and hate them. But what kind of effects does sibling rivalry have on a person later in life? Psych student Kayla St. Louis weighs in with personal anecdotes, two academic studies and a particularly hilarious species of waterfowl.

With so many benefits to peeing standing up, it’s hard to know why women are even sitting down anymore. Squatting causes problems, sitting on dirty toilet seats causes problems and the only solution is to stand up and take charge. Our resident sexpert gives the low-down on how to find relief.

pg. 5

pg. 7

pg. 17

SUS to provide foodbank

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Sports & Health

Water falls at the waterfalls

Once again intrepid reporter Jasper Moedt finds himself caught in a torrential downpour. Constantly in search of the perfect hike, Jasper decides to check out the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls in Chilliwack. What starts out as a light hike becomes a hurried race when the real waterfall is eclipsed by the cascade of water falling from the skies.

pg. 19

EDITORIAL

Watching the charity cash flow DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

Last year I donated to the SPCA. It wasn’t a large amount— maybe $5—and definitely not enough to merit a tax receipt, but the volunteer collecting donations wrote down my name and thanked me profusely.

That, I thought, was that.

I was completely surprised to receive a letter from the SPCA three weeks later.

Much to my chagrin, they had not only sent me a thankyou card but a set of personalized address labels and a pad of notepaper reading “From the Desk of Dossa Bayrock” along the bottom.

They hadn’t even spelled my name correctly.

Not only was I stuck with notepaper I hadn’t asked for and couldn’t use, I was left with a sinking feeling as I considered what, exactly, my money had gone towards.

It was just pocket change to me, but I saw other names on the donation form with contributions of $20, $50. Was this money just paying for postage of a thank you note and stationary headed for the recycling bin?

This is something I struggle with every time there’s a natural disaster. News coverage is punctuated with instructions

How much of that dollar is going to the cause? of how to donate and what charity to donate to. Sometimes these charities of choice form in response to a specific disaster and that disaster only, but often the names are familiar ones: the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, United Way. You don’t even have to get off the couch to donate, the newscaster will explain. Just text a certain word to a certain number and we’ll add it to your bill.

Considering how easy the process has become, how many people research charities before donating, let alone follow up on that donation?

Image: Wikimedia Commons

It makes sense that not every penny is going directly towards the cause; organizations have to pay administrative costs somehow, including renting offices and keeping those offices running smoothly. Anywhere from 10-30 cents per dollar go towards paying administrative costs. But these organizations have to buy coffee. They have to buy toilet paper. I don’t begrudge that.

What does bother me is finding a report from the Ontario Ministry of Finance, which records the names and salaries of Red Cross’s 26 high-ranking

employees.

All of them make over $100,000 a year. The CEO, Conrad Sauvé, makes close to $300,000 a year.

Maybe it’s naïve to think charities should operate any differently than a corporation or big business. Still, in the back of my head I assumed the people behind charities do the work because they love it, not because of the massive paycheque. Charities often argue that they need competitive salaries to draw high-calibre workers to the organization, but shouldn’t passion do that?

Sending off a donation is a quick and painless way to alleviate the horror and sympathy viewers feel as they watch disasters unfold through newsreels and live updates. In lives busier than ever, sometimes it’s the only commitment that fits into a schedule.

I know I’m not the only one disgruntled by the use of donated funds, but it’s a truth forgotten time and time again as each news piece about flooding or other natural disasters comes around.

Given all the information that charities are bound to release to the public—and how easily that information is available online—maybe it’s something we should be talking more about.

July 11- Aug 15

July 13

July 6

Envision Twilight Concert Series

Jam in Jubilee

The Reach summer film series : Moon

Battle of the Bands

The Reach art gallery in Abbotsford will be showing free films on select Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. Open to everyone, the series features a wide variety of films from blockbuster hits to foreign dramas. Moon (2009) stars Sam Rockwell and follows astronaut Sam Bell’s three-year stint on the moon. Also check out the Star Wars exhibit, Sith Happens, on July 13.

Managing editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Business manager joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson Online editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular

Art director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi Copy editor joel@ufvcascade.ca Joel Smart News editor news@ufvcascade.ca Jess Wind Interim opinion editor opinion@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Interim arts & life editor arts@ufvcascade.ca Amy Van Veen Interim sports editor joel@ufvcascade.ca Joel Smart Photojournalist blake@ufvcascade.ca Blake McGuire Staff writers Jasper Moedt, Melissa Spady, Katie Stobbart and Griffy Vigneron Contributors Jeremy Hannaford, Keith Morden, Sean Morden, Riley Nowlan, Kayla St. Louis and Tim Ubels

Printed By International Web exPress

Now – Aug 30

Bring your blanket to downtown Abbotsford’s Jubilee park for the annual summer concert series. Held every Thursday night, the event features local musicians of all sorts and art vendors from the Fraser Valley. Kicking off the first week is crooning mayor Bruce Banman.

Editor-in-chief dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock

Production manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bring a lawn chair and enjoy live music at Mission’s Heritage Park. With everything from high school bands and choirs to professional musicians and Celtic groups from all over BC, there is sure to be something for everyone. The event runs every Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. and admission is by donation.

Volume 21 · Issue 18 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

Eighteen bands. Ten weeks. The battle is on.

CIVL is hosting Battle of the Bands at Aftermath, held every Saturday from May 11 to July 13. Doors open at 7 p.m., and bands play from 7:30 until 9.

Tickets are only $5 per night, beer is only $5 a bottle and the full musical glory of the schedule is available online at civl.ca.

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a circulation of 1500 and is distributed at UFV campuses and throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of 75 university and college newspapers from Victoria to St. John’s. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of a prejudicial or oppressive nature.

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

Articles and letters to the editor must be typed.

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

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

3

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Changes to registration cause confusion, frustration JESS WIND THE CASCADE

Now that registration is well underway, it is clear that this year’s changes to the processwere not flawless.

The changes introduced this semester included implementing instant prerequisite checks, adding Interac Online as a payment option and a new requirement to pay the $200 deposit prior to registration.

All of these were designed to reduce UFV’s ever-growing waitlists.

Despite sending studentwide emails several times, these changes arrived with both confusion and frustration when registration finally opened.

The Interac Online payment option, which allowed students to instantly make payments as opposed to having to wait the few business days for their

Image: Anthony Biondi

Students experienced issues with the recent registration changes. bank transfer to go through, originally only included four banks: Scotiabank, RBC, BMO and TD. Despite warning students about these changes, the initial email did not specifically state that which banks

would be included in the option, or that credit unions in particular would not be included. Deputy registrar Darren Francis responded to the lack of communication regarding the new payment option.

“We did our very best to communicate the details of our changes to students. We did list the specific banks on our website as well as within an email sent at the beginning,” he said.

The email, sent in early May and again on June 17 specified that students of “any major Canadian bank” would be able to use the service.

Issues also arose with the execution of the Interac Online option with two of the banks.

In response, on June 28, UFV sent an email announcing the addition of a credit card payment option made available until July 4.

“Resolving these issues would require cooperation from third-party vendors,” Francis explained. “So we provisioned credit card as a onetime payment option for the deposit only as a way of assisting our students for now.”

Finally, during the first day

blitz of registration, myUFV responded slowly as students attempted to login and select their courses. OReg and Information Technology Services worked to increase the responsiveness of the system and assist students through the process. Another email was sent to students on June 28 that highlighted the option for an alternate path to registration through farnham.ufv.ca. Francis did not comment on whether this option was consistently available for registration.

Despite the mishaps, OReg maintains that the process is going well, with many students using the Interac Online option.

Going forward, OReg will be reviewing the process with faculty and staff. Francis concluded that it is too early to tell if the changes did, in fact, reduce waitlist sizes.

Funding cuts lead to library closure GRIFFY VIGNERON THE CASCADE

Faced with budget cuts and reduced funding from the government, UFV has decided to close the Mission campus library for good.

Funding from the government has not been significant enough to cover all university costs, after a $42 million cut to post-secondary education over the next three years was announced in February. Departments at UFV have been required to make budget cuts and save money where they can.

Interim university librarian Patti Wilson explains that the decision didn’t come easily.

“It wasn’t an easy choice to have to make. It’s never a welcoming idea to reduce services.

We’d always like to think that we were enhancing or improving services. I’m hoping that the net impact won’t be too great,” she says.

The Mission library, while used, has not been a huge hotspot for students to get materials. Of the 375 books taken out from the Mission library last year, 303 of them were requested by and transferred to Abbotsford students.

On top of that, the library was opened reduced hours on some days of the week, and was only open from September to April. The library technician, Shawna Pierce, was employed part-time.

Closing the library is set to save the university $30,000 a year from salary-related expenses.

“It’s not huge money, but they were looking [at] every piece of ... every department.

If you said you could save $50 on postage, $500 on postage, or whatever [they were] like ‘okay, we need that,’” Wilson

“I was not consulted beforehand. It was personally devastating ... ” ~Library technician Shawna Pierce explains.

Library spending falls into two big categories – paying salaries as well as the purchasing of licenses and collection items. Wilson acknowledges than library director Kim Isaac tried to reduce spending in both categories to avoid taking too much from either.

Part-time and on-call positions in the library were reduced in favour of full-time positions to meet the budget expectations. The part-time Mission library technician position was cut as part of this reduction.

Fortunately, Wilson explains, because there were some retirements in the library, Pierce didn’t lose her job as a result of the cuts.

“People were concerned about a person being laid off.

We’re in a union and people don’t want to hear about their union brother and sister being laid off,” Wilson says. “We were able to absorb her here into a vacancy.”

But the loss of the Mission library and technician position was still hard.

“What I will say is that the closure came as a complete shock to me. I was not consulted beforehand. It was personally devastating and I don’t care to talk about it,” Pierce says.

The library department will still offer services to Mission students. Books can be requested and will be available for pick up with Mission office staff. The Askaway online service will still help students find information on the library

Image: UFV/Flickr

Mission campus library has now closed its doors for good. website, and instructional classes will continue to be put on by library staff. An online web-conferencing service with library technicians is in the works for more in depth needs.

Wilson says they are still committed to providing Mission students with services in a

less-than-ideal situation.

“It’s not perfect, that’s for sure, but we’re definitely trying to do what we can to keep good-functioning services for people over [in Mission],” she says.

The Cascade is having an Annual General Meeting!

You should totally come.

The action hits the boardroom on July 17.

We’re going to have pizza, and almost definitely some soda and we’re going to talk about policy and elect some students to our board.

(Seriously. We really want you to be there.)

If you have any questions, send us a shout at editor@ufvcascade.ca

4

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Student apathy takes a turn

SUS subcommittees see encouraging response

MELISSA SPADY THE CASCADE

A surprising response to SUS subcommittees suggests that students are ready to shake their apathetic reputation.

SUS president Shane Potter recently opened up the subcommittees to external, non-board member students by sending out an application for interested parties to fill out. SUS subcommittees aresmall groups of students who arededicated to discussing and finding solutions to different campus related issues.

As many students take the summer off, the return rate was expected to be low. However, Potter remained optimistic.

“Worst case scenario we get two people,” he says. “That’s two more people that can come and sit on our committees. There’s no downside.”

In a shocking but positive outcome, over 15 students sent in applications to get involved with the student union. Given a tradition of low involvement at this time of year, this reaction bodes well for the upcoming fall semester, with the potential to double that number.

Potter attributes the high number of return to opening up the committees to non-board members and assuring students that the time commitment is less than what they imagine. Students who avoid getting involved in student government often do so because

they lack the extra time in their already busy schedules to run in an election or dedicate several hours a week for meetings.

However, Potter explains that committee meetings are a lowimpact gateway into getting involved on campus.

“You have an hour of time? You have two? Great,” Potter assures.

“I’ll give you a kick-ass reference which you can use for scholarships, grants, [or] a job. People are responding to that.”

The response doesn’t stop there; Potter says that non-board members turning out to meetings are also volunteering more of their time and showing up to events on campus.

Potter pointed out Thomas Davies as an example of this system

working well; after joining an external budget committee earlier this year, Davies became a representative-at-large.

Not only does a more robust student turnout boost a turning in the apathy tide, but it also brings some much-needed diversity to the table. Having more students from a variety of programs, backgrounds and experience will help create more dynamic discussions on ways to improve the effectiveness of our student government.

“It’s great having someone who has student life ambassador or clubs and associations experience, but also those who have never been involved in anything,” Potter explains. “It’s about getting that diversity.”

It also means SUS can stop

guessing how to appeal to new faces, and start asking them exactly what they want to see happen on campus.

Potter considers this a pilot project for later board reform as it reinforces the changes Potter feels need to be made in order to effectively represent the student body.

“We need a board that is a diverse representation of all the student leadership associations,” he says. “I’m blown away with the calibre [of students] that this campus is attracting and it really motivates me to push this student union in a direction where we use these high-calibre students, because we can accomplish a lot.”

Insufficient fees result in slashed SUS health and dental services DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

Students will notice a drop in their health and dental coverage when they return to campus in the fall.

Late last month, the Student Union Society (SUS) dental from 75 per cent to 55 per cent, and dropped eyewear coverage to zero, although optometrist fees are still covered by the plan.

Medical coverage will continue to cover costs at current levels of up to 70 per cent for eligible prescriptions.

These cuts come after a referendum to raise the health and dental fee failed earlier this year. Students currently pay $159.92 a year, and the referendum proposed an increase to $229.92 annually. A second referendum question proposed tying the fee to inflation, and allowing SUS to increase the fee at a set rate of five per cent per year.

As SUS president Shane Potter explains, students faced a choice between an increase in fees and a decrease in service.

“Every year that the fee doesn’t go up, the health and

Image: Anthony Biondi/ The Cascade

After a failed referendum, SUS was forced to cut services from the health and dental plan. dental services have to be cut,” he says. “We have not had an increase for many years now, and we are seeing the effect.”

Potter also notes that the

number of students claiming health and dental benefits from the program has drastically increased since its inception, which strains the limited fund-

ing pool.

“Our students are also using the program a lot more, which is good, but again pushes the reason for the fee to rise,” he

explains. “We want to keep fees as low as possible, but on the other hand, the purpose of the health and dental program ... is to provide extended health coverage for those who would not be able to afford it.”

Potter hopes that SUS will be able to increase coverage again in the fall after passing another referendum. The first step in that journey is reaching out to students; Potter has visions of surveys, open houses and a plethora of student feedback to help form the referendum question itself.

“The priority is a clear referendum question that allows a reasonable increase that balances the costs with the needs,” Potter says.

He also notes that he feels the previous referendum question was unclear.

“I don’t think this issue has been communicated effectively in the past,” Potter concludes.

“We are member-driven, but we also have to be clear in our information that these programs help people who would not be able to afford much needed medical and dental coverage.”

Donation to see agriculture barn built at CEP DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

Image: UFV Flickr

The CEP ceremony saw dignitaries brought in by carriage.

In another stage of development for the Canada Education Park (CEP) campus, UFV has pledged $750,000 towards building a demonstration barn and greenhouse for its agriculture program. The Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation contributed $250,000, and Envision Financial contributed $150,000 for naming rights to the building.

Image: UFV Flickr

A barn for UFV’s agriculture program will be built at the site.

5

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SCIENCE ON PURPOSE

Silver: effective against werewolves and bacteria DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE

Silver has long been the first line of defence against werewolves, but it turns out the precious metal might be just as effective in fighting bacteria.

The element (which currently hits the market at around $20 per ounce) has long been rumoured to have anti-bacterial properties; hundreds of years ago, it was common knowledge that water kept in a silver pitcher wouldn’t get scummy as quickly as other standing water.

Researchers have yet to document the power of silver over scummy water, but in a paper published earlier this month, researchers Jose Ruben Morones-Ramirez, Jonathan Winkler, Catherine Spina and James Collins noted the positive effect of silver in fighting certain types of bacteria.

The conclusions of the paper are summed up neatly in the title: “Silver Enhances Antibiotic Activity Against GramNegative Bacteria.”

Bacteria can be split into two categories: gram-negative and gram-positive. Gram-negative bacteria types are typically harder to fight since they have an extra cell wall layer. Grampositive bacteria have only one wall, so are more susceptible to antibiotics. Silver basically weakens these cell walls, which is effective in fighting both cell

Image: Anthony Biondi

You may never battle a werewolf, but you fight bacteria daily. types, but is especially helpful in breaking down gram-nega-

tive bacteria.

As the researchers discov-

ered, silver isn’t capable of killing bacteria on its own; rather, the metal weakens cells enough that antibiotics can swoop in for the kill. This is especially good news considering that many strains of bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics – but have no defence against silver.

“Resistance is growing, while the number of new antibiotics in development is dropping,” Collins noted in a Scientific American article. “We wanted to find a way to make what we have work better.”

Silver attacks bacteria structure in a couple of ways. It bonds to sulphur, which bacteria use to keep proteins in the correct folded structure.

Bacteria also react to silver by producing something called “reactive oxygen species” – a product that further damages the cell walls and also attacks the DNA of the bacteria cell.

Overall, the bacteria comes out worse for wear. Once silver comes into contact with the cells, fewer antibiotics are needed to fight infection, they fight it more effectively, and they are more likely to be successful against antibiotic-resistant diseases like E. coli.

So while you might not be fighting a werewolf any time soon, you might just find yourself using silver to defend against the next infection you contract.

Campus food bank seeks to feed hungry students

MELISSA SPADY

THE CASCADE

Soon hungry students will have a central place to obtain food without feeling awkward.

A food bank is currently slated as another addition to the recently approved Student Union Building. The project came to light when the SUS Advocacy committee discussed parts of the campus that are potentially lacking or could stand to branch out. VP academic Kristianne Hendricks said the idea can be credited to the fact that the committee knows students who are hungry.

“We wanted to find a way to fill that need,” she said.

UFV already has ways to help out hungry students through Student Life, but having a physical location on campus would cut out extra steps students have to go through to receive aid. Currently students go to Student Life, who in turn goes to the Abbotsford food bank and brings back hampers for those in need.

However, most students—including the SUS board—don’t know that the service is available.

Image: krossbow/ flickr

Students in need will be able to make use of a campus food bank.

“That was something we weren’t aware of when we started talking about this,” said Hendricks, “so we will definitely be working together with them to build on the [existing] relationships.”

Asking for help may even deter some due to shyness or embarrassment.

“It is very difficult,” Hendricks said, “especially the first time.”

Having a local food bank on campus would hopefully encourage those who need help to get it without worrying about feeling

uncomfortable.

“You don’t need to ask other students about it because you know about it, you’ve seen it, you’ve walked past the physical location,” she explained.

The project is still in its infancy; the first part of the plan is to address the needs of the community here at UFV. Students and their immediate families will be able to seek help at the food bank, but there is an opportunity in the future to branch out.

“I’d like to see a one stop – come in with your backpack empty and

leave [with it] full,” she said.

For the time being, students may still go to Student Life to get help, or if they find something tasty in the community garden by U-House they are encouraged to take it home. The community garden is maintained by a variety of people including staff from Student Life, Students for Sustainability and Oxfam groups and contains a variety of fresh grown vegetables.

“In the past year a lot of the food has gone to waste because there is no way to get the food to the students,” Hendricks said. “[They] didn’t know that was food or that they were allowed to have it.”

Hendricks added that if the project is successful they would be interested in working with the Abbotsford Food Bank to possibly have a North and South location, but for now the idea is to feed as many hungry students as they can.

Anyone who is passionate about seeing this project and others like it come together should get in touch with Kristianne at VPAcademic@ufvsus.ca.

NEWS IN BRIEF Opponents of Texas abortion restrictions rally at Capitol (Reuters) – Thousands of opponents of a Texas proposal to tighten abortion restrictions rallied outside the statehouse on Monday, giving a hero’s welcome to Democratic state Senator Wendy Davis, whose 11-hour speech stalled the measure last week.

As the Republican-dominated state legislature convened for a second special session on Monday, supporters said they expected the bill would pass this time. With few exceptions, it would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The political battle in Texas is the latest in a national debate over abortion restrictions.

While a dozen states have restricted late-term abortions, Arkansas has banned abortions after 12 weeks and North Dakota as early as six weeks.

Thousands demand China honor democracy pledge HONG KONG (Reuters) – Tens of thousands braved typhoon rains on Monday to demand China live up to its promise to allow fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in 2017 amid mounting fears of increased meddling by Beijing’s Communist Party leaders.

Surveys show younger activists identify themselves more as Hong Kong citizens than Chinese nationals – a trend that alarms Beijing, which is eager for the city to show more “patriotism” to the motherland.

Activist lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung said he was threatened by an anonymous phone caller who told him to steer clear of the march or “face the consequences,” but he still hit the streets.

Canada charges two in plot to bomb Canada Day event

SURREY, British Columbia (Reuters) – Canadian police said on Tuesday they foiled a plot to detonate three pressurecooker bombs during Monday’s Canada Day holiday outside the parliament building in Victoria, arresting a Canadian man and woman and seizing their homemade explosive devices.

Police said there was no evidence to suggest a foreign link to the planned attack, which targeted public celebrations.

“This self-radicalized behavior was intended to create maximum impact on a national holiday,” Wayne Rideout, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told a news conference.

Police said there was no risk to the public at any time because they began monitoring the suspects in February and knew all along what was happening.

6

OPINION

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Marmalade!

Thievery!

Pancakes!

Patience!

AMY VAN VEEN

KATIE STOBBART

KEITH MORDEN

Sean Morden

I don’t care, Paddington Bear. You may think marmalade is the bees’ knees, but it’s just the worst.

Marmalade tries so hard to be jam but it’s basically everything citrus fruit doesn’t want. Literally. It’s made from orange peels.

We don’t eat the peel and yet, for some reason, Paddington Bear is forcing us to smear it on our toast?

I call foul, sir!

When given the choice in the preserves aisle of the grocery store, who in their right mind goes for the strange yellow one?

There’s the classic strawberry, the slightly more exciting raspberry, the mysterious boysenberry – and yet there are weirdos out there choosing marmalade?

The M word seems more like a form of breakfast torture. Criminals are presumably forced to find bits of boiled orange rind smeared across the top of their stale toast.

Bad children see a jelly jar and get excited only to be disappointed by sour goo.

Stop trying to be jam.

Stop trying to be jelly.

Stop trying to be in people’s breakfasts.

Paddington Bear was wrong. It’s time for you to leave.

Offices, coffee shops, and fast food joints often have newspapers handy for clients to read. I like to take advantage of this by picking up a paper I would otherwise have to pay for and reading it cover to cover.

(Okay, I admit – I don’t read the sports section.)

Sometimes, if the events of the day have been particularly gloomy (murder, burned buildings, and social injustice), I like to banish the resulting cloud of cynicism with the levity of a positive horoscope and a cute comic or two. I don’t actually believe the stars have much bearing on my day, but the predictions can be fun to read.

Nine times out of 10, the horoscope and the comics are ripped out.

Why do people steal horoscopes? Do they save them for later to see if they come true?

Do they sit at the bottom of someone’s purse until the newsprint fades?

If you’re a horoscope or comic thief, please consider leaving the light and fluffy part of the paper alone next time to balance out the bad news.

Whether you’re dousing hot pancakes with syrup or spraying whipped cream onto a lightly crisped waffle, you know that breakfast will knock your socks off. Both are delicious in their own right, but at the end of the day, which is better?

I took a poll using my friends’ opinions on this important issue, and overwhelmingly the results came in favour of waffles.

It would seem that the crispy texture of a golden-brown waffle has convinced many that it is the ultimate breakfast meal.

I wasn’t so easily swayed.

Given the choice, pancakes are the winner of breakfast in my heart. Why? The creation of maple syrup was only to compliment the pancake’s awesome flavour. Pancakes can be rolled up with all sorts of fillings for eating on the go. Pancakes can be cooked on any flat grill or pan, with no need for any special cooking apparatus. Lastly, pancakes have been dated back to the fifth century B.C., and they’re still hip and happening.

It’s clear: pancakes rule and waffles drool.

But don’t take my word on it, try a pancake today!

When we tell people what movies are good, what music is awful, or how to do something, how much are we constricting their own choices?

The way I see it, if people truly have conviction in their beliefs, it would be wrong in their mind not to spread them to others. It’s why there are people willing to go door to door to see if they can convince you about their god, or persuade you to buy a new vacuum.

So even though the last conversation I had with an evangelist—while getting into my car—wasn’t exactly enlightening, it meant a lot to them to have someone listen. Whether or not I agreed they’ll never know, but they needed to give their beliefs to me.

My personal issue is with who we try to inculcate and with how much force. Don’t make your kid vote the same way you do, go to the same church, or associate with the “right” people. Not every young person is going to have the nerve or the knowledge to disagree with their elders, and we have to remember that. People can give their opinions, but they can’t make them mine.

Cigarette butt refund proposed to reduce litter, but will it work?

MELISSA SPADY

THE CASCADE

Earlier this year I expressed my disgust at the cigarette butts that littered the walk between my parking spot by Towne Cinema and the campus. It’s not just the sight of litter that perturbs me, but the thought of all those non-biodegradable filters slowly releasing toxins into the ground and water.

I’m not here to lecture people on smoking: the packages do that enough, and I’m a firm believer in freedom of lifestyle. If you want to smoke, smoke away (in designated smoking areas)!

But while you’re more than entitled to put whatever you choose into your body, don’t think that entitlement carries over to nature. We share the planet. Don’t be a brat: throw your trash away.

Most of the time I feel as though my pleas are dissipating into smoky air. That being said, I was delighted to hear about the West End Cleanup Group (WECG) in Vancouver running a pilot event where people could return their cigarette butts for a refund. During car-free day (Sunday, June 16) smokers could turn in their butts for a 10 cent refund per butt or $20 for a pound. Within the first half hour the group had given away

Image: multisanti/Flickr

Imagining there’s money attached to pre-owned cigarettes is hoped to curb this common sight. over $200 in refunds, and in the end collected over 60,000 butts.

The whole idea behind this pilot project is to petition BC to put a deposit on cigarette packs and institute a refund program. WECG feels this will encourage smokers to return their butts instead of littering them all over the streets.

Vancouver’s Green Party city councillor Adriane Carr plans to back the group by introducing a motion to implement this program on a permanent basis.

“My hope is that, because this is a program that should be province-wide, that Vancouver can simply urge the province to undertake

the program, but it should be done by working with Vancouver and all the municipalities in BC,” Carr told Straight.com by telephone.

Carr cites the success of the WECG pilot as the basis for her proposal, and will be urging for it to be forwarded to the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Sep-

tember.

Some commenters at CBC.ca argued that the removal of outdoor ashtrays was a significant part of the litter problem; giving smokers back their ashtrays could result in reduced litter around Vancouver and other cities. However, in my opinion, people are much more likely to respond to incentives rather than straight convenience.

It makes sense when you break it down: if I have to pay a deposit for the plastic bottle that holds my liquid sugar addiction, why don’t smokers have to pay for the plastic in their filters?

The bottom line is that you can’t stop people from doing what they like, but you can make it easier for them to stop polluting the Earth. I think creating a refund is the best plan I’ve heard in a long time. Extensive research into what exactly people are smoking didn’t deter people, and neither did adding horrific images of side effects on the packages. Preventative measures to reduce the effect of those smoking on nature and the rest of us is thinking out of the box, which is something I feel we need in order to create actual change.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013

“Smile!”Once, I didn’t think much of a man telling me to smile.

www.ufvcascade.ca

Maybe that man in the hallway didn’t think much of it either.

KATIE STOBBART THE CASCADE

I’m in a dark hallway, waiting for my friend to come out of the bathroom, when I hear someone say this. I assume he’s an employee of the dance club, since he has just disappeared through a door in the back. And the last time I went dancing a few months ago, a stranger briefly entering my personal space and telling me to smile may not have bothered me.

This time, I picked up on it. A week previously, a friend shared a video on Facebook about the Everyday Sexism Project, and the posts women (and men) around the world wrote about their experiences really made me think.

The project was started just over a year ago by a British woman, Laura Bates. On everydaysexism. com and on Twitter under #shoutingback, people were invited to post their experiences with sexism and sexual harassment.

“Women weren’t talking about this, myself included,” Bates says in a short video about the project after describing her own experience of a stranger groping her on the street. Since starting the project, over 25,000 men and women have shared their stories.

“I thought maybe 10 or 20 or 100 of my friends would add their stories ... you can’t silence somebody when they have 25,000 other voices behind them saying, ‘I believe you, and it’s happened to me too.’”

The stories range from discrimi-

Clubs can reveal the worst sexist tendencies in personal space invasion. nation at work, to comments made in social situations, to incidents of sexual assault and rape. Many of the stories are about street harassment – women afraid to walk out their door wearing shorts, or too embarrassed to say anything when men make lewd remarks.

Age makes no difference; there are stories of assault at nine and harassment at 60.

Once, I didn’t think twice about a man telling me to smile. And maybe that man in the hallway

didn’t think much of it either – he was probably just trying to be nice to a girl who was standing off by herself. Yet if a man stands in a dark hallway at the back of a dance club, I’m willing to bet the other guy walking past doesn’t flash a grin and say, “Smile!”

Part of the project’s goal is to create awareness about incidents that often go unnoticed. A person doesn’t necessarily have to be sexist to make sexist comments; it’s so entrenched in our society that it has

Image: Echobase_2000/flickr

become “normal.” Often, it seems that people don’t notice what happens, and the Everyday Sexism Project is an opportunity for people to speak up, even belatedly, and “shout back.”

Once, a guy told me I should take off my glasses when I was dancing because glasses aren’t pretty. Once, a guy pushed me up against a wall and groped me after I said no. I left without saying anything, because I thought maybe I had done something to encourage him. Maybe it

Sibling love, sibling hate

was my fault.

I’m lucky – I’ve only had a few negative experiences, especially compared to the amount of stories on Everyday Sexism. And I know that not all men are like this. But it’s alarming to me how normalized sexism is. It worries me that there are so many women who are talked to like they are solely sexual objects, that in many cases it’s assumed that wearing a skirt is an invitation, and that there are women out there who have been told, “maybe you shouldn’t go dancing/jogging/walking anymore, if you don’t like that response.”

A catcall is not a compliment. It makes most women uncomfortable. It perpetuates the idea that women are objects to be admired, not real people who are on their way to the grocery store. A wolf whistle does not make me feel attractive or admired; it makes me feel self-conscious and angry. Telling me to smile makes me wonder why I should – because I should be happy all the time? Because a smile is more attractive than a frown?

Maybe someone can explain to me why he felt compelled to say it.

I’m glad I’ve never experienced many of the stories I read. But I do have something in common with the women who have: I’m afraid.

However, it’s encouraging to me that the Everyday Sexism Project has been so successful, and that there are posts like this one occasionally: “Saw an amazingly attractive woman walking down the street. Kept walking, did not bother her …”

Are humans really different from boobies?

KAYLA ST. LOUIS CONTRIBUTOR

Chances are you both love and hate your siblings (if you have them). But what kind of an effect does that relationship make on you?

Kelly Fitzgerald recently published an article titled “Sibling Bullying Associated With Anxiety, Depression In Victims.” This article suggests that bullying by siblings can be as bad if not worse than bullying by peers, especially longterm.

But is this really news to anyone?

While Fitzgerald makes some valid points about the impact of bullying from our siblings, I think there’s a bit more to this than meets the eye. To begin with, I think it’s really going to depend on the age of the siblings, as well as how far apart they are in age – are we talking five-year-olds, or 25-year-olds?

Are they twins, nine months apart, or 10 years?

The form of bullying should also be taken into account; for example, although physical bullying may seem severe in the short term, emotional bullying may have longer-

lasting effects.

That’s not to mention what role the parents take in this sibling conflict – if they are even aware.

A slightly older article by Oscar Sánchez-Macouzet and Hugh Drummond, “Sibling Bullying During Infancy Does Not Make Wimpy Adults,” examined this same issue, but with one small difference: the research took place in the context of an avian species – the blue-footed booby.

Aside from this bird’s amusing name, these fellas are pretty rough around the edges and put up with a lot of crap – especially from their siblings. Contrary to Fitzgerald’s findings, Sánchez-Macouset and Drummond found that regardless of a booby’s trained role in infancy—be it the winner or loser of a sibling pair—there was no difference in the booby’s aggressiveness in later years. That means that the bullied booby was equally as aggressive in defending its nest from predators as the non-bullied booby.

In short: bullying made absolutely no difference one way or another.

But at the end of the day, those are still boobies. What about humans?

Everybody’s heard of sibling ri-

valry; it’s a common and largely expected phenomenon in our existence as humans. Anyone with siblings or who knows someone with siblings can certainly attest to this. It’s part of having a sibling – you fight. Anyone who claims they never fight with their brothers or sisters is a liar, a fake, and probably shouldn’t be your friend.

I grew up with an older brother; I know what it’s like. Throughout my upbringing, I’ve taken on such roles as the nerdy academic, the underdog animal lover, the punching bag, and the recipient of both kind and unkind verbal onslaughts.

And you know what? It’s made me who I am today.

Not everyone deals with bullying the same way. This isn’t a clearcut issue, but more of a continuum in terms of how we deal with bullying. If I was anyone other than myself, I would have internalized things differently and maybe then I would’ve been one of the anxious, depressed victims in Fitzgerald’s study.

I feel I can relate more with the boobies on this one. It might just be me, but I like to think there’s a little bit of booby in all of us.

Image: Anthony Biondi

Fighting with siblings: character-building or character-destroying?

Have an opinion about something? Share it with us.

Send letters to the editor (max 400 words) to editor@ufvcascade.ca

8

OPINION

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

What are you thinking about?

Feel like sharing your short-andsweet opinion? Keep an eye out for our whiteboard-toting pollsters roaming the halls.

In the eye of the beholder RILEY NOWLAN

CONTRIBUTOR

When you look at the cover of any magazine, what is it you see?

Most likely an air-brushed, highlyedited photo of some well-known celebrity. We all know that these photos or ads inside magazines or on TV are altered to show the “perfect” complexion or body, but if we all know these photos are a hoax then what is the point?

Why do various media outlets continue to portray these unattainable ideas of beauty? These standards are so unreachable that even

the people pictured, with hours of hair and makeup done, are not good enough to be shown to the public without technology intervening.

Even though we can say without a doubt that the photos we see of the celebrities we idolize have been edited, we still purchase the beauty products they promote, participate in the fitness regimes they’ve allegedly used, all in the hopes to what?

To attain the unattainable?

In this day and age, we don’t just idolize these pretty people any more. We long to know the good, the bad and especially the ugly of

these people’s lives. We like to see how we are similar to celebrities from the latest movies or music tours. We subscribe to their Instagram and Twitter feeds, and the reality shows focused on the busy, glamorous and sometimes trainwrecked lifestyles of actresses and socialites have become our guilty pleasures.

Why then do magazines continue to publish something that is such a clear misrepresentation? We can obviously bear to see the ugly parts of fame – in fact, we long for it. Yet, if we’re so into celebrity flaws, why do we continue to par-

ticipate in their charades of beauty?

Why do we let ourselves believe that a face absent of pores and a body absent of any flab is so easily attainable, and why do we torture ourselves when our own bodies don’t emanate those of people with personal trainers and chefs, and whose photos never go unedited?

Personally, I see this as a huge opportunity. What if a new magazine came into the mix? One who refused to alter the pictures they put out for impressionable consumers to see. What if we got to see real pictures of actors, musicians or models and we began to idolize

them for their talent instead of their manufactured beauty? Do you think people might go easier on themselves? Maybe everyone’s self esteem would rise a little. Maybe we would start to realize and appreciate more genuine talent, in the famous as well as ourselves.

Perhaps if society didn’t put such a value on manufactured beauty, we wouldn’t either. We could live our day-to-day lives appreciating the beauty in beautiful things and the value in all people with a variety of personalities and talents.

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ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

CROSSWORD

The most important meal of the day ACROSS 2. Delicious with a bit of cream cheese. (5 letters) 7. No need to microwave this leftover treat. (4, 5 letters) 8. Have this with peanut butter for protein. (5 letters) 10. Eggs plus whatever is in the fridge. (6 letters) 12. Squares in a circle – geometry sure is tasty! (7 letters) 13. Eat these savoury or sweet, as breakfast or dessert. (6 letters)

DOWN 1. One of these with a smiley face is a good way to cheer someone up. (8 letters) 3. An easy fruit to grab on your way out the door. (5 letters) 4. You can even drink breakfast. (8 letters) 5. Purple, orange, green, yellow and red in a bowl. (5, 5 letters) 6. A glass per day keeps scurvy away! (6, 5 letters) 7. Some of us need this to kick-start the day. (6 letters) 9. A warm, rib-sticking comfort food. (7 letters) 11. So many options: blueberry, chocolate, carrot, etc. (7 letters)

by KATIE STOBBART

LAST WEEK’S Answer Key Across 5. ARMCHAIR 9. BIKE 10. ALCOHOL 13. DRESSPANTS 15. CAMPING 16. GOLFCLUBS Down 1. CARD 2. TOOLBOX 3. WALLET 4. GRILL 6. RAZOR 7. FISHING 8. BOOKS 11. WATCH 12. TRIP 14. SHOES

The Weekly Horoscope Star Signs from Mordenglory Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18

Gemini: May 21 - June 21

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22

Time to put on your running shoes as this week is good for fitness. Just watch out for robot animals on your runs. Your lucky animal is a hedgehog.

Avoid camping this week as your significant other will be kidnapped when you least expect it. Your lucky symbol is a heart.

Avoid construction and active mines unless you have the guts to deal with an increased chance of being crushed by rocks. Your lucky symbol is a plus sign.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21

Waking up late this week will mean you will encounter your personal rival. Maintain good fitness and training as he’s always around the next corner. Your lucky symbol is a circle.

Grocery stores are bad luck this week. Instead, you should get the majority of your food from punching garbage cans. Your lucky number is three.

Great wealth is yours if you quest for it!

Grab your pogo stick and top hat before you go. Your lucky animal is a duck.

Aries: March 21 - April 19

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21

You will be run over by a number of race cars when you attempt to jaywalk at rush hour. Your lucky colour is green.

Guard your cinnamon buns closely as an escapee from the mental hospital dressed as a wizard needs food badly! Your lucky colour is blue.

This week you are encouraged to explore.

Check every hole and cave, but remember to bring a friend as it will be dangerous to go alone. Your lucky symbol is a triangle.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19

On your way home from school a man with a perfectly groomed mustache will land on your head. Your lucky colour is red.

Be alert when walking with cake due to an increased chance of being mistaken for food yourself. Your lucky colour is pink.

Travelling is likely this week, however when trouble appears, curling into a ball and rolling around will help. Your lucky letter is M.

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ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

ALI SIEMENS

CONTRIBUTOR/PHOTOS

Although I wouldn’t describe myself as the traditional type, I generally like to spend my Sundays relaxing. A low-key day with nothing too crazy before Monday rolls around again and requires me to get back into that blasted Monday-to-Friday routine.

However, that notion and tradition changed when the food trucks of Vancouver decided to all roll up at the same place, serving a plethora of street food.

Whether or not food trucks are your jam, there are many buzzwords that are being attached to the mobile kitchens that have heads turning and people of all particularities lining up.

Sustainable, ocean-wise, farm-to-table, fresh and local are thrown around in various forms to almost every vehicle as they sit in a circle between the Cambie Street Bridge and the Olympic Village ready to serve up their claim-to-fame street food. Sundays may traditionally be known as a time to kick back and relax before the weekend is over, but do yourself a favour and fill up before you lie down on the couch.

The Food Cart Fest is busy; at least, it was on the first day of the season. In 2012, the Food Cart Fest was held at The Waldorf and was such a success it was announced it would change locations annually. No matter the where, it continues to do what it does best – serve up food to the hungry. A Canadian toonie (or alternatively two U.S. dollar bills) will grant you access to a festival that focuses solely on the celebration of food truck recipes and creations.

Having never gone to the Food Cart Fest, walking in was a bit like my first time at Disneyland: sensory overload. To the right a bunch of folks were selling their vintage clothes, trinkets and treasures which were a great addition to everything else going on.

Alternatively, if you have children who are not interested in looking through the crate of records for sale, there is a bouncy castle as well as face-painting. (Why this is limited to just children, I don’t know).

Moving cyclically, salivating humans assumed the lineup position at their leisure once deciding which food truck they wanted to order from.

Deciding was the hardest part. It was like going to ABC Country Restaurant in Abbotsford and being slapped with their 15-page menu, but there were fewer Mennonites.

With my hombre, we eventually decided we were going for the “sharesies” move – separating and finding each other later to share our treats.

Although the line-up for Feastro the Rolling Bistro was killer long, things moved

quickly. I was in-and-out of that string of 50 humans in a solid 15 minutes.

Highest praise goes directly to the first thing I ordered: a tuna taco. As listed on their website, this bad boy came with grilled local Albacore tuna, tomato and star of anise chutney, shaved cabbage, miso aioli, wakame, pickled ginger, tobiko and bonito flakes. This thing was off the taco-hook. I was totally blown away and continuously made those annoying “mmm” and “yumm” noises the entire time it was in and around my mouth.

Without any regrets, a dungeness crab and shrimp cake was also ordered and as food critics say, “The marriage of flavours was delectable.” Feastro claims this is their fan favourite and I can see why. Huge and full of fresh seafood, it was topped with a delicious coleslaw and cocktail sauce that had the dogs parked beside me on their best behaviour. The West Coast has nothing to be ashamed of, and these guys at Feastro are working with the best ingredients from our ocean.

My food cart companion ordered from The Kaboom Box and we were both impressed with their chef’s creation. A po’boy sandwich made with fried oysters and poutine drenched in mushroom gravy and real cheese curds. The po’boy had the crunch everyone is seeking when wading in the fried oyster territory. There is almost nothing worse than getting a piece of deep-fried seafood (calamari, shrimp, fish and chips) that tastes and feels rubbery and salty. Kaboom

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

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Parents are able to get food and sit at the tables set up next to where the child distraction tools are located. No need for a babysitter if you are looking to take children along, as there is enough entertainment to keep everyone happy.

Like every event, the coordinators seem to be on top of what the crowd is calling for.

According to Facebook updates, more food trucks are booked for the following Sundays, and they have also implemented a bike valet service – if biking is your mode of transportation, they will keep your bicycle safe while you eat.

Apparently parking is a little tough in that area, so another recommendation might be to park further away and enjoy the walk next to the water on your way home.

As far as fun goes, this is an inexpensive and fun way to let the inner foodie in you enjoy Vancouver’s finest food trucks. Come vegetarian, carnivore, celiac, vegan and everyone in between, you will find something yummy and have fun doing it.

Being a foodie is kind of in right now, and that can often be intimidating when there are some people who just like food and don’t want to explain the gastronomy behind what is on the plate in front of you.

I like food, and I also like food coming out of a truck window in a recyclable container. Get a group of friends and make a game plan, because even though the food we tried was delicious, my full stomach still craved the many other smells wafting around Cambie Street.

Box had it figured out, and also added appreciated toppings that included a delicious coleslaw and tartar sauce-like taste. They knocked it out of the park.

Having sat and mowed down on those menu items we figured it wouldn’t be a true celebratory food truck experience without stuffing ourselves to the point where we felt sick. In line at Taser Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, our options were limited because they were sold out of almost everything.

Taser had some grilled cheese sandwiches on steroids. With many kinds of cheeses, bacon, grilled onion, apples, arugula and truffle oil being some of the mouth watering ingredients, we only had one option. The original grilled cheese available on white bread and orange cheddar cheese. Grilled perfectly with the perfect amount of butter to make the bread take on some of the flavour, we each took half and cheered to the successes of our ordering. Stringy cheese hung off my eyebrow (seriously – I don’t know how that happened) and we devoured it all.

The atmosphere was not only derived from the satisfying looks on people’s faces as they ate. The live DJ who played from the center of the circle kept patrons from the oncoming nap symptoms that can follow a good meal. The DJ or live music changes weekly, but from the beat I witnessed, he (or she) is meant to ensure everyone is having a good time. Next to the live music, the kid station was packed and looked totally fun (according to my inner child).

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ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Let television be television Game of Thrones, Martin and HBO MELISSA SPADY THE CASCADE

If you didn’t hear about the last two episodes of Game of Thrones, you must be living under a rock.

Whether or not you keep up and consider yourself a fan, everyone was talking about the Red Wedding and the finale of season three.

An internet meme was created of people who had read the books filming the reactions of those who had not. The man himself, George R.R. Martin, weighed in with delight and amusement on Conan – he had actually seen some of the videos already.

When I first started watching Game of Thrones, I felt overwhelmed at the intricate storylines and frustrated that I couldn’t remember who was whom, or more importantly, who was on the same team. I made a promise that if I still hated it after one episode of the second season, I would stop and proclaim that Game of Thrones wasn’t for me. I was, however, surprised at how much I enjoyed myself once I knew everyone’s names.

I remember being told on numerous occasions how the television series was made for people who had already read the books, but I would disagree wholeheartedly.

A slow start is not always indicative of the entire series’ flow. I am now making my way through the books in a purposefully slow man-

George R.R. Martin has a laugh at viewers’ expense when Conan shows him “Red Wedding” reactions. ner to preserve shocking moments like the Red Wedding, but also because it alleviates me of that sense of authority I find a lot of people taking over the decisions made by the writing team.

I hear a lot of complaining about how the writing team is “doing it wrong.” I’m going to stop you all right there. Have you ever adapted a book into a script? Almost all of you will answer no, which means you have no idea how much gru-

elling work goes into adapting a book, nay a fantasy book, into a television series. You don’t know what it’s like to pore over the same pages over and over again trying to encapsulate the essence of a story in a very stripped-down style, or how difficult it is to adapt thousands of pages of description, inner monologue and symbolism into a visual medium. I do happen to have experience in this field; I recently adapted one of my favourite

novels into a movie for a directed studies project. Many hours were spent arduously going over character quirks, and writing timelines to make sure every detail was correct. I laboured over it for months, and still didn’t feel like I did it justice. That was just over 200 pages.

There are (so far) five novels in the series and each stands alone at roughly 1000 pages. I feel compelled to shush all those who hem and haw over the differences.

I have mad props for a writing team who knowingly undertakes such an outlandish project and ends up creating a wildly popular television series out of it. The TV version isn’t supposed to follow the books to a tee, and if it did it would have been boring, slowpaced, exhaustingly expository and cancelled after the first three hour episode aired. HBO can’t do Game of Thrones the same way BBC did Pride and Prejudice, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. The writers make the decisions to adapt the novels based on what will be best for the show and for the viewers. If it isn’t physically viable to show or to depart central plot lines to introduce one character then they won’t, and that’s for your sanity. It wouldn’t be a cohesive piece of work if they tried to, and what they’ve done lets everyone enjoy Game of Thrones, not just the people who have read the detailed back story of every character. That’s a good thing. Contrary to popular belief, Game of Thrones wasn’t created to strictly cater to those who have read the books.

It was made to take an awesome story with interesting characters to a larger audience. It was created to visually tell the story to those who know it, and hopefully bring in new faces to the fandom by telling the story in a different way.

Dine & Dash

Thai D’or 2328 Clearbrook Road, Abbotsford (604) 746-3800 Hours: Tuesday to Friday, Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday to Sunday 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Prices: up to $10.50 for lunch and up to $15.50 for dinner

JOE JOHNSON

THE CASCADE

I’m a novice foodie. Anthony Bourdain, I am sadly not. So it was with trepidation that I ventured into restaurant reviewing. But as I would find out, it is certainly worth it to try new foods, and a new restaurant – Thai D’or.

Before actually visiting the restaurant I pulled their website up on my computer to find a menu and some photos of the lay of the land. But mostly I wanted to know what kind of price range I would be walking into. Luckily, it all looked fairly decent with 12 items on the lunch menu falling within the $9.50 to $10.50 range.

It was at the beginning of the three-and-a-half hour lunch period—roughly 11:30 a.m.—that I walked in with a friend. The first thing I noticed was the deceptively large space, much more than would be expected from an everyday drive past the sleepy Clearbrook Road exterior.

The black and red decor scheme was quite nice as was the classy yet down-to-earth atmosphere of the restaurant.

Sarah Eckhart has been UFV’s head athletic therapist for eight years.

While it was moderately well attended, the waitress greeted us within mere seconds. Very friendly and conversational, she showed us to a table along the window.

Not being very well-versed in a variety of foods, I asked her for a recommendation. She pointed out something off the lunch menu, but also something from the main menu, where I then decided to explore their entire array of options.

And I have to say, everything was

competitively priced.

Ultimately, I made my own decision from the lunch menu – primarily because all items on that menu came with a spring roll. It was number nine, the gaeng kari, that I went for. What particularly stood out for this meal were the potatoes. It sounded interesting, albeit a little comfortable.

There were a few other pieces mixed in of course: pineapple, peppers and carrots. Also, unbe-

Image: Joe Johnson/The Cascade

knownst to me were the differences between the multiple colours of curry that were strewn throughout the menu. There was a green curry, a red coconut curry, and a yellow curry; the yellow came with my meal. And while I could have had a choice of beef, pork or chicken, I paid the extra $3.50 for prawns.

Finally, on their scale of spiciness, zero through five, I went right down the middle.

The Thai food I had previously

experienced was mediocre. But as soon as the plates were served, and in relatively quick order, I sunk my spoon in and it was delicious.

It was rich and creamy, and not overwhelmingly greasy, but, at the same time, it was a very clean tasting dish. And the prawns were exceptional and meaty. Outside of a home barbecue, this was one of the better meals I’ve had in a long time. Never did the taste get tiring, something that I find often happens when there’s strong flavour on the plate. And if I were to grade the spiciness, they were right on the mark.

The one concern that I had when the plate was first served? The portion size. It wasn’t that small by any measure; I had just overly anticipated my own abilities, since I soon found it was considerably filling.

While we ate the waitress did a very good job at seeing how we were enjoying things. But what was also interesting was that the manager also stopped by for a brief moment. Nothing was overly abrasive; it actually made the restaurant a friendlier place.

As the end of our meals neared we ordered a cup of tea to chase things down.

Ultimately, speaking as somebody with little exploration with food, Thai D’or was a very pleasant experience for a good price.

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Cascade Arcade

Book Review

State of Decay Zombie survival realism in real time

Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles

by Ron Currie Jr. DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

The real head-scratching question at the core of this novel is just how much of it you should believe.

Ron Currie Jr. is not just the author, but the centre of the story: a hapless narrator, self-deprecating protagonist and barely-successful novelist. As artists are wont to do, he finds himself sequestered on a tropical island with only his emotions and alcoholism for company while the woman he loves—the woman he wrote his first novel about—decides whether she loves him back.

So far, the two Ron Currie Juniors match up pretty well, and even more so if you’ve read Currie’s other book—Everything Matters!—which fits suspiciously well into the description of the unnamed first novel.

When I finished the book, I found myself still unsure what I should believe. The cover’s claim of a true story? Dewey decimal’s clear categorization of fiction?

Maybe Currie’s note on the inside cover that the contents were both true and heavily fictionalized.

This dilemma spawned even more questions: how true does a true story have to be? How heavily can an author draw on reality and still call it a fiction?

Unlike the narrator of the novel, however, my brief real-world research turned up no mention

of the real Ron Currie Jr. (as the main character in the novel does) accidentally faking his death and launching his unpublished novel into best-sellerdom – a conceited detail, if an irresistible inclusion on the part of the author.

All in all, I found the book to be a little less cohesive than Everything Matters! (which, as a side note, is pretty damn brilliant and highly recommended from this corner). Then again, its wandering nature and vaguely moral core are reflective of real life – in trying to adapt a life to a novel, Currie hit the mark. Real life doesn’t usually have a clear outcome, a fact that many novels outright ignore in favour of a neatly-packaged conclusion.

Even when the book springs into fantasy, and simulacrum Currie finds himself washing dishes in a middle-eastern desert village to pay the bills, his journey mimics a real-life journey. He doesn’t know what he wants. He doesn’t know what his plans are. But why be bothered about it? Unlike so many narrators and so many protagonists, Currie is content to sit and revel in the status quo.

When his fate eventually forces him back into North American culture and owning up to still being alive, he shirks. This is not a brave little hobbit, nor a clever genius hacker, nor a capable and ingenious young person looking for adventure. This is a normal person. He’s tired. He’s a little sick of his old life. Who can’t relate to that sentiment?

It’s nice, for once, to have a perfectly normal narrator – and whether or not it’s a work of reality or pure fiction, it’s enough to remind the reader that every life is a little bit adventurous if you frame it the right way. It also stands as a reminder that adventure doesn’t have to be glamorous, and sometimes an existence filled primarily with washing dishes and worrying if a person loves you back is a good one.

As Currie notes, we live in an age where even a nicotine patch is kind of miracle in the right light – even if it is flimsy and made of plastic.

Haute Stuff

Swimsuit season AMY VAN VEEN

THE CASCADE

It’s that time of year, ladies.

The time of year when, no matter your body type, you get to feel like a walrus in changing rooms from the curse of ill-fitting bathing suits.

I say this because I just went through it, and I’d like to share some of my wisdom for making the shopping experience a little better – specifically when looking for the new modest trend of onepieces.

Don’t scoff at the mention of a one-suit. Certainly its target demographic is mostly all of our mothers and grandmothers. And sure, the last time most of us wore a one-piece was when the seven-year-old version of ourselves wore those athletic Speedo versions. But fear not! One-piece suits can be absolutely adorable.

Just one look on ModCloth.com proves that.

But, as with most clothing items, purchasing online is just not an ideal situation. And that’s where my tips come in handy.

First of all, beware of the nursing pad look. This happens when paranoia of pointy nipples lead bathing suit manufacturers to throw in really awkwardly shaped padding. It’s fairly awful.

It looks like you’re in the middle of breastfeeding and there’s imminent danger of leaking mammary

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glands.

Secondly, don’t be deterred by “endurance” swimwear. It need not be the suit of your youth.

Even though it’s designed for sportier situations than sitting on the beach and reading the latest chick-lit, it’s kind of a blessing in disguise – literally. There’s a whole whackload of extra support in the tummy, around the boobs and all around that glorious butt region. Endurance means it has to survive the most grueling sporty situations which means it is designed to keep things in place.

This is a wonderful, beautiful thing and there are cuter versions of the Olympian staple.

Thirdly, please do yourself a favour and turn away from the mirror when you’re pulling up what is essentially waterproof Spanx. No one’s thighs look good when being stuffed through elastic casing. And no one’s tummy is beautiful when you’re straining to shimmy yourself into that necessity of summer. Plus, when you turn away from the mirror, you can blindly sort yourself out and then turn around in a slow reveal much like they do in Extreme Makeover – and, as a bonus, you don’t have to deal with plastic surgery and veneers that look like horse teeth! It’s just you, with a little tummy control, a cute neckline and a classy style that is nothing like your grandma’s.

But where do you find such cre-

image: Rya Pie/Flickr

One-piece suits can be adorable. ations? Cute teen stores are filled with slinky bikinis, but where, oh where, are the gorgeous one-pieces? Well, Old Navy has a number of styles – some fun and printed and others dark colours and ruched; the latter are perfect for if you have a few bumps you don’t want on display. Winners also has a few options – though in my experience they didn’t really favour women with long torsos. And if you want to spend a little more, you can hit up The Bay. Bonnie Brooks may have the voice of a robot, but she has done wonders in bringing in non-old-lady styles, so look beyond the granny prints and pick out the classic blacks with polka-dots, lace trim and grown-up ruffles.

Or, if you’re really daring, go onto ModCloth and buy one of those amazingly beautiful creations – just make sure you read the reviews!

JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

Before the fiasco of Microsoft’s Xbox One post-E3 changes, they released a game developed by Undead Labs. Despite all the attention and praise some zombie games have received, I have found that none have been able to keep my attention for more than a few hours. What’s been missing from games like Left 4 Dead or Dead Island was a literal survival atmosphere. What I’ve wanted to see in a zombie game was the idea of having to scavenge for resources and living with the consequences of depleting local zones.

I wanted to have a world where every bullet was sacred and I would go out on several missions and return without ever firing a shot. That is exactly what State of Decay delivers.

The game jumps right out the gate with you being attacked by zombies. And these zombies are tough. You can’t just run into a horde like in Capcom’s Dead Rising. Taking on two zombies at a time can be challenging, let alone a horde – you have to use your wits to conserve your stamina and ammo.

Early in the game, you discover a local church that is taking refugees. You begin to provide for the community by scavenging for supplies, weapons and vehicles.

The game doesn’t give you one single character but a plethora to choose from. With every survivor you encounter and save, they represent another character to control. This means that no one character is essentially different from each other in terms of story advancement. The only difference is their level of skill in which the player can improve upon through use.

Of course, one would think that staying with one character throughout the game would be the best option. I thought this as well until I discovered that by not using the other characters, I wasn’t training them. State of Decay has some simple RPG elements with skill leveling and yes or no scenarios. Cardio, fighting and weapons are some of the main skills a player needs to increase in the survivor if they want them to survive on their own. If you don’t, you will be forced to save them quite often on zombie hunts. After a while this gets annoying and forces you to go after them even if it repeatedly prevents you from continuing storyline quests.

Undead Labs did a great job of trying to put as much detail into

their game as possible. One of the most interesting things is the fact that the town has an everlasting memory. Cars never move from where you leave them, houses remain empty after you have ransacked them. In doing so, it makes you have to go farther and farther out to find more resources. Eventually, you may be forced to move your base to another location.

Even when you leave the game, supplies will dwindle until you return. While all of these aspects sound great, it becomes very complicated when you are faced with these options for the first time.

State of Decay has a steep learning curve with both its survival gameplay and its user interface (UI). When you want to build on your home, you will have to navigate through a complicated interface and find out what you can build and what you need to build them. Also, the away-from-game clock is very harsh. Not even 24 hours later, and my well-stocked food storage was empty!

In addition to heavy framerate issues, the AI can be quite troubling. As said before, the other survivors will need your help if you don’t train them, but sometimes they just makes stupid decisions. They will want to trade ammo for food despite the fact that you have tons of food but no ammo. The AI-controlled also survivors cannot drive a car so when you want them to scavenge an area far from the base, don’t expect to see them for some time as they will be hoofing it.

An unfortunate issue that comes with having multiple survivors to use is that they become assets rather than characters. Another odd issue is that people are quite friendly. Barely anyone is suspicious and those who even seem suspicious aren’t really all that bad. The concept of people being worse than the monsters would have been interesting, but it is absent in State of Decay.

But when it all boils down, you are getting far more than one would bargain for with an arcade title. State of Decay gives a realistic survival feel and, despite the fact that everyone is a nice guy, the apocalypse holds nothing back.

This was Undead Labs’ test for trying to build a massively multiplayer online (MMO) version of the game; one I would be very interested to see. With a realistic survival system and compelling battles against the undead, State of Decay is the first zombie apocalypse game that actually got the zombie apocalypse idea down solid.

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ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Kanye West – Yeezus NICK UBELS

THE CASCADE

CHARTS

1 2 3

Shuffle

The Courtneys The Courtneys

ADAM ROPER

Needs Rare Earths

Birds of Canada host Adam Roper boasts an estimated twoand-a-half days’ worth of dance music on his computer. Here’s a second round of great mixes he regularly bikes to.

METZ Dirty Shirt b/w Leave Me Out

CIVL DJ

4

Bertha Cool/ Hemogoblin Bertha Cool/Hemogoblin Split

5 6

Slow Learners Habit b/w Party Police

The Ketamines You Can’t Serve Two Masters

7

Torches To Triggers Doomsday In Douglasdale

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

The Great Novel Ain’t Too Pretty The Brains The Monster Within Old Man Strength Buffet Line Brawl

Slim Sandy Yes Baby Yes! Hooded Fang Gravez The Matadors Say You Love Satan

Dirty Beaches Drifters/Love Is The Devil

15 16 17

OK Vancouver OK Food Shelter Water Ducktails The Flower Lane

Kurt Vile Wakin On A Pretty Daze

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra II

Flight Facilities – “1982-1992.”

Flight Facilities have a decade series out that samples news stories to coincide with popular jams of the day (the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s) like fascinating history lessons you can dance to. Learning hasn’t been this fun since Schoolhouse Rock.

Fort Romeau – “Homewerk Volume 2” Artists like Fort Romeau on the Ghostly International roster have become synonymous with fresh approaches to house music. This one is well suited to after-sunset study sessions and night rides in the park.

Mixhell – “Red Summer Mix” Mixhell is a dance-pop duo from Brazil, ranging in tone from abrasive and confrontational to suave and assertive.

Few DJ artists take their craft quite as seriously, and they do it all without a trace of the industrial dubstep idiot Gen-Y’rs are all over these days.

Moby – “DJ Set at Coachella 2013” Moby enjoyed high heights of fame in the early 2000s with mainstream pop songs, while the late 2000s have seen him devoted to club-rooted DJ sets.

The fact that he sounds like an adonis makes up for the fact that he looks like an epic dweeb while performing.

“Oh he’ll give us what we need/ It may not be what we want,” coos a ramshackle children’s choir.

This brief sample, a warm, crackling R&B reprieve from the disorienting, all-digital opening volley of “On Sight” serves as the latest edition of Kanye West’s everevolving manifesto. Yeezy spent three records demonstrating his prowess as a intuitively masterful producer and MC on his lauded college trilogy, from the dust-bin soul power of 2004’s The College Dropout to the ornate orchestral flourishes of Late Registration and concluding with the electro dance-rap parchment Graduation.

But then something changed.

West could have easily coasted, continued on the same trajectory of hook-heavy hits. Yet despite an eminently listenable catalogue of non-album tracks and collaborations (“White Dress,” “Diamonds,” etc), West’s most recent trio of albums has continually pushed harder against what might be deemed “radio-friendly.” It’s a purposeful divergence that’s predictably split listeners and asks what we expect of popular music.

Musically, most of us seek some mystifying alchemy of new and familiar. Lyrically, it comes down to tolerance and resonance: we want to identify and achieve some minor enlightenment. Yeezus demands that listeners put up with the brutal honesty and problematic elements of West’s music for the cathartic and more deeply-satisfying benefits it promises. Whether the work can support this sort of conceit is up for debate, and my own answer varies a little trackby-track.

Producing a follow-up proper to the 2010 broken and maximal masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) is a tall order indeed, and while West draws on similar personal themes, Yeezus is both leaner and meaner than its predecessor. It’s harsh and unforgiving, particularly in its striking minimalism from its dialled-back, incisive production to its sparse, 40-minute track list.

The album packaging follows suit, consisting of only an empty jewel case, orange sticker, and no liner notes.

The opening four tracks are bulletproof examples of West at his dark, caustic, and bitingly mirthful best. Over a driving tribal beat, frantic screams and buzzing bass hook, West blitzes through “Black Skinhead,” a cutting salvo that reveals insidiously virulent American racism (“Enter the kingdom/ But watch who you bring home/ They see a black man with a white woman/ At the top floor they

gone come to kill King Kong”).

West is at once serious, cutting, lewd, darkly funny, aggressive and vulnerable. He plays the role of the desperate, unhinged jester, incorporating self-effacing (“Hold My Liquor”) and self-aggrandizing (“I Am a God”) tendencies in the service of both personal pathos and political comment.

The baiting blasphemy of “I Am a God” is easily shocking coming from the artist who detailed his complicated Christianity in “Jesus Walks.” Far from the egostroking vehicle his detractors will be ready to pounce on, it’s a desperate struggle punctuated by humour (“Hurry up with my damn croissants”) and despairing, spine-chilling howls. It’s West’s attempt to understand the complications of a passage like Pslam 82:6’s “Ye are gods;/ And all of you are children of the Most High.” By the end of his Bruce Almighty divine reign, it’s clear that West’s human apparatus bars any possibility of the title’s literal interpretation.

The album reaches it apex of unholy fury with track four: “New Slaves,” a scathing attack on the U.S. prison system, which disproportionately incarcerates African-Americans. According to American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one in three black men born in the United States can expect to serve time behind bars to the benefit of private prison profiteers like the Corrections Corporation of America referenced herein. The song also contains the album’s most beautiful moment.

After the unrelenting attack of the first four tracks, a soul-soaring falsetto from Frank Ocean breaches the darkness with hopeful strains.

Unfortunately, little else measures up to the innovative, unre-

lenting punch of the opening four, air-tight songs. “Hold My Liquor” is an underwhelming, ethereal rumination on the aftermath of a drunken one night stand between exes (“You love me when I ain’t sober/ You love me when I’m hungover”) that just doesn’t stick.

It’s the closest thematic and musical heir to MBDTF down to the Auto-Tuned Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) hook, but it feels tired, lifeless and cold. It doesn’t help that the track’s lead in is the gorgeous coda of “New Slaves.”

It isn’t until the bleak 808s redux “Blood On the Leaves” that Kanye begins to right the tilting vessel.

“Blood” is a sordid summer tale of infidelity and pregnancy riddled with dread and intonations of racially-motivated violence stemming from a devastating sample of Nina Simone’s lynch ballad, “Strange Fruit.” West charts brave new territory with the subversive dance-hall sampling “Send It Up” before landing “Bound 2,” a throwback to his first record that expertly stitches together Brenda Lee, a groove-heavy lost B-side from the Ponderosa Twins Plus One and Wee’s “Aeroplane.” It’s a low-key, nostalgia-tinged closer that’s driven to greater heights by a breathtakingly soulful and unexpected vocal intrusion from R&B veteran Charlie Wilson.

While Yeezus is tighter, more concise and more aggressive than MBDTF, it’s also noticeably less consistent. West’s determination to agitate and alienate his audience as near breaking point as possible before reeling them back is risky, and he falters on a few tracks here. Still, the opening quartet is easily among his best work yet, even though the rest of the album struggles to keep up.

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Battle of the Bands fights the good fight

Image: CIVL.ca

Casinos put up a good fight before succumbing to Merciful Angels’ victory.

Image: CIVL.ca

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

Poppy and the Pistols will be undergoing a name change to Her Brothers.

Image: CIVL.ca

Merciful Angel killed it, both with their music and headbanging style.

CIVL’s Battle of the Bands has been filling up UFV students’ Saturday nights since May 11 and for the last two months, dozens of bands have been filtering through Aftermath. Their epic battle has now reached round two, opening up the do-or-die semi-finals. On June 22, Merciful Angel came out on top when pitted against Poppy and the Pistols and Casinos. The night boasted some of the greatest acts of the competition to date.

Last Saturday’s battle brought The Nacaals bragging rights as the battle goes on.

Image: CIVL.ca

Poppy and the Pistols’ drummer.

Lightning Dust Fantasy

Empire of the Sun Ice On the Dun

Sean Nelson Make Good Choices

While both experimentation and redefining of what is considered “the norm” are crucial when maximizing music’s potential, revivalism within music’s traditional boundaries is often considered stagnant and dull. Bands that try to recover this music are labeled as imitators who rehash production styles that have been a mainstay in popular music for almost half a century, sometimes even longer. There is the fine line that runs between revivalism and pure replication, a line which Long Enough To Leave, the Mantles’ sophomore release, walks very carefully. Although most tracks on the record hint to their musical inspirations, the songs feel modern – especially compared to other bands that lean on nostalgic styles. The band’s vocalist Michael Olivares even plays around lyrically with the idea of homage and revivalism, singing refrains like, “Maybe you can help me get out of here and reappear somewhere else” on the Batsesqe track entitled “Hello.” Within the confines of revivalism, the Mantles’ innovative fortitude is remarkable, and even if Long Enough To Leave doesn’t break the mold, their songs are fantastic and sound good the first time you hear them.

There’s a lot to love about Black Mountain’s vast, cousin-of-psychadelic style of rock, but spinoff group Lightning Dust provides a flipside to that. A pointed, simple contrast in sound echoes clear throughout Lightning Dust’s third album Fantasy, which contains none of the Black Mountain-ish songs that cropped up on their first two albums. Joshua Wells’ throwback synth and spare drum textures provide a platform for Amber Webber’s voice, proving it as equally strong when positioned as the centre of an entire album as it is competing and rising above a drowning, wailing station of guitar and organ. It’s striking how quiet the album is, allowing space usually filled up by production to simply exist, free of growing drones or building to crescendo, save perhaps the synth-on-its-last-legs of album closer “Never Again.” Whether calm or more animated, Webber’s voice is Fantasy’s entire presence, from still and slowbeginning songs like “Moon” and “Agatha,” to the more production-heavy dusk portraits of “Reckless and Wild” and “Loaded Gun,” the sound even on these not cloying pastiche but made to suit Webber’s voice, standing out in its simplicity.

It’s taken roughly four-and-a-half years but we’re finally with Empire of the Sun’s sophomore follow-up, Ice On the Dune. It’s by listening to lead singer Luke Steele talk about the album that you really get a sense for the creativity and the difficulties that came along with it. And while they’re known for being a bit unconventional in their costume, light guitars and performances in creating a narrative saga, Steel and Nick Littlemore are also very talented musicians. The goal of this album was to be progressive but also retain their underlying core as a warm, high-energy indie synthpop band. And it appears they’ve done that very well. The album opens up with “Lux,” which is essentially an epic prelude before really pumping things into high gear with “DNA.” Third on the track list is “Alive,” the feel-good single that’s already making the rounds.

From here on, the rest of the album stays consistently above par compared to most similar acts. But there are two songs that really elevate the album to an outstanding level. One of those songs is “Concert Pitch.” Aided by the clean pulsing percussion, this song will easily become an anthem in its own right. And then there’s “I’ll Be Around,” a song that radiates far beyond even the album. The sound flows and breezes through the beautifully poetic lyrics of realization. It’s the embodiment of a cool summer night, if a song can possess such things.

Make Good Choices opens with a spoken and nonsensical question and answer: “The only real answer to the question ‘Whither rock and roll?’ is ‘hither’. Some misguided people think the answer is ‘thither’?! They’re wrong!

Those theories are passé!” This sets the tone for the band, which is unabashedly self-critical of the workings of both music and the musical world, best demonstrated in “Kicking Me Out of the Band” and “Creative Differences.” I originally thought it was a little too meta for my taste to write music about music, but I was won over by the simple tunes, clever couplets and comforting rhythms of the album as a whole. This isn’t music you have to think too hard about, or work to understand. The heart and spark of the band is lead singer Sean Nelson, whose floating vocals are reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard in all the best ways. Another star element of the band is the unapologetic piano on many tracks; on “Advance and Retreat” you can hear the physical mechanism of the key being pushed down and rising again, just like you can when you’re playing an ancient piano. It’s a subtle and excellent touch.

While a couple of numbers are a little over-the-top and skip-worthy (“Ski Lift Incident,” “More Good News From the Front” come to mind), others are making their way straight to my playlist of quintessential summer tunes – and I suspect they’ll stay there for a good long while.

tIM UBELS

MICHAEL SCOULAR

JOE JOHNSON

DESSA BAYROCK

The Mantles Long Enough To Leave

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ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Film Reviews

World War Z JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

There is a reccurring circumstance that must be accepted by the viewers for every zombie film or television production: the fact that the characters will make very, very, very stupid decisions. They are either suffering from extremely limited peripheral vision (something badly done in The Walking Dead, I believe everyone is suffering from extreme cataracts) or they are so lead-footed, they must hit any and all objects around them when they are trying to sneak around zombies.

This has prevented me from fully enjoying a majority of zombie films because I can’t accept how absolutely brain dead these people are (pun intended). But in World War Z, it is the zombies that are truly stupid – not in terms of actions but in how they are integrated into the story.

World War Z as an adaptation had issues from the beginning and it doesn’t help that it veers heavily away from the novel written by Max Brooks. While I understand the frustration of fans, trying to make a film that retells stories through interviews with no main characters would have been a difficult and lengthy narrative.

So we’re given Brad Pitt instead, who goes on a worldwide search

to find the origin of the virus in hopes of finding a way to stop the zombie outbreak. What really happens is that he arrives in a safe community just before something disastrous happens – over and over again. This repetitive plot has some intense moments but the originality wears down quickly.

There is so much focus on destroying the next city that many characters in the film are never given names or true purposes other than creating exposition.

For a zombie film, World War Z is probably the cleanest of the lot.

With a PG-13 rating, it feels like you are watching an intense Chanel No. 5 ad. The lack of gore really takes away the nostalgic zombiefeel from the film; such is why they went with the fast zombie archetype. Without scenes of people being devoured, director Marc Foster tries to increase the intensity with the zombies running like raved animals. Danny Boyle was able to keep 28 Days Later believeable because of its script and interesting virus concept, but World War Z just pushes it too far. For instance, after scaling a wall outside Israel by lit-

erally crawling over each other, the zombies fall over 50 feet into the city below. They then get up and start attacking people. No matter what you say about zombies feeling no pain, when you fall 50 feet, your body isn’t going to be able to run on shattered bones.

There are many scenes like this where the filmmakers must believe that the audience is so thick, they won’t notice how absurd the zombies are. As long as it looks cool, it’s entertaining, but for the most part the imagery just looks plain dumb.

barrages of celebrities away from their being-thieved mansions and intersperses a small handful of interviews with the accused, mimicking journalistic questions, some of them pulled from the Vanity Fair contributor that formed the basis for Coppola’s script. One yields a state-of-affairs statement from Marc, who speaks of how this one story “[shows] America still has this sick fascination with a kinda

Bonnie and Clyde type of thing.”

Taken at face value or its easiest interpretation, there aren’t many ways to go from here, but Coppola hasn’t made a movie that supports the comment’s moralizing backtracking.

The Bling Ring never entertains questions about the legality or a final purpose to the spur-of-themoment raiding – it isn’t the lines already drawn by prosecutors or commentators Coppola is interested in. What Coppola has shown an affinity for, and continues to do with The Bling Ring, is infiltrate a supposedly hermetic existence – in this case the pop culture doused teenage nothings who have no qualms with being attracted to the images that line supermarket checkout lines and internet gossip zones. Part of the suggestive portrayal Coppola enters into is that these aren’t that different from the youth of any generation – every kid has something to hide under their bed, some false reason they were out with friends, and a skill at creating a performance to show their parents and anyone else not worth sharing with. But Coppola taps into the currency that drives this particular one so exactly it blurs into conversations, resembling others (Spring Breakers, Fitzgerald, the type of cultural appropriation of cool in something like Miley Cyrus’ reinvention) while retaining a small piece of itself. Coppola sticks with unmoving shots that observe every inch of space these kids inhabit, creating new, strange tableaus of stop-start selfies, webcam half-silent singing, and awkward posing around adults.

If there are any tells that this isn’t an entirely tragedy-framing, sym-

Having a less-than-stellar track record with action films (Quantum of Solace, Machine Gun Preacher), it’s a bit confusing why Pitt chose Foster to direct. He puts too much focus into trying to build up action sequences that he forgets what they are meant to be establishing.

He also fails to realize the impossible situations this film asks its audience to believe – especially when it comes to the final act. The absolute absurdity of the finale has Damon Lindelof’s disheveled penmanship written all over it. Much like Prometheus, unanswered questions—like how a fast-acting zombie virus can cross oceans without anyone knowing about it—are justified as mystery and suspense.

But in reality, it’s just poor writing.

While there are a few nods to the novel here and there, especially with how Israel sets up their defensive measures, World War Z fails to grasp the meaning of the book.

The idea of humanity struggling in terms of government, economy and survival are swapped out for Olympic sprinter zombies who leave very clean bites.

While the action sequences are decent to watch, I couldn’t let myself enjoy them because I was too distracted by how weak the story was. Others may be able to forgive this point, but if that is the case, then World War Z is asking for a lot of forgiveness.

The Bling Ring MICHAEL SCOULAR THE CASCADE

Marc (Israel Broussard) arrives on his first day of lower-rung school, self-conscious and wishing unconsciousness, until he’s spoken to by Becca (Katie Chang).

Invited to the beach, to parties, to the group he invisibly becomes a part of, Marc is taken to. He’s able to comment on the fashion worth flipping past, pausing and flipping back to in a magazine, open to the idea of post-nightfall possession taking that gives the group its eventual notoriety. Director Sofia Coppola working with editor Sarah Flack skip past backstory, presenting The Bling Ring as initiation before a series of robberies in linear, reconstructive detail, emerging as repetitive. Sliding doors, arrays of labels and hasty bag snatching elicit opposite responses by their majority presence: the glee of excess, blurting out and breathless, and the boredom of banal attraction and material gain, any narrative undercut by the film’s true story ending-as-prologue, and any transcendence of partaker and surveillance roles made nearly impossible by Coppola’s arrangement of facts and their accessories. Marc as a “way in” in the tradition of blank new kid roped into a new stream of living is a fakeout, for after brief intro and a final subjective line over slow motion, he turns out to be a model to be observed like all the rest.

Harris Savides, in his final film as cinematographer before he passed away last year, has his work fractured. Unlike the beautiful watermarks of his past (The Yards, Paranoid Park), The Bling

Ring is split into stark, static designer homes, designer casements and clubs where young minds dream of getting their hands into designer lives, the digital imperfection of surveillance footage and webcams, and television magnification and recreation of celebrity interviews. The last item yields The Bling Ring at its seemingly overdetermined and obvious worst. Coppola flashes through red carpet

pathizing version of the story, it’s in that last relation – where parents are completely ancillary, showing up to be near-comedically fooled and then only once or twice. The performances, Emma Watson’s in particular, about to launch into tales, smoker’s eyerolls, and indirect address, are played as if they are always lying to their parents, even around when they’re hanging out – that mix of you must be dumb condescension and undisturbed termination of feeling. Coppola is dealing with models and masks and the incomprehensible mind of a group seemingly on autopilot, to its own mind in a blur of easy gratification to the exclusion of anything else.

Coppola keeps returning to favoured stylistic markers – the perfect synchonicism of pop songs and pop images and the abstract staging of a robbery in slow zoom, and there is a contained glee in the colors and fabrics and sheen of “new” materials. But The Bling Ring resounds less with the sounds of Marie Antoinette, continuing more from her alienated Somewhere, where decadence held no comfort. There’s some pity in the distance that the camera holds its subjects in, methodically repeating the same action, expecting a new, changed result. Marc distances from himself, saying America has a fascination with anti-heroes, as if he isn’t. But it isn’t as separate and closed as that. In their “Visitez mon site” final punchline and Frank Ocean coda, there’s an indescribable pull that’s baffling and obscure, even when it possesses some measure of self-knowledge, getting lost in someone else’s story and grasping after their own.

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ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Two ebooks and a math teacher

Kerkhoven on the Kindle publishing experience and writing on the side DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE

Rudolf Kerkhoven is a Kindlepublished author of two novels, The Year We Finally Solved Everything and A Dream Apart, as well as several adult choose-your-own-adventure collaborations with Albertan author Daniel Pitts. Kerkhoven teaches high school math by day, carves out time to write by night, and, by the end of this year, hopes to publish his next novel, Love is not Free. Love is 99 Cents.

So you’re a teacher. What do you teach?

I teach mathematics at a high school – senior level.

That’s kind of a stretch from doing the writing thing on the side.

Well, I started off as an elementary school teacher, and after a couple of years of doing that I realized that of all the subjects you have to teach in elementary, I enjoyed teaching math the most. And of all subjects, I really actually don’t enjoy teaching anything to do with English – I think because I felt like I wasn’t doing a very good job at it. I know it seems a little strange.

I’ve taken a lot of math courses, but I’ve enjoyed writing a lot longer than I’ve enjoyed mathematics.

Do your students ever read your work, or mention it to you?

Not to my face. I don’t actu-

Image: Rudolf Kerkhoven

ally tell a lot of people that I try to write books, because it makes me feel pretentious. When I teach, and in everyday life, I go by Rudy, and [on my books] my name is Rudolf ... so it’s not a great disguise, but it works to some extent.

When do you find time to write?

Being a teacher is a nine-to-three job, but it can often extend past that.

It’s changed – 2010 was kind of when I discovered the publishing stuff for the Kindle. I wrote my first novel in ’98 (I’m sure it was a piece of crap) and in those years from ’98 to 2010, I wrote the odd thing, but there was no rush. So I’d often take a few years to finish something. The whole process of trying to get something published

through a traditional publisher is a very long, drawn-out process.

Mailing something out, maybe three months later hearing a reply, and if they request more you mail more out, maybe six months later you get a rejection and you mail somewhere else. So there’d be times where I wouldn’t really write much, because there didn’t seem to be any pressing need, and then times in the summer where I’d write lots.

For me, discovering how I can publish stuff directly for ebooks was a very liberating – the idea that everything I write I can release, if I want to. But it’s also a dangerous thing, because you can release stuff too easily. But once I discovered that, I tried to write a little bit each day – and that doesn’t always happen. Nine months ago my daughter was born, and since then it’s been a little more important for me to try and be a little more disciplined, even if it’s just 45 minutes a day. I’ve tried to have more of a schedule, rather than just writing little bits here and there.

How did you get involved in that ebook process? What introduced to you that sort of self-publishing?

It was a friend of mine who I’ve written some comedic stuff with, Daniel Pitts; he’d mentioned selfpublishing years ago, and I never really looked into it – it sounded like too much work for too little

gain. But then I read an article in the Vancouver Sun in 2010, about a bookstore in Vancouver who got a computer where you could download an ebook and it would print a hard copy of it. That was basically the focus of the article, but in the same article they mentioned how there’s been this growing niche of people publishing books directly to Amazon for Kindle.

That’s where I first heard about it, and it was in the summer so I had some time. Within three weeks, I took one of the older collaborations with Daniel, The Adventures of Whatley Tupper, which was just very silly and something we’d worked on on-and-off for a couple of years at that point. It’d been finished for a couple years and just sitting on my hard drive, and that seemed to be a suitable book to expand into an ebook. So I spent a few weeks just formatting it, and learning how to format it and put all the links in, and released that – and really I haven’t really looked back from there.

How did you and Daniel start working together?

We went to high school in Calgary together – we spoke years ago, in the ‘90s, about trying to write something. After I got fired from a job when I was in university, and I wasn’t taking any classes, I had a lot of spare time. So I just wrote something, over the course of six weeks. It became a small and

most likely terrible novel that has never been released. When I told Daniel about that, he realized that it really wasn’t so hard to write a book. We’ve been doing stuff together ever since.

Finally, I see that you’re working on another book, called Love is Not Free. Love is 99 Cents.

That’s something I started in the winter and I put on hold for a few months, and I plan on focusing on that over the summer. I find during the school year—especially with this school year, having a young daughter—trying to write in the evenings alone is difficult sometimes. But trying to write something dramatic or serious is especially difficult. If all goes well, I hope to carry on that draft in the summer.

I read an article once about how online dating websites were recruiting mathematical geniuses to come up with better algorithms to determine how to match people up. [So in the book,] a rather autistic man comes up with this mobile phone app that finds the perfect match, regardless of what they think the perfect match for them is, and hilarity ensues from there.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Discussions Below the Belt

Name in the snow How women are learning to pee standing up JOHNNY RODDICK SEXPERT

“It’s like learning how to whistle. You have to learn how to position your lips for the best results.”

That’s according to Denise from restrooms.org, and the metaphor for women peeing standing up is only outmatched by Suki Kent in her article “The Princess and the Pee,” where she compares peeing to aiming a camera. “... If the male organ is like an automatic camera (just point and shoot), the female organ is rather more like an SLR. You have to get all the bits in the right place to get it right.”

As a person with a penis, I’ve become accustomed to standing in an upright position. I can’t deny that it’s come in handy a number of times over the years – I’m thinking of you dank rest-stop toilets!

For many women, the closest they’ve come to peeing standing up is “the hover” – a squat maneuver that tends to make the toilet in use even grungier, but doubles as a great workout for your quads.

But many women are coming to realize that peeing while standing isn’t an option reserved only for penis-wielding pee-ers like myself. Women can do it, too. Sure, it’s not a pissing contest, but some women have mastered the art of

Peeing standing up while fully clad is a move best left to the pros. peeing without spraying or dribbling – and that’s more than I can say about most men.

I could start by telling you how it’s done, but I suspect most of you aren’t yet sold on the idea. Is there really such a great need to stand up to urinate that it would be worth learning a whole new technique?

I would argue that there are absolutely times when it would come

in handy. One such time is when camping. Sure, the squat move works in the woods, but if you’re going to be peeing without a toilet, nothing beats the convenience and, well, the fun of aiming at the nearest tree.

In her article on the subject, Kent describes her quest to pee standing up—to reach “pee nirvana”—by achieving her own “arc of tran-

Image: Wikimedia Commons

scendence.” She goes on to argue that “the hover” prevents a woman from fully emptying her bladder and puts her at risk for UTIs. Yet sitting down completely might expose someone to the dreaded splash-back. And if your argument against a female peeing standing up is that it’s unnatural and innately male, Kent would like to tell you about the Tuarags in Africa, a soci-

ety where all the women stand to pee, and, get this, the men crouch.

One major proponent of peeing standing up is Sarah, a Victoria, BC, resident who runs the absolutely amazing website myvag. net (it’s worth checking out). Her website contains a detailed tutorial with step-by-step directions on how to pull it off. The basics aren’t too hard to understand – use clean hands to spread your inner labia, and lift up a bit to angle the stream.

It takes a specific “spread and lift” to avoid spraying. To prevent dribbles, it’s important to pee “forcefully and steadily” from start to finish, and then using your kegel muscles to stop the flow abruptly when that forceful flow ends. And remember to aim with your hips.

That’s all you need to know, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to work first try. Sarah’s suggestion is to practice in the shower, using the drain as target practice. I’d also suggest a dress or skirt your first couple times – but I’m assured it can be done in pants. But, if you’d like to write your name in the snow without any of the practice, there are also plenty of pee-friendly devices like the Pee-Zee, the Whizzy and the Urinelle to make things simple. So get out there and reach your own pee nirvana!

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

What to eat? The dirty dozen versus the clean 15 DIRTY

CLEAN

AMY VAN VEEN

THE CASCADE

Summer means many things in the world of health. It means sunnier weather requiring more UVA and UVB protection. It means getting out and getting physical with biking, hiking, kayaking and swimming. And it means fruit and veggie stands seem to explode with mouth-watering produce, beckoning you to eat all your vegetables – just what your mother wanted for all those years.

There’s just one thing flooding our collective consciousness when we go to reach for those non-organic conventional strawberries – just how many pesticides are running through that luscious berry? When do we spend a little more and buy organic and when do we stretch a dollar and settle for the regular stuff?

This is where the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) lists of best and worst pesticide vegetables comes in to save the day.

The dirty dozen includes the 12 worst offending vegetables when it comes to pesticide prevalence.

From apples (the absolute worst) to hot peppers (number 12), those fruits and veggies labelled part of the dirty dozen are the ones you should buy organic.

Where there’s a negative list, there’s a positive list and the clean 15 gives produce options where the pesticide use is so minimal, you can save your precious organic money and buy off the rack, if you will. Sweet corn (the least pesticide-ridden) is a summer staple you can eat until ears are growing out your ears.

There are a few notable things when you look at these two lists (and the full 51 item list from apples to sweet corn). A good rule of thumb, with a few exceptions, is that if it has a thick peel you don’t eat, you can probably buy non-organic. Kiwi, cantaloupe and pineapples are among the thick-skinned clean 15 choices.

If the peel is edible and the flesh is watery, organic is a better purchase. So peaches, cucumbers and grapes are all big offenders when it comes to pesticide use.

There are some surprises, though. Spinach, a delicious salad base with strawberries, nuts and feta, is a part of the dirty dozen; but cabbage, which seems to be a relative of lettuce, is part of the clean 15 and good to consume.

If you go to the store, though, and you see organic potatoes (part of the dirty dozen) are so astronomically priced you’ll wonder how to make the rent, you can always sub it out for sweet pota-

toes (part of the clean 15), since sweet potatoes are lower in pesticides, healthier and far tastier than the boring old tater.

There’s no need to feel overwhelmed by the dirty dozen and the clean 15. Sure, conscious shopping can be a pain and sometimes it’s easy to take a cavalier attitude of, “Well, it hasn’t killed me yet,” but when you start to really think about the chemicals you’re consuming and compare it with so many clean, tastier options, the choice is fairly obvious.

Plus, there’s something to be said for quality flavour. Organic, local eating may be foodie buzzwords, but it all tastes so much better. Your taste buds and bowels will thank you when you bite into a rich, pesticide-free strawberry that’s properly red all the way through, instead of those unappealing, white-centred, chemical-filled strawberry knock-offs.

You may become a food snob, but that may not be a bad thing.

More information about EWG’s dirty dozen, clean 15 and other research can be found online at www.ewg.org/foodnews and can also be purchased as an app to alleviate that grocery store panic and make you look like a pro.

Dirty Secret: what’s in your deodorant?

KATIE STOBBART THE CASCADE

Theoretically, it’s summer. As the season slowly emerges from its stormy spring cocoon, we get to enjoy longer, hotter days and more outdoor activities. Unfortunately, both heat and activity can create an outcome many find unpleasant: sweat. Sweat usually smells, and to combat this most of us have been educated about using antiperspirant.

But lately I’ve been trying to think critically about what I’m eating and what I’m putting in and on my body. I participated in a survey with the David Suzuki Foundation about the ingredients in my cosmetics, I did some investigating on hopefully reputable websites and I began to actually read the list of ingredients on the products I use. But I didn’t even think about my deodorant until an acquaintance mentioned she was making her own. Then I started to investigate.

What I found first were a lot of internet articles about how aluminum in deodorant may cause breast cancer. A study of aluminum content in the breast tissue of 17 cancer patients was conducted in 2007, but the small number of participants and limited research focus provides little to no

conclusive evidence to support the claim.

Aluminum-based compounds are the main ingredient in most antiperspirants; essentially, they are what keep sweat from getting to the skin’s surface. Seems pretty basic: antiperspirants, after all, are to keep you from perspiring.

However, there is a reason we sweat. When we’re exercising or spending time in the heat, sweating is the body’s way of cooling itself down. So what bothers me about antiperspirant is that it keeps the body from performing a perfectly normal and necessary function.

I peeled back the label on my own antiperspirant (Secret’s unscented “Natural mineral”) to have a look at the ingredients, and I remembered the David Suzuki Foundation had a document about what it calls the “Dirty Dozen” chemicals in cosmetics, which was published in 2010.

Cyclopentasiloxane, or D5, has been identified as a concern for its propensity to build up in the environment, but also for adverse health effects on the reproductive system, bile production, and immune system, and could negatively impact the nervous system.

Petrolatum (a petroleum product) can be contaminated with possible carcinogens.

Parfum or fragrance (pres-

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ent even in unscented products) is usually a cocktail of multiple unlisted chemicals. According to the studies cited in the “Dirty Dozen,” ingredients in fragrances “are irritants and can trigger allergies, migraines, and asthma symptoms.”

All of these, including Aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY (which is on Health Canada’s “Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist”) are in most antiperspirants. Most of the ingredients in my deodorant are words I can barely pronounce, and I have no idea what they are.

So I’m trying out a truly natural deodorant. The ingredients are: organic arrowroot powder, coconut oil, organic raw Shea butter, non-aluminum baking soda, and lavender essential oil. So far, it seems to be working just as well, without keeping my body from cooling itself down.

This is not to coerce anyone to buy a specific product. But I think it’s important to investigate and think critically about the things we use or consume, especially on a daily basis. Not only do many cosmetic ingredients pollute the environment, they also could be polluting your body.

Ultimately it is up to consumers to decide what risks they are willing to take, and for me the peace of mind alone is worth the switch.

We’re having our last writers’ meeting of the summer on July 15 and we’d love to see you there Come see what we’re all about at 7 p.m. in C1429 on the Abbotsford campus.

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

WarPath Fighting Championships 10 provide brutal entertainment JESS WIND

THE CASCADE

A rematch for the title, fights lasting mere seconds and a handful of technical knockouts (TKO) were the result of the June 21 amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Held at the Squiala Community Centre in Chilliwack, the 10th WarPath Fighting Championships delivered production-quality effects and wellmatched fights.

The night got off to a late start as spectators filed in; we were informed that they were waiting for the onsite doctor to arrive.

Wouldn’t want to start without him. Then the lights dimmed and the bass was turned up as the first fighter was introduced. Spotlights found the entering fighter with his entourage as he climbed into the ring, his personal track of choice filling the room.

The first matchup started out relatively even with blue and red corners landing blows and earning submissions. Then a standing guillotine early in the second round brought the fight to a quick

end and the night to an exciting start.

One gym was well represented on the card with eight fights, including the main event. Mamba Martial Arts Academy is based in Abbotsford and specializes in Muay Thai kickboxing, boxing, jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts.

In addition to the fighters and their coaches, many members of the gym attended and made the entrance to the ring for each fight waving the Mamba flag. If intimi-

Beyond the physical

Keeping healthy: a student’s battle JASPER MOEDT

THE CASCADE

The life of a student is all about survival.

A few aspects of this survival immediately come to mind: financial and academic struggle, and the psychological strain of stress as we battle year in and year out to juggle work, school, and, ideally, a social life.

After a recent talk with the athletic therapists in the UFV athletic department, I have discovered another aspect of life that a student must “survive.”

Tyne Campbell, the athletic therapist for the varsity Cascades in the 2013-2014 year, (temporarily replacing Sarah Ekert who is on maternity leave) says that the student lifestyle often leads to chronic body issues.

“The biggest issue for students is the constant hunched over position they are in as they study and take notes,” Campbell said.

“It can lead to muscle tightness, which can cause further back and neck problems.”

He noted that the constant posture that students generally assume will cause tightness particularly in the chest, shoulders, glutes and hamstrings.

This tightness will lead to chronic back and neck pain over the course of the school year. As we cram for midterms and finals we are often tightening our bodies up. Just another obstacle for the student to overcome. Add it to the list.

Fortunately for the everyday student, the solution to back and neck pain is often a much easier fix than those student loans that are piling up. While debt is guaranteed to haunt many students for years after graduation, the chronic body issues associated with the student lifestyle don’t have to follow you for years to come if addressed properly.

According to Campbell, a few small changes to your everyday study schedule could make all the difference.

“Studying in 45-minute intervals, with 15-minute breaks to stretch and loosen up would be an effective way to prevent too much tightness from occurring,” he explained. For many, this may be a bit of a change from the six-hour cramming binges that often occur in crunch time late in the semester.

Considering it is mid-summer now, we have plenty of time to adjust to new routines before we have to crack open the books again. Campbell advised that stretching the chest and hamstrings during those 15-minute breaks would likely be the best way to keep your body limber.

What can you do now to prepare for the upcoming rush of papers and readings this fall?

According to Campbell, one of the best things you can do to take care of yourself is simply stay active.

“Yoga classes are great, some strengthening is important, but generally staying active is the most important thing,” he added.

This comes as pretty simple advice to alleviate an issue that many students quietly suffer from over the course of their academic journey, but the majority of students are without this knowledge (excluding those in the kinesiology department who are collectively shaking their heads in disbelief that this is not common knowledge).

Small changes can be the most difficult to make, but these small changes can also pay big dividends. As a student who suffers back pain nearly every semester, I can say that I will be taking Campbell’s advice to heart and hopefully I’ll be painfree this year.

Following this productive visit with Campbell, I might just have to come back next week for a solution to my financial pain.

One step at a time in the eternal student struggle for survival!

dation was the tactic, they were making a solid attempt.

Another notable moment came from Muay Thai kickboxing Jacey Gong and Cody Livingstone.

Gong is son of legendary local kickboxing talent Gordie Gong and trains with his father in Hamilton, Ontario. This was his second fight at the amateur level. In 22 seconds Gong pummeled Livingstone with repeated knees to the abdomen, resulting in a TKO. With all the things that could be

going through a fighter’s head, especially considering Gong has been competing at this level for a mere four months, he was relaxed beforehand.

“Just relax, stay calm, relax, try not to get too excited,” he said of his pre-fight routine. Despite his recent success in the ring, Gong is already looking to the next step after amateur. “[I’m] taking a little break from amateur and going to decide what I want to do,” he said. “Whether I want to continue with amateur or pursue another sport. Professionals always an option, but I’m not sure.”

The main event promised a rivalry match between Manvir Birk and Morgan Littlechild. They were meeting for the second time in competition for the WarPath Bantamweight Champion belt, with Littlechild being the current title holder. After the first round, with both corners making a solid effort, it was clear that this fight was not going down in the first or second round like the rest of the card had. The second round clearly went to Birk as he spent

the majority of the time landing hooks to Littlechild’s head from inside his guard.

Littlechild wasn’t going down easy, he dominated the third round by achieving rear mount and landing repeated shots to Birk’s head.

By the fourth round, both fighters had taken a beating, but showed no sign of delay as the beginning bell rang. Birk landed a high kick to the head, only to be taken down and nearly forced out of the ring by Littlechild. They were reset in the middle of the ring and Birk quickly put Littlechild into an armbar, resulting in the final submission of the night.

The belt was relinquished and Birk celebrated his victory with his gym.

Despite the quick end to most of the fights, the event was exciting and exhibited some highly skilled athletes. To find out more about local MMA events, WarPath Fighting Championships can be followed @WarPathMMA or at warpathmma.com.

Exploring the Fraser Valley

Bridal Veil Falls

What Bridal Veil Falls looks like when not in the middle of a downpour.

JASPER MOEDT

THE CASCADE

Summer rolls on, or at least that is what I am told. With the weather still behaving as though it is mid-April, finding a decent day to get out and enjoy the sunshine has been a challenge in itself. While I appreciate that the constant rain makes it easy for me to commit to my online courses (sigh), my desire to be outdoors often takes greater priority than the readings in front of me; I will find myself out doing something outside on a day that is much less than ideal.

Such was the case this last week, when I found myself driving up to Bridal Veil Falls with foreboding rain clouds looming overhead. While my heart was saying get outdoors, the forecast was saying, “grab your poncho.”

The 40-minute drive from UFV to Bridal Falls brought me from dark skies to darker skies. Not exactly prime conditions for a hike, but I was determined to get a look at the waterfall that had been so highly praised by many of my friends. As I unloaded my

daypack from the car, the first drops of rain began to fall from the sky. Not to be deterred by a little rainfall, I headed up the well-maintained path.

I immediately noticed the obvious benefits of being the only one brave (or stupid) enough to go hiking on a day this gloomy.

Not a soul in sight. Just me, the forest and the running water.

The hike up the hill was light and accessible, perfect for anyone new to hiking. Bridal Veils Park is a beautiful area with plenty of old growth trees, mossy groves and interesting rock and boulder formations. In this way it is an amazingly accessible representation of the British Columbia wilderness, giving a tourist a good look at some of the beauty BC has to offer. The park definitely serves its purpose, and it is geared towards young families and those with accessibility issues. The seasoned veteran hiker may want to look elsewhere for adventure!

As I headed up the incline, the clouds opened up and the foreboding clouds finally began to unload their rain, turning the hike conditions from gloomy to

Image: Wikimedia Commons

miserable. By the time I reached the viewing platform, the falls were completely shrouded in mist and rain and I could barely make out the promised cascade of water. I decided to make a hasty retreat back to my car.

Heading down the path was a lot quicker than on the way up, as I decided that running might be appropriate under the weather conditions. By the time I had reached the bottom my clothes and backpack had been sufficiently soaked through. Driving home I managed to soak the interior of my car with the rest of my wet hiking gear; just a beautiful reminder of what British Columbia does best no matter the season – rain.

All in all Bridal Falls would make a great spot to take a date, walk a dog, or take a young family. For those looking for a serious hike, look elsewhere. For those who are looking for a casual summer activity this park would be highly recommended.

Just try to choose a sunny day to make the trip!

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two “Berlin Walls,” we came to the final obstacle. “Electro Shock Therapy” is the obstacle in which we had to pass through live wires! We wasted no time as we linked arms and charged on through. I felt one wire touch my skull and as accurately as I can describe it, it felt like a baseball had collided with my head and than exploded on impact. Despite it being incredibly painful, we kept going. Then it was over! We had conquered the Mudder! We were donned with our coveted headbands and then enjoyed a nice cool beer! In the end, my ribs were slightly bruised but it was small compared to my other teammates’ injuries. One of us had suffered a spastic cramp in his thigh, while others had cut and deeply bruised their legs and shins. But we all smiled through the pain.

Nothing could dampen our spirits.

The exhausted relief of surviving the treacherous course awaits all that survive to the finish line.

JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

The Tough Mudder is an 18 kilometre obstacle course of pure pain and ... enjoyment?

Held annually in Whistler since its inception a few years ago, Tough Mudder has become a worldwide event. From the United States to Australia, the Tough Mudder challenges its participants to push their endurance, their strength and their pain thresholds. Having done nothing rigorous besides the Vancouver Sun Run for the past several years, I admit I was intimidated by the event. As I lay on my motel bed in Squamish the night before, I kept thinking to myself, “What are you doing?

This is insane!” I felt the same fear as I drove up to the Whistler starting area. But after we got our bibs on and squared away our gear, my fear transformed into anticipation.

Seeing the energy in the other participants helped relieve my tension. I saw several runners in costumes ranging from Luigi to Batman to Clark Kent, sports jacket and all! It also helped that I was part of a great team.

Composed of several newbies like myself, we were graced to have Tough Mudder / Spartan Race veteran John and World’s Toughest Mudder Mathew leading the pack–or as we were officially called, the Ass Bad Mother Lovers! As we walked to the starting area, I no longer felt my fear; instead, I was overcome with excitement. I wanted to see what my body could take, what it could endure!

One thing that people are mistaken about the Tough Mudder is that the obstacles are the most challenging part. In fact, the running is the worst (that is, if you run the majority of it) To be honest, I wished there were more obstacles. My endurance is decent enough but after my first taste, all I wanted was more.

After crawling through mud under barbed wire, our team

was subjected to the Arctic Enema. Leaping into freezing cold water constantly being refilled with massive ice cubes was definitely a new experience for me.

As I felt hypothermia settle in quite quickly, I was amazed at how my body reacted to the cold and how I felt it slowing down.

I then really wanted the woman in front of me to get out of the water!

For the next nine kilometres, we climbed over and under wooden logs, piggy-backed our teammates, crawled through snow-dug tunnels, and leaped over fire. We then went through “Mud Mile” which consisted of climbing out of and back into chest high mud. Despite my initial doubts, my endurance levels were staying strong. Even after slamming my ribs on the giant wooden “Ladder to Hell,” I was still in good shape. But then the longest single section of running followed and I was begging for another obstacle. After we finally arrived at an aid station, I took off my shoe to try removing the stones and mud in it. I then fought against the muck and wet friction for nearly 10 minutes to try to put it back on. Once I got it on, we faced the “Electric Eel.” The obstacle requires you to crawl on a wet tarp underneath live wires that can hold up to 10,000 volts of shock value.

This was the first truly difficult obstacle as I was shocked three times across my body! Then the hiccups started.

As we tried to walk/climb up the steep face wall along the Whistler Ski Ramps, my hiccups encumbered me and caused embarrassment. I felt that the next seven kilometres were going to be very grueling. After we climbed the face, we went through the “Bush Whacking” scenario where we climbed through and around a woodland ravine full of mud pits. It was at this moment I came to the conclusion that the Tough Mudder track constructors had a wicked sense of humour. First you would be covered with

As I headed home along Highway 1 all bruised and sore, I was going over the accomplishments of the day in my head. My exhaustion didn’t overshadow my joy. Together with a great team, we had accomplished an amazing task. We had pushed ourselves through despite the injuries suffered. I was so tired and lost in thought that I almost didn’t notice the cheering coming from the car alongside me.

I looked and saw a car full of Mudder participants cheering at me. I realized they had seen the headband around my neck. As I returned their display of graduations, a very clear thought came over me. I’m totally doing this again next year!

Special thanks to the members of the Ass Bad Mother Lovers: Bryan Andrew, Andrew Hale, Matthew Hidasi, John Gammater, Marcus Tatum, Jonathan Webber and Alex Wong.

Image: Jeremy Hannaford

mud, then cleansed completely only to be covered in mud again.

After we had climbed out of the brush, our group took a breather to wait for other members to catch up. It was at this moment that I concentrated with all my might to rid myself of the hiccups. After probably looking very similar to a praying hermit, I was rid of my hiccups and our team was ready to roll again.

Fatigue was beginning to set in, but I pushed on. At this moment, my team captain John told us to “jog it out.” As he led the way, he grazed his hand over the 13 kilometre sign. I had noticed this ritual since the beginning of the race and it was interesting to watch. For it seemed our leader saw each kilometre as another challenge passed, another goal accomplished. He left his handprint on another conquered vista and marched on to the next.

Perhaps I was viewing it more deeply than he saw it but it inspired me to push on. We carried wooden logs over a small distance, jumped off a 20-foot structure into cold water below and crawled through tunnels with water up to our eyes.

When we came across the monkey bars (or the “Funky Monkey” obstacle), I was ready to give it my all. My upper body strength isn’t the best when it comes to chin ups so imagine my surprise when I actually made it across the obstacle! But before I could rest my sore shoulders, we came to the “Everest” obstacle – a huge half-pipe ramp covered in mud and water and sweat.

With all my speed remaining, I ran up the pipe and grabbed hold of the wooden beam atop. I held on as I was slowly lifted up by other participants. After we had stood atop the structure, a few of us, our team captain especially, stayed to help others up the ramp. Despite the wear and tear on our biceps, John pushed us to stay and help others up. After nearly 10 minutes we finally moved on to the last two obstacles.

After slowly getting over the

Image: Jeremy Hannaford

Obstacles of all kinds tested the strength and stamina of each entrant.

Image: Jeremy Hannaford

The 18km Tough Mudder features some actual running before the mud.