The Cascade Vol. 21 No. 29

Vol. 21 Issue 29

www.ufvcascade.ca

November 6 to November 12, 2013

Featuring famous hands since 1993

Mermaids in the making

Students slap on scales and tails for the first show of the UFV theatre season p. 10

Seventy shades of cheesecake p. 14

Contested seniority-based basketball schedule here to stay p. 18

2

NEWS News

4

Opinion

7

Arts & Life

16

Sports & Health

20

Upcoming

Events

Nov 6 to 24 The Little Mermaid on stage Not exactly your Disney princess; UFV theatre opens their season of theatre with a BC-set adapation of the classic fairy tale. Opening night is fast approaching, so get your tickets and don’t miss the scales, flippers, merfolk, and of course, Prince Eric at the UFV Theatre campus on Yale road.

Nov 7 Louden Lit ‘n’ Liquor The 6th annual Louden Singletree board is hosting an AfterMath pub night! Come out for good food, good times, and good beer. There will be an open mic, prizes to be won, and plenty more literary goodness.

Nov 7 Science grad school workshop The science advice centre with the Faculty of Science hosts a graduate school workshop for the science fields.

Guest speakers will discuss their experiences and provide information on how and when to apply for grad school.

Nov 7 to 11 Remember to remember Head to the Reach on November 7 for Hugh Brewster’s talk Canadians at War. Also at the Reach on November 11 the Fraser Valley Stage presents poetry and music for Remembrance Day reflection. As well, the annual ceremonies at Abbotsford and Chilliwack’s cenotaphs will be observed.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

UFV budget forum takes a hard look at funding cuts

At the recent UFV budget forum, chief financial officer, Jackie Hogan explained their new approach to funding cuts: the innovation fund. Departments will be responsible for cutting and finding entrepreneurial opportunies where they can.

UFV Speaks! What students want for future theatre productions

Who knew the regular student had so many great ideas for the theatre department?

Ender’s Game from book to film

If the book succeeds where the film falls short, can the film shine in places the book never could?

Currently undefeated

Contributor Nathan Hutton describes UFV’s victorious ways in the men’s and women’s basketball sweep of the Lethbridge Pronghorns and Calgary Dinos.

Where art thou, faculty reception?

DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

Faculty reception has done a lot for me over the years.

I would need both hands and a couple of feet to count the occasions I’ve handed tardy papers to the friendly white-haired woman behind the desk (or, more often than not, the mail slot that takes over duties when the friendly white-haired woman leaves for the day).

There’s no feeling in the world quite like the relief that descended in perfect time with the blue-inked date stamp. That was the moment when the paper was truly finished: not when spell check ran for the last time, not when the title page printed, not when it was finally stapled together, but when the faculty reception secretary raised one eyebrow and made sure the professor’s name was on the front.

Finally, as a Chilliwack student, faculty reception saved me more than one trip to Abbotsford’s campus; if I dropped off a paper at the Chilliwack faculty reception, it would magically find its way to the professor’s office in Abbotsford (and vice versa).

UFV announced the end of faculty reception this summer. By the time classes resumed in September, it was a done deal. The desks were empty. The after-hours boxes were gone. Staff were relocated to other positions.

In many ways, faculty reception was a relic – in an age of digital information and email, it seems archaic to print physical pages and have them physically carted to their destination.

There are logical reasons to close faculty reception, and I get that.

But now it’s the middle of semester and I’m beginning to sorely, sorely miss the friendly desk and the white-haired woman and her blue date stamp.

Volume 21 · Issue 29 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-chief dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Managing editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Business manager joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson

Image: Amy Van Veen / The Cascade

I evermore did love thee, faculty reception, did keep thy counsel, never wronged thee.

When UFV administration initially announced that faculty reception was getting the axe, they warned that responsibility would now fall on the professor to be more open to assignments submitted by email.

This is where the logic behind axing faculty reception begins to fall apart.

The need for faculty reception’s powers of collection, organization, and distribution of physical paper may have decreased, but that doesn’t mean demand has vanished. Although UFV can spin the elimination of faculty reception as a brave step into a clean and digital era, it’s simply not true.

Would it be easier to have all assignments travel through digital channels? Yes, of course – instantaneous and efficient are the internet’s middle names. Is this a future we should work toward?

I whole-heartedly believe so. If not for the ease or speed, think of the amount of paper and ink that goes into the stack of final papers from every section of every class.

Think especially of creative writing courses, in which students are expected to provide a copy of every assignment to each of their six (or 10, or 20) workshop group members.

But the truth is that instructors aren’t going to become more accepting of digital assignments.

Period. Maybe ever. Some professors are extraordinarily against accepting any kind of assignment through a computer, and I would bet a couple of limbs that some of them will stubbornly stay that way forever.

No problem! UFV says. Those instructors who prefer physical assignments would be able to organize a physical drop-off point for student assignments – under the door of their office, for example.

And here we find ourselves back at the beginning: physical papers that need a physical dropoff point. The only difference in this new system is that students are expected to do the legwork themselves, and the infrastructure isn’t always there to support them.

News editor jess@ufvcascade.ca Jess Wind

Production manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour

Opinion editor nadine@ufvcascade.ca Nadine Moedt

Art director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi

Arts & life editor sasha@ufvcascade.ca Sasha Moedt

Production assistant Kaitlyn Gendemann

Sports editor esau@ufvcascade.ca Paul Esau

Online editor ashley@ufvcascade.ca Ashley Mussbacher

News writer katherine@ufvcascade.ca Katherine Gibson

Copy editor katie@ufvcascade.ca Katie Stobbart

Staff writer christopher@ufvcascade.ca Christopher DeMarcus

Photojournalist blake@ufvcascade.ca Blake McGuire Contributors Taylor Breckles, Remington Fioraso, Valerie Franklin, Jeremy Hannaford, Nathan Hutton, and Tim Ubels Cover image: Blake McGuire

When was the last time you tried to find a faculty office in the maze of D building’s third floor? What do you do if the professor hasn’t set up a drop-off box for assignments? What do you do if there is literally no space between door and floor to slide a tardy paper?

At the end of the day, I can’t blame UFV for trying to make the best of a bad situation and making cuts where cuts can be made.

I’d rather faculty reception get chopped, after all, than a class, a professor, a department.

But even if the desk had to close, why not keep the after-hours drop box open? A staff member (maybe even the same staff members, since they’ve been reabsorbed into other faculty support positions) could go through it every morning to stamp and direct the papers on their way.

Because, unfortunately, physical papers are here to stay. We’re going to have to deal with them one way or another.

Printed By International Web exPress 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, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

A peaceful city in Jubilee Park

Demonstrators ask for “Dignity Village” model housing solution

KATHERINE GIBSON

Keeping up on

Campus

THE CASCADE

VALERIE FRANKLIN

CONTRIBUTOR

Abbotsford’s homeless have taken the future of their camps into their own hands.

In association with the BC/ Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors (DWS), peaceful protestors have taken up residence in Jubilee Park in response to the treatment of Abbotsford’s homeless population.

Originally, the protest was meant to be only four days long. However, it has been extended indefinitely, and protesters are now intent on staying until they can work out a housing solution with the city.

The demonstrators are proposing a permanent and regulated camp for homeless individuals to reside in, based not in Jubilee Park but on privately owned land in another part of the city.

This housing model is based on a similar initiative from Portland, Oregon called Dignity Village.

Such camps do not provide a long-term home for individuals, but instead function as a type of transitional housing.

Among other benefits, the camp would allow healthcare and outreach programs to connect with the homeless more easily, as well as avoid possible conflicts with neighbours and businesses.

One journey through mental health Students are often afflicted with mental health issues like anxiety or depression and many of them don’t seek help. One student has come forward to UFV’s counselling department seeking help as she navigates university life.

Follow ufvcascade.ca as she shares her all too familiar journey.

Image: Katherine Gibson / The Cascade

The homeless have been camping out in Jubilee Park for the past couple of weeks.

“We’re just here to fight to get a place to call home,” Calvin says. He admires the organization of the Portland homeless camp, which features amenities like many campgrounds have.

“They have wi-fi, electricity, showers, and washrooms,” he said. “That’s what we’re fighting for.”

William, a supporter of this protest, also believes that the creation of an Abbotsfordbased Dignity Village will give the local homeless population a necessary sense of safety and security.

“We need a facility here. I know it’s a matter of opinion,

but wherever you stand on this issue, people are people,” he explains. “Everyone deserves to have a safe place to call home – the homeless need a place in society too.”

The severity of the homelessness situation in Abbotsford was brought to the public’s attention this summer when the City dumped chicken manure on a homeless camp located on Gladys Avenue. Homeless people’s tents were also allegedly slashed and maced by the Abbotsford police in an effort to evict them from the site. A permanent camp would help the homeless avoid conflicts like these.

Ward Draper, executive director of 5 and 2 Ministries, explains that there has been land donated for long term facilitation of these individuals.

“We have a site on 10 acre ... that’s been offered by a wellknown local family and business,” Draper told the Province earlier this week, although 5 and 2 has not yet officially accepted the donation.

Nothing is certain yet, but Calvin is pleased to see Abbotsford and the DWA progressing toward a solution.

“It’s starting to fall in place.”

Trick-or-Treat versus Trick-or-Eat JESS WIND

$226.10 and 411.5 pounds of food.

“We had the trolley and it was overflowing by the end,” said VP academic Kristianne Hendricks. “We actually had more food than we could handle in here, so we [brought] some of it back over to the [Abbotsford] food bank ... we’re sharing back and forth.”

SUS’s food drive was modelled after the annual Trickor-Treat event run by Student Life, which regularly goes from department to department collecting Unicef donations on Halloween.

“When we knew we were

doing the food bank we actu- ever, as the date approached, THE CASCADE ally went and talked to [Stu- Student Life decided to cancel dent Life programmer Martin their event.

On a day usually spent pickKelly] and we asked him if we “Student Life deferred their ing out the best costume and could change event to SUS. indulging in candy, the Stuthe donor, “We actually had more SUS was dodent Union Society (SUS) deso instead of ing trick or eat, cided to go in a different ditrick or treat- food than we could handle we pulled our rection. ing for Unitrick or treat so Having recently opened cef we would in here, so we [brought] there wouldn’t their on-campus food bank, trick or treat be any confuthe SUS advocacy committee for the food some of it back over to the sion,” Kelly exheld the first annual Trick-orbank,” explained.

Eat event on October 31. plained Hen- [Abbotsford] food bank.”

He went on Costume-clad students visdricks. to say that ited different departments at Both events were scheduled while both events help charity, UFV collecting non-perishable to occur on Halloween, with Student Life’s goals are about food items and monetary doSUS’ early in the day and Stu- getting students involved. nations. In the end they raised dent Life’s at the end. How“What we’re supposed to do is engagement,” he said. “The charity is secondary consideration to having lots of students that are usually around the edges that wouldn’t come and Serving K-12 & Adult Students do anything to come in and participate.”

In the end, SUS was able to raise food and money for their ible charity initiatives and Student Flex ule. d Prerequisites for Post Secondary e !

Life held various Halloween h e Sc nytim a t events at U-House. r a St Upgrade your Mark on a Prerequisite

SummitLearningCentre.ca

Free High School Courses

BC Certified Teachers & Courses

Call Now! 604-820-3333

1-866-881-1984 Call Now!

Maclean’s misses UFV Maclean’s magazine recently released their top university rankings. Schools from all corners of Canada were judged and ranked in four categories: primarily undergraduate, comprehensive, medical doctoral, and methodology. Despite striving to provide the best undergraduate degree in the country, UFV was not on the list. What does it mean to make the list?

How does Maclean’s compare to other publications’ postsecondary education rankings? What does UFV have to say on the subject? We’ll bring you the details.

Condoms on campus Despite the boy scout’s motto, some of us are not always prepared. SUS knows this and has thus provided condoms free of charge to anyone who comes looking for them. They have always been in a box inside the SUS office on the Abby campus. But SUS taken their courtesy condoms a step further and now they can also be found in the C building men’s and women’s washrooms. SUS office administrator, Megan Zacharias says she is having to refill the bowl frequently.

Way to be prepared, UFV.

Have a news tip?

Let us know!

Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews

4

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SCIENCE ON PURPOSE

The robo-roach and its Kafkaesque implications CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

THE CASCADE

The RoboRoach is your own personal insect cyborg. This at-home science kit lets you build a cybernetic organism by surgically adding a circuit board controller to a cockroach’s back, then wirelessly controlling it via your iPhone.

Backward Brains makes and sells the kits. Based out of Ann Arbor, USA, the company racked up $12,000 of startup cash on Kickstarter. Crowdsourcing contributors now have their very own neuroscience experiment.

“Following a brief surgery you perform on the cockroach to attach the silver electrodes to the antenna, you can attach the backpack to the roach and control its movement for a few minutes before the cockroach adapts.” says Backward Brains founder Greg Gage.

The backpack that you attach to the roach to control it turns the bug into a tiny little toy that you can drive around the room. Think micro-machines meets the Terminator. After you remove the backpack, the roach “forgets” the effect it had on him, and he returns to a normal state.

But this isn’t just a toy.

“I’m a neuroscientist and that means I had to go to grad school for five years just to ask questions about the brain. You don’t have to get a PhD in astronomy to get a telescope and

Image: Anthony Biondi

Controlling a cockroach could help map the human brain. study the sky,” Cage said at a TED talk in June. Cage wants to put neuroscience experiments in the hands of at-home hobbyists.

“This is not just a gimmick, the technique is the same as that used to treat Parkinson’s disease and in cochlear implants,” Cage told BBC News.

“The point of the project is to create a tool to learn about how our brain works.”

The signal that is transmitted to the roach is a series of electrical pulses, mimicking the same signals that are sent from the insect’s antenna.

The pattern and bandwidth of these pulses can be changed inside the smart-phone pro-

gram. The main goal of the project is to get experimenters to catalogue how long it takes the roach to adapt to the pulse settings.

Students can use music from their iPods to modify the pulses sent to the bug’s head, creating a randomizing or musical effect to retain control over the bug’s brain.

The democratization of these types of experiments has allowed anyone to have access to his or her own brain laboratory. The experiments are helping raise a whole new generation of neuroscientists.

But some question the ethics of turning an insect into a toy.

Bioethicist Gregory Kaebnick

told Science magazine that the kits “give you a way of playing with living things” that she finds “unpleasant.”

“Cockroaches can haul 20 times their own weight. That’s plenty of strength for a cyborg backpack – and fancy accessories,” reported Popular Science’s Amanda Schypak. So, we don’t have to worry about weighing the brawny bug down.

However, the backpack controller is attached to the antennae of the little cucaracha. For a human, this would be like having iPod headphones glued to your ears, with a commanding signal, “Left, right, left!”

The electric pulses from the backpack use the antennae as a biological wire to send instructions. This has brought up a popular ethics question about the RoboRoach: If you were a roach, would you rather be crushed or driven around by a kid’s iPhone?

Whatever side of the ethical line you fall on, the cyborg roaches are gaining popularity. Maybe we’ll get that much needed sequel to Joe’s Apartment, J-Apartment 2: Revenge of the Roach.

The real hope is that the neuroscience behind RoboRoach’s brain stimulation method may lead to treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. Electroshock therapy for roaches could teach us more more about the effects of electrical cycles on the brain.

UFV looks to departments for financial innovation JESS WIND

THE CASCADE

How does a university make money when the government keeps cutting funding? UFV is asking that question to all its departments as part of its new innovation fund.

At a November 4 budget forum held at the Abbotsford campus, chief financial officer Jackie Hogan presented the direction for UFV’s budget over the next three years following the announced provincial cuts ($50 million) to post-secondary education.

After reading out the provincial mandate Hogan detailed UFV’s response.

“We want to build the best undergraduate university in Canada,” Hogan said. “We want to be a leader in social, cultural, economic, and environmentally responsible development in the Fraser Valley and we want to be innovative, entrepreneurial, and accountable in delivering the first two goals.”

One way to ensure UFV doesn’t feel the hit from the funding cut is to raise tuition rates. However, Hogan explained that with the tuition limit policy that caps tuition

Local papers now owned

by Black Press KATHERINE GIBSON

THE CASCADE

Black Press Ltd., the largest independent newspaper publisher in Canada, recently bought the Abbotsford-Mission Times and the Chilliwack Times from the Glacier Media newspaper group. Currently, Black Press owns the Abbotsford News and Chilliwack Progess, the competing papers of both communities. The buyout will leave the local papers of Abbotsford and Chilliwack under the same ownership.

Employees of the local newspaper were not willing to comment until more details have been released. At this point in time, nothing has been officially announced regarding the future of these papers. Neither Black Press Ltd. or Glacier Media could be reached for comment at press time.

Security breach

Image: Ashley Mussbacher / The Cascade

DESSA BAYROCK

increases at two per cent per year for domestic students, that isn’t an option.

UFV is looking at enrolment rates and international student tuition rates as potential options, as they are not under the same limit policy.

In the future, Hogan explained that international tuition may be calculated based on credit instead of the flat rate that is charged now, but that has yet to be put into effect.

Therefore, cuts need to come from within departments. UFV is giving those departments the opportunity to find ways to save money through its proposed innovation fund.

Hogan finished her budget presentation and then opened the floor to the packed room.

Former faculty and staff association (FSA) president and English department faculty member Virginia Cooke spoke to the underlying feeling of the new fund.

“I just want to mention that the way this is getting rolled out to departments is that, with this new model (and I’m sure its not intentional) but the feeling among faculty is ‘oh my god, we’re failing here, here’s your minus however many

per cent and you have to do something,’” she said. “I think theres something a bit wrong with how it’s coming across.”

Departments have been made aware of a percentage of their budget that they have to cut, which ranges between 0.7 and 3.5 per cent.

Hogan responded to Cooke’s concerns, explaining that they wanted to go with a transparent model, rather than make blanket cuts across the board.

“It’s either an incremental model … and the problems are dealt with centrally, or we transparently share the information,” she said. “We say ‘this is the size of the problem, we’re working on solutions together’ … perhaps some more thought to communication of how to share it.”

Other concerns were raised in the room from how the community and other external parties are being made aware of UFV’s financial situation to if and when the cuts will begin to affect students. Canadian research chair Lenore Newman wanted to know just how dire UFV’s financial situation is.

“Looking at the numbers my biggest concern is when does this become mathematically

impossible to deal with?” she asked. “Will we have to close programs and lay people off [this year] to close the hole? ... How much last-ditch safety, turning lights off in the room, not polishing the floors do we have before we’re actually seeing programs being closed and people laid off. How bad is it?”

VP academic and provost Eric Davis explained that while there is nothing they know for sure, considering UFV is still waiting to hear exactly how much the government will be cutting from UFV specifically in the coming fiscal year out of the $20 million reduction, they are trying new ways to save money to protect programs and, ultimately, students.

“It’s not going to be an easy process to figure out how we get through the budget this year and the next year and the year after which is why we’re trying to think outside the box,” he said. “Encouraging people to be innovative, encouraging people to be entrepreneurial. Looking at different ways of doing things because business as usual is not possible.”

THE CASCADE

An individual holding a poster board sign by the Abbotsford campus parking loop was asked to leave by security on October 31.

The slogan on the poster began with the word “Vote;” the complete sentence could not be determined before the individual left campus.

A statement could not be procured from either party at the time of the incident; attending security guards declined to comment and told The Cascade staff to delete pictures of the incident.

Brian Leonard, UFV’s director of security and emergency management, said in a later statement that the “individual … waving a sign” was considered a “special event” and would need to go through a UFV department to obtain permission to hold his “event” on campus. “[H]e was advised of the process and amicably left the premises,” Leonard stated.

“Security is tasked with providing a safe and secure environment for the UFV community in a respectful and courteous manner.”

5

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SNAPSHOTS

Just give me the money Katie Stobbart

This Halloween, I heard a couple of stories in which people just handed out loonies or toonies at the door instead of candy or healthy substitutes (pencils, apples, etc.). I was surprised – I guess it might be cheaper and less labour-intensive than going out and purchasing boxes of candy, much of which is later (or pre-emptively) consumed by the purchaser, but it seems to make an already consumer-tainted celebration even more meaningless. We’re not even enjoying the process – it’s just the social custom to hand something out at the door.

But I guess this just follows a growing trend of giving money instead of gifts. Instead of really thinking about what someone would like, or what the meaning behind a holiday is, we’re just meeting expectations.

How hard is it to stuff a 20 into a storebought card?

Not that candy is all that meaningful. I guess I’d just like to see holidays go back to the other kind of green.

Keep the Senate Christopher Demarcus The Prime Minister appoints senators.

Not so good when we’ve got the government we have, but democratizing the senate won’t help. Not in today’s politics, which is more about buying and selling votes than the common good. Democratizing the Senate will pour more money into unneeded elections, election scandals, and landfills of lawn signs.

At the same time, we need the Senate to stick around. The job of the Senate is to take a second look and examine bills under public review. Even if they’re a rubber stamp from the PM, they are a necessary speed bump before bills become law.

However, the Senate does need reform.

First, a pay-cap. There are plenty of experienced and educated Generation Y-ers out there who could do a great job in the Senate, and they don’t need $135,000 a year, they’d be fine with $60,000 and some dental care.

We should focus on a good clean fight next election; get the Blue Tories out of power, and make this country more honest and stable for everyone at every age – not just the fat cats at the top.

Curtailed commentary on current conditions

Why does healthy food taste so bad?

TAYLOR BRECKLES

My mom is always trying to eat healthier and she always tries to hook me into participating. I’m not against healthy food or anything, but when I eat I want to enjoy my meal. Who would actively pass up fettucini alfredo or steak and potatoes for steamed fish and vegetables? Not I, my friends! My relationship with good food is still going strong after 18 years, and I’m not willing to give it up for fewer calories.

I would appreciate science even more should researchers be looking for a solution to improve either the nutrition quality of fatty (delicious) food or the taste of healthier food. Technology has progressed so far, and yet we are still unable to find a delicious balance between flavour and healthiness? Spices can only do so much; we shouldn’t expect them to carry the burden of trying to make bland nutrition delicious. If good-for-you food tasted like full-fat, full-carb items, then I’m sure people everywhere wouldn’t cringe at the sight of it; but as long as it continues to have that grainy, earthy, dissatisfying flavor, then it shall never appease my selective palate.

Too old to play video games?

ASHLEY MUSSBACHER

What do you mean I’m too old for video games? If I want to log over 100 hours into a single game, that should be my decision. Do I think it’s a waste of time?

Of course.

I know those 100 hours could have been spent doing other things, but I don’t play video games because I want to be productive. I play them to zone out, to catch up on my couch-potato duties, and to relax.

Some people read. Some people hike.

Some people scrapbook. I game. Why don’t the other hobbies have negative stigma?

It feels like I’m still stuck in the 90s, when gamers were labelled computer geeks, and expected to conform to the image of a skinny, greasy, pimple-faced male who will still be living in his mother’s basement at age 30.

I especially enjoy the stabs by those who sit on their couch all evening and weekend watching TV. In a digital society, you’d think this view of gamers would have changed.

Google’s solutionism gives us the wrong answers to the wrong questions CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

THE CASCADE

Why is it that we believe almost all problems have technological solutions, often to be solved by some sort of network upgrade or smart phone app?

Technology has become a holy commandment in our culture. We used to pray at the altars of gods, now we take our deepest questions to the search box of Google, or put our darkest secrets on public display with Facebook.

Google is God. Surfing is soulsearching.

Of course, we know churches can be corrupt. All human institutions are at the risk of becoming brutal and oppressive regimes.

George Orwell taught us that lesson in Animal Farm. The book is not about the Russian revolution as much as it is about oligarchy everywhere; porcine communism is only the set dressing.

Like a corrupt church, Google isn’t holy. In many ways Google, which is a for-profit product and service, has become its own dogmatic ideology. It has become the core focus of our purpose and our reasoning. What would Jesus do?

He’d Google it!

Orwell once wrote in a newspaper article, “It was Christ, accord-

What would Jesus do? He’d Google it. ing to the Gospel, who uttered the text, but it was Marx who brought it to life.” This is the kind of nonpartisan thinking we need: Marx was an atheist.

Newspapers used to tackle issues of deep faith, political theology, and economic critique. What do we have as status quo media to-

Image: brionv/ flickr

day? We have blogs about oatmeal and complaint columns about hockey teams. We can, for the moment, access great papers like The New York Times and The Guardian.

But Google’s task isn’t to push you to quality news. Its task is to push you into what’s popular, what sells ad space, and what it thinks you

should know. myth in itself.

The evidence is clear: good news Technology has become the is dying – replaced by gong-show leading force in conditioning and pundits and dramatic clowns. The motivating us. Facebook is narcisbaboonery has spilled over to CBC sistic because it’s the network’s job and National Post, who need to to promote—and gain data from— keep it quick, simple, and stupid the self. Not because the people to compete for their media market are already self-absorbed. The netshare. works and apps We search the “Google’s task isn’t shape us more data, looking for we shape to push you to quality than meaning, but them. only find simple news. Its task is to push Smart-phone facts amongst you into what’s popu- games are dethe advertisesigned to keep ments, like look- lar, what sells ad space, you engaged in ing for meaning and what it thinks you the frivolous. in a phone book.

Data is collected Contrary to should know” by the gaming the contempocompany as you rary zeitgeist, Marx was scientific play. They know how long you in his pursuit to describe economy. played a level, how much engageHis critique of capitalism is as ment you gave it, and can extrapomuch quantitative as it is qualita- late that information to make you tive. He was a man of science, of play it more and more. Is that the progress. The Marxist tradition of kind of goal we want to reach with logic against ideology needs to be science: designer distractions? deployed to examine why we have This brave new world might be become tools of our tools. Is there a great for a game designer, but it’s purpose in our technology beyond bad news for the end user. the task of pushing money from But if you just Google it, you’ll bank account to bank account? find a way to the next level. See, Is there a purpose of our smart isn’t Google great? Yes, Google is phones beyond shallow pleasures? great and Google is good. Let’s Marx would think our reliance on thank him for all our Candy Crush internet corporatism is a distrac- food. tion from the real, scientific truth.

Google’s “do no evil” slogan is

6

OPINION

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Seafood boycott an exercise in hypocrisy NADINE MOEDT

THE CASCADE

What do the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a couple of celebrity chefs, and every armchair activist that ever shouted at injustices from their comfortable seat have in common? They all are attempting to boycott Canadian seafood.

Their purpose? To halt the yearly slaughter of wide-eyed baby harbour seals.

The boycott itself was called as far back as 2005. Since then, thousands of grocery stores and restaurants have committed to the boycott, which would end once the Canadian government stops the commercial hunting of seal.

Several high-profile chefs—including Michael Symon and Mario Batali—have also announced their support for the cause.

So begins a heated battle in the world of cookery.

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain recently began a Twitter campaign against the boycott, suggesting that a ban on the seal hunt would spell doom for the indigenous natives who have been hunting seals for thousands of years.

According to the Globe and Mail, Bourdain spent time in northern Quebec with Inuit seal hunters.

Without the annual seal hunt, he argues, Inuit peoples would be forced to move, or else face starvation.

“I completely understand well meaning intentions of good-hearted chefs who signed this petition,” Bourdain tweeted. “But they are wrong. Visit the Inuit.”

The rationale behind the boycott is to force the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans to cancel the hunt by stemming Canada’s export of seafood to the United States. On the surface, it’s a good plan; 60 per cent of our seafood export makes its way to our southern neighbors.

The HSUS is calling Bourdain’s

Image: Robert Thivierge

The Canadian seal hunt brings out hysteria in animal activists. criticism “misinformation.” It might be. The boycott is not targeting traditional Aboriginal hunts.

The ban the EU placed on the import of seal hunt products from Canada is also limited to non-Inuit product, so it is possible that there would be no serious repercussions for Aboriginal hunts.

However, the implications of the

boycott go deeper than a controversy of economics.

The hysteria surrounding the seal hunt is darkly humorous when you consider that in Canada alone approximately 650 million animals are slaughtered for consumption every year. Most of us know that these animals are treated far worse for far longer than a seal pup. Ani-

mals raised for slaughter undergo the most inhumane treatment imaginable, simply for the sake of our gastronomic preferences.

A recent report released by the Environmental Investigation Agency on Japan’s hunts of dolphins, porpoises, and small whales suggests that several species have been “overhunted beyond the

point of recovery,” according to the Vancouver Sun. So, where is the boycott on Japanese seafood? Or are endangered whales not photogenic enough for the Humane Society?

There’s nothing like the soulful face of a baby seal, hunted at about two weeks old, to tug at the heartstrings.

The HSUS knows how to play this to their advantage. The information page on their website regarding the seal hunt uses some choice emotive descriptors when referring to the seals being slaughtered. It’s not just a harbour seal; it’s a “25-day-old fuzzy baby seal.”

Save the seals: donate to HSUS. It seems that the cuter the animal, the more value is placed on its well-being. Or perhaps, in those big sad eyes, we are suddenly confronted with something that we have been unable, or unwilling, to see before. They too can suffer. It should never be a question of intelligence, the ability to reason, to recognize oneself in a mirror, talk, or be domesticated. The only question that is important is their ability to suffer, and our ability to keep that suffering to a minimum.

Marine ecologist Jacques Cousteau once criticized our reaction to the seal hunt, arguing in favour of focusing on other, more important causes.

“We have to be logical. We have to aim our activity first to the endangered species. Those who are moved by the plight of the harp seal could also be moved by the plight of the pig – the way they are slaughtered is horrible.”

While Canada’s annual seal hunt is horrific, our reaction to it is purely emotional. Harbour seals are thriving as a species; there are other endangered animals at risk that need far more attention than they are being given, and other animals who experience far more cruelty at our hands than do harbour seals.

Buyers on the dating scene SASHA MOEDT

THE CASCADE

In the hall just outside of the Abbotsford campus cafeteria is a Mazda advertisement. “Get Girls WAY OUT of your league,” it says, with a picture of a sleek car.

The first thing that you’d think is, “what kind of loaded university student could afford a new car, let alone a new Mazda?” To me anyway, the idea is laughable.

The second thing to come to mind is, “Mazda must think university students are pretty stupid at dating if they think that advertisement will work at UFV.” But maybe we are kind of stupid. Mazda is targeting buyers.

I mean, obviously. But hear me out. Think about the heterosexual dating scene. Think about—in the most sexist way—what each gender offers in order to get a date.

Then, if you were told that one gender is the buyer, and one is the seller, which would be which?

You would probably conclude

that men are the buyers, and women the sellers. You’d think this day and age, there wouldn’t be any discussion about who should ask who out, or about who should pay on the first date – but there is, and that is a reflection of the buyers and sellers dating practice.

“UFV men, just a quick warning: if you buy a Mazda with the intent of picking up some hot chicks, you’ll have a very shitty relationship or none at all.”

The man should be somewhat good-looking (though this isn’t key), assertive, and well off. They pay for stuff, they drive the car, they buy the woman gifts. The woman, on the other hand, should first and foremost be beautiful.

She might be moneyed as well— though not more than the man, or that leads to angst on both ends,

apparently—but beauty is most important. She’ll be submissive and let the man do the wooing.

Because she’s the seller. She has to show her goods, and make sure the male is good enough to buy the wares. Gross, right? But kind of accurate.

So Mazda is trying to convince young men that to get a really hot girl, they have to buy a tricked-out car. Clever advertising. It’s such BS that we have to look at that advertisement every time we want to get a coffee from the cafe.

The buyers and sellers dating practice is sexist at its core. It leads to men thinking of women as buyable objects, and women thinking of men as sources of money to take advantage of.

So, UFV men, just a quick warning: if you buy a Mazda with the intent of picking up some hot chicks, you’ll have a very shitty relationship or none at all.

Mazda advertises sexist courtship.

Have an opinion about something? Share it with us.

Comment on our website or email your thoughts to opinion@ufvcascade.ca

Image: Sasha Moedt

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

7

OPINION

What play do you hope to see on the UFV stage in the future?

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

8

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Pick a pumpkin, carve a pumpkin, smash a pumpkin

Cascade Arcade

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

The annual pumpkin toss

JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

While Assassin’s Creed III had a disappointing storyline and a weak main character, there was one gleaming element of the game that always brought me back and gave me hope for future installments. That element was the naval battles. From sailing on the open seas to engaging in intense naval combat amid massive storms, the whole ship concept was awesome. Now it turns out that Ubisoft Montreal listened to my praises.

Right off the bat, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag learns from the mistakes of its predecessor by putting the player in the action right off the bat. No hourlong tutorials to weigh down the action – instead they throw the player into an epic battle in a monsoon. Later on, once you acquire your own ship named the Jackdaw, you are free to roam the seas at your leisure.

This sense of freedom has always been present in the other AC games but it has never been so well defined. In the amount of time I have put into this game, I could say that I have only spent 35 per cent of it doing story-related missions. Every time I see another ship on my travels, I feel the need to ram into and plunder it! Even if

the ship is far superior to mine, my inner scoundrel needs me to steal its booty. The naval combat is slightly more arcade-ish compared to ACIII. In ACIII, the battles were much more focused, considering they were stand-alone missions, they were intense but small. In ACIV, most of this is exchanged for brutal and aggressive combat. Battles don’t last as long but it doesn’t take away from gameplay, especially when you can board the ship and kill their crew.

Years ago, Disney Interactive and Propaganda Games were working on a highly anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean game.

Unfortunately, due to delays and creative differences, the game was cancelled after years of development and resulted in Propaganda’s closure. So besides Sid Meier’s Pirates from last gen consoles, gamers have been unable to fulfill their pirate fantasies on current gen consoles.

ACIV finally delivers that fantasy and were it just a pirate game, it would truly be a great game. The one problem holding it back is the fact that it is an Assassins’ Creed game.

While the story missions aren’t as boring or constricting as in ACIII, they do bring back the old unfortunate memories of series hangups. While some lessons were learned, some seem to

fall by the wayside as long, dry tailing missions alongside boring eavesdropping slow things down and take away from the onseas action. While the parkour movement system works extremely well amongst the backdrop, I was constantly yearning for the sea.

A shining moment in the story is this entry’s main source of history: Jack Kenway. Driven by his personal desires, he is a refreshing change from entitled characters of the past. He isn’t an assassin, but a pirate looking out for his own interests and it works, especially when you are constantly destroying Spanish and British ships throughout the Caribbean and listening to your crew sing great pirate shanties.

The customization is also an interesting treat. To build your ship, you must collect resources and currency by plundering ships and assassinating targets, from cargo space to ram strength to sail cover. The customization isn’t as deep as in some other games but it helps build the feeling of having your own ship. My Jackdaw sails with red crimson sails with an Aries ram figure at the bow of the ship. It provides visual prowess as I ram every ship I come across before blowing it to hell.

ASHLEY MUSSBACHER THE CASCADE

You can never have too many pumpkins at Halloween, especially if you plan to bake the seeds. There were 90 pumpkins available at Student Life’s pumpkin carving event this week – some large, some small, a few oddly shaped.

According to folklore (and there are many versions), jacko-lanterns are supposed to protect us from vampires, ghouls, and demons. If that’s the case, I don’t think ours were working properly, because there were many of the undead carving their own.

“It’s all about the planning,” one costumed student says, gingerly tracing the shapes of teeth with a sharpie pen over the waxy surface of his pumpkin.

A little further down the table, Mike Martin carves a handprint with a face in the centre.

“Wilson!” someone shouts.

At the end of the table, Faculty and Staff Association members Vicki Grieve and Lisa Morry work on their pumpkins.

“Mine says ‘FSA,’ because I don’t have much of an imagination,” Morry jokes.

The gourds were transformed from plain old vegetables used in pie and stew into spooky fac-

Image: Student Life

es, movie references, and logos.

Everyone at the table returned to their childhood to enjoy the tradition.

For a bit of incentive to stab the pumpkins carefully, rather than hack-and-slash them, a trophy was offered up by Student Life for the best one. By the end, it looked like a tight competition. One looked like the face of an old man with a real knife sticking out of the side of his head. Another used carrots as a makeshift crown. One tiny pumpkin, so small it could fit in the palm of my hand, had a sharp-toothed grin.

It reminded me of a Goosebumps episode, in which a potato is dug up and has a face with sharp fangs and glowing red eyes. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I had nightmares for a while after watching that!

Student Life’s Pumpkin Carving event was a perfect way to escape back to childhood, to the tradition of carving jacko-lanterns, and how it felt to be scared of even the simplest ghost stories.

Perhaps even more rewarding was watching those same pumpkins fly through the air in the annual Student Life Pumpkin Smash on November 1, after all the spooks and sprites of Halloween were safely laid to rest.

9

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

SUDOKU PUZZLE

CROSSWORD Kitchen tools

by Katie Stobbart

ACROSS 2.

6.

10.

11.

An easy way to quickly heat and reheat food. (9) A spoon designed for serving ice cream and frozen yogurt.

A popular brand of plastic food storage containers. (10) Electric appliance used for making smoothies. (7)

LAST WEEK

sudoku solution

Across

DOWN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

7.

8.

9.

Answer Keys

This utensil is used for stabbing food and poking holes in potatoes. (4) Used primarily to slice and julienne vegetables, not to be confused with the instrument, which has no “e.” (9) Necessary for hand-mixing a variety of liquid ingredients. (5) A pan specifically used for high-heat low-fat cooking. (3) Also called a “lifter,” for pancake-flipping and transferring cookies onto a cooling rack. (7) A vessel in which water is boiled and tea is served. (6) Used to indicate the length of time necessary to hardboil. (3, 5) A kind of bottle useful for mixing home-made salad dressing. (5)

1 CHICKENSOUP 5 PHLEGM 9 LOZENGE 10 NAUSEA 11 ANTIHISTAMINE Down 2 CONGESTION 3 EPIDEMIC 4 CONTAGIOUS 6 INFLUENZA 7 ECHINACEA 8 BEDREST

The Weekly Horoscope

Star Signs from Sumas Sibyl

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: We all know YOU let the dogs out. Way to go.

Gemini: May 21 - June 21: Your success will have no limit. You were meant to fly!

At least the LSD says so…

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: Hey! Listen! … Hey! Listen! …. Hey! Listen! … (Press up C and listen to the damn fairy already.)

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Life is like a box of chocolates.

It’s going to make you fat.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22: The Great Pumpkin didn’t come because he HATES you.

All the supernatural squash hate you! You are hated!

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: You may not find the answers to life, but you shall find Waldo.

Aries: March 21 - April 19: In your last life, you were a random peasant. In fact, all your lives have been completely unremarkable.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: You’re going to hook up with someone who looks just like a Barbie! Unfortunately, her genitals are melded into a smooth lump…

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: There have been many challenges, but the greatest is yet to come. You will only prove your mettle by withstanding the Excessive Machine.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Let’s play guess your horoscope! Y_ _’re g_ing t_ di_ h_rr_b_y i_ y_u gu_ _s th_s.

Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept22: Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the worm. One man’s trash is a bird in the hand.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Your elementary school is right, you’re very special. The other 7,121,000,000 people on Earth are just watching your life with the utmost fascination.

10

ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

The magic of brilliant desig

As The Little Mermaid hits UFV’s stage, the team behind the det

DESSA BAYROCK THE CASCADE

The show

Nearly everyone is familiar with the story of the little mermaid – a girl caught between two worlds, forced to choose between love and family, land and sea, legs and tail.

But that being said, UFV’s production of The Little Mermaid promises to twist under the gaze of the audience, flowing out from under the oft-told version and transforming into a new, dark, and ultimately local story set in BC’s appropriately cold and coastal water.

“That was a really fun, exciting thought,” director Colleen Lanki says, amid the hustle and bustle of 20 actors preparing for dress rehearsal. “Let’s not set it in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, let’s set it here.”

The local focus mixes with the original version of the play – the Hans Christian Andersen version of the tale, rather than the cutesy happily-ever-after Disney version. Moving away from the tropical colour scheme and into the darker colours of the BC coastline is a decision that marries well with the play’s tragedy, sacrifice, and possibly even an unhappy ending.

These themes are reflected in the colours and design of the show, from costumes to set to makeup to lighting; each designer has worked to portray sides of light and dark within the play, and the result is both beautiful and grim.

The costumes

Laura Auffray is no stranger to costume construction at UFV: the fashion student’s creations have graced the stage before in last year ’s Girl in the Goldfish Bowl.

Her work also stole the show during UFV’s 2012 Absolute Fashion year-end exhibition.

And judging by the designs she created and constructed for The Little Mermaid, the fantastical is an area where she is quite comfortable.

“I liked the idea of designing sea monkeys and almost froglike creatures, rather than the traditional idea of a woman in a shell bra and a pencil skirt,” she says, caught in the middle of sewing last-minute leg fins for a mermaid queen.

Costume details range from mohawks to pointy-toed shoes to pink eyebrows to leopardprint dresses, not to mention something Auffray casually refers to as “Triton’s sea cape.”

One of the most difficult costumes she dealt with was the oil-slick-like costume of the villain, which houses three people, is sewn over with pieces of trash and fishing net, and extends “backstage and beyond.” “[It’s] this giant, evil slug of terror and doom … and it was terror and doom coming up with the idea,” Auffray says. “How do I put three people [together] without them tripping all over each other and still being able to breathe and move? So that was a nightmare.”

The darker, murkier BC waters—and a field trip to the Vancouver aquarium—supplied more than enough inspiration for the show’s costumes.

“There are a lot of really rich purples, wine-colour, bright cyans,” Auffray says, listing them off on her fingers. “We do have bright colours [in BC], but they’re not the same as

what we would think of as tropical fish … really great other colours, really rich greens, purples, and blues that we play with.”

The make-up

Where Auffray handles the tails, make-up designer Alexandra Shuurman handles the scales – a more difficult detail than you might think.

The scales themselves are applied in three different colours of make-up to each mermaid before every show, painted through a layer of lace to create a distinct scaly pattern.

There can’t be any scales on the little mermaid’s face or exposed skin, because she transforms into a human halfway through the play. So how do you explain the fact that a mermaid doesn’t have any scales?

“Here’s my scale theory: when you’re a baby mermaid, your scales start at your feet,” Shuurman explains. “As you age, kind of like we get wrinkles, mermaid scales come up. Undine’s scales stop around her midriff, because she’s the youngest. Her two sisters start coming up [to shoulders, arms] and then Triton and Pearl have them closer to their faces, because they’re older.”

In other words, scales are t h e

crows’ feet of mermaids.

“You have to kind of figure out those things to make it make sense. Because it’s not going to make sense for me to throw a whole bunch of mermaids on stage with scales everywhere,” Shuurman laughs, turning back to the next mermaid waiting patiently in line to be painted blue.

The set, the lights

“It’s sort of an ethereal, surreal looking show,” notes Astrid Beugeling, set designer and technical manager in UFV’s theatre department. “It’s not realistic at all, and it’s supposed to be suggestive.”

Beugeling was faced with a challenge in designing the set for this particular show, since the first half takes place completely underwater and the second half completely on land.

“You can’t paint the whole set blue because you’re underwater, because how do you justify that in the second half?” Beugeling says with a wry grin. “So you have to find elements that are a little bit of both.”

The result is “a very clean, simple look” that uses a sand-coloured floor and relies on fabric to build the mermaids’ sea palace in the audience’s mind. The stage rises in simple steps toward t h e

back to add another level to the stage. The set is augmented by stark white blocks that act as any needed furniture – stacked together to make tables or benches, set upright to create chairs or railings, and tipped to the side to make low stools.

“The audience just goes with you no matter where you end up being,” she concludes.

The use of a projector is another way that the show sets the audience in the location. While UFV’s projector is too dim to be fully effective under full stage lights, borrowing a stronger projector from the Chilliwack School of Performing Arts allowed lighting designer and recent UFV graduate Gabriel Kirkley to use the projections to their full potential.

The back of the set is left bare to the white scrim—basically a large white sheet—which allows the projections to take a large part in the set.

Kirkley’s favourite scene, however, combines both projection and standard stage lighting to make the scene come together.

ARTS & LIFE FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

gn

Photos by Blake McGuire

tails watches their work come to life “There’s one scene when Undine rescues the prince in the middle of the storm and pulls him up onto the shore,” he explains, “and I’ve got this beautiful sunset projection and this nice lighting coming down on the platform … ah, it makes me so happy.”

The curtain rises

Production design is a part of theatre that can often be overlooked, but it supports everything the actors accomplish on stage.

“That’s what design is. It’s coming back to the character, doing everything you can to support the character onstage,” Shuurman concludes. “I think that extends to all elements of design.”

The magic of good design is one that still has a hold over director Colleen Lanki, even after years of study and practice in theatre.

“I like the transformational quality of some of the stuff – being able to use one object as a

whole bunch of things. That’s something I really enjoy,” she says. “It’s kind of magic for me to watch something be a boat one minute and water the next.”

Ticket information

The Little Mermaid runs from November 6 to 24, with curtain at 7:30 for evening shows and 2:30 for matinees.

For the first time ever, tickets are available to be purchased online and printed at home, ranging between $11 and $23.

UFV Theatre is also introducing “rush sale” tickets for students for the first time with The Little Mermaid. Any tickets not sold an hour before showtime will be sold at an $8 price point, cash only, to anyone with a student card and a desire to see the show.

“Rush tickets are more suited to the type of audience member who wants to decide to see a show at the last minute and doesn’t feel particular about seating,” says Melanie Wickes, UFV Theatre’s publicity coordinator.

If the rush sale tickets are successfully with this show, it might become a staple at the UFV box office.

“We are going to try out student rush tickets for The Little Mermaid and see how it goes,” Wickes concludes. “I’m hoping it’s a regular thing.”

11

12

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Concert Review

Janelle Monáe NADINE MOEDT THE CASCADE

1 2 3 4 5

Shuffle

CHARTS

AARON LEVY

Tough Age The Bromley Demos

CIVL STATION MANAGER

Birds Of Canada’s Adam Roper is a man of the city – he’s the timeless-looking dude you see every morning walking past that hip coffee place everyone is talking about, wearing a tailored jacket with an organic scarf and Fluevog shoes. Here are a few songs in his widely-envied music library, conceived deep in the heart of the urban jungle by Pacific Trash Vortex’s host, Mr. Brandon Greaves.

Shad Flying Colours Darkside Psychic Ryan Hemsworth Guilt Trips

The Almighty Rhombus Lucid Living

Tough Age – “Heart of Juliet Jones”

6 7

There’s this trendy new music format going around these days called the cassette – a small plastic box with magnetic tape. Vancity’s Tough Age released their debut on one of said tapes and distributed it on the sly before signing to Mint Recs. If you want a copy, it’s all in who you know.

Amity Beach Bonfire Etiquette

The Strumbellas We Still Move On Dance Floors

8 9

Body/Head – “Last Mistress”

Body/Head Coming Apart

If this band had come out in 1993, your parents would have called the funny farm to whisk you away to a lifetime of basket-weaving and white lab coats for listening to it. Parents of the late 90s are way cooler! Shoegaze! Sonic Youth!

These days listening to shoegaze puts you in the top tier of music connoisseurs.

Outlaws Of Ravenhurst Book II

10 11 12

The Headstones Love + Fury

HSY – “Tartar Mouth”

Angela Galuppo Angela Galuppo

Releasing music with patchysounding recording and aggressive tendencies used to be frowned upon (unless you were from Vancouver Island, where until around the 2000s there was no such thing as a good-sounding band). This Toronto band is perfect for the car ride home after church or Christmas dinner. If you live anywhere but in the heart of the city, your parents will freak.

Downchild Can You Hear The Music?

13

Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra Habitat

14

Jay Arner – “Midnight on South Granville”

The High Bar Gang Lost & Undone

15 16 17 18 19

With artists like Jay Arner, you either have all their music on CD-Rs and vinyl from back in the day, or you recognize them on stage as the barista from that coffee place on Granville Island. Kudos to Vancouver’s hard-working baristas, working all hours of the night to appease the coffee gods.

All Else Fails Fucktropolis Motorhead Aftershock Couteau Papillon Archipel Death Toll Rising Infection Legacy Insurrection Prototype

Soul and R&B singer Janelle Monáe performed at a soldout show in Seattle this past Wednesday.

Monáe, ever in character, broke free from her “doctor” keepers long enough to delight the audience with her impressive endurance and creative theatrics.

Opening the show was an R&B trio headed by Roman Gian Arthur, who manages to look great in a fedora. The band ended the set with soulful covers of Radiohead’s “High and Dry” and the Stevie Wonder classic “Superstitious.”

The audience was equipped with 10 “droid commandments,” which outlined the show’s ground rules: we were to abandon expectations about “art, race, gender, culture, and gravity,” and to “transform” by show’s end, including but not limited to “eye colour, perspective, mood, or height.” Also included were warnings of the perils of conceiving during or within 48 hours of the show, which may or may not result in a winged child.

The set was entertainingly theatrical; first on stage were doctors in white lab coats and black bow ties to check the equipment and warn the audience that shortly, Ms Monáe is going to “funk you up.” Monáe made her entrance in what ap-

peared to be a straightjacket, wheeled out by one of these doctors, who cautiously backed off once she freed herself. The doctors flitted about throughout the show to survey the audience and keep an eye on their android as she performed for the humans. Monáe and her band were all decked out

Image: tankboyprime/Flickr

She’s the Electric Lady.

in monochrome; her back-up dancers were sporting Jetsonsesque dresses and severely bobbed hair.

She opened with the exotic and ominous “Suite 5 Electric Overture”, and moved on to the more defiant “Givin’ Em What They Love.”

Alongside a selection of songs from Electric Lady, Monáe cov-

ered the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Monáe puts on an incredibly energetic and engaging performance. All her songs got the audience moving; her “Ghetto Woman”—dedicated to the women in audience—was impossible not to dance to, and resulted in a lot of unintentional elbowing by the excitable crowd.

Monáe truly was electric. She danced for well over two hours, leaped into the audience twice, and returned for two encores; all the while the white shirts on stage became translucent with sweat.

Well into the show she got everyone to crouch—sympathizing with the shorter audience members—and shimmied through. The band members managed to remain standing and jamming while playing keyboard, drums, and guitar.

Mr. Guitar in particular stood out with his classic 70s hair hanging down over his face.

Monae’s ability to interact with the crowd made the show that much more enjoyable. She did her best get the audience to sing along several times, and while we certainly didn’t lack enthusiasm, we had the tendency to just give an over-excited scream when it was our turn to repeat the lyrics.

But in the presence of the electric lady, could you expect anything else?

Halloween hits AfterMath TAYLOR BRECKLES CONTRIBUTOR

In the words of Shel Silverstein, “skeletons, spirits, and haunts” invaded AfterMath this past Thursday for the celebration of Halloween.

When nightfall hit, hordes of students made their way to AfterMath for food, music, and liquor. The campus restaurant and bar was packed with patrons barely able to walk through the establishment. For once, there was more room in the kitchen than there was on the floor. Every seat was snagged, including the bar stools, which forced some people to stand. The space was made to seem even smaller by certain costumes – the types that are completely original, yet not exactly functional. Yet, even with limited space, the flow of students continued.

Most attendees showed up in costume, which completed the Halloween atmosphere of the establishment. The various disguises included a snail, several vampires, animals, the living dead, and some that looked like everything and nothing at the same time. Even SUS president Shane Potter wore a costume consisting of a trench coat, Gothic boots, and heavy guyliner. Although a name cannot be placed on the look, one could definitely spot Potter among the fray in AfterMath.

The medley of sounds could

Image: Blake McGuire

Rorschach was one of many to make an appearance. only be identified as organized chaos. A DJ blasted music through the space while people tried to converse; everything could be heard yet nothing understood.

Amid the anarchy, waiters and waitresses tried to both listen to the requests of their customers and move through the crowd. Despite the difficulty, staff managed impressively well, to the satisfaction of customers.

Even with a limited menu, the food and alcohol selection was varied and special orders were handled to the best of the kitchen’s ability. Staff tried to satisfy every character.

The music, food, liquor, and camera flashes established a

club-like atmosphere, forming a worthy Halloween party.

Certain individuals might have missed out on the chance to go somewhere to celebrate because of late classes, but AfterMath proved to be a good location for a party.

Even though the lounge was cramped and loud, it certainly offered the traditional party experience. For returning students, this may be the norm, but for first-years, AfterMath hosted a movie-worthy party to introduce the university experience.

13

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Album Review

Midlake – Antiphon JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

The best albums are those you can listen to it while driving, the ones you can enjoy but don’t have to fully focus on, making the drive mellow and entertaining. Midlake’s new album Antiphon does just that.

Definitely a mellow indie rock kind of band, Midlake’s album opens with the title track, which is cool and echoing. The second track, “Provider” keeps the tune going and further establishes a smooth rocking movement of my head. The third track, “The Old and the Young,” is the perfect driving tune, with a fluid beat and great accompanying lyrics.

When I came to this track, I realized two things. The first was that this will be in my car ’s CD collection when it comes out, and the second was it kind of sounded like I was listening to The Shins. Midlake is a little slower than their music, but follow a very similar rhythm. And I didn’t mind.

comes along and changes the scene with an all-out instrumental jam. The first half is rough and loud with a sense of emerging calamity. But then it changes to a soft crescendo as a guitar plays harsh cords in the background. After that, it slowly brings itself back to the earlier chaos and continues until its climactic finish. This song is one of my favorite tracks on the album; I love watching artists just jam it out on stage during performances and I am very pleased that Midlake provided one for this album.

But there are some downs with the album. Right after “Vale” comes the awkward “Aurora Gone,” which tries to combine similar vocals from “Provider” alongside the soft piece just played in “Vale.” Albums should always fluctuate between fast and slow, but “Aurora Gone” doesn’t fit in well with the rest of Antiphon. The same can be said of “Ages” and “This Weight.”

Somehow Midlake’s slower tracks don’t work for me.

At least, that’s the case until “Corruption.” Tim Smith’s

vocals supply a haunting chill while Evan Jacobs contributes a simple yet striking background piano piece, and the rest of the band builds around the song. It’s interesting to hear.

Another surprising track is “Provider Reprise.” A redux of their own song, but taken from a different angle, “Provider” is this time played as an oriental inspiration with harp tunes and lucid guitar strings. They make for an interesting mix.

All in all, Antiphon is a different experience for me, and I enjoyed this album. While there are a few forgettable songs, Midlake produces solid numbers at the beginning and the end of the album, which makes up for the less appealing middle.

The similarities are everywhere: the cave-like echo effect on the voice, the simple yet sophisticated beat – an overhanging bass and electronic tune are the real differences between the

two bands. Midlake also check Radiohead as an inspiration. But even with all these similarities, Antiphon still has some surprises up its sleeve.

Halfway through, “Vale”

Los Campesinos!

No Blues

Mazzy Star Seasons of Your Day

Katy Perry Prism

Öhm Öhm

With four full-length records under their belt, the clever Wales group Los Campesinos! are approaching that point in their career when bands try a shake-up or a change in musical direction. When you compare their rapid 2008 debut, Hold On Now, Youngster to their latest output No Blues, the changes are small and nuanced. They still sing about relationships, grief, sports, mortality, faith, and sometimes dancing, but on No Blues they command their melodies instead of chasing them around. The most consistent aspect in all Los Campesinos! records is their tight but uncertain song structure, which adds a thrust of chaos to each track. Down to a six-piece band, the remaining members of Los Campesinos! are forced to fill the extra space by adding textured melodies and layered guitars, and to great effect. Maturity and confidence are brimming on No Blues, with the juvenile cheerleaderstyle backing vocals of “Death to Los Campesinos!,” “You, Me, Dancing,” and “By Your Hand” that plagued their early output taking a back seat here, save for the catchy lead single “Avocado, Baby.” Their mischievous lyrics and enthusiastic sound combine to create a fresh-sounding record that satisfies on every level. Los Campesinos! are a band that clearly wants to grow up, and it suits them.

Album release dates can make reviewers and fans alike use words like “comeback” and “hiatus,” but a band’s continuation or end is best known only to its members. Mazzy Star knows itself in a way few bands do, assured but not stagnant over its now three-decade lifespan, to the point where, rendering a 17-year gap nothing, Seasons of Your Day opens with the same organ keys and patient drums that ended 1996’s Among My Swan. Fading out on “Look on Down from the Bridge” with lines like, “how could I say goodbye?” might have been a neat ending, but Mazzy Star’s slow tempo and immediate lyrics pick up without any awkward skips, sounding out of place (and alive for it) in 2013. Hope Sandoval’s vocal still hangs between background and out loud, musing with the permanence of something dreamed twice. David Roback’s guitar, single and distorted or spare and grounded, sounds mostly the same. One might ask what’s the big deal after nearly 20 years; where are the highs? But Seasons of Your Day is an album without the need to flail about after new things, which almost always just lead to a same idea of career advancement. “California” arguably makes the album one of Mazzy Star’s best all on its own, and, like most of the band’s songs, it pitches between peaceful, nothing happening, and the disquiet of everything passing by in a parallel, untouchable world.

Although three studio albums and 15 singles are under her belt, the pop industry question remains: how much longer can Katy Perry maintain her level of success in future releases? With the release of Prism, Perry proves that she still has a hold on relevance. The release features the lead single “Roar,” as well as “Unconditionally;” both are memorable to listen to and you can find yourself humming to them when they play. Overall, the songs are more mature than those in previous releases, however, Perry does follow the adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it;’ Prism covers the same themes and subject matter as Teenage Dream.

For those who enjoyed her earlier releases, this album is a pleasure to listen to. But if you are looking for something new and adventurous, this is not the release to check out.

Öhm’s debut is masterfully crafted.

With this duo, on the one end there’s Chris Peterson’s professional polish and streamlined synthesizer programming, on the other Craig Joseph Huxtable’s melodic edge – a darkly spiritual and human ingredient. The sleek shine of this record doesn’t come across like the latest Dr. Luke production, polished in plastic pink. This work gleams like a puddle on the downtown eastside of Vancouver, reflecting a neon glow of oil and grit right back the ears of the listener. Tracks like “Divinity” and “Car Crash” are the surface material, but the krakens that lie beneath are in songs like “Apparition” and “Brute.” Huxtable’s vocals have a violet crooning quality; sometimes the message is clear, sometimes it is wrapped in a binary of meaning.

Each track takes a plunge deeper into the dark. What comes back from the depths of Huxtable’s artistic exploration is not pretty, but it sounds better than ever. Öhm took their time on this album. There isn’t a haphazard layering of kick drums and misplaced bass lines: everything is placed and played with care. While other “dark electro” acts tend to sound flat and mopey, or just plain abrasive, Öhm packs a thick thematic punch.

TIM UBELS

MICHAEL SCOULAR

REMINGTON FIORASO

CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS

14

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Dine & Dash

Afterthoughts SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

Monday - Saturday: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

32500 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford Prices: $6 - $8 for cheesecake Three words: dreamy creamy cheesecake.

Afterthoughts makes—wait for it—70 kinds of cheesecake.

They rotate the cakes, and they make them fresh in-store. So what’s your fantasy cheesecake?

Afterthoughts probably has it.

I first went there with some friends. It was after 10 p.m., and we didn’t want to go to a pub or fast-food place. There aren’t a lot of small family-owned coffee shops open in the evening in Abbotsford. Afterthoughts is open until 11 p.m. almost every night of the week, and they get pretty busy.

I’ve been a cheesecake buff for a long time. Serious Eats, a New York-based food website, went hunting for the best cheesecake in NY. Their definition of a firstclass cheesecake is a cake that’s “smooth and creamy, just sweet enough, with a hint of tartness.

If there’s a crust, it adds something extra without overwhelming the taste of the cheesecake itself. And it’s rich enough to seem a bit decadent, without go-

Afterthoughts makes 70 kinds of cheesecakes. ing down like a cement pour.”

I’m not from New York, but I agree. The biggest cheesecake risk is in the richness. If you can’t eat more than four bites, and it hits your stomach too hard, that makes a less than desirable cake.

For me, part of the joy of cheesecake is how you feel after you’ve just finished a piece – that delicious satisfaction.

Afterthoughts knows what I mean. They strike the perfect balance of rich and light, of velvety cream and firm grahamcracker crust. It’s not every place I trust enough to take risks, but with Afterthoughts, I don’t mind trying new things. I usually go

for fruit cheesecakes – the Cherry Vancouver was my first at Afterthoughts. But the chocolate bar cakes—Wunderbar, Snickers, and even Kit-Kat—are tasty and not as heavy as you’d think. For a seasonal choice, the pumpkin cheesecake is subtle in flavour and delicious.

Afterthoughts cakes are good enough to make me feel adventurous.

Considering the prices of cheesecake, that’s saying quite a bit. I have to get my money’s worth, and I think Afterthoughts’ cheesecake is worth my money (and I’m very cheap).

Around town, cheesecake prices don’t go lower than five dollars

Emma Gavey PhD candidate in Chemistry.

Goals: Develop new magnetic complexes for memory devices.

Improve our health care.

Apply for Graduate Studies at Brock.

There are 44 programs, an array of specializations, co-op opportunities and a world of possibilities. discover.brocku.ca

For both sides of the brain.

Brock University | Niagara | Canada

GS_Ad_ _5x7.5.indd 1

2013-10-23 7:01 PM

Image: Shannon Clattenburg/Flickr

for a normal-size piece. Afterthoughts sells them for $6-8 a slice, depending on how elaborate it is. The slices aren’t huge, but they are plenty – I always split mine with whomever I’ve dragged along with me.

And let me tell you: Afterthoughts cheesecakes are creamy and dreamy, but that’s not all they offer. There are other types of cakes, as well as pies and other pastries.

I had their fruit pie turnover— apple-peach—and it was fantastic. If you love pie for the soft, fluffy pastry and sweet fruity filling, get the pie turnover. It’s the perfect pie pocket. These people

know how to do pastry.

Where the food is good, the store matches. Walking in, Afterthoughts gives a good first impression. The windows are big, the seating area is bright, and the tables are clean – with fresh flowers on them for a pleasant touch. Afterthoughts has dodged the common pitfalls of coffee shops – the slightly-tooloud music, the uncomfortable seating, and the clunky, annoying coffee cups. It’s a nice place to sit, talk, and share a slice of cheesecake.

The staff aren’t friendly, but they are efficient and get the job done and I guess that’s what matters. Because cheesecake.

On the other hand... This may be a strange note, but every time I go to Afterthoughts, I’ve really noticed how considerate the other customers are. I don’t know if this is a fluke, or if Afterthoughts draws gentle and thoughtful people like a magnet... But customers keep their voices down, they say “excuse me” and smile, and they even put their spoons into the “dirty spoon” cup after stirring their coffee at the creamand-sugar table (bet you don’t see that at Starbucks). Even conversations I eavesdrop on are just plain pleasant. I definitely overheard a Bible study group the other day.

So I recommend a visit – go try some cheesecake! Unless you’re a jerk. Don’t taint the good vibes Afterthoughts has going.

15

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Discussions below the belt

Caught in the act XTINA SEXPERT

Sex is predominantly a very intimate and private act. But what happens when your private time is interrupted by an accidental intruder? Although some may get extra turned on by the possibility of someone walking in mid-coitus, this is still a valid fear for many of us. This has happened to more than a few of us, I’m sure.

Some of us may be able to relate to the stereotypical “caught in the act” stories of getting busy in your room and then mom walks in, or breaking in the back seat of your car and getting the dreaded “flashlight tap” on the window. Recently, I was told a “caught in the act” story that will forever put these to shame.

It started out fairly ordinary: girl walks into a bar, meets a young dark-haired beauty and buys her a drink. Both girls know exactly what they wanted from each other and are not shy to take it. The raven-haired temptress leads my friend—let’s call her Carrie, as she reminds me of Sarah Jessica Parker ’s character in Sex and the City—back to her place.

Carrie pulls up to Ravenhair ’s house in a ritzier area in

Image: Nevit/Wikimedia commons

If a girl picks you up in a club, don’t follow her back to her parents’ house.

Abbotsford and is impressed by her postal code and living situation. As she clasps hands with this mysterious creature and follows her through the front door and up the velvety stairs, all she can think was, “Wow, this girl has her shit together!”

But once she reaches the top of the stairs, that all changes.

Raven-hair ’s index finger comes up abruptly and signals with an audible “shhhh” that it’s time to be quiet because her “parents are sleeping.”

Carrie follows Raven-hair to her bedroom, incredulous. She

observes the ridiculous proximity of Raven-hair ’s bedroom to her parents’. Four feet, maybe, between the two doors. Carrie considers the impending situation and decides she simply doesn’t have the willpower to turn this painfully beautiful girl down and leave, although it’s clearly the best choice at this point. Once Carrie makes the decision to stay, though, she is all in. She pins Raven-hair against the wall and kisses her, tearing at her white knit shirt.

Carrie leads them to the bed, which was a twin with a Hannah

Montana poster above it. “How Dad stumbles back. old was this girl?” Carrie asks I never asked Carrie if Mom herself (although retelling the and Dad knew their little girl tale later she adds, “I knew she was gay, but it couldn’t have was at least 19 ‘cause she was in been an easy thing to walk into a club.”) either way. He walks back into She decides it’s best to avoid his room and slamms the door eye contact with Miley and focus and Carrie wastes no time geton the lovely creature before her. ting out of there. She kissed She gets down to business and her accomplice on the forehead, works diligently at making this threw her cock back in her bag a night to rememand ran down the “She kissed her stairs, dressing in ber.

O c c a s i o n a l l y accomplice on the the process. she has to cover forehead, Carrie never threw Raven’s mouth got Raven’s numher cock back in ber. Perhaps this so she wouldn’t wake the parents. her bag, and ran is a good thing She eventually- down the stairs, because knowing decides it’s time Carrie, she would dressing in the definitely go back for some hardware, and digs out process.” for more. Insane her strap-on from adventures follow her bag. (Carrie would be the her – and unfortunately, so do first to tell you she never leaves insane girls. home without it.)

Getting caught, or the risk of She’s five minutes into her being caught, can be exhilaratgroove when the door flies open. ing, but it has an effect on the There stood Dad, mouth poor unsuspecting person that agape. has the bad timing to witness The poor guy stares at a dis- something so private. It may turbing scene: his baby girl bent even scar them for life, as I’m over with a strap-on deep insider sure was the case for Raven’s her and a spiky-haired, tattooed, dad. Maybe taking the time to heavily pierced girl on the other lock the door, or perhaps planend. The fact that Carrie has a ning ahead, will keep you from handful of Raven’s luxurious creating your own embarrasshair wrapped around her wrist ing tale... But if it’s already hapdoesn’t help the situation. pened, come tell me about it!

Film Review

Ender’s Game PAUL ESAU THE CASCADE

“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him.

I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them... I destroy them.”

-Ender Wiggin Ender’s Game was never supposed to become a movie. It was considered unfilmable, and spent decades wallowing in development between doomed attempts at an adaptation. Why, you ask? Because it’s a political military thriller requiring elaborate zero-G combat, because the story’s most poignant moments happen within the protagonist’s head … and because the characters are mostly between six and eight years old.

Ender’s Game, the movie, falls into many of the traps that author Orson Scott Card foretold a film version would encounter.

The characters are older than their counterparts on the page (Asa Butterfield, who plays Ender, turned 16 this year), and therefore the relationships have a maturity, and occasionally a romantic subtext, that Card wished to avoid. The children’s age also means they are more indoctrinated into the military structure of their society; consequently their suffering is less brutal and their intellect less

shocking than in the text.

Of course, what option was director Gavin Hood given in making a movie about children weaponized by an autocratic and xenophobic humanity? How does one film the brutality of Ender’s Game, which includes one child murdering another in a vicious, prolonged fight in a school bathroom, and still market it for a young adult audience? Hood takes the same approach as that of The Hunger Games, streamlining the moral dilemmas and diffusing the violence. Something is protected in this approach—I have little desire to see one eight year old murder another on screen—and yet something is lost as well. The genius of Card’s original work

is in creating a character, Ender, who is both humanity’s greatest weapon and humanity’s sacrificed messiah. He is a testament to Clausewitz’s idea that war “tends to the absolute” – the inevitability of violence spawning greater violence as (interpreted through a moral lens) atrocity necessitates greater atrocity in return.

Much of Ender’s Game would not have been possible onscreen following the book’s publication in 1985, and Hood does a commendable job visually creating the zero-gravity battle room and fantastical mind games of Ender ’s training. The rush from seeing Card’s sci-fi miracles, most notably the lovingly crafted war simulators, is intoxicat-

ing, and the best part of Hood’s work is undoubtably the aesthetic. He also attempts to keep the heart of Ender ’s tortured dilemmas as the emotional vehicle of his film, yet time constraints and plot adaptations cause several misfires. In Card’s book, the reader is inside Ender ’s head, experiencing his alienation as a compassionate, if helpless, observer. In Hood’s film the nature of the medium requires the audience to stay outside Ender ’s mind, and therefore become one of the “other” that haunt Ender ’s journey. As audience, we become part of the mob of schoolchildren teasing him for his accomplishments, part of the Salamander army fragment watching him be attacked – and somehow part of,

and perhaps responsible for, his banishment. It is a fundamental shift, but perhaps only important for those who have read much of the Ender canon and care for the theology and philosophy of his world.

The quote at the beginning of this piece encapsulates the paradox which makes Ender one of the most remarkable and sympathetic characters in the annals of science fiction. While Butterfield cannot convey all that is Ender, both he and Hood are aware of the centrality of Ender ’s character to the film, and therefore to the success of the movie. Still, how does one convey a genius on such magnitude? How does one imitate a soul torn between the brutality of a brother who skins squirrels for pleasure, and the compassion of a sister who bakes birthday cakes in Ender ’s memory? Of course, neither of those moments are kept in the film, and the complexity of Ender ’s character is weaker for it.

Ender’s Game is a movie about atrocity, and also about children.

It is a story about a civilization’s pursuit of peace through the medium of an interplanetary genocide, about the politics of hate, and also of love. It is a smart film that still harbors a soul… but read the book first.

It has won more awards and established greater longevity, after all, then the movie can ever hope to achieve.

16

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Book Review

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton MICHAEL SCOULAR THE CASCADE

There are few cities we surrender our imaginations to more often than New York. Unlike other cultural centres removed from the Pacific Northwest (Los Angeles, Toronto), New York is blessed with a resilience against outright dismissal. You can dislike parts of its identity, some of its artistic output, but the city’s representation (as hope, escape), most often its skyline and square (more idea than image) are embedded as the centre of what is good about North America.

What Humans of New York proposes is that this is not all, that in addition to the city that is equally attractive to creative and business types, the people that live around and in the background of touristy scenery deserve a spotlight too.

From its conception, the photography project of Brandon Stanton is a model of paradise found through arrival in NYC. Where Chicago was his base as a bond trader, and Pennsylvania attracted his eye through its architecture, New York was where Stanton found the pleasure of photographing people.

On his main Tumblr blog, each post can be expected to consist of a shot of people going about business or, more often, posing for a snapshot, with a brief description or a few words they happened to say.

This last part is what sets Stanton’s project apart: what has come out of the frequent profiles since the blog’s explosion in popularity is how not just anyone could do this. Stanton is friendly, approachable, and the questions he asks often bring out the sides of people that are rarely spoken, but always prepared. He doesn’t stick to one part of the city or one type of subject and doesn’t take a day off, yet all his work points in the same direction.

People talk about their jobs, families, desires, fears, and paired with their photographs, it’s a rebuttal to the idea that hell is other people. Rather, Stanton reaches for a depiction of the world where hell would be not hearing about people,

and not believing that they all individually know something new and hidden to most.

As a book, Humans of New York is similar to a lot of social-media-to-printed-page examples.

There’s some “new work,” but it can’t replicate the way Stanton’s work regularly shows up in a feed or the sheer volume of it, all available through online archive. There’s also the way Stanton shows up in the book.

While more recent online posts are weighted toward the type that gives a voice to each person that’s photographed, much of

the book is simply captioned by Stanton, or is listed with a location and no other detail.

Where the aim of the project is a de-centering of any one person, making Humans of New York a city symphony of sorts, in the book you can’t forget that there’s one person behind this.

Stanton, like many a captioner, makes puns, comments in ways that undermine the openness of some subjects, and when it comes to locations, it’s always “seen in” followed by a borough or neighbourhood. These aren’t merely people existing, but

things seen by Stanton, which is true, but has more to do with the inward gaze of social media.

Humans of New York is usually regarded as exceptional precisely because it’s an outlier.

Most are without any additional message, but this, mixed with the positivity in most of the photos, also has a way of approving everything in them. What it shows is a city of almost no dissent, of harmony with the way things are, of making it through every situation through life affirmation, of which the book is a compedium. People are more

that these prints will be your statement. Don’t wear a piece of statement jewelry; the rest of your outfit should be subtle. If you want to go bold, try bloodred lips or nail polish – sexy!

Once you get into smaller cat patterns, you can go crazy, because the patterns won’t dominate an outfit the way big cat patterns do. The black and burnt orange of a tortoise-shell cat or the tri-colour calico can make up your whole outfit.

ow make up the classic look. You can try different colours, but keep it dark. Because the eyes are so heavy, keep the rest of the make-up light. Nude lips, and a touch of dark blush under the cheekbones can make your face angular. The same goes with the rest of your outfit; if you’re wearing dramatic eyes, let that be the statement of your outfit, and keep your clothes simple and cool. I suggest wearing a cat-print shirt under a white cardigan and black pants. You can also wear cat eyes without it being overly dark; subtly flicking out the tail of your eyeliner elongates your eyes.

complex than a single photo and a few seconds of their lives.

There is also a greater percentage of fashion-type photography than shows up in the blog’s regular cycle. As it encroaches on, but never exceeds already-existing work like Bill Cunningham’s On the Street, Stanton can seem to be working with a narrower view than the premise of his egalitarian project would suggest. It’s worth noting how many times Stanton refrains from comment, but this makes the times he does stand out, and makes the selectivity of his book more noticeable than he’s likely meant it to be. There’s publishing money to be made with popular blogs, but what few of these condensed forms acknowledge is the fundamental incompatibility of the two mediums.

While it may fall short, that Humans of New York can be compared with the dancing optimism of Girl Walk // All Day or the eavesdropping angels of Wings of Desire is a tribute to the commitment and artistry Stanton has brought together. And while this book will remain static, on Tumblr there’s always the possibility the project could improve in yet-unknown ways.

One remaining fault is that Stanton’s focus on New York alone could simply feed back into the city’s superior status, that it is the one all must aspire or flee to, or face inadequacy. But the best of Stanton’s work is usually agreed to be how it connects people, not compares them.

And for all their individuality, many of the words spoken on the spot can sound familiar.

Ideas of how to make it, what people see their best selves doing, memories of times passed, come, perhaps more rarely and unedited, from friends, teachers, and unexpectedly (or unasked for) in public transit. While they’re spilled out into a valley rather than a grid of enormous possibility, our own communities are made up of, as Stanton’s title tries to include, “humans” with unheard voices.

His New York photography is a forced reminder that everyone wants to be spoken to as an equal, thought to be interesting, if only for a few minutes of a day.

Haute Stuff

Cat fashion SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE

Cats are fashion icons. It’s never been said aloud, perhaps, but now that I have, who can deny it? They have a timeless style, a classy elegance, and an aloof but mesmerising persona.

They’re smooth, graceful, sleek, and dangerous.

We can’t make cats an accessory; fashion-wise, that’s the biggest difference between a cat and a dog – dogs can literally be made into accessories. But try carrying a cat around on your arm. It doesn’t work. So we can only take elements of cats’ style and incorporate it into our outfits.

Capturing the essence of the

cat in your outfit will leave you with a sexy, elegant look. Here’s a few ways to give a nod to this unsung hero of fashion.

Cat prints The big cats are the more obvious. As a rule, I’d say the bigger the cat, the smaller the print should be. For example, a tiger is one of the largest cats. Keep the print small – don’t wear tights in tiger print. The print can accentuate, but rarely should it be the centrepiece of an outfit. Wear print shoes—heels look fantastic—or break up a simple black and white outfit with a belt or shirt under a cardigan. My favourite print to work with is cheetah prints – bold dots on a tan background. Keep in mind

Cat eyes You don’t have to leave Cleopatra behind along with Halloween. Bold, dark cat eyes can add a deadly spark to your outfit. Black liquid eyeliner, black mascara, and tan eye shad-

Fur Don’t buy real fur. You’re a

student. You can’t afford it. And karma will get you. First rule is similar to cat prints: moderation. You can have a fur collar on your jacket, on your gloves, or on your purse, but not on all of them. Only real cats can pull that off. It’s very easy to look over-the-top in fur, especially if it’s cheap stuff. Find highquality faux fur, and you’ll get great wear out of it. My favourite faux fur item is my grey vest; the fur lines the inside, keeping me toasty, and you can see it on the collar. Make sure the piece fits well (baggy faux fur anything looks terrible), and be wary. Fur is a great statement piece if it’s fitting, small, and good quality.

17

ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Q&A

Interview with Vancouver’s Öhm

Pioneers of West Coast electronic dance music

CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS THE CASCADE

Öhm is a new Canadian electronic music duo from Chris Peterson and Craig Joseph Huxtable. Both artists have been part of Vancouver’s electronic music scene for over a decade, but they have been on different paths until now.

Best known for his work with Delirium and Front Line Assembly, Peterson has been a prolific songwriter with an international reputation and gold record status.

As the other half of Öhm, Huxtable is known for his video game soundtracks and live performances as Landscape Body Machine (LBM). Öhm’s self-titled debut was released on Artoffact records last month.

How long have you known each other?

Chris Peterson: My memory for meeting people isn’t so good anymore, but Craig has it pegged around 1999, I think. It was probably at a nightclub. I had heard of him and his project LBM. There was a small group of us that were doing [electronic] music in Vancouver, so like minds ended up meeting sooner than later.

You’ve been making electronic music for decades. Chris, you have travelled all over the world as a performer. What do you think is the main difference between the way you started and upcoming musicians?

CP: The technology and the ease of its use. When I started around 1985-86, it was much more difficult and expensive to get from point A to point B. I didn’t have formal music training of any kind, but I liked computers and electronics. I ended up figuring out music through science and a lot of help from friends, but it was a lot to learn: programming could be very frustrating and time consuming. That difficulty and challenge tended to put people off, it kept electronic music from being something that “anybody can do.”

Now software has evolved toward making things easy for almost anyone to do, as it is with some graphic and visual art too.

While that is a fun and wonderful thing, it also means that everybody is invited to the party.

The pool has become diluted and perhaps creativity has suffered too.

Some of those early challenges were great exercises for the brain – helped inspire new ways of thinking, problem solving, and “building the better mousetrap,” if you will, in a musical sense. I see that almost guerrilla-like tactic of figuring out how to make a good record with no money and some odd bits of borrowed gear as an advantage. If you understand why new technology was developed, you have a better chance of being able to push its boundaries and make something unique with it.

Do you think Europe has a bigger scene for electronic dance music?

CP: Based on show turnouts

Image:: Öhm

Ö hm duo Chris Peterson and Craig Joseph Huxtable. and the large amount of successful festivals over there, yeah they do. Why? It’s anyone’s guess.

Mine is like this: they have less space, and are more urban by percentage. They are exposed to more cultures... a small drive can put you in another country with another language and lifestyle. They are better educated and don’t have that small-town, centre-of-the-universe mentality like a lot of North Americans.

They have their share of dicks over there, but they don’t have that redneck factor so much. So generally they are more progressive and have more of an open mind to art and music. I always get the sense that music is still considered art over there, and that it’s just a fashion or party accessory over here in North America. That’s being very general though and I could be talking out my ass, but I’m just going with what I noticed and felt.

[Laughs.]

“I think Canadians hold back a bit more, and the Americans are a bit more inyour-face and rowdy, which is great when you’re playing highenergy music.”

Do you think it’s becoming harder for artists in Canada as opposed to other countries?

Craig Joseph Huxtable: Yes. It’s always been hard. I think it’s even harder for west coast artists – we just don’t have a lot of choices to play. We are pretty isolated from the rest of the entertainment world in many ways. It’s Vancouver/Victoria and Calgary/Edmonton and that’s it. The closest major city to us is in another country, with what has become a very hostile border for artists to cross.

What’s the main difference between playing shows in Canada and the United States?

CP: Besides the insane distance between any Canadian cities, they’re a bit more reckless, which can be fun or frightening.

The turnouts can be a lot better, but that’s often a matter of math and percentages. I usually have more fun in the States, but I think that has something to do with me being so happy to be there with all their awesome junk food and cheap bad habit stuff. It’s paradise for a smoking, drinking carnivore. But seriously, I think Canadians hold back a bit more, and the Americans are a bit more in-your-face and rowdy, which is great when you’re playing highenergy music.

How would you describe British Columbia as a music community?

CP: The shitty weather for eight months a year makes it easy to focus on staying in and writing songs. It’s also a supportive place in terms of artists helping each other and networking, even though the cities are making it harder to find live venues for developing artists.

There’s a good family-like atmosphere for the type of music I do.

We all get behind each other ’s work, and share what resources we can.

CJH: We used to have an amazing party on Vancouver Island called Soundwave, but that hasn’t happened for a few years now. I don’t know if geography has much to do with it but with the popularity of EDM now these festivals is certainly getting bigger and bigger. I do think it’s pretty neat when you can take something like that out into nature and respect the environment at the same time.

I played at the Motion Notion festival last year, just north of Golden, BC in the middle of the rockies. It was amazing – breathtaking. The disappointing thing was the music itself. I love all forms of dance music, but I find

what I’m hearing these days at festivals to be very tired and uninspiring. I heard Avicii at least 20 times during that festival and everyone was dropping step in their sets. I was pissed off, so I went home and wrote “Car Crash” the next day.

Craig, you played keyboards on a couple of Front Line Assembly tours and records.

What’s the difference between working on a project like FLA and working on Öhm?

CJH: For the most part, my contribution to FLA was as a live musician. My contribution to recordings like “Shifting Through the Lens” was just answering a phone call. With Öhm I’m working closely with another artist and I have to make room for their artistic vision, so that was a new challenge.

I couldn’t take a song from beginning to end by myself. I had to be prepared for changes to be made by the other guy. It was scary because I lost some artistic control, but what I got back in return was something way more interesting.

Were there any new methods or attitudes that you brought to this production?

CP: Methods, not as much, but the attitude and outlooks were new. I focused on enjoying the process more than ever, and was much more open to the songs going to places I wouldn’t have predicted. There was more letting go with this album instead of premeditating.

CJH: About halfway through making the record I realized that if I really wanted Öhm to sound different from earlier works of mine, I would have to shake things up. So I put a focus on writing songs with lyrics and vocal parts instead of instrumentals – pushed sounds and songs in different directions. With starting a new band it didn’t seem like there was any point in holding back. My approach to the lyrics was twofold; an outer

layer that people can immediately relate to on the surface with a layer of something we can individually relate to. I tackled a major sociological theme like environmentalism (“Brute”) or abuse at the hands of the church (“Divinity”) and wrapped those themes around a minor theme buried in the song – deeper personal expressions about my own life.

Some EDM guys just want to keep in their basement or behind a DJ booth, but not you guys. You’ve been live players in a lot of acts. What is it that draws you to the stage?

CJH: I have no idea. I don’t think I ever thought about it.

I’ve been on stage since I was very young, starting with choirs and piano recitals, then stage acting and musical theatre until my early twenties—live electronic music at 16—so the stage has always felt like a very natural place for me to be. It’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t a performer. There are things I can do on stage playing live that I can’t do in normal contexts.

Even if I’ve rehearsed something I feel the need to push it further, to take the performance to a level that it hasn’t been to yet. Or take a song in a new direction.

Improvisation feels very natural to me on stage and historically my best shows have always been when I take risks. I get to grow and go somewhere new – that’s exciting.

I wish more electronic artists would get out of the basement and take risks on stage, push the definition of what playing live means. There are so many tools and instruments at our disposal now. Staring at your laptop onstage doesn’t cut it anymore – not that it ever did.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

18

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Canada West not budging on 2014-15 basketball schedule issue PAUL ESAU

THE CASCADE

The 2014-15 season is going to be an unusual one for the UFV Cascades basketball programs, as they play the same five teams again and again… and again… and again.

On October 30, UFV’s motion to rescind the 2014-15 schedule accepted at a previous Canada West meeting in June was defeated by a vote of 22-6, almost ensuring the schedule will become a reality next season. Each of the 14 voting schools in Canada West are allowed two voting representatives at each meeting, and only UFV, Manitoba, and UBC-O voted in favour of rescinding the schedule.

Currently, every team in Canada West (a region of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, or CIS) plays every other team at least once per season. The addition of six teams in the last five years has necessitated a shake-up of scheduling practices, since playing all 16 other Canada West teams in 2014-2015 would stress each program’s athletes and budget. Canada West representatives accepted and analyzed numerous scheduling proposals before the June meeting where they decided to break the league into two divisions: a “Pioneer” division of the 11 “historical” members, and an “Explorer” division of the six “newer” members (including UFV).

Canada West responds According to Basil Hughton, Canada West President and University of Saskatchewan Athletic Director, change is necessary.

“I’m a relatively new AD,” he said, “I’m just entering my sixth year, and when I first came on board we had 11 full members.

That was in 2008 … and then we went up to the point now where we have 14 full members and three probationary. We’ve seen a very big influx in new schools, new members, and we’ve obviously had rapid growth. And the biggest challenge with rapid growth is scheduling.”

Individual schedules are voted in for each Canada West sport, and basketball, with the most member participation of any sport, has its own unique challenges. Still, the 11 and six divisional split is controversial in that it doesn’t recognize geographic considerations, historic program rankings, or numerical parity between divisions.

“I think in fairness,” said Hughton, “and this is me editorializing now, not as the president but as a member, I’m saying, very clearly, there wasn’t a good alternative in basketball.

The decision to put this [schedule] forward was the best information we had at the time and [the best one] we could try given the circumstances.”

In the six-team “Explorer” division, UFV will play the other five teams four times each to produce a 20-game schedule.

Some, including UFV president Mark Evered in an open letter to the presidents of Canada West institutions, have accused Canada West of creating a “tiered” divisional structure behind meaningless euphemisms. While

PIONEER DIVISION With a 20-game season, teams within the Pioneer division play a greater variety of opponents.

“I can understand the

perception

of

tiering but that isn’t what we did.”

EXPLORER DIVISION Teams in the Explorer division play each other four times each to meet the 20-game schedule.

Hughton said, “the semantics [of “Pioneer” and “Explorer”] are lost on me; I didn’t like the words, either one of them,” he maintains that Evered and others are mistaken.

“I can understand the perception of tiering,” Hughton said, “but that isn’t what we did.

“Let me rephrase what I said earlier,” he continued. “The basketball schedule that ultimately passed was the one that membership felt was … the best fit for what they saw that they

wanted to do.”

Also voted on in late October was a 2014-15 Canada West playoff format that is dependent on the results of this season’s schedule. If the 2013-14 Canada West champion is in the Pioneer Division, the 10-team format will include the seven top Pioneer teams and the three top Explorer teams. If it happens to be a Explorer champion, it will be involve six Pioneer and four Explorer teams. The Final Four tournament will be hosted by

the highest remaining seed left after the quarter-finals, rather than the team with the best regular season record (as under the current format).

UFV’s next step Evered, vice president of students Jody Gordon, and athletics director Rocky Olfert have all been highly critical of the upcoming schedule, pointing out that it hurts UFV’s recruiting appeal, athletics prestige, and potential competitiveness. Evered

especially has been a significant asset to UFV resistance, despite the traditionally hands-off role of university presidents relative to CIS issues.

“Recognizing that decisions made by CIS or any of its divisions could have an impact on our institutions,” Evered said, “it’s not unreasonable that the president should have some significant say in the work of CIS and its divisions. There’s still those who feel that presidents should have more than an advisory role; they should have a more decisive role.”

Having already been defeated in an attempt to rescind the motion that led to the two-division 2014-2015 schedule, UFV will have to adopt other measures in defending the interests of UFV varsity programs. Since the motion only dictates the schedule for one season, both Gordon and Olfert are committed to preventing it from being extended, or adopted in other sports.

“Our concern is that this is just the beginning,” said Gordon, “that this 11 and six will move into other sports … [We need] to stop this becoming a pattern or trend.”

As well, both will take part in Canada West meetings this December as representatives from a number of schools attempt some strategic planning for the organization and for future scheduling. The discussions UFV has begun on the topic will be vitally important for Canada West moving forward, even though they are unlikely to change the realities of next season’s basketball schedule.

The parable of the referee Evered likened the situation “to the frustration with a referee who makes a lot of bad calls.

Following up on that is unlikely to change the outcome, but you’ve at least alerted others to the problem.”

Gordon went further, saying, “if I was the team that was the beneficiary of the bad call I would still want to step back and look at that and say, ‘this isn’t good for the league’ …

From [Canada West’s] perspective, this isn’t good for the conference.”

Neither UFV men’s coach Adam Friesen nor women’s coach Al Tuchscherer are enthused with the schedule their teams will play in 2013-2015, yet both understand their authority is on the court rather than in the meeting room. For now, the schools of Canada West have voted to accept a schedule that divides them into two unequal divisions; a system that will require Victoria to play Manitoba, but not have UFV driving 20 minutes down the road to play rival Trinity Western. Hughton says democracy has spoken. Evered, Gordon, and Olfert would beg to differ.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

19

SPORTS & HEALTH

Heat Report

The first 10 games in four points TIM UBELS

CONTRIBUTOR

Getting familiar After last weekend’s 3-1 loss to the Lake Erie Monsters, Heat coach Troy Ward mentioned how he was trying to “get some guys in the lineup and figure out what we have.” Highly-touted players like defenseman John Ramage and forward Michael Ferlund have both been healthy scratches recently, as Heat management continues to take players in and out of the lineup.

Trying to feel out the skill level of the team and keep players fresh when call-ups from Calgary come, Heat management is still searching for that perfect lineup combination. Familiarity and chemistry will develop over time, as players distinguish themselves and begin to hold one another accountable for plays. But until they can develop some consistent on-ice synergy, the roster will likely be subject to tweaks on a nightly basis.

Trading places After a rough start in his first two appearances in net for the Heat, Surrey native Laurent Brossoit has been sent down to the Alaska Aces of the ECHL and Joni Ortio has been called up in his stead. Brossoit, who let in nine goals on his first 42 shots faced will have time to gain confidence for a proper return to the

Image: Clint Trahan

Corbin Knight and Ben Hanowski, both acquired via trade, have been key contributors for the Heat.

Heat lineup. In the meantime, Joni Ortio, who has posted a .944 save percentage and a 1.01 GAA in four games with the Ice has joined the Heat for their road trip to Utica and Hamilton. The biggest question mark on the Calgary Flames right now is between the pipes, with Reto Berra and Karri Rämö dividing up time in net, and Joey MacDonald shuffling back to the Heat after passing through waivers. If Ortio can continue his outstanding play with the Heat, he may

be given a shot with the Flames sometime this season.

Injury update 19-year-old defenseman Patrick Sieloff has been sidelined by injury, and will likely not return to the lineup for quite some time.

The young defender played only two games with the Heat before suffering a lower-body injury.

Coach Ward explained to the media the effects Sieloff’s injury has on the team. “We miss the 19-year-old. He’s the youngest [defenseman] in the league and

we miss him because he’s physical and he’s honest. It’s like playing against a 32-year-old. He’s so mature in his approach to the game. He knows his role. He gets it. This kid gets it.” There is no timetable for Sieloff’s return.

Pleasant surprises When the Calgary Flames made the difficult decision to severe ties with their captain Jarome Iginla last season, nobody was shocked. After the Flames’ dismal record the past few sea-

sons, the writing was on the wall that a rebuild was imminent, and the face of the franchise was the first to go. Once the dust settled, everyone’s gaze shifted to Ben Hanowski, the major piece coming to Calgary in return for Iginla. Hanowski doesn’t look out of place in his first 10 games with the Heat. In fact, the forward has four goals and eight points to kick off the season, and has yet to take a penalty.

Another intriguing player coming into this season was Corban Knight, who was picked up from Florida for a fourth round draft pick. Knight has also impressed on the scoreboard, with four goals and nine points in the first ten outings this year.

Defenseman Chad Billins has also done his fair-share of lighting the lamp early in the season.

Through his first 10 games with the Heat, Billins has recorded five goals, which is halfway to his totals from last year with Grand Rapids. Four of his goals have come on the man-advantage, potting half of the team’s powerplay markers, and that has caught the eye of Flames management, as Billins was called up for the first time to open November in the NHL. The Heat return to Abbotsford for a four-game home stand with back-to-back games against San Antonio on November 5 and 6.

The puck drops at the AESC at 7 p.m.

Image: UFV

The UFV men’s soccer team claimed its first Canada West medal in program history on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat of their rivals at the University of Victoria. The win put the exclamation point on a sensational post-season run that began with a 1-0 win over the University of Alberta last Thursday, continued in a hard-fought 2-0 defeat by eventual Canada West champion UBC, and ended with a win in the consolation final. The Cascades achieved dozens of program “firsts” during the three games, and brought home the first hardware UFV soccer has won since the women’s run to nationals in 2010.

20

SPORTS & HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca

Cascades sweep regular season opening weekend NATHAN HUTTON CONTRIBUTOR

This weekend the quest to become national champions started for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams as both opened their seasons at home.

Playing Friday and Saturday night against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns and the University of Calgary Dinos respectively, both teams began in fine style – by winning.

Women The first game of the weekend was also the most lopsided of the four as the UFV women’s team easily handled the visiting Pronghorns in a 38 point victory (70-32). The women are ranked fourth in the country this year, and justified their ranking with suffocating defense and relentless scoring. They held the Pronghorns to 16 in the first quarter, then only 16 more for the rest of the game. However it wasn’t only the defense that was a point of emphasis for the squad; seven players registered on the score sheet in the first half alone. The Cascades proved their wealth of experience, toughness, and strength at both ends as they forced an exorbitantly high amount of turnovers (29) and shot 47 per cent for the game, with 11 of the team’s 12 players making a positive mark on the score sheet.

The second game of the weekend for the women’s team was against the University of Calgary Dinos. UFV started the game switching back and forth between a 2-3 zone defense and a straight-up man-to-man. The 2-3 zone, which coach Tuchscherer eventually decided to ditch, was anchored by second-year Shayna Litman and provided some strong interior defense. However it was quickly solved by the quick-thinking Dinos coaching staff, so the Cascades reacted by changing back to their reliable man to man. Once again, nine different Cascade women made the score sheet. Fourth-year Sarah Wierks lead the way with 15 points and 13 boards.

The Dinos starting point guard, fifth-year Tamara Jarrett, played a fantastic game, and was easily the best player for the struggling visitors.

Men The men’s team also played against both the University of Lethbridge and the University of Calgary, but weren’t as dominant as their female counterparts.

Against Lethbridge, the Cascades squad began by grabbing a quick lead which, while challenged on several occasions, they never gave up. The game ended 79-69 but seemed much closer than it was. The men were spurred on by their dynamic backcourt consisting of Klaus Figueredo and Kevon Parchment, who together registered 20 of the team’s 38 first-half points, and 45 of the team’s 79 points in the game. The incredible play of second-year Parchment led all players (28 points, nine re-

Photo: Darren McDonald / UFV

Moedt unleashes his inner wolverine. bounds, seven assists). Fourthyear Jasper Moedt also helped off the glass for the Cascades as he contributed a game-high 13 of the team’s 47 rebounds. Moedt also came up with two big steals and 15 critical points.

In the final game of the weekend the UFV men’s squad matched up with the University of Calgary Dinos in what proved to be a classic game of basketball.

The Cascades started the game extremely slow, going 0-4 from the field before hitting a tough inside layup two minutes in to give them their first points of the game. The bad shooting would be a harbinger of things to come for the Cascades. Early in the game Kevon Parchment was victim to some questionable calls from the trio of referees, burdening him with two quick fouls and forcing him to sit the majority of the first quarter. Also a sign of things to come were the contributions of first-year Manny Dulay, who hit back-to-back three pointers to keep the Cascades close at a crucial point in the first. In the second quarter Dinos coach Dan Vanhooren decided to run their offense through 6’7 Matt Letkeman and 6’8 Brett Burley, their two biggest players. Cascades coach Adam Friesen was forced to put in the Cascades best interior defender, Moedt, before the Dinos could come up with any serious momentum.

At the half the Cascades trailed the Dinos 30-26. The third quarter was a back-andforth affair as the Cascades took advantage of their speed and defensive pressure to start multiple mini runs and close within a point or two of the Dinos; however, the Dinos were always able to counter with a big three or a timely layup. When

Image: Darren McDonald / UFV

Cascades second-year forward Shayna Litman shows some explosive offence in the paint. the fourth quarter began and the Cascades fell behind by 10 points, coach Friesen was forced to make some changes. He decided to send sixth man Manny Dulay into the game, which turned out to be the best decision of the night. As soon as he checked in Dulay played like a man possessed by the powers of Space Jam. From behind the arc, he drained nearly everything he put up on his way to a game high 23 points and a 7-13 from three-

land. It was the strong play of Dulay, Moedt, Parchment, and Figueredo that fueled a 33-point fourth quarter for the Cascades and granted them the 71-56 win.

“I was really happy, really proud,” coach Friesen said after the game. “I mean, we typically shoot a lot better than that [33.8 per cent for the game] but we have a lot of new faces, a lot of guys that haven’t played with each other. To fight together like that was ... the first time we had

a chance to do that ... we really came through and did really well.”

Next week both the men and women travel to Vancouver Island to do battle with the University of Victoria Vikings. This weekend was an excellent start with promising performances from both teams, but it’s a long season and this is only the beginning.