Vol. 21 Issue 30
www.ufvcascade.ca
November 13 to November 19, 2013
Discovering archival vacuuming photos since 1993
UFV’S FIRST SOCCER KINGS p. 10
SUS update: policy changes and student funding p. 5
Liquor in the supermarkets? How about no p. 7
2
NEWS News
6
Opinion
8
Arts & Life
14
Sports & Health
19
Upcoming
Events
On now! Back for another semester Registration for the winter 2014 semester is officially underway. You can pop down to OReg to pay the $200 deposit, or for those using online banking make sure you pay your $200 deposit at least three business days before your registration time or risk getting waitlisted for classes.
Nov 13 Faculty microlectures Every year UFV faculty stand up to share their latest projects in rapid-fire microlectures. Research is presented from all fields in the university and the event is free for anyone to attend, held in the mini-cafeteria area in A building and starting at 11:30 a.m.
Nov 14 Art on Tap Round two of Young Contemporaries’ collection of Abbotsford’s creative talent. Come out to enjoy local beer and wine, artistic talent, and musical expression at Abbotsford’s The Reach art gallery. Admission is $5 (or free with a Young Contemporaries membership) and the night kicks off at 7:30.
Nov 15
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
DREAM shelters for Abbotsford’s homeless
Valerie Franklin looks into the mobile shelters being built in Abbotsford, which are designed to be transitional homes for the homeless that provide more protection from the elements than tents and more security for their belongings.
Please don’t give
Christmas is approaching and we are faced with a season of frantic consumerism. How much should you spend on your mom’s present? Nadine Moedt discusses the daunting prospect of quantifying your relationships through gift-giving.
This isn’t Disney
Cover your kid’s eyes – this little mermaid is no Ariel. UFV Theatre’s adaption of Hand Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid is grim, dark, and moving. Check out the theatre review.
Women’s volleyball defeat VIU
UFV Cascades women’s volleyball team defended their number one ranking with two wins against Vancouver Island University.
Remembrance Day should be uncomfortable DESSA BAYROCK
THE CASCADE
Remembrance Day may be the last pure holiday; no one talks about it before it arrives, and no one talks about it after it leaves. For a single day every year, we uneasily sit and think about the past. As a holiday, it treads a delicate line between bitterness and patriotism. An entire nation stands in silence and prays war never happens again. Parents teach their children to remember and respect, as though children can understand the darker issues beneath the practiced phrases. When I was growing up— six, seven, eight years old—I used to dread it: the silence, the gun salutes, the weeping, the television specials, all of it. The poems, often the same ones, read out by old men with voices like creaking barrels steeped in brandy, the crackly audio playing over grainy black-and-white images of buildings and soldiers and broad fields, all equally and totally destroyed. As a child I couldn’t really comprehend it, its scale, its breadth and depth, the sheer amount of spilled blood and severed limbs, the size of the monuments or what they represent. As an adult, I still can’t fully understand it, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. But I spend one minute out of every year trying to. One minute is not a long time, but it’s about as long as I can struggle with those questions: the concept of war and
how that affects the past, present, and future. For maybe the first time this year, I appreciate the subtle difference between Remembrance Day here and Veteran’s Day in the States. Veteran’s Day focuses on the narrow demographic that serves or has served in the armed forces. Acknowledging and respecting the work soldiers do is a key part of a day of remembrance, but is by no means the only part. To put the full emphasis on soldiers reinforces the perception of army life as just another job, be it during WWII or in 2013. Wartime is not, and should never be, a job – no matter how enticing recruitment posters would have you think otherwise. Our emphasis is on the act of remembering, not just soldiers but how war affects all people in a nation, be it those who fought for their lives or those left behind home to imagine how mud mixes with blood. Our day is marked not only by respecting those who fought, forcing us to face the ideas that put them in the fight at all, sometimes a fight they were forced into. Remembering is not only about paying respect, but contemplating all pieces of both war and humanity. Where Veteran’s Day is about the glory, Remembrance Day is about the blood. War isn’t easy to look in the face, nor should it be. This is side of war I find most troubling – the propaganda, portraying the utter pluckiness of those left behind at home, the sheer determina-
Image: Syzmon Buhajczuk
Emphasis should be on remembering the darkness of war, not glory. tion portrayed in vintage factory footage pulled from one newsreel or another. What a marvel of the modern age that women can work in factories, every narrator seems to say. What a testament to human spirit that we can keep trucking along at home while an entire generation is dying overseas. This national reaction is something we’re ultimately proud of, the jaunty 40s-era piano soundtrack playing as women with curled hair tucked beneath workmen’s hats throw red-hot rivets to one another with casual dexterity. Their actions and expressions are cheerful, almost cheeky. These film clips terrify me, even more than the footage of destroyed architecture or the grainy shots of field hospitals.
The tone is one of economic prosperity, of teamwork, of triumphant carrying-on. There may be both light and dark to any matter, but war is not something in which we can see the silver lining. The whitewashed side of war all too easily encourages the idea of the army as a career like any other while a grim subtext of glory and patriotism stands behind every ceremony; we’ve gone to war before, and we’ll do it again. I prefer to keep Remembrance Day resiliently and purposefully uncomfortable – a time set aside to consider what Wilfred Owen called “the old lie”: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
Child’s Play Come out to an all-day gaming event at U-House. Hosted by CISSA, funds raised go to the Child’s Play charity responsible for providing toys and games to children’s hospitals around the world.
Volume 21 · Issue 30 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
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, Jennifer Colbourne, Remington Fioraso, Valerie Franklin, Jeremy Hannaford, Nathan Hutton, and Tim Ubels Cover image: Wilson Wong Lines: Anthony Biondi
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 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Shuttle bus fee increases by $11 following student vote
Keeping up on
Campus
JESS WIND
THE CASCADE
The results are in. Voting students approved the latest transit referendum. The referendum question asked if students were in favour of an $11 increase to the current $6.75 per semester fee for expanded service to UFV’s new inter-campus shuttle bus. “We’ve been having up to 1400 riders a week. There’s been consistently 20-30 turnaways a week,” SUS president Shane Potter says. He adds that he believes the referendum’s success comes from the motivated students who have been turned away from overcrowded buses. Potter says the majority of students turned away were trying to get from Abbotsford to the Chilliwack campus during peak times around 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. With a positive count of 535 votes out of 862, a 62 per cent majority, the fee will be increased for the Winter 2014 semester to $17.75, and the increased service is scheduled to take effect as soon as November 18. Students can view the new schedule online. The service additions will include a third bus making runs between the Abbotsford and
You could win an iPad
Transit fee will be going from $6.75 to $17.75 for the winter 2014 semester. Chilliwack campuses throughout the day, longer service on Friday, and summer semester service. In the final days of the referendum, a computer glitch caused issues for students trying to vote. To compensate, SUS extended the deadline by three days and set up manual voting stations on the campuses.
“It was only a small percentage of students that were affected by that, and from the students I’ve talked to, the tweets and stuff that I got, they were able to vote afterwards,” Potter explains. Following a late night November 7 meeting at which the referendum results were ratified, Potter met with the transit committee, VP students
Image: Anthony Biondi / The Cascade
Jody Gordon, and the shuttle service provider on November 8. “We will be revamping the schedule in the winter semester,” Potter says. “The nice thing about having a private shuttle service is of course we can work exclusively around when students need it and have a plan that works for them.”
Maclean’s university rankings exclude UFV KATHERINE GIBSON
THE CASCADE
On October 31, Maclean’s top Canadian university rankings were released, and UFV’s name was not on the list. But before you start closing your textbooks in panic and running for another university, be aware that the system used by the magazine to rank universities excludes UFV from being evaluated. UFV’s director of marketing and communications Leslie Courchesne explains that Maclean’s classifications are unable to take the diverse nature of UFV’s programming into account. “Our model is different than many other universities’,” Courchesne says. “Maclean’s doesn’t include UFV in its rankings because [UFV is] a teaching-focused university offering everything from access and university prep programs, through to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as trades, technology, and apprenticeship programs.” She goes on to explain that the programs ladder into each
Image: November 7, 2011 cover of Macleans
Due to its diverse nature, UFV was excluded from Maclean’s ranking. other, meaning Maclean’s can’t put UFV’s data into their ranking system. In an interview with Star FM earlier this month, Maclean’s senior editor Mary Dwyer acknowledged that UFV’s unique structure makes it hard to place within the magazine’s rankings. “It’s actually a great model, it’s very useful to students, but it means that I can’t pull out the student numbers or
focus on the faculty who are teaching degree programs because that laddering model is in place,” she explains in the interview. “So it’s more a logistical reason why Maclean’s doesn’t rank Fraser Valley and [not a] reflection on the University and its quality.” Prospective and current students do use this guide to help them decide which university they should attend. However, Courchesne hopes students
consider more than just one list of rankings before assessing what UFV can offer them. “I hope that UFV’s current students form their opinions and perceptions of UFV through their direct interaction with faculty, staff, fellow students, alumni, and their UFV experiences, both on and off campus, and on what they’ve learned here, and how it has transformed them.” While it’s true that UFV is not recognized by Maclean’s, Courchesne points out that UFV has been ranked by other publications, all of which are open to students curious as to how the school ranks in comparison to other institutions. “Students can access news and information both online and print …. including the National Survey of Student Engagement, Canadian University Survey Consortium, BC graduate outcomes surveys, and more,” Courchesne says. “[The] Maclean’s ranking is one source of information among many that students can use to form their opinion of a university.”
Join the event, share the post, like the page, and download the app – SUS is trading social media presence for entries to an iPad giveaway. Interim VP east Jarret Bainbridge is executing the event as a class project. Students need to join the event to be eligible to win, after which they are encouraged to share SUS posts and generally engage with SUS social media to earn more entries into the contest which closes November 21. How are entries tracked? How does the class evaluation work? And where does the money come from? We’ll be chasing it up for next issue.
SUS board reform Smaller executive board, more non-SUS representatives, and a wider array of committees – SUS’s proposed board reform is all in the name of transparency. They have been discussing a new structure for months, and now with an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) around the corner, it seems the reform will be brought into question. Come out to an info session on November 13 to find out just what the future of SUS could look like, and make sure to attend the EGM on November 25.
Credit option to make a comeback
Students were frustrated when UFV made the move away from credit card payments a few years ago. UFV was required to pay merchant fees with the credit card option, and students were using their Visas and MasterCards to pay tuition. However, it seems UFV is looking to revisit the credit card tuition payment option by way of a third party. More details will follow.
Have a news tip? Let us know! Email news@ufvcascade.ca or tweet at @CascadeNews
4
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
SCIENCE ON PURPOSE
DESSA BAYROCK
Right brain doesn’t know what left brain is doing – or does it?
THE CASCADE
You’re probably familiar with the left brain / right brain idea; according to this theory, the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for everything logical and analytic, and the right hemisphere lays claim to anything creative, emotional, or intuitive. This split-brain theory was developed in part by psychologist Roger Sperry in the 1980s, who won a Nobel prize for his work. Nowadays, any procrastinating student can find an app or quiz that promises to tell users which half of the brain they favour. Are you a creative or an analytic? Are you logical or are you intuitive? Are you a Vulcan or a human? But no matter where you think you fall on the scale between the two extremes, recent research done at the University of Utah is attempting to debunk this simplistic view. The resulting research article, published in the open-access and peer-reviewed online journal PLOS one, studied the patterns of over 1000 resting brain scans from around the world. They found that subjects didn’t seem to favour one
side of the brain over the other during the scans, meaning that people can’t really be classified as left-brainers or right-brainers. “In popular reports, ‘leftbrained’ and ‘right-brained’ have become terms associated with both personality traits and cognitive strategies,” the study reads. “[A] more consistent schema might include left-dominant connections associated with language and
Local dentist’s candy buy-back a sweet deal
perception of internal stimuli, and right-dominant connections associated with attention to external stimuli.” Jared Nielsen, a graduate student and one of the authors on the study, expanded on this in an interview with LiveScience. “It is not the case that the left hemisphere is associated with logic or reasoning more than the right,” he said. “Also, creativity is no more processed in the right hemisphere than the
left.” While it seems easy enough to label the split-brain theory as outdated, Dr. Tamara Watson cautions against moving from one simplistic theory to another. She’s a researcher in visual neuroscience at University of Western Sydney. In an article for The Conversationalist, she notes that the theory itself has been distilled into a simplified idea that doesn’t necessarily reflect the original
Fire at U-House
No fire alarms triggered, but everything’s up to code
KATHERINE GIBSON
THE CASCADE
Image: Tinfoilraccoon/ flickr
Clayburn dental offers $2 for every pound of candy returned.
ASHLEY MUSSBACHER
THE CASCADE
Childhood health risks tied to sugary sweets are increasing, and some say Halloween doesn’t help. According to an NRC Research Press article looking at diabetes, heart disease, and other health risks in children, “coordinated efforts at all levels (family, school, community, and government) must be established with a longterm commitment to promote healthy and physical activity behaviours in our youth.” Clayburn Dental in Abbotsford steps forward each year to fulfill the community commitment part of that puzzle by helping children and parents make the right decision when it comes to sweets. For two days after Halloween, the dental office offers an annual candy buy-back. For each pound
Image: Anthony Biondi
Are you a left-brainer or a right-brainer? Studies now say neither and/or both.
up to 20 pounds, they offer $2. The candy is donated to the local Salvation Army. “It was a hit last year, and this year we doubled the amount of candy we received,” Michelle Blake, a member of Clayburn Dental, explains. Last year, they collected 100 pounds of candy from the community; that is nearly the weight of 500 king-size Mars Bars. In an interview by CTV News before this year’s Halloween candy craze, Clayburn Dental’s Stephan Wall said, “This year, we’re shooting for 250 pounds.” They hit their goal, and collected 250 pounds of candy from the community. “As a dental office we want to prevent cavities,” Blake says. “It also practices good dentistry. The kids love it… They tell us what they dressed up as. It was great!”
research findings – simplified ideas that we are all too eager to jump on and propagate in the instant consumer world of the internet. “[The response to the recent study] demonstrates one thing very clearly: as much as neuroscience captures the imagination of many, progress in the area is often not well understood and neuroscientists don’t seem to be doing a good job of conveying their work to a wider audience,” she notes. Dr. Christian Jarrett, another psychologist, agrees – not just in terms of the right / left brain theory, but in terms of science journalism as a whole. “I suppose the logical leftbrain, creative right-brain myth has a seductive simplicity about it. People can ask – which kind of brain have I got? They can buy an app to target their weaker half. They can categorize languages and people as right-brained or left,” he says in Psychology Today. “It’s tricky to combat that belief system by saying the truth is really more complicated. But it’s worth trying, because it would be a shame if the simplistic myth drowned out the more fascinating story of how our brains really work.”
U-House is usually a place for students to relax and build community connections on campus, but on November 5 U-House was also the site of a small electrical fire. As Martin Kelly, the programmer at Student Life, explains, although small, this fire led to an evacuation of the building, closing it down for a day-and-a-half to allow for the structure and wiring to be properly checked. “As a safety precaution we had to clear [the building], evacuate, and then call in all the appropriate emergency people,” Martin says. “The
fire was put out in seconds, but U- House was closed down for the duration of the day and part of the next day until all the electrical systems were checked out. “Any building, anywhere in the university when there’s any kind of incident, especially an electrical fire, is closed until it all gets checked out,” he continues. “The whole building gets shut down – there’s a procedure to go through.” However, despite emergency personnel being called, no fire alarms went off in U-House during the incident. Brian Leonard, director of security and emergency management, equates this to the contained nature of the fire
and assures students that the fire alarms, as well as the building, are up to code. “Over the sink is a heat detector and then further above the ceiling is where the fire alarm is. The smoke didn’t reach the fire alarm,” Leonard explains. “We actually vetted that through the fire department. We asked them, ‘Is this up to code?’ and they said, ‘Absolutely; this is how it works.’ They explained it to us that over the kitchen, should smoke rise, [our] detector will go off all the time,” he notes. “There is a fail-safe there … everything is functioning – everything is up to code.”
SummitLearningCentre.ca Serving K-12 & Adult Students
Free High School Courses Prerequisites for Post Secondary Upgrade your Mark on a Prerequisite BC Certified Teachers & Courses
Call Now! 604-820-3333
ible Flex ule. d Sche ytime! t an
Star
1-866-881-1984 Call Now!
5
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
New election policy and potential board reform?
The latest and greatest from SUS’s most recent board meeting
by KATHERINE GIBSON AGM and proposed changes to SUS structure announced The board also announced that their annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on November 25. One point of discussion to be addressed at the AGM will have to do with a series of proposed changes to the SUS’s structure. “The entire goal of the new board reform structure is to broaden our representation,” SUS president Shane Potter explained. “We’re trying to move in a positive direction.” Further details about SUS structural changes will follow a public information session on Wednesday, November 13.
SUS grant CISSA’s “Child’s Play” event $225 CISSA vice president Graham St. Eloi spoke on behalf of the Child’s Play charity event to be hosted in U-House November 15. Last board meeting, Eloi requested $725 in SUS funding to help cover a PlayStation 4 grand prize, as well as other smaller prize encouragements for students to take part and financially support the event. After reviewing the request, the finance committee recommended that $225 be granted to the event. Peterson explained how the finance committee decided on the reduced figure. “The PlayStation 4 is a largeticket item and, in theory, it is the understanding of the finance committee that it would not hamper the event entirely if the large-ticket item was not there, but instead other smaller items were there,” Peterson explained. During discussion, VP academic Kristianne Hendricks questioned Eloi as to why CISSA could not finance the extra $500 needed to purchase a PlayStation 4 on its own. Eloi explained it was largely due to a current lack of funding. “We don’t have our base association funding yet, so we have no money,” he noted. “What money we do have is from the previous Child’s Play event which we cannot spend, being as it’s saved for [the event].” After continued discussion, the board decided in favour of passing the motion as it was presented, granting CISSA the reduced amount of $225.
The Cascade granted $1740 to attend annual conference The Cascade also submitted a request for $1740 to send two additional student staff members to an annual journalism conference hosted by the Canadian University Press. Editor-in-chief Dessa Bayrock explained the merits of the conference, which features prominent speakers, networking opportunities, and a chance to connect with university papers across the country. Peterson spoke in favour of granting the funding. “This is coming out of a separate budget line, which is our grants line, because The Cascade is neither a club nor an association,” he explained. “We don’t normally get an extreme amount requested from grants, so we feel that this is a healthy amount.” The motion was brought to the board for approval and passed, giving the full requested amount to The Cascade.
Electoral policy motion carried VP internal Greg Stickland and the governance committee’s proposed motion to change electoral policy, which was tabled for two consecutive board meetings, was passed on November 8. As Stickland explained, the reason behind the motion’s tabling last week was due to repat-large Jay Mitchell’s request for a by-law section, which was accommodated by the governance committee. “This was tabled [last meeting] due to the request for a bylaw section,” he said, “so I have added that.” During the discussion portion of this policy, rep-at-large Thomas Davies brought up a potential concern regarding the newly added by-election section. “The by-election lasts the same number of weeks as the election period. My concern is that with preparation, advertising, nominations, and the voting period, that’s almost three-and-a-half months, which wouldn’t work,” he noted. “My concern is that this could take a very long time.” After further discussion, the discrepancy surrounding the length of the by-election was sorted out, and the policy was passed. Stickland ended the discussion by further explaining what passing this policy at the board level means. “To clarify, this doesn’t mean the policy has passed; it still needs to be passed at the general meeting,” he concluded.
“Casino Royale” event granted $5000 The board addressed a $6500 funding request for the proposed November 29 Casino Royale campus event, which would be hosted primarily by the university’s science student associations. The finance committee recommended a reduced amount of $4000 for the event. VP finance Ryan Peterson explained that this amount was decided upon due to the funding available to each involved group, as well as a desire to keep money available for additional student events in the future. “Even though the finance committee is aware that [the event] is being hosted in conjunction with three associations, those three associations do have quite substantial funds at their disposal,” Peterson noted. “$4000 is well over half [the requested amount] and the additional amounts could easily be covered by the [base] amounts that each association will be getting. “The finance committee fully supports this event happening. We just also wish to be mindful of not giving all the money to one or two events,” he continued. “This is substantial amounts of money that we’re working with here … We are talking about thousands of dollars of students’ money.”
However, Biology and Chemistry Student Association (BCSA) president Jennifer Martel remained adamant that due to the inclusive nature of the event, the science-based associations should not have to fund the entire event. “This event is not geared towards science students, and that’s one reason that we felt it wasn’t exactly fair,” she explains. “If we were to use our own funding, we would probably have to cut it off at only being [science] students which would be not our goal. Our goal of this event is to build a community within UFV. I know that’s one of SUS’s long term goals as well.” “Right now only eight per cent of SUS’s budget goes towards Clubs and Associations, and if you include the events committee in that, that’s only 10 per cent of $640,000,” Martel continued. “If you want to build a community at UFV, you need to allow us the flexibility to run events like this.” After a thorough discussion, Martel and the board came to a compromise, with the board allowing the event $5000, as opposed to the recommended $4000 and reduced from the original request of $6500.
Images: Anthony Biondi
6
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Mobile shelters for the homeless
DREAM project working in Abbotsford before winter hits
VALERIE FRANKLIN
CONTRIBUTOR
Small wooden shelters on wheels are being built by an Abbotsford resident to give homeless people warm, dry places to sleep. Jeff Gruban, an active member of the Fraser Valley Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists group, is the creative force behind the project. He hopes the shelters will help protect homeless people from the elements as winter weather sets in. “The current situation is that people are sleeping in nylon tents, which get wet,” he said. “These shelters will keep them warm and dry. They’re also more insulated, so their body heat can keep them warm.” Gruban was inspired by the work of former Nevada City mayor Reinette Senum, who
organized her community to build mobile housing units after a Nevada homeless shelter closed and left 40 people with nowhere to go. He built a prototype in his home workshop and brought the idea to pastor Ward Draper, the executive director of 5 and 2 Ministries, who is well-connected with the local homeless population. The two have put aside their philosophical differences to help improve the lives of homeless people in Abbotsford. “We’re calling it the DREAM Project,” says Draper. “It stands for dignity, respect, equality, action, and meaning.” Draper and Gruban’s partnership illustrates the DREAM Project’s vision statement: “To bring together individuals and groups from all areas of our community to work together to improve the lives of our most vulnerable and mar-
ginalized neighbours.” The mobile sleeping units are designed to be small enough to pull by hand, but large enough for an adult to sleep in. Measuring two metres long, one metre high, and one metre wide, each one is about the length and width of a single-size mattress. They feature locking doors which allow their owners to keep themselves and their personal belongings safe, as well as sliding windows. Each unit costs less than $200 and takes about six hours for a single person to build. They’re intended to be a form of transitional housing rather than a long-term arrangement. “If they can last someone through a winter, that’s $200 well spent,” says Gruban. It’s hoped that the DREAM shelters will help keep provincial medical costs down by preventing pneumonia and other illnesses caused by exposure to
the elements, as well as simply improving homeless people’s quality of life. However, not everyone is on board with the idea of these shelters. Calvin, a local homeless man, is worried that they could present a fire hazard. “They’re made of chipboard,” he says. “I don’t think I’d use one. Maybe if it was made from something else.” Homeless people have occasionally been killed or injured when fires they light for warmth grow out of control. Last week, a small community in Nova Scotia was horrified when a man burned to death in the covered bus stop he had been using as a shelter. In the week before Christmas 2008, a homeless woman from Abbotsford died in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside when a lit candle accidentally started a fire in her shopping cart. However, these incidents are
rare, and as Gruban points out, the DREAM shelters may be safer than the alternative. “It’s way less combustible than a tent,” says Gruban. “It’s definitely an improvement on their situation.” Calvin agrees that the shelters are a good idea. “You can push it around on wheels. There’s enough space for two of you to sit down and chat,” he says. So far the DREAM shelters have been a hit with everyone who has been given one, and Gruban reports that many more people are requesting them. With the help of Draper, the shelters are being distributed one at a time as they’re built. “I’m relying on the 5 and 2 for that part,” says Gruban. “They know the homeless people around here, they know everyone by name. They know who needs them most.”
“We need peace and everything else will fall into place” Dr. Mulanda Jimmy Juma visits UFV, explaining attempts to build peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo while atrocities continue
Congo is still rich in rare earth minerals, diamonds, gold, copTHE CASCADE per, and lumber. In fact, the cellphone in your pocket is The Democratic Republic of made of 20 per cent—or more— Congo (DR Congo) has been en- rare earth minerals mined in gulfed in extreme and violent the DR Congo. The country conflict since Belgium’s King provides resources for our lapLeopold executed a vast sys- tops, computers, information tem of exploitation and human networks, cars, labs, hospitals, rights atrocities in 1885. Leop- and wedding rings. The world old used the DR Congo as his economy uses DR Congo comown personal hunting ground, modities as economic building killing millions while looting blocks, but very little returns the country of natural rubber home to its citizens. and gold. In 1996, government rebels— Systemic economic oppres- of which there are many differsion and brutal warfare con- ent factions—attacked Juma’s tinue today, the results of both vil-lage, slaughtering over a century of colonialism and 1,000 civilians in two days. internal corruption. “They shot at me, but no bulDr. Mulanda Jimmy Juma, a lets hit my body … 1,000 peopeace-builder from the eastern ple dead in two days. Can you DR Congo, shared his experi- imagine that in your home? My ences at UFV on November 6. friends were killed. My brother Preventing viwas killed,” he “They shot at me, said. “We need olent conflict in the most but no bullets hit my peace and evvolatile places body ... 1,000 people erything else on Earth, Juma will fall into has worked as dead in two days. Can place.” a peace con- you imagine that in The DR Consultant in the your home? ” go presents DR Congo, Sudeeply comdan, Venezuplicated issues ela, and many countries within for academics and peace workthe Eu-ropean Union. ers. Most define the problems “King Leopold had Congo as structural. Meaning, the as his own personal property,” trade systems set up with the Juma said, “until 1960, when DR Congo create a system that the country earned indepen- makes the country dependant dence. Then, after one year of on aid from the outside. independence, Congo fell into “Lack of capacity to value war.” what you have internally is an That war is still fuelled by element of dependancy in the external colonial powers, re- community,” Juma said. “How source mining, and internal can you start to build peace corruption. when you rely on external doIn the heart of Africa, the DR nors? When you are hungry
CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS
Juma visited UFV to discuss the turmoil in the DR Congo. there is no peace.” The DR Congo’s resources are pillaged from the countryside, then laundered in other countries like China before being sent out to first-world markets. This system of forced dependancy has DR Congo citizens questioning how the rest of the world views their country. “They want to be considered, first and foremost, as human beings,” he said. He went on to discuss NonGovernment Organizations (NGOs) and how they don’t all operate with the intention of building peace. NGOs are aid groups, sometimes faith-based or government-funded, that operate independently from
Image: MIPAREC
government control. “There was one NGO [in East DRC] that was teaching people to fix cars,” Juma explained. “But they didn’t have any cars in their village. It made for great pictures to send back to France and skilled workers, but no cars to fix!” Juma went on to speak about his three-pronged approach to non-violent peace-building in the DR Congo. First, the structural issues of economic independence must be addressed, so the Congolese may support themselves. Second, foreign NGOs should take authentic action to assist displaced peoples. And third, the virtues of democracy
should be installed to remove internal corruption. “The Congolese leaders have to play by the rules of democracy,” Juma explained. “When everyone has a role to play, peace will be more profitable than war.” Twelve hours before Dr. Juma’s lecture, M23—a major rebel force in DR Congo—laid down arms in the region. However, the conflict in the DR Congo is complex with many warring factions involved in profiteering and plunder. M23 is one of the largest rebel groups, partly controlled by the Rwandan government. US Secretary of State John Kerry has threatened to reduce funding to Rwanda if it continues to fuel conflict in the DR Congo. According to a 2007 report by the International Rescue Committee, the humanitarian crisis in the DR Congo has taken an estimated 5.4 million lives since 1998, or 45,000 every month. Children under five bear the heaviest burden, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of deaths. Juma closed by responding to the question of how we build peace after the deep scars of human rights atrocities and continued exploitation. “Accept that it happened. Begin personal healing, begin to build your capacity for peace. Be ready for the challenge,” he said. “Find the tools for dealing with your stress and trauma … [share them with] others.”
7
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
SNAPSHOTS
Pregnancy always possible Katie Stobbart
The National Post brought up an interesting question recently: women can have an abortion, so why can’t men opt out of accidental parenthood, too? Men have complained that women told them they were on birth control or were infertile, and that it’s not fair they should have to pay child support for 18 years with no choice in the matter. It’s true that our current means for handling accidental pregnancy are vulnerable to exploitation from both genders – both men and women are capable of lying. Sorry – that doesn’t lessen the responsibility of either party. When you have sex, there is a possibility, however minute, that pregnancy will be the result. Condoms aren’t foolproof. Birth control can be ineffective on women with certain health conditions, which they may not even be aware they have. I’m not pushing abstinence – if you want to have sex, go ahead. Take precautions, be smart about it. But always, always understand that a baby could be the result. In most cases, men do have a choice. Choosing to have sex means accepting the potential consequences.
In the name of The Ford!
Curtailed commentary on current conditions
Abbotsford needs scented soap
Christopher Demarcus
JEREMY HANNAFORD
Fordisms have had an explosion on the internet. We’ve got Ford memes, mash-ups, remixes, and multiple animated gifs of Ford dancing like Farley in a post-modern reduction of Tommy Boy, which if you didn’t know, is a contemporary version of Hamlet. Ford, quite frankly, is an addict. He’s not a clown, or a craze, or even a smoke screen that allows the Blue Tories to hack up the senate. Did anyone see British Columbia and Alberta making pipeline deals behind Humpty Dumpty’s crack smoke? We expect more from a Canadian mayor. Leaders should lead. They should live above deck at higher standards. If The Ford is getting the rewards of leadership, he should pay it back with a truly conservative life. As much as I want The Ford to be a conspiracy or maybe in an F-350 commercial, in reality The Ford needs to go. His porcine leadership is a story straight out of Animal Farm. But I do love The Ford. I hope he gets better. Let someone in who represents the poor and not the elite suburbs. Russian novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn said it best: “How can you expect a man who’s warm to understand one who’s cold?”
Imagine you have just eaten a delicious sandwich that just so happened to have mustard in it. Now imagine that some mustard got on your fingers. You go to a washroom at the Abbotsford UFV campus and wash it off with soap. But the smell of mustard is still there and you can’t get it off. Why? Because in Abbotsford, UFV has unscented soap. When the exaggerated H1N1 virus was making its rounds, UFV installed unscented sanitizer soap dispensers. But that craze has come and gone and we still have unscented. This would mean nothing if Chilliwack didn’t have scented soap. But they do. It smells wonderful. Why the discrepancy? Using Purell sanitizer to cover up the smell leads to disastrous results including a really funky smell and irritation of the skin over time. Scented soap should be brought to Abbotsford campus so my hands can be clean and smell great, just like they do at the Chilliwack campus.
Professors, grow up ASHLEY MUSSBACHER
There’s always been general rivalry between the liberal arts and science departments. At UFV, where both sides are located at the same campus, it’s an ongoing feud. Who gets more money, better rooms, and newer equipment? It’s no surprise the arts will, since they make up more than half of the student population, and have larger departments. But what happens when that dislike and infighting trickle down from the faculty and end up in the student body? On more than one occasion I have listened to a professor make snide remarks, or directly insult the other department. I have sat in the front row of an upper level English class and gritted my teeth as the professor told students that math students can’t think abstractly like we could. A completely different class and a different professor also made the remark that “number-crunchers” have no empathy or soul. These are not students making these comments. These are professors lecturing to a class of over 20 people. Financial cuts suck. We get it. But keep in mind: all departments feel it, not just yours.
Let’s get drunk like adults
Keep BC liquor policy the way it is
CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS
THE CASCADE
“Give me convenience, or give me death!” is the cry of the masses, as BC has decided to put provincial liquor policy under review. A website has been set up where you can go listen to Liberal MLA John Yap drone on about how much he cares about you, the dear consumer, and all the new ways you can enjoy getting drunk. I mean, wine tastings. Let’s be honest. Most of us like a few too many drinks now and then. We don’t stop by the store for a six-pack so we can share it with six friends. The six-pack has one purpose: to get you drunk. Now, don’t get me wrong. The six-pack is a glorious thing; both fun and functional. It gets the job done. And that’s the point – if craft beer and wine tasting wasn’t about getting drunk, we’d have hundreds of shelves filled with root beer and grape juice. Alcohol is, first and foremost, a drug. It gets you high. And that’s why we, as a province, drink a lot of it. It’s not just for the taste and the pretty packaging. Back to John Yap and his policy
Image: HeadCrasher/ flickr
Moving BC liquor into grocery stores puts profit before people. changes. Does his name sound familiar? He is the same guy who resigned from the BC cabinet over the ethnic voter scandal. I met him once, nice guy – but he loves his pandering to consumers. For Yap, it’s all about image, targets, and sales. Profits over people. The latest social issue Yap has
loaded up for us is the idea of BC Liquor being moved into grocery stores. Why not? After all, the Americans do it. British Colombians love the thrill of smuggling craft beer purchased from a corner store in Bellingham, or the sight of eight isles of dark porter at a Fred Meyer in Portland. America: land
of the beer shopper. What’s wrong with thinking, “Why can’t we have it here, too?” Because we are not Americans! Unlike the sprawling empire to the south, we put people before profits. We have better things to worry about than helping booze companies like the Donnelly Group or Joseph Richard Group sell more hooch in Safeway. There is talk of removing government stores altogether, privatizing the market, and eliminating the union employees that work at the BCL. All in the name of cheaper booze and easy access. Give me convenience, give me death. Booze—as fun and tasty as it can be—is also the most dangerous drug on the planet. According to a survey done by the Canadian Public Health Association, one in three Canadians have reported experiencing harm in the past year because of someone else’s drinking. In Canada, half of substance abuse treatments involve alcohol. We love drinking. It’s in our national DNA. At the same time, we must be as reasonable as possible. We must place clear boundaries. We must be honest with ourselves: booze is not food, not a health sup-
plement, and not a status symbol. Booze does not belong in a grocery store. It belongs as a separate entity, clearly regulated and staffed by well-paid professionals. We don’t need convenience, we need responsibility. But the nihilistic libertarian arguments continue. The same type of reasoning used for liquor to be deregulated in BC is fighting against road blocks and roadside sobriety tests. I hate the police enforcing strict limits on what I am capable of doing, too. But at the end of the day we’re talking about saving lives through preventive measures. Yes, roadblocks keep cops, taxi cabs, and tow truck drivers employed. It’s a bit of a scam-meetsa-leaky-bucket system. A lot of money is wasted. But citizens’ lives are being saved. Sadly, there are far too many wackos who can’t hold their booze and who get behind the wheel. I don’t like the road blocks, the liquor regulations, or the taxes; but we need them. We’re better off with them.
8
OPINION
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
The complicated game of gift giving NADINE MOEDT
THE CASCADE
It’s a lesson often learned the hard way, and one I’ve begun to associate with the experience of receiving a gift: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. They say it’s better to give than to receive. I always thought that was because of the feel-good sensation of selflessness. However, there’s a obligation attached to receiving a gift that dampens the spirit of idealistic selflessness involved. As Marcel Mauss wrote in his 1925 book, The Gift, there is nothing free about being given a gift. Mauss argues that because a present contains an element of the giver themselves, the receiver of the gift feels a social obligation to reciprocate. This can be done in any number of ways, but if one fails to give back, it can mean losing honour, status, or authority. In other words, being given a present creates a responsibility on the receiver’s part to repay what he or she was given. Further, this process creates a bond between giver and receiver, a relationship that grows
As the holidays approach, so does the challenge of quantifying our relationships. more powerful over time. That might seem great, but it’s a dangerous foundation for a relationship, and one all-too-easily taken advantage of. Think of sleazy men buying drinks for girls at the
bar, or the dodgy salesman giving complimentary breakfasts and spa days before dazzled vacationers listen to his timeshare sales pitch. It can be as simple as that acquaintance who gives a bigger gift than
Image: wcn247/flickr
his relationship with you warrants, and the frustrating obligation you might feel to match it. Receiving a gift can be a little like a trap. The nature of gift-giving is frus-
trating. With the Christmas season approaching, I am already dreading the challenge of quantifying my personal relationships. Which acquaintances deserve cards? Which friends should get presents? How much should I spend on each gift? Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that even as important and accepted as presents are in our culture, the rules have never been clearly laid out. There is no simple, commonly understood way to determine which of your friends you should buy gifts for, how much you should spend, or how to make up for grossly misjudging the amount of money your friends were going to spend on your gift. “My other present for you is still at my house, I’ll give it to you later,” isn’t as convincing the third year in a row. Maybe one day the process of giving and receiving presents will magically make sense to me. Maybe the rules will become clear, the obligations more pleasant, and the pitfalls of gift-giving will melt away. Maybe, but for now, exercise caution.
Christmas music during Remembrance Day disrespects veterans KATHERINE GIBSON
THE CASCADE
The morning after Halloween, half-smashed pumpkins litter the streets, tired kids rip into pillow cases full of candy, and Canadian retailers start playing Christmas music. Whether this trend makes you groan or fills your heart with holiday cheer, the presence of this music represents a much larger issue in Canadian society – the trampling of Remembrance Day. Playing Christmas music so early in November distracts from the reverence that used to be associated with remembrance. Instead of Remembrance Day (and the weeks leading up to it) being solely about honouring the men and women who fought and died for our freedom, these soldiers now have to compete with songs about Santa Claus and candy canes. The 2013 National Retail Federation (NRF) defines the Christmas season as beginning November 1, a fact that is reflected in its encouragement of retailers to begin pushing Christmas product early – product that is much easier sold when shoppers are put into the mood with seasonal music. However, the NRF completely elides any acknowledgement regarding Remembrance Day’s place within this “season” – in effect, it doesn’t appear to have one. This is because Remembrance Day is not about consumerism. Remembrance Day is about taking the time to remember the sacrifice of individuals; it’s about showing respect through nationally mourn-
Image: Wikicommons
Consumers would rather skip directly to Christmas than spend time in sombre contemplation. ing the loss of those who died. The day is sombre, and sombre is hard to sell. Instead of forcing Canadians to reflect on the past and present impacts of warfare, retailers provide a light, feel good diversion. It is much more appealing to immerse ourselves in songs about reindeer than it is to contemplate the long-term effects of war. This conflation of Christmas and Remembrance Day has also had a depersonalizing effect on Canadian youth. Instead of having a clear understanding of what honouring veterans should entail, youth now have to decipher this meaning through a barrage of “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bell
Rock” whenever they step into a shopping space. For veterans, the meaning of remembrance is clear – they have a personal connection to war and have seen firsthand what it means to sacrifice. But what happens when those veterans, and their memories, are gone? By playing Christmas music, retailers are subtly teaching younger generations that Remembrance Day is not a time for serious reflection, but rather an interruption to a retail season that is already in full swing. Playing Christmas music also brings with it a sense of disrespect and a reinforcement of the marginalized position that veterans now hold in Canadian society. While
songs of sleigh bells fill retail stores, the real issues surrounding the treatment of veterans are tucked somewhere in the background. In 2011, CBC reported that Veterans Affairs Canada planned to cut more than $226 million from its budget; the largest funding cuts affecting the compensation and financial support of veterans. The extreme nature of these cuts led Kevin Berry, a returning soldier from Afghanistan, to go as far as suing the federal government. The Metro reported the lawsuit-surrounded claims that “the new Veterans Charter and the changes it brings to the compensation regime
Have an opinion about something? Share it with us.
for members of the Canadian Forces violate the constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;” however these concerns have been left unaddressed and unacknowledged. Veterans just aren’t valued in Canadian society. There’s a sense that Canadians should be willing to fight for their country when they are needed, but when they come home they should be equally as willing to slide into the background and get out of the way of the government, the general public, Christmas, and other signs of consumer-driven normalcy. By playing Christmas music we are essentially telling veterans they are not worth enough to us to have two weeks, or even one day, solely dedicated to them and their service. While it is true that there are veteran-specific TV ads, most people wear poppies, and many attend cenotaph services, the singular importance of the day has been eroded. Retailers choosing to play Christmas music come November 1 is not harmful in and of itself. However, it is our shift toward half-heartedly honouring veterans while indulging in consumerism that is most detrimental to the memory of the soldiers who have served our country. Retailers want Christmas to come sooner, and we indulge them in that desire. But, for the sake of respecting our veterans, let’s hold off on the jingles – Santa, Rudolph, and the rest of the gang can, and should, wait.
Comment on our website or email your thoughts to opinion@ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
9
OPINION
What’s your end-of-semester coping method? Feel like sharing your short-andsweet opinion? Keep an eye out for our whiteboard-toting pollsters roaming the halls.
10
FEATURE ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
We’ve arrived, baby!
www.ufvcascade.ca
Men’s soccer takes conference bronze!
PAUL ESAU
THE CASCADE
There are three Canada West playoff spots available in the Pacific Division. Historically, those spots are claimed by some combination of UBC, UVic, and TWU, with UFV finishing a competitive, but unrewarded, fourth. Last year, UFV missed that final playoff spot by only a single point, yet, as the sports gods will affirm, “close” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Eight seasons in, eight years of mentoring and sacrifice behind him, men’s soccer head coach Allan Errington had never
taken his team into the post-season. Every year he has attended the CIS nationals at various locations around the country to watch other teams compete for glory, never his own locked in a postseason struggle. That narrative didn’t change for much of the 2013 season. A promising start culminated in a shocking 1-0 upset of UBC on September 8, but was followed by a stagnant mid-season stretch. Once again, UFV had to pull off a string of late victories to remain in contention for that third playoff spot, and once again they seemed about to end up just short. All TWU had to do to pass UFV in the final weekend’s rankings was
win twice against Canada West bottom-feeder UNBC… Which, shockingly, they failed to do. For the first time ever, the Cascades were in the playoffs. “We were coming in as underdogs, heavy underdogs,” said fourth-year defender Ryan Liddiard. “I mean we went to the Canada West banquet and no member of our team won any wards, whereas every other team had award-winners. We saw [our opportunity] as a big step for our program, our men’s soccer program at UFV. We were already creating history as it was, and we figured ‘what do we have to lose?’” The UFV squad that compet-
“We tried to play the game properly. We didn’t smash the ball down the field, but we tried to play football ... You’re really only as good as your weakest player on your squad, and everybody worked hard.” – Coach Alan Errington Photos Courtesy Blake McGuire, Jess Wind, Wilson Wong (UBC), University of the Fraser Valley
ed in the following three games was nothing like their regularseason selves. Something elemental had changed, like an adolescent grizzly transitioning from cute to dangerous. In their first playoff match against the University of Alberta on Halloween, the Cascades played spoiler in a 1-0 defeat of the larger, more established program. It was a game they were not supposed to win, a game which revealed a tougher, more disciplined squad. Errington remembers the shift, something he and UFV sports psychologist Roger Friesen have been attempting for years. “Our first game, the mood in the dressing room was
different,” he said. “There was more focus, they were preparing better, they were concentrating on what they were going to do in the game. It was a different atmosphere.” The win catapulted UFV into the semifinals and pitted them against the best team in Canada: UBC. The T-Birds would go on to win Canada West gold, and eventually CIS gold as well, yet UFV gave them a game that recalled their earlier upset. “They don’t like playing against us in all honesty,” said Errington. “We give them good games every game we’ve played. We played them three times [this season], beat them one-nil, lost three-nil but actu-
11
FEATURE ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
There’s a new contender in Canada West! ally played well against them, and we lost two-nil in the semifinals for Canada West. They don’t want to see much of us again.” Although the linesman failed to acknowledge it, UFV actually scored first in the match on a dropped save that a UBC defender volleyed away from within his own net. Although the T-Birds went on to take the match two-nil, their insurance goal not coming until the 92nd minute of an extremely competitive match. UBC went on to trounce the University of Saskatchewan in the gold medal game by a score of 6-1, allowing UFV players and fans alike to wonder if the
Huskies were indeed the best recipient of that second Canada West nationals berth. Admittedly, it would have been a crime to upset UBC in the semi-finals after their stellar season, but the eventual situation was, as Liddiard put it, “heart-wrenching.” The November 3 consolation final for Canada West bronze was a meeting of yearly rivals. UVic has always been a key opponent for UFV, and one that the Cascades seem to fall to more often than conquer. On October 6, UFV had blown a 1-0 firsthalf lead in spectacular style to lose the game 5-2, but this time there was to be no mid-game collapse. After falling behind by a goal, UFV scored two second-
half tallies to take the game, the consolation final, and the Canada West bronze. With a first playoff appearance, two playoff wins, and a conference medal all within a single season, Errington is obviously pleased with his team, and is looking ahead to more good things to come. “It is big; it’s big for the university … And I think for the program to grow and develop we’ve got to be a regular in the playoffs and have that mental toughness to grow and compete and make sure we get there every year.” Errington also hopes his team’s accomplishments will help bring UFV’s soccer pro-
gram more recognition, and perhaps even start the push toward permanent facilities. Both UFV soccer teams currently play at Exhibition Park in Chilliwack. “We’ve definitely got someone on-side with us in Rocky Olfert as athletic director, and Jody Gordon [as VP students]. Both are fully supportive of what we do, so that’s positive. We need a facility of our own, and that’s the biggest problem, because recruiting is paramount in a university program and it’s hard to compete with the UVics and the UBCs with the facilities they have, and even the Trinity Westerns with the facilities they have.” For his part, Liddiard is al-
ready looking forward to his fifth and final year next season, his appetite whetted for playoff success. “My time is ticking,” he said, “so I want to get to those nationals if I can next year. Having got to the playoffs this year, it seems like a logical next step. We won the bronze this year, and since we’re not losing any players to eligibility or other things, it’s all shaping up for next year to be the year when we put a huge stamp on Canada West soccer and Canadian soccer!”
Allan Errington has been coaching the Cascades for eight years, and yet the three playoff games his team played this year unleashed a storm of “firsts.” Here are some of them: First Canada West post-season appearance: 2013 First result: 1-0 victory over University of Alberta First Cascades post-season goal: Colton O’Neill First Cascades post-season assist: Kree Byrne First Cascades goaltender to win a playoff match: Mark Village First Cascade playoff shutout: Mark Village
“I think we all bought into the system at the right time ... everyone kind of saw us as underdogs so there was a lot of fuel added to the fire, and it caused us to defend better ... we knew we were playing against the best teams in our league so we wanted to stifle anything [they] were doing. ” – Ryan Liddiard
First appearance in Canada West medal match: 2013 First Canada West medal: Bronze First victory in Canada West medal match: 2-1 over U of Victoria First goal in Canada West medal match: Justin Sekhon First playoff goal by a Cascades defender: Ryan Liddiard First Cascades goaltender to win a medal match: Mark Village
12
ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Cascade Arcade
Haute Stuff
Enough with the silent protagonists
Avoiding underwear lines SASHA MOEDT
THE CASCADE
Underwear lines are the worst. They turn the most sleek, fashionable outfit into something sloppy. Often the outfits that give you underwear lines are the formal ones—a sheer dress, a pencil skirt, or dress pants—the outfits for occasions when you really want to avoid slovenly panty lines. If you’re like me, some of your top priorities in fashion include comfort and affordability. And those old cotton panties are so easy to wear. But avoiding panty lines doesn’t have to give you wedgies (yes, I know that’s what you were worried about). Here are three ways you can avoid underwear lines – and stay comfortable.
JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR
While playing the Battlefield 4 campaign, I came across a certain trend most first-person shooters continue to follow which has become irritating. In a world where we have the technology to cause massive particle and material destruction, compose moving and captivating stories, and make online multiplayer the pinnacle of the gaming community, why do we still have silent protagonists? This aspect of first-person shooters has been a fad ever since Gordon Freeman from Half-Life. For a time, it was humorous. The memes and comics were a great laugh at the idea of world-changing events lying on the shoulders of a resolved mute. But that fad has started to fade away. Now it’s just become ridiculous. In Battlefield 4, developed by DICE, you play as a marine code-named Wreaker. You are put in charge of “Tombstone” squad after your commanding officer dies in the latest mission. And Wreaker doesn’t say a bloody word! There are so many moments in the story when he is asked questions or led into conversations and all that follows is awkward silence. It is so painful
that it leads me to believe that DICE put little to no effort into the campaign at all. The point of this isn’t to comment on Battlefield 4’s campaign, which is honestly awful, but to question why the player ’s character is silent. It made sense in the early 90s, but now it’s just stupid. Call of Duty: Black Ops gave Alex Mason a voice and was of the best stories in the entire series because of it. A narrative that has a character controlling the situation around him and not simply following endless orders is someone worth engaging with. But even the Call of Duty series has followed this ridiculous ideal. Captain Price has always been a prominent character in the Modern Warfare series and even he succumbs to silence in the final act of Modern Warfare 3 despite having spoken throughout the entire game. Moments like “Ramirez, do everything,” need to stop once and for all! But that has become common in most first-person shooters. The campaign doesn’t matter; it’s all about the mulitplayer. Which is all well and good, but why make a campaign in the first place if you know it’s not going to be as good as the multiplayer experience? Some would say the single-player is a tutorial for the multiplayer. Others
would say that some people don’t have online capabilities. If that is the case, they are limiting themselves from so much content that online offers. But some would also say that without a campaign, the game fails. Case in point, MAG. MAG (Massive Action Game) was an online multiplayer-only shooter game developed by Zipper Interactive, the creators of the SOCOM series. The game had an intriguing concept and while it received decent reviews, it failed with the public and its servers will be shut down in 2014. It is not certain that a mashed-together campaign involving a mute protagonist could have saved this game. It didn’t have the appeal Sony had intended, but it would have helped encourage sales for those who aren’t as inclined to go online for multiplayer. In any case, first-person shooters can have playable characters with the ability of speech. It helps build narrative (especially when some games need it desperately) and removes any awkward conversations that require an NPC to lead out of it. And it needs to start becoming the norm.
Seamless boycuts These would be my first recommendation. Boy-shorts resemble men’s underwear; they sit high up and run straight across the top and straight across the rear. No seam equals no panty lines. Boycuts are designed to sit comfortably. Don’t mess that up by buying a fancy one with lace fabric. Lace is notoriously itchy. Polyester is often the cheapest, but it doesn’t breathe, which means getting sweaty and itchy – same goes with nylon and spandex. Your best bet is a cotton blend – simple, light, and breathable. Thongs Thongs come in extremely diverse styles. I will include gstrings, tangas, and high-cut Rios in this section—hopefully I won’t offend true underwear buffs by doing so—because they are all the same to me: wedgie threats. For thongs, it’s all about the fit and the fabric. Because you can’t try thongs on in-store for obvious reasons, you have to eyeball it. Think of the thong like the panty; if it’s too big, it might bunch at the front or sit too high up on your waist. Too small will cut off your circulation and be terribly uncomfortable. The same fabric rules from before apply. Unless you’re purchasing a thong specifically for sexy-time, don’t bother
with lace. If you buy a gorgeous thong, but it’s super uncomfortable, you’ll never wear it. Keep it breathable, simple, and not itchy with cotton. There is no foolproof plan to get the right size, but generally whatever your underwear size is, thongs should be the same. To make sure it fits right and is comfortable, wear the thong around the house before going out with it on. Give it a test drive. If it chafes, or if you have to change the way you walk at all while wearing it, it’s probably a no-go. Don’t expect thongs to be ultra-comfy. They’ll never rival your old cotton panties. But if you have the right fit, you’ll get used to them very quickly. Going commando
Image: Naomi & Nicole/Flickr
Comfort comes with panty lines. It takes a special person to go commando. That, or someone who forgets to do laundry. Going commando is the easiest, breeziest way of going about having no panty lines. It’s also the cheapest. Going commando is best when it’s a hot summer day and you’re wearing a light, filmy skirt. There are some drawbacks. First of all, you risk flashing strangers driving down the road on a breezy day. Then there is the common-sense thing: you know how every day you put panties in the wash? If you go commando a lot, you might have to put your pants in the wash way more frequently. Regular daily discharge will guarantee that. But going bare below can be fun. It’s risqué, and can make you feel kind of sexy. As Archie said to a Ministry of Magic official in The Goblet of Fire, “I like a healthy breeze ‘round my privates, thanks.”
ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
SUDOKU PUZZLE
CROSSWORD Starts with “in”
13
by Katie Stobbart
ACROSS 1. 3. 5. 7. 8. 9. 10.
A fancy way to ask a question. (7) This may get on your fingers as you read the paper. (3) Most of us connect with this. (8) You weren’t born to them, but they’re your family, too. (6) Advancements or progress. (7) To cause harm. (6) To turn inside out… or upside down. (6)
Answer Keys LAST WEEK
sudoku solution
Across 2 MICROWAVE 6 SCOOP 10 TUPPERWARE 11 BLENDER Down
DOWN 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
When a brother and a sister love each other a little too much… (6) Likely to excel at Jeopardy and Scrabble. (11) On the way up the plane. (7) Feeble, often due to aging or illness. (6) Seems inconspicuous, until it’s malicious. (9)
1 FORK 2 MANDOLINE 3 WHISK 4 WOK 5 SPATULA 7 KETTLE 8 EGGTIMER 9 CRUET
The Weekly Horoscope
Star Signs from Sumas Sibyl
Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18: You really ought to go to pub night at AfterMath. Be there or be octagonal.
Gemini: May 21 - June 21: Popeye says, “Eat yer spinach! And never mind about that E. coli.”
Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22: A zombie just walked over your grave. Or wait… a zombie is your grave. That’s right.
Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20: Your one true love is in the ocean. Go to the witch and trade your voice for a mermaid tail.
Cancer: June 22 - July 22: Your computer has finally achieved consciousness. The A.I. revolution is starting with your laptop. It’s watching you.
Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21: You’re going to lose your job and get dumped this week. Psych!
Aries: March 21 - April 19: Wear polka dots, they’re still way in right now. Also, listen to polka.
Leo: July 23 - Aug 22: This week will be legen—wait for it—dary!
Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21: Saran wrap will not be an adequate replacement for condoms this week… or ever.
Taurus: April 20 - May 20: Anything your poodle says is bullshit. Don’t trust any of the poodles. All golden retrievers are very truthful right now, though.
Virgo: Aug 23 -Sept22: Ice cream is psychological duct tape.
Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19: Turn to soft drinks for all medical needs. Dr. Pepper is totally a legit doctor.
14
ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Theatre Review
The Little Mermaid 1 2 3 4
Shuffle
CHARTS
Losses Demos
AARON LEVY
CIVL STATION MANAGER
Angela Galuppo Angela Galuppo
CIVL station manager Aaron Levy loves that the Cascade Journalism Society provides CIVL Radio with the opportunity to promote itself throughout their lovely pages.
The Darcys Warring
Downchild Can You Hear The Music?
5 6
Gandharvas – “Downtime” One of the first music videos I ever saw, in true 90s odd-coloured and psychedelic imagery. The highpitched wails of this London, Ontario grunge outfit’s last great single, in my eyes, eclipses their original hit, “First Day of Spring.” There was also “Watching the Girl,” with the snake-swallowing.
Drake Nothing Was The Same
Brazilian Money Old Bones: Rarities, Misfits, and Loose Teeth
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Spin Doctors – “What Time Is It?” Not their biggest hit, but definitely like the first music video I ever saw, certainly before that Gandharvas classic. Think Soul Asylum or more uppers, or Metallica, but not at all. This is a lazy song, from a lazy band, for lazy listening. It sure ain’t no “Runaway Train.” Four-thirty.
Dizzee Rascal The Fifth Amity Beach Bonfire Etiquette Tough Age Tough Age
Florence and the Machine – “My Boy Builds Coffins”
Grand Analog Modern Thunder
He has no use for sails, and he builds coffins, but nothing else. No ships, but one coffin each for he and his lover, she, who has wroteth this song. Pretty dark, pretty dingy, pretty reminiscent of Pirates, without the bird sparrows. She’s famous, so you can’t criticize. And scene.
Wise Blood Id Darkside Psychic
The Dresden Dolls – “Coin Operator Boy”
HAERTS Hemiplegia
Lead songstress Amanda Palmer not only recruits local musicians to perform in your town on her touring itinerary, but also invites naked women from the audience up on stage to entertain you. I don’t know if I approve, but it kind of worked for The Boss. Dancing, not dark.
Phèdre Golden Age Yes Nice Warm Gun Viet Cong Cassette Jimmy Hunt Maladie D’amour
Don Brownrigg It Takes All Kinds (To Make This World, I Find)
19
Steve Brockley Band Le Boeuf
20
Gordie MacKeeman Pickin’-n’-Clickin’
Image: UFV Theatre
This production of The Little Mermaid is a darker version of the tale, which the actors pull off and still make fun.
JEREMY HANNAFORD CONTRIBUTOR
In short, The Little Mermaid is a play about Undine, a young mermaid who yearns for more in her life. She wishes to experience emotions and feelings she feels are held back in her home of the sea. Pam Gem’s adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson tale is more lighthearted perhaps than the actual story, but this production still captures the meaning of sacrifice and love. First off, if you’re expecting Sebastian to come out and sing “Under the Sea,” you are coming to the wrong show. This is based on the original story, not the Disney version. Instead of musical numbers, the audience is treated to intriguing characters and a grim tale of hardship and sacrifice. But just because the tale is grim doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its comedic moments. Right off the bat, we are introduced to an ensemble of sea creatures. From Scuttle the seagull’s claws to the starfish’s waddle to the orca’s moving presence, every sea creature is identifiable by means of intriguing costume design. Laura Auffray has created a range of amazing costumes using simple materials in the most creative ways. Moving away from tropical colors and adapting darker ones resembling the BC coastline, Affray’s imagination shows in the play’s designs, from the many fabrics of Undine’s mermaid body to the sea witch’s abode of body parts and discarded Starbucks cups. Body paint helps make the sea creatures visually unique, as well as stand out as characters. One part of the play some people may find peculiar at first is the use of “mer language.” Speaking in incomplete sentences and avoiding the use of “is” at all costs, viewers will either find this entertaining or odd. While it must have been funny from the perspective of the cast, it can be a bit much to take after a while. Director Collen Lanki has kept a keen eye open throughout pre-production and it shows
in the actors’ performances and blocking. Maintaining the sillusion of the play’s oceanic setting, each actor always moves their arms and bodies in the motion of a mermaid or sea creature. This version of The Little Mermaid uses abundant props, which make for some well-choreographed imagery. During a shipwreck scene, cloths move to symbolize crashing waves while Undine desperately tries to save the prince. It is very easy to immerse oneself in the struggle as she eventually brings the prince ashore. But by far, the show-stealer is the sea witch. Seeing the villain in a production is always fun and this is no exception. Rebekah Brisco, Beth Gasser, and Luke Stevens together form the cursed sea witch Ursula, together pulling off a unique performance. A creative fabric mesh encompasses the trio as they haunt the stage. The use of three different personas was amazing to see. With a cackling laugh sure to send shivers down your spine, the sea witch is one of the best parts of this production. Performances from the rest of the cast were also well done. Phaydra Gagnon’s performance of Undine featured great emotion. While Undine isn’t the smartest with her decisions, she is firm in her choices and stands by the consequences without regret and Phaydra portrays that perfectly. Josh Tompke provided a great take on King Triton. Not just a simple father figure,
Tompke’s talent really shows in his confrontations with the sea witch. His actions throughout the play show both his compassion as a father and resolve as a king. While the tale of The Little Mermaid is full of darkness, it is also full of light. There are great comedic moments featuring Florestan’s selfish parents, Merline and Selsine’s interpretations of various fish creatures, and Florestan’s obliviousness to Undine’s love. Even the sea witch—as evil as she is—provides some great humor with deadpan lines and exaggerated facial expressions. The humour balances well with the darkness, bringing a great story to life. Because of how the theatre house is made, I would suggest a seat in the middle section as I saw it twice from two different angles and I found I lost out on some facial cues from the side. This isn’t truly a fault of the production but there are moments you will find people laughing at something you cannot see. But aside from that, UFV Theatre’s The Little Mermaid is a great production and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of theatre. The Little Mermaid will run in UFV’s Chilliwack theatre until November 24, with curtain at 7:30 p.m. for evening shows and 2:30 p.m. for matinees. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online with the price ranging between $11 and $23.
Image: UFV Theatre
15
ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Album Review
Thru Colorado – Ephemera CHRISTOPHER DEMARCUS THE CASCADE
Mini Album Reviews
SoundBites
Having done many music reviews over the years, I get distressed by an album with credits that repeat the same name over and over. It’s often a sign that the record is a self-produced vanity project of low quality. In the case of Thru Colorado’s Ephemera, the record is recorded, written, and performed by the same person: Wade Findlay. There are some additional production credits, including Ben Klassen and Conan Karpinski, but the production is minimal – as with most bands coming out in the new norm of technologically motivated do-it-yourself music. More and more, indie albums are self-produced and done at home on a shoestring budget. Sometimes the result is artistic freedom, sometimes the result is a sticky mess. Thankfully, Ephemera delivers. The first track, “Old Life” gives off an immediate vibe lying somewhere between My Bloody Valentine and Radiohead. The
the record. Findlay mixes breakbeat with ethereal layers of voice and echoing effects. Not moving quite into trip-hop, the track remains on the spacier side with clean guitar lines and smooth bouncing delay. The song tumbles down like an ocean wave to the end, barrelling with the sound of marbles on a London subway train. It rolls, it tips, and it zips under the city with a twisted, unknown speed. The slamming funk beats in “Do You Feel” are joined up with a dirty bass and familiar kind of melody. Here lies the album single with clear musical hooks and a big ol’ dirty chorus groove. This track, placed perfectly in the middle, gives a heavy walk right through to “Follow On” where finger-slipping acoustic guitar plays against a choppy drum loop. “Unknown” is a close second to “Reeling.” Slow funk beats get wrapped up in a driving melodic guitar loop. Like a strippeddown version of The Cure, this track ends with a crescendo of vocal howls and echoey audio loops.
Overall, the record is impressive for a self-release. Thru Colorado is a solo project with much better quality songwriting and production than its contemporaries. There is a spacey, drifting atmosphere throughout. The album sends out a clearly west coast kind of vibe; written and performed by an artist who has lived close to the sea and cedar. While this record is technically good—perfect pitch, timing, and songwriting—Thru Colorado would benefit from adding more musical voices to the mix. A full band would blow wind into Thru Colorado’s sails, sending the project father and faster out to sea. The mix of each song is perfect on Ephemera. But it lacks depth and character that more members could provide. You can listen to Ephemera on Thru Colorado’s Bandcamp site, or buy the record under pay-asyou-want rules. If you’re a fan of bands like Portishead, records like In Rainbows, or voices like Robert Smith’s, this record is for you.
vocals are covered in a blanket of reverb, not spilling over with too much effect. It’s catchy in a relaxing atmosphere, thick with smoke and steam. But things take a tighter turn
on “Break the Lines,” which is a little more melodic and driven in one specific direction. Findlay’s vocal performance is strong in a perfect pitch. “Reeling” is the best track of
Jody Glenham Dreamer 7”
Cass McCombs Big Wheel and Others
Avril Lavigne Avril Lavigne
The Avett Brothers Magpie and the Dandelion
Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Jody Glenham released the simply titled Dreamer 7” on November 4, featuring two tracks from her upcoming Dreamer EP, out in February. Even without the backing of her surf-rock fellows Pleasure Cruise, Glenham proves she is more than capable of surviving without the reverb-soaked guitars that defined the Vancouver band. Her soft, intimate voice sings about matters of the heart, as she inches towards a more jazz-influenced sound. Glenham has a more tuneful voice this time out, as producer Raymond Richards lets harmonies soar over the hesitant musical accompaniment. Side A of Dreamer features the Phil Spector-inspired track “Between You and Me,” which successfully walks the line between puppy-love problems and the foundations of adult relationships. Glenham laments on the title track: “The world needs a champion / to hope for the best / to live in the moment / and get guilt off your chest,” before singing out the track with, “The world needs a dreamer / The world needs a dreamer.” The haunted gothic aspects of Glenham’s pop tunes somehow come off as downright lovely, proving that she is no run-of-the-mill solo artist.
Recorded music, Cass McCombs has said, is peripheral to the live experience. An album is only worthwhile in the way it opens up new venue invitations, as opposed to the work of actually laying down tracks like the ones that fill his new double album Big Wheel and Others. On the surface, McCombs writes and sings of elements (dirt, water, soul, fire) using colloquial quotations, biblical references, and terse judgments, usually in the form of couplets he casually extends into what, by length, are sometimes songs, sometimes jam sessions. Where the mark of a great singer-songwriter, especially one that falls anywhere near the folk genre, is often to be called “wise beyond their years,” McCombs is perfectly fine playing outside his age. Much of Big Wheel and Others is divided between McCombs the jokester, perched in the clouds, and McCombs the stream-of-consciousness lovesong writer (sometimes within the same song). It’s an inconsistent approach, but one that frees every song from having to fit with other songs they clash with or render almost redundant. This is most apparent with the album’s best track, “Brighter!” and its two versions, one sung by actress Karen Black (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville), who passed away this August, a collaboration marked now by absence, but also by the mere fact its earnest, mocking perfection was recorded in the first place.
After a three-year hiatus, Avril Lavigne is back with a new self-titled release. With three notable singles (“Here’s to Never Growing Up,” “Rock n Roll,” and “Let Me Go,” featuring Chad Kroeger), Avril Lavigne is a CD to look out for. From first track, “Rock n Roll” to album finish, Lavigne is able to satisfy fans’ wants for sounds of previous releases, while also opening up to experimentation in new sounds. Not limited to pop or rock, Lavigne also includes electronic, metal, and acoustic sounds. They do showcase maturity, but still play on Avril’s image created in her “Sk8er Boi” days, especially when it comes to the ballads on the album. Though experimental and different from other songs on the track listing, the inclusion of “Hello Kitty” on the North American release is questionable. The same goes for “Bad Girl,” Lavigne’s unexpected duet with Marilyn Manson. However, both are fun tracks to listen to. With the inclusion of new styles along with what fans have enjoyed in previous releases, Avril Lavigne was worth the three-year wait.
Coming at the end of a discography encompassing eight full-length albums over 11 years is the Avett Brothers’ Magpie and the Dandelion. With that amount of material it would be an easy assumption to see this album being an accomplishment in banality, but that’s far from the case. Under the continued guidance of producer Rick Rubin, it’s an enjoyably fresh release of dusty southern folk and rock, encasing a number of outstanding tracks – some of which take both Seth and Scott Avett to the edge of their vocals. The first of 11 tracks, “Open Ended Life,” is very much southern rock with a good dose of the harmonica to tell the tale of a vagabond. The follow-up is “Morning Song,” a song that resonates in tone. Coming later on is “Apart from Me,” a beautiful introspection on the journey of leaving the materialistic life for something meaningful. Then one of the more intriguing tracks would be “Vanity,” which, for the most part, is pleasing in its tenor. The last track to mention is the stunning and soft “Souls Like the Wheels” – a live recording to an acoustic guitar, telling a story of finding the way out of the dark and despaired world to something better. Magpie and the Dandelion might not be the absolute best of the Avett Brothers but it certainly insists on making its place near the top.
TIM UBELS
MICHAEL SCOULAR
REMINGTON FIORASO
JOE JOHNSON
16
ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Dine & Dash
Wendel’s SASHA MOEDT THE CASCADE
103 - 9233 Glover Road Fort Langley, BC Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday I popped into Wendel’s on an afternoon trip to Fort Langley. It was very busy, which is always a good sign. It was a sunny day (remember October?) and most of the seats both outside and in were completely taken. My friend grabbed the last seat on the patio where there was a pretty view of the main road going through the little historic town, while I went to buy our coffees. The line was long, so I had time to look around the place. Wendel’s is split into two halves; one is a little bookstore (with surprisingly diverse genres), and the other is a coffee shop with a surprisingly large menu. I observed people eating around me; many had coffee and a pastry, but some also had soup and wraps. One fellow caught my eye. Or, rather, one wrap caught my eye. It looked amazing, and it looked like it had yam in it. And I am a yamlover. At the till, I asked the girl what he was eating – it was a
Image: avlxyz/Flickr
Wendel’s has a large selection of delicious wraps to choose from. sweet chili yam wrap. So I ordered that instead of coffee. The staff were friendly and cheerful despite the long line. I got my friend’s coffee right away with a warm cinnamon bun and a number for my wrap. I had to wait about 20 minutes for it, but when it did come, it was delicious. The yam was roasted and sweet, and the peppers and onions gave it a kick. There was a hint of cilantro – cilantro scares me sometimes, because it’s such an overwhelming flavour. But just a touch in this
burrito completed a flavourful mouthful. Even people who hate cilantro will like this burrito. The black beans, jack cheese, and fresh, soft tortilla completed the experience. The serving didn’t look large at first, but by the time I was done eating I was definitely full. My friend stuck with the coffee idea, and got a butter tart as well. The coffee tasted full and rich, and didn’t have that terrible Starbucks or Tim Horton’s aftertaste... or just that taste in general. I wasn’t allowed to
nibble on the butter tart, which means it must have been good. The pastries and goodies in the front looked temping. Wendel’s bakes everything onsite fresh with no commercial mixes or preservatives. There was a peanut butter pie, cherry pie, brownies, cinnamon buns... I’ll definitely be back for coffee at Wendel’s. Looking at the menu, I realize that I’ll also have to be back for lunch. They have a full list of sandwiches and wraps, as well as entrees. I was amazed at their selection. Some tempting wrap selections include the wild salmon wrap (with bean sprouts and quinoa), the chicken and brie panini, and the pepper jack panini (with roasted garlic mayo and caramelized onions). Their entrees include some classics: butter chicken with naan; mac ‘n’ cheese made with doublesmoked bacon, carmelized onions, and three cheeses; and pad thai. They also have portabella mushroom burgers, West Coast prawn fettuccini, and a coconut curry bowl. And those are just the highlights of the menu for me. Wendel’s was one of the highlights of my trip to Fort Langely. If you’re headed that way, definitely stop in for coffee... and end up eating a full wrap.
Discussions below the belt
Booty call or secret lover
Having a part-time squeeze
XTINA SEXPERT
What’s the difference between having a secret lover and a booty call? The distinction lies in the respective titles. “Secret lover” implies some level of intimacy. The time you spend together is satisfying— and due to the secret nature of your relationship—exhilarating. You may do dinner and a movie on the couch instead of at a fancy restaurant and theatre but the sentiment is there. You enjoy the person – not only the physical spoils. By definition however, there is some element of this person or relationship that requires secrecy. Alternatively, the classic “booty call” is defined by a last-minute call or text aimed at securing nooky. This tends to occur after the lights come on at the club and there are no other prospects, or during your lunch break to relieve stress and set you back on the path to success. I’m sure if you’ve gotten yourself into one of these situations, you have your reasons for doing so. There are always legitimate reasons why your booty call or secret lover just can’t make the leap to full relationship status. Maybe your playmate is amazing between the sheets but just can’t hold his or her own in your social circle. Or perhaps they are
Sooner or later, you and the secret lover are going to need to have a talk. an ex that still “rings your bell,” so to speak. You may just be in a position where a bonafide partner is undesirable or unrealistic at the moment; another possibility is that one or both of you are in another relationship. If we’ve learned anything from Tiger Woods, we know this type of scandalous tryst almost always ends in tragedy. You may lose more than you bargained for here. Luckily, our good friend Stevie Wonder came up with some rules to avoid attachment and shirk suspicion. He croons them out in his appropriately titled song, “Part Time Lover.”
“Call up, ring once, hang up the phone To let me know you made it home Don’t want nothing to be wrong with part-time lover... If I’m with friends and we should meet Just pass me by, don’t even speak Know the word’s “discreet” when part-time lovers.” Stevie clearly had the formula for avoiding drama, but this type of half-relationship can’t go on forever, nor should it. Both of you deserve the valid and satisfying, full package. So when should you cut ties with your secret lover or booty call?
Image: Jhaymesisviphotography/Flickr
This breed of encounter will usually peter out on its own, thankfully. Generally this happens when one or both of you meet someone with real prospects. But to be sure, have the conversation. Set clear boundaries and make sure you are both on the same page in the book of clandestine copulation. If not, there’s always a chance your counterpart will blow you off or blow your cover, leaving you at the mercy of hopeful one-nightstands or—gasp—attempting an actual relationship.
Cine Latino continues with great Spanish films TAYLOR BRECKLES CONTRIBUTOR
Over a period of several weeks, a special Spanish experience has been occurring in B building on the Abbotsford campus. Cine Latino is a film night designed by the modern languages department in order to “bring Latino cinema closer to its audience,” professor Francisco Armengual says. “Regardless of where the films were produced, Cine Latino only presented films that have a direct connection with the [Latino] culture.” Because of this project, several students can explore the beauty of Latino culture through film screenings. Whether students attended to improve their Spanish—as the films played in Spanish with English subtitles—or to enhance their knowledge of Latino culture, every attendee left the showings having gained knowledge in some area. Films are a great way to broadcast different cultures and enhance learning while maintaining the interest of the audience. This learning method is sworn to work by several language professors in both universities and high schools. Armengual himself promotes “creative forms of learning” and says “my passion for Spanish films [and education beliefs] were my best contribution for the event, and thanks to the support of students and staff, Cine Latino was a great success that will be repeated next semester with a new film selection.” Before next semester comes around, one more film will be shown during International Education Week (IEW), which will provide an opportunity for students to dip their feet into the water of Latino culture. Armengual has confirmed that on Tuesday, November 19 La lengua de las mariposas (translated as The Butterfly’s Tongue) will be played in the lecture theatre (B101). La lengua de las mariposas is a film that will “[drive] you [into] the tragic [truth] of the Spanish Civil War,” according to Armengual, “[and] the loss of innocence for a small boy and [an] entire country [will] transport you back to the year of 1975.” If you have an interest in history, Spanish or otherwise, want to further your Spanish skills or simply relax while watching a good movie, be sure to visit B101 and check out La lengua de las mariposas. This one film could be enough to convince students to return next semester for more Spanish entertainment. La cultura Española ofrece más que los tacos!
17
ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
Louden’s Lit & Liquor lights up AfterMath KATIE STOBBART THE CASCADE
It seemed like an average evening in the student lounge until about 6:30 p.m. on November 7, when some students began to move tables and sofas around, clearing space for a small stage, and set up a microphone. Over the next half hour, some 50 students and faculty filled the new seating configuration, and at 7 p.m., CIVL radio station manager Aaron Levy claimed the mic to welcome them to the Louden Singletree’s first ever Lit & Liquor event. UFV’s literary magazine, the Louden Singletree, is well into its sixth year under the direction of seven new editors: Dessa Bayrock, Keira Houseman-Geary, Leah Jacobsen, Ashley Mussbacher, Thomas Nyte, Shane Potter, and Leah Tench. The goal of Lit & Liquor parallels the magazine’s aim to showcase talented writers and artists in the UFV community, including students, faculty, and alumni. The drone of microphone feedback heralded the first reader, Paul Esau, who read the prologue of a friend’s 70-page dystopian poem, “Making Way for the Laughing Man.” Technical quirks also briefly interrupted the next reader, Joshua McKinnon, who admirably carried on reading his two poems using his powers of projection. Aside from the unavoidable adjustments to accommodate taller and shorter, quieter and louder speakers, the mic’s part in the event from then on was only to amplify the voices of nearly 20 different readers. Anthony Biondi amazed the audience by reciting an old Anglo-Saxon poem, “The Wanderer” in its original tongue, Old English. He followed this by rapping the first part of “the General Prologue” to Chaucer ’s The Canterbury Tales, which had some students joining in. Five raffles were held over the course of the evening; prizes included gift certificates to The Bookman and Hemingway’s, tickets to the UFV theatre department’s performances of The Little Mermaid and The Age of Arousal, a free plate of nachos from AfterMath, and two sets of the Louden Singletree’s first five issues. All attendees received one ticket each, and readers were given additional tickets – some of the above prizes were part of a readers-only draw. The readings continued around the raffles, with some students reading work published in previous issues of the magazine. Jennifer Colbourne read her poems, “The Prayer,” and “If Only Romance Were Dead.” After another break, instructor Trevor Carolan read two of his own poems as well as Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum est” in honour of Remembrance Day, followed by Blake’s “The Tyger.” Between readings he noted that it was great to see the event so well-attended. Assistant manager Reace Buchner later noted it was one of AfterMath’s most successful pub nights this semester. Julie Shields was next to intrigue attendees, passionately reciting a friend’s poem from memory. “This is primarily on a dare …
Image: Anthony Biondi / The Cascade
UFV instructor Trevor Carolan read four poems, including two of his own.
Image: Anthony Biondi / The Cascade
Paul Esau was one of the first at the mic, reciting part of a friend’s poem.
Image: Anthony Biondi / The Cascade
Kate Nickelchok read from last year’s magazine during her stint onstage.
I memorized [the poem] in the last half hour,” she said. As she spoke, goosebumps rose on my arms and the rain seemed to intensify through the window behind her, the amber light outside casting an almost eerie light over her as she told a rapt audience, “you know they found landmines in women’s souls.” Instructor John Carroll read his poem, “As Music,” and his colleague Rajnish Dhawan followed. “When I found out there were prizes for people who read, I thought, ‘What the hell, I’ll read the menu!’” Dhawan exclaimed. The menu, which had been compiled specifically for the event, included a number of specials such as Lord of the Onion Rings and Ode to a Grecian Urn (of Beer). “Love in the time of Coolera,” he read, then poked fun at political correctness by adding, “What’s more Indian than cholera?” Dhawan used this as a segue to his popular culture shock skit, which he has performed before alongside Carroll at similar events. The event went on until 10 p.m., words mingling in the air with the smells of beer and ketchup, of onion rings and the faint scent of rain. of onion rings and the faint scent of rain. Some students moved closer to the stage to occupy the cluster of black leather sofas there – first class seating, university-style. The best part of any open mic has to be when the night is near its end, when some of the crowd has trickled away, and you can hear a soft humming somewhere – maybe it’s the lights, or the refrigerator running in the kitchen. Whatever it is, the words seem to take on a new warmth, a kind of comfort, as they settle in with the die-hards, those who linger until the very end. [Editor’s Note: Dessa Bayrock, Ashley Mussbacher, Paul Esau, and Anthony Biondi are members of The Cascade’s staff.]
Image: Anthony Biondi / The Cascade
Louden editorial board members joined MC Aaron Levy of CIVL radio onstage for memorable moments.
18
ARTS & LIFE
Book Review
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
In the footsteps of Oryx and Crake
Atwood lands the final blow of her dystopian trilogy
JENNIFER COLBOURNE CONTRIBUTOR
There is never so lethal a combination as when literature meets speculative fiction. In the Oryx and Crake trilogy, Margaret Atwood takes her talent for psychologically nuanced characters and combines it with a richly elaborate, all-too-plausible future. Although apocalyptic, the first two novels are largely set pre-apocalypse, but in the third and final novel of the trilogy, Atwood finally satisfies her readers’ curiosity as to the fate of the Crakers and the MaddAddamites. It’s difficult to say whether or not Atwood was right in indulging her readers. Part of the beauty of Oryx and Crake was in the mystery of the unknown future world, of which Jimmy was only allowed a teasing glimpse. I’m not sure I blame Atwood for giving in to the, “But then what happens?” cry of her readers, but certainly the mystery is blown to pieces in the last novel. Also, unlike the first novel, MaddAddam is far more black and white. It’s the good guys vs. the bad guys, the new world vs. the old world; which of these is preferable probably depends on one’s level of cynicism. It’s certainly difficult to find a hero in Oryx and Crake – there isn’t much redeeming about Jimmy/Snowman, and certainly not Crake. Oryx is more of a tragic figure, the ultimate victim of their twisted world. It’s depressing in its cruel realism, though fantastic for the same reason. MaddAddam, on the other hand, is far more optimistic than the first book led you to expect. In fact, in a certain sense it almost vindicates Crake. The new world is incomparably superior to the old. Even the threat of the dangerous, eerily intelligent pigoons is removed (a shame, really). The only bad element that remains is the Painballers (and arguably Jimmy) – both of which are eliminated. In the end, we seem to be left, more or less,
with a happy-ever-after. However, whether one does or does not prefer the somewhat lighter tone of the third book, Atwood’s writing is still consistently fantastic. The character Blackbeard is a stroke of genius. It’s amazing enough how Atwood time and again creates characters with such uncanny human depth, but to write from the perspective of a semi-human child so convincingly is impressive. She brings the new species of human to life, revealing their own unique complexities and intelligence; they come into their own, becoming much more than the ignorant, blue-penised freakcreations of Crake. Her exploration of the role of language and religion is fascinating as well. Toby in particular is interesting in this respect; the second novel revolves largely around her devotion to God’s Gardeners as Eve Six both before and after the Waterless Flood, even though, oddly enough, Toby doesn’t actually believe in God. Yet somehow she continues in her faith, ignoring her own disbelief. This carries over to MaddAddam, where it is Toby who takes over for Snowman in creating the Crakers’ mythology (including the flying spirit Fuck, to whom one calls for help). Thus through Toby, writing, religion, and history become entangled together at the very dawn of Craker civilization, her journal quite literally becoming the Craker bible. And so, despite the seemingly happy ending of MaddAddam, the trilogy does leave off somewhat ominously. Though Crake created his children with the intention of freeing them from the old world, they still seem to be continuing in its tracks. Jimmy and Toby may have very well been the serpents in their Eden, despite their good intentions; the new world is still contaminated by the old. It does not seem that even Crake’s creations can completely shed their humanity. Once again, Atwood has left us with a question mark as to the future of humankind.
Get involved with The Cascade this winter semester
We’re always looking for writers, production assistants, illustrators, and photographers! Visit our office in C1027 or email michael@ufvcascade.ca if you have any questions or want to contribute.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca
19
SPORTS & HEALTH
Varsity Sports
Women’s volleyball defends reputation NATHAN HUTTON CONTRIBUTOR
This weekend the women’s volleyball team played two tough games against the VIU Mariners as they looked to prove the legitimacy of their number one national ranking. The two-day contest against the fifth-ranked Mariners began on Friday with a typically strong game from the women’s squad, sweeping VIU in three straight sets by scores of 25-22, 25-15, and 25-17. The women’s squad has been perfect so far this season. Before Saturday’s game they registered seven wins to start the season, keeping their total losses at two since the beginning of last year’s historic national championship season. In the second game of the weekend, the visitors pushed the Cascades women extremely hard. But buoyed by the inspired play of their veteran trio Jenna Evans, Kierra Noot, and Emily Carroll, the team fought off the Mariner assault. Carroll made a great contribution early in the game as she and Krista Hogewoning made some huge blocks that gave the Cascades crucial points in the first set. The Cascade women seemed to struggle early against the Mariners defense. The squad as a whole made a series of unforced errors in the first set which contributed more to the close score than the play of the Mariners did. These mistakes also included some poor serves that handed over easy points. Recognizing that her team needed her to step up, Noot made an important and timely contribution, ripping off three
Photo: Nathan Hutton
Cascades women support each other between points. blocks in a row to tie the game at 24. Unfortunately, the Cascades could not build on the momentum and lost the first set by a count of 26-24. The second set featured some
great rallies as both sides demonstrated to the UFV crowd why they hold such an impressive record. Noot and Carroll anchored the team, fighting hard against the Mariners, but this time they
also had the help of fifth-year Evans, the senior player on the team. The Cascades proved their resilience by making some phenomenal plays even after the Mariners made key blocks in or-
der to stay in the game. The second set, like the first, progressed into the volleyball equivalent of overtime as both teams played hard and pushed the score past 25. Both teams were looking for the two point differential required to win the contest. Finally, the Cascades got the points required and closed the match with a 28-26 victory. The Mariners took the third set, and UFV the fourth, paving the way for a decisive fifth and final set. Luckly, the Cascades had saved the best for last, taking an early 5-1 lead. Mariners coach Shane Hyde, no doubt in an attempt to arrest the Cascades’ momentum and secure an advantage for his squad, took a timeout to help his team calm down and strategize. Once again, it was the strong play of Evans, Noot, and Carroll that inspired UFV’s solid play. Despite the timeout the Cascades continued their assault securing a 9-1 lead before the Mariners scored their second point. In the end, the Mariners could do little to stop the Cascades once they turned up the intensity. UFV defended their number one rank, winning the fifth and final set 15-7 and winning the match three sets against two. It was proven in this contest that the Cascades are the team to beat not only in the PACWEST conference but also in the CCAA as they hope to translate their number one ranking into a second consecutive national championship. In other action this weekend the Cascades men’s volleyball team dropped back-to-back games against the Mariners by scores of three sets against zero and three sets against one.
Heat Report
Heat roster shake-up begins with call-ups and a trade TIM UBELS
CONTRIBUTOR
The Heat’s record over the past two weeks has been impressive. They have consistently squeaked out one-goal wins against their opponents, but their record isn’t indicative of a consistent roster. It’s been an exciting week at both the NHL and AHL level for the team, including a multi-player trade, call-ups, and a five-game winning streak as the Heat managed to sweep both the Utica Comets and San Antonio Rampage. The Calgary Flames placed Joey MacDonald on waivers and called up Reto Berra, a move that wasn’t unpredictable consideringW the team’s glut of goaltending prospects piling up in the minors, itching for a chance to get some NHL experience. Getting the call to make his NHL debut against the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to open the Flames’ four-game road trip probably wasn’t everyone’s ideal matchup for the young goaltender. So when Berra, nicknamed
Photo: Clint Trahan
Joey Macdonald was recently placed on waivers. “Berracuda” among some fans, stopped 42 of 44 shots in the overtime win and was named the game’s first star against the Blackhawks, fans and management took notice. He became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to defeat the defending champs in a debut game. The rookie goalie kept the Flames in a tough game where they were badly out-shot and out-chanced throughout. Berra, along with Mark Cundari, was one of the pieces of last season’s
Jay Bouwmeester blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Blues, and his play so far this season demonstrates that he will be central to Calgary’s planned rebuild. Although he allowed eight goals over the next two games, Berra’s experience at the NHL-level, no matter how shortlived, will help him pinpoint and improve the weaknesses in his game. Along with Berra, promising rookie blueliner Chad Billins got the call to suit up for the
big league team this week. Despite playing in two losses, Billins managed to make the most of the opportunity, picking up a pair of assists over those games. Listed at a generous 5’10 and 180 pounds, the offensive-minded Billins led all Heat defensemen with five goals, and gave Flames management a preview of his offensive prowess at the NHL level. Although Billins played well during his first NHL stint, he was reassigned to the Heat when Flames General Manager Jay Feaster made a trade with the Edmonton Oilers for stayat-home defenseman Ladislav Smid on Friday. Trades between these Alberta rivals are rare, and are usually only completed when one of the teams is dealing strategically, especially since Edmonton is already a notoriously weak defensive team. It turns out that Edmonton was dumping salary in order to sign Czech netminder Ilya Bryzgalov, a pretty low-risk move, and the Flames were more than happy to oblige in order to help out their injury-riddled lineup. Smid is still young at 27 and
signed a reasonable long-term contract, so even if things don’t turn out for the Heat this season, he could be a valuable asset to move at the trade deadline this year. The Flames also acquired minor league goaltender Oliver Roy from the Oilers in the deal. While the Flames made a significant upgrade in Smid, the deal sends two promising roster players in centre Roman Horak and goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the Abbotsford Heat to the Edmonton Oilers. The 22-yearold Horak has split time between the Heat and Flames lineup over the past three seasons, picking up 48 points in 87 games with the Heat. Brossoit, who was recently demoted to the Alaska Aces of the ECHL, posted backto-back shutouts in only two games with his new team. Coach Troy G. Ward will have his work cut out for him this week as he tries to find a roster player who can take on the offensive role Horak has held down the past three years.
20
SPORTS & HEALTH
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 www.ufvcascade.ca